Mindfully walking in nature is a great way to practice mindfulness and realize its health benefits, while also enjoying the outdoors. Unlike seated meditation which often brings focus to our inner experience, mindfully walking in nature asks you to utilize all of your senses as you take in your surroundings. Noticing the feeling of a breeze on your cheek, the sound of rustling leaves, the smell of a wet forest floor in autumn, seeing the shape of clouds change as they float over a ridge, and even the taste of a blackberry plucked along the trail.
While these are all the kinds of things many people already do on a hike, in doing them mindfully we make time and space to focus our attention on each individual experience. An important part of being able to engage fully with our surroundings includes noticing the thoughts, and emotions that are happening internally, which can often pull our attention away from what is in front of us. As those thoughts and emotions pop up, take a moment to note them and return your attention to the object in nature you were engaging with on the trail.
Tips for starting your practice
Pay attention: Fall is a great time to observe the changing colors, but also an exciting opportunity to observe a tree that is starting to drop it’s leaves. You can practice by setting a 5 minute timer and simply paying attention to each leaf on the tree, one at a time, until a leaf falls and you can follow its path to the ground.
Make the familiar new again: An old trail might offer new features to notice in a different season with bare branches in winter, different time of day with the light of golden hour diffusing like a glow in the woods, or perhaps under a full moon where familiar trees cast unfamiliar shadows.
Focus on your breathing: Sit on a bench or naturally occurring seat with your back straight, but also relaxed. Notice the sensation of your breath moving in and out of your body. You can also focus on the sensation of crisp cool air, or warm humid against your nostrils as you inhale.
Hands on: There are so many wonderful textures, smells, colors, sounds and even tastes to explore in the woods if it’s berry season. For inspiration, think about the way a young child may pick up a stone and spend time feeling it’s rough texture with their finger. As adults, we are already professionals at identifying what an object might feel like based on how it looks. The next time you see a stone, pick it up, forget your texture credentials, and focus on the sensation of your finger as you move it across the stone. You might just come up with some new data, and practice mindfulness along the way.
Tillamook Trails to Try Out
Ideal trails will be quiet, uncrowded, and relatively flat. You can practice mindful walking on any trail, but the more tranquil the location, the easier it will be to focus your attention on the natural world and sensations around you. Try the following trails on the Tillamook County Trails and Recreation Map:
Area Trails: Sitka Sedge State Natural Area Kilchis Point Reserve Bob Straub State Park Nestucca Bay National Wildlife refuge Nehalem Bay State Park Mt. Hebo Campground Pioneer Indian Trailhead #1300
Make the most of the sunny weather and drop in at one of the Tillamook County Skate Parks! There are three parks to choose from with different features that will appeal to different types of skaters: The Bay City Skate Park in Bay City, Tillamook Skatepark at Goodspeed park, and the newest addition down in south county at the Pacific City Community Park.
The skatepark at Goodspeed Park features both street and transition. A transition of varying heights and a flat wall extension stretch across the west end of the park. The park also features an A-frame combo, grind rails and a 4’-6’ bowl, with 7’ pocket.
The Pacific City Skatepark opened in the Spring of 2021, a project that was supported by the Nestucca Valley Community Alliance. The concrete bowl features a full bowl with various features, including a dory boat created from a mold made from the dory boat that sank in Pacific City in an accident on March 12, 2021.
Bay City Skate Park
Pacific City Skate Park
Goodspeed Park
If you are interested in learning to skate and aren’t sure where to start, here are some tips and resources from the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/bam/cards/skateboard.html
Gear Up
Skateboards can be bought pre-assembled, or you can buy all of the pieces and put it together yourself. Pre-assembled boards are best for beginners, until you decide if skateboarding is really for you. If you are putting your own board together, you’ll need a deck (the board itself), grip tape for the top of the deck so your feet don’t slip, 2 trucks (the metal parts that are the axles of the wheels), 4 wheels, and 2 bearings per wheel (these keep the wheels spinning on the truck’s axle). Before each time you ride, make sure your trucks are tightened and your wheels are spinning properly. Don’t forget to wear a helmet, knee and elbow pads, and wrist guards. It’s important that your helmet is approved by one of the groups who test helmets to see which ones are the best: the Snell B-95 standard is best for skateboarding helmets. Non-slippery shoes are a good idea too, so you can have better control of your board.
