Mountain Zen Den Podcast

Episode 77 - The 3 Soul Questions (A Dialogue With the Universe) “Your own reason is the voice of God himself which speaks to you and all mankind without an interpreter.”  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson   It’s important to ask questions. There’s a scientific, psychological reason that we need to do this if we want to grow. When you ask questions you set into motion the thought process of solving a problem. Like a dog chewing on a bone, the mind is constantly working on solving problems and answering questions. It’s what the brain was designed to do. That is why it is so important to ask the right questions, Some questions are simple and have simple solutions: “What am I having for dinner tonight?” Or “What time do I need to get the kids to their soccer game”? But then there are the BIG Life Questions. The deep ones that, for one reason or another, we may tend to avoid. As we go into this meditation we are going to ask The 3 Soul Questions…probably the most important questions you will ever ask yourself in this life. S

Welcome to the Mountain! Have you ever heard the term Quantum Creating? It is what you and I are doing when we basically “visualize” something into existence. What is Quantum Creating?  Now don’t worry. We’re not jumping off the deep end here into Woo Woo Land. What I’m about to share here dates back to DeCartes, Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Steven Hawking. It is so exciting to learn about the recent studies of what science has been discovering regarding the nature of reality.  The evolution of the understanding of Quantum Creating has taken giant leaps within the last decade or so.  You see, there is a Universe of infinite possibilities whereby we can create the world of our dreams.  The concept is extremely deep, and yet quite simple.  When we begin using our (subjective) mind to have an affect on our (objective) world, we are “Quantum Creating”. Where it really starts to get good is when you learn to focus on what you want, instead of what you don’t want.  In his book “Breaking the Habit of Being

On my writing desk sits a plant I named Emerson. He’s just a little guy not even a foot tall, including his pot. He’s a Pachira aquatica, also known as the money tree, Guiana chestnut, or saba nut. Emerson comes from Miami, Florida, a place much warmer than where he now lives.   The two things I love most about him, (not trying to be sexist here, he could be a her, except I named him Emerson), is that, first of all, he has four miniature trunks that have started to be molded into a beautiful braid, ending in beautiful green lanceolate leaves that grow in clusters of 3 to 5 leaves per stem.   The second thing I love is that due to the fact that he is a tropical tree thriving in wetlands and swamps, he is virtually kill-proof – pretty much immune to over watering. These dudes love water so, if you’re like me, you don't have to worry about any over watering disorders you may have, due to the fact that you underwatered all the plants you tried to grow in the first half of your life.   The reason he sits on my des

Happy New Year! Welcome back! Yes, it’s been quite awhile since we last met here at Mountain Zen Den. And while a lot has happened, I’ll save some of the details for upcoming shows, but just so you know, all is well, we’re back and better than ever, broadcasting from the foot of the Rocky Mountains in beautiful snowy Colorado here on New Year’s Day.   I’ve heard from so many of you thanking us for creating this mindfulness in nature podcast. I really appreciate the gratitude you’ve expressed, and all the encouraging messages and stories about how you’ve been inspired by the meditations and insights offered here. I can’t tell you how much that means to me. Thank you!   For those of you who’ve been asking if we were going to be doing more shows? The answer is, Yes. We are picking up where we left off with even more of a focus on helping you tap into Nature for mindfulness and personal growth in your life – Naturally!     But first off, more than ever before, we really want to emphasize, inspire and encourage yo

“The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the Universe, to match your nature with Nature.” ~ Joseph Campbell There’s no denying it. One of the best qualities about Nature is its ability to inspire. Think about it. Things don’t inspire Nature. People don’t inspire Nature. We can affect and impact Nature, but all inspiration comes from the Design and the Designer. Not the other way around. It is the Original. Why is this? Why are we so moved and potentially transformed by the natural world? What is it about Nature that is so stirring and uplifting…? When you find yourself in a wild and beautiful, natural place like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain National Park, the Napali coast of Kauai, or maybe even a wildlife preserve or national forest closest to your neck of the woods, you cannot help but find your mind and spirit elevated several notches higher than usual. It’s like the lid has been taken off of your old self, and you are able to see the world and the entire Universe for w

