Welcome to
The Upward Slopes Blog
Join me on a journey to more beautiful places in life
As we continue to make our way through these trying times,
Asking more of ourselves as we examine deep wounds that perpetuate darkness,
Asking more of ourselves to follow the threads of light that guide us forward on our own, unique paths through this human experience
What are we doing here, Chasing Upward Slopes?
I created Upward Slopes as a space to tell tales of an embodied journey through life, embracing each moment for all that it is:
Enjoying the ups and letting them fill my heart and soul with light;
Learning to be with the dark – that which clutches at my lungs and tears at my heart;
All-the-while, getting to live the human experience for the full, spectacular journey that it is.
Note: Much of my writing has moved to my We Are The Forest Substack, and I would LOVE to see you over in that space as I bring you frequent writings and embodied practice! Below you will find a small library of writings that came through as I created the Upward Slopes Platform.
Featured Posts and Series
For the Love of the Forests (Fires Burning in Springtime)
Fires ravage the New Mexico forests once again, and as the ponderosas and other spectacular forms of life burn, I share a story about a changing landscape and our response to it
Chasing Upward Slopes
Following the path to happiness
and one fulfilled life.
Not that there is any particular destination,
but when you’ve chosen the right setting
and show up intent on being fully immersed in the experience,
then when you find your heart glowing and content,
you know you’ve arrived.
The Demons Within Us
I’ve always held a deep curiosity for why it is that we have so much potential for great things in life; yet, us humans so often choose suffering through behaviors that keep ourselves small. The following is a look into how the universe answered this question in my own life.
Part 1 – Rock Climbing, Trauma Healing, and Awakening into the human body
Parts 2+ Are no longer coming to the blog because this series initiated the writing of my new book!!! Make sure you are subscribed to the Newsletter to hear more
Healing Waters in The Adirondacks
A quick overview of my time on the trails climbing 13 peaks in The Adirondacks as I become well-acquainted with Water, crossing slick granite slabs, flowing trails, and SO MUCH MUD
Yoga and Mindfulness Practices
Learning to tune in – lessons from yoga and the adventure life
Creating Space – A short and simple practice for releasing pressure and creating space to make the next best decision
Chasing Your Own Upward Slopes (a series on using embodiment practices to support your endeavors)
Part 1: A grounding Practice – Standing in Tadasana
Part 2: Using your breath to tap into your nervous system
Part 3: How to Breathe
More Practices
A Practice for Balancing External Stresses with Personal Goals
Outdoor Adventures – Chasing Upward Slopes
A 100K San Juan Mountail Trailrunning Race Report
A tale of Chasing Upward Slopes – 60 miles of them! – across the San Juan Mountains, including how a particularly challenging section reveals an important lesson for all of us out here #ChasingUpwardSlopes
Setting Up For A Rim To Rim To Rim Adventure
On April 10th, 2021, I finally took on a long-time coming adventure and ran 50 miles back and forth across the Grand Canyon. The run, itself, was spectacular. The Big Ditch never fails to take my breath away (visually and because of those long climbs!)
What I wrote about – it’s not always so much about the event itself, but the journey there.
Lessons from Burn Scars – Trail Running Stories from the Superstition Wilderness
Balancing Light and Dark – Lessons from burn scars
Healing from Burn Scars – Part 2
Chasing The Needles and Grenadier Range – A San Juan Trail Running Adventure Series
Part 1 – My favorite place on Earth
Part 2 – Searching for Peaks
Part 3 – The Needles (and other mini adventures)
Other Mountain and Trail Running Adventures
A Spontaneous McDowell Mountain Marathon
A trip up a mountain – thoughts from the top of Arizona
Head Up North – A Spontaneous Fall Colors Trip Report
Lessons in health & life from a week-long trail-running vertical challenge
On Monday, March 22nd, I started a week-long trail running challenge to gain as much vert as possible! The following chronicles the journey, along with tales from the trail and lessons learned along the way.
Part 1 – Embracing the challenge to chase some upward slopes
Part 2 – Day 1, on enjoyment of the journey
Part 3 – Day 3+ on always moving forward (even when you don’t feel your greatest)
Making Progress
How to pause to create positive change (Step 1)
Facing Heart Break – (and a better world)
The Journey to Better Health:
Follow Through On Your New Year’s Resolutions
Looking forward to some fun and exciting adventures this new year? How are you going to ensure you stick to your promises so that you create that healthier version of yourself that you envision?
Balancing Stress and Rest – A framework for creating positive change
Calling upon principles from science & engineering, as well as yoga & Ayurveda, we can live life in a balanced state, understanding when it’s the right time to work hard, and when it’s time to let up, relax, and let change unfold.
Step 1 – Before You Begin Your Journey
Our current health and wellness paradigm looks like this: create a specific plan (based on a set of data or personal experience) and sell that plan to other individuals with the promise it will help them too. But that’s not our path forward, and this post explains why.
A Process for Moving Forward
Each of our own journeys is unique. This means that finding the next step can be challenging. Here, I outline my process for finding – and taking! – that next step, no matter where you are on your own health journey
A Look Into My Journey to Better Health
A fun post about my process for learning to make healthier decisions as you follow me on my journey to making healthier decisions for my own body – all through the lens of one particular subject: healthy eating. Plus a bit about my new favorite tea (with recipe included)
How to Build a Healthy Diet and Nourish Your Body
Overcoming Healthcare Challenges
A 3-part blog series (with bonus video material!) on how you can simplify your health-conscious decisions using the framework that is metabolic health
