Mountains Archives - Mountain Zen Den

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 135 – Wild Embrace

Mountains, Nature, Podcast, Spiritual Growth, Well-being

MZD Podcast - Ep. 135 - Wild Embrace Welcome to the Mountain! The end of winter and the onset of summer has brought a beautiful lush, green world to us here on the eastern slope of the Colorado Rockies. With more rain than usual, followed by cool mornings and incredible sunny days in between, Nature has given the gift of Paradise for us to embrace, explore and enjoy! I recently had the privilege of narrating and producing an audiobook for my friend Erik Stensland, a well-known and loved, highly respected nature photographer and author, who owns a gallery here in Estes Park, Colorado, as well as one in Abiquiu, New Mexico, north of Santa Fe. He has spent the last twenty plus years celebrating the beauty of the natural world…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 122 – The Adventures of a Rocky Mountain Tour Guide

Meditation, Mindfulness, Mountains, Nature, Podcast

Green Jeep Tour Guide Ron Francis - Estes Park, CO MZD Podcast – Ep. 122 The Adventures of A Rocky Mountain Tour Guide Welcome to another Fireside Friday here at Mountain Zen Den, where we take some time to share heart to heart the joys and importance of connecting with the natural world for mindfulness and Personal Transformation. Naturally! Do you smell that? That’s the scent of fresh mountain air here in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado in the spring. In today’s episode we meet up with an awesome human being, my fellow Rocky Mountain Tour Guide, Ron Francis. Ron has a heart of gold that just shines his love and passion not only for Rocky Mountain National Park, but the real joy that comes from being able to share…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 119 – Why We Love the Mountains

Mountains, Nature, Podcast, Simplicity, Well-being

MZD Podcast - Ep. 119 Why We Love the Mountains “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity.” ~ John Muir, Our National Parks For this Fireside Friday we talk about why we love the mountains. And about our "Disorder". There is something so invigorating, soul-awakening, renewing, restoring, refreshing and healing about being in the mountains for us. (That’s not the disorder). The disorder we have is the let down and sadness we feel as we head down out of the mountains. For both of us, it is actually physically depressing – altering our moods and making us long and ache for them. It seems that no sooner have we left them, that we…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 111 – Colorado Snow Observer

Enos Mills, Mountain Climbing, Mountains, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Walden Wednesday

MZD Podcast - Ep. 111 Colorado Snow Observer Here are on this Walden Wednesday, we slow down and spend a few precious moments of our day to truly listen, to the thoughts, ideas, and writings of some of the greatest thinkers, naturalists and lovers of Nature the world has ever known. Writers like Emerson, Whitman, Muir and Thoreau. In today’s time together we continue our visit with adventure naturalist, wildlife photographer, and Nature writer Enos Mills, as he recounts his thrilling and exhilarating adventures as the Colorado snow observer in the heart of the Colorado Rockies, encountering avalanches, dangerous precipices, starvation and hypothermia by falling though ice into a freezing river, and even mountain lions and bears. Always a stoic, he calmly treats these occurrences as just another day in…

by Skydancer7

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"]

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…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 74 – New Year’s Decisions Vs. New Year’s Goals

Inspiration, Mountains, Nature, Personal Development, Podcast

“I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor.” ~ Henry David Thoreau 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…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 54 – Touch (The Feel of Nature)

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

“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 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 receptors in our skin and tissues, which send touch signals to our brains. These receptors all respond to touch, pressure, temperature and pain. Many animals, such as cats have an advantage over us. Their whiskers, which are very different from…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 38 – High Mountain Lake Meditation

Meditation, Mindfulness, Mountains, Nature, Personal Growth, Podcast, Simplicity, Well-being

“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” ~ Gary Snyder There is a place you can always go deep inside your heart and mind. A beautiful place you are cultivating deep within your being. And the more time you spend there putting in good thoughts and gratitude and images of nature and health and well-being, the more beautiful and helpful this inner retreat center becomes. Like a beautiful, tranquil garden that is daily tended with love and purpose, you will find that in your times of stress and difficulty you will have a beautiful place to retreat to. There is nothing more important that you can be doing than taking care of yourself. If you are not in a good place yourself, then neither you can…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 20 – Hibernation

Health, Meditation, Mindfulness, Mountains, Nature, Personal Growth, Podcast, Simple Living, Simplicity, Success, Uncategorized, Well-being

