Structural Engineering

“Structural Engineering is the Art of molding materials we do not wholly understand into shapes we cannot precisely analyze, so as to withstand forces we cannot really assess, in such a way that the community at large has no reason to suspect the extent of our ignorance.”

The origin of the quote is not known, though it is often attributed to Dr. A.R. Dykes (1976… the year I graduated from high school) and thought to have been popularized in the U.S. by James E. Amrhein.

Structural engineering is one of the things I am trained to do, and one of the things I do in my professional life. Many people ask me what I do in my work… imagining that it is a profession involving many hours analyzing mathematical output and staring at computer-generated structural models.

Engen CT

I must say, there are many paths to follow in a structural engineering career, and some of them do indeed involve many hours analyzing computer-generated mathematical models. Many years ago, I chose a different career path… or you might say, many different career paths!

Looking back, I believe I understand a few things more about myself and the world I live in as a result of these multiple career pursuits and experiences. I have a different perspective on what I do as a structural (and architectural) engineer. I like that the definition above starts with “… the Art…”.

Engineering is problem-solving. Civil (structural) engineering is solving people’s problems for the benefit and safety of the general public. For me, it’s connecting the dots: take the information I know (or what is available), look at the goals (or what is possible), and use my judgment to create solutions. Judgement includes knowledge, intuition, integrity, foresight, confidence, and the ability to draw upon many sources of information. Creating solutions includes creativity, artistic mindset, logical thinking, decision making, and the ability to work with others to communicate solutions in a manner that are clear and synergistic. Basically, I see structure and clarity within the multitudes of information and options… and try to form an educated opinion or recommend a possible solution accordingly.

Personally, I succeed when I am in a position to understand my clients, help them determine their goals, and work with them to create clear, understandable, achievable, and sustainable processes (or solutions) to satisfy their goals. I thrive when these goals relate to a vision for a better world and when I am engaged in the creative solution-finding process. (Sounds a lot like my other work in coaching, training, outdoor education and adventure, and therapeutic yoga and wellness mentoring.)

In my work as a structural engineer in Vermont, a typical week includes: working with builders and architects to figure out ways to re-frame or reinforce old building structures for new uses (then performing calculations or doing research, recommending- and then drawing- solutions); reviewing construction work in progress to analyze challenges and determine economical, durable, and safe solutions; working with architects and designers to recommend efficient building systems (structurally, sustainability, economically, aesthetically, functionally, adaptability, etc.); working with timber framers and owners to design people’s homes and to integrate framing; working with in-house architects on downtown and community revitalization projects; performing and writing structural assessments; designing new structures for new buildings; and coordinating payment for my services.

Most of my time is building working relationships with people. Most of my work requires a keen sense of responsibility and deep knowledge of mathematics, materials behavior and engineering mechanics. Most of my success depends on timely, reliable, and innovative solutions that make sense. Most of my reputation depends on my integrity and my ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and with a sense of respect for everyone (and everything) involved. Most of my motivation is driven by a desire for a healthier planet.

My experiences teaching snow sports have broadened my interpersonal communication skills. My experiences leading backcountry trips have broadened my teamwork skills. My experiences competing in endurance races have broadened my abilities to persevere. My adventure experiences (bicycle touring, tandem hang-gliding and para-sailing, mountaineering and canyoneering, skiing and snowboarding, snorkeling and scuba-diving, third-world travel) have broadened my perspective. My experiences facilitating therapeutic recreational workshops have broadened my abilities to understand people of various abilities and backgrounds. My experiences as a business manager and program director have broadened my sense of self and leadership. My experiences as a yoga teacher and wellness coach have helped me understand holistic health and the importance of positiveness, supportive human relationships, and community. My experiences participating in research work and continuing education workshops have broadened my desire to learn more. My experiences working with combat veterans have broadened my understanding of trust, brotherhood, common good, and dedicated service. My experiences in nature have broadened my sense of awe, spirituality, and my connection between whatever choices I make each day, professional and personal, and the health of our planet.

With Jo near Escalante

I am defined by who I am, and how I do what I do… and the decisions I make. And how I persevere through the challenges of living. And how I help and support others. As an engineer. As a coach. As a mentor. As a person engaged in whatever career role I’ve chosen .

