Outdoor Respite | S2E5 (E015)
This week Evie & Toréa explore the ideas of intentionally getting out in nature and disconnecting from our highly connected world. Whether its 30 minutes, a weekend, or even for weeks at a time, the change to the biology can be profound. And if you want to know why sloths turn green, tune in!
In This Episode
Biometric trackers reflecting the effect of nature (04:46)
Birdsong effect on the Nervous System (06:34)
Vagus Nerve stimulation devices (07:51)
Digital Detoxes (10:31)
Cultural obsession with smartphones (14:41)
Balance between connection and disconnection (15:40)
Availability vs accessibility (19:14)
Adapting to and from nature (23:42)
Setting boundaries with technology (28:17)
Sloths that turn green (34:15)
Resources mentioned
Transcript
Toréa Rodriguez 0:08
Welcome to the Wildly Optimized Wellness podcast. I am your host, Toréa Rodriguez. And I'm joined by the lovely co host, Evie Takacs. Both of us our Functional Diagnostic Nutrition practitioners and we love working with women from all over the world, through our virtual programs, helping women not only feel better, but actually achieve that vibrant, no holds barred version of themselves, they've been missing for a long time, and how we actually get there. Well, that is what this show is all about. Now, please keep in mind that this podcast is created for educational purposes only and should never be used as a replacement for medical diagnosis or treatment. And if you like what you hear today, we would love for you to hit that follow button, leave a review in Apple podcast, share with your friends, and keep coming back for more. Let's start today's adventure shall we?
Welcome back, everybody to the Wildly Optimized Wellness podcast. Can you believe it? Were episode five of season two already?
Evie Takacs 1:15
I know
Toréa Rodriguez 1:15
I hear podcasters say this all the time, like how fast time flies? And I was just like, Yeah, but it doesn't really fly that fast for me as a listener, but man as a podcaster the amount of work that you do it flies by? It's pretty amazing.
Evie Takacs 1:31
Yeah, you constantly have to be like working ahead.
Toréa Rodriguez 1:33
You do you do. And I'm totally giggling because Evie and I have had conversations about scheduling the podcast and that kind of thing. And literally, we cannot keep track of like what month we are operating in when we're having those conversations. So yeah, it feels a little time warp ish. But yeah. So today we were going to talk about this concept of the outdoors in nature being a place of
Evie Takacs 2:02
Respite.
Toréa Rodriguez 2:02
Respite, yes. And I had to pause there because before we hit the record button, I have always said respite. And I was like, how do we really pronounce that? Because I always say respite. But yes. Evie gets a gold star today for knowing how to pronounce the words, which is awesome.
Evie Takacs 2:20
I think, the reason is because I am familiar with respite care, like for like people who are sick or ill or the elderly. So that just made me think well, respite care. So that's why I thought that it's Don't give me that much credit.
Toréa Rodriguez 2:34
Well, it's the concept of respite. And really, for me, what that means is, you know, being able to find a place of calm, being able to calm down my racing mind, or calm down my nervous system. Nature has a way of doing this. And we've talked about forest bathing culture in Japan, we've talked about the sense of presence that you can have, when you're in the outdoors, we talked about that with our friend, MAK. You know, there's all sorts of ways that this can happen. But it's been really fascinating to me to really pay attention to when I am in the outdoors. And when I am in nature, how different my body feels and whether or not I'm feeling a state of calm or a state of stress.
Evie Takacs 3:22
Yeah, it's such a difference. I think when you start to learn what those differences feel like, it's much more noticeable when you are in those different situations.
Toréa Rodriguez 3:31
Yeah, it's a lot more noticeable, especially if you start to think about and be present with how you're feeling in that moment. And I think a lot of times, we kind of just react to our life, and think about the things that need to get done and the laundry that needs to be folded and all of those things. And we can spend a lot of time there. But we miss out on being present in the present moment. That's why there's this whole other like practice called mindfulness.
Evie Takacs 3:58
Yeah, right, exactly.
