Thursdays 12:00pm - 1:00pm (EDT)
EPISODE SUMMARY:
This week on The Conscious Consultant Hour, we explore a topic that feels more important than ever - finding peace and calm in the midst of city life.
With the constant hum of traffic, crowded sidewalks, and the endless digital noise, it can feel like true stillness is out of reach. But nature isn’t just something we find in remote forests or mountaintops, it exists all around us, even in the heart of the city. This episode is all about discovering your own “urban oasis” and learning to reconnect with the natural world wherever you are.
We'll talk about the science behind why time in nature so effectively reduces stress, and how even short, simple moments with greenery can help reset your nervous system.
From local parks and community gardens to tree-lined streets and window plants, I’ll share practical ways to incorporate nature into your daily routine. You'll also hear about ancient practices like Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing), and how to adapt them to city living for more calm, clarity, and presence.
Whether you live in a high-rise or a brownstone, this episode will inspire you to slow down, look around, and find healing in the green spaces around you.
Join me for a solo journey inward and outward, where we explore not just how to find nature — but how to let it nourish your spirit. Let’s rediscover what it means to be grounded, right where we are.
Tune in and share your own thoughts and feelings about how you connect with nature in your city on our YouTube livestream or on our Facebook page.
http://www.theconsciousconsultant.com/
In this solo episode of The Conscious Consultant Hour, Sam Liebowitz reflects on the healing power of nature, inspired by one of his past blog posts. He explores how time in natural environments can break the cycle of modern stress, restore inner peace, and reconnect us with a deeper sense of self. Emphasizing that we are part of nature—not separate from it—Sam invites listeners to reawaken their appreciation for the Earth, even amid the steel and glass of big city life.
Sam Liebowitz continues his solo reflection on how nature—even in the heart of a city—can serve as a grounding force and emotional refuge. Drawing on personal experiences from Central Park, community gardens, and quiet walks by the river, he illustrates how urban dwellers can still access the healing qualities of the natural world. He invites listeners to reframe overlooked spaces like cemeteries and rooftop gardens as sacred grounds for mindfulness, restoration, and reconnection to the cycles of life.
Sam Liebowitz introduces the Japanese mindfulness practice of shinrin-yoku or forest bathing, emphasizing the power of simply being present with nature through all five senses—even in an urban setting. He walks listeners through how to intentionally engage sight, sound, smell, touch, and even taste to fully connect with their environment, whether in a park, botanical garden, or even amidst city noise. Encouraging stillness over activity, Sam invites the audience to gift themselves quiet moments of observation and awareness, highlighting how this subtle shift in presence can deeply soothe stress and renew the soul.
Sam Liebowitz reflects on the awe-inspiring power of visiting the Grand Canyon, emphasizing how its ancient, massive presence can help put modern worries into perspective. He encourages listeners to engage with nature playfully and intimately—whether by finding a “perfect tree,” caring for houseplants, or grounding themselves in soil to absorb its natural benefits. Wrapping up with a gentle challenge, Sam invites his spiritually conscious audience to spend mindful time in nature without distractions, reconnecting with the stillness that nurtures emotional, mental, and physical well-being.
00:00:46.250 --> 00:00:56.759 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Good afternoon, my conscious co-creators. Welcome to another edition of the conscious consultant hour awakening humanity.
00:00:57.090 --> 00:01:01.999 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I am very, very pleased that you are all here with me today.
00:01:02.400 --> 00:01:28.570 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: We've got another wonderful show. Some of you might not know what the show is about this episode, because my guest, who I was going to have today could not make it, and I was trying to find a filling guest couldn't get one. So it's just me and you again. So I know I haven't been doing. The Me only shows that often recently. So you're getting double twice this month.
00:01:29.071 --> 00:01:35.980 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: But I've got a lot of great guests coming up. And yeah, so I thought, okay.
00:01:36.120 --> 00:01:40.329 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I can do 2 in one month. It's okay. All right. So
00:01:40.910 --> 00:01:53.539 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And and what I decided to do actually is design my show around the blog post that I have, which we'll get into right now from a couple of years ago, and this blog post is entitled.
00:01:54.190 --> 00:01:59.480 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Being in Nature is the surest way to release our stress
00:02:01.030 --> 00:02:05.099 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: life, for most of us is hectic and fast-paced.
00:02:05.570 --> 00:02:12.169 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: We rush from one meeting to the next. There are errands to run and bills to pay.
00:02:12.690 --> 00:02:16.469 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Sometimes it can feel all a bit much
00:02:16.680 --> 00:02:20.979 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: we can get overwhelmed and frustrated, the stress
00:02:21.660 --> 00:02:26.500 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: builds and builds until we collapse or take a break.
00:02:27.260 --> 00:02:33.350 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and when we return again to normal lives and we get stressed once more.
00:02:33.790 --> 00:02:38.090 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: It is a vicious cycle, one that is not easy to break.
00:02:39.110 --> 00:02:45.759 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Yet in order to de-stress, there is one thing that helps more than anything else.
00:02:46.330 --> 00:02:50.569 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: It is not just about taking a break or grabbing a drink.
00:02:51.500 --> 00:02:59.290 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: for when we change our environment and spend time in nature, something magical happens.
00:03:00.710 --> 00:03:13.210 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: We can feel the breeze on our backs as we go, for a walk in the woods, the green of the forest, or the browns and reds of the desert fill up our eyes.
00:03:13.640 --> 00:03:18.340 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: our ears are filled with the sounds of birds. Chirping and singing.
00:03:19.290 --> 00:03:24.059 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Going to nature is a full-bodied experience.
00:03:24.760 --> 00:03:27.520 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: It engages all of our senses
00:03:27.690 --> 00:03:32.570 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: from the beautiful views to the smells and sounds of the planet.
00:03:32.790 --> 00:03:36.179 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: It takes us far away from our daily lives.
00:03:36.590 --> 00:03:43.700 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Not only do we connect to the environment, we also connect to ourselves.
00:03:44.270 --> 00:03:50.899 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: That connection brings us joy and a profound sense of awe
00:03:51.750 --> 00:03:57.329 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: from the sunrises and the sunsets. We are whisked away from our daily chores
00:03:57.750 --> 00:04:04.380 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: for connecting to nature's the surest, deepest way to release our stress.
00:04:05.320 --> 00:04:08.810 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: It brings us back to the basics of life.
00:04:09.140 --> 00:04:13.960 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and reminds us that, regardless of what we might be going through.
00:04:14.430 --> 00:04:16.640 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: There's still beauty in the world.
00:04:17.709 --> 00:04:23.530 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Nature can be harsh, yet even in its harshness
00:04:23.910 --> 00:04:27.439 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: there is still healing to be found.
00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:37.550 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Whether we enjoy the ocean or the mountains, or the plains of the desert. There is something for everyone.
00:04:38.640 --> 00:04:41.280 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: We only have to seek it out
00:04:41.840 --> 00:04:46.829 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: to immerse ourselves in nature only takes a bit of travel.
