Mountain landscape with hiking trail and view of beautiful lakes Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel

Inspired Trail Notes • Forest Insights
Where Dirt meets Zen

Off-Road Barefoot

Welcome to Off-Road Barefoot—the bold blog of Spunky Mind and the trailhead of Active Zen Living. This is where dirt meets breath, yoga meets ridgelines, and barefoot-at-heart stories (shoes welcome) come alive.

Here you’ll find trail notes, forest bathing sparks, and yoga insights for trail runners, hikers, and wild wanderers. Explore wild awareness motivation born from moving off-road. Every post is written to spark resilience on the trail, ignite curiosity, and remind us that the wild isn’t out there—it’s built into every step.

Whether you run, wander, hike, or roll out a mat with a window full of sky, Off-Road Barefoot invites you to roam trails, flow happy, and stay strong.

And when you’re ready to deepen the journey? Cap it off with a little Forest Bathing Yoga—

Explore Wild. Live Inspired. Active Zen Living.

A Japanese Snow Fairy Bird, or Shima-enaga, perches on a bare winter branch beneath a clear blue sky, radiating calm and joy in nature’s stillness.

Shima-enaga: Smiles from the Japanese Snow Fairy Bird | Finding Joy and Gratitude in Nature’s Softest Winter Gift

Meet the Shima-enaga—the Japanese Snow Fairy Bird whose soft wings and bright eyes remind us that joy can bloom even in winter. This Spunky Mind reflection weaves gratitude, trail running, and forest bathing yoga into one gentle return to nature’s calm.

Trail Running

cliffs of Rugen with clouds and sunshine, swans in the placid ocean water.

Chalk Cliffs of Rugen: Our Inner Layers of Time

On Rügen’s chalk cliffs, trail running meets timeless wisdom. Explore nature’s cathedral walls, ÖTILLÖ Swimrun, and the lessons these giants teach us about endurance, stillness, and the layered strength within.

Trail Running

Mountain landscape with hiking trail and view of beautiful lakes Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal.

Why Nature Makes Us Happy: The Joy of Seeing Nature

Discover how simply looking at nature sparks joy, reduces stress, and inspires Active Zen Living. Explore research, metaphors, and reflections to bring nature’s spark and calm into your daily life.

Trail Running

Lovely clouds in blue sky reflecting in a lake with aspen trees and rocky mountains in the background as the sun is setting.

Cloud Gazing: Nature’s Kumo Skyward Motivation

Explore the ancient art of cloud gazing as a meditative, mindful practice. Discover how watching clouds can quiet the mind, connect us to nature, and teach the wisdom of impermanence.

Forest Bathing

Bubbling Stillness: Zen Lessons from Sulfuric Hot Springs at Yellowstone National Park

Golden Stillness There’s a hush in Yellowstone, not the absence of sound, but a presence so ancient it vibrates within our bones. When...

Nature-Inspired Motivation

Dancing: Between Rainforest and Ice, a Journey to the Mountains of the Moon

Somewhere near the equator, where you'd least expect glaciers and snow, Africa cradles a secret: the Rwenzori Mountains , also known by...

Trail Running

Komorebi: Light Illuminating Motivation and Inspiration

The Magic of Morning Ah, waking up to a fresh new day—maybe it’s still dark out, the world wrapped in peaceful stillness. This is the...

Forest Bathing

Winding dirt path through lush green hills at sunset, with mountains in the background and a vibrant sky of orange and pink hues.

Fartlek: Variability Training for Calm of Mind

Fartlek what? In the 1930s, Swedish Olympian Gösta Holmér introduced a training method called fartlek , which translates to "speed play." It's an effective workout style with a fun name to boot! This speed play is when we mix periods of faster movement with slower recovery intervals. Think: jog, then sprint, then jog again. But make it spontaneous. Less structure means more fun. We decide when to speed up, how long to hold it, and when to cruise. Although fartlek is rooted in

Nature-Inspired Motivation

Arouca: Crossing our Bridge One Step at a Time

Float above fear and find your flow with a walk across the world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge. Discover how the 516 Arouca Bridge becomes a metaphor for mindful momentum and the joy of taking just one small step at a time.

Trail Running

Moon: Point of Contact for Becoming our Essence

The Moon Within Us All There’s an old Zen saying: “Mindful practice is the finger pointing at the moon.” Not the moon itself; just the...

Trail Running

Trail-foot: Journeying on the Path to Freedom

Soft melodies perform through the tepid air, strumming a song of divinity; the parlor sky opens into the vast unknown. The contact of the...

