Nature Can Reset Your Nervous System If You Let It

Your body knows when it has been indoors too long, and your mind usually pays the price. We sit down with Shawn, a forest therapy guide and the founder of The Art of Moxie.  We dig into what a guided forest therapy experience feels like, including a sensory awakening meditation that expands your soundscape and pulls you back into the present. Shawn shares how nature can act as a mirror during hard seasons, and we explore the “wood wide web,” as a surprisingly practical lesson in resilience, diversity, and community support.

We also talk about modern balance: AI and virtual reality can be helpful, but they cannot replace the real thing. If you cannot get to a forest, Shawn offers simple ways to bring nature indoors with grounding objects, plants, and natural scents, plus a beginner-friendly explanation of phytoncides and why the smell of pine or cedar can feel like an instant reset.

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Transcript

Why Hobbies Help Us Rest

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Welcome back to the Create Harmony Podcast. Let me tell you what we're all about. So at Create Harmony, we are elevating the pursuit of peacemaking. And we're highlighting the voices of fellow peacemakers. We do that through conversations, listening to their stories, and learning about their simple practices. And that helps us explore the rhythms that really nurture peace. Peace within us, peace between us, and in all the communities that we call home. We like to live in step with the rhythms of nature, and we pay attention to the seasons and all of the ways that the seasons shape us. So this summer we're in the summer season right now, and this summer we're doing a thorough examination of hobbies. We are talking to all sorts of different people about their own hobbies, the hobbies they love, and discussing how the pursuit of these interests is a form of rest and how it can restore us to get back to all the meaningful work that we do in life. Now, one thing I'll mention here is that we've decided to adapt our rhythm of releasing episodes this summer in order to free up some time for our team to explore some of our own hobbies and some more upcoming content. So our episodes usually release every week, but this summer we will drop an episode every other week. And that'll give you a chance to pursue some of your interests this summer in between listening to us. So now let's tune into our hobby conversation for this week.

What Forest Therapy Really Is

SPEAKER_01 1:45

Sean has a business called the Art of Moxie, and we're going to get into all of what that means. But we are so glad to have you. Welcome, Sean.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

Thank you so much. I appreciate the invitation to join you today.

SPEAKER_01 1:57

Thanks. Well, we're going to talk about this episode, it is going to fold into our summer series, which is all about hobbies. And we're going to talk about people's hobbies, the energy that people bring into their hobbies. And the reason that we're talking about that is because hobbies are sort of a form of rest. It's a it's a way of respite and sort of moving away from all the busyness and the work and the chaos. It's a privilege to get to spend time doing a hobby. So for those of us who have that privilege, we're trying to really emphasize take that time and uplift your spirits in that way. But what you do is not your hobby. It's actually your business. But we're going to fold it into our hobby conversation because I think that it can be helpful to people to bring a little of the energy that you are inspire into their hobby pursuits. So let's get to what that means. All right. So you are a forest therapist. A forest therapy guide. A forest therapy guide. Okay. I'm going to let you tell us a little bit about what it means to be a forest therapy guide.

SPEAKER_00 3:02

Okay. It might be easier to start with what is forest therapy. A lot of people are confused by that. Um, I'm not a therapist. I kind of think of myself as a facilitator. So I take people out in nature or out in forests, whatever the natural environment might be. And I really facilitate an experience or a practice that helps them connect at a deeper level with nature and with themselves. And I use the terms forest therapy and forest bathing kind of interchangeably. And in my mind, forest therapy is kind of an umbrella term. And forest bathing falls under that. And I know many people are like, oh my gosh, that sounds weird. What is forest bathing?