00:04:47.150 --> 00:04:52.500 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: leaving our concrete cities behind us, and going to where the population is small.
00:04:54.120 --> 00:04:57.569 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: When we leave nature alone it thrives.
00:04:57.780 --> 00:05:04.559 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: but if we take it for granted, we will damage its beauty, its beauty beyond measure.
00:05:05.010 --> 00:05:11.610 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: For the surest way to appreciate nature is to actually be present to it.
00:05:12.680 --> 00:05:19.950 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: to seek it out and spend time in it, feeling how different it feels to be in the middle of it.
00:05:20.680 --> 00:05:26.059 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: There are so many benefits of connecting to and honoring this planet.
00:05:26.530 --> 00:05:32.559 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: the least of which is releasing our stress and rejuvenating our soul.
00:05:34.320 --> 00:05:39.409 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So when was the last time you spent some quality time in nature.
00:05:40.740 --> 00:05:45.799 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So I wrote this blog post a couple of years ago.
00:05:51.190 --> 00:05:54.779 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And I wrote it because
00:05:56.330 --> 00:06:01.230 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: well, of a couple of things. 1st after the pandemic, I found that
00:06:04.090 --> 00:06:07.869 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: taking a break from the city and getting away from
00:06:09.440 --> 00:06:17.320 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: buildings, the steel and the glass and all that stuff, we really started to feel it a lot more that we needed it.
00:06:19.110 --> 00:06:28.679 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And so we started to try and find different places to go that were close to the city. And then, you know, eventually we even took bigger trips.
00:06:32.680 --> 00:06:35.480 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and it just kind of struck me of like
00:06:35.670 --> 00:06:39.059 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: how important it is to connect to nature.
00:06:39.840 --> 00:06:48.850 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And again, this is a city boy talking right? I'm born and bred in New York City, grew up in the Bronx, lived in and around New York City my whole life.
00:06:49.860 --> 00:06:54.639 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and I love nature, and they love.
00:06:56.930 --> 00:07:19.420 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you know, just the peace and tranquillity, and and I'm sure some people listening. You live in beautiful places and in in cities, across and suburbs and rural areas, across the country and across the globe. And and maybe when you look out your window, you see mountains, or the desert, or the ocean, and
00:07:19.560 --> 00:07:23.330 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and and you're connected to it all the time.
00:07:24.520 --> 00:07:27.780 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: But for many of us who live in these big cities.
00:07:29.170 --> 00:07:32.550 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: We have to make a little effort to connect to it.
00:07:33.310 --> 00:07:35.460 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And that's also why I
00:07:37.080 --> 00:07:46.920 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: dedicating this whole show to the idea of connecting to nature, even when you live in a big city, and we'll talk about that in in coming up.
00:07:51.560 --> 00:08:01.619 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And so I wrote, this blog post is just a reminder, because sometimes we take nature for granted.
00:08:03.450 --> 00:08:15.189 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and you can see it all the time when you walk down the street and you just see garbage littered around, or if you go to some park or state park or local park, and there's garbage on the trail
00:08:16.360 --> 00:08:19.839 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: just really hurts my soul when I see that
00:08:24.040 --> 00:08:28.690 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: there's sometimes with certain people a lack of respect for nature.
00:08:29.740 --> 00:08:33.289 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and that leads us to trouble. It always does.
00:08:34.990 --> 00:08:47.419 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And I think we're just. Sometimes we're just not that conscious of how important nature is, and when we
00:08:48.510 --> 00:08:58.239 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: remove ourselves from nature, so much, then nature kind of pushes back.
00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:05.839 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Now look, I know the whole idea of climate change is a very politically charged topic.
00:09:06.160 --> 00:09:24.800 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: but to me it's not about politics at all. It's about science. It's about just opening your eyes and look around and pay attention to all the natural disasters we've been having lately, and the amount of damage they've been causing.
00:09:25.180 --> 00:09:32.899 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and and the amount of plastics in the water, and the and just the pollution in the air.
00:09:33.910 --> 00:09:35.950 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: You know, it's New York City.
00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:45.850 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: It's it's almost Memorial Day weekend, and we have heat in our apartment. I've never, never had heat in my apartment this late in May.
00:09:48.160 --> 00:10:00.160 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I mean, I remember, and and it's raining, and it's cold. I mean now, in the daytime it's in the fifties, but I think I think we even touched below 50 last night was highly unusual.
00:10:00.970 --> 00:10:10.660 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Now look, you know, the the weather changes all the time we hit record highs and record lows all the time, and unusual things happen all the time.
00:10:12.570 --> 00:10:14.839 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: But if we take it in context.
00:10:15.030 --> 00:10:19.809 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: if we look about what's going on in the world in general.
00:10:23.200 --> 00:10:26.510 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you know, we can see we can see a trend.
00:10:27.480 --> 00:10:33.750 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: You know, the scientists can measure the temperature of the oceans. It's it's no mystery.
00:10:34.280 --> 00:10:39.669 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I always get kind of confused about why, it's even a debate at all.
00:10:41.230 --> 00:10:43.389 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Look at the evidence. Look at the data.
00:10:47.120 --> 00:10:53.129 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: anyway. So I kind of feel it's so important for us to honor nature
00:10:53.500 --> 00:10:59.950 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and for the very simple fact, and this is something we often neglect is that
00:11:00.590 --> 00:11:05.550 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: nature serves us, it supports us, it it
00:11:05.780 --> 00:11:10.410 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: it helps us in a very real way in our day-to-day life.
00:11:11.020 --> 00:11:13.800 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: to just help us to release stress.
00:11:15.060 --> 00:11:18.660 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: to to have some peace and quiet.
00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:22.279 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: to have a different perspective on things
00:11:25.140 --> 00:11:39.810 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I've seen over the last several years that it feels like, especially in the business world. Everything's heating up. It's going faster and faster. Change is happening faster. There's more stuff to deal with, more concerns than ever before.
00:11:45.030 --> 00:11:47.499 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and so to be able to
00:11:47.860 --> 00:11:56.039 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: remove ourselves from that environment and put ourselves into a truly natural environment.
00:11:58.770 --> 00:12:05.530 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: It is so so important for our mental health, for our physical health, for our well-being.
00:12:09.620 --> 00:12:11.900 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and just to be able to
00:12:12.650 --> 00:12:16.750 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: look at a beautiful forest or mountain or
00:12:17.030 --> 00:12:23.189 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: vista like me and my wife. We just went to the Grand Canyon. Oh, my God! What a
00:12:24.070 --> 00:12:32.389 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: amazing, impressive, natural wonder! And I'll talk more about the Grand Canyon later.
00:12:37.790 --> 00:12:42.110 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: It it shifts so much.
00:12:45.130 --> 00:12:50.650 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and there's so many amazing benefits that we get from it.
