Today we’d like to introduce you to Ralinda Wimbush.
Hi Ralinda, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story today is really a reflection of who I’ve always been. Even as a child, I was an outdoors person. My connection to nature began before I was even born—my mother swam in the Caribbean Sea in Jamaica while she was pregnant with me, just before returning to the States to give birth.
I grew up hiking, camping in the forest, playing near the back creeks, and exploring the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis, Maryland. The outdoors has always been in me. Guiding people toward the joy of nature—and helping them experience its healing, freedom, and beauty—feels like a natural extension of who I am.
The work I do today is a full reflection of my life and who I have been from the very beginning. Looking back, I can clearly see that the creation of WOCOL Hiking and Sound Healing—Women of Color Outdoors—began as a seed that was being watered, unconsciously, throughout my entire life.
Today, that seed has grown into a beautiful space where people can experience parts of nature that have not always felt accessible to them. Communities of color, in particular, have historically been marginalized from these spaces, faced misconceptions about them, or inherited stories that made the outdoors feel unsafe or unfamiliar.
Through WOCOL, I have the opportunity to help fill that gap, break down those barriers, and create space for people to rewrite the story. We are making it a story of love, healing, nervous-system regulation, freedom, and connection—a return to the root of who we truly are.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Many of those struggles came as I was maturing and trying to understand who I was while also attempting to fit into the different societal norms and expectations that come with each stage of life. That was especially true during college, when I felt I had to truly discover myself. Eventually, I realized that discovering my truest self wasn’t about becoming someone new; it was about returning to my roots, meeting my original self again, and accepting who I had always been.
That realization allowed me to break through the concrete and understand that my path is my own. Struggle will always exist, but I’ve learned that it can be a catalyst—a force that moves us toward the next level of who we are becoming.
I also struggled with my family’s expectations and their ideas of what success and prestige should look like. With my background in physics and computational science, there was an expectation that I would continue on to earn my PhD. Instead, in my early twenties, I decided to move to Spain and adventure. That decision was incredibly liberating for my spirit. It was another way of returning to my roots and being true to myself.
There was nothing wrong with the path others imagined for me, but it wasn’t entirely my path. Choosing my own came with challenges, but every one of them ultimately helped bring me home—once again—to myself.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
WOCO Hike and Sound Healing, also known as Women of Color Outdoors, was born from the simple desire to be outside with friends and have fun. For several years, that is exactly what we did.
I remember calling my best friend in 2018 and saying, “Girl, we should start hiking every month, make it a thing, and let our friends know they can join us.” So we did. Then I told her she should bring her flute and she was completely with it. We would hike, meditate in nature, and she would play. I had this tiny, cute, handheld Tibetan singing bowl, and one day, we sat in the forest along the Cascade Falls Trail in Patapsco Valley State Park and shared a beautiful sound-healing session. From there, it grew into something truly marvelous.
Now, eight years later, we continue to to hike together, outdoor spaces to heal, and spaces to belong. At our core, we center women of color and Black and Indigenous communities because we understand, through lived experience, the unique traumas, struggles, and societal pressures these communities carry. There is a healing balm that emerges when we gather, share space, and reconnect with the place where we are rooted: Mother Nature.
Nature has a beautiful way of refilling our cups when we are drained. The trees, the fresh air, and even a brisk walk outdoors can help calm the nervous system, clear the mind, and restore the body. And a good laugh with a wonderful person beside you can truly feed the soul. That combination of nature, movement, healing, community, and joy is the heart of what we do.
Over the past three years, we have also expanded our work to serve the greater community through collaborations with Baltimore City Public Schools, Baltimore City Recreation and Parks, the Smithsonian’s forestry internship program, The Nature Conservancy, the National Aquarium, local urban wildlife refuges, and organizations working to expand Baltimore’s urban tree canopy. We have partnered with gardens, women’s groups, youth groups, and community organizations throughout South Baltimore and beyond.
We recognize a growing need for adventure, connection, and access to nature. All people deserve the opportunity to enter outdoor spaces, feel safe while doing so, and above all know that they belong there.
What sets us apart is that our experiences are not simply hikes or outdoor tours. We intentionally weave mindfulness, presence, sound, vibration, and somatic healing practices into our relationship with the natural world. After physical activity, participants may be invited to lie with their backs flat against the earth, gaze into the greenery above them, listen to the birds, breathe in the fresh air, and allow the stress they have been carrying to soften.
These moments create an opportunity for collective healing and remind people that they are not alone. They are surrounded by community and by an abundance of plant and animal life which all works together to help us release what we hold so tightly in our everyday lives.
The beauty of our work is that there is no need to rush or force anything to happen. Everyone is allowed to have their own experience. We often say that nature is a sacred teacher. Sometimes, when you enter nature, nothing needs to be said; it simply needs to be felt. If we allow ourselves to open up, we can receive the exact message or instruction we need to move forward in life.
That is what I am most proud of: we have stayed true to our roots while growing into a brand that offers meaningful, embodied experiences. When healing is experienced through the body, not only understood by the mind, it becomes unforgettable. Our bodies remember, and that is where lasting transformation can begin.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was definitely a quiet kid—but I was also a lot of fun. I made friends wherever I went. As an only child, I kind of felt like I had no choice!
I was always active. Swimming, playing outdoors, traveling with my mother, and spending time with family were some of my favorite things to do. I was ambitious, kind, and heavily involved in sports. Soccer was my truest love. Every summer, I went away to camp and spent time outdoors, which gave me the freedom to be as rugged and adventurous as I wanted to be.
Those experiences shaped my early years and helped me understand my connection to the life all around me. As I grew older, I became more and more of a wild child—and honestly, that wildness is still at the core of who I am today. That little girl never disappeared. She is still very much alive within me.
Pricing:
- Guided Hikes for Groups – $500
- Somatic Sound Healing for Groups – $650
- WOCO Hike Club Membership – $0
- Youth In Nature Experiences – $0 – $550
- Nature Trail/Outdoor SpaceMaking Consulting – $150-$400
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wocohikeandsoundhealing.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wocohikeandsoundhealing/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wocohikeandsoundhealing/
