Orienteering is an outdoor navigation sport that challenges participants to find their way across diverse terrain using a map and compass. The goal is to visit a series of control points, in the fastest time possible. Orienteering can be enjoyed as a competitive sport or as a fun, recreational activity for all ages and skill levels, offering a great way to explore nature while testing your navigational skills. European orienteering history Orienteering has deep roots in Europe, where ...
LESSONS FROM THE TRAIL – HIKING AND BACKPACKING AS A FAMILY (PART 2)
Less than a year ago, I wrote my first blog post about backpacking as a family. In the past few months, we have continued to spend many Sundays on the trail and added several overnight trips allowing us to push the boundaries of our backcountry experience. We went from being newbies to becoming regular weekend backpackers, we discovered little sections of the beautiful Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), 2650 miles that connect Mexico to Canada, and we definitely learned a few lessons on the ...
Beyond Needles: What Do Acupuncturists Really Do?
If you are intrigued by ancient health practices like Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) but are afraid of needles, read on, you are in the right place. First, know that you are not alone. I was afraid of needles too before I went to acupuncture school : )! And I quickly decided that the word acupuncture was a misnomer. Here is why: When you hear “acupuncture,” you picture someone inserting tiny needles into the skin. That’s true, but that’s not the whole story. There’s so much more to this ...
15 mom and kids approved trail snacks
And if you are a mom, you know that’s a challenge! Because “kids approved” pretty much comes down to “tastebuds approved”, and as moms we all know, there is more to us than just tastebuds! So, let’s look for some healthy, whole body and whole family approved trail snacks! Hiking burns a lot of calories, so it’s important to pack the right kind of snacks to keep your energy up on the trail and have quick and easy "anti-crash" solutions ready to avoid those breakdowns in the middle of ...
Our top 20 family hikes around Poway and what my boys have to say about them
Hiking is a fun thing to do as a family. My boys are 8 and 10 years old and have tons of energy. So taking them outdoors is a great way for them to get it all out, while my husband and I get to enjoy some time on the trail and admire the amazing views. The perfect way to spend time as a family! Start small, work your way up, and be safe! Exploring with the kids is really fun! For us, it has been an amazing journey for the past two years. We started exploring around our neighborhood to ...
What you need to know about hiking with kids
There are so many benefits for kids to be outdoors. They get to exercise, breathe fresh air, escape from daily distractions, get to know and appreciate nature. They grow in confidence, self-sufficiency and independence. My 10 year old used to really struggle at the beginning of our hikes, especially the new ones when he did not know where we were going and how far. One day I pointed out to him that physically he was probably the fittest of us, but mentally he was struggling the most. He ...
Aerial silks for middle aged women? The good, the bad, and the beautiful
What is aerial silks? Aerial silks is a circus arts discipline in which artists perform aerial acrobatics while hanging from paired fabrics. Performers use the fabric to wrap, suspend, drop, swing, and spiral their bodies into and out of various acrobatic positions. AND WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? THE GOOD Because you build overall body strength, especially upper body strength.You use muscles you probably don’t even know you have because instead of pushing against gravity, you are ...
Three things you need to know if you are new to meditation
Have you ever wondered what meditation is all about? When I was in my thirties I was struggling with finding my path. I was doing research in a science lab in Geneva, Switzerland, but I started to realize that my daily activities didn't make sense anymore, I was heart broken because my relationship had just fallen apart, I didn't see where I was going with my life, and not much seemed fun anymore. Looking for a way out of my unsatisfying situation, I started going to mediation classes. And I ...
Welcome to paradise – hiking and backpacking as a family
Interested in finding new outdoor adventures as a family? We’ve been hiking as a family for close to two years! Our boys are 8 and 10 now and do much better on the trails than we do! When a friend of mine told me at the beginning of the lockdown that we had over 78 miles of hiking trails around us, I knew we had to go explore! We started out just exploring around the neighborhood, then we went a little further, wandered into the next neighborhood. We live on top of a hill, so we ...
10 ways to reduce screen time during the summer
Never before have our students been so dependent on computers. Last year, many schools were closed for several months and a large part of the school kids were learning online. Modern technology has been a huge help and has offered many solutions we could never have imagined even a few decades ago. However, as much as the virtual world has been a great help for everyone these past months, we all know there are negative effects of too much screen time. The good and bad about virtual ...