We'd love to hear from you about this episode.

One of the most common challenges I hear from both patients and providers is that the health and wellness fields "operate in silos."

When teams, departments, organizations, or individual providers work together, we can create the strongest and safest care systems.

But how do we bridge the gap? How do we "come together?”

Welcome to this SPECIAL EDITION of The Nature of Wellness Podcast.

The 2024 Annual Wellness Summit was held in Chicago in August. In a groundbreaking collaboration, the Wellness Council of America (WELCOA and the National Wellness Institute (NWI) came together to bring the best of both organizations to their members.

Mark had another opportunity to gather with hundreds of wellness professionals and sat down with multiple speakers, leaders, and change-makers who made the Annual Wellness Summit successful.

Mark also led a nature walk for around 60 attendees and was blown away by their response to the experience and the continued excitement about bringing nature into mainstream wellness programming.

Join us as we speak with WELCOA Executive Director Ryan Picarella, Speaker and Author Kristen Hadeed, Physician Eduardo Sanchez, Improv Facilitators Jesse Greenfield, and Jenie Michael from Kaleidoscope Training Center, Workplace Wellness Authority Ryan Wolf, Behavioral Coach and Best-selling Author Sean Foy, Registered Dietitian and Speaker Lauren Fleck, and wellness leadership expert Stephanie Gularte.

The depth and breadth of these powerful conversations were truly inspiring. They organically reinforced the need for "coming together" in wellness. We covered topics ranging from developing through failure, learning through play, the need for numbers and stories in research, finding your approach to increased well-being, and how "none of us is as good as all of us."

There is also a HUGE announcement that is certain to change the landscape of the wellness industry…

Please subscribe, rate, and leave a review anywhere you listen to this podcast. We are trying to get these fantastic guest conversations to as many people as possible.

Stay tuned. Season Three is right around the corner...

We appreciate you all.

Be Well

-NOW

Links for Each Episode Guest:

https://www.welcoa.org

https://www.kristenhadeed.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan--wolf?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

https://www.kaleidoscopetrainingcenter.com

https://lauren-fleck.com

https://www.theenergyadvantage.com/copy-of-about

https://www.theenergyadvantage.com/copy-of-about

* The unbelievable Shawn Bell produces the Nature of Wellness Podcast, making us sound g

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

We'd love to hear from you about this episode.

F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over.”

It is always tough to let go of a season of this podcast, the amazing guests and conversations, the continued learning and developing, and getting time to talk about such personally meaningful topics.

I found a bit of solace in the above quote today. Letting go of a season only allows us to rest, recharge, and grow beyond our current state.

We are beyond humbled by the response to season two. Not only are we hearing from exponentially more listeners from around the world, but amazing humans keep revealing themselves as potential guests.

One of our hopes for this project is to offer an experience that is “different and fun” for all of our guests. We are almost at 100% of our guests saying some version of this phrase, with so many asking if they can come back on. As an interviewer, there is no greater honor.

Welcome to Episode FIFTY of the Nature of Wellness™️ Podcast.

We wanted to again sit down and catch up with one another, discuss why this season has been successful, and some of the behind-the-scenes happenings of the show.

Join us as we answer listener questions, and discuss the power of change and harvest, the need for community, and some of our favorite moments from the season.

We dive into some of our guest conversations, how we have grown during this season, and a bit of “what’s next” for season three.

Please subscribe, rate, and leave a review anywhere you listen to this podcast. It will help us extend the reach of these powerful messages.

Also, please make sure to follow us across social media @natureofwellness to get updates, new content, and a compilation episode we recorded at events in 2024.

Make sure to spend some time in the natural world. We will hopefully see you out there.

We appreciate you all.

Be Well

-NOW


Operation Canyon Rising: https://operationcanyonrising.com/

Jennifer Gordon's Bookstore: https://www.thecozycornerbookstore.com/


* The unbelievable Shawn Bell produces the Nature of Wellness Podcast, making us sound good.

