The mindfullness hike — Hello Fashionistas

I rush down the stairs to meet Sofy out front. We had made plans to grab coffee, and snacks before heading out, but there was no time for that. By the time she had arrived to where I was staying that week, (I was cat sitting for a friend) all we had time for was to jump on the highway, in order to make it to the hiking trail on time. If it wasn’t for the funeral procession we were stuck behind, and the ongoing traffic that kept the timer on the GPS going from 15 minutes away, back to 18 then to 20 and back to 15 giving me more fucking anxiety, we would have totally made it on time. (Sorry Eddie!)

If you know me, you know I’m not very outdoorsy. I don’t do camping. I don’t do hikes. Time spent in the woods for me looks like a cute little cabin, with a nice fire place, a good bottle of wine, a delectable charcuterie board, running water, and WiFi!! Being out in nature, is just not my cup of tea. I’d rather spend a Saturday afternoon having that tea with a delicious pastry at a cute little cafe in Williamsburg, not on a strenuous hike up a mountain to fucking meditate. (Sorry Eddie!) The bugs, the treading up and down with all the rocks and branches. Just not my ideal setting. I’m a city girl, through and through. I’ll take skyscrapers over trees any day! Don’t get me wrong, I can fully appreciate the majesty of a picturesque landscape. I just, don’t care as much to be in that environment. Not for too long anyway. But how could I not support my dear brother and best friend on this new and exciting journey? Being quarantined affected so many of us differently, and Eddie saw it as an opportunity to completely reinvent himself. That’s one of the things I love about him, his hunger to continue to push himself, learn something new, and evolve. He’s got my complete admiration.

In true Yaz and Sofy fashion, we arrived late. They were waiting for us to begin the trail. (Sorry Eddie!) I was happy to see Eddie and Jessie. Ivelise was actually a part of this group too, which made me even more excited to see another familiar face. Once we all said our quick hello’s, we get in a circle where we do a few stretches and Eddie and Al tell us what to expect on this hike. Being in the car that long had me wanting to pee, but there was no bathroom in sight! If you know me, you know that no matter where we go, I always have to pee! I did the next best thing and hopped into Sofy’s backseat, and went inside of a random cup she had in her car, which delayed us even more. (Sorry Eddie!)

We begin making our way towards the trail. The weather was gorgeous, and I must admit, I was already enjoying my time in the great wide open. Besides the gorgeous wilderness we were surrounded by, there were these beautiful homes that we passed along the way that were also pretty to look at. Eddie worked the crowd, and I caught up with Jessie. I missed talking to him, and I missed Eddie’s energy. We finally make it to the beginning of the trail. Didn’t look too bad going up. I thought to myself, I could do this! There were people there standing by a tape trail to guide us where we needed to go. Eddie gave us some tips on how to best walk up the mountain, along with some breathing techniques. He reminded us to enjoy the hike and not focus too much on how we were gonna make it up, but to just take our time and enjoy the journey. Some people found huge branches they used to climb up for stability, and hiking boots. I just wore some cute sneakers and a snake print jumpsuit. (That was my way of blending with the environment!) I mean, hike, but make it fashion right?! As we made our way up the trail, I found it to be easier than I anticipated. Were there moments where I had to stop? Absolutely! It’s not everyday we hike up a mountain, but I did have fun hiking through the crushed rocks, and branches, having random conversations along the way, while taking in the Sun and all the delightful greenery. All of my senses were activated. So much to hear, see, smell and feel. So much life, so much energy surrounding us, fueling us, everything existing together in perfect harmony. Those senses, quieting and overtaking my thinking mind, which is always going, and I didn’t find it difficult at all to be present. I felt so connected with nature. Like I belonged there.

