Simple Living Archives - Mountain Zen Den

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 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…

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 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

Day 1 ~ Beginner’s Eyes

21-Day Nature Challenge, Blog Cabin, Health, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Simple Living, Well-being

by Skydancer7

21-Day Nature Challenge

21-Day Nature Challenge, Blog Cabin, Health, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Development, Simple Living, Well-being

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 44 – Seeking Simplicity

Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Growth, Podcast, Simple Living, Simplicity

“Simplicity is never a matter of circumstances; simplicity is always a matter of focus.” ~ Ann Voskamp There is something so wholesome and alluring about seeking the simplicity found in Nature, and escaping the craziness and cacophony of the man-made, synthetic world. Simplicity comes in many forms, but every one of these forms involves one thing – “Presence”. When there is worry and clutter and unresolved details in your inner and outer world, it’s easy to begin to lose a sense of presence, and be tempted to either, fall back into the past, filled with a sense of guilt, loss and regret. Or, we tend to jump ahead into the future, surrounded by fear, anxiety and wistfulness –a longing for what is not yet here. Both directions steal your joy…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 42 – Finding Your Way By Getting Lost

Meditation, Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Growth, Podcast, Simple Living, Simplicity

"Not all who wander are lost..." ~ Gandalf Do you ever feel like you’re caught on a merry-go-round, seeing the same old places, taking the same route to school or work, eating the same food, watching the same shows, thinking the same thoughts…rarely finding the element of joy or surprise in your life? There’s a saying that true happiness is when you can be on a detour and enjoy the scenery. In a world that is constantly accelerating faster and faster, we need to heed the call to learn of the Art of Slowing Down, and find the goodness and benefits that Nature has, just waiting for us to discover, partake in and enjoy. When was the last time you got lost in the woods? When was the…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 37 – Winter Animals (Part 4)

Mindfulness, Nature, Personal Growth, Podcast, Simple Living, Simplicity

Do you ever feel like you’re just living from pay check to pay check, trying to fill your life with things, attempting to buy your way to happiness…but not really living? At a time when people in the West have the highest standard of living that we have ever had, why is it that we are so empty and dissatisfied, always searching for more? More things to make us happy? We find ourselves so restless and always scratching and clawing for more. As humans we’re wired to become dissatisfied. We have an addiction and a craving for more. More, more, more… And we are encouraged to support and maintain the addiction through technology and information. All you have to do is turn on the TV or radio, open a…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 34 – Tree-Mend-Us Trees!

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

Have you ever really stopped to think about and appreciate how amazing trees are? I mean, picture this – what would the world be like if we didn’t have them? Well for starters, we’d all be dead because we depend on trees to take our exhaled carbine dioxide and turn it into wonderful, life-giving oxygen that we kinda depend on. There are many more benefits that trees bring to the earth besides producing oxygen. Aside from the fact that they are beautiful and provide a rich aesthetic quality to the landscape, they provide shade, they yield delicious fruit and nuts and provide shelter and living quarters for birds and smaller animals, they soothe and relax us, they reduce pollution, improve the beauty of our neighborhoods and surroundings, lower our energy…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 33 – Struggling With Stillness ~ Mindfulness 101

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

“Why is it when I try to meditate, my mind wanders all over the place and I can’t seem to be still?” We all struggle with this annoying little monster in our daily meditation practice. There’s this constant chatter going on in the back of our minds. The voice and circular, recycled thoughts that won’t seem to go away no matter how hard you try. And who is that voice, by the way? We listen to it all the time and think it’s us. It is constantly narrating and talking and making judgments inside our head. And it never shuts up. It talks about, thinks about and judges everything and is never still. It has a need to express worries and doubts and anxieties and all the things it…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 32 – Winter Animals (Part 3)

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

Research has shown that just 15 minutes in nature can make you happier. After just sitting outside in a park or forest for 15 minutes people reported that they began to feel psychologically restored. So what are you doing to give yourself that extra boost of Vitamin N here in the dead of winter? Join us for today's show as we continue our adventure in Thoreau's chapter called "Winter Animals" from his classic, "Walden". You'll feel better...even if it is just second-hand Vitamin N! http://traffic.libsyn.com/mountainzenden/MZD_-_Episode_32.mp3 Fox photo by Victor Benard on Unsplash, Pheasant photo by Susan C. Smith For more mountain goodness Listen on iTunes > [maxbutton id="8"]

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 31 – Creating Your Own Nature Zen Den

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

For some folks, winter-time is a time for personal hibernation, where you just want to crawl under the covers and eat and sleep and watch TV. Getting out in the frigid arctic air and taking a winter’s walk and getting some “Nature exposure” is the last thing you feel like doing. If you happen to be one of those kind of people, I have some good news for you! There are plenty of other ways to get your Nature-fix" and stay mindfully inspired on a daily basis, capturing some of the goodness and benefits she has to offer without necessarily going outdoors or on a long hike or camping trip. You can set yourself up for success not only in connecting with nature, but for meditation by creating an environment…

by Skydancer7

Mountain Zen Den Podcast ~ Episode 30 – Trusting the Process

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

Is there something in particular that is stressing you out right now, at this moment? There is something you can do about it. Breathe. Practice breathing every time you are aware that you are feeling stressed and you will begin to feel relief. No, it doesn’t necessarily immediately solve the problem, or pay the bill, or fix the relationship or whatever. But what it does do is give you the balance and harmony and inner peace, strength and courage to realize that you have it within you whatever it takes to deal with the issues of the day in the moment. If we’re willing to just trust the process and not freak out, we can not only deal with the challenges that are coming at as at a thousand…

Category: Simple Living