Structural Engineering is the Art… of molding materials we do not wholly understand… into shapes we cannot precisely analyze…

By the way, I first read the quote above in the early 1990’s, when a young engineer who I had been mentoring gave me- as a gift- a photo he had taken of the Manhattan skyline taken from the Brooklyn Bridge. It had the quote inscribed on the photo. At the center of the photo were the World Trade Center’s (and structural engineer Leslie Robertson’s) Twin Towers.

…so as to withstand forces we cannot really assess….

It seems that my life is inspired by understanding these forces... by weaving lifetime experiences together… by working with people to find synergistic solutions… by being inquisitive, creative and idealistic… and by being positively inspiring… for a healthier and more sustainable world.

…in such a way that the community at large has no reason to suspect the extent of our ignorance.

Long ago, I let go of the idea that there is one right answer. Computer models are only tools for engineers working on projects for real people. There are many answers. Life is hard. We only know what we have learned (and what we KNOW already). And life goes on. With each answer comes a new question. For me, living a full life (as a structural engineer or as a wellness coach or as a spiritual leader) is about asking questions… and learning from as many experiences as possible!

Hopi Prophecy

The following was sent to me from Biff Mithoefer –

author of “The Yin Yoga Kit – The Practice of Quiet Power” –

another person I will now call Mentor. 

 

Hopi Prophecy:

You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour.

Now you must go back and tell them that this is the Hour!

And there are things to be considered:

Where are you living?

What are you doing?

What are your relationships?

Are you in the right relation?

Where is your water?

Know your garden.

It is time to speak your Truth.
Create your community.

Be good to each other.

And do not look outside yourself for the leader.

This could be a good time!

 

There is a river flowing now very fast.

It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.

They will try to hold onto the shore.

They will feel they are being torn apart, and they will suffer greatly.

Know the river has its destination.

The Elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river,

Keep our eyes open and our heads above water.

See who is in there with you and celebrate.

At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally. Least of all, ourselves.

For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey come to a halt.

The journey of the lone wolf is over.

Gather yourselves.

Banish the word struggle from your attitude and vocabulary.

All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.

We are the ones we have been waiting for.

The Next Chapter

Because I have devoted my last 4 or so years to full-time work in outdoor education and adaptive sports, it may come as a surprise to some of you that most of my professional career has also been devoted to structural and architectural engineering. The window of social media in my life has exposed my health and wellness-orientated work over the last few years; indeed, my social network is largely based on this recent work. There was no social media for me a half-dozen years ago!

But yes, I do have a creative mind; I have a thirst to help people find solutions…

So, yes, I’m back at it. Designing structures for buildings, especially timber-framed structures… finding solutions for structural deficiencies in existing buildings… working to revitalize community infrastructure, sustainability and resiliency.

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More than a dozen years ago, when looking to get into sustainable and green building design, I was introduced to Stevens & Associates in Brattleboro. Their office at the time was right below the offices of Environmental Building News, leaders in the green building movement . I actually did some work with Stevens then, but chose to move along when we were faced with moving due to the local school situation for our kids. That work, however, actually inspired my graduate-level sustainable design work later at Boston Architectural College.

When I decided last month that it was time for me to get back on my personal path, I called upon Bob Stevens. He offered me work! They now have engineers, planners and architects on staff, so it is a perfect fit for my architectural and engineering interests. They even do planning work for ski resorts! They are very busy right now re-designing and restoring the important Brattleboro historical landmark, the Brooks House… a former multi-story masonry hotel recently damaged due to fire… so I’ve been busy designing structural reinforcements.

And another recent client, timber-framer and home-builder Rob Wadsworth of Vermont Barns, also had work for me.

Red Tail

So, full-speed ahead! I started working for Stevens & Associates a couple weeks ago, working a few days per week in Brattleboro and a couple days from my home office in Manchester. My work at Stevens will allow me to do my design work, pursue my timber-frame and sustainable design interests, accommodate many of my previous clients, and be engaged in meaningful work here in local Vermont communities again!

And for the first time in 40 years, I will not be working every weekend at a ski resort. Hmmm. A little weird, but change is change… and I know I’ll find a role again somewhere in outdoor education and leadership, health and wellness, and adaptive sports… only now perhaps on a part-time or volunteer basis. We’ll see. The next door will open when the time is right.

