BONUS HP EP #1164: Discover the Nordic Art of Friluftsliv and Embrace Nature Every Day

Hi, Lisa here. I just got home from walking the dogs on this beautiful winter day with a few inches of snow on the ground and I was inspired to add this episode even though today's already went up earlier. 

I am joined by Linda Åkeson McGurk the author of The Open-Air Life: Discover the Nordic Art of Friluftsliv and Embrace Nature Every Day.

Linda Åkeson McGurk is a Swedish American writer and author of the bestselling parenting memoir There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom’s Secrets for Raising Healthy, Resilient, and Confident Kids (from Friluftsliv to Hygge) as well as The Open-Air Life: Discover the Nordic Art of Friluftsliv and Connect with Nature Every Day. McGurk has been featured in several leading American magazines, newspapers, and online sites, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, New York Post, HuffPost, Psychology Today, Slate, TreeHugger, ScaryMommy, and many more. Her own writings about Scandinavian parenting have appeared in publications across the world, including Time and Parents. McGurk is a passionate advocate for the Nordic outdoor tradition friluftsliv and believes that the best childhood memories are created outside, while jumping in puddles, digging in dirt, catching bugs, and climbing trees. She is also the founder of the blog Rain or Shine Mamma, a resource where parents and other caregivers find tips and inspiration for outdoor play every day, regardless of the weather. McGurk lives in Sweden with her two daughters, husband, and two bonus daughters.

Book description:

A complete guide to Friluftsliv, the Nordic secret to unplugging and connecting more deeply with nature.

In The Open-Air Life, Swedish-American writer Linda McGurk introduces readers to a wide array of Nordic customs and practices that focus on slowing down and spending more and more of ones’ time outdoors. An outdoorsy cousin of hygge, friluftsliv is what Nordic people do outside all day before they cozy up in front of the fireplace with their wool socks on and a cup of hot cocoa.
 
From the pleasures of foraging for wild berries and birding to how to stay warm and cozy outside in the middle of winter, this charmingly illustrated, inspirational guide shows readers how to harness the power-of-nature to improve their physical and mental health, as well as their relationships with both other people and Mother Nature. Readers will learn:
 


Why and how they should spend more time outsideHow to use friluftsliv to combat stress, anxiety disorders, depression, and burnoutPractical skills like making fire, cooking outdoors and cleaning water on the go.  
For country and city lovers alike, this book will serve as an essential guide to slowing down in this modern, fast paced society and connecting with the natural world.