In this episode of Breath of Life, I’m in conversation with Holly Erin Copeland, a former conservation ecologist, who now describes her work as guiding people to the wild within.

We explore the body as a place of knowing, the limits of purely cognitive understanding, the importance of felt, embodied experience, and what it means to stay open-hearted in the midst of global crisis.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Inner Rewilding

05:36 The Journey of Transformation

09:28 The Role of Inner Work in Activism

14:19 Four Pillars of Heart Opening

30:32 Embodiment and the Human Experience

35:11 Trusting the Process of Life

37:59 The Journey of Trust and Letting Go

42:36 Connecting with Nature for Healing

47:14 Experiencing Interconnectedness Beyond Altered States

48:26 Aligning with Your Wild Heart

51:15 Navigating Good and Evil in the Human Experience

57:30 The Power of Collective Experience

01:02:45 Practical Steps for Inner Rewilding

Holly Erin Copeland is a former conservation ecologist and former Director of Science at a nature conservancy. After years of environmental work shaped by urgency, burnout, and grief about the state of the planet, her path shifted inward.

Today, she guides people toward what she calls the wild within, working at the intersection of meditation, somatic practice, and nature connection. Holly is the author of Inner Rewilding.

→  Holly on Substack: https://hollyerincopeland.substack.com/

→  Rewilded Morning Ritual Guide: https://holly-copeland.mykajabi.com/

Stay in touch:
→ The Breath of Life on Substack
https://substack.com/@yuliabogdanova

→ Connect on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuliabogdanova/

→ Nature Flow Lab
Outdoor, experiential sessions for teams to approach complex challenges through engaging with nature and a shift in mental state.
https://natureflowlab.com/

In this episode of the Breath of Life podcast, Yulia talks with Wendy Peterman, a forest soil scientist and conservationist with over 20 years of experience working in land management and environmental systems.

We explore what forests can teach us about regeneration, resilience, and working with complexity rather than against it. The conversation moves between science and lived experience touching on nature connection, empathy, leadership, conservation work, and what happens when human systems forget they are part of living systems.

00:00 Growing up in forests and early belonging
04:20 Nature connection and “nature deficit disorder”
07:40 Soil, humus, and the role of decomposition
10:30 Forests as home, regulation, and perspective
14:10 Complexity, interdependence, and forest systems
18:00 Science, empathy, and holistic thinking
22:45 Human systems vs. living systems
27:05 Leadership, listening, and adaptability
31:20 Forests, resilience, and learning from failure
35:30 Apex predators, balance, and power
41:45 Disconnection, domination, and modern culture
46:00 Forest Thinking and practical applications
52:10 Closing reflections

Wendy Peterman is a forest soil scientist and conservationist with more than two decades of experience working in land management and environmental systems. She grew up in the forests of Northern California and has spent her career studying soil, forest ecology, and complex living systems. Today, she supports grassroots and conservation organizations in developing resilient structures that honor relationship, balance, and regeneration. She is the author of Forest Thinking.

→  Wendy on Substack: https://substack.com/@wendybrd

→  Pattern Synthesis webpage: https://patternsynthesis.com/

Stay in touch:
→ The Breath of Life on Substack
https://substack.com/@yuliabogdanova

→ Connect on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuliabogdanova/

→ Nature Flow Lab
Outdoor, experiential sessions for teams to approach complex challenges through engaging with nature and a shift in mental state.
https://natureflowlab.com/

In this episode, Yulia talks with Elina Kieft, a Qigong teacher, a shamanic practitioner, dancer, and anthropologist.

They explore the body as a place of knowing, a bridge between self and nature. Elina shares her journey from dance and anthropology to Qigong and shamanic work, and how movement, breath, and imagination connect us to the life force that flows through all things. The conversation touches on animism, embodied consciousness, empathy, archetypes, and the wisdom of trees and animals as teachers.