Hibernation is the pause in Nature's "Great Waltz". In the dead of winter here in the mountains, everything appears to be lying dormant, sleeping. Beautiful and still. Snow brings a muffled hush to the already still environment and all you can hear is the wind whispering through the steadfast pines. Not far from here, Rocky Mountain National Park gets over 4 million visitors a year, mostly during the summer and fall. Now all is quiet, lonely and peaceful, hiding the life within. To the casual observer it is now empty, desolate and lifeless. But nothing could be further from the truth... To everything there is a season. A time and place for every purpose under heaven. Nature has her rhythms and all its creatures dance in time to the music. …

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 15 – The Beauty of Silence

Health, Meditation, Mindfulness, Mountains, Nature, Personal Growth, Podcast, Simple Living, Simplicity, Well-being

Listen. Do you hear that? That is a rare sound these days. A rare sound indeed. It’s the sound of silence. It seems to be even more rare during the busy rush and hubbub of the holidays. And Christmas is almost upon us. What do you think of when you hear the word “Silence”? Here’s an even better question. What do you think of when you’re in silence? Noise - that thing we consider “unwanted sound” and levels from human activities, have been doubling every thirty years – even faster than the population growth! What’s up with that? And more importantly, what are we going to do about it? For today’s meditation, we’re going to spend a few minutes just quieting our hearts and enjoying the silence within. You can…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 14 – Snow!

Health, Meditation, Mindfulness, Mountains, Nature, Personal Growth, Podcast, Simple Living, Simplicity, Well-being

Snow symbolizes so many things for us. Christmas, vacation, snow days, skiing, sledding, snow-shoeing, building snow men and having snowball fights, making snow angels and catching snowflakes on your tongue. It’s always such a cozy feeling to come from in afterwards… peppermint hot chocolate, crackling fires in the fireplace, hot tubs… It also represents purity and renewal. It’s a symbol of forgiveness, peace and beauty. Snow seems to be the ultimate visual symbol of winter and the apex of the season. But what is snow? Really? For today’s meditation we’re going to get all bundled up in our warmest outdoor gear – the kind that makes you all excited about going snow-shoeing or skiing, and we’re going to explore snow and get comfortable in the great winter outdoor wilderness. http://traffic.libsyn.com/mountainzenden/MZD_-_Ep_14_Snow.mp3…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 13 – Conquer Yourself~Conquer the Mountain

Health, Meditation, Mindfulness, Mountains, Nature, Personal Growth, Podcast, Simple Living, Simplicity, Success, Well-being

Have you ever noticed how a mountain - the very thing that symbolizes majesty, beauty, grandeur, inspiration, peace, and renewal, is the symbol we reference when speaking of a challenge or obstacle we need to conquer or “get over” in our lives? The sheer massiveness of this immovable force can both inspire and intimidate, draw and repel, challenge and taunt the humanness in every one us of us. Truth is, a mountain can no more conquer you than can a cloud, or a raindrop, or pine cone. It is a thing. A part of this world, and therefore, the Universe. A part of you, and of me, and of the hiker a mile up the trail in front of you. It is the thought of the mountain, or rather, the…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 11 – Reinventing Yourself Every Day

Health, Meditation, Mindfulness, Mountains, Nature, Personal Growth, Podcast, Simple Living, Simplicity, Well-being

Every morning is an opportunity to have a do over, if you messed up the day before, OR want a chance to build on the good things and progress you made yesterday. Either way, it’s a win-win! It’s a part of the nature of life to struggle a bit. Struggling and trying and failing and struggling some more and trying again is normal. It’s how we grow. Have you ever watched a wobbly-legged newborn baby animal struggle to try to stand up and walk? Or how about a baby bird learning to fly? Or a tree trying to grow through a rock or fence or other obstacle. It’s about not giving up. It’s about taking chances. Trying and failing and trying again. Trying something new, learning from your mistakes…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 10 – A Rocky Mountain Christmas

Meditation, Mindfulness, Mountains, Nature, Personal Growth, Podcast, Simple Living, Simplicity, Well-being

Christmas in the mountains is a time of beauty and wonder. Christmas in the Rocky is transcendent. So strap on your snowshoes and come along with me. In the spirit of Ralph Waldo Emerson who inspired John Muir who inspired Enos Mills to protect, preserve and become the father of Rocky Mountain National Park, we give you “A Rocky Mountain Christmas”. An early Merry Christmas to you and yours! http://traffic.libsyn.com/mountainzenden/MZD_-_Ep_10_A_Rocky_Mountain_Christmas.mp3 Want more Mountain goodness? [maxbutton id="8"] Photo by Medena Rosa on Unsplash

Category: Mountains