Play it Safe
Before you ride, make sure you give your board a safety check to make sure everything is put together correctly. Always wear all of your protective gear including a helmet, knee and elbow pads, and wrist guards. If you do tricks with your board, you may also want to wear gloves to protect your hands from the pavement. If you’re just starting out, skate on a smooth, flat surface so you can practice keeping control of your board. And no matter how experienced you are — never hold on to the back of a moving vehicle! It’s best to skate out of the way of traffic and other people (skate parks are great places to skate). But if you are skating in streets near your house, be aware of cars and people around you, and stay out of their way. Also, once the sun sets, it’s a good idea to put up your board for the night, since skating in the dark can be dangerous.
How to Play
If you’re just starting out, follow these steps to develop your skateboarding skills. Put one foot on the board, toward the front, with the other on the ground. Push off the ground with your foot and put it on the rear of the board while you glide. Push again when you slow down. If you start going too fast, step off the board with your back foot. To turn, shift your weight to your back foot so that the front truck lifts off the ground and then move your body in the direction you want to go — the board will go with you.
AUTHOR: Brett Buesnel, AmeriCorps VISTA at Tillamook County Community Health Center
“WHY I’M IN …” An interview with Lewis Martin, Nutrition Director, Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council
The Tillamook County Wellness “Why I’m In” interview series highlights our community partners and what has inspired and motivated them to work toward the common goal of improving community health.
What drew you/your organization to partner with Tillamook County Wellness?
Martin: The Oregon Dairy and Nutrition Council works on behalf of all dairy farmers and processors in the state to educate and inform on the essential role that dairy foods, healthy eating, and public health promotion have in community well-being. Since 2014, ODNC’s commitment to Tillamook County Wellness and to the health of those living in this area (which houses the most dairy farms in the state) has been a natural fit. As a Registered Dietitian and the new Nutrition Director for ODNC, helping others reach their highest level of health has always been one of my greatest passions, and I plan to continue to support the wonderful work being done by this group that has had years in the making.
What, if any, changes have you seen come about as a result of this work?
Martin: During my brief time with Tillamook County Wellness so far, I’ve seen the This Way to Well-being campaign come to life and inspire individuals across the county to reconsider their perception of ways to lead a healthier life. This initiative has gone beyond traditional approaches in health promotion that only emphasize movement and healthy eating (as important as they are), and encourages social connectedness, mental well-being, outdoor recreation, and even financial awareness. This work has also demonstrated the power that Social Media has to help reach and engage with an even greater number of individuals living in the Tillamook community.
What have you learned from being involved in this work?
Martin: Something I’ve learned time and time again throughout my career, and especially with Tillamook County Wellness, is that when you bring others together with the shared vision and drive to make a difference to the health and well-being of those in their community, you can accomplish wonderful feats. Our committee is composed of a diverse group of members of different professional backgrounds and organizations, and we continue to find ways to connect the dots, lean on our strengths, and draw from collective expertise to drive our mission forward.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to you/your organization?
Martin: I want to continue to provide a voice of expertise in nutrition as a foundation for well-being, and the role that dairy foods play as part of a healthy life. I’m also excited to bring years of experience in health promotion and community well-being to the Tillamook County Wellness team, and to help create fun and engaging initiatives that will continue to make Tillamook a wonderful place to live, gather, and grow.
What are your hopes for this work as it relates to changing community health in Tillamook County?
Martin: It’s my goal for everyone living in Tillamook county to be invested in and excited for their health and wellness. This is partly to aid in our public health efforts to prevent and manage chronic illness in our community, but also because there’s simply just so much to inform about and share in this county related to well-being. This includes the incredible outdoor recreation, the plethora of social events and interest groups, access to mental health and social support resources, the amazing and nutritious foods and dairy products produced right in our back yard (some of the best in the entire country), and the help that this organization offers in guiding others to lead their best life.