“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” ~ Robert Swan Welcome to the Mountain… Here at Mountain Zen Den, as a community, we’re all about living a beautiful, fully-present, healthy, natural (Nature-based) Lifestyle - not only getting back to the Earth, but giving back to the Earth as well. Nature is the most generous and giving friend when fully appreciated and taken good care of. If you had your choice, would you rather live in a stagnant, man-made plastic world or a healthy, vibrant, clean and natural one?  Sort of a no-brainer, I know. Astonishingly, we humans have become weapons of mass destruction. Why do I bring this up right now?  Well, this Sunday, April 22nd is the 48th birthday of internationally celebrated Earth Day! This year’s Earth Day Theme is “End Plastic Pollution”. From the Earth Day 2018 website: Plastic pollution is poisoning our oceans and land, injuring marine life, and affecting our health! Help End Plastic Pollution by finding out how many pla

“We can never have enough of Nature.” ~ Henry David Thoreau Welcome to Day 21! If you've been following along, congratulations, you did it! For the past 3 weeks we have been on a journey of discovery; one of mindfulness, inner peace, personal growth, and health and well-being through time spent in and with Nature. This is only the beginning. The purpose of this 21-Day Challenge has been to encourage you to create a new habit of getting outside everyday, viewing the natural world through new eyes. You’ve learned to daily cultivate “Beginner’s Mind” for the purpose of renewing your outlook and restoring your soul. Hopefully it has helped open your eyes to some things you may not have noticed before and given you fresh perspective on life and the natural world around you -a world full of life and hope, inspiration and encouragement, beauty, and limitless possibilities! If you weren’t already, perhaps without realizing it, you are becoming a mindful "Citizen Naturalist". I kind of like that term. It means that

“Abundance is not something we acquire.  It is something we tune into." ~ Wayne Dyer “Today’s show is brought to you by Nature - kid-tested, mother approved!” Welcome to Day 20! How would you like to have a limitless supply of energy and abundance? Guess what?  Nature is its own natural resource with a limitless supply of energy and abundance!  Who knew?! Think about it.  Solar power, wind and water, coal, wood, petroleum, all provide incredible sustainable, and renewable sources of energy.  Shoot, you can make a battery out of a potato! And when you look at the planet, in spite of the way we treat it, yields an abundance of fruits and vegetables, grains and nuts and dairy and meat sources.  Natural resources abound on this planet! The way the Universe, and our world in particular, has been designed, it has everything it needs to stay in perpetual motion, providing all food and water, fresh flowing air with oxygen regeneration…if we would just learn to work with it and not against it. It’s been said that if

  “If your mind is still… you can sense the peace that emanates from the earth.” ~ Eckhart Tolle​ Welcome to Day 19 ~ Tranquility Here at Mountain Zen Den we are on a quest for love and simplicity, joy and tranquility, and energy and abundance through Nature. Each of these gifts can be found separately and together, as we seek to stay mindful, dwelling in the present moment. You don’t always have to be out in nature to be present.  But Nature is an amazing catalyst for presence.  Presence is the place that is always with us. And it is what we are on a quest for today, and everyday that we choose to bring our “A Game”, and be the best we that we can be! You know you can find a state of peace and tranquility whenever you want it.  Inner tranquility has little to do with your outer surroundings.  Inner tranquility is about your personal state of being.  However, you need to practice and create this state of being on a regular basis so that you can access it any time you feel anxious or overwhelmed no matter wh