00:12:51.770 --> 00:12:54.379 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: But when we're running back and forth
00:12:54.770 --> 00:12:59.369 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: to our jobs, or maybe back and forth to our home offices.
00:13:00.630 --> 00:13:08.530 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And we're on the computer all day long and then having dinner. Then the watching TV at night, or whatever we do.
00:13:09.630 --> 00:13:15.730 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and we keep staying disconnected and more disconnected and more disconnected and more disconnected.
00:13:16.970 --> 00:13:21.800 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: We suffer when we do that.
00:13:25.590 --> 00:13:31.989 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So because of this realization, my wife and I have been much more mindful about
00:13:32.300 --> 00:13:37.580 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: taking time out of the city and going different places.
00:13:38.290 --> 00:13:42.959 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and because of that over the last few years we've actually seen more of
00:13:43.450 --> 00:13:54.510 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: the local area and seen more of just everything from upstate New York and Connecticut and New Jersey and Long Island and and other States.
00:13:57.520 --> 00:14:00.820 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: It does it take a little bit of effort? Of course it does.
00:14:01.580 --> 00:14:06.279 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: But is it worth it? 100%? It's worth it.
00:14:08.920 --> 00:14:15.089 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And especially now I you know, I felt like this was a sort of a timely topic to talk about now.
00:14:16.790 --> 00:14:23.060 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: because we are about to go into Memorial Day weekend, which is sort of the unofficial start of summer.
00:14:23.750 --> 00:14:38.080 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and when the weather is nice in the northern hemisphere, and again, it would be going into winter in the southern hemisphere, and summer all time, all year long in the equator and winter all year long, pretty much at the poles.
00:14:38.420 --> 00:14:44.649 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: But in the northern hemisphere we're going into that time when it's nice to be outside
00:14:44.970 --> 00:14:48.360 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: where we we want to be more outdoors.
00:14:50.880 --> 00:14:58.980 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And so I thought, sort of talking about connecting to nature again, that it would be helpful
00:15:00.520 --> 00:15:03.119 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: to have this conversation today.
00:15:03.540 --> 00:15:04.599 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So listen.
00:15:04.830 --> 00:15:19.990 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: There's no guest today. If you're listening on the live stream. It's just me and you. I would love to get your input. Just just put some comments in, no matter where you're watching us right now, whether it's Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Linkedin or Twitch.
00:15:21.350 --> 00:15:30.440 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: let me know. How do you feel about nature? What kind of environment are you in? How do you use nature to de-stress and support yourself.
00:15:32.420 --> 00:15:37.260 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I'd really like to know? And let's make it a conversation. What challenges do you have around it?
00:15:37.410 --> 00:15:40.080 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Ask me questions that I can
00:15:40.230 --> 00:15:43.930 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: help to support you in where you are in your life.
00:15:46.510 --> 00:15:52.470 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: because as much as we think we're separate, we're not. We're all part of nature.
00:15:52.850 --> 00:15:57.200 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And that's really, you know, with this episode
00:15:57.670 --> 00:16:04.850 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: this week is all about the presence of nature finding peace in unexpected places.
00:16:05.050 --> 00:16:11.770 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: even in the middle of a huge city like New York City and Manhattan.
00:16:11.980 --> 00:16:39.710 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: You can find nature here, and we'll talk all about that in just a moment. We're going to take a break. So everybody, please stay tuned. You're listening to the conscious consultant hour awakening humanity. We do this every Thursday 12 noon to one Pm. Eastern time, right here on Talkradio, Dot, Nyc and on Facebook, Youtube, Twitter Linkedin Twitch and we're on all the podcasting platforms. So wherever you love to listen to your shows you can find
00:16:39.710 --> 00:16:46.439 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: the conscious consultant hour. Thank you for tuning in. We'll be right back in just a moment.
00:18:32.750 --> 00:18:53.539 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And welcome back to the conscious, consultant hour awakening humanity. Today it's just me and you. So I hope you'll chime in and ask me some questions and let me know how you're doing around things. So our topic this week is all about finding nature in the city being present to where we find
00:18:54.050 --> 00:18:57.909 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: nature in the city. So so let's just talk about like.
00:18:58.170 --> 00:19:03.849 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: why, like like, why should we even bother? Which I kind of touched upon in my blog.
00:19:05.150 --> 00:19:07.450 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you know the importance of,
00:19:10.230 --> 00:19:13.079 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: the importance of connecting to nature
00:19:16.740 --> 00:19:24.489 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and to me like one of the most important things, and the biggest contrast comes
00:19:25.400 --> 00:19:36.270 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: after you've been away from the city, and you've been in a place filled with nature, maybe a Caribbean island or the National Forest, or something.
00:19:39.560 --> 00:19:41.999 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and you come back to the city.
00:19:42.750 --> 00:19:54.900 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And all of a sudden you notice how stimulating it is, and you notice, like the chaos and the traffic. And like all this stuff, much more so than you did before.
00:19:58.600 --> 00:20:02.660 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and then you feel like, Oh, my God! I wish I spent another week on vacation.
00:20:03.510 --> 00:20:10.510 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Well might be worth it to try and find some ways to connect to nature
00:20:11.020 --> 00:20:15.839 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: without having to take a vacation without having to travel without having to go far.
00:20:19.880 --> 00:20:24.729 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: because even walking through a city park
00:20:26.190 --> 00:20:34.170 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: like helps to reduce our stress. It brings down our cortisol. It lowers our blood pressure. It can improve our mood.
00:20:34.590 --> 00:20:39.259 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: There's so many documented benefits of it
00:20:40.110 --> 00:20:45.620 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: that it make doesn't make sense not to connect to nature.
00:20:46.670 --> 00:20:52.820 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And I just remember, during the pandemic, and I know a lot of people left New York City during the pandemic.
00:20:53.300 --> 00:20:59.960 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: but my wife and I stayed because we didn't have a second home. We don't have a place upstate, because we always like to go different places.
00:21:00.600 --> 00:21:05.569 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: But what we would do every night after dinner we'd go for a walk in Central park.
00:21:06.550 --> 00:21:13.859 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and we do it at night, not too many people around, and it was peaceful and calm.
00:21:14.580 --> 00:21:17.370 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and even in the midst of a pandemic
00:21:19.140 --> 00:21:26.510 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you could just feel the stillness and the peace there, even though there were people suffering around the world at that time.
00:21:27.020 --> 00:21:31.699 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and it really helped to get us through that struggling time.
00:21:35.830 --> 00:21:37.790 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and then afterwards.
00:21:41.500 --> 00:21:43.860 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I don't know. I feel like we all
00:21:44.250 --> 00:21:50.569 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: have are are in like this Ptsd. Around the pandemic, and we haven't really processed it.
00:21:51.010 --> 00:22:02.219 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And I noticed just things started heating up once things opened up and people busier. And there's more stuff going on on your phone and developing this and doing that. And
00:22:03.350 --> 00:22:06.969 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and just people start getting more and more and more distracted.
