Thank you for listening, friends! Today, Asia Jackson of Wild Mountain Breathwork in Vernon, BC shares her transformative journey through breathwork and cold plunging, detailing how these practices helped her reconnect with herself and her surroundings.

In this episode, Asia discusses the importance of creating safe spaces for breathwork, the science behind it, and how it has impacted her parenting and personal relationships. She emphasizes the significance of listening to one's body and intuition, and offers advice for anyone who may be hesitant to explore breathwork. There is a profound connection between the effects of breathwork on mental health, connection, and self-discovery.

If you find something in this episode helpful, please consider sharing with a friend and leaving a review.

Takeaways

*Breathwork can help reconnect individuals with their bodies and emotions.

*Cold plunging served as a catalyst for Asia's transformation.

*Breathwork allows for emotional release and healing.

*The practice fosters deeper connections with oneself and others.

*Parenting perspectives shift through the lens of breathwork.

*Creating safe spaces is essential for effective breathwork sessions.

*Breathwork can bridge the gap between science and spirituality.

*Listening to one's body is crucial in the healing process.

*Intuition plays a significant role in personal growth and decision-making.

*Daily breathwork practices can train the nervous system for better emotional regulation.

Asia took her training with Breathless Expeditions, taking both the 21 Day Nervous System reset and the facilitator training course. She also offers several free breath work tracks on her website, Wild Mountain Breathwork.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Breathwork and Personal Journey

05:55 The Transformative Power of Cold Plunging

11:40 Discovering Breathwork: A Path to Connection

17:35 Shifts in Perception and Relationships

23:19 The Science Behind Breathwork

29:23 Integrating Breathwork into Daily Life

34:37 Facilitating Breathwork: Observations and Experiences

39:53 Intuitive Insights Through Personal Breathwork

45:36 Grounding Practices for Breathwork Facilitators

50:02 Advice for Newcomers to Breathwork

breathwork, cold plunging, personal growth, mindfulness, mental health, connection, parenting, facilitation, self-discovery, wellness

Thank you for listening today, friends! I'm a recently attuned reiki master, and today's episode discusses some of the benefits and myths about reiki, energy healing, and healing at a distance.

I wanted to share this information to clear misconceptions and promote awareness of the huge shifts, pain relief, emotional regulation, and relaxation that reiki and energy healing can have on the physical, emotional and spiritual bodies. It's been profound for me in my life journey.

As promised in the episode, here are the links to studies I reference in today's episode:

A Large-Scale Effectiveness Trial of Reiki for Physical and Psychological Health

Does practicing Reiki alter the electromagnetic field of heart and hands of practitioners?

New Frontiers in Heart Rate Variability and Social Coherence Research: Techniques, Technologies, and Implications for Improving Group Dynamics and Outcomes

If you're curious to learn more about reiki, energy healing, other modalities I use, or book a session, connect with me through my website or on Instagram

Anxiety can derail an adventure, sometimes even before it starts. Today's episode discusses eight common sources of anxiety for outdoor adventurers and strategies to navigate and mitigate those uncertainties with confidence.

Together we'll learn how to manage anxieties around getting lost, physical performance, weather, wildlife, injuries, social dynamics, planning and pooping. Thanks for listening, friends!

To give back to the community, I am offering a 3-pack of sessions, focused on anxiety, in October, November and December. One session per month, emailed out as an mp3 for you to listen and relisten to, incorporating such modalities as Linking Awareness, BodyTalk, reiki and more.. These will be for the group energetics of whomever signs up, and available to you for life. DM me for more information.

Whether you’re preparing for something big or small, whether you’re already already in it, whether you’re thinking about it one day, or whether you’re returning from an injury and unsure if you can do it—I offer coaching and energetic support sessions that go beyond the mileage. Let’s talk. I help overwhelmed, injured and burned out adventurers recover their energy, reclaim their spirit, and return to the trail… whether it’s in the wilderness or in life. Check out my website for more information.

You can check out more of my services at www.gregveregin.com or on Instagram @cactusmoose

Links to items mentioned in the episode:

Kula Cloth

Thanks for listening today, friends!

Y'all may have noticed I haven't been as active on my social media, Cactus Moose recently due to an unfortunate and significant ankle injury.

That injury sparked today's episode of tips for returning to adventure after an injury, and suggestions of strategies to maintain mental resilience during that transition. Injuries are a challenge to navigate both in the physical limitations and in the mental struggles of not enjoying the free movement of the body we may have come to rely upon.

As always, connect with me at cactus moose[aT] protonmail {dot} com with questions, comments and guest suggestions. Enjoy this episode and have a wonderful day!

If you're curious to learn more about sessions or coaching, you can check out my website here.

Alastair Humphreys defined a micro adventure as “short, simple, local, and cheap.” When you're short on time, but still want an outdoor excursion, try a microadventure!

Today's episode breaks down my recent afternoon hike micro adventure. Microadventures are an accessible way for busy persons to get outdoors and are still a potent catalyst for growth.

Microadventures build confidence, capability, and reset both our nervous system and our perspective. I share some examples of micro adventures, some tips to prepare, and encourage everyone to get out on one this week.

As always, connect with me on Instagram @cactusmoose, on my website gregveregin.com or at cactusmoose [aT} protonmail {d0t] com with questions, comments and guest suggestions.

Have a wonderful day!