Antique Heart Pine Frame

The next chapter begins… getting my feet back below me… and trekking forward! I’m so grateful to have this new opportunity. I’m also thankful as well for all of my past experiences, recent and not-so-recent, that have led me to this place.

Living and learning… appreciating the present, looking ahead.

Rebak 3

I’m Not the Man I Used to Be… More Thoughts on Leadership

Our deepest calling is to grow more and more into our authentic self — this is the work of a leader — and constitutes the redefinition of past leadership models.

We are all called to leadership. Leaders consider this life precious and are thus willing to act deliberately in service to life. Moreover, leadership is an inward journey into the depths of what it means to be human.

Leadership is about being fully expressed, about being called to one’s greatness, and about having the courage to act in ways that are in alignment with one’s highest self. The world relies on each of us to heed the call of our heart. There is a divine unfolding of life to hear your personal calling, and the path of yoga can provide the tools to answer this call, and to live a life of possibility, passion and integrity. By liberating your own heart and stepping fully into your authenticity you inspire others to do the same — this is the new way of leadership.

– Coby Kozlowski

It All Started with Joel

This week, I resigned from a prestigious position at a well-known resort at probably the worst time of the year. You might say I broke- publicly and painfully. I feel bad for those I’ve let down. But, I realized that I wasn’t living my life, for whatever reason; that my life is indeed precious; and that there was no better time than now for me to explore my authentic awesomeness. You might also say that Hanuman forced me to take a leap of faith… again… Or that my Dad guides my way.

It’s interesting that the vision I championed in my former work was all about being inspired, about learning, and about serving the guests that came to our Green Mountain resort. “Be your authentic self… and be inspired!” But the world relies on each of us to heed the call of our heart. For me, it was time for me to take the next step in my authentic life of inspiring leadership, from my heart.

Part of adapting to a changing world is realizing that each of us changes too. We grow. We experience things. We learn. We adapt. If we view ourselves from the perspective that we are always the same, it can be harder to adapt as things change around us. If we view ourselves from the perspective that we are always changing, it can be easier to cope with external changing circumstances… and have success in finding our true selves.

We’re not who we used to be. We are who we are. And it is what it is. In our ever-changing life experiences and our constant growth and adaptation towards our authentic selves, we learn about who we are, we hear our own life’s calling, and we step into our own authenticity, leading others in the process. I learned a lot about myself this past year; it’s time to move forward and learn more.

I’m not who I used to be. It is important for me to look at the future with open eyes and an open heart… not based alone on what I can do based on previous experience and expertise… but based on my quest to grow in alignment with my highest self.

I always felt like snow sports provided me inspiration to be my higher self. Nowadays, there is something more heartfelt and sacred that inspires my current pursuit of an even higher self. It’s something to do with Oneness and the connectedness of a happier (and healthier) society and a sustainable planet.

Tetons- Bob and Jo

It’s time for me to say to myself: “Celebrate impermanence. Live and learn. Step fully into your authentic awesomeness, inspire others with good intentions and a compassionate and joyous heart,  and lead in a positive, dignified, and connected way!”

Go for a Hike!

Today, I went for a hike. Recently, I “haven’t had the time” to go for a hike. Now I do. So I did. Jo and I…

bob jo at moab small

When I am in nature, I usually find myself in a state of mind where I want to stop and look at the beauty of the clouds or the light of the sky or the color of the trees. When I do this, I open myself up to awe and wonder. I feel intimately connected to something inconceivably huge… I am a part of my environment, not apart from it.

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When I combine the power of a mindfulness-based or yoga experiences in nature with the heartfelt connection of others, the experience has the ability to open me up to extraordinary feelings of radiance and being alive.

My daily practices of enhancing my own personal wellness are about increasing the amount of time I spend every day cultivating this relationship with nature and with others. It’s what makes me healthier and what helps me manifest my dreams and my daily intentions.

September Hike with Warriors

It’s also the foundation of what I do, whether coaching wellness or sports, managing people or projects, or designing sustainable homes and healthy buildings. Mind-body awareness and presence… feelings of being a part of nature… and heartfelt connection with those around me.

Tomorrow, I will go for another hike.