00:22:07.240 --> 00:22:11.239 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: harder and harder to connect and hold a conversation with someone.
00:22:11.970 --> 00:22:17.179 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And by the end of the day, like, I'm on zoom all day long, having meetings talking to people.
00:22:17.400 --> 00:22:19.800 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: It's pretty tiring.
00:22:20.500 --> 00:22:25.459 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: because in a way we may not be moving as much, but we're doing a lot more.
00:22:28.370 --> 00:22:33.630 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and I felt more tired at the end of the day than I ever had before.
00:22:35.890 --> 00:22:44.260 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and I found that just going to Central Park and walking around my wife at night for a half hour, 45 min, an hour.
00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:48.189 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: how much better I felt.
00:22:51.770 --> 00:22:57.699 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And then, as I mentioned before, we realized that from the pandemic that
00:22:58.390 --> 00:23:01.859 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: we still are feeling kind of stressed, and that we needed
00:23:02.080 --> 00:23:04.649 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: to escape a little bit more.
00:23:06.840 --> 00:23:13.930 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: But you know you can escape the city without having to take these big trips. And and
00:23:14.510 --> 00:23:22.720 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you know again, I'm gonna talk about Manhattan, because that's where I live. But I want you to think about where you are, in your town, your city.
00:23:23.580 --> 00:23:26.850 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: where what is there around for you to go to.
00:23:27.730 --> 00:23:40.779 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: You know New York City we have. We have these little community gardens that you can stumble upon as you walk through different neighborhoods. Every now and then there's a an empty lot, and people in the community come together and they turn it into a little garden.
00:23:41.290 --> 00:23:55.319 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I used to live years and years and years ago, over on 90th Street, between Columbus and Amsterdam, and like right in the middle of the block, there's this nice community park that goes from 90th Street to 89th Street.
00:23:55.570 --> 00:24:02.929 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and they plant flowers there, vegetables in the summertime and and their benches around, and you could just go there and sit.
00:24:05.040 --> 00:24:13.859 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and it's just there in in the middle of the block, and you stumble upon it, and and you never would have guessed it was there, and you not stumble upon it?
00:24:16.590 --> 00:24:20.522 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And then I know also there's this rooftop garden near us on
00:24:21.720 --> 00:24:27.109 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I think it's 97th Street that a friend of ours told us about. You have to go take the elevator up.
00:24:28.510 --> 00:24:36.210 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: You know there are. There are Botanical Gardens, both in the Bronx and Brooklyn, I mean, there's probably in the other boroughs as well.
00:24:36.850 --> 00:24:41.919 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and also one of the things I personally love to do is is walk by the rivers.
00:24:42.300 --> 00:24:46.069 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you know, all along the Hudson River. Now you can pretty much walk
00:24:46.370 --> 00:24:52.660 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: almost the length of Manhattan along the Hudson River. There's walks on the east side, on the East river.
00:24:55.500 --> 00:25:01.959 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: You know we we were taking the train up to Chappaqua few weeks ago.
00:25:02.120 --> 00:25:12.439 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and you can even see the Bronx River along the side as you're going through Westchester, and they created a whole path along the Bronx River that looks like it goes for miles.
00:25:15.760 --> 00:25:20.969 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and if you live in in a little more rural area. I'm sure there are lakes.
00:25:21.170 --> 00:25:30.799 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: If you live near the ocean, there's beaches and waterfronts, I mean, there's all kinds of places you can go depending on where you live
00:25:31.350 --> 00:25:35.389 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and what it's like there. And we were just down. We we took
00:25:35.680 --> 00:25:41.000 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: a little weekend trip down to Savannah, Georgia, 1st time going down there
00:25:42.300 --> 00:25:45.730 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and just walking around downtown Savannah.
00:25:46.450 --> 00:25:52.080 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: like every so often. There's just this block that's just like a little garden of trees.
00:25:52.620 --> 00:26:04.550 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and and just the moss, all the Spanish moss hanging from the trees. It's so beautiful that just walking through the city streets, you feel like you're walking in nature.
00:26:09.460 --> 00:26:16.509 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So there's lots of places within the city, and and one place that
00:26:17.290 --> 00:26:21.260 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I think often people don't think about
00:26:21.730 --> 00:26:25.699 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: as a very natural place to go. It's very quiet.
00:26:26.520 --> 00:26:31.800 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: but people don't like going there because of the Association, and those are the cemeteries.
00:26:32.670 --> 00:26:36.829 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: There's this giant cemetery in Brooklyn. I think it's Greenwood.
00:26:36.980 --> 00:26:39.510 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: There's Woodlawn in the Bronx.
00:26:40.790 --> 00:26:44.290 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Don't think we have any cemeteries in Manhattan, but
00:26:44.680 --> 00:26:48.510 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you know cemeteries are beautiful places.
00:26:50.280 --> 00:26:54.760 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: but because there's that association with death we tend to avoid them.
00:26:56.860 --> 00:27:02.009 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: But when you're in nature, death is part of the cycle of life.
00:27:05.310 --> 00:27:07.259 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and maybe
00:27:07.560 --> 00:27:15.610 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: if we do visit a cemetery, not that necessarily. There's anyone buried there that you need to see their tombstone, or anything
00:27:16.690 --> 00:27:23.360 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: but just being around a cemetery and seeing all the people who are no longer with us.
00:27:25.210 --> 00:27:29.870 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: not just being in nature, but being in that stillness, and that presence
00:27:31.100 --> 00:27:35.870 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: like that can give us a different perspective and a different appreciation for life.
00:27:40.920 --> 00:27:47.090 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Again. It might not be comfortable for you. And look if you've recently lost a loved one, and maybe it's
00:27:47.270 --> 00:27:51.619 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: a little traumatic for you to go to a cemetery. Then don't, of course not.
00:27:55.050 --> 00:28:06.110 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: But if you're close to one, and you haven't taken a walk through it, just try it.
00:28:06.720 --> 00:28:08.930 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: just try it and see if
00:28:09.370 --> 00:28:11.699 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: how you feel walking through it.
00:28:16.410 --> 00:28:18.880 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Just because there are people buried. There
00:28:19.010 --> 00:28:21.610 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: doesn't mean it's not a peaceful place.
00:28:22.110 --> 00:28:25.649 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: It's probably the ultimately ultimate, peaceful place.
00:28:28.350 --> 00:28:32.640 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So there's lots and lots of places around the city
00:28:33.210 --> 00:28:39.240 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: that you can go. And and you know my wife and I. We visited many cities in the United States.
00:28:39.580 --> 00:28:44.260 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and there's always a park or something not too far away.
00:28:46.440 --> 00:28:57.929 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: As I mentioned before, we we just came back recently from the Grand Canyon, and that was amazing. And we're about to take to break, take a break. So I'm not going to talk about it now, but I'll talk about it
00:28:58.070 --> 00:29:06.849 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: in a few minutes, but especially if you live near something majestic.
