The Evolving Adventurer

Some butterflies caught my eye as I was cold plunging on the warmest day of 2022, so far. It didn't seem to be a coincidence that there were more than a few of them on the beach, so I decided to look into the meaning of butterfly energy.  As always, connect with me at wisdomofthewilderness@protonmail.com with questions, comments and guest suggestions... and #optoutside today!

Thank you for listening today, friends! It's a solo episode for May 2, sharing my experiencing of kindness and compassion from a mountain biker after my gnarly crash on the trails, and how that connects with the energy of deer. The topic for today is actually coming out next week, as a young deer appeared out my window just before I hit the record button, and, following the Just Wing It episode, I...

Thank you for listening today, friends! I've seen so many birds out here lately - red-tailed hawks, osprey and osprey nests, eagles, crows, ravens, little forest birds, flickers, blue jays, pileated woodpeckers and turkeys - that I got to thinking about wings... then about how the advice "just wing it" can be a great way to approach some situations. Today's episode is sharing thoughts and experien...

This week's episode continues where last weeks unexpectedly dropped off with NatureWise Mama . This is a more broad-ranging conversation covering a variety of topics including sleep as medicine, NatureWise Mama's adventures in the desert, on the White Rim Trail in Canyonlands, how to poop in the woods and using dirt for cleaning, a tiny bikini, the role of nature as a shaman, counting one's blessi...

Thanks for listening, friends! Today we've got a special guest, Naturewise Mama of www.naturewisemama.com   We have a wide-ranging conversation that actually - spoiler alert - got cut off, so prepare yourself for the upcoming part 2. Some of the topics discussed include Lafayette, CO Old Town Longmont, CO Lafayette Florist Colorado Athletic Club - Tabor Center Attachment parenting Turtle ener...

Thanks for listening, friends! Today's topic is rewilding, a topic near and dear to my heart. If you've been listening along, you'll recall my BOSS course experience had a profound impact upon my worldview, outlook and life direction. Rewilding connects the dots between various experiences of my life, so I wanted to to share some of the ways one can get into the movement and reconnect with ancestr...

Today we delve into the wisdom that jaguar holds. It's been an interesting start to the year in this corner of Trucktoyaktuk, compete with -30 snow, above-freezing rain and slush melt, and all weathers between. I was meditating on a theme for 2022 and pulled the jaguar card, which is connected with intuition, honesty and integrity... which felt prudent to share as we enter a period where we are cr...

Today's episode was catalyzed by the unexpected and synchronistic appearance of a frog in my life yesterday that prompted me to look into some of the wisdom shared by frogs. Cleansing is very useful in these stressful times we're in, and letting go of what no longer serves can bring us to the magic that makes life worth living. Join me today to hear some lessons that nature shares to help us proce...

Self care is an important topic anytime, but especially now with the amount of grief, mental health challenges, job losses, suicides, deaths of despair and addictions exacerbated by political events of the recent past.  I recorded this episode specifically to share how important it is to take care of yourself at any time. As with the briefing given before a plane takes off, in the event of an...

Thanks for listening, friends!  The last two years have brought a lot of loss into everyone's life, whether it's a job, friend, lover, family member or an actual death of someone you care about. I've noticed a lot more people struggling over the past month, and wanted to do something to offer support. Today's episode is about the stages of grief that humans experience after a loss (which ofte...

Thanks for listening, friends! So today it was -1000 (again) when I went for a lovely run in blustery weather. The run got me thinking about what we can learn from discomfort, and the ways we build confidence from stepping into situations that have some level of uncomfortable feeling.  As always, connect with me at wisdomofthewilderness@protonmail.com with comments, questions and guest sugges...

After digging a path to a new plunge pool, and running 8 miles up a forest road with a new friend, I spooked 3 deer: a mom and 2 yearlings. That experience got me to ponder what messages deer had for me for while I finished the run, then jumped into the dang-near freezing creek for a cold plunge. It turns out there's some wonderful messages from deer regarding compassion, gentleness and an open he...

