I'm excited to introduce this week's guest, Gwendolyn Zywicke. I recently read her fantastic book, Ultrarunning Mysticism: Mind, Body, Spirit and the Sacredness of Overcoming Suffering. This book put words to an experience that I had had many times but couldn’t describe. It’s also not just for ultrarunning. If you do any type of endurance sport, such as cycling, walking, or hiking, you may have experienced this yourself.   About Gwen Zywicke Gwen is a senior instructor of communication studies at Louisiana State University, an ultrarunner, and a perpetual student of philosophy.   Guest's Links  Facebook    Listen To This Episode         What You'll Learn  What is ultrarunning mysticism What are the 9 characteristics of mystical experiences How people tap into mystical experiences during endurance sports The chemical ultrarunning induces that you don’t get in shorter distances How you can evoke these experiences or be more open to them    Things We Discussed  Ultrarunning Mysticism: Mind, Body, Spirit and the Sacredness of Overcoming Suffering  Walter Stace Dr Joe Dispenza     Related Episodes  469 Holly Worton ~ How to Crew for an Ultramarathon (now with downloadable transcript!) 468 Eric Deeter ~ Use the Ultramarathon Mindset to Get Your Epic Life 450 Holly Worton ~ Adventures in Endurance 416 Holly Worton ~ Lessons Learned From My First Ultra 400 Holly Worton ~ Life is an Ultra (now with downloadable transcript!)    Connect With Holly  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest Google+ LinkedIn    How to Subscribe  Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher    Help Spread the Word If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.   Connect With Holly  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest Google+ LinkedIn    How to Subscribe  Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher    Help Spread the Word If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

494 Gwen Zywicke - When Your Adventures Produce Mystical States

Into the Woods is all about going into the woods of you. It’s about personal growth through outdoor adventures and travel. It’s about getting to know yourself, so you can create the life you want to live. It’s also about the transformative power of Nature: of getting outdoors so you can reconnect with yourself at the deeper levels.

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I'm back again, with another solo episode! This is a massive milestone for my show: episode 500. In this episode, I reflect on the last 9.5 years of the podcast, and I share some news with you.    My Links to Stay in Touch   Goodreads  Amazon  Instagram  Facebook  Twitter  Pinterest     Listen To This Episode         Things I Discussed   The Three Questions   PSYCH-K®    Jo Casey on the show    Joanna Hennon on the show    Cara Wild on the show   Sign up to be informed if/when I pick up the show again    Blog post on tree communication   Book on Mugwort       Related Episodes    379 Holly Worton ~ How to Re-evaluate Your Goals, Plans, and Projects (now with downloadable transcript!)  366 Joanna Hennon + Holly ~ Mid-life: Reevaluating Where You Are and Where You Want To Go (now with downloadable transcript!)  332 Joanna Hennon + Holly ~ How to Step Into a New Identity Even When You’re Not Sure What It Looks Like (now with downloadable transcript!)  330 Holly Worton ~ How to Develop Your Own Inner Compass (now with downloadable transcript!)  251 Holly Worton ~ How to Step Into a New Business Identity (now with downloadable transcript!)    Connect With Holly  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest Google+ LinkedIn    How to Subscribe  Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher    Help Spread the Word If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.   Connect With Holly  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest Google+ LinkedIn    How to Subscribe  Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher    Help Spread the Word If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

