Let’s Go for a Walk (And Talk)

Watch on YouTube Today’s post is a bit of a departure from what I’ve been posting lately, which has been mostly walk-and-talks with friends and acquaintances in nature. For a number of years now I have been occasionally posting on Insight Timer , a meditation app used by millions of people around the world. For most of my life I have felt led to learn to pray and meditate, and this app has been re...

What happens when you step away from the noise and busyness of the city and go for a walk? Watch on YouTube In this Let's Go For A Walk (And Talk), I'm joined by Gordie Lagore in the beauty of Lynn Headwaters Regional Park . We talk about rest, burnout, presence, and a powerful encounter Gordie had with a bear that turned into something unexpectedly sacred. This conversation is a gentle invitation...

What can a river, a forest, or even moss teach us about life? Watch in YouTube In this walking conversation, Rod talks with musician and songwriter Brian Thiessen about surrender, parenting, grief, and the wisdom we can learn from nature. Along the way, Brian shares the story behind his song Cathedral , a piece that began as a poem written in the forest after the sudden loss of his father and slow...

An ordinary walk became a sacred encounter. Watch on YouTube In this episode, Andy Park shares the story of a powerful moment that happened on a familiar park trail. A simple path became a divine encounter reminding him to keep walking and leave the future in God’s hands. Along the way, we explore prayer walks, spiritual formation, waiting like Abraham, humility in leadership, and finding light ev...

What happens when you stop measuring your life and spend more time in nature? In this walking conversation through Stanley Park, we explore how being outdoors changes the way we think about success, productivity, and what actually matters. This is a reflective, unhurried dialogue about nature as a teacher, walking as a way to think, and the quiet wisdom that emerges when we step away from optimiza...

A Walk And Talk With Ben Miller In this episode, Rod heads out for a walk with Ben Miller. They talk about why being in nature helps so many of us reset, how learning to notice what is around us can change the way we approach each day, and what it looks like to carry awareness into everyday places like the grocery store or a city street. Watch the conversation on YouTube: Ben shares personal stori...

I went for a walk with Catherine Ducharme and we talked about slowing down, letting go of hustle, and paying attention to what grounds us. We wandered along the Coquitlam River, reflected on walking as a grounding practice, and explored how nature helps us breathe, reset, and feel more at home in our lives. Watch the video on YouTube: Trail wisdom from Catherine Ducharme * Slowing down is not fall...

In this episode of Let’s Go for a Walk and Talk, I walk and speak with Eric Janzen. We talk about nature, anxiety, faith, and transformation. Eric shares how being outdoors calms his nervous system, why silence and solitude matter, and how certain moments in nature have shaped his spiritual life. We also talk about letting go of control and asking a profound question. Who am I becoming? Note: The...

This conversation follows Brenda Wollenberg on her daily walk as she reflects on nature, presence, justice, and how simple moments outdoors continue to shape her life. 👉 Brenda’s Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/inbalancelm/ 👉 Rod’s Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/rjanz/ The previous walk and talk on Substack. “Walk and Talk with Nelson Boschman” - https://rodjanz1.substack.com/p/walk...

Walk with Nelson Boschman as he reflects on nature as a place of rest during COVID, the challenges of vocational transition, and how the idea of an identity cleanse shaped his journey. Nelson is a writer, spiritual director, retreat facilitator, jazz musician, wine enthusiast (I forgot to talk to him about that—next time), husband, and father. Nelson lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. 👉 Nelson...

WATCH ON YOUTUBE Come walk with me and my daughter Jess Janz at Buntzen Lake. We talk about how getting outside supports our mental health, impactful moments by the ocean, and what it means to pay attention to ordinary life. Jess shares stories about her writing poetry, and taking the time and having the courage to get to know her elderly neighbour. Jess Janz on Instagram - https://www.instagram.c...

WATCH ON YOUTUBE Ari Neufeld shares a deeply honest story while walking along the shores of Okanagan Lake. What begins as a simple conversation about favourite hiking spots turns into something much more powerful. Ari reflects on a childhood shaped by daily encounters with nature, the pressures of a faith tradition focused on the afterlife, and the inner turmoil he carried as a teenager. At fourte...

