Mountain Zen Den Podcast

"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less." ~ C.S. Lewis

You are to be thanked and congratulated you for being here! Either as a regular subscriber and part of the MZD community, or maybe a first time listener, chances are, you are here for two reasons — you love Nature, and, you have a desire to grow and become the best possible version of yourself for Optimum Personal Transformation. The Greeks had a word for this — Arete´, which roughly translates to Virtue or Excellence.

Throughout the past several episodes, we've been taking a look at the concept of cultivating your "Garden of Well-being"; that is, intentionally and thoughtfully, mindfully seeking ways to weed out the undesirable thoughts, vices and habits in our lives, and to plant, nurture and grow more goodness, virtue, and excellence in its place; things that signify mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health. Things that aid us in becoming our best selves, and in turn, help make the world a better, more beautiful place to live in.

It's kind of a no-brainer question really. "Do you want to want to be happy and reach your full potential in your life? Or are you content to just be a mediocre version of yourself?"

If you answered, "Yes, I want to live up to my full potential", then good for you! This is a sign of mental and emotional health. To be discontented with mediocrity in one's self is not a bad thing. To want to be the healthiest human being you can possibly be should be the goal of every one of us. Put another way, as Krishnamurti says,

"It is no measure of your health to be well-adjusted to such a profoundly sick society."

Sadly, most of the planet has fallen asleep, and either doesn't know, doesn't care, or is afraid to leave their comfort zone to do something about it. But not you. That's why you're here. You're on a journey. A quest to be your best possible self through connection with Nature.

There is one caveat to all this personal growth stuff though. And that's pride and the feeling of being better than, or having arrived. With pride comes stagnation and the unwillingness, or even the ability to Listen. And when you no longer listen, and can no longer hear, you stop growing.

That's why today we're going to talk about cultivating Humility. Humility is a slippery, elusive and almost vaporous thing. Like seeing an angel, or shadow out of the corner of your eye. The moment you focus on it, think you've acquired it and the "piety" that comes with it, in that moment it begins to evaporate. The fire turns to smoke and disappears into thin air.

"I'm proud of my humility!" See what I mean?

Rick Warren tells us that humility is not denying your strengths. It is about being honest about your weaknesses. C.S. Lewis put it another way,

"Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less."

Humility is close kin to Gratitude. It is impossible to be Grateful without having a humble heart.

So what does humility look like?

Humility is letting someone go ahead of you in line when you notice they are in a hurry.

It is choosing to clean your office bathroom, even though you own the company.

In Nature, it is the mother Great-Horned Owl incubating her eggs for a full month, never leaving the nest even once, until her brood puts on a second set of down feathers.

Native American hunters respectfully asking permission, with a heart of gratitude, to take the life of a deer or bison in order to provide food and clothing for the tribe.

A mighty oak giving shade and shelter to a sparrow.

It is God becoming man, though King of the Universe, choosing birth in a smelly stable to serve and save mankind…

I think you get the picture.

So with these images in mind, let's begin today's meditation with a heart filled with gratitude.

MEDITATION

When you're ready…

Today we stand at the edge of the Grand Canyon.

With a heart that is full, yet small. Silent. In awe.

Here, nearly a billion tons of rock have been carved out of the ground. All of the river water on Earth could fill this canyon and it would still only be half full. Standing at its widest point you stare 18 miles across to the other side. This canyon stretches for 277 miles and is more than a mile deep, so vast it can even be seen from space.

A beautiful mystery of this blue planet, the question fills you with wonder. "How did the Colorado River, only one tenth the size of the mighty Mississippi carve its way into this beautiful, enormous canyon?" No one knows for sure. It boggles the mind.

Layers of strata and geology, with their hues of burnt red, amber, golden yellows, greens, browns and even black earth tones of endless variety tell only a part of the story of this place. The ancient story of eons and time almost before time. Layer upon layer of schist, shale, sandstone and limestone, serve as a reminder that life is beautiful, full of wonder and mystery. Majestic and timeless. Knowledge is fathomless and unending. The Universe is big. We are small.