SPEAKER_01 3:47

So the term Yes, tell us what is forest bathing.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

The term forest bathing actually evolved from a practice that um started in Japan in the 1980s. And what happened is more and more of their residents were moving from highly um rural or natural environments into more highly urban environments, so into the cities. There was a big tech boom. So a lot of people were moving into cities for job opportunities and better economic opportunities. Interestingly enough, um, those people started experiencing physical and emotional symptoms in large volumes that they hadn't previously experienced. And fortunately, someone was paying attention. And the government actually started researching that further, and I believe it was their ministry of health hypothesized that there was a direct connection to the fact that they were no longer connected to nature. So they started kind of experimenting, they started creating opportunities for the residents to gather in green spaces, and they started measuring their health. And so they measured their blood pressure and they did self-assessments and asked them, you know, were they feeling anxious or were they feeling depressed? And um, lots of they were measuring lots of metrics like that. And they noticed they were able to track the difference before and after. And they did determine that there was indeed some benefits from spending that type of time in nature. So as a result, they really made that a priority and they started investing and creating more green spaces and planting more trees, creating more opportunities for the residents to come together in those green spaces and connect with nature, with each other, that sort of thing.

SPEAKER_01 5:39

So okay. And and I know that that the term forest bathing, there's no bathing. I mean it's negative.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

So Shinin Yoku was the term, the Japanese term. And loosely translated, that simply means bathing in the forest atmosphere. So that's how forest bathing came about. Yeah.

unknown 5:57

It came about.

SPEAKER_00 5:58

Yes, because it sounds like am I gonna be doing if people want to do that, if they have an opportunity to do that, then more power to them. But great. That's not what I enjoyed. Yeah, but that's not what we're talking about here. Not yet, anyways.

SPEAKER_01 6:15

So yeah. Okay, so tell us how you got into this for us there, becoming a good idea.

Sean’s Story And Nature As Refuge

SPEAKER_00 6:22

Oh, that's a great question. So I grew up in West Virginia and spent most of my childhood outdoors. That was really my go-to place, you know, to use my imagination, to um connect with the world around me, to deal with some challenging or difficult times in life. Um, my family actually suffered a tragedy when I was four years old. And um, you know, I just remember when I look back, nature was my go-to place to go for dealing with anything that I found challenging. And as I grew up, like most of us or many of us, you kind of get away from that, right? I moved into a more urban environment. I spent a lot of time in my in the office, you know, working, um, those sorts of things, and kind of got away from that sense of connection. And when COVID hit and many of us were forced into the pandemic, um, I, like many of us, were really searching for ways to deal with the uncertainty and the fear and the stress and the isolation. And I'm fortunate enough to have a really big backyard with lots of beautiful trees and lots of beautiful wildlife. And I went back to that. And, you know, I was reminded of how meaningful and powerful um nature can be, and how nature can really support us through difficult times. So I was like, I really want to find a way to be able to remind other people that that is available to them. So I started searching for ways to do that. And my background primarily professionally has been as a communication strategist and then a mindset or positive psychology coach. So finding ways to help people deal with difficult or challenging situations was really part of what I did in my coaching. So this was a perfect complement to that work in particular. So I searched for a program, um, found an organization, went through a 16-week program, and um started looking for ways to share this with others.

SPEAKER_01 8:31

I love that. Well, and I really, really like what you said about using nature as a healing tool, turning to nature in times of difficulty or challenge or trauma, and not just then, but but when you you know, using that tool as a resource that's deeper than just I'm gonna go outside and here do a little bird watching, which I love bird watching.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

Absolutely. And you know, that's a form of forest therapy in and of itself. That's a very mindful activity. Um, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01 9:06

Absolutely. Like I'm in the I'm in the target group for bird watching, so I'm all about that. But I like the fact that you take it deeper and that it can apply at all phases of our lives and all of our circumstances. I love that. So tell us a little bit more about what it's like when you are guiding

Guided Sensory Meditation In The Trees

SPEAKER_01 9:24

a group. What what would that experience be like?

