Wisdom of the Wilderness

It’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

Courage Determination Bravery --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message

Did 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

Today 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 in the book I finished that morning, about a tree in Haida Gwaii entitled The Golden Spruce by John Vaillant (highly recommend). One telling of that tree can be found here on the Haida Tourism site. Thank you for listening! You can connect with me at cactusmoose@protonmail.com or @cactusmoose on Instagram with questions, comments and guest suggestions. Have a wonderful day, and enjoy the time you spend in nature. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message

Thank 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 can contact me on Instagram or at cactusmoose@protonmail.com with questions, comments and guest suggestions. Until next week, enjoy the weather and opt outside whenever you can. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message

Thanks 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

Today’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 cactusmoose@protonmail.com with questions, comments and guest suggestions. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message

Happy 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 her life ebbs and flows. Other topics that pop up are challenging the 9-5/8-4 Monday to Friday concept of work, questioning the control-based work schedules, and asking yourself if your life is full and is the schedule of your job working for you. It is important to note that rest looks different for everyone. It's a challenge to separate oneself from the constant dings and addictive nature of technology, but ultimately it helps us reset and rejuvenate. Additionally, taking a day of inactivity can be a huge challenge for many. Rest allows for a reset to happen, and can be incorporated into weekly, fortnightly or monthly schedules. It's something I'm actively focusing on, as it's a challenge for me to stop moving and just sit or lie still. Realist Idealist read the book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World by John Mark Comer before beginning her journey to rest more. Thank you for listening, friends! I would greatly appreciate it if you shared this episode and gave it a rating and review on your podcast platform of choice. You can contact me at cactusmoose@protonmail.com on Instagram or on my website gregveregin.com with questions, comments and guest suggestions. I hope you get a chance to be outside and take some deep breaths in a beautiful spot in nature. Until next week... --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message

Thank 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 was fun to record out at Tempe Town Lake on a gorgeous sunny winter day. We originally met at at mile 76 of Mak Regan's Javelina Jundred experience in October 2022. The story of our roles in Mak's race can be heard on this Gremlin Talk podcast. Heidi's positive energy and inner light shine through during our conversation, and there are nuggets of wisdom hidden throughout. It'll be fun following her progress toward goals this year, and watching Ninja Warrior to see how she fares. Below are links for some of the references from our wide-ranging chat: Matt Fitzgerald - How Bad Do You Want It and The Champion's Mind American Ninja Warrior Spartan Race Savage Race As always, I hope you enjoy this episode, and that you get a chance to day to appreciate something beautiful in nature. You can connect with me on Instagram or by email cactusmoose@protonmail.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message

Flow 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. As always, connect with me on Instagram or at cactusmoose@protonmail.com with questions, comments and guest suggestions. Until next week, here's to enjoying some quiet moments outside today! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message

Thank 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 including why she decided to run 100 miles far from her mountainous New York home, what it's like to be in the desert overnight, what she ate, how her pacers made the last 2 20-mile loops fun, what she's up to next. A great life tip was shared in the episode: to simply follow an idea. Just do it, and learn from it. Amanda crushed Javelina, and next up is completing the full ⁠Adirondack Grid⁠. It was a blast to record with Amanda: our laughter and Amanda's stoke fill the episode. As always, connect with me on ⁠Instagram⁠ or through cactusmoose@protonmail.com with questions, comments and guest suggestions. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message

Thank 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 Therapy, Holistic Detox, Reiki, Vibrational Water Medicine, Medical intuition and ⁠ThetaHealing⁠. We address a range of topics including her favorite nature connections, the potency of frequency medicine (Homeopathy and Vibrational Water Medicine), truth versus social programming, her experience healing on a deeper level through complementary, integrative modalities often eschewed by mainstream voices, teaching and modeling emotional intelligence, and how healing is simple... but not always easy. This was a fun conversation full of great tidbits and resources. Melissa can be found on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, her ⁠website⁠, Telegram and ⁠Instagram⁠. She offers both in-person and remote healing for individuals, and group healings through her Wild Hearts Collective Membership as well as other workshops online and in-person. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message

Hello 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 Javelina Jundred website, Facebook page, Ultrasignup and the other events put on by Aravaipa. Signup starts January 1, 2024! Remember... Arizona is AWESOME! Haha, just like all of us Aquarii are. As always, you can connect with me with questions, comments and guest suggestions through my Instagram or cactusmoose@protonmail.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message

Thanks 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 wisdomofthewilderness@protonmail.com 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 pondering. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message

Hi 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 wisdomofthewilderness@protonmail.com or on Instagram @cactusmoose --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message

Thanks 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 others, and we were blessed with a beautiful bluebird, smoke-free day in the valley. As always, connect with me at wisdomofthewilderness@protonmail.com with questions, comments and guest ideas. I'm also on instagram @cactusmoose --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message

Thanks 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 wisdomofthewilderness@protonmail.com with questions, comments and guest suggestions. Until next week, here's to spending time outdoors and unplugged! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message

Thank 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.colettebaronreid.com/use-colettes-free-online-oracle-cards-app/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message

Today'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 stay positive while your focus isn't manifesting, and what you're speaking into existence. There's a discussion about how if an affirmation is not going to change you, it's not going to work. A big part of this episode is our chat about values - what is important to you, and are you making that a priority in your life? It's been neat for me to reflect upon that concept as I've redesigned my life to fit my values rather than those of external organizations. When you think things are falling apart, what if they are actually falling together? Could a shift in perspective or language help you through a situation you're experiencing? Realist Idealist organizes her life around living the question, and then living her way into the answer. The full context of the snippet can be found in the poem below or at this link: “Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke As always, thanks for listening! Feel free to contact me at cactusmoose@protonmail.com or on Instagram with questions, comments and guest requests. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message

Thanks 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 @cactusmoose or at wisdomofthewilderness@protonmail.com with questions, comments and guest suggestions.  Have a wonderful day, and remember how great you feel after getting into nature for some fresh air! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wisdomofthewilderness/message