A Heavenly Life

“The best thing we can do for our health is to have an intimate relationship with Nature.” –Eion Finn, Blissology Yoga

 

There has always been something magical for me when I’m high in the mountains where the sky is huge and the perspective is clear. I feel like I am in Heaven on Earth when I notice the sparkles of freshly fallen powder, when I take in the sweet aromas of pine forests, or when I listen to the trickle of clear mountain streams. I feel connected to the Universe. I am intimately part of something inconceivably huge. I am filled with wonder and with awe.

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Likewise, there has always been something magical for me when I’m on the shore of the ocean where the sky and the sea each appear infinite. I feel like I am in Heaven on Earth when I notice the sparkles of the gently rolling waves, when I take in the salty scents of the ocean breeze, or when I listen to the rhythmic flow of the water as it moves in and out on the shore. I feel connected to the Universe. I am intimately part of something inconceivable huge. I am filled with wonder and awe.

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Being mindful in the present moment and paying attention to what is going on around us allows us to see beauty, even if we are in a bustling city or on a crowded highway. Mindfulness slows us down. Yoga slows us down. Being in Nature slows us down. We become more aware of the world around us than we are when we are busy.

People often think that the health benefits of yoga are fitness, flexibility, and stress reduction. To me, the real gift is that it puts me in a state of mind where I stop and notice beauty, and in a state of grace where I feel moments of infinite gratitude and compassion.

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People often think that the health benefits of mountain sports and outdoor activity are fitness, adventure, and accomplishment. To me, the real gift is that they put me in a state of being where I am intimately connected to Nature.

Cultivating this relationship with Nature makes my Spirit soar. Sharing this cultivation process with others feeds my Soul.

Tetons- Bob Cooking, Jo and Riley

Tetons- Bob Cooking, Jo and Riley

Sustaining these practices on a day-in and day-out basis is my ultimate worldly challenge, but also the key to my health and happiness… and the door which opens me up to a Heavenly Life.

I live in a valley village (and I have just taken a job in a mountain community) where there are endless opportunities for me to share this perspective, this passion. As I set out on this new path, I wonder how I will fare in a business environment that is inherently busy, extremely reactive to change, and ultimately focused on economical accomplishment.

I will set out with this intention: that by cultivating intimate relationships with Nature, by taking the time to mindfully slow things down and notice beauty, by remembering with grace that everyone around me is connected to this Natural path, and by continually practicing a Way of Being that sustains this Heavenly Life, I will Live On.

Creating Routine… Watching with Wise Eyes… Adapting to Change

I think it’s pretty common to want things to be a certain way in our lives… we create ideas of how we think things should be, we become attached to these ideas, we worry about whether things will happen the way we think, and we get all stressed out as we plan our futures. We want some level of control over our futures, especially when we’ve experienced hardship and don’t want more hardship.

Of course, we can’t control the future. We can’t control what happens to us and around us. Life is hard… and hardship happens. All we can do is live each day and be ready for what happens, as it happens… and be aware as it happens… so we can act with intention, take responsibility for our actions, and learn from our actions… so we are better adapted to live through whatever happens next.

For me, I try to be prepared for things that may happen by being in my best possible physical, emotional, and mental state-of-being each day. I try to create some routine in my daily life that enhances my presence-of-mind and feelings of well-being so that I am always moving forward in ways I can control while being prepared for change and chaos that will happen and that I can’t control.

Here are some examples of my daily routine, things that I can control:

I try to get 8-9 hours of sleep each night. I make lifestyle choices based on this desire.

I get up every morning and exercise for at least 45 minutes before I begin other daily activities. This way, the unexpected happenings of the day don’t get in the way.

I practice some form of yoga or meditation at the end of my workout to set intention for the day, express gratitude for myself and loved ones, feel connectedness, and just “be” for a few moments.

I practice a fairly strict routine of eating and drinking. I pay attention to when I eat, what I eat, and how I feel afterwards. I try to keep it simple with foods I eat almost everyday. I drink only water and tea and sometimes coconut water. I try to avoid breathing air that isn’t clean. I do not drink coffee or alcohol; I do not smoke or take non-prescribed drugs. In fact, I usually avoid prescribed drugs. I do take food supplements, like fish oils and green super-foods. And I am learning more about avoiding toxins that I might be putting on my skin for sun protection or cleansing…

I try to avoid negativity and people who don’t help me bring out the best in myself.

