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Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 107 – Colorado Snow Observer (Pt. 1)

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 107 – Colorado Snow Observer (Pt. 1)

Enos Mills, Mountains, Nature, Personal Development, Podcast, Walden Wednesday
Photo Brett Wilson MZD Podcast - Ep. 107 Colorado Snow Observer (Part 1) Welcome to Walden Wednesday! Today we visit with naturalist and nature writer Enos Mills as he shares from the first chapter of his wonderful book, "Wild Life On the Rockies". Relax in the mountain winter solitude and enjoy... For more natural goodness Listen on iTunes > [maxbutton id="8"]
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Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 106 – Human Hibernation (Flowing with the Rhythms of Nature)

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 106 – Human Hibernation (Flowing with the Rhythms of Nature)

Health, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Well-being
Photo Brett Wilson MZD Podcast - Ep. 106 Human Hibernation Welcome to the Mountain! Every season has its purpose and has something to teach us. The Dead of Winter – Teaches us about Hibernation & Dormancy Dormancy: The state of having normal physical functions suspended or slowed for a period of time.The state of being temporarily inactive or inoperative -Dormancy is when living things such as plants are awaiting the necessary environmental conditions such as temperature, moisture, nutrient availability, etc. 4 TYPES OF DORMANCY Hibernation – low metabolic rate, reduced heart rate, slow breathing and lowered body temperature.Obligate hibernators– can sleep regardless of access to food and temperatures. Ex. European Hedgehogs, mouse lemurs, various ground squirrels & butterflies Facultative hibernators– hibernate when it’s too cold and the food supply decreased…
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Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 105 – Cultivating Courage

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 105 – Cultivating Courage

Courage, Meditation, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Well-being
Photo Brett Wilson MZD Podcast - Ep. 105 Cultivating Courage What are you grateful for today?  What’s the first thing that comes to mind that you are thankful for? This is always a good place to start our meditation practice. On Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, we celebrate the gift of Courage, for which I am truly grateful. If it weren’t for the courage of leaders like Dr. King, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and a host of unnamed others, so many of the freedoms and benefits and pleasures we enjoy today would not be available to us. Did you know that “Fear not!” is the most repeated command in the Bible?  366 to be exact; one for every day of the year plus leap year!  This should be encouraging.  Literally!…
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Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 104 – Stay the Course (Lessons from a Mountain Climb)

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 104 – Stay the Course (Lessons from a Mountain Climb)

14ers, Inspiration, Mountain Climbing, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Success, Uncategorized, Well-being
Mt Elbert 14,440' above sea level - Colorado's highest peak MZD Podcast - Ep 104 Stay the Course "A pot is filled drop by drop.” ~ the Buddha Great to have you here on a Fireside Friday at Mountain Zen Den. We’re almost half way through January!  So how are you doing with your goals? Today we discuss the concept of staying on course with your dreams, goals and New Years’ resolutions.  Here are a few tips and lessons learned from our mountain climb on Mt. Elbert – 14,440’ above sea level, Colorado’s highest peak. A few of the points that came up: Plan aheadPack and Prepare wellEnjoy the JourneyKeep the Goal in Mind but remember, ultimately, the Journey is the GoalIt’s about “Who is the person who attempts and…
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Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 103 – Cultivating Transcendence

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 103 – Cultivating Transcendence

Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Uncategorized, Well-being
Photo Brett Wilson MZD Podcast - Ep. 103 Cultivating Transcendence “The awakening of consciousness is the next evolutionary step for mankind.” ~ Eckhart Tolle´ “The key to growth is the introduction into higher dimensions of consciousness.” ~ Lao Tzu It’s good to have you here for another Meditation Monday.  I know you probably have a very busy schedule, like most of the planet…  Thanks for showing up. So how’ve you been? Are you having a good start to your New Year? Or are you finding it difficult to maintain or keep up with your New Years’ resolutions? If so, I’ve got good news.  You’re not alone.  You may find today’s show quite helpful.  We are going to be talking about the concept of Transcendence. Continuing on with our series here…
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Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 102 – Getting Your Nature Fix on Ridiculously Cold Winter Days

