Solo Time in Nature

Trail through the Tatoosh Wilderness

When was the last time you took a hike into the forest or a walk onto the beach alone? When you go solo in nature, the entire experience is different than if you're with someone else. Hiking with other people, there is little hope of seeing any real wildlife and not much solitude. Solitude allows time for self-examination, relaxation away from the daily grind for awhile, and a chance to meditate, contemplate, or just zone out for hours at a time. The longer the solo immersion; the more transformational the experience.

I did my first solo in nature at the age of twenty (1974); backpacking for three days in rugged Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. That first trek challenged and inspired me to pursue more outdoor solo adventures. Many of my most memorable experiences took place during solo journeys into nature. My longest solo was a (1980) three week backpacking trek through the Salmon Mountains of Klamath National Forest in Northern California. It was an epic adventure and transformational experience that I will never forget. I recounted my backpacking adventure (and shamanic initiation) in my book Shamanic Drumming. At the age of 59, I still spend solo time in nature. I no longer backpack, but still like to go tent camping alone for days or weeks at a time. I always return home feeling spiritually renewed. My inner self is most nourished when I am immersed in nature.

Shamans have always gone solo in nature because they knew that the only way to recharge was to connect with nature's healing energy. What better way to reenergize than to sit in a deep forest, or next to a waterfall for a few days and nights? Shamans knew that some of that natural power could be gathered and stored using shamanic techniques and then applied later to their active endeavors. There is no reason why an ordinary person cannot learn and apply similar techniques to recharge, gather, store, and apply the renewed vitality gained from solo time. To learn more, read my journey into nature and shamanism, Shamanic Drumming: Calling the Spirits.