Toréa Rodriguez 3:59
Is to be mindful of where we are in that moment. And I think nature is one of those areas that does that. We see a lot of evidence in even the technology that we have these days. So for example, Evie and I both have an Oura ring that tracks biometrics, that kind of thing. But part of their feature in their apps are the soundscapes, right? And there's soundscapes with bubbling brooks, and there's soundscapes with birds and waves and all of those sounds and those frequencies that we get from nature have a way of modulating our nervous system. Right and this is why outdoor spaces can be such a respite or a place of calm, for example.
Evie Takacs 4:46
Yeah, definitely. I've I've definitely learned to appreciate the outdoors as a place of respite for me, compared to when I was younger or you know, even just earlier in my adult years and it's interesting when you do. Like, if I do have a day where I spend most of it outside, let's say it's a weekend, and it's really nice weather. So I'm going to take as much time as I can to be outside, tying it into what you said about the Oura ring like that will reflect I will usually have much better sleep that night, compared to if I had stayed inside and was working on my computer all day. I mean, it happens almost every single time.
Toréa Rodriguez 5:21
Oh, hands down. Yes. 100% agree that you can see it in the metrics that we're tracking with something like the Oura ring.
Evie Takacs 5:29
Yeah, yeah.
Toréa Rodriguez 5:30
One thing that I absolutely love you and I both know this acquaintance, but you will share your morning walks on your Instagram Stories, right. And oftentimes, when you are recording those, you're outside, and there are birds around you. Well, we have a mutual acquaintance that is a bird lover, and she's identifying these birds, right. But there definitely are studies that the birdsong is one of those triggers to help us feel a sense of calm. And that you know certain types of birds or just listening to piped in bird sounds`, is one way to do it. And if you can't get into nature, for whatever reason, I highly encourage that you do get out and try and identify the birds that are in your neighborhood. But now I'm kind of going a little bit geeky on that that bird identification area. But those are the kinds of things that we can do. Even when we're in a city environment, because we still get those sounds, we still get that effect of nature on the nervous system.
Evie Takacs 6:34
Yeah, it's interesting, I have really great walking trails in my neighborhood. But I also live relatively close to a highway and interstate. So if I pay attention enough, I can hear the cars and the traffic in the morning. It's kind of like just this background kind of rumbling. But I pay more attention to the birds because one, they're closer to me, so I can hear them. But it really does make a difference. And I'll be honest, I didn't really start paying attention to birds until our mutual acquaintance started saying something right. And I, you know, it's I was in my head, I would just kind of make out the plan for the day. And now that I stop and listen to them, it's it really is relaxing. And I know exactly what you're talking about. I saw someone had actually posted not that long ago about the study that listening to birdsong can actually activate your vagus nerve, or, you know, tap into parasympathetic. And so I thought that was so interesting.
Toréa Rodriguez 7:23
Yeah.
Evie Takacs 7:23
And I believe it now that I'm paying more attention to it. And I think there's a sense of like, hope for the day, like, you know, these little guys are up there, and they're singing and they're chirping. And it's just as a good way to get re centered and almost like humbled with where your thoughts are and what's going on and day and just reminding yourself to kind of be present in that moment, because there's other things bigger than your own agenda happening out in the world. And I think that humility can be very grounding.
Toréa Rodriguez 7:51
Absolutely. And for those who don't know what the vagus nerve is, I'm just going to back this up a few seconds and talk a little bit about the vagus nerve. So the vagus nerve is a primary brain communication nerve that goes from the brain, down through the center of our body, it's connected to all of our internal organs, it's connected to our gut, it's connected to a lot of different things. And this particular nerve can get out of sorts, right? It can get imbalanced it can start sending the wrong kinds of signals. And so there's a lot of studies and a lot of people looking at how can we stimulate the vagus nerve in various different ways, either through electrical stimulation, there's like electrical stimulation devices that kind of runs along the like jugular in that area of your neck, right. So there's these STIM devices that you can implant literally implant to stimulate the vagus nerve. There's some other sound devices now that can stimulate using sound waves to do that, where you can feel the sound waves not just hear the sound waves. So there's a lot of different ways to stimulate the vagus nerve, which we know now is closely tied to both the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous system, but what we want to activate is that parasympathetic nervous system and you bet I have been in various different scenes, if you will, in nature, like just being on a shore next to strong crashing waves like that really gives me that sense that you were talking about of just like, wow, this is a whole like, experience being a human on this planet with these waves that if I were to go swim in them would knock me over completely, but you know, just having that like sensation of not only the sound of it, but feeling the vibration as the water pounds on the sand, like it's just a really intense feeling. And I love that about nature because it kind of puts a lot of things into perspective.
