Wisdom of the Wilderness
174 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 months ago - ★★★★★ - 3 ratingsSharing wisdom gained from time spent in nature, with a dose of inspirational and empowering stories of everyday people moving through uncharted territory, both literal and figurative.
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Episodes
E141: Transitions
March 18, 2024 11:00 - 31 minutes - 29 MBIt’s almost spring! I thought it appropriate and relevant to talk about transitions and share some wisdom for navigating them as we shift into the season of new growth and possibilities. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message
E140: Courage, Determination, Bravery
March 11, 2024 11:00 - 11 minutes - 10.4 MBCourage Determination Bravery --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message
E139: DNF
March 04, 2024 11:00 - 23 minutes - 21.6 MBDid Not Finish (DNF) a race doesn’t define who you are. Today I'm reading an article I wrote about my DNF experience at the Coldwater Rumble by Aravaipa Running in Estrella Regional Park on January 20. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message
E138: Desert dwellers II
February 19, 2024 11:00 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBToday I delve into some of the questions and meanings we can consider when more desert animals cross our path. I'd forgotten about javelina and coyote as I recorded the previous episode, so decided to add them in here. Javelina showed up for me last week in southern Arizona while I was driving at night: a family of four curiously investigating part of the desert. In a curious twist of fate, the day I recorded the episode, coyotes showed up multiple times both before and after. One place was...
E137: Dreaming with Geckos
February 12, 2024 11:00 - 15 minutes - 7.56 MBThank you for listening, friends! Today's run surprised me with three different lizard or gecko sightings. I thought that since they were spaced throughout my 7.5 mile run that there was likely a message for me in the guise of their wisdom. To my trusty Medicine Cards deck I went, and discovered lizard/gecko medicine is about dreaming. We discuss dreaming the future into your perceived reality, and some steps to take to bring those far-off goals into your lived experience. As always, you ...
E136: Desert dweller wisdom
January 23, 2024 23:34 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MBThanks for listening today, friends! It's a solo episode discussing the wisdom of some of my favorite desert beings: the saguaro cactus, roadrunner, owl and desert tortoise. Inspiration for the episode comes from Symbols of the Southwest National Parks Service Jamie Sams & David Carson --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message
E135: the importance of gratitude
January 09, 2024 22:40 - 21 minutes - 10.4 MBToday’s solo episode shares a bit of my experience focusing on gratitude, and some ways we can flip a perspective to seeing something to be grateful for in any situation we might find ourselves in. Connect with me on Instagram @cactusmoose or [email protected] with questions, comments and guest suggestions. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message
E134: The Importance of Rest with Realist Idealist
January 01, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 69.7 MBHappy 2024, friends! We're starting the year off with Realist Idealist for another discussion... this time about the importance of rest. Realist Idealist has made a point over the past 8 months to incorporate scheduled rest into her schedule... turns out, it ain't so easy. We chat about her motivation to schedule rest, what's out of balance, the history of a sabbath day or full day of rest, the importance of recharging both psychologically and spiritually, and how her rest days change as ...
E133: Endless possibilities with Heidi Jorgensen
December 25, 2023 11:00 - 44 minutes - 41.2 MBThank you for listening today, friends! We've got a great episode with Heidi Jorgenson, an inspiring ultrarunner, obstacle course racer (OCR), and sponsored Speedland athlete in Arizona. Connect with her on Instagram or TikTok. We cover a number of topics including mindset, bringing dreams to reality, the challenges of ultramarathons, how she became an OCR athlete, how she became a contestant on 3 seasons of American Ninja Warrior, and some of her bucket list items and long term goals. It w...
E132: Flow State... 2023
November 20, 2023 11:00 - 21 minutes - 19.6 MBFlow state... the feeling of being so connected and having such energized focus in an activity as to lose track of time. It's what athletes and performers speak of... and it can also relate to our lives. Specifically, how well we are flowing with life, taking the path of least resistance. Or not. In today's episode I share different ways I've found to connect to flow state, and how being in flow state has led me to new connections, opportunities and directions when I am open and receptive....
E131: Amanda's experience at the Javelina Jundred Endurance Run
November 13, 2023 11:00 - 36 minutes - 34 MBThank you for listening, friends! Today's episode was so much fun to record. Amanda and I share a mutual friend that introduced us at the recent Javelina Jundred Endurance Run in Arizona. Amanda is a badass outdoor adventurer, having completed the Adirondack 46ers and currently working on the Adirondack Grid of 552 peaks. Amanda performed well at the race, and completed the 100 miles to get her finisher's buckle. We talk about what happened in her race a couple weeks ago inc...