00:29:08.740 --> 00:29:13.250 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: something, you know, you know, some huge mountain.
00:29:13.560 --> 00:29:16.959 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: a deep canyon, a desert, a forest.
00:29:17.680 --> 00:29:20.110 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you know that that's that's heaven
00:29:22.340 --> 00:29:26.390 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: that can really help to regulate our nervous system.
00:29:27.580 --> 00:29:31.390 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you know, if you're the kind of person who gets anxious easily
00:29:31.700 --> 00:29:33.970 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: if you don't sleep that well.
00:29:34.380 --> 00:29:38.490 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: If if you have a lot of concerns and worries.
00:29:41.140 --> 00:29:43.899 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: what happens when you take some time in nature.
00:29:47.530 --> 00:29:55.490 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: what happens when you take the time to just be present to the nature around you.
00:29:56.590 --> 00:29:58.270 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Does it change your sleep?
00:29:59.100 --> 00:30:01.730 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Does it calm down your nervous system?
00:30:04.140 --> 00:30:10.209 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: You know there's even this Japanese practice called shinrin Yoku
00:30:10.890 --> 00:30:16.290 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: forest bathing. I'll talk about that actually, when we come back from break, because
00:30:17.170 --> 00:30:21.180 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: that practice. It's it's a mindfulness practice.
00:30:21.940 --> 00:30:29.779 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: But you don't have to run away from where you live to do it. You can do it even in the middle of Manhattan and New York City.
00:30:29.930 --> 00:30:32.989 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and we'll talk about that after this break.
00:30:33.690 --> 00:30:41.350 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So everyone, please stay tuned. You're listening to the conscious, consultant hour awakening humanity.
00:30:42.370 --> 00:30:54.249 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: We're talking this hour all about the importance of connecting to nature, especially in the middle of an urban environment. I would love to hear from you how you connect to nature where you live.
00:30:55.740 --> 00:31:02.370 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So, thanks for listening to me. We're halfway through. Please stay tuned. We'll be right back in just a moment.
00:32:38.650 --> 00:32:48.929 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Welcome back. We're talking all about connecting to nature where you live, even if you live in the middle of a big city, like I do in the middle of Manhattan.
00:32:51.030 --> 00:33:04.109 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And so I mentioned at the end of last Segment about this Japanese practice called forest bathing, and in Japanese it's Shinyan Yoko.
00:33:05.820 --> 00:33:19.309 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and it was something that they actually started promoting back in the eighties. I believe it's it's not an ancient practice. It's a modern practice, because in ancient times there was lots of nature around. You didn't have to forest bathe.
00:33:19.940 --> 00:33:37.079 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and and they started it in in Japan as sort of a public health initiative to help people who were stressed out and overworked, and and and how to help people to get back to mental, emotional and physical balance, spiritual balance as well.
00:33:38.170 --> 00:33:41.309 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And so this idea of of forest bathing.
00:33:41.890 --> 00:33:43.829 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: It's not about
00:33:44.840 --> 00:33:57.390 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: going for a long hike in the woods. It's not about having to do something in nature, you know, we're so focused on doing. But we forget we're human beings. We're not human doings.
00:33:59.170 --> 00:34:02.799 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: but it's about just being present
00:34:03.350 --> 00:34:05.430 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: to the nature that's around you.
00:34:06.160 --> 00:34:15.260 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So in Japan, I mean they. They encourage people to go to a forest and just sit in the middle of the forest and be present to everything. But you can do this
00:34:15.650 --> 00:34:17.830 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: even in this big city.
00:34:19.630 --> 00:34:27.289 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you know, especially in New York City, like in Central Park, and I love Central Park. I mean Central Park is like my favorite place in the world.
00:34:28.060 --> 00:34:33.820 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: because it's in the middle of one of them biggest cities in the world.
00:34:35.500 --> 00:34:38.130 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and you can find spots in there
00:34:39.250 --> 00:34:45.929 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: where you're completely surrounded by trees, and you can't see the buildings, and you would never know that you're in the middle of the city.
00:34:49.290 --> 00:34:52.440 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And so, in order to to
00:34:52.550 --> 00:34:56.060 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: have this practice of forest bathing in your own life.
00:34:56.830 --> 00:34:58.440 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you can go to a park.
00:34:58.760 --> 00:35:01.140 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and so the 1st thing is to
00:35:01.330 --> 00:35:05.670 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: part of the practice is about being very intentional
00:35:06.210 --> 00:35:08.870 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: with your desire to connect to nature.
00:35:09.940 --> 00:35:17.329 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So again, it's not like a a destination that have to go and spend this amount of time and then come back.
00:35:18.030 --> 00:35:24.220 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: It's about going being intentional, slowing down
00:35:25.000 --> 00:35:31.730 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and just taking some time to be present to the nature around you.
00:35:32.860 --> 00:35:40.009 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and it actually doesn't matter whether it's spring, summer, winter, or fall. There's always something to be present to.
00:35:40.400 --> 00:35:42.899 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Of course, if it's winter, you want to bundle up, but
00:35:43.360 --> 00:35:51.519 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you know, and and you know you dress appropriately for the time of year. But you don't have to limit it to just the spring or summer.
00:35:52.120 --> 00:35:53.630 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Mean fall is beautiful.
00:35:54.130 --> 00:35:59.630 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So you go to this park, gardened
00:35:59.900 --> 00:36:04.869 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Botanical Gardens, maybe a local zoo that has a nice nature spot.
00:36:07.880 --> 00:36:11.550 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and you want to engage all of your senses.
00:36:12.510 --> 00:36:14.700 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So what do you see?
00:36:15.830 --> 00:36:20.280 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: What colors do you see? What movement is there?
00:36:20.690 --> 00:36:24.879 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: You know? How is the light and the patterns?
00:36:26.900 --> 00:36:32.699 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Maybe if there are any little animals you see running around just using sight.
00:36:34.090 --> 00:36:37.830 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And then what do you hear using your sense of hearing.
00:36:38.450 --> 00:36:48.490 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Do you hear birds chirping? Do you hear the leaves rustling? Do you hear other people in the distance? Maybe they're talking quietly or not.
00:36:49.090 --> 00:36:53.830 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Maybe you're you hear a bicycle run running by.
00:36:55.980 --> 00:37:04.549 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: but really be present to it. Notice it like, take a time with each of these senses. Take a little bit of time and really feel it.
00:37:05.530 --> 00:37:06.739 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: What do you see?
00:37:07.060 --> 00:37:08.650 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: What do you hear?
00:37:10.430 --> 00:37:12.169 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: What do you smell?
00:37:13.620 --> 00:37:21.919 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Can you smell flowers around? You know? Sometimes the trees are blooming, and there's a sweet smell in the air.
00:37:23.120 --> 00:37:30.549 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: or maybe they just planted fertilizer around in some flower beds to help the flowers to grow. So there's a smell of fertilizer.
