Archive - Page 4 of 10 - Mountain Zen Den

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 92 – The Drift

Inspiration, Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Well-being

The DriftPhoto courtesy Derek Sutton @dereksutton Unsplash Welcome to Mountain Zen Den! It has been a while, and much has happened since we last met here. The entire world has changed. Dramatically! Yet, while there have been a multitude of anxiety producing events and uncertainty, if you zoom out and look at the big picture, you can see it has actually been a season of opportunity, of renewal, self-reflection, ad growth. The possibility of change and revision… A “Re – Vision”. Today we're going to talk about what happened. We are not going to get into pandemics or politics or world events, or even masks, or viruses and vaccinations, or anything else that has occurred in the world over the past year. We’ve all had enough of that, and there’s…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 91 – Cultivating Wonder

Podcast

“If I had influence with the good fairy… I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life.” ~ Rachel Carson (Nature writer and conservationist) MZD Podcast - Ep 91 "Cultivating Wonder" ~ ~ ~ Happy New Year and Welcome to the Mountain! Come on in to Mountain Zen Den, where we inspire you to connect with Nature for mindfulness and Personal Transformation, naturally! The holidays are winding down and it’s time to get back to the routine and ruts of life as we know it. Or is it? One of my favorite things about starting a new year, (and in this case, a new decade), is the opportunity to look back, assess what worked…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 90 – Cultivating Beauty

Inspiration, Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development

“…If you’re down to your final dime, can’t decide what else to buy to be happy You don't need a credit card to give your heart the beauty of the world..." ~ Peter Mayer ~ ~ ~ MZD Podcast Ep 90 - "Cultivating Beauty" ~ ~ ~ Well the hustle and bustle of Christmas has come and gone, and it’s the end of another year. Snowflakes are gently falling outside. The presents have been opened. The children are happily playing in the other room, and you sit with the one you love, sipping hot chocolate reading from a book with Currier and Ives prints, in front of the crackling fire, and breathe a deep sigh of contentment. Sounds like a Netflix Christmas special doesn’t it? So your world doesn’t look…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 89 – Cultivating Tranquility

Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Well-being

“Work when there is work to do. Rest when you are tired. One thing done in peace will most likely be better than ten things done in panic…. I am not a hero if I deny rest; I am only tired.” ~ Susan McHenry ~ ~ ~ MZD Podcast Ep 89 - "Cultivating Tranquility" ~ ~ ~ So how are you holding up this holiday season? Are you tired of being told there’s only so many shopping days until Christmas? Maybe the stress of finances, (or lack thereof), the burden of work deadlines and family obligations are wearing you down. Finding the “perfect” gift for everyone on your holiday shopping list can be so stressful. Or even worse, for many the holidays can be a very depressing time. Health struggles,…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 88 – Cultivating Joy!

Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Simple Living, Well-being

"When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you. A joy." ~ Rumi ~ ~ ~ MZD Podcast - Episode 88 "Cultivating Joy!" How are you doing today? Are things going the way you want them to? Are you living the life of your dreams? Are you happy and content with your present state of being? More importantly, is your life filled with joy in this very moment? If you can answer “Yes”, to this last question, then you are a very blessed individual indeed. If not, no worries. Join the other 99.9% of people on the planet. That’s why we’re here today. We are going to explore some very practical ways to cultivate joy in your life and “Garden of Well-being.…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 87 – Cultivating Simplicity

Lifestyle, Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Simple Living, Simplicity

Cultivating Simplicity “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” ~ Lao Tzu Are you finding it a challenge to keep up with everything that is on your to do list? Do you ever feel tired and exhausted, overwhelmed, under-satisfied and overworked just so you can pay the bills and find a little happiness in life? Like Henry David Thoreau, I love a broad margin to my life. Simplicity can mean so many different things to people. We go searching for it in exterior things. - “If I could just de-clutter and get rid of all this junk in my life”. Or, “If I just didn’t have to work two jobs to keep up!” Or my favorite, “If I could just get away from all this madness to a cabin…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 86 – Cultivating Love

Meditation, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Well-being

“I believe three of the most important words anyone can say are not ‘I love you”, but I hear you’.” ~ Oprah ~ ~ ~ If you want to be your absolute best and function at top performance levels, you need time to pause, reflect, meditate and restore. If you want to be present and give your absolute best to the ones you love and are depending on you, you can’t afford NOT to take a few minutes of mindful meditation to sharpen your saw and create a strong and healthy internal state that is able to handle any obstacles and stressful, difficult situations that may show up today. Meditation, (in nature especially), helps build your emotional immune system, strengthening it as a shield against knee-jerk reactions to unexpected problems…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode – 85 Cultivating Faith

Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development

Cultivating Faith “The capacity to trust and so live with inner peace, contentment, and joy, is a Divinely endowed capacity written into the genetic code of your DNA.” ~ Dr. Steve McSwain Have you ever wished you could live every moment of every day like in joy and simplicity? What would that feel like? Well the truth is, you can. Now some people will say, now wait a minute that’s just not realistic. And I have to ask, “Why not?” I love the picture of the clock that shows, in place of the numbers 1 through 12, the word “Now”. It is always “Now” and in this moment, this very moment, there are no problems, only situations. It is the perfect time to be present. So, welcome to this moment.…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 84 – Cultivating Hope

Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Well-being

“Hope is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops at all.” ~Emily Dickinson ~ ~ ~ Today we’re going to talk about hope. What is hope and why is it important? Hope can be a bit complicated in today’s complex world. Too often when asked if something good or positive is going to happen, we hear people say “I hope so…”, as if it probably won’t, but they’re going to wish for it anyway. In context of what we are talking about today, wishing and hoping are two very different things. Wishing is simply a sort of passive desire for a thing or state of being… Wishing and and Hoping are two very different things Hope is defined…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 83 – Cultivating Gratitude

Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Well-being

“Acknowledging the good you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance.” ~ Eckhart Tolle It’s a great day to be alive, and it’s a great time to slow down a bit and practice presence and awareness. With Thanksgiving only a couple weeks away, I think it’s appropriate that we revisit the concept of Gratefulness and Appreciation; that we practice cultivating Gratitude. When we slow down enough to get out of autopilot, and actually stop and look around – while there are probably lots of things we would like to change in the world and especially in our lives - there is way more to be grateful for than to complain about. It’s all where you put your focus. Having just celebrated Veteran’s Day here in America,…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 82 – Cultivating Presence

Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast

“The whole essence of Zen consists of walking along the razor’s edge of Now.” ~ Eckhart Tolle ~~~ So how are you doing today? Are you in a good place? In spite of circumstances or any situation you may find yourself in? Even when things are going well, do you sometimes find yourself experiencing an underlying unease or restlessness? Sometimes we find ourselves feeling a certain level of unexplainable anxiety, boredom or nervousness, a background static that is always there. This is our minds in a habitual resistance to the present moment. It is like the hum of an air conditioner or machinery that, when the sound ceases gives enormous relief. The reason our mind doesn’t want to live in the present has to do with our ego, which lives…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 81 – Plant Something (Cultivating Your “Garden of Well-being”)

Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Podcast, Self-Development

Cultivate Your Garden of Well-being "A seed, dropped into the ground, springs into activity, and in the act of living, produces a hundred more seeds. Life, by living, multiplies itself. It is forever becoming more; it must do so to continue to exist.” ~ Wallace Wattles ~~~ As you’ve probably begun to notice, inner tranquility doesn’t just happen automatically. You’ve got to show up and put yourself in a place where you can receive the benefits of meditation which lead to restoration and relaxation we all so desperately need and deserve. But the BEST part of mindfulness and meditation, is that it leads to a renewing of the person doing the meditation. It helps us grow and become a more complete individual, capable of contributing to the world around us…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 80 – Meditating For Energy

Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Podcast

"Energy and persistence conquer all things." ~ Ben Franklin Do you find yourself too tired to enjoy life, read to the kids at night, stay awake during your favorite movie, or even be able to think clearly or keep up with your simple, ordinary everyday tasks? Then it’s time to meditate. Every day you and I are faced with so many energy drains that just tend to suck the ever-lovin’ life out of us, leaving us feel weak and drained – unhealthy relationships, deadlines, traffic, health concerns, budgets and financial worries, and the list goes on. While much of this is a normal part of everyday life, there are areas where, through taking initiative and responsibility to affect positive change, we can avoid some of these energy drains altogether. And…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 79 – How To Meditate (The Basics)

Meditation, Mindfulness, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Podcast, Self-Development

“Renew thyself completely each day; do it again, and again, and forever again.” - Chinese Inscription (cited by Henry David Thoreau in Walden) Welcome to the Mountain! Let’s get back to the basics. Today we’re gonna learn how to meditate. You may be thinking, “This is the 79th episode of MZD and you’re just now telling us how to meditate?! Too often people make a really big deal about meditation, complaining that it’s just way too hard, or discouraging, or that they don’t have enough time to meditate. So we’re going to take a few minutes to squash those objections and then…we’re gonna meditate. So what is Meditation…really? Broken down to its simplest form for our purposes, Meditation is an intentional pause in your day to stop all doing…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 78 – Showing Up

Meditation, Mindfulness, Mountains, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Podcast, Self-Development, Uncategorized

“You gotta play to win!” ~ Famous Lottery Slogan You again?! How do you like being greeted like that? Don’t take it wrong, I’m glad you showed up! In fact it tells me a lot about your heart and character, your desire to be present, and hunger for personal transformation – that is, making positive changes in your world. The time you take to consistently, show up and start your day with intentional, focused mindfulness, presence and awareness is the most important ten minutes of your day. This sets the tone and direction for your next 24 hours, and the more you show up, and consistently, purposefully spend time meditating in Nature (so to speak), creates new neural pathways in the brain and helps you form new habits, that over…