Location: Yosemite National Forest, California, USA

Record date: 3/25/26

Release date: 4/15/26

Hosts: Amber Martin and Natasha Morisawa

Edited: https://www.studiosymbiotic.com/

Natasha and Amber join you from the banks of a babbling spring in Yosemite National Park, to talk about De-centering ourselves in relationship to Nature.

They explore what is required of us to answer the dire call of Nature, through necessary and difficult paradigm shifts. They invite this topic into our consciousness and further ground their exploration in the work of Jeanine Kante in her book “Returning the Self to Nature, Undoing our Collective Narcism and Healing Our Planet.” Amber and Natasha explore how Jeanne Kante takes the DSM definition of Narcissism (a maladaptive personality disorder) and applies it to our industrialized western society.

They discuss what happens when individuals in a society begin to take on narcissistic traits through a “habit of mind” and how we can move from an anthropocentric or ego-centric point of view to an eco-centric and sustainable relationship to Nature.

Amber and Natasha begin to unpack this complex and important topic through many different perspectives, aimed to help us all consider what it might take to better care for Nature.

Additional areas related to De-Centering Ourselves explored in this episode include:

• Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and how we can flip this triangle to center community actualization and cultural perpetuity
• First Nations, Blackfoot wisdom as more expansive in relationship to Nature
• Kinship Relationally
• Transformational learning through disorienting dilemma’s
• The work of Kristin Neff on Self Compassion
• Exploring the Rights of Nature movement through Robert McFarlane’s book, “Is a River is Alive”

Explore more about Ponder While We Wander

A soothing podcast for trying times.

https://ponderwhilewewander.com/

https://ponderwhilewewander.substack.com/

https://ponderwhilewewander.com/wander-well/

https://www.instagram.com/ponder_while_we_wander/#

Episode Resources Links:

https://californiavalleymiwok.us/

https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/historyculture/yosemite-indians.htm

https://www.npca.org/articles/7475-reclaiming-wahhoga

https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/environment/tribal-land-yosemite/

https://pinetreemarketwawona.com/

https://www.shambhala.com/returning-the-self-to-nature.html

https://www.ciis.edu/profiles/jeanine-canty

https://www.juliebrams.com/books

https://self-compassion.org/

https://self-compassion.org/kristin-neff/

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218569826-is-a-river-alive

https://atmos.earth/podcast/robert-macfarlane-on-embracing-flow-and-letting-rivers-heal-us/

Location: Yosemite National Forest, California, USA

Record date: 3/25/26

Release date: 4/1/26

Hosts: Amber Martin and Natasha Morisawa

Edited: https://www.studiosymbiotic.com/

THANK YOU TO PINE TREE MARKET:

Ponder While We Wander is so grateful for our first community sponsorship! A big shout out to Pine Tree Market run by Michael and Katie Henderson, and their lodging support for us during our stay in Yosemite National Park. We are so grateful not only for their support but their excitement in helping us share all things EcoPsychology to a wider audience. If you ever find yourself in Wawona, CA make sure to swing by Pine Tree Market, your corner market while you’re in Wawona, and say hi for us! Sam the cat would love some pets as well, he’s always at the ready to greet his human friends.

Inspired by the book “Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life”, by Dacher Keltner, Amber and Natasha discuss “Awe Walks.” Wander with them through Yosemite National Park as they share Dacher’s definition of awe, explore how awe may show up somatically,and revisit memories that conjure up awe.

They also discuss different types of awe and the positive impacts engaging with awe has for our health and wellness as well as implications for connection and encouraging new ideas.

Dachner’s “5 Point Process” is introduced as an accessible way to begin intentionally inviting more awe into your every day.

The snowy field alongside huge, granite rock formations with many winged friends to hear in the background, provide a beautiful location to dive deeper into this awe-some topic.

Additional areas related to awe covered in this episode include:

• Benefits of inviting awe including immune system support
• Moral Beauty (moved by others actions)
• How time in nature inspires awe
• Music and awe
• Visual Design (Human & Nature)
• Spiritual/Mystical/Numinous aspects of Awe
• Epiphanies about big life questions
• Awe in the Death and Dying Process
• Shared Awe or Collective Effervescence
• Awe and Wonder
• Happiness and Well-being
• Greater Good Science Center

Explore more about Ponder While We Wander

A soothing podcast for trying times.

https://ponderwhilewewander.com/

https://ponderwhilewewander.substack.com/

https://ponderwhilewewander.com/wander-well/

https://www.instagram.com/ponder_while_we_wander/#

Episode Resources Links:

https://californiavalleymiwok.us/

https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/historyculture/yosemite-indians.htm

https://www.npca.org/articles/7475-reclaiming-wahhoga

https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/environment/tribal-land-yosemite/

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62352297-awe

Location: Chetzamoka Park, Port Townsend, Washington, USA

Record date: 10/21/25

Release date: 3/15/26

Hosts: Amber Martin and Natasha Morisawa

Edited: https://www.studiosymbiotic.com/

Join Natasha and Amber as they introduce Journaling with Nature as a way to deepen our relationship with other-than-human Nature. Through the process of journaling,the opportunities to re-connect and re-member arise. They discuss greetings and partings as well as getting curious about this place and ourselves. Other topics include:

• The benefits of journaling
• Ways of starting a journaling practice
• Entryways into relationship with Nature
• Prompts for when you might like a little more structure or inspiration
• Nature speaks in metaphor
• Your relationship check-in with Nature
• Seeing things with new eyes
• Holding mystery and existential exploration
• Practical tips for Journaling with Nature

Explore more about Ponder While We Wander

A soothing podcast for trying times.

https://ponderwhilewewander.com/

https://ponderwhilewewander.substack.com/

https://ponderwhilewewander.com/wander-well/

Episode Resources

Links:

Journaling with Nature guided meditation

Journaling With Nature Prompts

https://cityofpt.us/parksrec/page/chetzemoka-park

https://memoriesofthepeople.blog/2019/05/03/land-acknowledgement-port-townsend-washington/