Mountain Zen Den Podcast

Wouldn't it be great if you could live in a constant state of joy and tranquility by being mindfully present on a day-to-day, moment-by-moment basis?

We all struggle with simply being in the moment, and not making the past or future our permanent dwelling place. It’s part of the human condition.

We have become so stale in our obsessive recycled thoughts. The best way to approach Beginner’s Mind is to open the front door of your spirit and let the fresh breeze blow through your soul, airing out all that is “known” and “tiresome” from your mind.

Our purpose here at Mountain Zen Den is to help you discover and maintain Beginner’s Mind through your meditation and in your life by connecting with Nature.

A Beginner’s Mind is a joyful mind because it is learning to be present, in the moment, now.  This happens through the gift of mindfulness.

Come on in to find out how...

Remember how big and magical and wonderful the world was when you were a kid? Do you remember the joy of being outside on a beautiful summer day, and even though the days were long they went by so fast and you hated when the sun went down because you knew that meant you’d have to go back inside your house soon?

There is a seemingly forgotten, and unexpected joy we find when we step out of doors with the intention of using all of our senses and a child-like wonder. New wonders and discoveries are always waiting around the next corner. When you learn to be multi-sensory and intentionally aware, the concepts of boredom and apathy, fatigue and lethargy seem to evaporate like morning dew.

As you begin to explore the world around you with Beginner’s Mind, as if on a treasure hunt, there comes a ground-swell of inexpressible joy and you begin to see and notice things that weren’t there before.

 Today, were are going to spend a few mindful minutes anchoring the value of this concept deeper into our hearts and minds, exploring new ways of discovering Nature, while recovering old ones we had as children.

 So get comfortable and take a few deep breaths as we head out the door and take a magical multi-sensory Nature walk...

We're sitting in the dead of winter and I woke up thinking about going for a hike, hoping to see some wildlife, winter animals along the way.  Or at least their tell-tale tracks...

While there are a variety of animals that will sleep away winter's chill in deep hibernation, there are many, many more who are well adapted to surviving bitter cold temperatures and a scarce food supply.  We can learn a lot from these wild teachers.

Today we spend some tranquil moments enjoying the lessons of "Winter Animals" from "Walden" with Henry David Thoreau, the man who went to the woods to live deliberately...  We can do the same.

Glad you're here!

The sky has so much to teach us.

When you begin to notice and actively observe the sky, your world takes on a whole new richness. Colors become more vivid and you see and understand hues and subtle variations in colors and shades and patterns you never noticed before.

Learning to raise you gaze gives not only gives you clues about the weather and the season, but lifts your spirits and energy while enhancing your passion for life at the same time.

Join us for today's show!

We all live in a world where "bad" things happen every day, to varying degrees - things that discourage us and sometimes even make us just want to throw in the towel and say, "I give up!"

They are a part of life and none of us are exempt from them.

There's good news though!  Nature and Mindfulness are here to help ease the pain of all the "Schtuff" in our lives, give us renewed energy and provide a healthy perspective in dealing with it.

Join us for today's show!

What if the only purpose we have in life was just To Be, and enjoy living in the now?

Your work orders have been passed down from the Universe, and your mission, should you accept it is…you ready for this? To be YOU!

Tall order, (for anybody besides you), cause you’re the only one who can do the job.

So how do you be you?  A great way to discover who you are and find out how you can be a better you is to daily slow down, simplify and connect with Nature.

Welcome to today's show!

Time spent walking in a forest, breathing fresh air, listening to nature sounds, viewing beautiful nature scenes and soaking up Vitamin D-enriched sunlight does so many incredible things for your body, mind and soul.

• Boosts the immune system.
• Lowers blood pressure.
• Reduces stress.
• Improves mood.
• Increases ability to focus, even in children with ADHD.
• Accelerates recovery from surgery or illness.
• Increases energy level.
• Improves sleep.

And much, much more!

So while you’re making new resolutions to break bad habits, eat more healthfully and work out every day, you really need to be intentionally creating ways to naturally increase your inner joy and happiness on a daily basis.

You can start by setting a few simple nature habits and goals for the new year.

In the dead of winter here in the mountains, everything appears to be lying dormant, sleeping.  Beautiful and still.  Snow brings a muffled hush to the already still environment and all you can hear is the wind whispering through the steadfast pines.

Not far from here, Rocky Mountain National Park gets over 4 million visitors a year, mostly during the summer and fall.  Now all is quiet, lonely and peaceful, hiding the life within.  To the casual observer it is now empty, desolate and lifeless.  But nothing could be further from the truth...

To everything there is a season.  A time and place for every purpose under heaven.  Nature has her rhythms and all its creatures dance in time to the music.  This (hibernation) is but a pause in the "Great Waltz", when Creation takes a deep breath and holds it for a brief hesitation before the next steps begin...

I have a stone in my studio with one word on it.  It says, "Listen".

Ironically, I received it in a gift exchange from a guy whose wife had given it to him. You think she was trying to tell him something?

One of the best things you can do to show someone that you care about them is to Listen to them.

In fact, the three words that people long to hear even more than even “I love you” is “I hear you…”.

Active listening also happens to be one of the hardest things in the world to do.

Why is this?

Because it requires so much focus, and attention, intentional awareness, and frankly… caring.  And while it can take so much energy and focus, listening in nature can actually be a great way to unwind and relieve stress.

Join us for today's show as we explore the question - “What areas of my life can I be more mindful and do more Active Listening?”

Glad you're here!

It's that time of year again when we look back at the year we just came through and ahead to the following one, making plans, goals and New Year's resolutions.

The way to ensure those resolutions are kept this year is to start every day with Beginner's Mind.  It helps us form and keep new habits by changing the way we think, forming new neural pathways in our brain and doing things in a mindful and meaningful way. 

Look at the world through new lenses.  Be curious about everything.  Ask questions.  And be thankful...

Glad you're here!