Self-Development Archives - Mountain Zen Den

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Ep. 137 – 30-Day Nature Reset – Day 1

30-Day Nature Reset, Inspiration, Meditation, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Spiritual Growth, Well-being

Welcome to the mountain! How are your New Year’s goals and resolutions holding up? No cause for guilt or shame. No need to feel bad. On the journey toward wholeness, every day is Day 1. A fresh start. Every day offers an opportunity to learn and grow and begin again. Abraham Maslow, (you know - the hierarch of needs guy), observed, “What one can be one must be”. You and I were created for a purpose. And deep within each of us is the desire to grow and fulfill that purpose. We become restless, (or something even worse), when that purpose is ignored or stuffed down. This is the root of unhappiness and all sorts of sorrows, struggles, and addictions. As we step into the new year we have yet…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 134 – Awaken to Mindfulness in Nature

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

MZD Podcast – Ep. 134 Awaken to Mindfulness in Nature It’s been awhile. Glad to see you back here. Today is a new day. A fresh start to a new you. A great time to ask the question, “Am I awake to this moment? To the here and now? To this moment?” Henry David Thoreau reminds us that the vast majority of civilization leads quiet lives of desperation. Or maybe if he were around today, he would say “noisy lives of desperation” Lives spent trying to be anywhere but here, now. Today I would like to invite you to remember that all we have is this moment. Yesterday is gone, a thing of the past, and tomorrow is no guarantee, a thing of the future. Everything that has ever happened…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 124 – Cultivating Self Mastery

Mindfulness, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self Mastery, Self-Development, Spiritual Growth, Well-being

MZD Podcast - Ep. 124 Cultivating Self Mastery “He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.” ~ Lao Tzu The ancient philosopher, teacher and Stoic, Epictetus said, “Happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not.” It takes wisdom and the habit of thoughtful effort to discern the difference. The things that are within our control are simple and few, but powerful! Our own opinions and behaviors (basically, our responses to outside events and stimuli)Our aspirations and desiresThe things that repel us He goes on to say, “It is only after you have faced up to this fundamental rule and learned to distinguish between what you can and can’t…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 120 – Cultivating Playfulness

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

MZD Podcast - Ep. 120 Cultivating Playfulness “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” ~ Albert Einstein In the art of living a full and beautiful, meaningful life, there is an element we don’t talk about nearly enough, or put appropriate value on, or even attribute to personal growth, and dare I say, “Success”. And that is, the art of “Playfulness”. We see it in the natural world all around us — puppies and kittens, calves and goat kids, otters, beavers, dolphins, and children on the playground at recess, running and jumping, skipping and laughing — carefree and jubilant. I hear it every morning; our dogs begin each day with a stretch and a shake of their bodies, collars jingling, sending fur flying in the morning sunlight. They then begin mouthing each…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 117 – Cultivating Humility

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

MZD Podcast - Ep. 117 Cultivating Humility “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less." ~ C.S. Lewis You are to be thanked and congratulated you for being here! Either as a regular subscriber and part of the MZD community, or maybe a first time listener, chances are, you are here for two reasons — you love Nature, and, you have a desire to grow and become the best possible version of yourself for Optimum Personal Transformation. The Greeks had a word for this — Arete´, which roughly translates to Virtue or Excellence. Throughout the past several episodes, we’ve been taking a look at the concept of cultivating your “Garden of Well-being”; that is, intentionally and thoughtfully, mindfully seeking ways to weed out the undesirable thoughts,…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 115 – Listening to Your Inner Guide

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

MZD Podcast - Ep. 116 Listening to Your Inner Guide "True well-being is knowing, trusting, and following your inner guidance." ~ Paul Hudon Today we meet with writer, speaker, columnist and author of the book, “Your Inner Guidance – The Path to Discovering Your True Happiness”, Paul Hudon. Paul lives just 100 miles or so down the road from us here in Colorado, where, when he’s not writing and speaking, or walking in the woods with his dogs and his wife Jane, he helps her grow and sell flowers as a business. Beautiful life… Paul is a kind and gentle soul, and he and I had a great time talking about his spiritual journey of how he discovered and came to trust his inner guide, his book, and the concept…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 115 – The Story of A Thousand Year Pine

Enos Mills, Nature, Personal Development, Personal Growth, Personal Transformation, Podcast, Self-Development, Walden Wednesday, Well-being

