JACKSON, Wyo. — The Community Safety Network (CSN) will host a free event connecting survivors of trauma to the healing powers of nature and movement on the morning of Saturday, August 17.
Rosa Sanchez, CSN’s Director of Client Services, Abby Richardson, CSN’s Advocate and Outreach Coordinator and a Camina Conmigo guide will lead a short hike and journal reflection in both English and Spanish. Participants are to meet at the Cache Creek Trailhead at 10 a.m. and can expect a thoughtful walk starting out on the Hagen Trail. The CSN estimates that it will be about an hour’s worth of walking and 30 minutes of journaling. Lunch will be provided but participants should bring water, snacks and a journal.
CSN Director of Education and Outreach Adrian Croke told Buckrail that many people in Jackson feel too busy or are too focused on extreme exercise to take time to receive the benefits of nature.
“By offering this event, we are inviting folks to take the time and space to themselves, go for a short walk outside and enjoy 30 minutes of journaling and quiet reflection,” Croke said. “If anyone needs emotional support, CSN advocates will be available. Though two hours in Cache Creek might not heal all traumas (though it will certainly help!), the hope is that this exercise will be a helpful addition to peoples’ toolkits of self-care, and perhaps will encourage folks to take the time to address the many ways in which the body keeps the score.”
CSN will be offering monthly free trauma healing events, including a sound bath in September and an art class in October. All events will be free, first come, first served and presented in English and Spanish. Future dates are yet to be announced.
“Traumas like violence, abuse and neglect are often interrelated,” CSN Executive Director Shannon Brooks Hamby said in a statement. “When one experiences one type of victimization, they are then more likely to experience another. We are intentionally offering these events to anyone who has experienced trauma because we understand this relationship.”
To sign up for the hike and journaling event, email abby@csnjh.org and questions can be emailed to adrian@csnjh.org. Up to 20 participants can enroll and any ages are welcome, as long as they are with parents/guardians.
