Our Nature: Conversations about the relationship between nature, spirituality, and well-being
68 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 months ago -The Our Nature Podcast explores the methods, systems and practices that bring us into greater harmony and alignment with the natural world. This is not a wellness podcast, but a podcast about how to live and be well. Join Alyssa Benjamin, a back-to-nature guide, as she speaks with experts from a variety of fields about how we can align our lives with the rhythms and cycles of nature. The opportunity to live a more joyful and harmonious existence is available to each of us right in this very moment. So tune in, and together, we'll rediscover what comes naturally.
Homepage Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
EP 16: The Architecture of Nature With Vaastu Consultant Hunter Cressman
November 06, 2019 12:00 - 1 hour - 64.1 MBFor this week’s episode of Our Nature, I chat with Vaastu Consultant Hunter Cressman. I’m guessing you’ve probably never heard of Vaastu before. I know I hadn’t until Hunter spoke about it during a vedic meditation class at the Spring Meditation Center back in June. Vaastu is the architecture of nature. It is incredibly precise and specific. It’s designed to create well-being in a space through a series of mathematical principles that are applied to determine the direction a building is faci...
EP 15: Welcome To The Slow Flower Movement With Florist Elena Seegers of Le Fleuriste
October 23, 2019 11:00 - 1 hour - 55.1 MBIn nature, flowers exist for reproductive purposes. But, for humans, they’ve been a source of awe and inspiration for centuries. For Georgia O’Keefe, they were her ever-generous subjects. In “A New Earth,” spiritual teacher and author, Eckhart Tolle, writes: “When you are alert and contemplate a flower, crystal or a bird without naming it mentally, it becomes a window for you into the formless. There is an inner opening, however slight, into the realm of the spirit.” The giving and receiving...
EP 14: Naturally Radiant Skin With Skincare Expert Jenna Levine of LINNÉ Botanicals
October 09, 2019 12:00 - 1 hour - 73.8 MBHow can we care for our skin naturally? And, why does it matter what we put on our skin in the first place? We’ll answer these questions and more as we dive into the world of natural skincare with Jenna Levine of LINNÉ Botanicals. Jenna turned a childhood passion into a career when she started her line of non-toxic skincare named after famed Swedish Botanist Carl Von Linné. Whether you are a skincare superfan who wants to build upon your knowledge or, someone who doesn’t know much about skin...
EP 13: Mushrooms, Mycelium and More with Andrew Carter, Co-founder and CEO of Smallhold
September 25, 2019 18:42 - 1 hour - 55.4 MBMushrooms may be one of nature’s true mysteries, which is probably why we can’t get enough of them. In this episode, I talk to Andrew Carter, co-founder and CEO of Smallhold, the only mushroom farm and organic farm in New York City. His company installs mini farms, or space-like growing units – in grocery stores such as Whole Foods, restaurants like Mission Chinese, and hotels like The Standard Hotel – that grow mushrooms in controlled climates from bags of sawdust so they can be harvested a...
EP 12: How To Sleep Better With Buffy Co-founder and CEO Leo Wang
September 18, 2019 16:26 - 1 hour - 64.6 MBEach of us, at some point or another, has struggled to fall asleep, to stay asleep, or to feel rested after sleeping through the night. This week, we talk all things sleep with Buffy co-founder and CEO Leo Wang. Leo shares his personal journey of dealing with insomnia and the surprising way he resolved his sleep troubles (it’s not what you might think). You’ll learn some practical tips for how to get a restful sleep, how the teachings of Daoism can help us sleep better, Leo’s rituals for get...
EP 11: Honoring Our Past and Hopes For The Future
September 11, 2019 15:20 - 6 minutes - 5.92 MBHi ! Welcome to a very special and very short edition of the Our Nature Podcast. The date this episode will air will be on Wednesday, September 11th, which is the same date and day of the week that New York City experienced the worst terrorist attack in American history. It was a day that marked the end of innocence for many people, including myself. And although it has been 18 years since 9-11, the event changed the city and our collective sense of safety forever. For these reasons, and esp...
EP 10: Harness Your Energy and De-stress Your Body With Qigong Facilitator Michael Ventura
September 04, 2019 11:00 - 54 minutes - 49.6 MBMichael Ventura has done it all - he’s an author of the book Applied Empathy, a podcast host, and the CEO of a highly successful branding agency. He’s also an accomplished healer, with roots in Qigong as taught to him by master Yuwen Ru, and in the Shamanic traditions of the Nahuatl Indians as shared by curandera Doña Leova. His mission is to be of service to his patients so that they can release any karmic, ancestral and personal trauma that holds them back from their essence. It was a trau...
EP 09: How to Heal Your Body With Plants Featuring Herbalist Rachelle Robinett
August 28, 2019 11:00 - 1 hour - 60 MBRachelle Robinett is an herbalist, holistic health practitioner and this week’s guest on the Our Nature Podcast. After spending many years working in marketing in the fashion industry, Rachelle transitioned into her greatest passion - herbs and plant-based medicine. In this episode we talk all about Western Herbalism, the use of teas, tinctures and decoctions, which herbs are overrated (hello adaptogens and CBD) and which are underrated (nervines), why the millennial generation is suffering ...
