Restoring our connection with nature is vital for our well-being and overall vitality. This podcast delves into the seventh pillar of the Intentional Vitality Retreats regarding the intricate relationship between humans and the environment, exploring how our biological needs—like oxygen, water, food, sleep, and movement—mirror the natural world. Zoa highlights how every living being, from the smallest bacteria to the tallest trees, plays a role in the ecosystem, reminding us of our place within it. The discussion emphasizes the importance of gratitude for the resources nature provides, such as the oxygen we breathe, which is a product of plants converting carbon dioxide. Beyond just survival, the speaker urges listeners to cultivate a deeper resonance with nature, suggesting that our health and happiness are intertwined with the environment around us.
As the conversation progresses, the episode touches upon the essential elements of a healthy life—adequate sleep, quality food, and the importance of community. The narrative explores how modern lifestyles can disrupt our natural rhythms, particularly regarding sleep and nutrition. Zoa offers practical suggestions for aligning our habits with nature’s cycles, such as ensuring our homes are nurturing spaces that reflect seasonal changes. Furthermore, the episode addresses the often-ignored role of sex in human health, advocating for open discussions around intimacy and its significance for emotional and physical well-being.
In the closing segments, listeners are encouraged to engage with their surroundings, whether through intentional breathing, digital detoxes, or simply spending time outdoors. Zoa invites listeners to the Intentional Vitality Retreat when they are ready to deepen their connection with nature and themselves. Zoa reminds listeners of the profound bonds we share with the earth and the steps we can take to enhance our vitality by restoring that connection.
Takeaways:
- Restoring your resonance with nature is crucial for intentional vitality and overall health.
- Humans, like all living creatures, require essential elements such as oxygen, water, and food.
- Quality sleep plays a vital role in brain health, hormone production, and recovery processes.
- Having the right community around you can significantly enhance your feelings of safety and belonging.
- Regular movement is essential for a resilient body and effective immune system function.
- Taking time for digital detox can rejuvenate your mental state and improve well-being.
Transcript
The seventh pillar for the intentional vitality retreats is restore your resonance with nature.
Speaker A:Whether you believe in creation or evolution or both, the human body and all animal bodies are designed to survive and thrive on this planet.
Speaker A:Somewhere on Earth, we have bacteria, plants, animals, and more that make their homes in all sorts of places.
Speaker A:Living creatures exist at sea level and at the top of the mountains.
Speaker A:At sea level, there's a lot of oxygen.
Speaker A:At the top of the mountains, not so much.
Speaker A:Thank the plants around you for your oxygen.
Speaker A:Plants breathe in the carbon dioxide that we get rid of with our human exhales.
Speaker A:In return, the plants exhale oxygen that we breathe in.
Speaker A:Living creatures need oxygen.
Speaker A:Living creatures thrive when surrounded by an ocean or a desert, dreaming of infrequent rain.
Speaker A:Living things can thrive in the bright, hot summer sun near the equator, the intensely variable sunshine in the polar regions, and deep inside dark caves.
Speaker A:Some animals eat plants.
Speaker A:Some eat smaller, slower creatures, and some eat each other.
Speaker A:Some plants enjoy their time basking in the sun with their roots connected to the earth, while others jump towards insects to trap and digest them.
Speaker A:You have seen the Little Shop of Horrors, right?
Speaker A:Some animals live solitary lives, while others are part of an extended family unit or even a larger community.
Speaker A:One of the definitions of being alive is the ability to reproduce.
Speaker A:So sex is an important part of being alive.
Speaker A:Some animals carry their home with them on their back.
Speaker A:Others bury themselves underground.
Speaker A:Some create a nest from what they find around them.
Speaker A:Others change homes with the seasons.
Speaker A:And some find a new resting place every night.
Speaker A:Animals have feathers, fur, layers of fat, and more to help them stay warm, stay cool, keep the elements off their bodies, attract a mate, and better enable them to thrive.
Speaker A:What about us humans?
Speaker A:What do we need?
Speaker A:How do we fit into the rest of nature?
Speaker A:Well, we too must breathe.
Speaker A:We breathe oxygen.
Speaker A:Breathing is automatic.
Speaker A:When we're alive, if we stop breathing completely, our brain cells only last a short time before they start dying from lack of oxygen.
Speaker A:We can breathe intentionally.
Speaker A:Better, deeper, bringing in more energy, creating relaxation.
Speaker A:Breathing is an opportunity to shift tension so we'll be in less pain.
Speaker A:Breathing can be a reset for your nervous system.
Speaker A:Breathing can heal when you let it.
Speaker A:We too require water.
Speaker A:Without water, we can only live a few days.
Speaker A:Oh, well, there is the fact that when we burn fat, our need for drinking water goes down.
Speaker A:Fat burning creates water as a byproduct for the body.
Speaker A:Yay.
Speaker A:We're not as good as camels with their big hump of fat, but.
Speaker A:But we are capable of not drinking water all damn day long, especially when it just depletes us of our vibrancy, supporting minerals and makes us pee every half an hour.
Speaker A:Hello, pelvic floor.
Speaker A:We too require food.
Speaker A:Our modern food system has created all sorts of things that go into our mouth that I do not consider self care oriented food.