“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive you will see it.” ~ Thich Naht Hanh Welcome to Day 18! How are you doing today? Is your life going the way you want it to? Are you finding joy in the moment? Or are you wishing you could be a little happier and a little more joyful? Joy is found in the simplest of things, a beautiful sunrise or sunset, a rushing river or a sweetly babbling brook, dew on the grass in a meadow where a deer and her newborn fawn are grazing, or the dazzling white snow on a majestic mountaintop. Joy comes in all shapes and sizes, colors and flavors, but the most important thing about joy is that it can be found at anytime, anywhere, and by anyone; even animals wild and domestic. Here in the Rocky Mountains I’ve witnessed elk calves, and even grown bull elk playing and skipping and jumping, and rolling and splashing and pawing in puddles and glacier melt just for the joy of it. Our horses rear up and start chasing each other in a mad dash of joy, for seeming

"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 calls us to care.” ~ Forest Whitman “If I become the vibrational frequency of love, harmony, peace, and I’m radiating that, it’s going to show up in my life.” ~ Michael Bernard Beckwith   Welcome to Day 16! Here at Mountain Zen Den we talk a lot about tapping into Nature for mindfulness and personal growth. But what does that really mean? Personal development involves seeking our deeper, truer selves and becoming the best “You” that you can be.  It means becoming a more authentic and caring individual. One who gives more than he takes. One that others are drawn to because they find wisdom, compassion and empathy in their presence. One whose heart’s desire is to help make the world a better, more beautiful place. You’d be hard pressed to find a spiritual leader, or wise and caring person who was not deeply rooted to Nature. Nature has been called, “God’s other book”, and many naturalists such as John Muir have regularly gone to the mountains to commune with their Creator. And while it would be easy to

“Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far. ~ Thomas Jefferson   Welcome to Day 15!  Walking for Your Life! (Nature for the Health of It) Let’s talk about something we have been doing since we were toddlers; something so ordinary, so seemingly unremarkable and ordinary that we daily take it for granted. Walking. When was the last time you thought, “Ok, I’m going to stand up now and walk over to the kitchen sink… Now I’m going to walk over to get my car keys and then walk to the car.”? It’s almost like breathing, (whose importance we daily need to be reminded of as well). Unless you've been in an accident, or are in some sort of physical rehabilitation, you probably just don’t ever think about it. Pretty much since the day we first learned how to walk as bambinos, we stopped noticing the fact that we were actually doing it, and just did it! And did it, and did it, and did it… sometimes to our parents' chagrin, but nevertheless invoking their pride and satisfaction as well.

“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature.It will never fail you.” ~ Frank Lloyd Wright   Welcome to Day 14! There’s a good chance that if you’re here today, it’s because you are a passionate nature-lover. There is just something about wilderness and wildlife that draws you. It calls to your spirit deep within and won’t let go. Its beauties and wonders are a part of your deepest self, who you are at your very core. You have a hunger for “green” knowledge, and can’t get enough. In general, the more time we spend in Nature, the more we want to know and understand about the natural world and how it works. And the more we learn, the more we fall in love with her. There is such a depth to the character and essence of all things wild… so many wonderful aspects to fall in love with, and activities to study, improve on, and enjoy in the great outdoors. The introduction and awareness of these fields of studies can, and usually do, turn into lifelong hobbies, (and even sometimes businesses) for ardent nature-lov

“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.” ~ Vincent van Gogh Welcome to Day 13! Hello fellow Nature-lover, have you had your “Nature Fix” today? We all need it. It is our cure for stress, anxiety, boredom, and even high blood pressure and other health issues. It’s our nourishment for the soul, and has even been described as “Vitamin N”. Probably one of the most obvious things we all love about Nature though, is its indisputable beauty. We love to drive, hike and camp near majestic, breath-taking mountain scenery and ocean seascapes, glorious sunrises and sunsets, and fascinating, beautiful wild creatures. Artists love to sketch, paint and photograph gorgeous natural scenes, and we love to buy them and hang them on our walls. The beauty found in nature has a soothing effect on the soul, reminding us that there is an eternal quality deep within us that longs for attractive symmetry, glorious splendor, stunning views and natural heart appeal. It’s easy to see why millions and millions of peopl