500 Holly Worton – Happy Trails to You

I'm excited to introduce this week's guest, Aaron Owens Mayhew. She’s a backpacker, thru-hiker, and nutritionist. With years of outdoor adventures under her belt, she finally combined her two loves—backpacking and nutrition—into her current business.  Aaron has plenty of tips to help you figure out the best lightweight backpacking and adventure food for you. I really enjoyed talking with her, and I hope you find her tips to be useful. She has so many tips on finding the best food for your preferences.   About Aaron Owens Mayhew As a registered dietitian and ultralight long-distance backpacker, Aaron Owens Mayhew created Backcountry Foodie while preparing homemade, lightweight meals for her thru-hike attempt of the Pacific Crest Trail in 2017 and subsequent section and thru-hikes of the Appalachian Trail, Oregon Coast Trail, Colorado Trail, and the Condor Trail.   Aaron’s Links  ·         Website  ·         Instagram  ·         Facebook  ·         YouTube  ·         Free download   Listen To This Episode         What You'll Learn  ●     The main problems people face when packing foods for backpacking  ●     How to find more savory options and avoid sugary meals  ●     The best lightweight options for protein  ●     How to figure out how many calories to pack per day of travel  ●     How much weight should you aim for per day of food  ●     How to create ultralight recipes without a food dehydrator  ●     Best practices for cold soaking meals  ●     How to maximize the shelf life of homemade camping and backpacking meals  ●     Extra considerations for cold weather adventures  ●     How to reduce plastic waste when creating backpacking meals  ●     Why it’s so important to pack “happy foods” on your trip   Things We Discussed    Thru-Hiker Diets - A Backpacking Food Comparison video    Backpacking Food Basics: How many calories should YOU pack?   Compostable bags for meals     Related Episodes     496 J.F. Penn – Adventures in Pilgrimage   407 Keith Foskett ~ Through Hiking Long-Distance Trails in the USA and Spain (now with downloadable transcript!)   376 Holly Worton ~ Long Distance Walks: Time and Space to Think and Reflect (now with downloadable transcript!)   359 Adam Wells ~ How To Prepare For Your First Long Distance Trail (now with downloadable transcript!)  354 Stephen Marriott ~ The Life-changing Magic of Walking a Long-Distance Trail (now with downloadable transcript!)    Connect With Holly  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest Google+ LinkedIn    How to Subscribe  Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher    Help Spread the Word If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.   Connect With Holly  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest Google+ LinkedIn    How to Subscribe  Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher    Help Spread the Word If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

499 Aaron Owens Mayhew – The Best Lightweight Backpacking and Adventure Food For You

I'm excited to invite this week's guest back on the show! Susan is an online friend of mine, and she’s been on the show twice before to talk about her adventures. First, we discussed the Valley of Flowers and then the Camino Inglés. Now she’s back to talk about a 40-year dream she had that she finally fulfilled. One of the things I love about Susan’s adventures is that she talks and writes about lesser-known places and routes, so I get to learn about new places. I hope you find this episode inspiring! Susan is a great example of someone who dreamt of a very specific adventure, and made it happen. About Susan Jagannath Susan Jagannath successfully combined a passion for reading, a love of writing and a fascination for technology, to create a career in technical writing. With over 60 technical manuals (not) to her name, she finally decided to use her writing and publishing skills for herself and publish her own books independently. To her mild surprise, her very niche books went bestseller regularly, that's when she realised she had a system that could help others write and publish as well. As an army brat and then military wife, her life included seven different schools, three universities and a couple of emergency evacuations from conflict zones. Travel and adventure were normal parts of life. She now believes in seizing every opportunity to have a new adventure, especially post-pandemic. Whether it’s camping on the beach in Australia, trekking in the Himalayas, kayaking in Queensland, whitewater rafting down the Ganges, or walking the Camino in Spain, her philosophy is to pack it into one or two weeks to create memories for a lifetime, (and disconnect from television and computer games). Susan is now on the next adventure of her life, traveling post-pandemic, helping corporate escapees write their first bestseller, and learning to be an awesome grandmother. What You'll Learn  How Susan fulfilled a 40-year dream about adventure in the Himalayas Why you might want to plan your own Himalayan trip Susan’s top tips for visiting Sandakphu and Kanchenjunga  Related Episodes  490 Holly Worton – How Bad Do You Want It? Finding Motivation For Your Adventures 480 Holly Worton ~ Making Your Adventures Non-Negotiable 485 Marie-Pier Tremblay ~ How To Go After Big Dreams And Adventures, Even When You Think It’s Impossible 403 Susan Jagannath ~ Adventures on the Camino Inglés (now with downloadable transcript!) 391 Susan Jagannath ~ Hiking the Valley of Flowers in the Himalayas (now with downloadable transcript!) 