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 102 – Getting Your Nature Fix on Ridiculously Cold Winter Days

Nature, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Well-being
Photo Brett Wilson MZD Ep 102 Getting Your Nature Fix On Ridiculously Cold Winter Days Great to have you here on a Fireside Friday at Mountain Zen Den! Winter is definitely here!  Today Melissa and I discuss and share some tips, thoughts and ideas on how to connect with Nature on really, really ridiculously cold winter days. A few of the ideas we talk about include: How do you define “Nature”?Grounding/EarthingThe benefits of simply looking at trees and other NatureStarting an indoor herb gardenCreating a Nature nicheReading Nature booksWatching Nature moviesPutting together nature puzzles as a familySetting up a tent in your house for “indoor camping”!Listening to the sounds of NatureTaking a “Nature Memory Walk”Do Nature sketches, artwork and journaling Forest-scented incense and candlesStudying Nature Field GuidesBe in the moment with…
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Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 101 – Happy Bird Day to You!

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 101 – Happy Bird Day to You!

Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Walden Wednesday
Photo Brett Wilson MZD Podcast Episode 101 Happy Bird Day to You! Here are on this Walden Wednesday, we are celebrating National Bird Day by taking a few moments out of our day to slow the heart and mind down enough to truly listen, and absorb the thoughts, ideas, philosophies and writings of great thinkers, naturalists and lovers of Nature like Emerson, Whitman, Muir and Thoreau.  And then, as always, we give you a little time at the end to just “Be”, in a natural environment, and settle into a deeper state of awareness as you go through your day, fully-awake, fully-present, alive and intentionally growing into becoming your best self. Today we are visiting the writings of one of my heroes - naturalist, wildlife photographer, and Nature writer Enos…
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Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 100 – Ten Things You Can Do To Improve Your Life Right Now

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 100 – Ten Things You Can Do To Improve Your Life Right Now

Lifestyle, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Success, Uncategorized, Well-being
Photo Brett Wilson MZD Podcast - Episode 100 Hey Gang, so glad you have joined us today, because this is an exciting day for us here at MZD!  Not only are we celebrating our 100th episode, but it is also our first Fireside Friday where we sit back here in the Zen Den, as we like to call it, and have a chat with writers, and naturalists, artists, musicians and great thinkers and lovers of Nature, all for the purpose of personal growth through connection with Nature. And I’m especially pumped to be introducing a very special person in my life, the only other person I know personally who is as crazy about Nature and wildlife as much as I am, and who I am crazy about – my Best…
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Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 99 – Cultivating Wisdom

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 99 – Cultivating Wisdom

Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Uncategorized, Wisdom
Photo Brett Wilson “The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.” ~ Marcus Aurelius In the most recent series here on Mountain Zen Den we’ve been talking about cultivating what we call your “Garden of Well-being”… Today we will discuss cultivating Wisdom in our lives.  What does this mean? What picture comes to mind when you think of wisdom?... (Socrates, Aristotle, King Solomon, Confucius, Gandalf, Dumbledore, Yoda…“wise you are”, or maybe an owl…) What does Wisdom look like?  And why do we need to cultivate it anyway? Wisdom has been defined as: “Knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action.” Meaning, it is Life Experience thoughtfully reflected upon, and then lived. It is the ability to make thoughtful observations, that…
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Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 98 – The First Principle in The Science of Getting Rich

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 98 – The First Principle in The Science of Getting Rich

Abundance, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Success
Photo Brett Wilson Great to have you here for another Walden Wednesday here at Mountain Zen Den, where we intentionally carve a few moments out of our day in a relaxing nature setting.  We do this for the purpose of slowing the heart and mind down enough to truly listen, and absorb the thoughts, ideas, philosophies and writings of great thinkers, naturalists and appreciaters of Nature like Emerson, Whitman and Thoreau.  And then at the end we give you a little time to just “Be”, and settle into a deeper state of awareness as you go through your day, fully-awake, fully-present, alive and intentionally growing into the person you desire to become. Here you will find: Nature-based Listening… for the mindful Nature-lover. And, Learn the Art of Slowing Down, and…
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Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 97 – Perpetual Morning