 “Plant seeds of happiness, hope, success and love; it will come back to you in abundance.This is the law of nature.” ~ Steve Maraboli   Welcome to Day 12! At times, the world can seem like a dark and hopeless place. Long, black nights, and seemingly endless winters can challenge our faith. Droughts crack the earth and wither our hearts. Storms can dampen our spirits, lightning strikes, and harsh and chilling winds can feel cruel, making life miserable and almost unbearable. It’s these sinister, and less desirable experiences in nature that can make a person want to avoid ever going outside, being exposed to the unfriendly elements and environment. Add the gamut of health and life-threatening risks, dangers and annoyances such as ticks, flies, wasps and mosquitoes, spiders, snakes, poison ivy, too much exposure to the cancer-inducing rays of the sun, as well as lions and tigers and bears, oh my! After reading or hearing this foreboding list, one wonders why anyone would ever willingly subject themselves to th

Day 11 ~ Just Breathe “Breathe in and tell yourself that a new day has been offered to you, and you have to be here to live it.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh Welcome to Day 11! For the past week and a half on this 21-Day Nature Challenge, it may have felt like you’ve asked to do a lot, think a lot, make a lot of observations, and then write them all down in your journal. Who has time to do all this? I know, it may feel like a lot to ask for a busy soccer-mom, businessman, student, active and dutiful grandparent, or any other ordinary human being living on planet Earth in the 21st century. If this challenge has taken you out of your comfort zone and your daily routine, I want to apologize. I want to apologize for not having made this opportunity and challenge available to you sooner! Life for most of us is not necessarily healthy, and often leaves us feeling empty, dissatisfied and hungering and longing for something more. Your body knows when you’re not getting all the nutrients it needs and will tell you so by feeling

“Teach us to number our days…” ~ Psalm 90:12 Welcome to Day 10! Here’s something for you to think about. What did you have for breakfast yesterday? Where did you go? What did you see? Who did you spend time with? Does any of what you did really matter? In his inspiring book, “Go Outside and Come Back Better”, author Ron Lizzi proposes the concept that many good days make up a good life. He invites us to, “Picture a see-saw, (teeter-totter in some places). This balance represents your life…” He then asks you to imagine that when you came to the end of every day, if it was a good day, you would place a stone on the right side of the seesaw. If it was a bad day, or at least a not-so-good day you would place a stone on the left side. So for a very bad day, say the death of a loved one, you lost your job, or received bad news, the stone would go on the far left. And for a very good day, a great day, like - you got married, the birth of a child, landed your dream job, etc., you would place a stone on the far right.

Welcome to Day 9 of the 21-Day Nature Challenge! Do ever feel like there’s just not enough time to get everything done? Guess what? There isn’t. It is a sad fact that here in the age of high-tech convenience where we can have pretty much anything we want on demand, the feeling that life is supposed to constantly be busy and rush by in a blur is a normal thing; not healthy, just standard living these days. And no one really seems to notice, or care. Or at least we don’t believe we have the time to do anything about it. We’ve said it before, but here at Mountain Zen Den it’s not about spending time in nature for the sake of being more mindful just to be mindful. (Although that’s not necessarily a bad thing.) It’s really about creating and designing the lifestyle that you desire and know you were meant to live. When we are always madly rushing from one task to the next, one appointment to another, one soccer game, one project deadline, one birthday party or funeral, without a sense of purpose, place and grounded

“In wildness is the preservation of the world." ~ Henry David Thoreau Welcome to Week 2, and Day 8! You are learning how Nature helps you become a better person, in every area of your life – body, mind, and soul. Before we continue, take a moment and think about what first drew you to the idea of doing a 21-Day Nature Challenge? What did you hope to accomplish, receive or benefit from it as a result? Are you finding what you were looking for? Are you making new discoveries about yourself and the world around you? Last week we focused on using our senses to become aware of and absorb the benefits and beauties of the natural world all around us. This week we are going to zoom in a bit on individual aspects of Nature and hopefully develop a deeper appreciation for the gifts we’ve been given in our natural community. Whether we realize it our not, we are one with Nature. In fact, we are Nature and the sooner we understand this, the sooner we begin to return to our authentic selves. And this is where happiness a