I try to act with feelings of compassion for all things, and watch with wise eyes as things happen around me. This is difficult, but it helps me deal with the chaos, challenges, and hardships of life… and adapt to whatever happens next.

Wolf Eyes… Wise Eyes…

An Experiential Learning Event with Wounded Warriors

I’ve used this forum to write and share my thoughts about living experiences. I’ve hoped that my thoughts might help someone who reads them. I’ve learned to conduct myself in life as a role model whenever I can, a mentor if you will, each day, each step along my personal journey. And, I’ve learned that through personal reflection I learn to take my next steps from a place of mindful intention.

It is from this perspective that I feel so fortunate to have shared a few days last week with the wounded veterans who participated in Wild Mountain U’s first program at Stratton Mountain. Organized and supported by the Wounded Warrior Project, the event was intended to provide a short health and wellness retreat for wounded warriors who live in the Northeast. Similar to other events we have conducted for other organizations, the program was unique, special, and life-changing. Thank you to Stratton Mountain. Thank you to Bill Hannigan of WWP.

Here are some of my reflections…

We continue to see through our real-life experience that the practice of yoga and mindful-learning can be life-changing for people battling through the symptoms of trauma and PTSD. The practice of developing awareness of thoughts through focused attention on the body and breath helps re-establish healthy internal byways that might previously have been stuck or frozen as a result of the trauma. The mind-body-spirit connections are powerful, and yoga can be a powerful healing tool. We were fortunate to spend time morning and afternoon as a group in Stratton’s new Living Room yoga studio practicing yoga, breathing, and meditation.

The opportunity to be a part of a supportive community where each individual can feel safe and at ease is the basis for any successful program. This happens through intentional design and process; it also depends on positive attitudes of mutual acceptance and dignity. Each individual is important. Each individual affects what happens. The opportunity for warriors to meet with other warriors of similar experience is so vital… and part of a successful program is facilitating this process than letting positive things happen. We spent casual group time at the resort, in the Inn at Stratton Mountain, at Bentley’s, at the Living Room and Sports Center, and in Hearthstone condos. It was an honor to meet and get to know each warrior.

Being outside in a natural setting doing physical activity supports natural healthy, relaxed, and authentic behavior. We were fortunate to spend time walking from location to location on dirt roads and pathways, and to spend time at the top of the mountain walking around and playing in the snow.

Being aware of healthy options and practices provides alternatives for comprehensive paths of healing. We spent time learning about fitness, nutrition, food shopping and preparation, and even spent some time making our own juice! Stratton is fortunate to have a fitness center with a gym and indoor swimming pool. Our hope is that these wellness tools will inspire further inquiry and a sense of empowerment. After all, our minds and bodies are a product of what we digest, how we exercise, how we rest, etc… things we can control.

As much as I like to think of myself as a mentor, in reality each person who attended this event was my mentor. Learning to live through the challenges in life these warriors are faced with gives them perspectives in life that are unique, insightful, and inspiring to others, including me. Sometimes, it seems that we have a hard time letting go of the way we think things or people should be like, and just accepting (and being grateful for) the way things are. It is especially hard when your body and mind are stuck in the past as a result of the trauma and you are struggling against comparisons and judgment about the future and just trying to survive in your present daily existence. When we let ourselves be as we are, and focus on small positive steps, sometimes things fall into place better. It was nice to be around a supportive group of warriors, a group of warriors whose nature is based on dedicated work, honor, service, integrity, and mutual support, in an environment where we could just be ourselves and learn together. I give thanks to each of the warriors for being exactly who they are, and for bringing themselves to Stratton and Wild Mountain U… and being a part of my life.

For me, this event indeed inspired me to keep walking the walk I’m walking, with clear and mindful intention that this is my way.

Twelve-Twenty / Twenty-Twelve

Is this the end? Or, is this just the beginning?

Yes, if our days are like they have been in the past, the sun will start rising sooner and the sun will start setting later, each day bringing more and more light.