E130: Another Way To Heal with Melissa Crawford
November 06, 2023 11:00 - 55 minutes - 51.1 MBThank you for listening today, friends! Today's guest is Melissa Crawford, a Medical Intuitive based in Nelson, British Columbia. Melissa shares her journey from Medical Doctor in the allopathic system to Medical Intuitive, and how that journey was shaped by her own personal healing. Simple nature connection has strongly affected her, and she is enthusiastic about bringing nature time into personal time and homeschooling her son. Melissa uses a variety of modalities including Light T...
E129: Javelina Jundred 2023 from behind the scenes
November 01, 2023 11:00 - 59 minutes - 55.4 MBHello friends, and thank you for listening. Today's episode details my experience being part of the biggest Hallowe'en ultramarathon dance party in the desert... the Aravaipa Running's Javelina Jundred presented by Hoka. I did a lot, met a lot of cool people, and have so many more fun memories of driving trucks, pounding T-posts, setting up tents and passing out belt buckles. It's the first time I've been at a race and NOT been at an aid station. Want to join us next year? Check out the ...
E129: WOW: Losing a wallet
August 28, 2023 22:00 - 18 minutes - 17.5 MBThanks for listening today, friends! I had a rough couple hour stretch after my trail adventure yesterday when I thought I'd lost my wallet. Turns out I hadn't, I just didn't look hard enough in my run vest, but it was rough nonetheless. Thinking I'd lost it, and how long it would take to replace what's in there, provided the material for today's episode. I share a bit about what's in my wallet, and some strategies I'm now using to make sure I can manage. As always, connect with me at wis...
E126: The stamina of elk
August 14, 2023 10:00 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBThanks for listening today, friends! The elk have unexpectedly dropped out of the high country, and I've seen some every day this past week. I thought I'd check in on elk medicine, and share a couple of tidbits about how I've applied that wisdom to my life. As always, connect with me at [email protected] or @cactusmoose on Instagram with questions, comments and guest suggestions. There might be a slight shift in the podcast as momentum builds on another project I've been...
E128: The stamina of elk
August 14, 2023 10:00 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MBThanks for listening today, friends! The elk have unexpectedly dropped out of the high country, and I've seen some every day this past week. I thought I'd check in on elk medicine, and share a couple of tidbits about how I've applied that wisdom to my life. As always, connect with me at [email protected] or @cactusmoose on Instagram with questions, comments and guest suggestions. There might be a slight shift in the podcast as momentum builds on another project I've been...
E127: Chipmunk wisdom
August 07, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 10.8 MBHi there friends, thank you for listening today. I've been seeing chipmunks everywhere for the past week, and decided to record an episode today about their wisdom. Feel free to contact me with questions, comments and guest suggestions at [email protected] or on Instagram @cactusmoose --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message
E126: Chipmunk wisdom
August 07, 2023 10:00 - 11 minutes - 10.8 MBHi there friends, thank you for listening today. I've been seeing chipmunks everywhere for the past week, and decided to record an episode today about their wisdom. Feel free to contact me with questions, comments and guest suggestions at [email protected] or on Instagram @cactusmoose --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message
E126: How to run an ultra on very few calories
July 24, 2023 10:00 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MBThanks for listening today, friends! Last Saturday, July 22, I ran a 50k ultramarathon in the town of Fernie: the Elk Valley Ultra by Stag Leap Running. Today I'm sharing my race-day experience: having stomach issues 5 miles in, seeing a bear cub, and doing a lot of climbing while it was 95 degrees. The course is gorgeous, and I highly recommend it for the views; it's also tough, and will test you on the climbs and technical sections. It was a blast to go out and see how I fare against ot...
E125: Badger medicine
June 26, 2023 10:00 - 15 minutes - 14.7 MBThanks for listening today, friends! I had a chance encounter with a badger on my run today, and thought I'd share badger medicine from the Sams & Carson deck I frequently use. Lo and behold, it's a meaning that's spot on for what I am experiencing in some aspects of my life. As always, connect with me at [email protected] with questions, comments and guest suggestions. Until next week, here's to spending time outdoors and unplugged! --- Send in a voice message: https...
E124: FIRE!!
June 19, 2023 10:00 - 45 minutes - 42.2 MBThanks for listening today, friends! We had a stressful situation out here a couple weeks ago now, and I wanted to collect my thoughts and share my experience dealing with a forest fire. We got really lucky in that it was nearby, reported to us quickly, and we were prepared. A small crew of four of us got it put out. It could have easily become out-of-control due to conditions that day. Living with fire is a reality of life throughout North America, and not just in recent memory. Our ponde...
