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.

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.

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

Music is a fundamental attribute of our species, appearing in almost every culture throughout history. Whether or not we can keep tune or time, humans have continued to play, sing, and hum throughout the ages.

The human brain can distinguish between music and other sounds. Research shows that our nervous system reacts differently to music, with multiple studies suggesting that music may enhance human health and performance.

Listening to or making music affects the brain in ways that may help promote health, manage disease symptoms, reduce stress during illness, and foster a healing response even when patients are unconscious.

Music allows us to express our feelings and communicate our stories. It alters motivation levels, boosts memory and mood, and enhances athletic and cognitive performance.

Our brain requires a lot of computing to make sense of music, offering a form of "exercise" for select brain cells, allowing them to process information more efficiently and effectively.

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

In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Eddie Gammill. Eddie is a Senior Director at WTW, a Registered Nurse, a health and wellness educator, and an accomplished opera singer.

Eddie reflects on his incredible journey through healthcare and music and how picking up an ukulele during COVID rekindled his love for music while protecting his mental health.

Eddie shares the importance of fostering creativity, perseverance, passion, and happiness. He discusses the empowerment of being involved in the YouTube docuseries Freedom to Love, which showcases members of the LGTBQ+ community who choose to be authentic regardless of their adversities.

This conversation was music to our ears (pun very intended)

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

We appreciate you all.

Be Well
-NOW

Eddie's Website: https://eddiegammill.wixsite.com/eddie-gammill-musici

Eddie's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Eddie-Gammill/pfbid0xFbugKyb9rhkt5i2mA58Sdi88bLri1nr45L4bwHJP8koJyFasuUYqUA1nRWMGRFol/

Instagram: @Eddiegammill

DC Fringe Festival: https://capitalfringe.org/

Indianapolis Fringe Festival: https://indyfringe.org/performance/2024-fringe-crooner/

Freedom to Love YouTube Docu-Series:
Ep. 88: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbiDbRvYTfg&t=2s
Ep. 96: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy1X-qCRJCQ&t=11s


* 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.

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

One thing I know about humans and why we have thrived as a species is our love of learning.

Education is a healthy activity that people of all ages can enjoy. Improving intellectual wellness looks different for each of us. For some, it is multiple degrees and certifications. For others, it is researching a hobby or activity of interest. Regardless of how we get education, we are more when we learn more.

We often talk about nature as the first teacher. The many lessons we can learn from the natural world are always available; we must only observe them.

As part of nature, humans have the right and responsibility to learn how to protect and interact with our environment. This is especially true because of the incredible impact our environment has on our health and well-being.

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

In this episode, we sat down with Sara Espinoza, CEO of The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), the nation's leading organization for lifelong environmental learning. NEEF is a non-partisan, non-advocacy organization that was Congressionally chartered in 1990 to complement the work of the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Sara shares the incredible journey of how she turned a childhood passion into a successful profession and the importance of educating more people about the environment around us.

We discuss the importance of NEEF's work to make the environment "more accessible, relatable, relevant, and connected to people's daily lives" through their programs focus on K-12 Education, Conservation, Health, and Veteran connection.

This conversation made us want to learn more, love more, and live more connected to our environment.

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

We appreciate you all.

Be Well

-NOW


NEEF: www.neefusa.org

National Public Lands Day: https://www.neefusa.org/national-public-lands-day

Greening STEM Projects: https://www.neefusa.org/what-we-do/k-12-education/greening-stem-projects

Find NEEF grant opportunities: https://www.neefusa.org/what-we-do/grants/grants

Veterans and Nature Grant Announcement: https://www.neefusa.org/news/neef-announces-awardees-2024-2025-veterans-and-nature-grant

NEEF LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/neefusa

NEEF Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neefusa_org/

NEEF Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NEEFusa/

* 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.

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

Swimming is one of our most popular recreational activities. It is a healthy, low-impact movement that we can continue throughout life.

Aside from being a lot of fun, swimming is a great way to enhance health and wellness holistically.

The mental health benefits of swimming include a release of endorphins and serotonin, an active form of mindfulness, lower stress and anxiety, and an overall sense of increased happiness. Simply hearing flowing water can induce a flood of neurochemicals, making us happier and healthier and lowering stress levels.