Perhaps, though, it is time for a bigger shift. A shift in energy…  A shift in consciousness… A shift in how we treat one another. A shift towards enduring light and feelings of love and compassion… Aren’t we ready for a new era in our towns and cities?

It’s the end of the world as we know it… (and I feel fine…)

Here is how I see the new era, as if it were happening now:

It is commonplace for each of us to see the unique and special qualities inherent in each other. We now scoff at the days when our relationships were based on comparison, competition and judgment.

We relate to one another with a natural attitude of acceptance, presence, dignity, and gratitude. We’ve let go of the need to always win and be better and take advantage of others.

We make one another feel safe and understood just by the way we are. We’ve come to realize that put-downs and bullying were just expressions of personal insecurities… and only bred a society of dis-ease.

We’ve come to live with nature in a way that we can sustain life. Our former habits of irresponsive consumption just vanished one day when we realized we’re all living on a finite Earth together… and everything is connected.

We’ve learned that everyone can thrive when we are each allowed to express our own personal goodness from a place of heartfelt positive feelings and intuitive decision-making. The era during which rational thinking and analytic comparison ruled our actions ended just as easily as it started.

We’ve accepted that miracles and wonderment are normal and limitless when we pay attention in the present moment to what is actually going on around us. It seemed so easy for humans to let go of events of the past and attachments to how the future should be like, once we realized that our lives are only happening in the present moment.

The idea of blaming someone else or something else for one’s own behavior or actions seems so antiquated now. Our good health, how we act, and our common survival is now up to each of us to positively affect and be responsible for… the days of a society that relied to doctors, lawyers, elected officials, and insurance providers to take care of us are long gone.

Young people are now the leaders of the world. One day, after a school shooting in an old town called Newtown, young people rose up in protest against the society their parents created… and began a new world, a new era where human relationships are based on mutual respect, interdependence, and common ground. The old governing leadership that promoted political in-fighting and self-promotion, judgment and divisiveness, and independent thinking was abolished. People realized that individual positive actions each day, each moment, actually do affect the world and everything else that happens. And only the young people of the world, unclouded by the perceptions and attachments of the old world, were able to see clearly that a new reality was indeed happening… in that present moment of twelve-twenty / twenty-twelve.

Why Start Wild Mountain U?

Why Start a New Nonprofit Organization? Many people have been asking us this question. “The work you’ve been doing at the Adaptive Sports Foundation (ASF) and the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) has been so successful. Why start something new?”

Believe me- we didn’t come to this decision easily. The truth is- it took months of reflection and inner turmoil. But when it comes down to it, it’s not about us. It’s about the students and the program participants; it’s about the healing that takes place. It’s about people helping people to find health and happiness, yes; but it’s more about people helping people live. And it’s not just about what we do, it’s about why and the way we do it.

We went down to ASF almost 3 years ago to observe a WWP event that was scheduled. It was the first event of its kind there. We were invited by the ASF Program Director, Pam Greene, because she knew of our team-building experience from our days working together at Mount Snow. The event was for warriors battling through post-traumatic stress (PTSD) from their combat experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pam knew nothing of our recent experiences with non-combat PTSD; Pam and I hadn’t worked together in a half dozen years years. A door opened. We walked through it. I met a guy named Joel. Our lives changed. We’ve been there since, commuting from our home in Vermont. Now it’s time to open new doors in new places.

The work we’ve done at ASF with WWP has been very successful. Many wounded veterans have walked through our doors feeling isolated and without direction, and left at least knowing that there are civilians out there that understand, care, and appreciate them exactly as they are without judgment. Most walked away feeling connected to new friends and motivated to practice new ways of living and getting through each day. New sports and recreational activities took place, yes, but more importantly, healing took place. This didn’t happen by chance; it happened through the dedicated efforts of our ASF volunteers and program staff. It happened through the leadership and passion provided by Jo and me, and the support provided by ASF and WWP to help us start new programs to impact more people in new ways.

There comes a time when organizations need to choose which direction to proceed, especially given limited resources and multiple talents. Jo and I know that there are many, many more folks out there who could benefit from our integrated and holistic approach to heal trauma and overcome the challenges of visible or invisible disabilities. We want to find them and help them.There are over 1.7 million veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars (Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom) alone.  According to the National Center on PTSD, nearly 40% of all troops who served in the wars are diagnosed with some form of PTSD.  However, this number is thought to be drastically higher as many war veterans are never officially diagnosed and treated for PTSD.  In addition, about 50,000 have suffered from physical disability as a result of these wars.