** The NOW theme song was penned, performed, produced, and provided by the dynamic duo of Phil and Niall Monahan.

*** This show wouldn't exist without our amazing guests and all of you who listen. Please like, subscribe, follow, and review to help us get these important messages out to more folks who can benefit from them. Thank you all.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

We'd love to hear from you about this episode.

If I were to ask each of you what you want in life, you would undoubtedly give some variation of the same answer: “to be happy.”

What makes us happy? Is it time with loved ones, traveling to exotic places, helping others, or a career built on passion and purpose?

We know that purpose is one of the three pillars of spiritual wellness, values, and relationships. But what is passion? Passion is the burning desire we experience when we find something (or someone) that makes us want to give our full attention and focus.

Passion fuels our souls, fills our hearts, and propels us forward in life.

What if we can build our personal and professional lives at the intersection of purpose and passion?

Welcome to Episode Forty-Nine of The Nature of Wellness ™️ Podcast.

In this episode, we sat down with Phil Monahan, Creative Editor-Organic Brand Content at The Orvis Company. Phil has previously been a fishing guide in Alaska and Montana, Senior Associate Editor at Outdoor Life Magazine, Editor of American Angler Magazine, and freelance writer and editor for nature/outdoor recreation content.

Join us as we speak to Phil about how he turned a lifelong passion into an accomplished outdoor industry career, views fly fishing as his meditative practice, and how being a fishing guide early in life helped shape his path.

Phil discusses the importance of getting outside to enhance mental health, the story behind the incredible Orvis “Moments of Chill” campaign and world-changing conservation efforts, the impact of effectively sharing stories, and the experience of providing us with the NOW ™️ theme music.

We found ourselves “waist-deep” in this conversation, wading in sheer goodness…

Please subscribe, rate, and leave a review anywhere you listen to this podcast.

We appreciate you all.

Be Well

-NOW

Orvis News: https://news.orvis.com/

Orvis Impact: https://www.orvis.com/impact.html

Follow the Water (Everglades Restoration): https://www.orvis.com/follow-the-water.html

If I Tell Them (James Sampsel): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIiTZ-dcTIU

April Fools: https://news.orvis.com/tag/aprilfools

* The unbelievable Shawn Bell produces the Nature of Wellness Podcast, making us sound good.

** The NOW theme song was penned, performed, produced, and provided by the dynamic duo of Phil and Niall Monahan (YES...THAT Phil Monahan).

*** This show wouldn't exist without our amazing guests and all of you who listen. Please like, subscribe, follow, and review to help us get these important messages out to more folks who can benefit from them. Thank you all.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

We'd love to hear from you about this episode.

A foundational concept that touches all areas of life is leadership. Throughout our journey, we will lead and follow countless times, impacting and being impacted by those around us.

Leadership is often defined by what leaders do, their capabilities and skills, how they treat those who follow them or the outcomes they create.

While leadership may have nuanced differences across different fields, the foundational components of successfully leading remain constant. Successful leaders understand what motivates their people, navigate adverse times successfully, are consistent and authentic, and know how to give their best to the team and mission.

Everyone in an organization contributes to leadership.

But how can we learn to be better leaders in the world’s first (and greatest) classroom…the natural world?

Welcome to Episode Forty-Eight of The Nature of Wellness Podcast.

In this episode, we sat down with Sandy Calhoun, President of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), a nonprofit global wilderness school that seeks to help individuals become better leaders. The mission of NOLS is to “be the leading source and teacher of wilderness skills and leadership that serve people and the environment.”

Join us as we speak to Sandy about his journey with the natural world, beginning in Baltimore and leading him to incredible destinations such as Tibet and Nepal. Sandy shares the fantastic work of NOLS, what it is like working with populations like Naval Academy Midshipmen and NASA Astronauts, and the powerful lessons that time in wilderness settings can teach.

Sandy discusses the importance of impacting small communities, the guiding principles and values behind NOLS, and how aligning group and personal goals is critical for successful leadership.

We were happy to follow this world-class conversation and leader…

Please subscribe, rate, and leave a review anywhere you listen to this podcast.

We appreciate you all.