00:00 The Body as a Place of Knowing
05:40 Dance, Nature, and Early Curiosity
10:30 Remembering Lost Senses and Intuitive Knowing
15:40 Sensitivity, Pain, and Living in a Human Body
20:05 The Alchemy of Qigong
26:15 Animals, Elements, and Seasons as Teachers
31:10 Shape-shifting and Embodied Empathy
34:20 Archetypes as Patterns of Energy
37:25 The Body’s Literacy and Ways of Perceiving
43:30 Learning Through the Body
45:30 Simple Practices to Reconnect — The Wisdom of Trees

About the guest:

Elina Kleft is a shamanic practitioner, dancer, anthropologist, and Qigong teacher. Born in the Netherlands and having lived across Europe and Africa, she brings together movement, nature connection, and embodied awareness. Her work explores how breath, body, and imagination can open us to a deeper relationship with the world. She teaches Qigong, mentors individuals, and leads programs that draw on movement, archetypes, and the natural elements.

→  Eline on Substack: https://elinekieft.substack.com/

→  Eline’s webpage: https://www.elinekieft.com/

Stay in touch:
→ The Breath of Life on Substack
https://yuliabogdanova.substack.com/about

→ Berlin Breath Walks
Slow walks using breath and forest presence to recalibrate your nervous system.
https://yuliabogdanova.substack.com/p/berlin-breath-walks

→ Nature Flow Lab
Outdoor, experiential sessions for teams to approach complex challenges through engaging with nature and a shift in mental state.
https://natureflowlab.com/

In this episode, I join hosts Lisa and Ryan on the Synergy podcast to explore a familiar topic—innovation and leadership—through an unfamiliar lens: nature as a catalyst for transformation.

I share a pivotal experience training with Wim Hof (the Iceman)—climbing a Polish mountain in −15 °C—and how breathwork, somatic practice, and time in wilderness reshaped my understanding of change, creativity, and leadership.

🌱 What We Explore

Emergent innovation vs. “hero” brainstorming: why sensing, play, and co-creation often outpace overthinking.

Being like water: embracing fluid identities, cross-pollination, and regeneration over rigid image-keeping.

Pattern recognition in the wild: how nature’s systems inspire product, team, and organizational design.

Restorative routines: sitting to “seed” place, taking unstructured walks, and storytelling to restore focus and presence.

AI and the natural mind: how technology can flatten ideas—and how natural systems (birch, fungi, watersheds) can help us think in living patterns.

💡 Why It Matters

If you’re a leader, innovator, or systems thinker ready to trade pressure for presence—and compliance for commitment—this conversation explores how the natural world can become a powerful co-creator and R&D partner in the way we work and lead.

→  Synergy Podcast:

https://open.spotify.com/show/24exp6AxzfoR1uw6vaDZql?si=902324d2d2e14303

Stay in touch:
→ The Breath of Life on Substack
https://yuliabogdanova.substack.com/about

→ Berlin Breath Walks
Slow walks using breath and forest presence to recalibrate your nervous system.
https://yuliabogdanova.substack.com/p/berlin-breath-walks

→ Nature Flow Lab
Outdoor, experiential sessions for teams to approach complex challenges through engaging with nature and a shift in mental state.
https://natureflowlab.com/

In this episode, Yulia talks with Charlotte Rogg, a death doula, artist, and educator exploring the cycles of nature, grief, and renewal.

Charlotte talks about what the seasons can teach us about living and dying — how change, decay, and rest are all part of the same cycle. She shares ways to notice the world through the senses, to find meaning in darkness, and to let winter and stillness do their work. We also talk about death care, grief, and belonging, and how staying close to the natural world can help us meet all of it with more courage and resilience.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Death and Nature

07:21 The Role of Mushrooms in Life and Death

10:56 Understanding Seasons Through a Death Doula's Lens

16:14 Navigating Life Transitions with Seasonal Awareness

21:19 Embracing Darkness and Winter

26:42 The Importance of Community in Seasonal Changes

32:02 Launching the Mail Club for Seasonal Connection

About the guest

Charlotte Rogg is a death doula, artist, and educator based in Boston. She works with people around death, grief, and change, and explores how the natural world mirrors those experiences. Charlotte sees her work as a way of staying close to the rhythm of life — noticing how everything moves through cycles of growth, stillness, loss, and renewal, and helping others find their own way of being with that.