Evie Takacs 9:50
It does and it's a good reminder that you know, maybe what we're fighting over or maybe what we're overwhelmed by isn't really that big of a deal. In the grand scheme of things, it might feel like a gigantic thing in this moment. But when you get out in nature, you're easily reminded that, you know, things don't have to be this hard. And simplicity is beautiful. And I think we fall away from that. So often,
Toréa Rodriguez 10:14
we do fall away from that. I think we get so inundated with all the details of our everyday life, that it's really easy to miss those things when we are outside. Like, I have definitely done a morning walk. And I have missed the whole thing.
Evie Takacs 10:30
Yeah, right.
Toréa Rodriguez 10:31
I'm thinking about the dog running off, I'm thinking about the things that I need to do that day, I'm thinking about the laundry that I haven't folded in two weeks that's sitting in the bed, I'm thinking you know about all of those things, or I might be worried about something that's coming up that day. And I can do that whole walk. It's a full mile and a half, right. But I can't remember any of those details. Because I wasn't really present. I was just inundated with what was going on in my head. And it's being outside and being intentionally outside, which is kind of why I've gotten into the habit of doing like digital detoxes like those became popular a couple years ago of doing a digital detoxes so that I wouldn't go back into that world of being distracted all the time.
Evie Takacs 11:20
Yeah, yeah. It's so easy to be distracted, it's easy to fall into that in the digital detox, I think is something I'm doing a little bit more of, I'm not as great as I'd like to be. I do know that I have an obsession. It's second nature for me to be on my phone. And I don't like that about myself. But I think that's the world that we live in. It's very easy to come into that. So digital detoxes are more are things that I'd like to incorporate more this year. Because again, every time I do that, it's almost like I come back to who I am. And I come back to who Evie really is. And it feels so right. And it's so easy to get swept up in the technology and social media and what so and so is doing and never feeling enough because of what you see online. And so when I do take that digital detox, I feel like I'm finally back and re centered. And I'm charged for who Evie is really supposed to be.
Toréa Rodriguez 12:14
Yeah. It's a really powerful recalibration.
Evie Takacs 12:17
Yeah, that's great word for it.
Toréa Rodriguez 12:19
You know, doing it in in that way. It's like, we're recalibrating, and we're getting in touch with who we are, but also getting in touch with what are the basic things that we need? Right? Do I really need another package from Amazon this week? No, probably not. Right? The basics are I need good food, I need some water, I need to breathe clean air, I need some shelter, and maybe some clothes depending upon whatever climate you're in, right? So it's like, those are the basics. And sometimes we get so caught up in all the things that aren't the basics, that we forget that piece of it. And I think a lot of this has to do with and we've talked about this a couple of times, has to do with the fact that we as human beings aren't really, as evolved from a biology standpoint to put up with all of the stuff that we live in now, like, our evolution hasn't kept up with the pace of technological advances and societal advances and, you know, building advances and automobiles and all of these different things. And I'm not saying like, walk everywhere. And that's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying like, there are all these different advances that have happened that we haven't quite been in sync with. And so it becomes kind of a battle, so to speak, in terms of how much time do I want to be spending on my phone? versus maybe walking on the beach and watching the sunset.
Evie Takacs 13:47
Right, How often do you take these digital detoxes?