Happy Valentine's Day, friends! Today my friend Elena Harder of the Joygasmic Life Podcast interviews me about my healing and personal growth journey to become a practitioner of consciousness-based modalities. It was fun to record this episode and share experiences with another amazing person on her own journey, and I look forward to the upcoming book sharing her story in more detail.  We had...

The song " Millionaire " by Chris Stapleton came on during my run today, and I share some reflections upon how we're all millionaires... when we can change our perception towards nature. Here's a link to the audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPoN-FNB2V8 As always, connect with me at wisdomofthewilderness@protonmail.com with comments, questions and guest suggestions.

Today's guest is my friend - and fellow run & cold plunge in the dark enthusiast - Kylie, a homeschooling mom who lives in a small off-grid house.  Kylie is yet another interesting person navigating several simultaneous wilderness situations including living on the side of a mountain in grizzly country. She shares with us her Plug It project to bring more joy to life through mindfulness,...

What wisdom and teachings can a river offer us? Tune in today where I share some of my river experiences and lessons learned and suggested by the magical waterbodies that flow through our lives. Questions? Comments? Guest suggestions? Connect with me through wisdomofthewilderness@protonmail.com

Cold plunges! Wim Hof is a wonderful guide into the world of breathwork and the benefits of the cold.  Today's episode shares some of my experiences with cold plunges, including my plunge-run 10 miles-plunge early-in-the-day adventure with a new friend. I've also compiled some of the studies mentioned in the episode that detail what changes occurred in individuals who began cold showers or pl...

I've been seeing elk every day for about a week now, and finally pulled out the Medicine Cards deck to see what message and wisdom they're sharing with me. Tune in today for some wisdom, and some thoughts about the ways that elk is reminding us how important stamina is. As always, connect with me at wisdomofthewilderness@protonmail.com for guest suggestions, questions and comments. Enjoy!

What is intuition? Today's episode delves into my favorite definition of intuition from Positive Psychology , then shares some tips on how to connect - hint, #optoutside, leave your phone and take some deep breaths in nature - and an example or two of when I did or didn't listen to my intuition while favoring the "logical, rational" approach.  Dr Joe Dispenza has great resources that help you...

Hearing the word cancer conjures up emotions and imagery for pretty much everyone. Today we have a very special guest, my new friend Rebecca, a single mom who is navigating her second cancer diagnosis by focusing on holistic treatments. We discuss how she takes time to educate herself about the numerous available treatments, different methods of detoxifying the body, what led her to the holistic a...

There are many ways one can be courageous. In today's episode I detail my favorite definition of courage, some ways to build courage, and how our perceptions of courage can change when we broaden our view from what we are conditioned to. Dictionary.com defines courage as "the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain... without fear; bravery." Here's to every...

It's a solo episode today, friends, talking a bit about my BOSS experience and why the song Amazing by Aerosmith is such a connection for me. There are four simple sentences that have really impacted me in the years since that experience, and it's got a badass guitar solo. Why does this share wisdom? Well, read the lines below... and reflect upon how they bring up certain memories in your life:&nb...

Today's episode details some of the ways moving catapults us into a growth phase... and I share some tips on things to consider when you are moving. We always grow when we move, as moving is often in conjunction with a new chapter of life.  As always, connect at wisdomofthewilderness@protonmail.com with your questions, comments, show ideas and guest suggestions. Cheers!

Thank you for listening, friends! I was about to record a different episode about perspectives when my intuition directed an abrupt switch to share the story of my experiences earlier in the day. A squirrel called out during a session recording, and I was called to share the wisdom of squirrel from the Sams & Carson deck. My comments and thoughts follow the very fitting wisdom of these magical...

What wisdom can we glean when we ponder the lure of the open road? Today I share some thoughts about the draw of road trips, as we have unlimited possibilities once we start our drive. The feeling of freedom, the magic that can transpire, and connection with our ancestral memories of hunter-gather lifestyles all connect to the draw of the open road.  As always, connect with me at wisdomofthew...