Lifestyle Archives - Mountain Zen Den

by Skydancer7

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…

by Skydancer7

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,…

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 Podcast ~ Episode 70 – Energy & Abundance

21-Day Nature Challenge, Health, Lifestyle, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Podcast, Uncategorized

“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…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 69 – Tranquility

21-Day Nature Challenge, Lifestyle, Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Growth, Podcast

“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. It is the quest we are on today, and every day that we choose to bring our “A Game”, and be the best we that we can be! You know you can find…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 68 Joy!

21-Day Nature Challenge, Lifestyle, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Podcast

“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive you will see it.” ~ Thich Naht Hanh Welcome to Day 18 of the 21-Day Nature Challenge! 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? It’s been said that the difference between joy and happiness is that happiness is dependent upon circumstances, people, and things. Happiness is fleeting, but joy is eternal and internal. Joy involves an underlying sense of exhilaration, hope, and well-being, always there for you if you know where to look. Joy is found in the simplest of things, a beautiful sunrise or sunset, a…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 67 – Simplicity

21-Day Nature Challenge, Lifestyle, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Podcast, Simple Living, Simplicity

"Simplicity is the law of nature for men as well as for flowers." ~ Henry David Thoreau Welcome to Day 17 of the 21-Day Nature Challenge! 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…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 66 – Living Love

21-Day Nature Challenge, Lifestyle, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Podcast, Self-Development

“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…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 65 – Walking for Your Life!

21-Day Nature Challenge, Health, Lifestyle, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Podcast, Well-being

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…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 63 – Finding Beauty in Everything

21-Day Nature Challenge, Lifestyle, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Podcast

“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…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 62 – Signs of Life (Finding Hope in Nature)

21-Day Nature Challenge, Lifestyle, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Podcast

“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,…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Ep. 61 – Just Breathe

21-Day Nature Challenge, Lifestyle, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Podcast

“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…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 60 – Creating A “Matterday”

21-Day Nature Challenge, Lifestyle, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Podcast

“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,…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 59 – Practicing the Art of Slowing Down

21-Day Nature Challenge, Lifestyle, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Podcast

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…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 58 – Doing A Nature Count (A Scavenger Hunt for Nature Lovers)

21-Day Nature Challenge, Lifestyle, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Podcast, Well-being

“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…

Category: Lifestyle