While aquatic therapies are standard for physical rehabilitation, more evidence shows successful management of mental and emotional challenges such as PTSD, addiction, and various anxiety disorders.

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

In this episode, we sat down with Soldier, Medic, and Paralympic swimmer Elizabeth Marks. Injured in Iraq, Ellie discovered her love for swimming as part of her rehabilitation. After a few years, she was named to the Army's World Class Athlete Program and began competing at the International level as part of Team USA.

Ellie received the 2016 ESPY Pat Tillman Award, a 2017 induction into the Army Woman's Hall of Fame, the 2023 Soldier for Life award, and the 2024 Military Times Soldier of the Year award. She is a 12x World Record Holder, 16x American Record Holder, 2x Paralympic Games Record Holder, and 1x World Championships Record Holder.

We talk to Ellie about her journey through adversity, how "doing hard things" helped her effectively manage the multiple adversities associated with traumatic injury, how sport has allowed her to thrive in all areas of her life, and how "success is a team sport."

She shares the importance of "choosing your family" as a support system, how challenges can help us determine who we can and should be, and how our values factor impact our trajectory.

We couldn't wait to "dive right in" with this unbelievable human.

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

We appreciate you all.

Be Well

-NOW

Ellie's Team USA Profile: https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&cx=93c33c50d09bd4562&q=https://www.teamusa.com/profiles/elizabeth-marks-858203&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiw2NfpoqWGAxXQF1kFHfoFDdYQFnoECAAQAg&usg=AOvVaw0Q0Afaq0G9La_KXXMbKZ6B&fexp=72519171,72519168

Fisher House Foundation Website: https://fisherhouse.org/

US Olympic and Paralympic Committee: https://www.usopc.org/

DoD Warrior Games: https://dodwarriorgames.com/

Invictus Games Foundation: https://www.invictusgamesfoundation.org/

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

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

The written word has always been a distinct part of the human experience, capturing our history and creating beautiful stories to escape into. Some of the earliest discovered writings were poetry, with many celebrating the natural world as its muse.

Humans have a complex and symbiotic relationship with nature, although the modern understanding of nature can often oversimplify our relationship with our environment.

Poetry is a beautiful way to bolster mental and emotional wellness by providing comfort and boosting mood during periods of stress and trauma. The powerful combination of meter, metaphor, and imagery helps us make sense of the world around us and how we fit into it.

Different studies have found that poetry can be therapeutic for patients dealing with various types of adversity.

Welcome to Episode Forty of The Nature of Wellness Podcast.

On this episode, we sat down with nature poet and wellness advocate Jennifer Gordon. Jennifer is a yoga instructor, meditation guide, fitness instructor, avid hiker, and runner.

Born out of "writing to process personal trauma," Jennifer has published three poetry collections since 2021, mainly covering themes of love, loss, and the natural world. Her third project, "Blue-Colored Muse," collaborates with different Michigan visual artists to celebrate the natural world.

Join us as we talk to Jennifer about her connections to nature and wellness, how advice from a mental health provider prompted multiple published works, and how nature inspires her to quiet her mind and "just keep going."

She shares the importance of finding joy in self-care, how learning to process emotions can lead to a beautiful life trajectory, the power of communities, and her advice for anyone who wants to begin writing…she even reads a couple of her nature poems.

This conversation was a beautiful start for soothing our souls and filling our hearts.

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

We appreciate you all.

Be Well

-NOW

Website: www.jennifergordonpoetry.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifergordonpoetry?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Instagram: @jennifergordonpoetry

Jennifer’s List of “Favorite Poets to Follow on Instagram”:

Lauren Bowman (@l.e.bowman.poetry)

Blake Auden (@blakeaudenpoetry)

Steph Klees (@s.m.klees_poetry)

Alix Klingenberg (@alixklingenberg)

Joy Sullivan (@joysullivanpoet)

Alexa Hoggatt (@alexa.hoggatt)


* The unbelievable Shawn Bell produces the Nature of Wellness Podcast and makes us all sound so good.

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

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

Cycling is a healthy, low-impact activity that people of all ages can enjoy.

Cycling has been proven to improve strength and flexibility, build coordination and balance, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, foster social connection, strengthen the immune system, and enhance cardiovascular health.