We believe that the benefits of our work can be more far-reaching than those benefits provided by just teaching adaptive sports in one location. We want to explore these benefits with others… full-time, full-effort, with passion, with grace, with feelings of compassion, dignity, and love, and in other locations. We believe that the mind, body and spirit are indeed related and inextricably connected; that you can’t heal one aspect without involving the others. This vision sounds simple. In practice, it’s the fundamental challenge that we as humans have been trying to solve for generations as we seek sustaining health and happiness. For Jo and me and our Wild Mountain U team, we believe it’s time.

Personally, I believe that the survivors of traumatic experiences, life-altering disability, and chronic illnesses have often dealt with very basic issues of survival and “higher” reasons for living. I believe that when appreciated, this perspective gives them insights into living, health and happiness that are important and deserve to be shared. I believe through attitudes of mindful learning, holistic healing, and community support, these individuals can heal and live healthy lives. I also believe that those who have healed in this manner, and especially those who have served through combat military service, have the opportunity to be the healers (and leaders of healing) of tomorrow.

As we develop our programs and define our organization, we will start by telling stories of those with whom we have worked; they can tell their stories, their challenges, and their successes much better than I can describe here. We have our perspective, our experiences. But each person is different, each experience is different, each story is different, and each story is important. We want to share stories of healing, create experiences for learning, and foster a growing community of supportive individuals of all abilities and disabilities, working together to overcome the debilitating and isolating effects of trauma, physical disability, and chronic illness. People helping people- it brings out the best in people, yes?

Our programs will be intentionally-designed group experiences that foster an environment of trust, relationship-building, skills-learning, and wellness-practicing in an experiential learning format. We know that yoga works; not just the physical practice, but also the present-moment mindfulness, the disciplined breathing and focus, and the deep-rest benefits. Thus, we start with an understanding of the art and science of yoga. We know that rebuilding a sense of personal connection with a group of supportive individuals in a natural setting helps foster a spirit of community, greater-purpose connection, and individual importance. We know that the integration of strength-based and mindful adventure-learning creates feelings of self-efficacy and self-worthiness. We know that healing is not a quick fix, not an isolated discussion or a magic remedy; healing takes time through awareness and learning, intention and practice, intuition and supportive community… unity of mind, body and spirit… and mentors. So, in our programs and through our on-going support of program participants, we will practice and share these teachings with attitudes of non-judgment and dignity, empowerment, and step-by-step adaptive learning.

Soon, we will present more and more programs. We will describe more and more about what we do and who we impact. We will partner with like-minded individuals and organizations. Our Wild Mountain U team will be diverse and inclusive. We believe this work is important; so do others. It is an important time of change. Through our stories, our work will become clearer and clearer to those who want to support us (but may not be sure now). We have faith that the stories of successful survival, healing, and community support will alone create momentum and grassroots support. “Able-bodied” people helping “disable-bodied” people; “disable-bodied” people helping “able-bodied” people. “Invisible” disabilities; “visable” abilities. People helping people; no boundaries, no judgment… a vision we all can support.

We expect to start this new nonprofit based on our previous experiences, but we also are open to change as we continue to live and adapt step-by-step in each daily moment. All the while, we will focus on the vision. We will focus on the people we are serving, dignifying and empowering the individuals who may be struggling now, but who we know will also be the teachers and healers of the future. We will do our best to walk the walk, at their side, as we develop this new organization together.

At first, we realize that the impact of our work may be limited to the first 10, or 20, or 50 people we directly impact through our hands-on work. Eventually, these stories will be shared, these experiences will be taught to others, and new communities of healing will be built. Barriers between abilities and disabilities, visible and invisible, will be broken. 50 will become 500. And 500 will become 5,000. And who knows, maybe 5,000 will become 5 million or 50 million. Each person is important and has unique gifts to share. Yet all people and all things are connected. So, we’ll start one person at a time, one step at a time. The first step is the hardest. By starting this new organization, we just took the first step. Wish us luck! There are many individuals who deserve our support, and we will all be better people by supporting them.