00:37:31.730 --> 00:37:39.789 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you know, in some parks, you know, they have bridle paths and people riding horses, and so sometimes there's some horse poop around and you smell that.
00:37:41.400 --> 00:37:47.709 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: or if you're in the desert, what does the desert smell like that? Smell that very, very dry smell?
00:37:47.840 --> 00:37:53.130 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: If you're near the ocean, or you're smelling the salt in the air.
00:37:56.650 --> 00:38:06.359 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: If you're near the ocean also, can you hear the waves like? Are they quiet waves? Are they are they breaking against the rocks on the shore.
00:38:09.110 --> 00:38:17.009 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you know, when you bring in your if you're if you're by the ocean, you see the sun sparkling light sparkling off the water. I love that.
00:38:19.430 --> 00:38:21.340 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And then what do you feel?
00:38:22.530 --> 00:38:27.960 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Do you feel warm? Do you feel cool? Do you feel the air blowing.
00:38:28.750 --> 00:38:33.210 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Can you feel the bench you're sitting on? Or are you sitting on the grass.
00:38:33.730 --> 00:38:41.740 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: maybe sitting on the ground and taking your hands and touching the grass and feeling the different blades of grass.
00:38:44.680 --> 00:38:47.420 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you can feel the earth beneath your feet.
00:38:48.910 --> 00:38:55.970 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and if you really want to ground, there's this wonderful practice called earthing. Take off your shoes and socks.
00:38:56.600 --> 00:38:59.660 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Just put your bare feet on the ground.
00:38:59.800 --> 00:39:03.330 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: When we live in cities we do that so rarely.
00:39:07.330 --> 00:39:15.709 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and maybe just maybe if you happen to be lucky enough, and there's a fruit tree nearby, or some herbs maybe. Take a
00:39:15.830 --> 00:39:23.004 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: take. Take a you know, a raspberry off a bush, or or or some
00:39:25.040 --> 00:39:30.400 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: There are some herbs that you can chew and and get that sense of taste involved.
00:39:32.850 --> 00:39:44.030 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So you know, it's about leaving the world behind and just engaging all of these senses. So you can really be present to nature. And what's around you?
00:39:45.610 --> 00:39:54.010 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: You know, it's not about going to the park and talking with your friends on the phone while you're there. I mean, not saying you can't do that. But that's not forest bathing.
00:39:55.480 --> 00:40:00.420 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: because then you're distracted. Then you can't engage all these different senses.
00:40:02.090 --> 00:40:04.410 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So it's about really like, go
00:40:05.260 --> 00:40:10.110 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: explore, maybe find a part of the park you've never been to before.
00:40:11.600 --> 00:40:14.610 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Find a quiet spot where you can just sit
00:40:14.760 --> 00:40:22.869 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and be with yourself. I mean, how often do we just take time to be with ourselves.
00:40:28.460 --> 00:40:35.780 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and engage all these different senses. Sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch.
00:40:36.210 --> 00:40:41.140 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: as many of these senses as you can engage, just know. Just take a little bit of time
00:40:42.300 --> 00:40:47.740 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: being present to each one of the senses, and if you do that
00:40:47.980 --> 00:40:51.299 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: like 1015, 2030 min can go by
00:40:52.148 --> 00:40:54.170 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and you'll be like, Wow, what happened.
00:40:59.650 --> 00:41:01.770 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And so, taking some time
00:41:02.530 --> 00:41:08.299 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: without worrying about having to be somewhere at a specific time having to talk to this person.
00:41:09.010 --> 00:41:12.730 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: having to respond to these texts.
00:41:13.390 --> 00:41:20.040 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: having communicate with people just taking some time to connect to nature and be with ourselves.
00:41:22.310 --> 00:41:29.140 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I remember there's this practice, you know, called vision quest where? Where? Basically you.
00:41:29.640 --> 00:41:37.709 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you, you go out to the woods and you stay like in a cabin by yourself, and they come and check on you
00:41:37.850 --> 00:41:40.110 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: once a day, but there's like no
00:41:40.300 --> 00:41:47.729 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: connection with people, no phones, no nothing. And it's really about presence. And a friend told me how he was doing it, and
00:41:48.540 --> 00:41:54.169 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and he would just look around at nature, and he sat down and he saw a spider
00:41:54.390 --> 00:41:56.320 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: weaving its web.
00:41:57.041 --> 00:42:02.099 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: You know, in this little hole of a plant, and he just sat there
00:42:02.280 --> 00:42:08.810 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: for an hour or more, just watching it weave its web.
00:42:09.300 --> 00:42:18.979 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and when it finished weaving its web, and it just went to the center and curled up and stayed still until a fly came and got stuck in the web.
00:42:19.950 --> 00:42:27.640 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and just being so present and being connected and seeing just that little piece.
00:42:29.150 --> 00:42:30.200 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And there's
00:42:30.870 --> 00:42:40.319 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: thousands, I mean, I'm sure there's probably millions. But there's at least hundreds of things like that in nature that we can find that we can see.
00:42:40.620 --> 00:42:48.589 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you know, squirrels and chipmunks, and birds, and insects and worms, and all kinds of
00:42:49.970 --> 00:42:53.330 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: animals and insects, and flora and fauna.
00:42:55.630 --> 00:42:57.769 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: How much do we pay attention to it?
00:42:58.340 --> 00:43:00.249 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: How much do we notice it?
00:43:02.500 --> 00:43:04.990 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And what's truly amazing is when we
00:43:05.410 --> 00:43:09.009 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: put our focus on the nature around us.
00:43:10.540 --> 00:43:15.490 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Suddenly things kind of melt away suddenly. Our problems
00:43:15.770 --> 00:43:18.820 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: don't seem so much like problems anymore.
00:43:23.160 --> 00:43:27.909 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and the stress of day-to-day life just tends to melt away.
00:43:32.010 --> 00:43:35.740 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And you know, what's really amazing is we can do this anytime
00:43:35.970 --> 00:43:39.030 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: anytime. We make the time for ourselves.
00:43:39.440 --> 00:43:41.929 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: We don't have to wait until the weekends.
00:43:42.060 --> 00:43:47.990 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: You don't have to wait until we take a week off or 2 weeks off from work to go on. Vacation
00:43:49.750 --> 00:43:53.810 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: can do it during your lunch hour. You can do it in the morning. When you 1st get up.
00:43:55.950 --> 00:43:58.530 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: the important thing is, put it in your schedule.
00:43:59.420 --> 00:44:16.650 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: put it in, make your time and say, you know, Wednesdays at 9 Am. I'm going to go out or or Fridays at noon. Don't do it Thursdays at noon, because that's when I do my show. But like Fridays at noon, I'm not doing anything. When I take my lunch break I'm going to go out and just sit in the park.
00:44:16.970 --> 00:44:18.820 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I'm just gonna watch.