As your tiny mind struggles to take it all in and absorb the details and meaning of this place, you look down and catch yourself, almost losing your footing. This is a dangerous place, but the danger is part of its incredible beauty. It is a place to be appreciated, yes. But first and foremost, it is a place to be respected. With this realization comes a depth of appreciation and humility you have never known before. A true view of life. An honest appraisal of your own smallness and frailty. And deep, sincere appreciation of the fact that you have been invited in to play an important role in this gift called Life.

You smile and slowly bow your head and say, "Thank You!"

Let's stay here a little longer and try to soak it all in…

"To go far, you must begin near.

And the nearest step is the most important one."

~ Krishnamurti

And I would add, be wise and humble enough to take the step nearest you with a grateful spirit.

Photo by Gautier Salles on Unsplash

"True well-being is knowing, trusting, and following your inner guidance." ~ Paul Hudon

Today we meet with writer, speaker, columnist and author of the book, "Your Inner Guidance – The Path to Discovering Your True Happiness", Paul Hudon. Paul lives just 100 miles or so down the road from us here in Colorado, where, when he's not writing and speaking, or walking in the woods with his dogs and his wife Jane, he helps her grow and sell flowers as a business. Beautiful life…

Paul is a kind and gentle soul, and he and I had a great time talking about his spiritual journey of how he discovered and came to trust his inner guide, his book, and the concept of listening in Nature. I think you'll really enjoy today's show — Come on in!…

Welcome to another Walden Wednesday, where we spend a little time in nature reading the works of some of the greatest thinkers, naturalists, writers, and lovers of Nature the world has ever known. Authors like Emerson, Whitman, Muir and Thoreau.

If you are a tree lover, I think you are really going to enjoy today's time together as we read another chapter from Wildlife On the Rockies by the early 1900's naturalist, wildlife photographer, and Nature writer, Enos Mills, in his fascinating chapter "The Story of A Thousand Year Old Pine".

So sit make yourself comfortable and lean back against the bark of a wise, ancient friendly tree and listen to "The Story of A Thousand Year Old Pine", from Wildlife on the Rockies, by Enos Mills, friend of John Muir and Father of Rocky Mountain National Park.

This Fireside Friday finds us exploring The Mindfulness Journey, and how it shapes who we are and where we wind up in life.

We also discuss how Mindfulness and Nature are inseparable for us.

The Mindfulness Journey is a return home…

A few resources we mention include:

"You Are Here" by Thich Naht Hanh

"Wherever You Go, There You Are" by Jon Kabat-Zinn

"The Nature Fix" by Florence Williams

"Vitamin N" by Richard Louv

Today we're going to talk about…

…Patience.

Did you feel the tension in the pause, as your legs got jittery, your toes began to tap, and you wanted me to fill in the word and get on with today's meditation?

Patience is the heart of what mindfulness is all about. It is the embodiment of living in the now.

We see examples of patience in nature all the time:

• Seeds planted in the soil take time to grow and stick their head above the soil, and bloom and grow and bear fruit and flowers and vegetables. (Clock time vs. Horticultural time).

• Caterpillars in cocoons take time to become beautiful, brilliant butterflies.

• Bees patiently gather pollen for nectar, one flower at a time.

• A tiny acorn becomes an] giant oak tree…

• Gestation period for newborns. Humans – 9 months, Elephants – 2 years (That would certainly give you plenty of time to get little Dumbo's room ready for sure!)

• And perhaps the best example of patience seen in Nature is found in water. Canadian poet Margaret Atwood says,

"Water does not resist. Water flows. When you plunge your hand into it, all you feel is a caress. Water is not a solid wall, it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it. Water is patient. Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember that, my child. Remember you are half water. If you can't go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does."

All of these examples in Nature are about growth and transformation of some kind. When we can be in the moment, let go, and trust and allow – we begin to recognize that in its timeless, ancient wisdom, the Universe is unfolding right on schedule, and everything is happening exactly as it was meant to. This brings an incredible peace that passes understanding.

Patience is the kind and wise sister of persistence. Together they make a killer combo in personal growth in getting what you want. Especially when it comes to relationships.

