“All roads eventually lead back to the interests you had as a child.”
I came across this quote recently, and it stopped me in my tracks.
When I think back on my childhood, I don't necessarily remember it as a happy time. But one thing I remember very clearly is how much I loved being outside.
I grew up in Port Chester, New York, which wasn't exactly known for its hiking trails or wide-open spaces. But that didn't stop me. I found little places to explore wherever I could. I loved digging in the dirt, discovering hidden paths, and dancing in the rain.
I didn't need mountains or miles of wilderness. I just needed to be outside.
About a mile from my house was Lyons Park. I used to walk there and sit beneath this beautiful, enormous weeping willow tree and dream of living there. I can still picture it perfectly.
Turns out, I was leading nature hikes long before WalkAboutYoga existed!
I'd gather up the neighborhood kids, take them on little adventures, and confidently tell them all sorts of things about the plants we encountered. Most of which I completely made up. Let's just say my qualifications as a nature guide were questionable at best!
Another memory that has stayed with me is from sixth grade.
This was the 1970s, when Woodsy Owl was telling us to “Give a Hoot! Don't Pollute!”
My teacher, Mrs. Gentile, took our class on a field trip to clean up garbage along Bowman Avenue in Port Chester.
And I loved it.
It was my first real experience understanding that caring for Mother Earth was something we could actually do. That even a small, selfless act could make the world a little better for everyone.
I didn't know it then, but those experiences were planting seeds.
In 2014, I started WalkAboutYoga, bringing together two things I loved: yoga and being outside. It felt like finding my way back to something that had always been part of me.
A few years later, I became a partner in a yoga studio. Initially, I kept WalkAboutYoga separate, but eventually I began to feel as though I was competing with myself. So I brought my beach yoga and yoga hikes under the studio's umbrella.
At the time, it seemed like the right thing to do. But I eventually realized how much I missed the independence and freedom that had inspired WalkAboutYoga in the first place.
And now, 12 years later, I'm finding my way back once again.
Back to the trails. Back to the beach. Back to the simple joy of sharing yoga in nature.
Thankfully, these days I know a little more about the plants we encounter. And I promise not to encourage anyone to eat unidentified ones!
Maybe that's why that quote resonated so deeply. Sometimes the things we loved as children are the very things that lead us back to ourselves, even if we have to find our way back more than once.
That's what WalkAboutYoga is really about. Yes, we move, breathe, stretch, and practice yoga along the way. But it's also about reconnecting—with nature, with ourselves, and maybe even with a little piece of who we used to be.
So here's something to think about.
What did you love doing as a child?
And when was the last time you let yourself do it?
Maybe it's time to find your way back.
I know I have.
Back to my roots. And this time, I'm staying.
See you on the trail.
Traci
WalkAboutYoga
Taking yoga outside the studio and into the world.