EP 08: A Pain Free Existence With Alexander Technique Practitioner Alan Katz
August 21, 2019 10:00 - 53 minutes - 49.4 MBIf you’ve ever been injured or have suffered from chronic pain of any kind, this episode is for you. Alan Katz is an Alexander Technique practitioner who came to Alexander Technique after a devastating injury left him in constant pain. After only a few sessions, his pain began to subside and Alan quit his job to make Alexander Technique his life’s practice. Today, he teaches people how to use their bodies the natural way - with balance instead of tension. What’s most amazing about Alexander ...
EP 07: The Color of Your Energy With Aura Reader Susanna Merrick
August 14, 2019 11:00 - 1 hour - 72.4 MBThis week's episode is all about energy. Specifically, your energy, also known as your aura, and what it says about you. I chat with intuitive aura reader Susanna Merrick who sees people’s aura colors. It’s sort of like being able to see the colors that are captured in an aura photograph, but all the time. Because every single living thing has an aura, I see them as the great equalizer, moving us ever closer to each other and to the natural world. In this episode, Susanna shares her fascinat...
EP 06: How To Dye Fabric From Food Scraps With Designer Maria Elena Pombo
August 07, 2019 11:00 - 59 minutes - 54.4 MBMaria Elena Pombo is a designer from Venezuela who uses natural dyeing techniques to ignite conversations about society, culture and the environment. She hosts workshops, demonstrations and presentations showcasing how to dye fabric with food scraps such as avocado seeds and onion skins. In 2018, she launched her first collection featuring timeless silhouettes dyed millennial pink with avocado seeds. Listen in for an inspiring conversation about the magical, mystical world of natural dyeing!...
EP 05: How To Be A Citizen Of The Natural World With Foraging Expert Laura Silverman
July 31, 2019 11:00 - 47 minutes - 43.5 MBLaura Silverman is a writer, branding consultant, and Founding Naturalist of The Outside Institute, which aims to foster a greater connection between individuals and the natural world. Before creating The Outside Institute in 2017, Laura wrote Glutton for Life, which was a blog exploring Catskill living. She also regularly contributes to Edible Hudson Valley, The River Reporter and WJFF, and was a speaker (“On Foraging”) at Bitten 2018. Laura regularly hosts foraging 101 workshops as well as...
EP 04: How To Feel Good In Your Space With Feng Shui Practitioner Susan Balaban
July 24, 2019 12:00 - 1 hour - 66.9 MBSusan Balaban is an Astrologer and Feng Shui practitioner who uses her readings to empower people to live their lives with authenticity. As a self-described skeptic of all things spiritual, Susan found a new, more conscious path after the death of her mother brought her to the doorway of a Shaman who introduced her to the world of spirit. Susan found her calling in studying Black Hat Sect Feng Shui, which comes from the Bon tradition in Tibet and emphasizes following the flow of Chi (energy)...
EP 03: The Mystery Of Nature With Artist Emily Johnston
June 27, 2019 10:10 - 45 minutes - 41.7 MBEmily Johnston is an artist and photographer whose work takes her around the world exploring the intimate landscapes of our relationships to each other and to our environments. In this episode of the Our Nature Podcast, Emily shares how the mystery of the natural world has been a source of consistent exploration for her art and for her life. From growing up in Paris to living in New York City and finally finding a home in upstate NY, Emily’s journey is one of curiosity, creativity and a perp...
EP 02: A Path To Deeper Consciousness With Rastafari Anthony Bailey
June 27, 2019 10:05 - 49 minutes - 45.6 MBWeed. Marijuana. Ganja. Cannabis. This substance is the topic of the moment. Wrapped around this herb are issues of race, culture, politics, human rights, our relationship to the natural world and our well being. People use marijuana for a variety of reasons - to relax, to focus, to spark creativity, to relieve pain, to mellow out, to check out. But what if marijuana could be a vehicle for a deeper connection, meaningful conversation, even spirituality? In today’s episode, Rastafarian and fo...
EP 01: What To Eat For How You Feel With Ayurvedic Chef Divya Alter
June 27, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 64.9 MBHave you heard of the term Ayurveda and wondered what it’s all about? Or maybe you already know the basics, but would like to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of this system of medicine, which is over five thousand years old. Divya Alter is a chef, entrepreneur, teacher, nutritional coach, and author of the best-selling cookbook, "What To Eat For How You Feel". In the first episode of the Our Nature podcast, Divya shares her incredible journey from growing up in Bulgaria, discoverin...
EP 01: Ayurvedic Chef Divya Alter – What To Eat For How You Feel
June 27, 2019 10:00 - 1 hour - 64.9 MBHave you heard of the term Ayurveda and wondered what it’s all about? Or maybe you already know the basics, but would like to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of this system of medicine, which is over five thousand years old. Divya Alter is a chef, entrepreneur, teacher, nutritional coach, and author of the best-selling cookbook, "What To Eat For How You Feel". In the first episode of the Our Nature podcast, Divya shares her incredible journey from growing up in Bulgaria, discoverin...
EP 00: Welcome to the Our Nature Podcast
June 24, 2019 21:20 - 3 minutes - 3.02 MBConnect with The Our Nature Podcast! Follow Our Nature on Instagram Gratitude List: This podcast would not be possible without the group of talented individuals below. I offer them my sincerest thanks and love. Produced by: Kevin Aguirre Buitrago and Will Wells Graphics by: Tim LaSalle Music by: Nick Ceglia Support the Our Nature Podcast: Leave a review!: Click on the podcast app Search for the Our Nature Podcast Click on the show art Click the “Subscribe” button Scroll down and...