Patience is not only a virtue, but a very wise character trait to build. Its opposite, Impatience, can cause road rage, start wars, bring financial disaster, ruin diets and even destroy relationships.

The beautiful thing about patience is that there are opportunities every day and everywhere for us to practice it.

Here are a few things you can do the next time you find yourself waiting in line or get stuck in traffic:

• First of all, take a deep breath in and remind yourself to be determined to remain in the moment and enjoy it to the best of your ability. It's a great exercise in building focus and mental fitness.
• Now imagine yourself 30,000 feet above the noise and stress and worries of the world. Try to see the big picture. The stars and planets aren't worried or in a hurry, neither should you be.
• Picture yourself in your favorite Nature setting – Maybe a quiet forest, beside a babbling brook or river, or in a tranquil lake cabin or on a salt spray ocean beach.
• Do breathing exercises and enjoy a mini meditation.
• Think of everything you have to be grateful for…
• Pray.

With a list like that, there's no reason to ever be impatient or stressed out again.

Remember, obstacles make you stronger, and the more there are, the stronger you become.

MEDITATION

So when you're ready, make yourself comfortable, seated with your feet firmly planted and your spine upright, and close your eyes.

Breathe in deeply… and exhale completely. Do this a few times and settle in…

Picture yourself in a beautiful garden. The most beautiful garden you have ever seen.

Not an ordinary flower garden or vegetable plot or nursery. Bigger. Not merely a well-tended city park filled with plants and flowers and shrubs, or tall trees and interesting landscape features. Better. Imagine a glorious, living, breathing, continuously-growing, ornamental garden that holds your gaze and entire being transfixed. Luminescent. Fascinating. A garden that breathes life into your very soul, as you breathe in the aromatic fragrance of gardenias, lilacs, roses, honeysuckle and freesia.

Framing this garden are waterfalls, brooks and ponds, surrounded by a canopy of the most beautiful and interesting trees alive on the planet. (Describe trees, shapes, etc.)

Birds and bees and butterflies on fairy-like wings grace this garden with magic and motion. The waters, teeming with fish, frogs, tadpoles, and turtles bring a sense of abundance and unspeakable joy. A fawn next to its mother pauses its grazing to lift its head and stare at you with wonder and interest. Deer, raccoons, rabbits and other wildlife stir and fills the canopies and corners of the garden with sounds of playfulness and delight with the very joy of their being.

Massive mounds, rocks and hills and other unique and interesting landscape formations lend a sense of strength and character to this sanctuary. Winding whimsical pathways lead past fountains and water features, tree-houses and a stunning array of serendipitous surprises and gifts in every nook and corner along the way. A bliss-filled wonderland…

Now imagine this is your personal Paradise. This Garden of Bliss represents your inner world. Your Garden of Well-Being.

Imagine what it would have looked like before it was ever a garden. A barren land filled with potential. How long did each plant take to grow into the mature fullness of its true nature. That which it was meant to become. What kind of incredible vision, persistence and patience was required to bring it to its fullness in this moment?

Now sit and enjoy the fruits of Patience…

"The two most powerful warriors are patience and time." – Leo Tolstoy

Let them work for you in the setting of Nature for becoming the best version of yourself.

"My book should smell of pines and resound with the hum of insects … ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Welcome to another Fireside Friday here at Mountain Zen Den. Come on in…

Today we share one of our favorite Personal Growth tools – Journaling.

aka – Scribing, memoir writing, keeping a diary…

Ideas include:

• Why Journal?

• To slow down and observe and record your thoughts
• To better Listen
• For Healing (A cathartic exercise)
• To better understand yourself and the world
• To share your view of the world
• To record favorite quotes, authors and passages
• To remember how you were feeling
• To become a better, more honest and authentic writer
• To leave a Memoire or Legacy
• What kind of journal should I get?
• How to journal (We share a few tips and ideas)
• Keeping a Gratitude Journal
• A few of our personal journaling practices

"The eye was placed where one ray should fall, that it might testify of that particular ray… ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Links to a few recommended books:

A Life in Hand (Creating the Illuminated Journal) by Hannah Hinchman

The Magic by Rhonda Byrne

Here are on this Walden Wednesday, we slow down and spend a few precious moments of our day to truly listen, to the thoughts, ideas, and writings of some of the greatest thinkers, naturalists and lovers of Nature the world has ever known. Writers like Emerson, Whitman, Muir and Thoreau.

