#739: Rewild Your Life

The Art of Manliness

If you have one, take a look at your pet cat or dog. These animals descended from wildcats and wolves, but today live pretty sedate lives, walking around your house and yard, waiting for you to deliver some kibbles to their bowl. My guest today says that modern humans are, in a similar way, domesticated versions of our former, wilder ancestors, and that living a flourishing life requires reconnecting with the primal energy within that now lies dormant. His name is Micah Mortali and he’s the founder of the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership and the author of Rewilding: Meditations, Practices, and Skills for Awakening in Nature. Micah first shares how he came to combine his passion for yoga and mindfulness with a love of the outdoors and bushcraft skills to create his unique philosophy of rewilding. We then dig into what rewilding means, and why it’s vital to body, mind, and spirit to throw off the malaise of modern domestication and restore your sensory connection to nature. From there we turn to the practices that can help you do that, from walking barefoot in the woods to staring into a campfire to meditate. We also talk about how practicing hands-on ancestral skills like making fire with a bow drill, building a wilderness shelter, and tracking animals can heighten your confidence and awareness. We end our conversation with small things that everyone, even if you live in the suburbs or city, can start doing today to begin rewilding your life. Resources Related to the Podcast The Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer Bill McKibben Tom Brown Jr.’s Tracking School AoM Article: How to REALLY Avoid Living a Life of Quiet Desperation AoM Article: The Art of Topophilia — 7 Ways to Love the Place You Live AoM Article: The Switches of Manliness — Nature AoM Podcast #343: How to Read Nature AoM Article: How to Track Animals AoM Article: How to Make Fire With Friction