EP. 76 “You have certain mentors that are human beings. Why keep it to one species? You can learn things you can never learn from any human from talking to a tree or a mushroom or a plant.”

Drum roll please because this episode is a Stay Grounded first! That’s because it’s the very first time I’ve brought an old guest back into the interview chair.

You may remember Logan ‘strongman’ Christopher from episode 35 when he revealed how an experience in the Amazon changed his life.

Well, things have moved on since then. Logan has jumped much deeper into his connection with nature. In fact, he now describes himself as an emissary of nature – someone who communicates deeply with the wildlife, plants, and landscapes around him. At the surface level, this may sound a bit crazy, but hear Logan speak and I guarantee you’ll never look at nature through the same lens again.

This episode is a beautiful opportunity to expand your definition of self. It’s a chance to explore how you can open up different parts of your being and it’s a moment to discover how working with nature leaves you feeling whole.

It’s a doozy 🙂

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Churches are often built with this awe-inspiring look to them that can help us reach that transcendental state. Nature is much the same. A grove of trees is in some ways very similar to a church.

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In this beautiful conversation, Logan shares what’s possible when we reconnect with nature. Here in the West we’re very brain-centric. We see thinking as the pinnacle of the human experience and it’s cut us off from nature.

But at what cost?

Logan believes strengthening our relationship with nature can positively affect us in many profound ways. It can lower stress levels, help us think more creatively, and boost our health and wellbeing – to name just a dew benefits.

In this episode we discuss why:

• You need to slow down to speed up [yes, it feels counter-intuitive]
• Immersing in the complexity of nature allows us to see past our linear human experience
• Transforming our relationship with food can transform our health and diet
• We’ve totally underestimated the heart and what its real function is
• Talking with nature allows you to download insights and understanding about life

And soooooo much more.

Logan believes if we only look to learn from other humans, we’re limiting our ability to understand the world. Nature is a powerful teacher [if we let it] and in this episode you’ll discover how and why.

So take some time to soak up Logan’s wisdom. He’ll leave you thinking in a whole new direction.

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Being able to look at nature in awe I think is a powerful thing and something that, if people did it more often, it would serve them well.

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Time Stamped Show Notes

[4:29] My first question for Logan is about gratitude and appreciation. During our first conversation (Episode 35) we talked about his journey in the rainforests, and the work that came from it. I wanted to know how that experience shaped his appreciation for nature as a whole. Logan says it was increased; he didn’t grow up in nature and becoming an emissary of nature was something that started from ground zero. Through his experiences, he learned how to connect with nature in a different way. He developed that deep gratitude and appreciation or it, along with understanding the complexities of life. Logan says that being able to look at nature with awe is a powerful thing, and if we’re able to do it more, it’s something that would serve us well.

[15:10] I talk to Logan about my experience living in Austin, surrounded by a lot of nature yet always finding myself working. I don’t intentionally make the time to go for walks or get out in nature. I ask him, with everything that he has going on, what does he do to carve out that time? He says it all comes down to priorities; even when challenges arise, he makes sure to get out in nature. He says that no matter where you live, even if it’s in a big city, realize that you’re still surrounded by nature. Find the presence of nature where you can and spend time observing it – walks are also helpful, especially for clearing your head throughout the workday.

[25:29] I recap a spearfishing trip that I took not long ago and how it created a truly mindful experience around my relationship with food. My level of respect for the fish, for the process of fishing and for my experience with eating fish was elevated. It created a new level of consciousness with nature and the food that I eat; being that present with nature was really something special.

[36:41] Logan found a connection in strength training and eventually in nature, and he’s created a lifestyle with alignment between the two. I ask him how he continues finding those affinities: does he trust the path? Does he lean into what’s right and how does he create alignment among all of his other affinities?

Logan says it all comes down to the heart. He references, author, Stephen Harrod Buhner who talks about communicating with nature through our heart. The heart is a sensory organ, it’s just like our eyes, our nose, and our ears. The heart taps into electromagnetic frequencies and Logan describes that feeling as those encounters in spaces where we immediately feel at ease or those where something feels “off.” He says just like a musician can train their ear, we can train our hearts to have a stronger awareness of the connections that we’re regularly making.

56:31 Logan stays grounded by routinely going out into nature. He also physically grounds himself, kicking off his shoes and making skin to earth contact, and speaks to the amazing health benefits of doing so. It supports our thyroid hormone, lowers stress and inflammation, lowers muscle soreness, improves sleep, etc.

Logan Christopher