The Evolving Adventure

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Another interview this week with Braedon Cashion, a naturopath in White Rock, British Columbia. Braedon shares some of his success using homeopathy with patients, and the life changes that can occur. It's an interesting perspective to approach health and well-being from. As always, this is shared for information purposes: if it sparks curiosity there are many resources available for you to determine if it's a good fit. 

Braedon's website is in the works; more information is available on social media here, and he's available for consultations, too! He's a graduate of the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine in New Westminster, British Columbia. 

Welcome to the first episode with a guest! My friend Megan joins us from Colorado to talk about her experiences in nature, a game we used to play while hiking called Tres Revs, working with at-risk youth, the importance of having a connection to your local environment and a beginner's mind. We also talk a bit about flow state, being present, and multiple intelligences. 

Some links to things we discuss:

Megan applied for graduate school at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.

I quote from the inspiring book Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey:

“You can't see anything from a car; you've got to get out of the goddamn contraption and walk, better yet crawl, on hands and knees, over the sandstone and through the thornbrush and cactus. When traces of blood begin to mark your trail, you'll see something, maybe.”

We backpacked the West Coast Trail in Pacific Rim National Park on Vancouver Island, British Columbia in June 2011. One day there may be an episode about that adventure...

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Today is all about Clyde, the wonderful stevia plant I grew this summer. Learn about his journey as a metaphor for reflecting upon our own life situations in work, relationships and locations. 

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Our health as humans is dependent upon the health of the environment. How so? We need fresh air to breathe, clean water to drink, healthy soils to grow food in, forests/plants/trees to produce oxygen, and the work of pollinators such as bees to help agricultural crops grow. The interconnections between ecosystems and species, symbiotic relationships and food webs are essential to maintaining the quality of life for all sentient beings on earth. 

Please remember, we live on this planet and are dependent upon her resources. The food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink... all are circulated, recycled and reused by nature. We can play a role in helping heal the environment... by healing nature, we heal ourselves in the process.

The value of air is mentioned in this fantastic reference for a nature-centric perspective through ecopsychology.

Zach Bush, MD discussing soil health. He's been on some fantastic podcasts including Luke Storey and Dr. Mark Hyman

Gulf of Mexico dead zone due to nutrient runoff from agriculture.

Exposure to natural sunlight causes Vitamin D to be produced by the body; it also plays a role in maintaining a healthy immune system. Vitamin D can modify the innate and adaptive immune responses; a deficiency is associated with greater chances of an infections and mortality.

This bonus episode discusses a recent study on the Vitamin D status of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in Spain. Recent research suggests a relationship between Vitamin D levels and coronavirus susceptibility. Vitamin D may play a preventative role, and improve the prognosis for those diagnosed with COVID-19. 

This information is shared to encourage discussion and critical thinking around the role of nutrition in our lives. I am not a doctor, nor does this constitute medical or professional advice. Please read the study and come to your own conclusions.

In this episode of Wisdom of the Wilderness, we learn about different ways to use analogies and metaphors in nature to help understand our own lives.

Thanks for joining the conversation! 

A story about my experience completing a 14 Day Field Course with the Boulder Outdoor Survival School (BOSS) in the summer of 2012. 

I tie into previous episodes as I relate how contact with nature, earthing and immersion in the outdoors affected me during and after the course, and catalyzed major changes in my life as I journaled on the wilderness within while on the solo component.

More information about BOSS can be found on the website at www.boss-inc.com

Earthing/grounding is having direct physical contact with the surface of the earth. Walking barefoot outside, or sitting, working or sleeping indoors connected to conductive systems that are transferring the earth's free electrons into the body from the ground has been associated with a wide range of health benefits.

In this episode we learn all about earthing aka grounding including a synopsis of several studies, ways to quickly ground ourselves and what the health benefits are. Benefits of grounding include reduced inflammation, better sleep quality, reduced muscle pain after activity, greater feelings of calm... and a reconnection to the earth and our ancestral ways. 

Have you tried it yet? It's SIMPLE, profound technique and often-overlooked factor in overall health and healing (Menigoz et al., 2020)

Studies referenced in the episode include:

Image of the human body with highlighted impacts of earthing/grounding... https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550830719305476

Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth's Surface Electrons... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3265077/#B20 

The effects of grounding on bodyworkers' pain... https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550830718302519?via%3Dihub

The effects of grounding on inflammation... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4378297/

My website

As little as 10-20 minutes of contact with nature can reduce stress and feelings of depression and anxiety. Today I'm sharing a few ways I sneak in nature time to maintain well-being. 

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Episode 3: the benefits of wilderness! Well, some of them. Join along to hear why wilderness is important for the variety of services and values we gain, plus why conservation is imperative for the future.