Be Well

-NOW

NOLS Website: https://www.nols.edu/en/


* The unbelievable Shawn Bell produces the Nature of Wellness Podcast, making us sound good.

** The NOW theme song was penned, performed, produced, and provided by the dynamic duo of Phil and Niall Monahan.

*** This show wouldn't exist without our amazing guests and all of you who listen. Please like, subscribe, follow, and review to help us get these important messages out to more folks who can benefit from them. Thank you all.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

We'd love to hear from you about this episode.

Humans have always looked for new and innovative ways to treat illness and enhance health.

Many continue to seek healthcare approaches that are not typically part of the standard medical systems we have become accustomed to.

When we follow a non-conventional approach combined with traditional medicine, it is considered "complementary."

Although the natural world has always been a primary source of healthcare for humans, prescribing nature has only recently begun in Western medicine.

Prescribing nature is a holistic approach that recognizes and celebrates natural environments' profound impact on our health and well-being.

Just like asking your Doctor about a particular medication or other treatment, what if you could confidently ask your physician for a prescription to spend more time outside?

Welcome to Episode Forty-Seven of The Nature of Wellness Podcast.

In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Robert Zarr, founder of Park Rx America (PRA). Dr. Zarr is a physician-researcher and public health pediatrician based at Unity Health Care, Inc. and Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

Join us as we speak to Robert about his journey with nature, his 20+ years of working with underserved populations, and his inspiration to prescribe nature and create Park Rx America.

Dr. Zarr discusses the importance of nature therapies for both children and adults, how the concept of play is underrated and critical for well-being, and his desire to reimagine the healthcare system entirely, pivoting from a deficit-based, doctor-centric approach to something that better encapsulates the whole patient.

We were happy to hear the Doctor tell us to "GET OUT."

Please subscribe, rate, and leave a review anywhere you listen to this podcast.

We appreciate you all.

Be Well

-NOW

Park RX America Website: https://parkrxamerica.org


* The unbelievable Shawn Bell produces the Nature of Wellness Podcast, making us sound good.

** The NOW theme song was penned, performed, produced, and provided by the dynamic duo of Phil and Niall Monahan.

*** This show wouldn't exist without our amazing guests and all of you who listen. Please like, subscribe, follow, and review to help us get these important messages out to more folks who can benefit from them. Thank you all.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

We'd love to hear from you about this episode.

Humans have always interacted with the natural world and relied on environments such as forests for shelter, food, and medicine.

Cultures worldwide have started incorporating time in forests as part of therapeutic processes. Japanese healthcare systems have included the practice of shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) since the early 1980s, when they saw significant health challenges associated with their population shift from a pastoral to industrial culture.

Being inside for long periods was making their society sick…sound familiar?

Research continues to show the many benefits of immersing ourselves in natural settings, such as improved immune function, increased cardiovascular and respiratory health, improved creativity, and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Nature and forest therapy is a research-based framework for supporting healing and wellness through immersion in forests and other natural environments.

Welcome to Episode Forty-Six of The Nature of Wellness Podcast.

In this episode, we sat down with Amos Clifford, Founder of the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) Guides and Programs, the world's leading forest therapy guide training and certification provider. Amos is a leading global advocate for Forest Therapy and the author of "Your Guide to Forest Bathing."

Join us as we speak to Amos about his journey with the natural world, his desire to integrate nature and forest therapies into health care and education, and how he brought together a multinational group of talented trainers to create the foundations of the ANFT programming.

Amos discusses the importance of rebuilding relationships with the "More-Than-Human World" as a foundation for healing people and the planet, the power of forest invitations, the ANFT "way of the guide," and how finding a "sit spot" can reveal the world around us.

We definitely felt guided through this amazing conversation…

Please subscribe, rate, and leave a review anywhere you listen to this podcast.

We appreciate you all.

Be Well
-NOW

ANFT Website: https://www.anft.earth/

Your Guide to Forest Bathing Book: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Guide-Forest-Bathing-Expanded/dp/1590035135/

Outside Magazine Forest Bathing Article: https://www.outsideonline.com/health/wellness/take-two-hours-pine-forest-and-call-me-morning/

* The unbelievable Shawn Bell produces the Nature of Wellness Podcast, making us sound good.