MZD Podcast - Ep. 115 The Story of A Thousand Year Old Pine Welcome to another Walden Wednesday, where we spend a little time in nature reading the works of some of the greatest thinkers, naturalists, writers, and lovers of Nature the world has ever known. Authors like Emerson, Whitman, Muir and Thoreau. If you are a tree lover, I think you are really going to enjoy today’s time together as we read another chapter from Wildlife On the Rockies by the early 1900’s naturalist, wildlife photographer, and Nature writer, Enos Mills, in his fascinating chapter “The Story of A Thousand Year Old Pine”. So sit make yourself comfortable and lean back against the bark of a wise, ancient friendly tree and listen to “The Story of A Thousand…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 114 – The Mindfulness Journey

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

MZD Podcast - Ep. 114 The Mindfulness Journey This Fireside Friday finds us exploring The Mindfulness Journey, and how it shapes who we are and where we wind up in life. We also discuss how Mindfulness and Nature are inseparable for us. The Mindfulness Journey is a return home... A few resources we mention include: "You Are Here" by Thich Naht Hanh "Wherever You Go, There You Are" by Jon Kabat-Zinn "The Nature Fix" by Florence Williams "Vitamin N" by Richard Louv Photo Brett Wilson For more natural goodness Listen on iTunes > [maxbutton id="8"]

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 113 – Cultivating Presence

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

MZD Podcast - Ep. 113 Cultivating Patience Today we’re going to talk about… …Patience. Did you feel the tension in the pause, as your legs got jittery, your toes began to tap, and you wanted me to fill in the word and get on with today’s meditation? Patience is the heart of what mindfulness is all about. It is the embodiment of living in the now. We see examples of patience in nature all the time: Seeds planted in the soil take time to grow and stick their head above the soil, and bloom and grow and bear fruit and flowers and vegetables. (Clock time vs. Horticultural time). Caterpillars in cocoons take time to become beautiful, brilliant butterflies. Bees patiently gather pollen for nectar, one flower at a time. A…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 112 – The Joy of Journaling

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

“My book should smell of pines and resound with the hum of insects … ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson MZD Podcast - Ep. 112 The Joy of Journaling Welcome to another Fireside Friday here at Mountain Zen Den. Come on in… Today we share one of our favorite Personal Growth tools - Journaling. aka – Scribing, memoir writing, keeping a diary… Ideas include: Why Journal? To slow down and observe and record your thoughtsTo better ListenFor Healing (A cathartic exercise)To better understand yourself and the worldTo share your view of the worldTo record favorite quotes, authors and passagesTo remember how you were feelingTo become a better, more honest and authentic writerTo leave a Memoire or Legacy What kind of journal should I get? How to journal (We share a few tips…

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 110 – Meditation Made Simple (Some Practical Tips)

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

MZD Podcast - Ep. 110 Meditation Made Simple Want to learn how to meditate? It's simpler than you may have thought. Today we share a bit about our personal meditation journey and practices, and offer a few practical tips that may help you with yours. We also discuss some ideas from a couple of wonderful books we have been reading lately by Hal Elrod, Michael Singer and Ryan Holiday. (See links below). Glad you're here, c'mon in! "The Miracle Morning" by Hal Elrod "Stillness is the Key" by Ryan Holiday "The Untethered Soul" by Michael Singer "Snow White" and her Meditation buddies… Photos by Brett Wilson For more natural goodness Listen on iTunes > [maxbutton id="8"]

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 109 – Cultivating Compassion

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

MZD Podcast - Ep. 109 Cultivating Compassion “Along with love, compassion is the face of altruism. It is a feeling deep in the heart that you cannot bear other’s suffering without acting to relieve it.” ~ The Dalai Lama We come together at MZD to connect with Nature for mindfulness and personal growth. We talk about it all the time. In fact, we have been focusing on, and training if you will, how to cultivate personal strengths and traits that we desire to see show up in our lives as the best version of ourselves… things like… Do you find yourself struggling in a specific area, (or areas), of your life and personal growth? Perhaps, fear and doubt, anger, addiction, selfishness, pride or lack of compassion. If you said “Yes”,…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den ~ Episode 108 – Why Mindfulness? Why Nature?

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

Photo Melissa Wilson MZD Podcast - Ep. 108 Why Mindfulness? Why Nature? "Now is now.” ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder Welcome to the Mountain! We’re going to get back to the basics. Can you imagine how awesome it would be to wake up every morning to the amazing beauty and wonderful sounds of nature? We just got back from an amazing hike along Carter Lake and had our senses bombarded by the beauty and restorative powers of Nature… We were reminded that there are things all around us everyday that would bring so much joy and happiness and peace if we would just take the time to notice them. It’s called living in the Now. Now is all we’ve got. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow hasn’t come, we just have Now. And…

by Skydancer7

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…

Category: Self-Development