Category: Human interest
The surprising power of expressive writing for long covid recovery
What is expressive writing? Expressive writing for chronic symptoms is based on Dr. John Sarno’s research in resolving chronic pain and other chronic symptoms. It’s not journalling or writing about your day. It’s about going deep to express and release repressed emotions that are causing you stress. I’ve pieced together how I do expressive writing…
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Most helpful books for long covid recovery
The Way Out: If you were going to read one book, this is the one I’d recommend. But first, you need to understand that chronic pain is caused by the same things as many chronic symptoms, including fatigue and other long covid symptoms. Read my post about mind body medicine for long covid recovery if…
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How CFS recovery stories gave me hope
Recovery is possible When I got long covid, I had never heard of anyone recovering. I had two friends who got it and had not recovered. I heard terrifying stories in the news of people who never got better. When I was later diagnosed with ME/CFS, I was told by my specialist that 5% of…
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Attending a silent Vipassana retreat as a queer and trans person
A few years ago I went on a 10 day silent meditation retreat in Nepal. I fell in love Vipassana meditation. The featured image above shows the meditation hall in Nepal, men on one side and women on the other. It the most difficult thing I’ve ever done, both physically and mentally. But it showed…
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What the Rock Warrior’s Way taught me about climbing and fear
What the popular mental training program for climbers taught me about fear.
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How to include trans and non-binary people in your women’s group
Women’s outdoor groups provide safe and nurturing spaces for many women to make connections and push their limits. As awareness about trans and non-binary issues rises, some women are starting to question how to make their groups more welcoming to trans people. These women realize how lucky they are to have safe spaces and they…
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Silent 10 day Vipassana meditation retreat: Nepal vs Canada
Last year, I signed up for my first ten-day silent meditation course. As if waking up at 4:00 am and sitting for 10 hours wasn’t exciting enough, I did my course far away from home. In Nepal. The experience ended up being one of the most challenging and rewarding of my life. In this tradition,…
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Mt. Shuksan via Fisher Chimneys
I learned to climb on Mt. Shuksan years ago. This course gave me a taste into a hyper-masculine culture where I did not belong. It was powerful to return to this same route on this mountain as a leader under my own terms.
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Travelling solo in the Azores, Portugal’s best-kept secret
At the end of my solo trip around the world, I spent a week in the Azores. I had never heard of this place. But tickets home from Europe were extremely expensive — unless I added a stopover in the Azores. So off I went. And I had the most amazing time! I floated in…
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My concussion story
I had resigned myself to a staycation this Christmas break. I really wanted to go somewhere. But I was tired. And broke from 5 months of travelling. So I got this idea that I’d at least spend every single day of my break outside. On Christmas Eve, I had to work. But before the sunset,…
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My experience starting a queer outdoors group
Last year, I was feeling good about my mountaineering accomplishments. And with my work getting more women out climbing and on trips with the Alpine Club of Canada. But as someone who doesn’t even feel like a woman half the time, I was sorely missing queer community. I am not the kind of person who…
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