00:44:19.220 --> 00:44:29.370 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Then look if you happen to like, just get to a part of the park where it's not so quiet. But there are people walking around. Just look at the people. Just notice what's going on around you.
00:44:30.250 --> 00:44:33.559 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you know, sometimes just going and sitting in the park and
00:44:33.720 --> 00:44:45.110 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: watching people go by on their bikes and skateboards, and these unicycles and and and and scooters, and all kinds of stuff, and people walking and jogging
00:44:48.310 --> 00:45:00.109 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and running, sometimes just sitting and being still and just watching how the world is moving around us.
00:45:01.950 --> 00:45:07.420 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Just that is a form of connection that can really help us.
00:45:10.850 --> 00:45:17.090 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So that's shinrin Yokuru, Yoku forest bathing.
00:45:18.120 --> 00:45:26.080 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: The forest is optional, and it it's all a way to just
00:45:26.420 --> 00:45:30.899 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: be with ourselves. Connect to nature. Relax, be present.
00:45:32.930 --> 00:45:35.780 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and maybe that doesn't seem like such a big deal to you.
00:45:36.000 --> 00:45:38.939 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And maybe you can't see how that can help you.
00:45:39.770 --> 00:45:43.219 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And you know what I'm okay with you being skeptical.
00:45:44.150 --> 00:45:45.739 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Just go and try it.
00:45:46.800 --> 00:45:49.630 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I'm not saying you have to believe me.
00:45:50.520 --> 00:45:57.540 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: but just try it and see how it feels for you just
00:45:57.840 --> 00:46:01.660 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: take the time, give it as a gift to yourself.
00:46:02.680 --> 00:46:05.760 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and notice if it makes a difference for you or not.
00:46:06.300 --> 00:46:09.869 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and you know what, if it doesn't. I want to hear from you about that.
00:46:10.180 --> 00:46:15.770 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: If you're saying, Sam, I did it. I was still just as stressed afterwards as I was before.
00:46:16.540 --> 00:46:18.969 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I didn't feel any different. Yeah.
00:46:19.210 --> 00:46:24.499 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: that's the case for you. I want to hear about it. I want to ask you some questions. I want to dig into it.
00:46:26.390 --> 00:46:28.930 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: because I cannot think of a time
00:46:29.450 --> 00:46:35.469 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: when I connected to nature, where it did not shift my state in some fashion.
00:46:38.000 --> 00:46:49.170 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: All right. It's time for us to take our last break of the show. It's going by pretty quick when we come back. Oh, I gotta tell you about the Grand Canyon, I mean, I talked about the Grand Canyon, I think a little bit before, but I really want to talk about
00:46:49.520 --> 00:46:56.700 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: my experience of connecting to that kind of nature, and
00:46:56.810 --> 00:47:13.749 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: the difference I feel it had made in me. So maybe you can get a little bit from it and let me know if you've been to the Grand Canyon or not. I was there South Rim 2 days. It was wonderful. So everyone, please stay tuned. You're listening to the conscious consultant hour awakening humanity.
00:47:14.150 --> 00:47:18.309 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and we'll be right back in just a moment to wrap it all up.
00:49:07.040 --> 00:49:25.079 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And welcome back to the conscious, consultant hour awakening humanity. I hope you've been enjoying this episode. Sometimes I worry about doing these episodes just myself going on for an hour. If people really listen. So let me know if you listen to this episode. Do you like it?
00:49:26.050 --> 00:49:35.630 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So look, I want to kind of bring this all together. We've been talking about how to connect to spirit, how to connect to nature in the middle of the city.
00:49:36.649 --> 00:49:39.339 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: But sometimes we do go out of the city
00:49:39.610 --> 00:49:42.170 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: to connect to nature, and as I mentioned
00:49:42.470 --> 00:49:46.659 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: my wife and I went to the Grand Canyon recently, and
00:49:46.840 --> 00:49:53.620 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you know, all my life I've been on this Earth more than 60 years. I've never been to the Grand Canyon. I've flown over it many times.
00:49:54.050 --> 00:49:55.860 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I finally went there, and
00:49:57.440 --> 00:50:04.509 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: if you're fortunate to live someplace close enough where you can just drive and visit the Grand Canyon, I highly recommend it.
00:50:07.400 --> 00:50:13.140 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: because, seeing this, this giant canyon in the earth
00:50:16.220 --> 00:50:20.289 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: that not just is so large but so ancient.
00:50:22.510 --> 00:50:28.239 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And you feel like this big next to the canyon, just tiny.
00:50:30.590 --> 00:50:33.679 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I'm looking at all the different levels.
00:50:35.090 --> 00:50:41.379 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: See all these different strata, all these different levels in the rock going down. And you know there'd been
00:50:42.880 --> 00:50:45.770 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: a little illustration in the Visitor Center
00:50:46.370 --> 00:50:52.760 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: that, like the top level of the canon, is something like 210 million years old.
00:50:53.860 --> 00:51:04.299 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and as you go down is like 220 million. 250 million. 270 million. 300 million. All the way down to the bottom of the canyon is something like
00:51:04.440 --> 00:51:08.190 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: over 500 million years old.
00:51:10.090 --> 00:51:16.120 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and when you really take that in and you feel the energy of the canyon and its presence
00:51:18.680 --> 00:51:26.180 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: 500 million years old, even 20 million years old.
00:51:27.320 --> 00:51:30.600 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: It's hard to conceptualize, almost.
00:51:32.360 --> 00:51:37.230 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And suddenly, your problems don't seem so big anymore.
00:51:39.130 --> 00:51:40.870 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: When you think about like.
00:51:42.510 --> 00:51:51.780 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: what's life going to be like in a hundred 1 million years, even a million years, even a thousand years.
00:51:53.130 --> 00:51:55.850 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: even a hundred years from now
00:51:58.110 --> 00:52:04.940 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: is what we're stressing about and worrying about and taking up so much of our energy
00:52:07.260 --> 00:52:13.740 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: a hundred years from now. Is it even going to make the tiniest of difference to anyone in the world.
00:52:15.520 --> 00:52:18.400 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: It might be very present for us right now.
00:52:22.330 --> 00:52:24.669 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: but in the timeline of life
00:52:26.170 --> 00:52:28.789 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: it's just the tiniest little drop
00:52:31.390 --> 00:52:35.470 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: in some ways so important and in some way so insignificant.
00:52:40.300 --> 00:52:44.049 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And, you know, connecting to nature.
00:52:45.240 --> 00:52:48.129 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: we can be playful with it as well.
00:52:51.250 --> 00:52:53.049 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I remember, one time
00:52:53.410 --> 00:53:01.729 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I was at this workshop on a weekend, and the instructor was like, Okay, everybody. I want you to spread out. Go out and find the perfect tree.
00:53:03.700 --> 00:53:11.449 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and we all went out and looked around, and one person chose one tree. Another person chose another tree. Another person chose another tree. I chose a different tree.
