Podcast

Episode 20: The Powerful Connection of Movement, Nature & Grief (Lisa Hallett)

Wear blue: run to remember Memorial Day registration

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Simple and Easy Ways to ‘Rewild’ Your Life by Going Outside (Micah Mortali)

It can be easy to think of practices like rewilding and mindfulness as being habits of only extra-zen, nature-based people. But if you’re someone who likes to go outside or is building an outdoor habit, they are probably already a part of what you’re doing, at least a little.

So how can you do it more? And if you don’t think you’ve added them, how can you make them happen while balancing a modern life?

In this episode Micah Mortali, rewilding expert and dean of the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership, shares his insights and tips of rewilding, mindfulness and even meditation. Author of the book “Rewilding, Meditations, Practices, and Skills for Awakening in Nature,” Micah’s extra-practical tips make a rewilding habit accessible for any outdoor-lover.

Some of the good stuff:

[1:52] Why this recording is a little different

[2:41] Micah Mortali’s favorite outdoor space

[4:41] Amy’s regular moment of mindfulness

[5:16] What Micah thinks about that moment

[6:34] How Micah became someone who likes to go outside

[9:32] The spiritual connection of nature and how it’s weird some religions are confused

[10:55] Other Christian faith traditions and nature

[13:42] What is “rewilding?”

[20:45] How a nature draw plays out for city-dwellers

[23:35] Mindfulness and task-focus in nature

[29:56] The challenge of meditation for focused people

[32:22] How rewilding and mindfulness fit into a daily nature habit

[37:02] What the pandemic taught us about rewilding

[40:27] Simple tips for rewilding and mindfulness in nature

[42:47] Micah’s favorite outdoor moment

Connect with this episode:

Buy “Rewilding, Meditations, Practices, and Skills for Awakening in Nature” by Micah Mortali (affiliate link)

Follow Micah’s school, Kripalu, on Instagram

Listen to Brene Brown talk with Dr. Amishi Jha about productivity and meditation

Visit Kripalu’s website

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Outdoor Diary: What Heading Outside Has Taught Me About Disappointment

Don’t like what’s going on outside? Wait awhile, power through and it will change. That’s just part of the truth about seasons Amy is clinging to — and an important lesson she’s learned — as she deals with a fresh running injury.

How does heading into nature and understanding outdoor seasons help with the rest of our lives? Hear about it in this episode of Amy’s regular Humans Outside Outdoor Diary.

Some of the good stuff:

[:45] Good and bad habits

[1:10] The problem with ankles

[1:50] What Amy missed this month

[2:20] Things learned instead

[2:30] Risk is inevitable

[2:52] Get friends like this

[3:35] The important thing about seasons

[4:02] The good and not so good things about fireweed

Connect with this episode:

Learn more about Dr. Kathleen Wolf

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Why Nearby Nature Is Just as Useful as the Great Outdoors (Dr. Kathleen Wolf)

Depending on your background of using nature and heading outside, you might think of spending time outdoors as something you go do instead of something that’s on the other side of your front door.

And if you do make a habit of going into the nature that’s close to home, you might be tempted to think that the same-old, same-old isn’t as good as shaking it up and going somewhere news and different.

Dr. Kathleen Wolf has made a career of researching human use of nature and its benefits as a research social scientist at the school of environmental and forest sciences at the University of Washington. She joined in Season 3 for an overview of how much time in nature is really useful (spoiler alert, it’s about 20 minutes a day!). And in this episode she talks about the benefits of nearby nature and how to get the most out of it.

Some of the good stuff:

[3:54] What Kathy’s been doing since we last spoke

[7:54] What is nearby nature?
[10:31] What people think of as nature and why making generalizations isn’t a good idea

[15:23] What nearby nature factors appeal to people?

[19:44] The role of mindfulness in nearby nature

[22:45] Is there any benefit to doing the same thing in nature over and over?

[25:37] What it’s like to stare at the same tree for 70 minutes

[27:33] What Amy has learned by doing the same thing over and over again

[33:33] How people can create a great nearby nature experience no matter where they are

[41:40] Why nature is like nutrition

Connect with this episode:

Read Dr. Kathleen Wolf’s long term project, “Green Cities: Good Health”

Find Dr. Kathleen Wolf on LinkedIn

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Outdoor Diary: Out Here Like a Moth to a Flame

It’s hard to ignore the song of the returning light and warming weather — especially after a winter of darkness and cold. You aren’t just drawn to it. it’s like a magnet.

In this Outdoor Diary episode Amy discusses a series of moments that happen over the creeping of spring that let her know that summer really is right around the corner, and the days of winter are in the past.

https://humansoutside.com/podcasts/outdoor-diary-out-here-like-a-moth-to-a-flame

Some of the good stuff:

[:45] How dark was it really?

[:57] How you notice the darkness at all

[1:25] Hint: it’s sneaky

[1:42] The light is the ticket

[2:03] The Day of Blinding Light

[2:33] The warm and sweet day

[3:10] The day when it’s only light

[3:27] “Green Day”

[4:00] Why this matter

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