(NewsNation) — Women in Philadelphia are improving their lives physically, mentally and spiritually with the help of a hiking group.
Brandi Aulston, founder of Hike and Heal, created the group after she tried to find one in her city, but couldn’t.
Hike and Heal, Aulston said, is very diverse, with women from different backgrounds, life experiences, ages and sizes. It includes mindfulness and “tapping into nature.”
“We just ask you to meet us where you’re at,” Aulston said. “This isn’t for anyone who has been hiking all their lives and is an avid hiker. This is definitely for the novice woman looking to explore, to meet new people, to challenge themselves a bit and try something new.”
After she goes on a trek, Aulston says, she usually feels a “hike high.”
“You feel this amazing glow within that comes and exudes outward,” she said. “I just started to notice that within myself, and notice that with the participants … You really feel the true power of nature and relieving stress and releasing things and letting things go, simply by hiking.”
Watch the full interview with Hike and Heal founder Brandi Aulston in the video above.