Month: August 2020

We’re up to the fifth chakra! Now, we’ve moved into the upper three chakras, which are the most spiritual of the seven. Beginning with the throat chakra, these energy centers are all in the uppermost part of the body and are concerned with more ethereal principles rather than physical ones.

Keep reading to learn all about the throat chakra, or check out the first four posts in this series, beginning with the root, to read about the first four chakras in the chakra system!

The Throat Chakra at a Glance

The throat chakra, or vishudda chakra in Sanskrit, is located at the center of the neck. It acts as the individual’s force of expression and individual truth, both internally and externally. A balanced throat chakra helps to set us free from the fear of judgement or need for approval from others. This chakra helps us to embrace our originality

Emerald Bay State Park in South Lake Tahoe is a dream for hiking, swimming, and catching that sunrise view.

Located on the southwest shore of Lake Tahoe, North America’s largest alpine lake, Emerald Bay is one of the most-loved and most-photographed places in the states.

It’s beautiful in any season, and when I moved to Reno, this was one of the first parts of Lake Tahoe that I saw. I’ve been in love ever since! Here’s some advice from a local on how to best enjoy Emerald Bay:

Striking Features in Emerald Bay:

Lake Tahoe, and by extension Emerald Bay, as some of the clearest water you can hope to find on Planet Earth. Think deep, rich blues, aquamarines, and a hint of emerald too! The colors change as the sun moves in the sky and the wind dances on the water‘s surface.

One of the first things you’re likely

I don’t know about you, but the first time I saw photos of Lake Aloha I immediately got to planning. Would the water really be that clear? Was it actually that beautiful out there? Could it be that desolate? I just had to know, and the answer is yes, yes it is!

While Lake Aloha is no secret, there are ways to get it all to yourself, and to get away from the mosquitoes!

Though this can be done as a day hike, I spent four days backpacking around Lake Aloha and the surrounding area, including Mt. Tallac. This post is designed to help you whether you’re just doing it as a day hike or planning a backpacking adventure. 

Here’s your ultimate guide to Lake Aloha from a local:

Day Hike or Backpacking Trip?

That is the question! The answer depends on your willingness to hike with weight

Post number four in this series on the chakras brings us to the halfway point: the heart chakra. In case you missed the beginning of the series, check out the first three posts on the root, sacral, and solar plexus chakras!

The Heart Chakra at a Glance

The heart chakra, or anahata chakra in Sanskrit, is located at the center of the spine at heart level. Anahata roughly translates to, “unhurt.” Accordingly, the heart chakra acts as the individual’s center of compassion, empathy, love, and forgiveness. This chakra governs one’s senses of trust, fearlessness, peace, generosity, gratitude, and connectedness, as well as change and transformation, healthy boundaries, depth in relationships with others, emotional control, and love for oneself.

The heart chakra has a feminine energy and is symbolized by a green six-pointed star within a 12-petaled flower. Elementally, the heart chakra is associated with air, and its mantra

Lake Tahoe is famous for a reason – it is the most beautiful lake in the world (I admit I’m biased because it’s in my back yard), and there’s an abundance of amazing hiking nearby.

One of the most famous hikes in the area, and easily the best sunrise view, is from Mount Tallac in South Lake Tahoe.

Whether you’re doing it as a day hike or turning it into a multi day adventure in Desolation Wilderness, this post will help you plan and prep for an amazing hike up Tallac! Here are six essential things to know before you go:

1. The views are incredible, but you’ll have to earn them!

This hike is a doozy. You’re essentially starting at the same altitude as the lake and climbing 3500 feet (≈ 1066 m) to the top over the course of only 5.2 miles (≈ 8.3 km) each