have a Mindful Outdoor Experience

For rambling around outdoors, early winter is my favorite time of year, I think.

If there's snow on the ground here in Vermont, it's usually not too deep right about now. Leaves are off the trees, so it's easy to see far into the distance, and to test my winter tree identification skills (which are pretty limited). And animal tracks: are all these beings scurrying around like this when they can't leave footprints behind? There's so much to discover!

I'm nearly done with my level one Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Guide certification, which has taught me that all those hours of following critters around boosts my attention span, calms my nervous system and connects me to the land that I live on. Science says so. And I just feel better doing it.

You can have a Mindful Outdoor Experience (MOE), too—here are a couple of options for you …

online, and on your schedule
Grab your earbuds and journal, click on the image below and head outdoors to join me for a different kind of walk in the woods. This isn’t a hike with the intention to get in 10,000 steps—this is a close encounter, and one you can do right in your backyard.* This recording is one of the practice MOEs I put together for my Kripalu training, and I thought you might like to give a listen.

*Can’t get outdoors? No problem—sidle up to a window with a view of the sky and some trees … you’ll enjoy the same health benefits.

in person at Wild Trails Farm, Jan. 5-8, 2024
Join New Hampshire author Pam Bernard at Wild Trails Farm in Springfield, Vt., to study writers who immerse themselves in nature, then find your own language for what you're yearning to say. The Human in Nature: A Writers’ Weekend features creative writing and discussion sessions surrounded by indoor and outdoor selfcare sessions so you can draw inspiration from the property's pristine forests and fields.

Click here to see the complete weekend schedule, which includes restorative yoga and a Mindful Outdoor Experience with me. Pricing for this Writers’ Weekend includes three nights of lodging as well as all group sessions and meals—all other activities are on your own, including any additional individual retreat services, like massage, energy work and more (optional). Rates for this all-inclusive long weekend start at $595. Click here to inquire about current availability and pricing.