Human-powered transportation is also fun, cheap, and good for the environment.

For many of us, a bicycle was the first step to freedom. Do you remember the feeling of getting on a bike as a kid, riding into a day filled with unknown adventures?

What if I told you that you could still have those adventures on two wheels, exploring new places and discovering the incredible history of those who came before us?

Welcome to Episode Thirty-Nine of The Nature of Wellness Podcast.

On this episode, we sat down with “The Bicycle Nomad” Erick Cedeño, an accomplished explorer, historian, and storyteller. Born in Panama, Erick has become known for blending long-distance cycling, history, and cultural immersion. He has made life-altering trips from Vancouver, BC, to Tijuana, Mexico, and a 2,220-mile journey from New Orleans to Niagara Falls, retracing a route of The Underground Railroad. His lifelong love for history led him to research those who have traveled long distances on bicycles before him.

In 2022, he honored the 125th anniversary of the Buffalo Soldier Bicycle Corps–the all-Black regiment of U.S. soldiers–who rode 1,900 miles from Montana to Missouri in 1897. Using a journal he discovered, which chronicled details of the trip, Erick retraced the route exactly. He did not stop there, continuing to research these fantastic figures to pay them (and their descendants) the tribute they deserve.

Join us as we talk to Erick about his meaningful mission of “peddling through history,” how “bike-packing” across the country has helped him connect with people and places in surprising ways, and how long-distance trips in nature have helped him “discover himself.”

He shares emotional discoveries he has made in archives and on roads, the humbling experience of joining the Explorer’s Club, and his future trips based on those who came before him.

This conversation with The Bicycle Nomad left us wondering about wandering.

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

We appreciate you all.

Be Well

-NOW

Truth and Dignity-Bicycle Nomad Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cla9yDVrW2U

NY Times Article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/03/travel/25th-infantry-bicycle-corps.html

Men's Journal Article:
https://www.mensjournal.com/adventure/buffalo-soldiers-bike-ride

Underground Railroad Church Video from Interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbAHGVPTZUc

* The unbelievable Shawn Bell produces the Nature of Wellness Podcast and makes us all sound so good.

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

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

What if we told you that there was a healthcare system of over 400 locations that manages more than 325 million people each year and offers resources that are proven to positively impact every dimension of your health and well-being, with an annual cost (for unlimited visits) of less than $100...if not completely free?

Sound too good to be true?

The National Park Service, responsible for maintaining national parks and monuments, was established in 1916. In just over one hundred years, it has expanded to manage 429 individual units (often called parks), covering more than 85 million acres across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and all US territories.

While these parks are primarily known for recreation and beautiful scenery, an underlying message of health and well-being has historically been part of the NPS mission. A formal agreement between NPS and the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps was signed in 1921 and is considered one of the oldest agreements in the federal government. For more than a century, this partnership has protected, promoted, and advanced the health of NPS employees and the visiting public.

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

On this episode, we sat down with Dr. Sara Newman, an active duty Commissioned Corps Captain in the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) who has served for more than 30 years in public health positions with the private and public sectors. Captain Newman is the Director of the Office of Public Health at the National Park Service, leading public health protection, disease prevention, emergency response, and health promotion policy and programming for thousands of NPS employees and millions of annual visitors.

Join us as we talk to Captain Newman about her personal and professional journey, the unique and critical missions of the "Invisible Corps" (USPHS), how our national parks are vital for continued health and well-being, and how time in the natural world benefits patients and caregivers alike.

Captain Newman discusses the National Parks Service's many offerings, including the upcoming National Parks Week events happening April 20-28 across the country and some of her incredible memories of practicing public health in some of our country's most beautiful "offices."

We could not get outside fast enough after hearing this fantastic conversation (for the best possible reasons).

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

We appreciate you all.

Be Well

-NOW

National Park Week: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/national-park-week.htm

National Park Week Calendar of Events: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/4-8-2024-national-park-week.htm

Captain Newman Article: https://thebatt.com/featured/life-on-the-frontline/

Invisible Corps Documentary: https://invisiblecorps.com/


* The unbelievable Shawn Bell produces the Nature of Wellness Podcast.

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