→  Charlotte on Substack: https://metamorphosisworks.substack.com/

→  Charlotte’s webpage: https://www.charlotterogg.com/

Stay in touch:
→ The Breath of Life on Substack
https://yuliabogdanova.substack.com/about

→ Berlin Breath Walks
Slow walks using breath and forest presence to recalibrate your nervous system.
https://yuliabogdanova.substack.com/p/berlin-breath-walks

→ Nature Flow Lab
Outdoor, experiential sessions for teams to approach complex challenges through engaging with nature and a shift in mental state.
https://natureflowlab.com/

In this episode, Yulia talks with Kath Almond, an Earth influencer and Syntropic storyteller, exploring the kinship-like connection between humans and nature, particularly through the lens of trees. Kath shares her journey from climate activism to a more uniting approach of storytelling for the love of the Earth. We talk about trees as ancient intelligent beings, the wisdom they have for us, and practical ways to reconnect with the rest of nature through them.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Earth Influencing and Syntropic Storytelling

04:34 The Essence of Syntropic Storytelling

09:10 The Connection with Trees

15:13 Intimacy and Trust in Relationships with Trees

22:05 The Magic of Tree Communication

28:11 Stories of Trees and Their Wisdom

34:29 Reconnecting with Nature and Belonging

About the guest

Kath Almond is an Earth influencer and Syntropic storyteller based between Germany and Aotearoa, New Zealand. After a career in marketing, she left the corporate world to speak for her love of Mother Earth, telling stories that inspire togetherness. 

→  Kath on Substack: https://substack.com/@earthinfluencer

→  Kath’s webpage: https://earthinfluencers.org/

Stay in touch:
→ The Breath of Life on Substack
https://yuliabogdanova.substack.com/about

→ Berlin Breath Walks
Slow walks using breath and forest presence to recalibrate your nervous system.
https://yuliabogdanova.substack.com/p/berlin-breath-walks

→ Nature Flow Lab
Outdoor, experiential sessions for teams to approach complex challenges through engaging with nature and a shift in mental state.
https://natureflowlab.com/

In this episode, Yulia talks with philologist, philosopher, and writer Eugene Terekhin about the energy and other unseen powers of spoken language.

They explore how words are more than data, how sound shapes matter, why language can act like spells, and how Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and the Inklings saw language as a doorway into the unseen. The conversation weaves together philosophy, creativity, spirituality, and practices for re-enchanting our daily lives.

00:00 The Energy of Spoken Language
06:49 Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and the Inklings on Language
11:16 Words as Living Energy
16:00 Attunement and Sensing Through Language
22:20 Magic, Technology, and Elvish Tongues
30:59 Sub-creation and Creativity
39:01 Prayer as Breath and Response
43:45 Words as Spells
47:09 Re-enchantment Practices

About the guest

Eugene Terekhin is a philologist, philosopher, and translator with a background in English and German linguistics and philology. Author of Eleven Hidden Gems in the Works of the Inklings: The Music of Iluvatar in the Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Owen Barfield

→  Eugine on Substack: https://eugeneterekhin.substack.com/

→  Eugine’s bookstore: https://restandtrust.org/

Stay in touch:
→ The Breath of Life on Substack
https://yuliabogdanova.substack.com/about

→ Berlin Breath Walks
Slow walks using breath and forest presence to recalibrate your nervous system.
https://yuliabogdanova.substack.com/p/berlin-breath-walks

→ Nature Flow Lab
Outdoor, experiential sessions for teams to approach complex challenges through engaging with nature and a shift in mental state.
https://natureflowlab.com/

In this episode, Yulia talks with writer and teacher Perdita Finn, author of Take Back the Magic: Conversations with the Unseen World and the forthcoming Mothers of Magic: Summoning the Wisdom of Our Ancestors.