In today's time together we continue our visit with adventure naturalist, wildlife photographer, and Nature writer Enos Mills, as he recounts his thrilling and exhilarating adventures as the Colorado snow observer in the heart of the Colorado Rockies, encountering avalanches, dangerous precipices, starvation and hypothermia by falling though ice into a freezing river, and even mountain lions and bears. Always a stoic, he calmly treats these occurrences as just another day in the life of a Colorado Snow Observer.

So sit back and relax as we enjoy part 2 of the chapter "Colorado Snow Observer" the first chapter from Wildlife on the Rockies, by Enos Mills, friend of John Muir and Father of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Want to learn how to meditate?

It's simpler than you may have thought. Today we share a bit about our personal meditation journey and practices, and offer a few practical tips that may help you with yours.

We also discuss some ideas from a couple of wonderful books we have been reading lately by Hal Elrod, Michael Singer and Ryan Holiday. (See links below).

Glad you're here, c'mon in!

Brett & Melissa

"The Miracle Morning" by Hal Elrod

"Stillness is the Key" by Ryan Holiday

"The Untethered Soul" by Michael Singer

"Along with love, compassion is the face of altruism. It is a feeling deep in the heart that you cannot bear other's suffering without acting to relieve it."

~ The Dalai Lama

We come together at MZD to connect with Nature for mindfulness and personal growth. We talk about it all the time. In fact, we have been focusing on, and training if you will, how to cultivate personal strengths and traits that we desire to see show up in our lives as the best version of ourselves… things like…

Do you find yourself struggling in a specific area, (or areas), of your life and personal growth? Perhaps, fear and doubt, anger, addiction, selfishness, pride or lack of compassion.

If you said "Yes", you are not alone. I do too. In fact, it is a common human experience that we all deal with. Once we realize that, we can begin to lighten up on ourselves and start to practice a little Self-Compassion. And that's what we're going to talk about today. Cultivating Compassion.

There is a whole string of character traits, qualities and disciplines we may choose to cultivate and master in our lives, but I can't think of one any more practical and rewarding than cultivating compassion. It's what everyone craves, and what the world desperately needs.

So what is Compassion?

One definition of compassion is:

(noun) 1. "A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering."

In his book, How to Expand Love, the Dalai Lama tells us that there are 7 steps to improving your ability to grow and share your love with the world.

1. Recognizing friends
2. Appreciating kindnesses shown to you in your past. (Especially those past kindnesses of your early childhood)
3. Returning Kindness when it has been shown to you
4. Learning to love
5. The power of Compassion
6. Total commitment
7. Seeking Altruistic Enlightenment

Altruism is showing unselfish concern for, or devotion to the welfare of others.

The Dalai Lama points out that to begin with, we need to accept that "the mind is fundamentally there much like the blue sky that exists behind dark clouds." We need to trust and see beyond or through the clouds all the goodness that is there.

We have to overcome the tendencies to put others into categories, labeling them as "friend" or "enemy". This is how we practice what's known as equanimity, that is, a mental or emotional stability; a calmness under tension or stress.

Easier said then done. Perhaps that's why we start with Self-Compassion.

How are you in the self-compassion department?

The best way to answer this question is to look at the way we talk to ourselves when we mess up or are feeling down.

In her book Self-Compassion, Kristin Neff says that self-compassion begins with not being self-critical. Talk kindly to yourself as you would to your best friend. Be encouraging. Show up with presence and compassion.

We need to realize that suffering, struggling and failure are all part of the human experience. We all have to deal with it at one point or another in our lives. It is vital that we see the sameness in our common humanity. We all experience pain, struggles and suffering.