SPEAKER_00 9:28

Yeah, so it's different every single time, and that's one of the beautiful things about it. Um, I do partner with the JC Ralston Arboretum and Raleigh. So I do public experiences there on a fairly regular basis throughout the year. And those are typically two-hour experiences. And one of the first things that I do with the group, well, I share information about the history and the science behind um forest therapy. And I can talk a little bit more about that here too. But um I walk them through that. Then one of the most powerful things that I do is I guide them through a sensory awakening meditation. And, you know, we tend to rush through life focused on using one or two senses, right? And so we don't necessarily slow down long enough and connect with ourselves in a way that we really tap into all the senses that are available to us. So the meditation that I walk them through has them start, you know, focusing in a different way on their sense of hearing and has them really think about what they're hearing on the furthest edges of their soundscape. And we spend a moment there. And then I bring them in and I'm like, what are you hearing in the mid-range between here and there? And then they focus on that. And then I'm like, what sounds are you hearing closest to you? And it really just changes the way that they start to experience everything around them. It really wakes up these senses and they start noticing things, you know, they start seeing things, they start feeling things, they start hearing things, they start smelling things, they start imagining things. Like it opens up this sense of awe and wonder and a sense of imagination that we as adults don't always allow ourselves to tap into.

SPEAKER_01 11:14

That I love that. That is so in our wheelhouse here at Create Harmony because we do um create guided meditations that are very much like that. They're very nature-inspired, they're very imaginative, and it is a different way of using your senses to imagine yourself smelling a flower is still as powerful because your brain doesn't really always know the difference between actually smelling a flower and imagining smelling a flower.

SPEAKER_00 11:42

Yes. Absolutely, or that's so powerful, absolutely. And you know, I also talk a lot about like um, I believe that nature really serves as a mirror for us. And so a lot of times, you know, if we're going through something challenging or we're struggling with something, um, if you see that reflected back to you in nature, you start to experience it in a way that maybe is a little less scary or a little less confusing. And then you see the way that nature deals with, you know, potentially challenging times like storms, how trees weather storms. And um, one of the one of my favorite things that I do is really talk about the importance of having a healthy ecosystem.

SPEAKER_01 12:24

Okay. Talk a little bit about that.

SPEAKER_00 12:27

Okay, so I talk about this thing called the mycorrhizal fungi network. I don't know if you've heard of that.

SPEAKER_01 12:33

Yes, I have, but a lot of people probably haven't. So I can learn some more.

SPEAKER_00 12:37

Yeah, so um, there's a wonderful author. Her name is Dr. Suzanne Simard, and she wrote a book called Finding the Mother Tree. And her research kind of turned the world of forestry upside down because the forestry industry thought, for example, if they wanted to harvest all cedar trees, that they would get rid of everything else in that area because they wanted the cedar trees to get all the sunlight, all the water, all the nourishment, and they thought that the cedar trees would thrive. And that was the practice for hundreds of years. Her research showed that trees actually thrive in a diverse and healthy environment. So they want an ecosystem that not only consists of other cedar trees, but of other trees and other shrubs and other beings, so to speak. And one of the most amazing things about that is the fact that um the trees work in um harmony with fungi, and they create this amazing underground network. And the trees and the fungi work together to share messages and to share nourishment, and um, they work together to create this healthy ecosystem. And I often read this beautiful passage from this other book that really talks about that and really helps us see how we can do the same, you know, how we can work together to support others around us and um we can learn from the forest and we can, you know, build our own healthy and diverse um ecosystem.

SPEAKER_01 14:15

I I was thinking that when you were talking, I was thinking, what a great lesson for community, for the way that we build our own communities and the way that we continue to connect and pay attention to our own communities. Such a great inspiration here.