Toréa Rodriguez 13:51
Oh, gosh, I would love to take them every weekend. But to be realistic, I would say, right now, we're probably taking one weekend, a month maybe two where we are intentionally going out to places where we can't get cellular service. Like this is the kind of effort that we go to. And when I say we I'm talking about my husband and my dog and myself, we will intentionally drive to locations where there isn't cellular service so that we stop using them because you said you were a little obsessed. Yeah, right earlier was that the word you use?
Evie Takacs 14:30
Obsessed addicted? I don't remember one of those.
Toréa Rodriguez 14:32
Yeah, one of those like, let's see a raise of hands. Who reaches for their phone first thing in the morning? Me!
Evie Takacs 14:40
Yeah, right.
Toréa Rodriguez 14:41
Yeah, it's like we all do we have that compulsive like, oh, there's a pause point in the day. Let me pull up the phone and check the news or let me pull up the phone and check email. It's gotten to the point where I've tried Screen Time or whatever the lock controls are like I try those. But it's really gotten to the point where we intentionally take one to two weekends a month right now, to drive to a location where there isn't cellular service. And my husband and I do a lot of camping. So we're set up to stay there for a couple of days. But that's what it takes is finding these spots of no cellular service. And I'm telling you, those spots are like vanishing.
Evie Takacs 15:19
Yeah. Oh, I bet. I bet it's almost, I was talking to a friend. And she was like, Yeah, we went to an Airbnb and there was no cell service, there was no Wi Fi. I said, How was there? No Wi Fi. And she was like, because the person made it that way. And I was like, what, like, That's so crazy that that's so
Toréa Rodriguez 15:36
brilliant.
Evie Takacs 15:36
unheard of, but so beneficial.
Toréa Rodriguez 15:40
So beneficial. I think it's one of those things that every time that I go backpacking in the backcountry, or even hiking in a place like this, again, you're stripped to the basics, you are focusing on what it's going to take to get yourself and your backpack to camp. Next thing is setting up your shelter, right, so gotta set up the tent. And then the very next thing is okay, what's for dinner, like, you gotta cook dinner. And after that, you know, you've got some relaxation time, but it isn't spent binging Netflix or HBO Max, or, you know, any of this stuff. It's not spent on a device, it's literally spent, probably talking to the people that you are with in camp. But if you're by yourself, it's spent listening to the birds and listening to the bats fly, and all the things that are happening around you and it we get reconnected to nature in a way that is just so beautiful. Yeah, it's a wonderful experience. I would love to do it more. I haven't quite figured out that balance between being connected enough to work because now everybody's work is reliant on the internet, right? So being connected enough to work yet at the same time being disconnected enough to have that like, constant reset thing going on.
Evie Takacs 16:56
Yeah. Well, it sounds like you do it a lot more than me first of all, and second, most people that I know. So, you know, that's really impressive to be able to do it that often anyways.
Toréa Rodriguez 17:06
Yeah. Have you done a digital detox? I'm curious about whether or not you've done one.
Evie Takacs 17:10
Not a complete to where I go somewhere where like, I have no cell service. I did in the fall, take an entire week off of social media, which, that was huge for me. It was kind of brought upon me like, I felt like I was at the point where I'm like, if I don't get off here, I'm probably going to have some sort of mental breakdown. And so it wasn't like I had really planned for it. It was just more of okay, I gotten to this point where I'm like, Okay, what do I need, I need to reduce the amount of stimulation that I'm being exposed to.
Toréa Rodriguez 17:39
Yeah.