Speaker A:Our bodies know what to do when we eat animals and plants.
Speaker A:Our bodies do not know what to do with foods that are created in a lab.
Speaker A:Overly modified from their natural state, contain genetically modified bits.
Speaker A:That genetically modified bits interacts with our own genetics and makes things very muddy.
Speaker A:And sometimes we just are putting things in our mouth that are completely unrecognizable for our bodies and are considered toxic.
Speaker A:We too need sleep.
Speaker A:Living by the idea that you can sleep when you're dead will only hasten you closer to that death.
Speaker A:Great quality sleep is crucial for cleansing the brain, creating hormones for tomorrow, processing all the shit that happened today, creating new muscles that your workouts require, allowing your organs to rest and more.
Speaker A:Your body is designed with a circadian rhythm that matches the sun.
Speaker A:Sunshine and light means to be awake.
Speaker A:Darkness means to be asleep.
Speaker A:That's what your brain thinks.
Speaker A:Our modern world schedules do not often allow us the pleasure of resting during all of the dark hours of winter.
Speaker A:But your body still expects more rest then working all night and trying to sleep during the day, as many shift workers must do.
Speaker A:It does shorten your health span, compromises your immune system and is hopefully a short time of your life.
Speaker A:We too need sex.
Speaker A:Yep, that's what I said.
Speaker A:All around the world, most cultures know this and accept this.
Speaker A:Sex is a part of life.
Speaker A:It's celebrated, discussed, a priority.
Speaker A:In America, sex is hidden in the closet.
Speaker A:Something learned on the streets and on the school bus.
Speaker A:A source of shame for women and men alike and rarely considered in your overall health plan.
Speaker A:I'm here to change that.
Speaker A:I teach Pilates and yoga and we talk about your pelvic floor health all the time.
Speaker A:I work with women on improving their hormonal health, so we talk about the benefits of hormones and oxytocin and why women need orgasms.
Speaker A:I teach meditation so that your nervous system can relax you enough to experience sexual arousal and desire.
Speaker A:And yes, to all of it.
Speaker A:We too require a home.
Speaker A:Maybe it's a house.
Speaker A:Maybe it's a small apartment or flat.
Speaker A:Maybe it's a tent or a yurt for a while.
Speaker A:Your home should nurture you.
Speaker A:Your home should be a place you can relax, restore and enjoy life.
Speaker A:Fill your home with things you love enough to take care of.
Speaker A:Fill your home with Things that help you be the person you want to be, not stuck or trapped in the past.
Speaker A:Keep your home orderly so that your brain is happy.
Speaker A:Don't compromise.
Speaker A:We require sunshine.
Speaker A:Yes, we do.
Speaker A:Directly on our skin and eyes.
Speaker A:The back of your eye is actually brain tissue, so exposure of your eyes to real sunlight makes your brain work better.
Speaker A:Your skin turns the ultraviolet light from the sun into vitamin D.
Speaker A:Given the right conditions, sunshine on your eyes in the morning improves the clock in your brain that tells you when to go to sleep.
Speaker A:Watching a sunset prepares you for sleep and a pleasant night.
Speaker A:We require movement.
Speaker A:Our heart pumps blood through the body.
Speaker A:Our trash removal system and half of our immune system is stimulated to work when we move our body.
Speaker A:Just your fingers moving while you type at your computer is not enough.
Speaker A:Just your jaw moving while you talk during a meeting is not enough.
Speaker A:Whole body movement every single day is crucial.
Speaker A:Just a simple walk does wonders for the body.
Speaker A:A healthy you is a resilient you.
Speaker A:Mother Nature changes the world around us all the time and you want to be able to adapt to her changes.
Speaker A:Is it warm outside today?
Speaker A:No problem.
Speaker A:Is it cold?
Speaker A:Also no problem.
Speaker A:Let your home reflect the variations as well.
Speaker A:A colder home in the winter allows you time to wear that cute sweater and cozy slippers that make you feel beautiful and warm at the same time.
Speaker A:A warmer home in the winter encourages you to just be kind of expecting summer.
Speaker A:A warmer home in the summertime encourages you to rock that tank top and bare feet while sipping a cooling drink.
Speaker A:Some days are feasting days, but not every day, or you might grow in ways you're not trying to.
Speaker A:Some days are fasting days, days of going without, but not of feeling deprived.
Speaker A:Try giving yourself the gift of a digital detox day or hour.
Speaker A:No devices, no notifications, no email, no interruptions to your flow.
Speaker A:You might really love it.
Speaker A:We as humans require other humans, people.
Speaker A:Even us introverts require people on some level.
Speaker A:If the people around us are the right ones.
Speaker A:We feel calm, protected and safe.
Speaker A:We feel like we belong.
Speaker A:We know someone will notice and care if we don't show up.
Speaker A:We trust them.
Speaker A:Do you have the right people around you?
Speaker A:The community of women that fill my Functional Wellness Studio and that attend the Intentional Vitality Retreats are just these types of people.
Speaker A:There are lots of ways to restore your resonance with nature.
Speaker A:What will you try next?
Speaker A:Join us for the next Intentional Vitality Retreat for ideas and support.
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