Nature of Wellness ™️ Podcast

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over.”  It is always tough to let go of a season of this podcast, the amazing guests and conversations, the continued learning and developing, and getting time to talk about such personally meaningful topics. I found a bit of solace in the ab...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. If I were to ask each of you what you want in life, you would undoubtedly give some variation of the same answer: “to be happy.” What makes us happy? Is it time with loved ones, traveling to exotic places, helping others, or a career built on passion and purpose? We know that purpose is one of the three pillars of spiritual wellness, values, and r...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. A foundational concept that touches all areas of life is leadership. Throughout our journey, we will lead and follow countless times, impacting and being impacted by those around us.  Leadership is often defined by what leaders do, their capabilities and skills, how they treat those who follow them or the outcomes they create.   While leadership m...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. Humans have always looked for new and innovative ways to treat illness and enhance health.  Many continue to seek healthcare approaches that are not typically part of the standard medical systems we have become accustomed to.   When we follow a non-conventional approach combined with traditional medicine, it is considered "complementary.&quot...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. Humans have always interacted with the natural world and relied on environments such as forests for shelter, food, and medicine.  Cultures worldwide have started incorporating time in forests as part of therapeutic processes. Japanese healthcare systems have included the practice of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) since the early 1980s, when they sa...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. Mental health is a topic that we hear about often. Managing the mental dimension of wellness is essential at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. It is estimated that nearly 20 million of our nation's young people can currently be diagnosed with a mental health disorder. The U.S. Department of Health and Huma...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. Humans have been innately connected to nature from the beginning of our species. Nature has served as the first teacher, providing countless lessons about life.  Few things capture children's attention, imagination, and hearts like the natural world. Like most adults, children are spending much more time inside. Time spent in nature is enjoya...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. Music is a fundamental attribute of our species, appearing in almost every culture throughout history. Whether or not we can keep tune or time, humans have continued to play, sing, and hum throughout the ages.  The human brain can distinguish between music and other sounds.  Research shows that our nervous system reacts differently to music, with...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. One thing I know about humans and why we have thrived as a species is our love of learning. Education is a healthy activity that people of all ages can enjoy. Improving intellectual wellness looks different for each of us. For some, it is multiple degrees and certifications. For others, it is researching a hobby or activity of interest. Regardless...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. Swimming is one of our most popular recreational activities. It is a healthy, low-impact movement that we can continue throughout life. Aside from being a lot of fun, swimming is a great way to enhance health and wellness holistically.  The mental health benefits of swimming include a release of endorphins and serotonin, an active form of mindfuln...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. The written word has always been a distinct part of the human experience, capturing our history and creating beautiful stories to escape into. Some of the earliest discovered writings were poetry, with many celebrating the natural world as its muse. Humans have a complex and symbiotic relationship with nature, although the modern understanding of...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. Cycling is a healthy, low-impact activity that people of all ages can enjoy.  Cycling has been proven to improve strength and flexibility, build coordination and balance, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, foster social connection, strengthen the immune system, and enhance cardiovascular health.  Human-powered transportation is also fun, c...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. What if we told you that there was a healthcare system of over 400 locations that manages more than 325 million people each year and offers resources that are proven to positively impact every dimension of your health and well-being, with an annual cost (for unlimited visits) of less than $100...if not completely free? Sound too good to be true? T...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. Addiction is a chronic condition that can affect many dimensions of our lives, including our physical and mental health, relationships, and overall wellness. The two primary forms of addiction are substance use disorders and behavioral addictions.  While addiction is most notably associated with substance abuse, humans can also form addictive beha...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. Nature was the first physician, the first hospital, the first pharmacy, and the first healthcare plan.  The scientific community is finally (and formally) proving what we have always known... time in nature makes us healthier.  Healthcare systems have been utilizing nature as a form of treatment for decades. One of the gold-standard examples of th...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. Getting our hands dirty is not a new idea. A strong connection to soil has always been critical for human thriving.  Around 12,000 years ago, our hunter-gatherer ancestors started transitioning into a farming culture. Growing crops became a reliable and sustainable way to access high-quality food.   Besides the nutritional benefits, gardening has...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. Just in case it wasn’t clear, humans are complex. How our minds and bodies function together is nothing short of fascinating.  One of our favorite aspects of human performance and well-being is the neuroscience behind how we live.  Neuroscience is understood to be a multidisciplinary science, one that is focused on the unique structure and functio...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. According to the Global Wellness Institute, mental wellness is “an internal resource that helps us think, feel, connect, and function; it is an active process that helps us to build resilience, grow, and flourish.” By definition, this means that it is more than just the absence of mental illness, which is what we normally lump under the catch-all...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. Wellness as we know it gained notoriety in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.  The writings and leadership of an informal network of US physicians and scholars were pivotal in shaping how we began exploring “holistic” ways of addressing health.   The wellness field is built on the foundations of multiple medical, intellectual, and spiritual movements th...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. Happy New Year!!! Many of us start each January by setting goals, deciding on priorities, and declaring resolutions for the upcoming year.   The most common goals each year center around health and well-being, with many falling under the umbrella of “getting in shape” or “losing weight.” According to a new survey by Forbes Health, the top resoluti...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. We often talk about the natural world as being the first classroom, the first physician, and the first form of spiritual practice.  As we find ourselves in the Holiday Season, we decided to discuss the connections between faith, nature, and the human experience.  While we all may have different faith-based belief systems, we can all agree on certa...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. Nature is the perfect classroom for learning about the importance of diversity.  By simply stepping outside and observing a natural environment for a few moments, we will most likely see one of the greatest examples of how a diverse system can thrive. The natural world shows us how wonderfully different and unique species can all thrive together i...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. Thanks to decades of advances in awareness, research, and resources, humans are living longer. Yet large amounts of the population are consistently facing chronic health issues, diseases, and health disparities, These ongoing challenges are common and costly, and many are preventable. Many factors are behind our current levels of health, including...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. HAPPY VETERANS DAY!!! Our veteran population is crucial to our way of life for many reasons.  They have dedicated a portion of their lives to protecting our freedoms, shaping our nation, and setting the example of adaptability and service.  Veterans Day is a time for us to stand united in showing our respect and support to those who have served. ...

We'd love to hear from you about this episode. One of the biggest fears we face as a species is change. We have been socialized to believe that change is “bad,” or “scary,” or “hard.” While some changes are unpredictable and require more effort, change is the one true constant in our lives.  It is also important to remember that every good thing you've ever experienced, or accomplished in...