Evie Takacs 17:39
And so I decided to take that week off. And the first few days was weird, because I kept reaching for my phone. And the phone wasn't going off that I had no notifications, but I just kept reaching for it, because it's such a habit. And so that was really strange. But I started to feel like I funny enough, isn't it funny how it works, I was like, I have so much time, like I actually have time to do the stuff that I want to do. And I'm not pressed for time, or I'm not thinking like, oh, there aren't enough hours in the day. Yeah, not to say like, people who don't spend their time on social media aren't allowed to feel that way. But I started to feel like, I really do have the time, I'm just not using it properly, because I'm spending a lot of time on social media. So I've gotten a lot better at structuring that. And I have time blocks throughout the day that I stick to fairly well that have made me feel like I'm not so tied to my phone, or I'm not so tied to technology. So I haven't done a complete digital detox in the way that you're speaking. But the social media, I think, if I had to pick one thing to make it easier to do like a weekend off, it would totally be that first thing like email, I'm actually pretty good. I don't check that often on the weekends anyways. But social media is like, as soon as I have a second, my phone, you know, my phone is in my hand. And so I'm trying to be really good about that. And even in the evenings of shutting it down. And even if I do get a notification, that's fine. One thing that a friend of mine said that stuck with me is the phone is a convenience for you, not for other people. And I really liked that. Because you know, it's like, it's convenient for me to have a phone because I can reach other people I can call people when I need them or text them or whatever. It doesn't mean that, like I'm 100% available all the time, right? Our accessibility is not the same as our availability. Yes. So just because I am accessible through phone, through text through email, through Facebook, whatever, it doesn't mean that I'm available, right? And so that's the thing that I thought of too. And so the more we're talking about a little bit more, I'm like, Alright, I think I need to do another respite here soon.
Toréa Rodriguez 19:45
Yeah, exactly. And I love that we're kind of branching into that boundaries piece of it because I think of all the clients you and I work with, one of these things that can be so difficult for them is constantly being a available for other people, right? We're in this culture now of like, well, I'm just going to instant message you and I might do it in five different ways because now we've got five different ways to instant message and tweet and all this stuff, right. And so we feel like we have to respond all the time, especially when those things come with sounds that train us like Pavlov's dogs of like, oh, that's the new mail. So oh my god, this happened to me this morning on the walk, I kid you not. I was on the walk with my husband and my dog and the new mail good sound came in. And the way that I have my mail set up is that new mail sound only happens when it's somebody who is you know, put on my starred, important list, right? And I was like, I literally said out loud, I heard it and I was like, oh, somebody important sent me an email. I'm gonna have to check it.
Evie Takacs 20:49
Oh, my God. Yes.
Toréa Rodriguez 20:51
It's just, and we're so like, in this culture, that it's, it's built these habits that are subconscious. Now you reaching for your phone constantly, right? That's a subconscious thing. And it almost takes that like, cut off the internet, put the devices down, intentionally to get us to a place where we're not constantly reaching for the phone. Because it took you a couple days didn't it.
Evie Takacs 21:18
Yeah, and the more I do things like that, because sometimes I'll do that, like on a Sunday, I'll say, oh, you know what, I might have my phone with me maybe to take photos? Because yes, like posting on social media is part of our job like it is and but I might not post it that day, I might just take the pictures or document whatever I'm doing, and then I'll use that later. So I'm doing better at that. And in terms of when I do that. And then when I also take, you know, respite out in nature? I do. I have that moment where I'm like, why don't I do this more often? Like this is silly that I don't prioritize this. Yeah. And so yeah, it's funny how, like, it's almost like, our body's like, this is what we're meant to do. Like, why aren't you doing this? This is this is what health is. And so I'm always reminded of that, and it makes me laugh, because it always feels so right to do in the moment. And then but it's easy to, like, snap back out of it and get back into work, work work mode, right. Like last summer, I went to Greece, and I was there for two weeks. And I worked here, and there, not really much. And I mean, I felt my best. And I was really happy and joyful. And I felt like a lot of things physically and mentally we're moving in the right direction. And I know that that's not necessarily ideal. It can't just pick up and do that anytime of the year. And like, Oh, I'm just gonna like fly off. But it was a good reminder. But
Toréa Rodriguez 22:35
Not all of us are independently weathly, you know, can be hanging out on a boat all the time.