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 97 – Perpetual Morning

Lifestyle, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Simple Living, Simplicity, Well-being
Photo Brett Wilson MZD Ep. 97 -Perpetual Morning Great to have you here for another Walden Wednesday, here on a Friday due to technical issues.  The flip side is, every day can be a Walden Day thanks to technology!  You can listen and absorb any time you like and enjoy these passages from classics like Thoreau’s Walden and others, highlighting the beauty, wisdom, and simplicity of the natural world, found in the writings of some of the most influential thinkers, writers, philosophers and poets of our past.  It’s all about intentionally carving a few moments out of your day in a relaxing nature setting in an effort to affect the quality of our lives.  We do this by slowing the heart and mind, down enough to absorb the thoughts, ideas,…
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Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 96 – Cultivating Abundance

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 96 – Cultivating Abundance

Abundance, Meditation, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Well-being
Photo Brett Wilson MZD Ep 96 - Cultivating Abundance In Episode 82 we introduced the concept of Cultivating Your “Garden of Well-Being”.  Those qualities in your life that you desire to have more of, and that would help make you a better person.  Things like Presence and Gratitude, Hope and Faith, Love and Simplicity, Joy and Tranquility, Beauty and Wonder, Health and today’s subject – Abundance. Today we’re talking about cultivating a spirit of abundance and What Nature Teaches Us About Wealth & Abundance. Money is generally the first thing that comes to mind when people think of wealth and abundance.  But having riches, that is, being wealthy and having abundance in your life is so much more than having a lot of money in the bank and accumulating things.…
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Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 95 – The Meeting of 2 Eternities

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 95 – The Meeting of 2 Eternities

Inspiration, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Walden
Photo Brett Wilson Here at Mountain Zen Den, our Wednesday podcast features passages from Walden and other great classics that relate to cultivating the wisdom, mindfulness and simplicity found in the natural world as offered by some of the most influential naturalists, writers, philosophers and poets of our past.  Walden Wednesday is all about taking a little time in our favorite nature setting on a regular basis to help still the heart and mind, and slow you down enough to absorb the thoughts, ideas, philosophies and writings of some of the greatest thinkers we’ve ever known.  And then at the end we give you a little time to just “Be”, and soak in these treasures to settle into your inner being and hopefully, become a part of who you are…
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Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 94 – Cultivating Health

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 94 – Cultivating Health

Podcast, Uncategorized, Well-being
Cultivating Health in Nature (Photo by Emma Simpson on Unsplash) “Walk in nature and feel the healing power of the trees.” ~ Anthony William Welcome to the Mountain! How are you feeling today? Are you the picture of health you always dreamed you would be? Today we’re going to talk about cultivating one of the most important aspects of your being – Your Health. Our bodies are tied into our entire being and affect not only the way we feel, but our mind and the way we see the world and interact with everyone around us… that is, our relationships. Have you ever been “hangry”?  Then you know what I mean!  You’re not necessarily mad at the world or angry at the people around you.  You’re just hungry with low…
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Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 93 – What Do You Really Need?

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 93 – What Do You Really Need?

Inspiration, Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Simple Living, Simplicity, Uncategorized, Well-being
photo Brett Wilson Welcome to Walden Wednesday on the Mountain! I want to reward you with something a little different than what we typically experience during our traditional meditation time. In past episodes we have occasionally shared passages from Walden and other great writings and literature, relating to cultivating the rich wisdom, mindfulness and simplicity found in Nature. In 1845, American naturalist, poet, writer and philosopher Henry David Thoreau decided to try a grand “experiment”. In his own words, “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” We’re going to offer more of these classics set in nature…
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