Tracking Shadow and Rewilding Your Soul with Brian Stafford, MD, MPH

Dr. Brian Stafford is a former pediatrician and psychiatrist who left his position as an endowed chair in academic psychiatry to rewild and ensoul his own life, and to discover his deeper calling. 
 
On today’s show Brian and I delve into the realms of mystery and shadow to explore the magic and possibility that emerges when we’re willing to enter a deeper conversation with the natural world, and leave the safety of the known to uncover and reclaim our wholeness.

Brian shares his extensive understanding of:

• rewilding and ensouling your life—what it is, and why and how to do it
• shifting from a constricted egocentric to an expansive ecocentric orientation to the world
• rediscovering the ancient connection between soul and nature
• building relationship with the natural world as one of our most loving and essential guides
• nurturing the life soul wants for you vs. perpetuating the life culture wants for you

The 4 Windows of Knowing 

• full-presence sensing
• full-bodied feeling 
• heart-centred thinking
• deep imagination

The 3 Realms of Knowing 

• physical
• spiritual
• imaginal

Shadow Work

• projection and transference
• why we don’t see others as they truly are 
• understanding repressed facets of self and why it’s essential to claim them back
• how healing our shadow creates clear perception and greater intimacy with life

Today’s Guest: 

Dr. Brian Stafford is one of the leaders in the rewilding and ensouling movement. 

A former pediatrician and perinatal, infant, child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist, Brian left his position as an endowed chair in academic psychiatry to rewild and ensoul his own life, and to discover his deeper calling. 

After retraining as a wholistic eco-therapist and depth psychiatrist with the Animas Valley institute, Brian has gone on to rewild and ensoul the world as a wilderness and vision fast guide, retreat facilitator, mentor, trainer, international speaker, and writer.  

He is a guide, Board member, trainer, and Director of the Wild Mind Training Program, a nature-based wholistic eco-depth psychotherapy training program, at the Animas Valley Institute. He is also the Founder or Co-founder of several institutions dedicated to the rewilding and ensouling of Education, Medicine, Psychiatry, and Christianity. 

He lives in Ojai, California, USA and is currently finishing a book entitled “Pat