SPEAKER_00 14:30

And I talk about, you know, so I extend what I call invitations. So people have an opportunity, I'll extend an invitation, for example, I'll read a little poem or a little essay about cycles of growth. And then I'll send them out where they have an opportunity to look for examples of growth in that area, and then think about what that means to them. Or perhaps they can think about their own season of growth, and maybe they can learn from nature some ways that maybe they can help navigate that transition or that change, or, you know, um, things like that. So um it really is a unique experience for every individual. And, you know, every time I go out into the forest or out into the arboretum or wherever I'm doing these experiences, it's a different experience for me. And I really try to take myself out of that experience as much as possible. And I kind of think of myself um as making that reintroduction between the individual and nature and having faith that they will make that connection and that that individual get exactly what they need in that moment.

SPEAKER_01 15:40

Uh uh, there are so many things that you said right there that I was like, oh yes, yes, and that, and this, and that. Yeah, I love that. I love all of it. I think it's amazing. And I what I keep

The Wood Wide Web And Community

SPEAKER_01 15:50

thinking, what's kind of coming up for me during this conversation is in an era when we are all going towards more machines, which is not necessarily bad. I mean, I, you know, I'm not I'm not anti-tech or anti-um machines because I sure do love my dishwasher and my microwave. But I as as we step through this AI evolution, it is important for us to counterweight that or balance that with these connections with nature. I think I think that's so valuable and so wise. There's so much wisdom in what you have to share here.

SPEAKER_00 16:28

Yes. And if they want to learn more about that, because there's lots of um people out there trying to recreate the same kind of experiences that I facilitate on in nature, but they're using virtual reality. And, you know, I do the guided visualizations indoors if I can't take people out in nature. And there's a lot of power behind that. But there's one author, her name is Florence Williams, and she wrote this book called The Nature Fix. And she researches some of those movements to kind of recreate those opportunities in virtual reality. And what she determined was it's not quite the same, it doesn't have the same impact. And she talks about some of the science behind that and why she determined that. But if people want to learn more about that, I just think it's not quite there yet.

SPEAKER_01 17:14

Yes, that's that's very interesting. And I think it's a good reminder to us that there's nothing wrong with pursuing, you know, virtual realities and all sorts of things. There's a lot of magic and an amazing imagination in that too, but that it's not going to be it's not gonna replace. It's not a replacement, it's an addition, you know.

SPEAKER_00 17:35

Yeah, yeah. I love that reminder. Absolutely. Yeah, yeah, I love that. Yes. And if people can't go out towards, you know, bring pieces of nature indoors, you know. So even um something as simple as holding a stone in your hands or a piece of wood can be immediately grounding, it can be immediately centering, it can immediately help um elicit that sense of connection um with the natural world. So, you know, having um plants, having wood elements, having, you know, whatever appeals to you, but bringing those elements indoors, um, essential oils, you know, are something that um people don't think about. And when I talk about the science behind force therapy, I talk about something called phytoncides. So those are actually aromatic chemical compounds that trees and some other plants create as part of their own immune system. So they use those phytonsides to fight off disease and pests. And that's one of the things that they can share with others through that network that I talked about earlier. But um, when we're out in nature, those trees are freely sharing phonides with us. So if you think about taking cedar needles or pine needles and crushing them between your fingers, and you take, you know, you smell that, you can almost immediately feel a little uplifted, right? Or um a little more energetic, or it wakes you up a little bit. And eucalyptus is another great example, rosemary. Um, so all of those are examples of phyton sides. And so, you know, using all natural um essential oils that carry those phyton sides can also be a way to kind of bring some of that essence of forest therapy into your home or, you know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:31

Oh yes. Yeah, I love that. Um for me, my my go-to is lemon balm because I grow a lot of herbs and I just love that bright lemony

Tech Balance And Bringing Nature Indoors

SPEAKER_01 19:40

smell when you crush the leaves in your hands. It's just so uplifting. So I like I like that reminder. These are great tips of how to weave this into our rhythms in just tiny little ways. It's just such a such a great tip. And I and I I'm just gonna revisit the um AI versus nature conversation to say, you know, none of us have ever lived through this before. We're all learning as we go. And there's probably gonna be some trial and error, but I think your wisdom is very critical to our thriving here. I think this is really important. Well, I think it's nature's wisdom. So well, you're you're helping us remember how to access nature's wisdom is very critical to our thriving. So I know you mentioned earlier a little bit about the history. Can we revisit that? Tell us a little bit about that.

