Women’s Hiking Adventures. Spiritual in Nature.
Self-discovery is the “secret sauce” that makes She Walks the Walk Global Walking Adventures (G’WAs) different than other treks. With SWTW, the spiritual/internal journey of self-discovery is just as important as the physical hike – in fact, probably more important!
So what does that mean for you? There’s the million-dollar question…
By spiritual, we don’t mean connecting with God necessarily (though it could be that). We mean finding answers to The Big Questions in your life: career, family, love, and so on. What speaks to your soul? What treadmill are you stuck on? And what’s getting in the way of you reaching your goals?
Often, when we’re in the middle of the shit, we can’t see our way out. We need to literally step out of our lives and take a new perspective. When we give ourselves permission to take a break from our lives and really examine it, we open ourselves to amazing epiphanies.
Epiphany. We all know the word: a sudden and profound realization or understanding of something. But it involves understandings that are spiritual and emotional and therefore not easily described. Like, my own epiphany on the Camino. I’d left with a question on my lips: “Should I leave my job?” I did a lot of soul-searching on that journey! But I returned home with my answer – and here I am today!
Of course, that’s the Readers Digest version. The epiphany might be sudden, but finding the right setting and circumstances to receive that epiphany can take time.
Luckily, there are shortcuts…
Hiking Experiences + Self-Discovery
She Walks the Walk is all about creating the right environments so that those moments of epiphany will come visit you. When you’re on a Global Walking Adventure (G’WA), expect to get insights into yourself that will blow your mind.
Yes, travel is a strong catalyst for self-discovery on its own. But we go further so you can explore deeper to help trigger those epiphanies. Here’s what you can expect:
- Pre-trip Zoom call
- Guided meditation (see “Sam’s Own Path to Meditation” below)
- Guided journalling
- Discussion prompts using SWTW “The Big Questions” cards
- Mid-hike workshops
- Sharing circles in the evenings
- One-on-one talks about the things in life that really matter
- Post-hike follow-ups
Self-discovery is the main goal of every She Walks the Walk G’WA.
Sam’s Own Path to Meditation
We all know meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. The biggest benefit being touted is rediscovering your body’s own inner intelligence. (And hey, She Walks the Walk is all about self-discovery!)
I follow an approach called Primordial Sound Meditation. The meditations I share on our G’WAs use individually selected sounds of nature called mantras to disconnect us from the activity of life.
As a certified Chopra Meditation Instructor, I’ll use the techniques I’ve learned to help you:
- Manage stress & reduce anxiety
- Create inner peace
- Improve your relationships
- Lower your blood pressure
- Enhance your sleep patterns
- Connect more deeply to spirit
I know firsthand how powerful meditation can be on your journey of self-discovery!
How I Found Meditation
My earliest recollection that something was “awry” in my life happened on a hilltop in rural Ecuador, 2016. My husband and I had taken our kids on a three-month South American backpacking adventure. By all accounts, I felt fortunate, and so alive! All that time with my girls, quality time with my husband, and immersing ourselves in new cultures.
But deep down, my reality waiting back home filled me with dread. I sat in silent meditation and wondered what I should do.
To be straight with you, I wasn’t actually meditating. I’d never done anything like “just sit and be” before in my life. No way! I was that girl trying to squeeze maximum productivity from every moment of every hour of every day. Sitting still felt useless to me.
And yet. There I sat. With one poignant question on my lips: “What should I do?”
This was the start of my journey into meditation, one I credit for keeping me sane and giving me the courage to follow my heart. It’s also significantly reduced the stress in my life and ramped up my creativity. I couldn’t believe something so simple could have such a profound impact.
Getting Certified through the Chopra Institute
As my own rudimentary practice deepened, I began to seek out expertise in the meditation field. I felt most connected to the teachings of Chopra and decided to become certified. It was a two-year journey (in the middle of the pandemic, no less), and one that was very much worth it. Now, I want to share those teachings with all women who join me on a G’WA so you can benefit too.
SWTW Offers the Little Somethings That Others Don’t
It’s cliché to say “you’ll get a new perspective on your life”. But clichés are clichés because they’re true. We take you outside of your normal world and create a nurturing, freeing, and supportive environment so you can look at your career/relationships/life from new angles.
We help generate insights and answers just not possible on other trips – and certainly not possible sitting at your kitchen table, mulling the clouds in your coffee.
So come join us! Walk with like-minded women who are looking for their answers through self-discovery, too. What we’re looking for is out there, somewhere, on the trail. Not only will it be an adventure of a lifetime, it just may open a lifetime of adventure!
– Sammy XO