00:53:14.520 --> 00:53:20.940 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and it was so curious to see the contrast between the different trees, and who chose what tree.
00:53:21.580 --> 00:53:25.079 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and why was it quote unquote the perfect tree.
00:53:27.570 --> 00:53:30.180 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So you can play a game like that with yourself.
00:53:30.780 --> 00:53:34.630 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Go to the park, find the perfect tree in the park.
00:53:35.980 --> 00:53:39.239 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: the perfect flower, the perfect blade of grass.
00:53:39.370 --> 00:53:41.789 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Why is it perfect for you?
00:53:47.690 --> 00:53:57.799 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: You can have all kinds of fun, you can. You can create your own little nature map of where things are, and what are your favorite spots to go to
00:54:02.770 --> 00:54:15.620 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and look if you're like me, and you want to bring it home with you. Get some houseplants, I mean. Yes, you have to take care of them. You have to water them. Don't water them too much. It's the mistake most people make is, they actually water their houseplants too much.
00:54:16.630 --> 00:54:18.950 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I love having houseplants.
00:54:20.070 --> 00:54:28.210 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Before I was married my apartment was so full of them. My wife was like, What are you doing like this is a forest. We need room for humans in here.
00:54:28.550 --> 00:54:32.290 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and we got rid of a bunch of them, and we've got others now.
00:54:35.920 --> 00:54:38.490 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: but connect to nature.
00:54:38.950 --> 00:54:49.230 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Bring nature home with you if you can, even its smallest little plant, just find one
00:54:49.370 --> 00:54:51.520 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: that you like it so much
00:54:53.090 --> 00:54:58.680 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: that because you like it so much it will encourage you to take care of. Take proper care of it.
00:54:59.020 --> 00:55:06.260 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: help it to grow, and one of my favorite things to do is repotting my plants.
00:55:06.780 --> 00:55:19.319 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So you got to take it out of the pot. The soil, you know. You spread things out for the soil. We do it on our terrace, and then you got a bigger pot, and you put in more soil, and you put it in, and you put the new soil down, and you get all dirty.
00:55:21.620 --> 00:55:25.479 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And I actually remember talking to a
00:55:26.770 --> 00:55:33.539 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: forget if he was a naturopathic doctor or an integrative doctor or a functional medicine doctor like years and years and years ago.
00:55:33.690 --> 00:55:51.609 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and he told me how he used to have greenhouses and gardens in Westchester and upstate New York, and he would bring clients suffering from depression up there, and they would make them work, not make them, but they'd have them work in the garden for a day or for a weekend for 2, 3 days in a row.
00:55:52.270 --> 00:56:08.710 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and that their depression would lift by the end of the weekend, and what he explained to me, was by working with their hands in the soil. There's all kinds of probiotics and nutrients in the soil that when you work with it. And you actually, you can't work with it without breathing it in.
00:56:09.090 --> 00:56:18.509 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and when you breathe it in, then the body gets nourished with these things that we don't often get nourished with in our very clean, pristine environment.
00:56:19.830 --> 00:56:29.040 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and that actually helps to make a healthier person healthier, physically, healthier, mentally, hopefully, healthier, emotionally healthier, spiritually.
00:56:34.270 --> 00:56:38.090 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So look this practice of connecting to nature in the city.
00:56:40.360 --> 00:56:42.840 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: It's truly a practice of presence.
00:56:46.100 --> 00:56:52.470 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: It's being mindful of the presence that nature has even in the most unnatural environment.
00:56:54.640 --> 00:56:57.070 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And I just remember, during the pandemic
00:56:59.240 --> 00:57:06.149 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: when there was a lot less traffic and people weren't going anywhere, how nature came back.
00:57:08.730 --> 00:57:15.710 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: I remember seeing a bald eagle fly past my window, not once, but twice, I saw bald eagles
00:57:16.040 --> 00:57:23.020 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: fly past my window, and then I learned that they'd spotted like 6 bald eagles over the reservoir in Central Park that weekend.
00:57:25.890 --> 00:57:34.430 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And nowadays in the springtime I'm starting to see storks and wrens flying across Manhattan from the Park.
00:57:35.790 --> 00:57:41.980 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: you know, when we don't interfere, when we don't mess things up, nature just naturally thrives.
00:57:42.660 --> 00:57:49.400 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: There have been dolphins spotted in the East River and Hudson River and Wales and New York harbor.
00:57:52.590 --> 00:58:01.819 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Nature is all around us, the cities our our cities, are contained within nature.
00:58:02.570 --> 00:58:05.320 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and there's nature contained within the cities.
00:58:06.090 --> 00:58:09.750 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: It's just a matter of being present to the nature.
00:58:11.720 --> 00:58:24.419 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And if you think like, this is all woo, woo, and like crazy stuff, they've actually done studies. And they find that when we look at something that's green and natural green.
00:58:24.650 --> 00:58:26.769 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: our eyes actually relax.
00:58:27.630 --> 00:58:39.970 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: actually good for the eyes. So if you've been staring at a computer screen all day long. Going out and looking at a beautiful green tree is the best thing you can do according to science.
00:58:43.340 --> 00:58:46.290 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So unfortunately, we're out of time.
00:58:47.360 --> 00:58:50.600 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: But I hope that this episode
00:58:51.680 --> 00:58:57.169 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: meant something to you, maybe reminded you of something you already knew.
00:58:57.610 --> 00:59:04.440 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Maybe give you gave you a different perspective, or a different way of thinking about nature
00:59:04.970 --> 00:59:06.709 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: and how to connect to it.
00:59:10.500 --> 00:59:16.079 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: So please let me know, and if you're open to a little homework.
00:59:16.970 --> 00:59:21.130 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: My recommendation is between now and next week's episode.
00:59:21.320 --> 00:59:28.560 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Go out, spend some time in a park, in nature, by the ocean, by a river by a lake
00:59:29.090 --> 00:59:35.029 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: somewhere where there's nature all around you, and just sit and be present to it. Don't do anything.
00:59:35.180 --> 00:59:37.100 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Don't talk on your phone.
00:59:37.380 --> 00:59:42.610 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Don't respond to text messages, turn it off or put it on mute.
00:59:42.790 --> 00:59:47.600 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Just sit there and connect to the presence of nature.
00:59:48.060 --> 00:59:53.509 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Thank you all for tuning in. I so appreciate all of you, my loyal listeners.
00:59:53.860 --> 01:00:18.369 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: And again, if you did miss any part of today's show, you can always catch the replay on talkradio, Dot, Nyc and on every major podcasting platform you can find the conscious consultant hour on all the social media channels. Don't forget coming up later today. There's Frank Harrison and his show Frank about health at 5 Pm. And serving up success with a splash. Our newest show on the network. Starting at 6 Pm. Eastern time tonight.
01:00:18.640 --> 01:00:23.640 Sam Liebowitz | The Conscious Consultant: Take care, everyone. We will talk to you all next week.
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