Evie Takacs 22:41
Right, right, totally. I get back though. And it's like, immediately I jump back into my old routines. Yeah. And my body was like, Wait, what are you doing? What? No, like, didn't you look like we like this? Why are you doing that? And so it's just always funny to me, and how quick I can adapt in that way. But again, I do think that we're adaptable. And I guess good news is that it is easy to, I think, take that respite and enjoy it. And I'm just hoping that it's not so quick for me to come back into like the hustle grind mode. When I do come back into basically civilization. Again,
Toréa Rodriguez 23:11
I think it's interesting that you're talking about coming back into civilization again, because something that happens to me is the opposite. So I experience it on both sides. So going out there, because I've done it a lot. Now now I can shift faster. But you know, the first time that I did it, and it was like a four day backpacking trip or whatever. And granted, I used to backpack before we had these smartphones before the internet, right? But it's still it doesn't stick. But the first few hours or the first day I'm like you I'm like reaching for the phone. I'm not sure what to do with myself when I've got a pause point, you know, those kinds of things. But then I get really soothed and used to kind of the new like, routine. Like sometimes if you go to places like Mexico or Costa Rica or you know these different cultures that have a different routine that are a little bit more laid back. Oftentimes they'll say things like, Oh, you're on Mexico time, or you're on Costa Rica time, right? It's it's kind of that feeling like I get into it. And then we come back. And when we come back, where we live, we physically have to cross the greater San Francisco Bay area to get to where we live. And there's no way around it, we have to cross it. And I literally have these moments of like, there's too much concrete. I can't deal with the concrete and the activity. And everybody's rushing around. People are cutting each other off in traffic and I'm just like, where's my campfire, where's my stream? Like, I really love that environment. And I definitely get culture shock because of all the activity. I'm just not quite used to it yet. And then I have to do an adaptation again to the other direction. Yeah, but yeah, that happens for sure.
Evie Takacs 25:01
I know. And I'm hoping that maybe the more frequently I can do a nature respite, the harder it is for me to come back into it. Right. I think it's just because I don't do it so frequently. So my body's like, Okay, back to back to what we know and what we're so used to
Toréa Rodriguez 25:16
Sure. But yeah, it's super quick right now. So but I do know that you and your husband took a trip to a state park recently. Yes. And you were in kind of that environment was internet free or not internet free?
Evie Takacs 25:31
It was. So cell service was really spotty. And they did have Wi Fi. Yeah, they had Wi Fi,
Toréa Rodriguez 25:38
No to Wifi, but okay,
Evie Takacs 25:41
we did connect to Wi Fi for like, basically, let's map out how to get to where we want to go, right. Like, let's at least get that in before we leave. Because we don't know if those cell servers will be good while we're actually driving to this place we've never been to before. So even though we did have Wi Fi, we didn't really use it that often. Like there was an evening where we were both kind of hanging on our phones and just kind of catching up on stuff and like thinking ahead for when we get back home the next day, but it's not like it took away from our trip. And we first of all, we woke up which we talked about circadian rhythm and season one, but we woke up with the sunrise naturally, right? We didn't set any alarm, and we woke up and we woke up rested with the sunrise. So we're awake. We're watching the sun come up, and we're drinking coffee. And we're, you know, on the porch, and I just, I found myself like, well, what now? Like, what, what do we do? Like, what? What happens in the day when you don't have to rush off to work?
Toréa Rodriguez 26:40
What happens after?
Evie Takacs 26:41
Yeah, like, what do you do with yourself. And that was so sad that I had felt that I felt that way. But it was wonderful. And it was such a good reminder of not wasting time doing things that just make you busy, like that busyness about our culture really drives me nuts. I think it makes sense to be busy. I think there's a difference, though, between being busy and busyness and I find myself getting swept up in the busyness of life versus just being busy with my responsibilities. And so it was a good reminder of like, yes, you have things you need to get done. But you don't need to create any more busyness for yourself, because then you're going to feel overwhelmed, then you're going to be stressed out. And then you're just going to complain about it. So it was a really good reminder having that much time in the day to say shoot, how much of my time am I filling up because I feel like I need to be busy. And so when we came back, I really did this kind of audit on what my day looks like what my week looks like. And I was like, I just don't want it to be the way that it was before. Because that's not working for me. Yeah. So I thought about when we were in the cabin, we had all this time, I could have fit in like four things in that two hour block that we had, or we didn't have anything planned. And it's like, why does that? Why do I? Why did these things feel like they take longer? Or there's more of them to do? I think it's because I just allow them to come onto my plate. Yeah. So I had this realization of like, you know, you have to trim the fat, you have to be really careful and diligent with what you allow into your life and what you allow on your to do list. Because clearly the time is there. You're just not using it properly.