Making Friends with Grief In this walk and conversation, coach and musician Nico opens up about losing his wife, Ingrid , to cancer and what grief has looked like in the years since her passing in 2014. He talks about how the grieving began long before she died, how peace eventually found him, and what it means to make friends with your grief instead of trying to escape it. This is not a story abo...

Watch on YouTube Sometimes peace comes disguised as a dirt path beside a creek. Nico Boesten walks along the Mission Creek Greenway, talking about how this trail has carried him through everything from childhood wonder to adult heartbreak. You can hear how much it means to him in the way he describes it, like the place itself has been a witness to his life. He talks about how nature settles him, h...

Today’s conversation with Peter Reek is about seeing midlife as a beginning. Peter sold his company, returned to school, and wrote Shift . He explains why changing how we think about aging can change our experience of it. We talk about stillness, curiosity, and radical acceptance. We talk about his recent walk on the Portuguese Camino, blisters and all, and reflect on coaching, community, and what...

In this conversation, my longtime friend Esther Hizsa shares a thought-provoking story about her father. Near the end of his life, he had a dream, one of those restless, anxious dreams where you’re trying to get something done but can’t. When he told Esther about the dream, he said it was terrible, full of struggle and frustration. Then Esther asked him about his favourite memory, and he surprised...

Esther Hizsa shares how time in nature has become both her prayer and her healing practice. During our conversation, she reflects on finding God in everyday beauty, when she was a child by the creek and the realization that walking itself can be prayer. Rod and Esther explore belonging, mental health, and the quiet ways creation reminds us that we are loved and never alone. Instagram Esther: https...

In this episode of Let’s Go for a Walk (And Talk), I meet my friend Neal Black on the Houston Trail in Fort Langley, British Columbia. Neal talks about how walking in nature helps him heal, think, and reconnect with God. During the long months of COVID, this trail became a sanctuary. He came here with his wife, June, to walk and talk when everything felt uncertain. Nature gave him room to think an...

In this conversation, Andy Harrington , Executive Director of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, shares life in Ryder Lake, BC, his work on the front lines of global hunger, and his personal journey of grief and hope after losing his son, Chris. From stewarding forested land and creating a memorial garden to witnessing the impact of aid in South Sudan and Gaza, Andy offers an honest look at perseveranc...

Thanks for watching! In this inspiring trail conversation, Mitchell Schat opens up about his first year of teaching, the steep learning curve, and how being in nature helps him find peace, presence, and perspective. Along the hike, Mitchell shares the story of his prayer tree, the importance of play, and how time outdoors has become a powerful anchor for his mental health and spiritual growth. If...

Let’s Go for a Walk (And Talk) is a slow, honest podcast where I walk with people and ask them real questions about life, creativity, presence, and what it means to be human. No scripts, no rush—just thoughtful conversations out in nature. Sometimes we talk about how the beauty of nature can be overwhelming. Join Brian Doerksen on a reflective walk through nature as he shares how the phrase “This...

Let’s Go for a Walk (And Talk) is a slow, honest podcast where I walk with people and ask them real questions about life, creativity, presence, and what it means to be human. No scripts, no rush—just thoughtful conversations out in nature. Sometimes we talk about how the beauty of nature can be overwhelming. Join us for a walk in Lake Padden Park as Tyler shares moving stories of connection to nat...

Let’s Go for a Walk (And Talk) is a slow, honest podcast where I walk with people and ask them real questions about life, creativity, presence, and what it means to be human. No scripts, no rush—just thoughtful conversations out in nature. Sometimes we see bears. Watch on YouTube Met with my friend Fabrizio on Shoreline Trail for a laid-back photo session and a good chat about presence, photograph...

Let’s Go for a Walk (And Talk) is a slow, honest podcast where I walk with people and ask them real questions about life, creativity, presence, and what it means to be human. No scripts, no rush—just thoughtful conversations out in nature. Sometimes we talk about walking on side trails. Watch on YouTube. Rod and Deb Steinkamp take a walk through Cornwall Memorial Park in Bellingham, exploring side...

Let’s Go for a Walk (And Talk) is a slow, honest podcast where I walk with people and ask them real questions about life, creativity, presence, and what it means to be human. No scripts, no rush—just thoughtful conversations out in nature. Sometimes we talk about being an artist. Watch on YouTube - James makes his living photographing houses and buildings. During our walk, an unusual scene stops h...