The organization will host two “mental health hikes” this winter
Canyonlands Field Institute is offering two free mental health hikes this winter that will take place on December 28 and January 31.
The “mental health hike” events have been part of CFI programming since 2021, and align with the nonprofit’s commitment to providing quality outdoor education to inspire care of wild places and renew the human spirit.
“Winter is a great time to make time for mental health,” said Alison Anders, development associate at CFI. “We’re coming out of the super busy fall and entering a season of slowness and finding time to tap back into the community and ourselves.”
Anders and fellow CFI associate Liz Bercel facilitate the hikes. Together, they co-founded the program in response to the pandemic to create safe spaces for people to move, connect, and build community together—elements that Anders says are critical to navigating the trauma caused by the pandemic.
The hikes offer immersion in nature and connection to place to foster self-awareness while restoring balance and perspective. While the hikes are not meant to be a space for participants to get mental health services, each has a structured curriculum and creates a positive setting for “group conversations that help to destigmatize mental health, while connecting to the nature in our backyards,” Anders said. And there are plenty of resources shared, especially by guest experts, that can help direct participants to support their mental health outside of the hike itself.
Guest experts are often the ones leading those conversations and sharing information and resources related to their professions. Through grants and donations, Anders and Bercel select guests and themes. Most recently, experts with backgrounds in art, yoga, and mental health have led activities and discussions around themes of healthy relationships with technology, the mind-body connection, and creativity, while hiking at locations throughout the greater Moab landscape. The hikes are meant to be accessible for all.
Both hikes this winter will follow the same formula. Over 70 community members have participated to date, and some have even become regulars. December’s theme is rest and how to use rest as a tool for healing. Its curriculum will acknowledge that while rest sounds simple, it’s not always easy to grasp the importance of slowing down and using the seasonality of winter to slow down and reflect. The theme for January is what you might expect for kicking off the new year with intention and attention on building healthy habits: goal setting and growth mindset.
Anders said it’s been fun meeting people on the hikes and that they have learned much from participants and experts.
If you’d like to join an upcoming hike, visit the CFI website https://cfimoab.org/ to register.