We make it half way up the trail. We took this time to rest, and have some water and snacks while Eddie looked for the perfect location to hold his meditation. I didn’t bring water, (because it would have had me wanting to use the bathroom every 15 minutes!) and I didn’t bring any snacks, (because we had no time) and even though Ivelise was nice enough to offer some of hers, I took that time to really bond with my surroundings. I sat on a log, and felt the Sun penetrating my skin, looked at the clouds above me. I observed all the different trees and bushes, and rocks. Everything is so still yet so active at the same time. I even made my way up towards a cave, which once I got to the entrance, I just sat right in front of it. I was going to go in, but it was very narrow, and it made me uneasy. So I just enjoyed the view from a different angle, and watched everyone else walk in and out. Once Eddie found the right spot for us to meditate, we began to make our way there.

Perfect doesn’t begin to describe the top of the mountain. Standing in front of such a gorgeous Panorama, made you feel so big and yet so small at the same time. It’s beauty is so immaculate it doesn’t even seem real. It’s like you’re looking at a gorgeous landscape painting, except you’re in it. Reaching the top makes you feel like you could do anything. It makes the impossible suddenly seem possible, you feel on top of the world. Literally. Your eyes are taking in so much green and so much beauty, your heart swells up with joy. I felt so happy, so serene, so accomplished. Eddie asks us to pick a spot and get into a circle so he can begin his guided meditation. As he began and we closed our eyes, I felt a gentle breeze, which was incredibly comforting. I felt the Sun even stronger, and I felt like it was activated by his words. I didn’t have to picture myself in a beautiful place, because I already was. When meditating, your mind sometimes wanders, but I’ve never felt more present during a meditation. Eddie has the type of presence that when he speaks, you hang on to every word. His voice was soothing, and carrying. He makes people who don’t like to meditate, want to meditate. Once we opened our eyes, we each got to say an affirmation, which I love to say out loud around the right energy. He made us shout into the universe “I LOVE MYSELF!” Which he’s totally made me do in his living room before, but this time, I felt a different vibration. It was freeing, and emotional. I felt light, like I could have floated back down that mountain. That’s the power of meditation. It has the ability to make you let go of all of the shit we carry around that’s sometimes not even ours to carry. We all hugged when it was over, and stayed there for a while talking and taking pictures, before we made our way back down.

Once I get going, I have to keep going, because if I stop, it’s hard to get me started again. I felt my energy begin to drop. We made our way back down to where the cave was and took another little break before heading back down. Going up, I felt like I barely stopped, and now that I had a little time to rest I started to feel tightness in my lower back and in my legs. Jessie found a long, thick branch to help keep me balanced on my journey back down, and I’m so thankful to him and Al for helping motivate Sofy and I towards the finish line. They walked with us and coached us through the entire time. I thought going up was going to be hard, but I found going down to be most difficult. I kept feeling like I was going to fall forward and roll the rest of the way down. Thank God that didn’t happen!

We were the last ones to reach the bottom, and once we did, everyone clapped! Given the day we just had, the walk back to our cars felt so relaxed. Once we reached the parking lot, we got into our cars and drove to a nearby restaurant where we celebrated this great adventure with lots of food, and strong drinks! I really underestimated this experience. I went in super negative, thinking I was going to hate it and it was the total opposite. I LOVED IT! I would totally recommend this experience to both lovers and non-lovers of the outdoors. The mountains, the fresh air, it was truly exhilarating. I felt strong. Tired, but strong. I thought it was going to be tough but you really don’t know what you can do until you try it. It’s good to have a change of scenery and trade in the concrete trail for a dirt one. Being away from the city for one day wasn’t that bad. It was healing. It’s good to get out of your comfort zone. It’s good to challenge yourself and try something new, rough it out, and test your grit. How else would we know what we’re capable of, right? Just know that you’re limitless light, love, and potentiality and the rest will flow. (Thank You Eddie!)

With Style & Pizazz,

YAZ

For info on the Mindfulness Hikes, and more outdoor Adventures in the NY area, please visit LECHEWEARE.COM and OUTERTHERE.COM.