Mindful Movement and Hike with UNH Cooperative Extension

This program is in partnership with UNH Cooperative Extension’s 4H Healthy Living Mental Wellness Pathway.

The Mindful Movement and Hike will focus on the growing field of research using nature as more than a backdrop for experiences, but instead as a powerful modality for mental wellness. Multiple studies referenced in an Advanced Sciences article, Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective, have linked time in nature to lower levels of mental distress, positive social interactions, and a sense of meaning and purpose in life. Coupled with evidence-based mindfulness practices, which Dr. Gavin, Director of Behavioral Medicine for the Back on Trek Program within the Neurological Institute, writes about in her article, highlighting an overall reduction in the areas of stress, chronic pain, and relapses in mental illness as well improved mental health including quality of sleep.

Combining these two fields of research, our skilled presenters will use a guided approach to the day, using mindfulness-based practices like low-impact hiking and yoga as well as grounding techniques like walking meditation and creating a sound map. The two-hour immersive experience will leave participants grounded in their natural surroundings, ultimately connecting their Head, Heart, and Hands for improved mental Health!

Registration is required. Please visit the events page on the UNH Cooperative Extension website for more information and to register: https://extension.unh.edu/event/2023/05/mindful-movement-hike