E125: Adventures in Airports
May 29, 2023 10:00 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MBThanks for listening, friends! Today's episode details a few of the... adventures I've had in airports when traveling in western North America. Learn from my experiences traveling after performing landscape beautification and trying out a new dietary addition... things didn't go exactly as planned. This episode will help you know what NOT to do when traveling. As always, connect with me on Instagram or through [email protected] with questions, comments and guest suggestio...
E124: Values
April 17, 2023 10:00 - 28 minutes - 26.7 MBValues. What are they? How do they shape our lives? How do they change over time as we grow and evolve? Today's episode is a perspective on values, how to approach them, and some questions to use to determine what your values are, and whether you're living in alignment with them. My favorite way of picturing the difference between goals and values is “Values are directions we keep moving in, whereas goals are what we want to achieve along the way,” Dr. Russ Harris writes in the book Th...
E123: Raising your frequency (or vibration)
April 03, 2023 10:00 - 45 minutes - 42.3 MBThank you for listening, friends! Today's topic is frequency/vibration from a spiritual or metaphysical perspective... and some ways that you can raise yours. What can happen when you raise your vibes, let go of old, non-serving behaviors and toxic people/places/situations? Listen along for some suggestions and reflections from my life experience. I also pulled a card, When A Witch Must Drink Their Brew, from Colette Baron-Reid's free oracle cards app available here: https://www.colettebar...
E122: Things to ponder when taking a long trip
March 27, 2023 10:00 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBThanks for listening today, friends! I've been asked a lot about the details of my recent 5 month road trip, and about what are things I considered when planning out my trip. Today's episode goes through some of my thought processes and tips for creating an epic adventure. Topics covered include -planning -prioritizing -what's important and NOT important to you -saving & budgeting -fear of the unknown... it's just unknown -researching the trip through blogs, social media, videos, book...
E121: Living the question with Realist Idealist
March 20, 2023 10:00 - 49 minutes - 45.4 MBToday's episode is another with my good friend Realist Idealist. Unfortunately, the first 45 minutes of our discussion of language is lost to the ethers, but what's left is a neat discussion. It's a philosophical discussion the likes of which I enjoy for the different perspectives that we can access. Language is a powerful tool. Realist Idealist ponders what we can become aware of as we notice how the use of certain words make us feel. We chat about lifestyle design, affirmations, how to ...
E120: Learnings from 5 months in the truck
March 13, 2023 10:00 - 42 minutes - 38.9 MBI spent a lot of the past 5 months dry camping in my truck as I explored the desert and participated in the trail and ultrarunning communities. Today's episode is a synopsis of the motivation for the trip, as well as what I learned. The main reasons for the trip were to see friends, explore the desert, try out the snowbird lifestyle and connect with the community I enjoy in different places. There are a few things I'd change about my camping setup, the routes I took, places I still have yet...
E119: Black Canyon 100k
February 27, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 57.3 MBThanks for listening, friends! Today's episode is my perspective of the events from the Aravaipa Running Black Canyon 100k that I ran on February 18, 2023 in Arizona. It was a great experience: meeting new and old friends, being part of the race community and supporting others. A lot of things happened that day, and even in the recording and as I write the description I realize I've missed a few things. Here are a few links to topics or people I mention during the episode: Heidi Garner S...
E118: Lend a hand
February 12, 2023 11:00 - 20 minutes - 19.2 MBIt's been a hot minute friends! This week's episode catches you up on January busy-ness, and what I've been pondering as this adventure comes to an end. My long run in January was a whopping mile(!!) while I stayed with friends for lambing season to learn, experience and help out. That prompted the idea for today's episode, and with the nonstop nature of lambing/calving on the ranch, explains the absence of episodes lately. One thing we can all do is lend a hand to another person, cause or ...
E117: Inspiration
January 02, 2023 11:00 - 17 minutes - 16.6 MBHappy 2023! Today I'm discussing how I spent New Year's being inspired by participants in a 6 day race called Across The Years, and ways that we can all be inspiring to others. Connect with me on Instagram @cactusmoose or [email protected] with questions, comments and guest requests. As always, here's to a magical day outdoors full of laughter and love! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message
E116: Decision-making on a road trip
December 19, 2022 11:00 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MBThanks for listening today, friends, and hello to all the different cities and countries y'all are tuning in from! Today I'm answering listener questions about my truck camping setup for road trips, how I get water, where I get clean, and how I choose sites for the evening. I also discuss the many decisions anyone on a road trip faces every day, and some ways to prevent those processes from becoming overwhelming. Breathwork (Wim Hof method; Kim Anami style), taking things one step at a time...