SPEAKER_00 20:31

Yeah, so well, you know, um I mentioned that the term forest bathing originated from the Japanese practice of Shinren Yoko. But I believe that we as humans have innately had needed to connect with nature from the time we were we were created. And um there's actually a couple of concepts. Um, one, that same author I mentioned, Florence Williams, in the nature fix, she talks about how we are suffering from a nature deficit. And so she determined in her research that those of us who live in highly urban environments can spend up to 93% of our time in buildings or cars. So very little time outdoors really connecting with nature. And in some of the large cities, you know, we're very lucky here in the Raleigh, North Carolina area. You know, we have a patch of grass or beautiful parks or forests, you know, easily accessible for most of us. That's definitely not the case in a lot of areas. Um, but you know, people that live in those areas um really are missing out because our bodies were created to be in harmony with nature. There's actually a concept called biophilia, which um says that we our bodies were actually built to be in harmony and um synchrony with synchronization. With nature. So what happens is we get off track, right? Like if we suffer from a nature deficit, we are suffering anxiety in ways we that we never did before. We can't regulate our central nervous system. There's research that shows even spending 15 minutes out in nature in a mindful and intentional way can help you reset your central nervous system. You can go from the parasympathetic, which is the fight or flight that a lot of us spend a lot of our time in, to the sympathetic, which is kind of the rest and digest state. So just 15 minutes can really help you accomplish that. And again, I have learned through my work that as something as simple as holding a stone in your hands, holding a leaf in your hands, holding a piece of wood in your hands can almost have that same, like even me just thinking about it, I just took this deep sigh, right? Yes.

SPEAKER_01 23:00

Well, and using your senses that way. I mean, thinking going back to the conversation about like just smelling that leaf or holding it, feeling it, what it feels like. I mean, those are all things that help us. It's so, so simple. It seems so simple that it almost seems meaningless, but it's not meaningless. It's very powerful. Yes. So I I love that. And I just think this is so in line with the things, you know, one of the threads that runs throughout all of our conversations is how do we find more peace? How do we live more peacefully? What are the practices that we do? And and we've said as a team, as at the Create, our Create Harmony team have said lots of times like, we are not experts at that. We don't know how to do that. And we're often not knowing it. We're often like, oh wow, yeah, that'd be great. Why don't I do that? You know. But having these conversations are helping to elevate those practices and rhythms into our lives. And it is a process of resetting all the time.

SPEAKER_00 24:00

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 24:02

Definitely a process of resetting.

SPEAKER_00 24:03

And you know, I've had people come and do some of my experiences, you know, two and three times. And each time they come back, they're at a different place, right? So the experience is different for them. And I also incorporate different things. I talked about, you know, the meditation and the invitation, but sometimes I incorporate journaling or other types of self-reflection into those experiences. And, you know, sometimes I have people come and instead of writing everything, they draw out whatever it is they're experiencing, you know, or maybe they write a poem about it or whatever they're inspired to do. But um, you know, it's a different experience for everybody. That leaves a little hobbies in there.

SPEAKER_01 24:43

We're leaving some journaling, some art, some Yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 24:47

And you know, there's no no right or wrong way to do that. Like everybody experiences and captures and shares that experience in their own unique way. And there again, there's no right or wrong way to do it, you know.

SPEAKER_01 25:00

I love that. This is the the kind of thing where like success is just being present, which is oh my gosh, showing up, just showing up. Yes. Right.

