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 questio...
Nov 01, 2019•11 min•Ep. 77
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 evolut...
Jan 04, 2019•14 min•Season 2019Ep. 76
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...
Jan 02, 2019•14 min•Season 2019Ep. 75
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 ...
Jan 01, 2019•14 min•Season 2019Ep. 74
“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 n...
May 14, 2018•14 min•Season 2018Ep. 73
“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 plast...
Apr 20, 2018•15 min•Season 2018Ep. 72
“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...
Apr 13, 2018•9 min•Season 2018Ep. 71
“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, y...
Apr 12, 2018•6 min•Season 2018Ep. 70
“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 pla...
Apr 10, 2018•9 min•Season 2018Ep. 69
“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, ...
Apr 09, 2018•7 min•Season 2018Ep. 68
"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 ...
Apr 08, 2018•7 min•Season 2018Ep. 67
“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...
Apr 06, 2018•6 min•Season 2018Ep. 66
“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...
Apr 05, 2018•7 min•Season 2018Ep. 65
“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, t...
Apr 04, 2018•6 min•Season 2018Ep. 64
“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 maje...
Apr 04, 2018•6 min•Season 2018Ep. 63
“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, an...
Apr 02, 2018•5 min•Season 2018Ep. 62
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 grandp...
Mar 31, 2018•10 min•Season 2018Ep. 61
“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 t...
Mar 30, 2018•6 min•Season 2018Ep. 60
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 t...
Mar 29, 2018•7 min•Season 2018Ep. 59
“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 th...
Mar 28, 2018•6 min•Season 2018Ep. 58
“No matter how sophisticated you may be, a large granite mountain cannot be denied – it speaks in silence to the very core of your being” ~ Ansel Adams “Be still and know that He is God.” ~ Steven Curtis Chapman Welcome to Day 7! You have made it through the first week of the 21-Day Nature Challenge! There’s something magical that happens to a person after having spent considerable time in Nature. You have been learning, or re-learning how to use all of your senses, and to be mindful whenever yo...
Mar 27, 2018•6 min•Season 2018Ep. 57
“I arise today through the strength of heaven; Light of sun, radiance of moon, splendor of fire, speed of lightning, swiftness of wind, depth of sea, stability of earth, firmness of rock. ~ Saint Patrick Your deepest roots are in nature. No matter who you are, or what kind of life you lead, you remain irrevocably linked with the rest of creation. ~ Charles Cook Welcome to Day 6! Putting It All Together (Full awareness) Now that you have begun sharpening all your senses, (or at least the ones you...
Mar 26, 2018•6 min•Season 2018Ep. 56
Day 5 ~ TASTE & SEE! “One must ask children and birds how cherries and strawberries taste.” ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Hey there {{ subscriber.first_name }} So how are you doing on the 21-Day Nature Challenge? Are you finding it difficult staying on track and doing this challenge every day? If so, don’t be discouraged. Life gets in the way, as they say. It’s a normal thing. And the whole point of the challenge is to be able to take an ordinary day and make it extraordinary by living in the...
Mar 25, 2018•7 min•Season 2018Ep. 55
“Forget not that the Earth delights to feel your bare feet, and the winds long to play with your hair.” ~ Kahlil Gibran “Earth's crammed with heaven... But only he who sees, takes off his shoes.” ~ Elizabeth Barrett Browning Welcome to Day 4! You are on a roll… Way to go! By now you are probably aware that you are generally most comfortable in using only one or two of your five senses. This can be eye-opening, (or nose-opening as we smelled yesterday). We have millions of specialized touch recep...
Mar 24, 2018•8 min•Season 2018Ep. 54
“Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.” ~ Gerard De Nerval Welcome to day 3! Our intention for the day is to follow our noses. Or at least pay attention to the gift of smell. The practical purpose of our proboscis’, (that is our noses), is one of the most overlooked , (pardon the pun), powers we have been bestowed with. While animals have a much greater ability to use their noses for tracking and differentiating between vast numbers of varying smells, the human sense of smell is still qui...
Mar 23, 2018•8 min•Season 2018Ep. 53
“The word ‘LISTEN’ contains the same letters as the word ‘SILENT’”. ~ Alfred Brendel “Listening is about being present, not just about being quiet.” ~ Krista Tippett Welcome back! We are learning to be more appreciative and grateful for all of the natural goodness in our life. It’s about intentionally noticing the simple things everywhere around us. Today we are going to use another of our God-given senses. Hearing. Have you ever truly stopped and thought about what an amazing gift sounds are? F...
Mar 22, 2018•5 min•Season 2018Ep. 52
“There’s so much beauty around us for just two eyes to see, and everywhere I go I’m looking…” ~Rich Mullins Welcome to the is special edition of Mountain Zen Den - The 21-Day Nature Challenge Day 1! - Beginner's Eyes - Learning to see as if for the first time... Welcome to Day 1! We’ll begin with this thoughtful and active meditation for the day. Today you begin your journey to a new life in a new world as you start to see everything through fresh eyes with a mindful heart. Now there are two thi...
Mar 21, 2018•5 min•Season 2018Ep. 51
“Every day is an opportunity to find ways big and small to transform our lives and to grow spiritually.” ~ Bobby Williams There is a Norwegian concept known as “Friluftsliv” . Hard to pronounce, but a great philosophy to live by. Basically it’s about being outside as much as possible. It’s come to embody Norway’s cultural love affair with Nature. First introduced in 1859, Friluftsliv refers to uplifting ambience. One of the best ways you can enjoy the simple moments in an uplifting ambience in l...
Mar 19, 2018•14 min•Season 2018Ep. 50
“What the false self fears more than anything else is change.” ~ Father Richard Rohr We all have different and varying opinions on the definition of success, but I think it’s say to say that we’d all agree that - Success in life is becoming what you want to be. The path you take ton get there is up to you, but the fact is - Nature is a major catalyst in helping us get there faster! Here’s how: Everything alive is either growing or dying. To be alive means to grow. When you stop growing, you die....
Mar 12, 2018•15 min•Season 2018Ep. 49
“Productivity is less about what you do with your time. And more about how you run your mind.” ~ Robin S. Sharma Here at Mountain Zen Den it’s not just about spending time in nature for the sake of being more mindful, or even about being mindful for it’s own sake. We’re here to help you create and design a lifestyle , a way of living and of Being that brings you the life you’ve always wanted, one day at a time. It’s about finding joy and simplicity in the simple things, and slowing down enough t...
Mar 05, 2018•15 min•Season 2018Ep. 48