They explore death, our relationship with the dead, and how reconnecting with ancestors can transform grief and fear into belonging and love. The conversation weaves together ecology, ritual, intuition, and everyday practices for living with the dead as companions and guides.

00:00 Death as Part of Life
06:20 Civilization, Fear, and Separation from the Dead
13:45 Cycles of Return and Ecological Belonging
21:30 Asking the Dead for Help
31:15 Grief, Ritual, and Letting Go
38:40 What Failure Teaches Through the Dead
45:10 From Fear to Faith
49:30 Resources and Closing Reflections

About the guest:

Perdita Finn is the author of Take Back the Magic: Conversations with the Unseen World and the forthcoming Mothers of Magic: Summoning the Wisdom of Our Ancestors. She describes the dead themselves as her teachers — offering guidance with a perspective that is long, generous, intimate, and deeply loving. Through her writing, workshops, and courses, she helps people learn to “see with the eyes of the dead” while still alive, transforming grief, deepening connection, and rewilding our spiritual lives.

→  Perdita on Substack: https://perditafinn.substack.com/

→  Way of the Rose Community: https://wayoftherose.org/

Stay in touch:
→ The Breath of Life on Substack
https://yuliabogdanova.substack.com/about

→ Berlin Breath Walks
Slow walks using breath and forest presence to recalibrate your nervous system.
https://yuliabogdanova.substack.com/p/berlin-breath-walks

→ Nature Flow Lab
Outdoor, experiential sessions for teams to approach complex challenges through engaging with nature and a shift in mental state.
https://natureflowlab.com/

In this episode, Yulia talks with coach and writer Mark McCartney, creator of What is a Good Life? and the Silent Conversations series.

They explore how silence changes group dynamics, and allows for deeper presence and unexpected connection.

Chapters:

00:00 Exploring Silence and Connection

04:03 The Power of Shared Silence

10:24 Words and Their Meanings

16:13 The Nature of Human Connection

21:34 Embracing Our Animalistic Nature

26:17 Paying Attention to Life's Intelligence

28:33 Simplicity in Life's Complexity

31:02 Defining a Good Life 

About the guest:

Mark McCartney is a coach, writer, and podcast host based in Berlin, originally from Dublin. He’s the creator of the What Is a Good Life? project, which includes nearly 300 interviews, a podcast, and a forthcoming book. He also leads Silent Conversations—sessions designed to move beyond labels, roles, and constant talking, and into presence, attention, and shared experience.

→  Mark on Substack: https://www.whatisagood.life/

→  Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/

Stay in touch:
→ The Breath of Life on Substack
https://yuliabogdanova.substack.com/about

→ Berlin Breath Walks
Slow walks using breath and forest presence to recalibrate your nervous system.
https://yuliabogdanova.substack.com/p/berlin-breath-walks

→ Nature Flow Lab
Outdoor, experiential sessions for teams to approach complex challenges through engaging with nature and a shift in mental state.
https://natureflowlab.com/

In this Life in Flow episode, I spoke with Kat van Oudheusden about non-duality—the idea that the “separate self” we work so hard to manage might not be real. And on ways to step beyond the illusion of a separate self. 

Time codes:

00:00 Introduction & What Is Non-Duality?

06:00 The Illusion of Separation

09:00 Awareness and the Nature of Reality

14:57 Leadership and Letting Go of Control

20:55 Thinking, Identity & the Role of Inquiry

27:13 Living Beyond the Illusion

32:58 Final Reflections & Closing

🔗 Links & Resources:
→ Kat on Substack: https://dailynonduality.substack.com/

Stay in touch:
→ The Breath of Life on Substack
https://yuliabogdanova.substack.com/about

→ Berlin Breath Walks
Slow walks using breath and forest presence to recalibrate your nervous system.
https://yuliabogdanova.substack.com/p/berlin-breath-walks

→ Nature Flow Lab
Outdoor, experiential sessions for teams to approach complex challenges through engaging with nature and a shift in mental state.
https://natureflowlab.com/