SPEAKER_00 25:10

That is really that that's the kind of thing I need more more of in my life. So and you know, often I end these experiences with a tea ceremony of sorts. Um, and one, you know, I think that um people do like a sense of ceremony, right? Um, and I also take that opportunity to honor the land that we, you know, has helped support or facilitate that experience. But I also honor the participants for showing up, you know, for having the courage to try something new, to be open to this new experience, for just taking time out of their busy life to or giving themselves permission to, you know, show up for something like this.

SPEAKER_01 25:51

And um, yeah. Well, and I want people to know just a little bit more about

Nature Deficit And Nervous System Reset

SPEAKER_01 25:56

you. We talked at the very beginning that you do some positive psychology and mindset coaching, and that your business is called the Art of Moxie. So I want you to tell us a little bit more about that and how did you come upon that name?

SPEAKER_00 26:10

Well, thank you for asking. So, as I mentioned, my background, professional background, was marketing and communication. So I did that for many years. I actually started and ran a PR and marketing agency for 13 years. And I closed that in 2016. And while I love that work, and I still continue to do communications consulting after that. I worked a lot with entrepreneurs throughout my career. That was really a passion of mine. Um, their passion was contagious. I liked knowing that I could make an immediate impact in an organization. I loved having a seat at the table and being right there with them in partnership. Um, but I started seeing some trends over and over again about what was keeping entrepreneurs up at night, some of the challenges that they were facing over and over again. And also started thinking about the mindsets that many entrepreneurs have and the challenges that that can create, right? And so I really took a step back when I closed my agency and was like, you know, where can I make the biggest impact? And that's when I really started pursuing the coaching um path. And, you know, I thought, you know, I can help some of these entrepreneurs with some of the challenges that I have seen them face over and over again. And I'm especially passionate about working with women. Having been a woman entrepreneur myself, and some of the unique challenges that I think we face, I really wanted to help support and empower other women. So that's really been a passion of mine.

SPEAKER_01 27:47

So I love that. And so I I know that you are local here. We live in Raleigh and you're local here to Raleigh. But if someone is not local, is there a way for them to connect? Is it the coaching is not necessarily local?

SPEAKER_00 28:01

Oh, absolutely not. Yeah, that can be um done from anywhere. And um, with the beauty of technology as you talked about these days, yeah. So I definitely have um I've had clients all over the world. Um, I'm open to working with anybody anywhere. And um yeah, and then of course I can do here in Raleigh or in the you know immediate area, I can do in-person sessions as well. I do a lot of um organizational or corporate work too on the coaching front. And having you know worked with um businesses for most of my career, it's been really exciting to not only bring the coaching into that side, but I'm doing more of the forest therapy with companies as well. And it's a very different experience for some of the companies. Um, you know, some of the companies have a parking lot with maybe a few trees, you know. Um, but it is amazing to watch how powerful those experiences can be. Um, you know, it's one of the things I focus on when I do those experiences is really helping them shift their perspective. You know, and that goes back to my co-team background, right? Instead of focusing on focusing on what's wrong, focusing on what you have to perhaps make things better, like what resources are available to you? What strengths do you have? What can you tap into? When do you need to ask for health? So I think it's very complimentary. So I will again talk about the ecosystem. I'll talk about instead of focusing on the airplane flying overhead and getting annoyed or distracted by that, start focusing on the bird sitting in the tree singing a beautiful song. You know, you really choose where you're going to put your attention and where you're going to put your energy.

SPEAKER_01 29:45

Yes. We say all the time here that focus or attention, where you put your attention is really the only thing you control in your life. I mean, there's so much that we think we control and we don't. And then sometimes we're not even aware that we're that that we are controlling our focus and not even aware what we're focusing on.

SPEAKER_00 30:04

Yes. Yes. We're all guilty of that for sure. But it's really, you know, I mean, to get these people to step away from their desk, even if it's just 45 minutes on a lunch hour, right? And to get outside and just start thinking about their environment differently. And as I hope you've picked up, I'm really passionate about giving people tools and resources that they can not only use with me, but they can use anywhere on their own. And so I think that's one of the things that happens in the corporate experiences. So, you know, I try to give them things that they can continue to practice on their own. I love that.

