Guest Meditator: Moleek Busby, Conservationist & Environmental Advocate
Splinting limbs, checking for spinal injuries, coordinating a mock heli evacuation out of the woods. I met Moleek Busby while taking a Wilderness First Responder course in Washington last summer. As I got to know Moleek I appreciated how he is also a mix of juxtapositions - just like me.
Of course, we all are many juxtapositions in our complexities, but some of us wear that proudly and prominently. Moleek is a self-proclaimed "jack-of-all-trades, master of some". Despite being in a leadership role as the Field Operations Senior Manager for Washington Trails Association, Moleek exudes humility. Despite a past life as a bouncer at a music venue in Oakland (I imagine that takes some kind of toughness), it was Moleek who during our WFR night rescue scenario remembered to (undistracted by the broken back and moulage makeup realism that was testing all of us) keep attending to the humanity of our injured person. Actually when asked, he’ll list off kindness and compassion as necessary qualities for his past life working as a bouncer.
Hiking, backpacking, kayaking, archery, car "glamping", creating music and getting some trail work in are just a few of the activities of Moleek. As we messaged back and forth about his role on the Mountain Mind Project Athlete Team, I appreciated receiving everything from an invitation to listen to his recent album of metal nursery rhymes to favorite ideas about how mindfulness is relevant for risk management and resilience of first responders. (The work of Laura McGladery at Responder Alliance is one favorite).
Moleek’s LinkedIn tagline reads “SAFE TRAILS FOR EVERYONE FOREVER”. That so concisely states the different threads he’s tied together in his professional life as an environmental advocate and conservationist. In addition to his work with WTA, Moleek is also on the Wilderness Risk Management steering committee and the North West Outward Bounds safety committee. He is a life-long advocate for marginalized people to have ownership in their space and to feel safe volunteering and recreating on public lands. Moleek has mentored many young people into the work he first encountered when he was young, while working with the California Conservation Corps.
Moleek is our Guest Meditator for our June Instagram Live Guided Meditation. Head over to @mountainmindproject to try out a 15 min walking meditation outdoors and to view the full conversation with Moleek. You can follow Moleek at @moleekb.
The mindfulness meditation that we practiced trains focus and self-awareness through movement.
In this Walking Meditation, the instructions around the movement of walking, can be applied to any movement of range of motion around a joint. For instance, you could rotate or bend your finger/your foot at the ankle/or move your head. With whichever movement you choose, your focus is on sensations in this area of the body as you move.
Want to be a Guest Meditator in a future session? Contact us to introduce yourself!