Trail Running

wildflowers blooming as the sun rises over rocky mountains

Equinox: Spring Forward to a New Beginning

A Nesting Place Between Sun and Moon Imagine a moment, not quite day, not yet night. A space suspended in perfect poise, where time...

Forest Bathing

Raramuri: Creating Crafts to Experience Flow States

The Tarahumara, also known as Rarámuri, are a tribe of the Sierra Madre Occidental highlands, residing in the vast and mountainous region...

Trail Running

Tuttu: Inner Migration for the Mind Illuminated

The Caribou, who reside in the Arctic and known as Tuttu by native Alaskans, are the largest species of deer on the planet. These...

Trail Running

Thunder: Creating Joy for Overcoming Obstacles

There is a weird phenomenon that occurs when we witness a thunderstorm. Initially, we start to notice and listen to the rain, then comes...

Trail Running

Syzygy: calming mind fluctuations for inner peace

The tides are governed by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun. This pulling force drives the rise and fall of a body of water over...

Nature-Inspired Motivation

Flow Wild

Home

Inspired Trail Notes • Forest Insights
Where Dirt meets Zen

Off-Road Barefoot

Explore Wild. Live Inspired. Active Zen Living.

Shima-enaga: Smiles from the Japanese Snow Fairy Bird | Finding Joy and Gratitude in Nature’s Softest Winter Gift

Chalk Cliffs of Rugen: Our Inner Layers of Time

Why Nature Makes Us Happy: The Joy of Seeing Nature

Cloud Gazing: Nature’s Kumo Skyward Motivation

Bubbling Stillness: Zen Lessons from Sulfuric Hot Springs at Yellowstone National Park

Dancing: Between Rainforest and Ice, a Journey to the Mountains of the Moon

Komorebi: Light Illuminating Motivation and Inspiration

Fartlek: Variability Training for Calm of Mind

Arouca: Crossing our Bridge One Step at a Time

Moon: Point of Contact for Becoming our Essence

Trail-foot: Journeying on the Path to Freedom

Equinox: Spring Forward to a New Beginning

Raramuri: Creating Crafts to Experience Flow States

Tuttu: Inner Migration for the Mind Illuminated

Thunder: Creating Joy for Overcoming Obstacles

Syzygy: calming mind fluctuations for inner peace

Off-Road Barefoot

Spunky Mind Field Notes
Grab your free Forest Bathing Field Notes Guide—then keep the journey alive with ongoing Trail Notes and updates from the Off-Road Barefoot Blog: yoga updates, trail sparks, wild awareness practices, and spunky motivation. Curious, Wild, and Alive.

"Spunky Mind" – one that is curious, adaptable, joyful, and approaches life with a sense of playful motivation

Inspired Trail Notes • Forest Insights Where Dirt meets Zen

Off-Road Barefoot

Explore Wild. Live Inspired. Active Zen Living.

Shima-enaga: Smiles from the Japanese Snow Fairy Bird | Finding Joy and Gratitude in Nature’s Softest Winter Gift

Chalk Cliffs of Rugen: Our Inner Layers of Time

Why Nature Makes Us Happy: The Joy of Seeing Nature

Cloud Gazing: Nature’s Kumo Skyward Motivation

Bubbling Stillness: Zen Lessons from Sulfuric Hot Springs at Yellowstone National Park

Dancing: Between Rainforest and Ice, a Journey to the Mountains of the Moon

Komorebi: Light Illuminating Motivation and Inspiration

Fartlek: Variability Training for Calm of Mind

Arouca: Crossing our Bridge One Step at a Time

Moon: Point of Contact for Becoming our Essence

Trail-foot: Journeying on the Path to Freedom

Equinox: Spring Forward to a New Beginning

Raramuri: Creating Crafts to Experience Flow States

Tuttu: Inner Migration for the Mind Illuminated

Thunder: Creating Joy for Overcoming Obstacles

Syzygy: calming mind fluctuations for inner peace

Off-Road Barefoot

Spunky Mind Field Notes Grab your free Forest Bathing Field Notes Guide—then keep the journey alive with ongoing Trail Notes and updates from the Off-Road Barefoot Blog: yoga updates, trail sparks, wild awareness practices, and spunky motivation. Curious, Wild, and Alive.

"Spunky Mind" – one that is curious, adaptable, joyful, and approaches life with a sense of playful motivation

Inspired Trail Notes • Forest Insights
Where Dirt meets Zen

Spunky Mind Field Notes
Grab your free Forest Bathing Field Notes Guide—then keep the journey alive with ongoing Trail Notes and updates from the Off-Road Barefoot Blog: yoga updates, trail sparks, wild awareness practices, and spunky motivation. Curious, Wild, and Alive.