Copyright ©2023 Lee Spirit
Good day! I’m going to try a slightly different approach to my blog content. I’ll give you a brief trail description of where I’m at in my photos in case you ever want to travel and adventure there yourself! I will still be focusing on a topic on mindfulness and meditation in nature, and/or personal development. This post is about how to stop negative self-talk and mind clutter.
If there’s a personal development topic you are interested in, please use the Search box on the right to type in a search term to find a blog post of interest. Or if there’s a hike/snowshoe/ski/kayak that you’d like to do, you can also enter that into the search box to take you to that location in my posts.
This is not meant to be a hiking guide, just a general description of the trail, along with some mindfulness in nature to keep your mind, body, and spirit healthy! As I always say, the best place to do that is out in nature!
With that, let’s get started on today’s location, which is Kananaskis Fire Lookout, in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada.
Kananaskis Fire Lookout
This is a trail I frequent in the winter months, rather than the summer months, just for the amazing beauty of the snow covered trees and hills, and the amazing peace you will find up there! Very picturesque!
Distance: 12.1 km out and back, hiking or x-country skiing.
Elevation Gain: 513 m
Starting Point: Boulton Creek Campground Public Parking; Start the ski/hike at Whiskey Jack trailhead, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.
Hike or Ski Only
It’s debatable whether this is only a ski trail in winter. It can be hiked in summer but I have never gone there in summer as I prefer the winter views! Most people will ski to the lookout. I typically do it on snowshoes, but got some evil looks and a talking-to by someone who said it’s a ski-only trail. In the mountains, people are quite particular that you don’t snowshoe on ski trails and vice versa.
As a cross-country skier, I understand that you don’t want the ski trails ruined by snowshoes or footprints, as you can easily wipe out on skis in the holes the footprints create! Been there, done that! I tried my best to snowshoe on the side of the trails so as not to interfere with the skiers, but still got the evil eye! 🙂 So take warning!
Mindful Nature Moment: Stop Negative Self Talk and Mind Clutter
Take Me Now To Breaking the Habit of Negative Self Talk!
Becoming Aware and Present
Every time I head out into nature, I heal my soul. It’s a place where I can stop negative self talk by becoming aware of what’s in front of me. The scent of the Evergreen trees of the forest, the soft earth beneath my feet, or the warm sun on my skin. Maybe it’s the fresh breeze on my rosy cheeks, the health and fitness of my body, my sore legs, or my tired feet. I hear the birds chirping, admire the sunlight through the trees, and listen to the sound of a rushing creek. There are so many beautiful things to observe. When we stop and do that, we stop negative self talk and mind clutter. What a beautiful place to do that in nature!
Notice Your Negative Self Talk and What’s Cluttering Your Mind
On this adventure, I had been feeling a little rough around the edges, being a little too focused on negative thoughts swirling in my head over something someone sent me that disturbed me. The message, or shall I say, my reaction to the message, brought me down rather than lifting me up. I felt angry about it, and then talked negatively to myself as though I believed this person was tearing me down, and pointing out what my problem is. Was the person really tearing me down, though, or trying to bring to light something they felt I wasn’t seeing in myself? Were they just trying to help?
Return To Presence Through Gratitude in Nature
I spiked through the deep snow, pondering this, and quickly became more present. I enjoyed the snow glistening in the sunshine, and the Whiskey Jack birds that always hang out at the junction sign. Those birds always make me smile, especially on a chilly winter’s day in the mountains. So grateful for the incredible beauty out there, and the birds reminding me to be happy and grateful.
It’s an uphill climb all the way, but the reward at the top is so worth it. There are not many views until you get to the top, so you have to love being in the healing vibe of the forest, like I do! The uphill climb is like a symbol of our challenging negative self talk and mind clutter. Reaching the top, we overcome those challenges as we break into the glorious views at the sunny summit! Suddenly our troubles don’t seem so bad, and we return to our precious state of consciousness. We feel grateful, fulfilled, renewed, and energized. Immersing yourself in nature is a great way to let go of that negative self talk and mind clutter!
Stop Negative Self Talk and Mind Clutter With Sankalpas
What is a Sankalpa you ask? I’ve been taking a meditation class lately that’s based on the “Sankalpa”, the Sanskrit word for “intentions”, and it’s quite powerful. Each week, we feel into what our Sankalpa might be in the moments we are meditating. We feel that Sankalpa through all of our chakras, or energy centres. For example, we feel it in the heart, in the root, the solar plexus, and the third eye. How does it feel in each of those areas?
I like this better than the New Years Resolutions that are more goals you want to reach. For instance, “I’m going to workout at the gym every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday”. Then that quickly drops off after a few weeks at it. The Sankalpa is a gentler, more direct way of removing blockages and reframing our intentions in a positive way.
While trying the whole month of January to make a big decision, I’ve had a few related Sankalpas. My latest is, “I respect myself for standing in my own integrity”. I had been feeling down about the whole situation, and replaced that negative self talk with this statement, and felt it through my entire being. What a relief to let go of the thoughts that don’t serve around that!
Notice the Negative Self Talk, Breathe, and Let Go
It may be easier said than done to just notice a negative thought pattern, and to just let it go. How do you just let something go that’s really eating you up? But the more aware you become of those thoughts circling around your cluttered mind, the more easily you can let them go.
Just say, “Oh! I recognize that negative thought! Now let it go!” Catch it while it’s happening, and say to yourself, “Let it go! Let it go!” Take a deep breath, and realize that dwelling on these self-defeating thoughts is only hurting you. Breathe out, letting it go. At this point, you return to a relaxed spaciousness that actually feels good! It has been working for me this past week, and I can feel all the cells in my body rejoicing!
Stop Negative Self Talk By Feeling Your Thoughts In Your Body
That brings me to another important point. Your body knows how different thoughts, decisions, and actions feel for you. It’s different for everyone, so try not to compare yourself to others. While making my decision, I felt in my body during meditation and throughout my days in January how one decision feels. One decision gave me a serious tension headache, gut ache, and near panic attack! The other decision brought my body back to a state of equilibrium, balance, and as I said, my cells were happily rejoicing! They were telling me “Yes! Walk this way!” It’s always important to listen to what your body is telling you. This is your intuition. Your inner knowing is so vital to your mind, body, and spirit health!
It’s common to doubt your body and push towards decisions that never felt right in your body because you really thought it was the right thing to push towards. But how often have you done that, only to realize later that you should have gone with your gut feeling? Listening to and feeling the sensations in your body is the way you can move towards what you do want and walk away from what you don’t want.
Final Blessings For You To Stop Negative Self Talk and Mind Clutter
May you go through your days with these thoughts, words, and deeds to help you stop negative self talk and mind clutter! I know I’ve benefited from clearing my mind through a consistent practice of yoga, meditation, and time spent in beautiful nature. I hope you will also find your peace there, and maybe even venture out to Kananaskis Fire Lookout! Many blessings to you, and much peace!
Lee Spirit is an avid outdoors adventurer with a love for nature, photography, health & fitness, wellness, and spirituality. She helps those who suffer from anxiety & negative thinking to become healthier in mind-body-spirit. Her own personal journey has led her to the study and practice of mindfulness, health, wellness, yoga, spirituality, sound healing, meditation, and personal development for over 20 years. Get mindfulness, meditation, and personal development tips in her Free Natural Mind Healing Report.