Ep 137 30-Day Nature Reset Introduction
Mountain Zen Den Podcast
Welcome to the mountain! How are your New Year’s goals and resolutions holding up? No cause for guilt or shame. No need to feel bad. On the journey toward wholeness, every day is Day 1. A fresh start. Every day offers an opportunity to learn and grow and begin again. Abraham Maslow, (you know - the hierarch of needs guy), observed, “What one can be one must be”. You and I were created for a purpose. And deep within each of us is the desire to grow and fulfill that purpose. We become restless, (or something even worse), when that purpose is...
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Ep 136 Horses and Eating Disorders with Lisa Whalen
Mountain Zen Den Podcast
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Ep 135 Wild Embrace
Mountain Zen Den Podcast
Welcome to the Mountain! The end of winter and the onset of summer has brought a beautiful lush, green world to us here on the eastern slope of the Colorado Rockies. With more rain than usual, followed by cool mornings and incredible sunny days in between, Nature has given the gift of Paradise for us to embrace, explore and enjoy! I recently had the privilege of narrating and producing an audiobook for my friend Erik Stensland, a well-known and loved, highly respected nature photographer and author, who owns a gallery here in Estes Park, Colorado, as well as one in Abiquiu,...
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Ep 134 Awaken to Mindfulness in Nature
Mountain Zen Den Podcast
It’s been awhile. Glad to see you back here. Today is a new day. A fresh start to a new you. A great time to ask the question, “Am I awake to this moment? To the here and now? To this moment?” Henry David Thoreau reminds us that the vast majority of civilization leads quiet lives of desperation. Or maybe if he were around today, he would say “noisy lives of desperation” Lives spent trying to be anywhere but here, now. Today I would like to invite you to remember that all we have is this moment. Yesterday is gone, a thing of the past,...
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Ep 133 Nature Immersion Through Art Therapy with Sherri Phibbs
Mountain Zen Den Podcast
MZD Podcast – Ep. 133 – Nature Immersion Through Art Therapy Since 2009, facilitator, author, and artist Sherri Phibbs has been gaining a wealth of experience in Nature immersion, and to date, has written three books which, among other things, teach the hungry and willing student how to connect with Nature through art and deep sensory Nature immersion. You don’t have to be an artist to enjoy and appreciate the lessons she shares. In fact, Sherri emphasizes that you need absolutely no art experience previously in order to create. All of us could benefit from...
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Ep 132 The Big Quiet with Lisa Stewart
Mountain Zen Den Podcast
Can you hear "The Call" to a Great Adventure in your life? Something you know you were meant to do? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be in a setting where it was just you and Nature for an extended period of time? Imagine yourself as a woman, alone on a horse, 500 miles from home… At age 54, Lisa Stewart did just that. She set out to regain the fearless girl she once had been, riding her horse, Chief, 500 miles home. Hot, homeless, and horseback, she snapped back into every original cell. On an extraordinary homegoing from Kansas City to Bates and Vernon...
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Ep 131 Calm and Bright
Mountain Zen Den Podcast
Far too often we pay attention to the loud and brash, which tend to have little meaning, while overlooking the important things that are taking place so quietly and humbly just outside the corner of our eye. ~ Erik Stensland “Whispers in the Wind” At different points in our lives, the Christmas holiday season is marked by stress and anxiety, overwhelm, overindulgence, undernourishment and sadness and depression. For many, it is a hollow season of unmet expectations, disappointment and despair. Instead of Joy we’re met with sorrow. Instead of Hope we carry...
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Ep 130 - Mirrors in the Earth with Asia Suler
Mountain Zen Den Podcast
“Nature is hungry to interact with us. It wants connection…if you take one step, the world rushes in to meet you.” ~ Asia Suler One of my favorite aphorisms is “Affirm Truth wherever you find it.” It’s a philosophy I have more recently come to hold dear and try to live by every day that I’m alive, because I’m finding that as I seek Truth, capital “T”, on my own “Hero’s Journey” as Joseph Campbell would put it, I am stretched a little out of my comfort zone. There was a time in my younger days where I felt like I really understood it all, and pretty much knew what Life...
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Ep 129 Happy Thanksgiving!
Mountain Zen Den Podcast
Today, is the day before Thanksgiving, and as I intentionally stop and breathe and just Be, one word comes to mind. Thankful. This past year has been a year of Growth and Gratitude for us. We just want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for choosing to be on this journey of Mindfulness in Nature at Mountain Zen Den, and we pray for your continued growth and well-being. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year because everything hinges on Gratitude. Without it, life would ultimately be an empty series of drab days coming and going with no meaning or purpose. Without it, we are...