We need to clearly see our reality in a non-judgmental way – our pain, our suffering, our shame, our fears and anxieties…

Just observe yourself mindfully. Detached, and maybe even amused. You can't have self-compassion if you are not being mindful. It is the 30,000 foot view. This is the only way we can see the reality of our life clearly without getting caught up and entangled in our emotions. This exercise can be done as a "Noting Practice", a concept discussed by Dan Siegel in his book Mindsight (The new Science of Personal Transformation). He says to simply note what you are observing. You have to "name it to tame it". Identify what you are experiencing, call it what it is, and then you can deal with it, with a wise and thoughtful response.

Finally, we need self-efficacy, that is self-confidence, or your ability to trust yourself. Cultivating self-efficacy is best accomplished through self-compassion. That's a lot to bite off in our short time together, but if you're interested in going deeper, I will leave links in the show notes.

So if you're ready, let's begin our meditation today in a beautiful, peaceful mountain garden…

How to Expand Love by His Holiness The Dalai Lama

Self Compassion by Kristin Neff

Mindsight by Dan Siegel

"Now is now." ~ Laura Ingalls Wilder

We're going to get back to the basics.

Can you imagine how awesome it would be to wake up every morning to the amazing beauty and wonderful sounds of nature?

We just got back from an amazing hike along Carter Lake and had our senses bombarded by the beauty and restorative powers of Nature…

Links to Scientific Proof of the Restorative Powers of Nature

We were reminded that there are things all around us everyday that would bring so much joy and happiness and peace if we would just take the time to notice them. It's called living in the Now.

Now is all we've got. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow hasn't come, we just have Now. And if you think about it, it's ok. We couldn't handle anything more. Nor would we want to.

Now is where we live and the only place we can find joy. Notice we didn't necessarily say "Happiness".

There's a difference between joy and happiness. Joy is a choice, it's lasting – happiness is serendipitous, it comes and goes. Joy is deep and underlying. It sees beneath the surface the beautiful, lasting goodness of the Universe all around us.

The smell of snow or rain in the air.

The preciousness of your children sleeping in their beds at night or pups laying at your feet.

Being in the now means being present to the little things as they occur all around you…

When you wake up in the morning, what's the first thing you notice or are aware of?

Try this tomorrow morning if you can remember – as an exercise in presence.

If you wake up to an alarm, take note of its tone. Probably annoying at first thought, but without judging, just notice it.

What about outside? Is it daylight yet. Are the curtains drawn? Is the room warm?

Pay attention to the details. Feel the floor underneath your feet. As you shower, just allow yourself to take in all of the delicious feelings and senses available to you – the hot water running over your body, the smell of your shampoo and soap, the sound of water hitting the tub or shower floor – does it sound a bit like rain or a waterfall?

The point is – enjoy all that is surrounding you, for these senses were given to you for just that reason – to enjoy!

You can continue this process as you go about the rest of your day. When you make breakfast, coffee or tea, notice the aromas, the flavor the warmth of the eggs, toast, bacon or oatmeal, the coolness of the orange juice, cereal or fruit salad.

Same with doing the dishes, enjoy the hot, soapy water, the fragrance of the dish liquid, the process of cleansing… you get the idea.

The things we take for granted, the mundane, the routine, the everyday – taking out the trash, driving to work, taking the kids to school or practice… opportunities are all around us for finding joy in just being alive, if we are open to them. This is what it means to be alive.

Better yet, there is something that will take us to an even higher level of transcendence and joy, and that is, not only being present to receive nature's goodness, but being available for our loved ones and present to the people in our lives who mean the most to us.

As human beings created for love and relationship, here is where we will find our deepest joy.

In his book, "The Power of Now" Eckhart Tolle says that presence is needed to become aware of the beauty, the majesty and sacredness of nature.

It's also needed to become aware of the beauty and goodness of our family, friends, fellow workers and the world around us.

The sun is shining, the birds are singing and all is well with the world. The natural world that is.

The truth is, our human world can be pretty messed up at times, as evidenced by all the… you hear in the news every day.

A while back we talked about the fact that whatever you focus on, you get more of…

Today we're going to focus on the beauty and benefits of Nature's restorative powers.