E115: The energy of place
December 12, 2022 23:00 - 17 minutes - 16.5 MBThanks for listening, friends! Today I talk about the energy of place, and how it can affect how we feel in different locations around the globe. I'm drawn to deserts, despite growing up on the wet coast... perhaps there's something for us in the locations we're attracted to, and perhaps our life can change if we visit (or move to) places that call us. I'm mentioned on Gremlin Talk as for my role in Mak's race experience at Javelina Jundred. As always, connect with me on Instagram @cactu...
E114: Cougar Patrol
November 28, 2022 11:00 - 21 minutes - 20.1 MBThanks for listening today, friends! This episode details how cougar patrol came into existence, how it's both a real thing and a playful way to create content, and some trail safety thoughts. It was recorded while grounding myself in the majestic landscape of White Sands National Park. As always, connect with me at [email protected] or on Instagram @cactusmoose with questions, comments and guest suggestions. Here's to a wonderful day! --- Send in a voice message: ht...
E113: Draw of the desert
November 21, 2022 11:00 - 20 minutes - 18.5 MBWhy am I, and many other people, so drawn to the desert? Tune in today to hear some thoughts about why the desert is my happy place, and how being in deserts has helped me process life and grow. A few of the topics I mention: longevity open spaces and openness of people harsh environmental conditions requiring adaptation and resourcefulness facing yourself spiky plants sunshine Edward Abbey Morgan Sjogren or Instagram Episode 111 with Megan As always, connect with me through wisd...
E112: My Deadman Peaks 106 ultramarathon experience
November 07, 2022 18:46 - 31 minutes - 29.4 MBThanks for listening, friends! Today I share what transpired as I DNF'd my attempt at the 106 mile Deadman Peaks ultramarathon near Cuba, New Mexico. It didn't end how I anticipated and I learned a lot about myself, about preparation, and about leaving it all on the course. It was a fantastic, albeit painful, experience, and I'm planning to return in 2023 to finish and claim my buckle. Big thanks to everyone at the race, all the volunteers who helped out, the other runners, and race dire...
E112: Deadman Peaks
November 07, 2022 11:00 - 31 minutes - 29.4 MBThanks for listening, friends! Today I share what transpired as I DNF'd my attempt at the 106 mile Deadman Peaks ultramarathon near Cuba, New Mexico. It didn't end how I anticipated and I learned a lot about myself, about preparation, and about leaving it all on the course. It was a fantastic, albeit painful, experience, and I'm planning to return in 2023 to finish and claim my buckle. Big thanks to everyone at the race, all the volunteers who helped out, the other runners, and race direc...
E111: Megan - The less traveled path is more exciting
November 01, 2022 07:34 - 1 hour - 69.8 MBIn today's episode, Megan @mkupres22 shares some wisdom and insight from her journey into trail running, competing and coaching that extends far beyond start/finish lines and trails. Megan's positive energy is contagious, to the point she seems to be the Energizer Bunny. We chat about a variety of subjects including Aravaipa Running, what it's like to coach, how to influence high school to make running fun, the importance of community, staying motivated during an injury, perfectionism ve...
E111: Megan Kupres - The less traveled path is more exciting
November 01, 2022 07:34 - 1 hour - 69.8 MBIn today's episode, Megan Kupress @mkupres22 shares some wisdom and insight from her journey into trail running, competing and coaching that extends far beyond start/finish lines and trails. Megan's positive energy is contagious, to the point that she seems to be the Energizer Bunny. We chat about a variety of subjects including Aravaipa Running, what it's like to coach, how to influence high school to make running fun, the importance of community, staying motivated during an injury, per...
E109: Looking at old landscapes with new eyes
October 17, 2022 10:00 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MB“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” Marcel Proust What does this quote actually mean? Listen today for some thoughts about the famous Proust quote as it relates to reconnecting with places I've lived, worked and explored in the past... and how the quote can apply to jobs, relationships and even relocation. As always, connect with me at [email protected] with questions, comments and guest suggestions. You can also ...
E108: the magic of spider
September 19, 2022 10:00 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBThank you for listening today, friends! I've been seeing a lot of spiders lately, and was curious about the meaning behind spiders, and on take on their energy. It's a shorter episode today, but sometimes the short and sweet stories have the greatest impact. Big, heartfelt thank you for a wonderful Saturday mountain adventure, and to the powers we all have for what else has manifested out of that hike. As always, connect with me at [email protected] or find me on Insta...