SPEAKER_01 30:37

I I'm really excited because also before when we were talking to Sean about being on the podcast, we also talked to her about having her work with our team, our create harmony team. And I definitely, I mean, I wanted you to do that before this conversation, but now even more I'm like, okay, when can we do this? And can we do that and that and that and that? So, yes, so much. I look forward to doing that for you and your team. Yes, I love it. I just think it's it's amazing. And I know this is gonna be a big, big blessing for so many

Art Of Moxie Coaching And Workplace Walks

SPEAKER_01 31:06

people. So, is there anything we missed about the things that you do or the wisdom that you have to share?

SPEAKER_00 31:12

Anything we missed? Do you want to talk maybe just a little bit about some of the science behind it? That's one of the things that I really love about this practice. You know, it's there are tangible and measurable results, right? And it's not not like I'm hooking people up to a blood pressure monitor when I take them out into the forest. But I think people can, one of the things that I do at the arboretum in particular, when I start walking them through the arboretum, there's a fountain at the beginning. And I have them just close their eyes for just a second, take a few deep breaths and start to notice. And almost immediately people start to sigh or they start to yawn or they take a deeper breath. And then I ask them to really think about, you know, their nervous system. Did they feel a shift? What did they notice? And almost everybody notices some type of shift, even if it's tiny, right? And so some of the physical health benefits, you know, cardiovascular system, as I mentioned, it can lower your blood pressure, it can reduce your heart rate. Um, the immune system, I talked about how the trees share their phytonsides with us. And so that really gives us abuse for our own immune system, which can help us fight infections. There are actually organizations, I believe it's Cleveland Clinic, is studying the impact of using phyton sides to help treat cancer patients. And it's not a replacement for traditional medicine, it's another tool in their arsenal to help support these patients as they're going through a very challenging and difficult time. Um, so redress reduce stress hormones, you know, cortisol and adrenaline levels. Um, there's research that shows that it lowers those, um, improves sleep and energy. Yeah, I was just thinking about the sleep because that would be, you know, that's huge. Yes, yes, yes. Respiratory and brain health. I have asthma. And so really slowing down and focusing on my breathing and being more mindful about that, and you know, getting out and feeling more expansive in nature versus um, you know, um contracted, you know, or confined, right? Yes. Um, so that's really key too. Um, there are you know psychological um impacts as well, stress reduction, um, improved mood and emotional well-being, um, enhanced cognitive function and mental clarity, um, reduced rumination, you know, like if we overthink things and we get stuck on something over and over again, and that goes back to the sleep, right? Many of us start to ruminate at night as we lay our head on the pillow. Um, increased self-compassion. And I think one of the most important things is really fostering this sense of connection. When you start to realize that you're part of something so much bigger, and you're part of this ecosystem, and everything is connected, and not only changes the way you feel about yourself, but I think it changes the way you think about the world world around you. And I have to admit that one of my goals is help, you know, I really want people to feel more connected to nature so that they're more passionate about helping to conserve or preserve nature. But um, you know, that's that's a side effect or a benefit of the work that I do. But I think, you know, someone understanding that they are part of this larger ecosystem, they're part of this giant wood wide web, right? This um world, they're not disconnected from it, they're not as isolated as they think they are. Um, I think that's really powerful.

SPEAKER_01 34:58

That is very powerful. And I think that, you know, one of the big things we talk a lot about gratitude in our offerings. And one of the big ways that you step in the direction of gratitude is just realizing that you are part of something bigger, that something bigger is amiss. And that is critical, you know, to really being able to ground yourself in gratitude. And you said at some point you said I a version of, and these are going to be my words, not yours, but you said a version of like it helps me get over myself. I don't remember exactly the words you said, but it helps you like when you're in your in the session, you're not thinking about yourself, you're thinking about the the nature and the community and you know Yes, yes, like I'm holding space for other people.

