TRAILS WILL OFFER A PLACE FOR GROUNDING IN NATURE AND ONE'S TRUE NATURE
COMPASS POINTS
Picture yourself reaching the top a Cardinal Trail on The Compass and being greeted by a Compass Point constructed of five, connected, flat natural stones.
Envision stepping onto a center stone etched with the phrase Be Still. As you take in your immediate surroundings and the valley and community below you, imagine your body and mind beginning to settle. Then consider moving to one of the surrounding rocks etched with a word that echoes what you might need to receive or extend: compassion, peace, hope, gratitude, forgiveness, etc. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
How might you or others benefit from such a mindfulness experience? Imagine how a hiking group, a support or recovery group, a class, a faith community, or family and friends might benefit from a place to gather and ground — and to experience naturalistic awe — together.
Could such experience help us feel more at home with ourselves, with those we share time with, and with the community and world in which we live?
In every walk with nature, one receives far more than one seeks. - John Muir
Healthy Humans
Just five to 20 minutes of meditation can help clear the mind, improve mood, boost brain function, reduce stress, slow down the ageing process and support a healthy metabolism.
By providing mindful outdoor places, The Compass can compound these benefits by activating people's senses, increasing their experiences of awe, and decreasing typical distractions, e.g., televisions, computers, smart phones, and the like.
Healthy Habitats
Volunteerism provides people opportunities to connect with people, causes, activities, and places that reflect their values.
The Compass will encourage being in relationship with nature. From education, to appreciation, to active volunteer engagement, The Compass will reinforce the preservation and protection of our desert ecosystems for its own sake and for our well-being.
Healthy Economy
Millennials (born between 1980 and 2000) are often looking for opportunities to make meaning. They enjoy mindfulness activities, nature-based or outdoor experiences — and, opportunities that offer both.
The Compass will be a quality of life draw for millennials who will play a vital role in shaping that future of Southern Nevada.
MY PATH. MY EMPATHETIC PROCESS.
MY WAY. MY WAY.
As I began to envisage The Compass, I imagined being in the shoes of individuals availing themselves of its offerings. I imagined the person seeking a place of solitude to meditate, pray, or simply be. I could see ecologists, educators, docents, and parents guiding students along a trail and utilizing a Compass Point as an outdoor classroom. I saw health and fitness instructors leading mindfulness practices on a Compass path; counselors accompanying clients on the path to better mental and emotional health; families holding celebration and remembrance rituals at Compass Points; interest groups expanding their circle of friends on the trails; organizations and civic groups conducting leadership growth exercises; and religious, spiritual, and indigenous groups inviting community into the wilderness to experience the wisdoms it offered our desert fathers and mothers. I imagined The Compass becoming a community asset that locals and visitors make their place of pilgrimage. I could feel the excitement of people who made bucket-list type commitments, e.g., Are you taking the 2024 Compass Challenge?!
My way is praying and creatively riffing while walking, hiking, and being in our desert. My why is this is our home — a desert worth respecting and protecting for its own sake and for our enjoyment and thriving.