** The NOW theme song was penned, performed, produced, and provided by the dynamic duo of Phil and Niall Monahan.

*** This show wouldn't exist without our amazing guests and all of you who listen. Please like, subscribe, follow, and review to help us get these important messages out to more folks who can benefit from them. Thank you all.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

We'd love to hear from you about this episode.

Mental health is a topic that we hear about often. Managing the mental dimension of wellness is essential at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

It is estimated that nearly 20 million of our nation's young people can currently be diagnosed with a mental health disorder. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stated that 1 in 5 U.S. children (ages 3–17) has a mental, emotional, behavioral, or developmental disorder.

Many more are at risk of developing a disorder due to biological, family, school, ecological, political, peer, and community risk factors.

Our relationship with the natural world is critical in supporting good mental health and preventing mental and emotional distress.

Welcome to Episode Forty-Four of The Nature of Wellness Podcast.

In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Matthew Biel, Chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and a Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Pediatrics at Georgetown University School of Medicine.

Join us as we speak to Matt about how he interacts with the natural world, how time in nature can be a powerful mental health service, and how one's environment plays a vital role in developing and maintaining a child's mental well-being.

Matt discusses the impact of adversity and stress on children and families, the importance of reducing health disparities, and ways to improve access to mental health services.

This conversation was just what the doctor ordered…literally.

Please subscribe, rate, and leave a review anywhere you listen to this podcast.

We appreciate you all.

Be Well

-NOW

Dr. Biel Linkedin:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-biel-ab97163/

Georgetown University Center for Trauma and the Community:
https://ctc.georgetown.edu/

Youtube-Child Psychiatry: Ask Dr. Matthew Biel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifUr2Pmh7_4

Dr. Biel Publications:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Matthew-Biel

* The unbelievable Shawn Bell produces the Nature of Wellness Podcast, making us sound good.

** The NOW theme song was penned, performed, produced, and provided by the dynamic duo of Phil and Niall Monahan.

*** This show wouldn't exist without our amazing guests and all of you who listen. Please like, subscribe, follow, and review to help us get these important messages out to more folks who can benefit from them. Thank you all.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

We'd love to hear from you about this episode.

Humans have been innately connected to nature from the beginning of our species. Nature has served as the first teacher, providing countless lessons about life.

Few things capture children's attention, imagination, and hearts like the natural world.

Like most adults, children are spending much more time inside. Time spent in nature is enjoyable and necessary for increased health, wellness, growth, and development.

Many researchers agree that children who spend time outside are happier, more in control of their attention, and less anxious than their peers who spend more time indoors.

Being in nature has been shown to build a child's confidence, teach responsibility and empathy, and improve cognitive performance. Problems associated with separating children from nature include increased symptoms of depression and anxiety, increased rates of obesity, and attention deficit disorder.

Welcome to Episode Forty-Three of The Nature of Wellness Podcast.

In this episode, we sat down with Sarah Milligan-Toffler, President and CEO of the Children & Nature Network. This amazing organization's mission is " to increase equitable access to nature so that children–and the natural world–can thrive."

Sarah reflects on how her family's conservation efforts led to a career built on connecting humans to the natural world.

Sarah shares the importance of providing quality educational opportunities and resources for children and adults, how to find ways to "Nature Everywhere," and how we can work together to create a world in which children have access to the benefits of nature everywhere they live, learn, and play.

This conversation made us feel like kids again.

Please subscribe, rate, and leave a review anywhere you listen to this podcast.

We appreciate you all.

Be Well

-NOW

Children & Nature Network Website
https://www.childrenandnature.org/


* The unbelievable Shawn Bell produces the Nature of Wellness Podcast, making us sound good.

** The NOW theme song was penned, performed, produced, and provided by the dynamic duo of Phil and Niall Monahan.

*** This show wouldn't exist without our amazing guests and all of you who listen. Please like, subscribe, follow, and review to help us get these important messages out to more folks who can benefit from them. Thank you all.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify