Saoirse

Saoirse: An Unconventional Trail to Inner Freedom, by Trails to Empowerment community partner, Kayleigh O’Dowd is a story of discovering that everything you need to experience freedom is already inside you. Saoirse, pronounced sear-sha, is the Irish word for freedom. Kayleigh shares what she learned from mentors, the wilderness and animals as she discovered the answers to the question, “Is there more to life?”

Kayleigh’s book starts in her Irish hometown, chronicling her travels to Asia, Canada, Spain and New Zealand, returning to Ireland, each time one step closer on her journey to inner freedom. Kayleigh identified her “cycle of discontent” and the repeating unconscious patterns that led to this. From meeting her first mentor in Ireland, Kayleigh learned the foundations of shadow work and becoming more conscious. She began to apply these lessons to all aspects of her life.

When Kayleigh found an opportunity for a guide training program and returned to Canada, she joined the Trails to Empowerment community where her personal growth and search for inner freedom were fast-tracked by the opportunities and challenges facilitated by the wilderness lifestyle. Living on a ranch had been a lifelong fantasy and this was soon confronted with the realities of this lifestyle.

From day one, Kayleigh was pushed out of her comfort zone as she learned how to shoe and pack horses, guide guests and take care of herself in the wilderness. Through being introduced to the Six Principle philosophy of Nature Connection, Nature Conservation, Personal Development, Self-Sufficiency, Empowerment and Consciousness & Awareness, Kayleigh discovered this was an opportunity to go deeper than ever before, to test her limits and rediscover what she thought was possible.

Although Kayleigh learned all the tangible skills of becoming a wilderness guide, working with horses in the back country and living the wilderness lifestyle, there were a lot more intangible lessons she also learned. Kayleigh learned to face challenges with a positive attitude, viewing them as an opportunity for personal growth, about perseverance and commitment, responsibility and ownership.

Through learning about concepts such as Maslow’s Hierarchy, the Consciousness Chart, the Hero’s Journey, Intentional Work and the Lead Mare principles, Kayleigh found tools to use on her personal growth journey, tools for self-reflection and to help her share her growth with the Trails to Empowerment community.

Through taking responsibility and ownership, Kayleigh had the opportunity to move from mentee to mentor, sharing her new-found skills with new community members. While still learning from other community members, Kayleigh learned about the lifelong journey of personal growth and the concept of there always being another mountain to climb, another challenge to face, another growth opportunity.

Through her time at the ranch, Kayleigh discovered how to be creative with purpose, creating meaningful content for marketing, to share the philosophy with more people. Kayleigh shares the contrast with previous creative pursuits that were ego-driven and lacked purpose. Through learning how to create with purpose, Kayleigh found a new way she could contribute to the community with her videography and marketing skills.

As summer turned into fall and then winter, Kayleigh could experience the ranch lifestyle in multiple seasons and learn the skills and mindsets that go along with this. By the end of the book, Kayleigh has greater clarity on her interests, goals and purpose and contributes to something greater than herself through conservation of the Chilcotin Ark and sharing the philosophy with others.

But the intention of Saoirse isn’t to only share Kayleigh’s story, it is to provide inspiration and tangible steps for readers to embark on their own journey of inner freedom. Question prompts based on the Hero’s Journey at the end of each chapter help the reader on their own journey of self-discovery, helping them identify their interests, goals and purpose and reflect on their own challenges and successes.

Saoirse: An Unconventional Trail to Inner Freedom by Kayleigh O’Dowd is available from Fortress Books and Web here.

Want to experience some of what Kayleigh experienced for yourself? Our partner, Wilderness Trails’ Wilderness Lifestyle Experience allows you to live all of this and more – you’re only limited by your imagination. Find out more about the Wilderness Lifestyle Experience here.

Find more recommended books from the Trails to Empowerment community here.