The Zen Den is a conscious conversation space hosted by Maggie Calder, where guests share real-life challenges and the inner journey of returning to peace, presence, and balance—their “Zen state.” Through personal stories and mindful reflections, the show explores how even in chaos, we can access stillness and harmony within. Whether through ancient wisdom, spiritual practices, or everyday breakthroughs, each episode invites listeners to find their natural state of being: calm, clear, and centered.
Connect with Maggie via: maggiecalder.ca@gmail.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Zen Den is a conscious conversation space hosted by Maggie Calder, where guests share real-life challenges and the inner journey of returning to peace, presence, and balance—their “Zen state.” Through personal stories and mindful reflections, the show explores how even in chaos, we can access stillness and harmony within. Whether through ancient wisdom, spiritual practices, or everyday breakthroughs, each episode invites listeners to find their natural state of being: calm, clear, and centered.
Connect with Maggie via: maggiecalder.ca@gmail.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
“Nature is not outside of us. It is within us, sustaining us, guiding us, and reminding us who we are.” – LoriAnn Bird
Welcome to The Zen Den, a space where we explore how to find real inner peace in the middle of life’s chaos.
In this episode, I talk with my dear friend LoriAnn Bird, an educator, author, and plant wisdom guide, about the sacred reciprocity between humans and the natural world. LoriAnn shares her story of reclaiming ancestral teachings, her deep passion for native and medicinal plants, and how our relationship with nature impacts not only our physical health, but also our sense of peace, purpose, and belonging.
Together, we explore how caring for plants restores balance in our lives, how nature heals our nervous systems, and why cultivating reciprocity with the Earth may be the key to finding our inner Zen.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Timestamps:
00:00 - Episode Snippet
03:04 - Witnessing the loss of birds and habitat
05:30 - Emotional impact of diminished plant life
07:17 - Nature heals us
09:08 - Reciprocity with plants
12:25 - How to find inner peace through nature and stillness
15:03 - How nature activates all our senses
20:07 - Reclaiming cultural foods and medicinal plants
23:18 - Plants as teachers of mental, physical, and spiritual wellness
27:24 - Closing meditation: Gratitude for plant life and Earth
About LoriAnn Bird:
LoriAnn Bird is an Indigenous Métis herbalist and educator who shares the wisdom of wild, medicinal, and edible plants in our everyday spaces. Her work invites us to reconnect with the living world, restoring relationships with Indigenous plants, reclaiming true local foods and medicines, and fostering ecological healing.
Connect with Laurieanne Bird:
Website: https://loriannbird.ca/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earthandcompany/
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Revered-Roots-Ancestral-Teachings-Medicinal/dp/0760393257
About Maggie Calder:
Maggie Calder is a former Buddhist nun and spiritual guide who has traveled the world with Eckhart Tolle and led a healing retreat center in Chicago. She helps listeners find their Zen state, a place of calm and presence, by sharing her wisdom on mindfulness and inner peace.
Connect with me:
Email: thezenden.world@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggiecalder
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