Toréa Rodriguez 28:17
Yeah, this is all part of setting boundaries of setting boundaries about the way we use technology. You know, it's like, I always try and think of my smartphone as a tool that I get to use not a tool that uses me, which I've been on that receiving end of being used by my phone and responding to all the red badges. And oh my god, I used to try and clear out red badges, so I wouldn't have any that drove me bonkers, completely bonkers. And so now I've just turned them off. Like, I just don't care. And I use Do Not Disturb. It's my favorite feature on my phone, I shut it off into airplane mode, when I'm done for the day, like people can text me all night long. For all I care, I am setting the boundary that I am getting a good night's sleep. So I am shutting off my phone, those kinds of things. And so setting up those boundaries is super important, and creating space for ourselves. Because I think that's kind of what this outdoor respite idea is, is that we're creating space to be Yeah, to be a human. We're called the human beings not human doings.
Evie Takacs 29:27
Absolutely.
Toréa Rodriguez 29:28
And when we create that space for us to be whether it's fully out in nature without any internet or cell service, and you're like 150 miles from the nearest gas station, like it doesn't have to be that extreme. That's my point. Like we could easily do this in a park. Yeah, we could just walk ourselves to a park, shut off the phone and give ourselves 30 minutes to just be. That's an interesting place because when you first start, you get to your end of your cup of coffee. and you're like, well, now what? Yeah, I know, right? And it takes a little while it takes a little of adjustment to be in that space. And I think for some people, it's scary. Because, you know, stuff comes up. Yeah, you start thinking about
Evie Takacs 30:15
Stuff comes up that you typically can push down with your busyness. So it's a little bit like, oh, I don't want to deal with that. So I'm just going to out Yeah, sure. I'll go ahead and take the kids there. And it's like, well, are you avoiding something?
Toréa Rodriguez 30:26
Yeah, yeah, exactly. I think, you know, one of the things about this respite, idea, and the fact that it is such a way to regulate our nervous system, and it's, it's so powerful, like, it's hard for you and I to put this into words in this conversation that how powerful it actually is. But this is why this is one of the drivers, but this is why I wanted so badly, to start doing wilderness retreats is to literally get people into this kind of situation, so that they can experience what this is like. And it's it's not a scary experience. It's actually a very relieving experience. It's almost like we get to release a lot of stress when we do it. And that's what I crave. That's why I'm like, constantly, you know, planning out the next like, weekend trip? Yeah. So that I can just get some space to just not have to be in that, like, always on all the time mode that we are when we're working?
Evie Takacs 31:31
Yeah, I know, I would encourage people to just like you said, Give it 30 minutes, maybe even 10. If that's all you think you have, right? I mean, you might learn that you have more time. But if that's all it's gonna be it's just get into the habit. And maybe as dumb as it sounds, put it in your calendar, right? We're talking about getting away from your technology, but maybe you do put that in your calendar of, I'm gonna go at least sit outside on the bench. And I'm not going to have any music on I'm not going to have my phone with me. Whatever, right? Like, maybe that's how it starts for you. Yeah. And that might just be what gets you to get a taste for what we're talking about. Because like Toréa said, it's really hard to describe. It's very much a feeling and like a inner peace that you feel, and then you start to crave it too.
Toréa Rodriguez 32:14
oh, yeah, I crave it so much like, I wish that I could be out doing the Pacific Crest Trail one summer and then doing the Continental Divide Trail, and then the Appalachian Trail, because I think people who are doing those endeavors, and if people don't know what I'm talking about, these are these long through hiking trails that you can go from. I know the Pacific Crest goes from the border of Mexico to the border of Canada, there's lots of these long through trails. But doing that purposely puts you in that position where you are out of touch for a long period of time, and you're in nature for a long period of time. And, you know, people have these profound life experiences. It's just like that book that Cheryl Strayed wrote called Wild, where it was recounting her experience being on the Pacific Crest Trail, and it was such a life transforming event for her that she ended up writing a book. It got turned into a movie, Reese Witherspoon plays it. So if you haven't seen it, go grab it off Netflix or whatever. And watch it because that's the kind of stuff that we're talking about is that it can be super transforming.