SPEAKER_00 35:42

I am, you know, supporting their experience. And you know, it's really beautiful when I I create opportunities for people to share during my experiences as well. And some people aren't comfortable doing that, and I respect that, and I I reassure them that silence is always welcome. But I had some really powerful examples of sharing. I did an experience this past weekend, and there were two examples of people connecting in a way that I mean, it couldn't have been a coincidence, right? Um, it was just really powerful to watch these people connect in ways, and I had nothing to do with that. I just helped supported and you know facilitated the experience. But um yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:25

Yeah, that that is really it's so I mean, there is so much sacred wisdom in the things that you've shared here today. I'm just I just love it. I'm so excited. So I know that's gonna really be inspiring to the people that listen. And I thank you so much for taking time, first of all, for journeying into this new realm for us as our guide, and second of all, taking time to share it with us today. I really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 36:51

Well, I am grateful for this opportunity to speak not only to you, but to your audience. And obviously, I'm passionate about sharing this with, you know, as many people as possible. So I hope it helps um some of your listeners. And they can always reach out to me if they need that help, you know.

SPEAKER_01 37:07

Yes, theartofmoxie.com. And we're we'll be putting it once the episode goes live, we'll be putting that on our social media so people can know how to access you. But yes, thank you, thank you, thank you. This is awesome.

Measurable Benefits Plus Summer Box Details

SPEAKER_01 37:24

Hope you enjoyed our conversation today. Here at Create Harmony, we are committed to peacemaking. We are elevating conversations that help people refresh their lives and soothe their souls. And on that note, I need to remind you about our peaceful pathways box. Y'all, the summer box is here, and it is chopped full of playful summer goodness that you are not gonna want to miss. In each box, there's a link to five guided meditations, and some of the themes for summer are a walk through the farmer's market, running through the sprinkler in a playful way, or resting in the cool shade. And these meditations give you just enough things to keep your mind busy so that you step away from your life and calm yourself. And also in each box, there are other fun good goodies that are provided by Petal and Pink Mental Wellness Boutique. So let me get you excited about what that is. What's in the summer box? What you will receive is a little mini watercoloring kit that is strawberry themed. You can just take a little time, do a little craft, it's calming and very peaceful. You'll also receive a summer garnish trio, and this is for your summer drinks. There's three little jars with three different flavors. You can add them to your water, make infused water, you can add them to your mocktails, you could put it in a cocktail, and it just elevates the moment a little bit and makes your summer drinks extra special. There's also in the in the box what we're calling a take-a-breath jar. And that is what that is, it's like a glass jar, it has a lid. You take the lid off, and there are wool balls in there that have a scent, very calming scent. So anytime your life is just getting out of hand, you could get that jar, take the lid off, and just take some deep breaths and just breathe in that calming aroma. And it's just a way of aromatherapy and just relaxing your nervous system. So you could get a take-a-breath jar. And then the last thing you get are some little notes that have ladybugs on them. That the envelopes have tomatoes, so they're very summery themed. You just need to jot a note to a friend. They're tiny, like about the size of a business card. So a quick little note that you can jot or drop it in a gift or something like that. Just a neat addition to all the goodness in that summer box. Now, I also want to tell you one thing about our summer box. We've been doing this as a subscription, so you had to subscribe for all of the other boxes. You don't have to do that now. You can just buy one box. If you want to just sample the summer box, you just buy that one box. And then if you like it, you could certainly subscribe and get one every quarter. But a subscription is not required. So just give it a try, check it out, see what you think. I'm sure it is gonna bless your summer in more ways than you can imagine. If you want more information about that, you can go to mycreateharmony.com and look for peaceful pathways box, and that's where you'll find it. And until next time, peaceful.