Thank you for listening today, friends. It's a different format for today's episode: I share my recent experience trusting my gut and healing my thumb

Hey adventurers! Welcome back to The Evolving Adventure(r), where we hit the trails, face the wild, and grow through every challenge life throws at us. I’m gregii, your guide through the dirt, sweat, and soul of outdoor living.

Imagine this: you’re gearing up for a run, putting your shorts on, ready to crush today's training plan, and—boom—your thumb just says, “Nah, I’m out.”

No fall, no injury, just a thumb that’s gone rogue.

That was me in September 2024, staring down a mystery that would test my grit and turn my life upside down. Today, I’m sharing how I told a surgeon’s “no hope” verdict to take a hike, trusted my gut, and healed myself using tools you can tap into, too. From journaling in the desert to energy work that’s straight-up magic, this is a story of taking charge, finding answers, and coming out stronger. So grab some trail mix, lace up, and let’s dive into this adventure—because your body’s got more wisdom than you might think.

Links I mention in this episode:

My website

Linking Awareness

Don Griffis

The BodyTalk System

Metaphysical Anatomy

Hi-Energy Wand 3

Esther Hicks

Kryon

Thanks for listening today, friends! It's almost the summer solstice, and with summer in North America comes the risk of wildfires. Summer recreation is also here: camping, hiking, paddling, biking, running on the trails away from urban noise. This episode is based on my experiences in North America: I'm sure there are comparable resources for listeners in Europe, Australia, South America, Asia that I'm unfamiliar with... but maybe not Antarctica.

Today's episode delves into fire awareness tips for outdoor recreation: clothing considerations, checking weather forecasts and fire activity maps, route planning and awareness, and what to do if a fire breaks out during your adventure.

I also share a bit about a fire patrol experience two summers ago, and what I learned from putting out a wildfire in the forest that started two days after a lightning strike. Crazy!

Below are links to some of the sites I mention:

Inciweb

Wildfire Map

Hiking Guy - wildfire info

The Trek - wildfire info

Caltopo - fire layer information

Cocodona! It's an adventure, a journey, a transformative experience for not just those who attempt the 250 miles from Black Canyon City to Flagstaff, Arizona, but for all who are helping crew, pace and put on the event.

Today's episode focuses on lessons learned from observing the 2025 Cocodona race. Being behind-the-scenes, watching the livestream cameras, talking to runners at the finish and following the leaders with a camera lent a unique perspective to observe and absorb.

The livestream broadcast can be found on the Mountain Outpost YouTube channel.

You can always connect with me on Instagram or at cactusmoose [At] protonmail {dot} com

Enjoy, and have a wonderful day!

Thank you for listening today, friends! We're back, this time with an episode detailing my running journey.

It hasn't been linear, and has involved nearly a dozen uses of the phrase "you'll never run again." The journey has taught me patience, courage, determination and perseverance to reach my goals.

I've struggled to finish a one-kilometer run, watched the entire PE class move on to the next activity before I completed the Cooper test (6 lap run of 1.5 miles/2.4km), and DNF'd my first two 100 milers.

Focusing on strength, flexibility, nutrition and overall wellness, being open to trying new things such as barefoot shoes, throwing away my orthotics, and incorporating yoga into my routine has kept me healthy to compete in ultras twenty-plus years after the first "you'll never run again."

I've had an interesting and non-linear journey as a runner from that first 10km race with WAY too many people, to an injury at a marathon 3 short weeks later to finishing the hottest Javelina Jundred on record. Tune in today to hear about the journey, the decision to become a UESCA ultra running coach, and the training philosophy I offer. I'm here to get you to the finish line with a smile on your face.

As always, connect with me on Instagram or through my website.

Recovery from participating in endurance activities is imperative for those who desire longevity in their career, passion and/or hobby. But what is it, and how do we go about it?

Recover can be defined as the exercises, modalities and therapies that are used to reduce soreness, promote healing, reduce the risk of injury, and increase range of motion. Put another way: it's what we do to repair, rebuild and strengthen the body to maximize performance and support health.

Today's episode details the various methods that I use to recover from sustained physical efforts and why I use them. I'm sharing this information today to help others find what works best for them.

My wellness philosophy includes several modalities eschewed by proponents of the allopathic treatment system in place in North America. Some of these may seem unusual, questionable and unreliable, but they have given me results that the allopathic model could not produce. I encourage everyone to listen to the episode with an open mind: what worked for me may or may not be of interest to you, but it did work.

My journey through these modalities is a direct result of being told by Western medical doctors and practitioners multiple times that I would never run again, that I would never run without orthotics, and that surgery was necessary if I dared even hope of running again.

The good news is that I followed my intuition to avoid surgical interventions and have not just returned to running, but running pain-free, AND completed 8 ultramarathon races and counting. There is magic in the power of belief, courage, perseverance and the ways that holistic modalities work.

In no particular order, the modalities that I have used follow in the list below. If you are curious for recommendations, and live in an area that I mentioned during the episode, please contact me on Instagram or through cactus moos[aT] protonmail[DoT] com. Note that I ONLY refer to people who I have paid for their services, and from whom I have had results.

-massage gun

-nutrition: electrolytes, protein increase

-acupuncture

-dry needling

-chiropractic

-massage: deep tissue, trigger point, myofascial release

-yoga: heated power, yin, haha, kundalini

-meditations

-cross-training: cycling, strength training, paddle boarding, canoeing, hiking, stair mill, mobility

-prioritize sleep

-barefoot grounding

-removed alcohol

Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please pass it along to a friend, click the subscribe or follow button, and leave a review on your podcast platform of choice.

-gregii