Poeaxtry's Prism

Spell. Stone. & Sparks that Ignite Change

Tag: kayaking

  • My Favorite Ways to Stay Active: Hiking, Swimming, Kayaking, and More

    My Favorite Ways to Stay Active: Hiking, Swimming, Kayaking, and More

    What are your favorite physical activities or exercises?

    Finding Joy in Movement: Why Physical Activity Matters

    Staying active doesn’t have to mean being uncomfortable in a crowded gym. Especially if you’re like me and they make you feel like everyone is staring right at you. For me, the joy of movement comes from freedom, fresh air, and the quiet satisfaction of feeling my body work in ways that make sense. Some days, that means exploring the wilderness, gliding across water, or feeling the burn from resistance bands at home. Each activity has its own rhythm, its own kind of therapy, and its own reason I keep coming back.

    Hiking: Walking Into Calm and Clarity

    Hiking has always been my escape and my reset. The perfect blend of adventure, exercise, and self care. Trails lined with autumn leaves, the crunch of snow beneath my boots, or the earthy smell of the forest after rain. It is more than just cardio. This is meditation in motion. Every incline challenges my endurance, every rocky path tests my balance, and reaching the summit gives a sense of accomplishment that no treadmill can replicate.

    Hiking connects me with the outdoors in a way a gym never could. The open air, the sun on my face, the sound of water running or birds calling. The ability to collect rocks too! It really is a full-body experience that nurtures mind, body, and soul.

    Swimming: Strength and Mindful Movements

    Water has a magic of its own. Swimming isn’t just exercise; it’s a rhythm, a flow that eases tension and strengthens muscles without pounding joints. I love the quiet isolation of a pool or a calm lake. Letting your body feel the water engulf it. It’s a workout that also clears the mind, letting thoughts drift as easily as my body through water.

    Plus, swimming teaches patience, timing, and breath control. It’s a meditative discipline, one that makes me feel strong, centered, and refreshed all at once.

    Kayaking: Power, Peace, and Perspective

    Kayaking combines strength, coordination, and a little bit of adventure. Paddling through calm waters or along river bends is meditative, but it also gives a satisfying upper-body and core workout. I love the tactile feedback of the paddle slicing water. The rhythm of each stroke, engaging my entire upper body in unison.

    Being out on the water is also a perspective shift. There’s nothing like seeing a familiar landscape reflected in a river or lake to remind you that exercise can be about more than calories. It’s also about wonder, movement, and presence.

    Home Workouts: Resistance Bands and Freedom from Gym Anxiety

    I’ll admit it gyms aren’t my favorite. There’s something about the feeling of everyone watching, or that subtle pressure to “perform,” that drains the fun out of working out. That’s where my full-body resistance band set comes in. You can anchored to doors, a bar, or different hand/ ankle straps. Providing me a total-body workout at home, in private, and at less money than a gym membership for just two months .

    Bands aren’t just convenient they’re versatile. From squats to rows to chest presses, every muscle gets attention without the intimidation of a crowded gym. It’s empowering to feel strong and capable while keeping my workouts entirely my own.

    Moving Forward: Finding Your Flow

    The truth is, the best exercise is the one that makes you want to keep moving. Whatever one you enjoy. Hiking, swimming, kayaking, and resistance band workouts are my favorites because they blend physical challenge, mental clarity, and a sense of freedom.

    If you’ve been hesitant to try something new, think about what excites you outside the gym walls. Maybe it’s a trail you’ve never walked, a lake you’ve never paddled, or a quiet corner at home with bands ready to stretch and strengthen you. Movement is personal, and your perfect routine might surprise you.

    Ready to Move With Me?

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  • Choosing More: Trails, Bonfires, Waterfalls, Love, and Creativity

    Choosing More: Trails, Bonfires, Waterfalls, Love, and Creativity

    What could you do more of?

    My thoughts:

    Lately, I’ve been thinking about what I need more of. And not in the material sense, but in the marrow of my days. The kind of “more” that fills, steadies, and fuels. The kind of “more” that shapes a life worth remembering. It’s not about excess, it’s about abundance in the things that matter most: trails, laughter, waterfalls, family, community, creation. These are the moments that root me, the pieces of life that remind me why I keep pushing forward.

    I want more Ohio winding trails, through forests, hills, and hidden ridges that still call my name.

    The backwoods bonfires, with sparks lifting like prayers into the dark.

    Then of course more s’mores, sticky fingers and laughter mixed with smoke.

