Wolf Tree Wilderness Therapy

Found my new COVID-safe winter activity! My first snowshoe trip ever so I stayed around the backyard. Practiced getting up from the ground (which is a bit more challenging with a metal spine that won’t bend and snow pants that limit my hip mobility), but I did it! My next step will be exploring the Finger Lakes National Forest during my winter break! Also, I see some backyard snow mandala-making in my future. Ready for my class with @micah_mortali tomorrow night! #unlikelyhikers #snowshoeing #winter #wintersolstice #makingfriendswithwinter #mindfulness #kmog #mindfulliving #embracingwinter #spinalfusion #scoliosiswarrior #scoliosis #fingerlakes #flxoutdoors #fingerlakesnationalforest

Greetings from the South Slope trail! Halfway through my self-guided Sunday Mindful Outdoor Experience, I decided to pull off and make some white pine tea! I’m ready for class with @micah_mortali tomorrow #foraging #kripalu #tea #kmog #fire #wildernessskills #unlikelyhikers #whitepine #fingerlakestrail #fingerlakes #mindfulness #mindfulnesspractice #solostove #winterhiking #outdooradventures #hygge

Wishing my metal spine and I a happy 3rd anniversary! Usually spinal fusions are done on teenagers or elders (not 32 year olds), so no one could really give me a picture of what my recovery would look like. Only in the past 6 months have I felt that all my inner workings have finally finished their healing. Here are some pictures from this journey: 1- My first steps post surgery. On day 5 of my 7-day hospital stay, I remember crying to my lovely PT about my lack of progress... as I was shuffling down the hospital corridor. I asked her if I would ever hike again. She assured me I would. But I didn’t really believe her. A reminder to myself that progress sometimes moves at the pace of grass growing. 2- Pre-surgery X-rays of my scoliosis. What isn’t shown is my tethered spinal cord or the pocket of fluid pressing on my spinal cord. Double neurosurgery! I didn’t get a punch card though. 3- In my mind, this is what happened. Little birdies flew in and pulled me straight. In reality, it took a team of doctors and nurses about 9 hours to build my new spine. 4 and 5- The after pics. I keep these X-rays hung on my fridge as a reminder to have patience with myself and to marvel in all the cool things that my new body can do. One of my goals for 2021 is to reach out to all of my orthopedists and offer a Wilderness Therapy group to all of the teens who are pre or post op. Curvy folks unite! #spinalfusion #iamtitanium #unlikelyhikers #scoliosis #scoliosissurgery #scoliosiswarrior #wilderness #embodiment #rewilding #healing #recovery #healinginnature #tetheredcordsyndrome #neurosurgery #disability #invisibledisability #bentnotbroken #grit #spinalfusionsurvivor #syringomyelia #hiking #fingerlakestrail

Trauma in a person decontextualized over time, can look like personality. Trauma in a family... decontextualized over time, can look like family traits. Trauma in a people, decontextualized over time, can look like culture. -Resmaa Menakem

Another great day out in the wild with folks, leading a mindful outdoor experience, the WALK group, and some individual outdoor therapy sessions. Some silly pictures from the day (some adapting was done to accommodate the snow): 1) When out of cordage (and not wanting to cut up your paracord), a cell phone charger works really well 2) Always glad I keep a tarp in my pack so that we can stay dry in rain or snow 3) I was accepted as a proud member of the muddy knees club by ...a kiddo that I work with. A very high honor, indeed. #adaptandovercome #unlikelyhiker #cordage #winter #hiking #fingerlakes #improvisation #wildernesstherapy #kmog #kripaluschoolofmindfuloutdoorleadership #rewilding #muddy #outdooradventures #dirt #mcguyver #alwaysprepared #winterhiking #minfulness #embodied

Views from the W.A.L.K. group this morning. Beautiful early frost and a skin of ice on the pond at the South Slope trail. Further on, we got to make some vitamin D in the sunshine and have a hot cuppa ginger tea during our nature meditation. #kmog #winteriscoming #unlikelyhikers #mindful #wildernesstherapy #kripaluschoolofmindfuloutdoorleadership #rewilding #frost #fingerlakes #november #nature #meditation #tea #vitamind