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Ep 128 - The Forest of Faith with Chris Highland
Mountain Zen Den Podcast
What does it mean to be a “Freethinker”? Today, we meet with one who calls himself “The Friendly Freethinker” — Chris Highland. A skilled presenter, Chris Highland has given public presentations, taught classes and led retreats for congregations, business groups, high schools, universities, social service workers and youth leaders. He has taught in Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Pagan, Unitarian, secular and other settings. His educational style is engaging and inspiring, drawing students or audiences into an active participation in the subject. ...
info_outline"Simplicity is the law of nature for men as well as for flowers." ~ Henry David Thoreau
Welcome to Day 17!
So much of our lives are wrapped up in looking for things or other people to make us happy.
We are always on the “hunt” for the next quick fix. And as we lose our souls in pursuit of more, we become more and more dissatisfied, and even miserable with what we do have, and especially with what we think we don’t have. It becomes an addiction, and in today’s modern culture we are encouraged to maintain the addiction through information and technology. We’ve lost the path to the simple.
For me one of the biggest draws to spending time in Nature is that it is a return to simplicity. Life can be so busy and full of difficulties, demands and daily challenges. For some reason, in our quest for variety and adventure, maybe out of boredom and the pursuit of the hunt, it seems our natural tendency at times is to make it even more burdensome and complex.
This is when it becomes important to take our cues from Mother Nature.
Simplicity can be found everywhere in the natural world. The seasons come and go with amazing regularity. You can count on it. Winter turns to spring, spring blossoms into summer, summer gives way to the fall, and fall passes into winter, as the cycle starts all over again.
You plant a seed and the seed grows, bearing fruit. Rain waters the earth giving life to its plants, and to every living creature. The wind blows through the grass on the prairies as well as through the pine boughs in the mountain forest. The tide comes in and goes out again. The sun rises and sets, and rises again. All living things are born, live, and die, and give way to more life.
If we slow down enough to notice, we will find that there is such beauty in this simplicity. If it wasn’t for the beauty we might miss the events and the lessons they bring entirely.
Today’s Nature Challenge is a call to return to simplicity. As you go about your day, take a close look at the things you do, own or are pursuing, and ask this simple question:
“How does this add value to my life and the lives of those I care about? Does it bring joy?”
If it doesn’t, get rid of it!
Simple, huh?
By the way, this goes for your thoughts and philosophy of life as well. In fact, it will definitely shape your philosophy of life.
If you find it somewhat difficult to go through this sort of clutter-cleanse, just know that you are not alone. My wife and I recently ordered a small dumpster and filled it three times before and after the holidays, trying to lighten the load in our backyard and basement. It was hard work, but it felt so good! And truth be told, we have so much more to go through and get rid of! I’m telling you, it’s kind of embarrassing to admit, but it’s true!
Remember, it’s not about getting rid of stuff, it’s about getting rid of stuff that has no value to you and that is weighing you down. As you discard, your burden will be lifted, and your heart will become lighter and lighter, bringing you closer to the life you’ve always wanted… a life of simplicity.
These are just some things to keep in mind as you get outside today to enjoy your nature time. So get out there and seek and celebrate the gift of simplicity...
Checklist for Day 17!
☐ MEDITATION Day 17 – “Simplicity” active meditation. Keep in mind that you should not be substituting this active meditation for at least five minutes of mindfulness meditation, either on your own or with a guided meditation. (You can revisit a Mountain Zen Den Podcast episode for a simple “guided” meditation – Episode 3 “Be the Mountain”, Episode 6 “The Art of Slowing Down”, or Episode 61 “Just Breathe”, are all excellent choices for a simple meditation.) (Be sure to listen to this meditation on iTunes or here at Mountain Zen Den.)
☐ NATURE WALK: 20 minutes of mindful walking outdoors, with the intent to simplify your life, both externally and internally.
☐ JOURNAL: What are some ways you can simplify your life today? What can you get rid of that doesn’t add value to your life, or bring you joy?
☐ Extra Credit: Get rid of something today that does not add value or joy to your life. Celebrate the “cleanse”, and the life of simplicity that comes as a result!
That's it! See ya again tomorrow!
You can post your pictures, experiences, observations and questions, and share them on our 21-Day Nature Challenge Facebook Community Group page. Thank you!