498 Susan Jagannath – Himalayan Adventures: Fulfilling a 40-year Dream

I'm excited to introduce this week's guest, Christine Reed. I recently read her fantastic book, Alone in Wonderland, about her experience on the Wonderland Trail in Washington State, USA. It’s a fantastic blend of a travel journal and personal memoir, including reflections on her life experiences. I highly recommend it! In this episode, we talk about lessons learned from hiking multiple trails. We discuss how trails can help us to figure things out, and how to get started on your own solo backpacking adventures.   About Christine Christine Reed is a long-distance backpacker and author of the memoir, Alone in Wonderland. She shares her personal journey from sedentary office worker to rugged outdoorswoman in hopes of inspiring others to see something bigger for themselves-- whatever that may be. But also to remind us that a good story is about sharing something of ourselves and connecting with others. She's found in the outdoor community the first place that ever felt like home.   Christine’s Links  Website Instagram Tiktok  Facebook    Get 20% OFF at http://aloneinwonderland.com (where you can find Christine's book, stickers and t-shirts) with the code: INTOTHEWOODS   Listen To This Episode         What You'll Learn  Where is the Wonderland Trail and why you might want to hike it How solo backpacking helps us to figure things out Benefits of solo backpacking Why thru-hiking is about finding ourselves How solo backpacking can help us to quit the comparison trap    Things We Discussed  Alone in Wonderland  Empty, by Susan Burton  Go Macro bars Gu energy gels     Related Episodes  492 Lauri McKean – Overcoming Fears To Solo Adventures 466 Holly Worton ~ Adventures in Integration (now with downloadable transcript!) 419 Holly Worton ~ Getting Through the Post-Adventure Blues 414 Rebecca Walsh ~ Solo Hiking for Women 367 Holly Worton ~ Finding Yourself Through Solo Travel and Outdoor Adventures (now with downloadable transcript!)    Connect With Holly  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest Google+ LinkedIn    How to Subscribe  Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher    Help Spread the Word If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.   Connect With Holly  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest Google+ LinkedIn    How to Subscribe  Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher    Help Spread the Word If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

497 Christine Reed – Adventures on the Wonderland Trail

I'm excited to introduce this week's guest, J. F. Penn. Joanna is a friend of mine, and I’ve been listening to her fantastic podcast for over a decade now, The Creative Penn. Like me, Jo is a fan of solo walking, and she’s recently written a book on pilgrimage. While I’ve done various long-distance trails in England, I’ve never done a pilgrimage. The Camino de Santiago has been on my list of things to do since 1996 when I first read Paulo Coelho’s book about it, so it’s definitely something I’ve been wanting to do. In this episode, we talk about what pilgrimage is and why you might want to do one. You certainly don’t have to be religious—you can use a pilgrimage to explore your own inner journey or simply to visit ancient sites or sacred places. I hope this episode inspires you to start thinking about pilgrimage!    About J.F. Penn J.F. Penn is the Award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, and crime. She also writes non-fiction for writers as Joanna Penn, and is an award-winning podcaster, international speaker, and creative entrepreneur.   Jo's Links  Author website Publishing + podcast website Travel website Kickstarter    Listen To This Episode         What You'll Learn  What is a pilgrimage and how it differs from other types of long-distance routes Why you don’t have to be religious to do a pilgrimage The three stages of a pilgrimage Jo’s top tips for someone who is considering a pilgrimage    Things We Discussed   The Pilgrims’ Way to Canterbury  St Cuthbert’s Way to Lindisfarne  Camino Portugués  Macs Adventure  Shikoku pilgrimage in Japan  Milford Track in New Zealand  Via Francigena  Cicerone guidebooks  The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker's Guide to Making Travel Sacred (The Spiritual Traveler’s Travel Guide), by Phil Cousineau     Related Episodes  437 Shawn Anderson ~ Adventures on the Camino Primitivo in Spain 407 Keith Foskett ~ Through Hiking Long-Distance Trails in the USA and Spain (now with downloadable transcript!) 403 Susan Jagannath ~ Adventures on the Camino Inglés (now with downloadable transcript!) 359 Adam Wells ~ How To Prepare For Your First Long Distance Trail (now with downloadable transcript!) 354 Stephen Marriott ~ The Life-changing Magic of Walking a Long-Distance Trail (now with downloadable transcript!)    Connect With Holly  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest Google+ LinkedIn    How to Subscribe  Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher    Help Spread the Word If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.   Connect With Holly  Website Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest Google+ LinkedIn    How to Subscribe  Click here to subscribe via iTunes Click here to subscribe via RSS Click here to subscribe via Stitcher    Help Spread the Word If you enjoyed this episode, please head on over to iTunes and kindly leave us a rating and a review! You can also subscribe, so you'll never miss an episode.

494 Gwen Zywicke - When Your Adventures Produce Mystical States

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