On Saturday, October 8th, SPAN headed out for our Fall Seasonal Walk with a group of Latine survivors of domestic violence. The group was led by Harpiar Kaur, Spanish Bilingual Tri-City Counselor and Community Advocate, and Juanita Echeverri, Boulder Open Space Education Coordinator, from the White Rock Trailhead on an almost three-hour excursion. Though these walks are a new(er) addition to our support programs, the Seasonal Walk has provided a powerful opportunity to encourage healing, bring awareness to the changes within our bodies, and reconnect with nature for survivors.
The Boulder area boasts many beautiful sites, from the striking Flatirons to the incredible trails of Boulder Canyon. But despite having all of this at our fingertips in Boulder, it can be challenging to find the time or feel safe venturing out into nature. Many victims of domestic violence are kept from practicing self-care and are isolated from the outside world by abusive partners in their lives. And even after leaving an abusive partner, it can remain daunting to feel comfortable in nature.
Harpiar recognized this disconnection many of her clients experienced and sought to create an opportunity where survivors could immerse themselves in nature. In collaboration with Juanita, the two were passionate about not only creating the Seasonal Walk group but also showing how our own bodies, cycles, and rhythms are mirrored in nature. “We can have a meaningful relationship with Mother Earth, to feel our closeness to her, and to make us feel safe,” Harpiar explains. Harpiar and Juanita foster a sense of belonging to these lands that is meaningful for the mostly immigrant survivor group. The Seasonal Walk emphasizes the strength survivors can find in our similarities with Mother Earth and the energy nature can give us as our ancestors have also been given.
Every season brings something different, opportunities to grow and heal, and the Seasonal Walk encourages survivors to embrace these changes. The Fall is particularly special as it resembles letting go; with leaves changing to vibrant yellows and reds, revealing their true, beautiful colors. Through meditation and medicine songs along the walk, Harpiar and Juanita help remind of this generational healing transformation within the group. Just as the leaves undergo their transformation, survivors can build back the parts that were suppressed while with abusive partners and let their true colors show again.
The Seasonal Walks have become an important and vulnerable opportunity for survivors. Thanks to the compassion of Harpiar and Juanita, the Seasonal Walks have become a deep means of catharsis and healing. Many survivors feel a renewed sense of gratitude for the gifts Mother Earth has to offer and the power that comes from reconnecting with nature. SPAN looks forward to our upcoming walks and providing further support to survivors of domestic violence in their healing journeys.