Evie Takacs 33:23
Yes. Yeah. So absolutely.
Toréa Rodriguez 33:25
I mean, if anything scheduled time to be the sloth.
Evie Takacs 33:28
right? Exactly. I was telling Toréa about speaking of Netflix, there is this new, I guess docuseries, and it is about the national, like national parks all over the world. And I'm only in episode one. But it was fascinating enough that I was like, I have to tell Toréa but there's this little, you know, snip where they start talking about sloths, and I can't remember where they were maybe West Africa. I'm not sure. So don't quote me on that. But the sloths, you know, are just amazing creatures in the first place. And,
Toréa Rodriguez 34:01
and they just hang out a lot, which is why I said be the sloth like, Yeah, hang from the branch. And that's what they do.
Evie Takacs 34:06
They said it takes them a month to digest a leaf. Their metabolism? Is that slow, easy? Yes.
Toréa Rodriguez 34:14
Yeah. So they do not do much.
Evie Takacs 34:15
No. So they, first of all, they fun fact, they also turn green. So it was raining. I know.
Toréa Rodriguez 34:22
This blows my mind.
Evie Takacs 34:24
They're like fur turned green. And then they go inside. And they see that there's all these other like organisms, and there's these other like creatures that live inside their fur. Right? And so they're talking about the importance of this sloth and how it's like really sustaining the environment because it has all these other things living in there. There's a bunch of like fungi living in there and how those fungi have been found to be anti cancer anti viral, and I'm like they're talking about adaptogens. And so yes, they are it was amazing for me to see that and to hear that and like actually know what they're talking about. And I'm like, Just say the word adaptogens like we know what you're talking about. So it was so cool that I saw that and it just again, it all kind of tied to what we were talking about. But yes be the sloth because they apparently know what they're doing.
Toréa Rodriguez 35:12
Yeah, absolutely. And, gosh, ecology, nature and biology is so cool when you get into this kind of detail. But yeah, I mean, that's really kind of what we're talking about is put yourself in a natural environment, give yourself the space to just be and just see what comes up of it. And if you do get the opportunity, there's a place I'm dying to stay at, Evie. Okay, this is one of the things that I want to try. There's a place called The Getaway house, and I'll put the link in the show notes. But the Getaway House are these tiny cabins that are all over the lower 48 states, I think so far in the United States. And they are specifically placed in places where there's no Internet, and no Wi Fi. And they literally are just a perfect getaway in nature, and you can rent them for a weekend or a week or whatever. And what's cool about these little houses, I need to copy this idea, but they've got a box, and you can put your devices in the box and lock the box for the weekend. I love it. And though you don't have access to internet or anything else, it doesn't matter. It's just like, just lock it away. So yeah, I definitely need to book a weekend getaway at one of those Getaway Houses. I think they're super cool.
Evie Takacs 36:26
Yeah, that sounds amazing.
Toréa Rodriguez 36:28
Yeah. So thank you, everybody, for joining us for another episode, and we'll see you next week.
Hey, thanks for joining us for this episode of the Wildly Optimized Wellness podcast. If you're ready to dig deeper into your health, stop playing the Whack-a-Symptom game, start testing to get better guidance, you can find more about Toréa at torearodriguez.com and you can find Evie at holisticallyrestored.com. Want a peek into what it's like to work with us? Come join us at our Optimized Wellness Community. You can find the invitation link in the show notes below. And if you have a question for the show, you can submit your question under the podcast section of torearodriguez.com. Finally, if you found something helpful in this episode, don't forget to leave a review, hit that follow button or share it with a friend. They're gonna love that you thought of them. Until next time, see you outside!
