Traveling Wild Mind

Live recording while on a hike with my wife and 2 dogs Deer Run Forest Preserve located in Cherry Valley, Illinois. Deer Run is part of the Winnebago County Forest Preserve.

Julie Brams is an Earth-centered psychotherapist, meditation practitioner and author of The Nature Embedded Mind. The book stands at the intersection of psychology, ecology and social justice. Drawing from her clinical practice, Julie shows how healing our disconnection from our Earth is the path to becoming one with Earth itself. The Nature Embedded Mind can be found following this link. https://...

Recorded live from Deer Run Forest Preserve, this episode of Traveling Wild Mind explores an unlikely lesson from nature's smallest pests. As mosquitoes and sand flies buzz through the summer air, I reflect on the people, habits, and situations that can quietly drain our energy in much the same way. While these insects play an important role in the ecosystem, their presence also offers a reminder...

In nature, growth doesn’t happen alone. Pollinators like bees, butterflies, and birds, move quietly between flowers, carrying what plants cannot on their own. Without them, there is no bloom, no fruit, no continuation. In this episode of Traveling Wild Mind , I reflect on the role of pollinators in the natural world, and the people in our lives who help us grow in similar ways; the ones who show u...

Spring doesn’t arrive all at once. It begins quietly in small, almost unnoticeable ways. In this episode of Traveling Wild Mind, I take a slow walk through the early signs of seasonal change—subtle shifts in sound, movement, and light that signal something new is on the way. Through reflection and observation, this episode invites you to notice growth before it becomes obvious, and to trust the qu...

Spring rarely arrives all at once. Long before the first flowers open, the real work of growth is already happening beneath the surface. In this episode of Traveling Wild Mind , I reflect on the quiet preparation that nature undertakes before spring truly begins; seeds swelling underground, sap rising through trees, and buds forming long before they bloom. Through this mindful walk, listeners are...

2025 was a year of challenges and loss. How does nature teach us to be present in those moments? From the cries of crows to the final contributions made by trees, nature shows us the importance of pausing. Nature teaches us the impact we have on one another and the importance of being mindful of our contributions.

What Does Nature Teach Us About Imposter Syndrome Some butterflies look like their poisonous cousins. Certain orchids disguise themselves as flowers they are not. In nature, mimicry isn’t fraud—it’s survival. In this episode of Traveling Wild Mind , host Kervin Thomas explores how animals and plants mimic one another, and what that reveals about the human experience of imposter syndrome. Are we tr...

As summer shifts toward fall, the fields and trees hum with the steady chorus of crickets and cicadas. In this episode of Traveling Wild Mind , host Kervin Thomas explores how these sounds, can often be dismissed as background noise, but become a rhythm for mindfulness. From the persistence of cicadas to the gentle pulse of crickets, we’ll listen for the lessons in repetition, presence, and the be...

In a world that’s always rushing, what does it mean to be still? In this episode of Traveling Wild Mind , we slow down and explore the quiet presence of nature—the way moss creeps across stone, the subtle life inside a tree, and the difference between silence and true stillness. You’ll discover how to sync your breath with the rhythm of trees, and how paying attention to what seems unmoving can op...

Birdsong is everywhere—but how often do we truly listen ? In this episode of Traveling Wild Mind , I explore the quiet presence of birds and what it means to listen without needing to understand. Through mindful reflection and soft field sounds, we’re invited to slow down, tune in, and find peace in the rhythms of nature’s original storytellers. Whether you’re walking, resting, or just needing a b...

In this first episode of Traveling Wild Mind , I step into the quiet spaces between sound—and reflect on how noise can drown out not just birdsong, but peace itself. I talk about how nature teaches us to listen again, and why I think of noise as the weed of sound—something that grows wild, chokes out clarity, but can be cleared. If your mind's been racing, or your world feels loud, this episod...