    Relaxing trips to the lake, the sun reflecting on ripples like glass.

    That leads to more camping trips, with the quiet hum of crickets and the steady breath of earth beneath me.

    I’m a sucker for a waterfall, tumbling like time itself.

    And I could use more kayaking, with my arms burning but spirit alive.

    I’d love time with Kelso, their presence steady as a compass.

    And time with my sisters, weaving memories out of ordinary afternoons.

    I’ll always want time with my mom. May she rest in paradise. Though, I am carrying her in every quiet moment, every place where the wind sounds like her voice.

    I want more of these moments because they are the anchors: where the noise quiets and the core of living rises up clear. Trails, rivers, bonfires, and late-night laughter don’t just fill time; they carve it into memory. They remind me I’m not just moving through life, I’m part of it… woven into the forests, the water, the people who walk beside me.

    I want more because “more” isn’t greed, it’s gratitude. It’s choosing to multiply the things that heal instead of the things that drain. More connection, more earth beneath my boots, more stories written in smoke and stone. These are the things that make the days stretch wide and give me the energy to keep pushing, keep creating, keep fighting for the world I believe in.

    The list Continues:

    All this make me want More sunrises on trailheads.

    And then sunsets bleeding across horizons too wide for words.

    I wish for journals filled, ink poured like rivers of thought.

    I’d love a good rockhounding trip, uncovering pieces of the earth’s hidden heart. UP MICHIGAN is always on my list!

    I want advocacy, protests, standing up when silence would be easier.

    And More poetry read aloud, words stitched into air.

    With this I need more community built, where every voice finds its place.

    I love more time with my dog. The walks, snuggles, the simple grounding presence only she can give.

    And time with my cats, their quiet purrs stitching calm into my days.

    Who wouldn’t love more time gaming? We know play matters too, and escape can be just as healing as creation.

    I would die for more time making physical products for my shop: witchy items, jewelry, keychains, and more. The tangible art that keeps my hands moving and my spirit rooted.

    And more time on writing retreats, they don’t need to be fancy! I just need the only noise to be pen to paper and the only task is to let words flow free.

    Spending time connecting with other poets and creators, trading sparks and building bonfires out of shared voices.

    More more more ! Give me more! experiments, more mistakes, more chances to grow without apology.

    Why?

    Because if I’m honest, FOMO: the fear of missing out, lurks in the background. Not about the shiny, curated things the world flaunts online, but about missing the marrow of my own life. Missing the trails I haven’t hiked yet, the poems I haven’t written, the moments with the people and creatures I love most. Fear of missing the work that matters, the fire that only comes alive when I’m fully in it.

    So this is my reminder to myself: don’t let fear decide. Let more decide. More moments, more presence, more joy stacked up like stones marking a trail forward.

    Because life isn’t about less. It’s about leaning into more, the kind of more that fills you up without emptying the world.

    Wanting more doesn’t make me restless, it makes me aware. Aware that life is short, that moments slip by, that time with people I love and places that restore me cannot be taken for granted. So I’m choosing more. More presence, more connection, more experiences that outlast the scroll of a screen.

    Your turn:

    What would you want more of? Where do you feel time calling you? Share it with me, and let’s hold each other accountable to seek more of what matters, and to build lives overflowing with meaning, not scarcity.

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  • When Do I Feel the Most Radiant?

    When Do I Feel the Most Radiant?

    Water

    There’s something about the water that makes me feel alive. I could be kayaking over a calm lake or swimming in the cool depths. Either way my skin tingles and my spirit lights up. Being in natural bodies of water strips away noise and lets me simply be radiant and free.

    Trees

    I feel that same glow in the trees. Sunlight filters through leaves. I breathe the forest air deep into my lungs. The mountains bring another kind of light. This light comes with each step on the trail. Sweat on my shirt and the ache of muscles pushing forward contribute to it.

    Camping

    The campsite, the crackling fire calling to something wild in me. Setting up the tent just right brings a quiet satisfaction, a small victory no matter how long it takes. When the day settles into night, holding a cup of hot tea and writing but, on my phone. Such a sacred moment. Here my thoughts shine brightest.

    These are the places and moments where I let my glow be seen. It’s not always sunshine and sparkle. Often, it’s the wildness of sweat and dirt. Sometimes, it’s the warmth of a fire. Other times, it’s the quiet of ink (digital ink) and tea. This is where I feel radiant, whole, and actually me.

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