E107: Worms, worms, everywhere
September 12, 2022 10:00 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBThe title says it all: there were worms everywhere today. So many showed up I looked into the wisdom of the worm in relation to what may be transpiring in our lives. Enjoy this episode, and the rest of your day! Connect with me at [email protected] or on instagram @cactusmoose for questions, comments and guest suggestions. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message
E106: Jen: how to live an adventure...
September 05, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 72.9 MBI'm really excited to share today's episode with the hilarious and inspiring Jen Laughlin because... cool people do cool stuff. We have a wide-ranging discussion about how to balance ultramarathon training with family and work responsibilities, creating and sharing adventures, the awesomeness of Arizona, the value of networking and some of our favorite beers. We even chat about beer selection before introductions! It was a lot of fun to chat with Jen, another contact made from random synch...
E105: Otter says hello
August 29, 2022 10:00 - 14 minutes - 13 MBThank you for listening, friends! Today's episode focuses on the energy and medicine within the Otter card from the Sams & Carson deck that I frequently use. It's really neat how the energy has shown up in my life the past few days, including just towards the end when I see a deer then the friend who carries otter energy. Magic can--and does--happen all the time. As always, connect with me at [email protected] or on Instagram at @cactusmoose with questions, comments a...
E104: WOW: canoeing adventure
August 22, 2022 10:00 - 21 minutes - 19.9 MBThanks for listening today, friends! Toda is a solo episode sharing a bit about the adventures of the last 10 days, culminating in a spontaneous overnight canoe trip in the dark. Many opportunities come up to say yes to the gifts from the Universe. Last night was one: a friend and I had a fantastic evening paddling, chatting, and supporting each other discussing past traumas. I'm on the hunt for guest to share their stories on the podcast, and comments, questions and guest suggestions, too...
E103: A pivotal moment
August 15, 2022 10:00 - 24 minutes - 22.8 MBThanks for listening friends! Today I share a bit about my experiences over the past couple of weeks: death, unexpected endings and potential opportunities, unanticipated injuries and a LOT of sunshine. I felt it would be beneficial to share some of my thought processes and reflections in light of going through a few traumatic experiences in the space of a few days. To me, it's just life, and I keep going... but it's also beneficial to share strategies and techniques for managing life as it ...
E102: Eyes of the Eagle
August 08, 2022 10:00 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MBThank you for listening today, friends! It's Episode 102, and today's topic is the wisdom from Eyes of the Eagle which I accessed through the free oracle cards available on Colette Baron-Reid's website. It's a gem that connects with much of my experience over the past 72 hours, before pondering the couple of years before that. It's always fun for me to look for deeper meaning in the seemingly-random "coincidences" that define my experience. As always, #optoutside and enjoy the lovely livin...
E101: We're all inspiring someone else
August 01, 2022 10:00 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBThank you for listening, friends! I'm celebrating the entry to triple-digit numbers with an episode sharing my thoughts about how we can all be an inspiration to someone else. Wherever you are at in your life situation, job title, relationship status, athletic achievements, education, business savvy and all other avenues or situations in life, you're an inspiration to someone else. There's someone out there wondering if they could make the change(s) you made... and we all have an opportuni...
E100: Realist Idealist: Are you jumping into or out of life?
July 25, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 62.1 MBI've got Realist Idealist back to celebrate the milestone 100th episode of Wisdom of the Wilderness... and want to thank you, the listeners, spread out amongst 42 countries. This is a wide-ranging conversation (as usual) covering spiritual aspects of navigating life and the balance between planning versus going with the flow. We spontaneously create new words, ponder the role of horses in catalyzing personal growth and cultural change, consider the energetic differences of jumping into or o...
E99: Walking through the wilderness
July 18, 2022 10:00 - 29 minutes - 27.1 MBBig thank you to the listeners from all 42 countries! Today's episode walks through a bit of my journey from urban office to a variety of "Wait... what happened? ... really?" stories from the adventures I've had at work. There's value to everyone's individual dreams - perhaps today is the day to start pondering whether you want to wait until retirement to do that, or just start today...? As always, connect with me at [email protected] with questions, comments and guest su...
E98: WOW: Beach Wisdom
July 11, 2022 10:00 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MBThank you for listening, friends! Today I'm sharing some lessons from the beach, and how they can be used to help is grow and work with what's happening in our lives. As always, connect with me at [email protected] with questions, comments and guest suggestions... or to share your favorite way to enjoy the beach. Until next week, #optoutside and take some deep breaths fo fresh air! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilder...