Esther Perel on Interconnection and Curing Modern Loneliness
How can the way we cultivate relationships with one another offer insight into healing our fractured relationship with nature? In this episode, Willow is joined by renowned psychotherapist and bestselling author Esther Perel, whose work has reshaped how we understand intimacy, communication, and belonging in the modern world. They explore the intersections between human and ecological connection, and the epidemic of loneliness that so many are experiencing today. From the importance of relational intelligence to the role of desire in deepening our bonds, this episode unpacks how embracing the complexity of relationships—whether with people or the planet—can lead to greater resilience, reciprocity, and renewal. On loneliness and curiosity: https://www.estherperel.com/blog/letters-from-esther-54-curiosity-is-a-balm-for-lonelinessOn mutualism: https://atmos.earth/overview-mutualism-symbiosis-deep-ecology/On queerness in nature: https://atmos.earth/overview-nature-and-queerness-lets-talk-about-sex/On mating behaviors: https://atmos.earth/overview-relationships-mating-games/To see a transcript of this episode: https://atmos.earth/podcast/esther-perel-on-the-nature-of-connection-and-modern-loneliness-ep-1/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Maggie Rogers on How to Protect—and Nurture—Your Creativity
Nature is the ultimate artist—shaping landscapes over millennia, sculpting coastlines with waves, and composing symphonies in birdsong. In this episode, Grammy-nominated musician Maggie Rogers joins Willow for a conversation on creative rhythm, artistic sustainability, and the deep inspiration she draws from the natural world. As an artist who has intentionally crafted a career that honors both personal well-being and creative integrity, Maggie shares insights into how slowing down can actually enhance the creative process. Together, they explore the lessons nature teaches about cycles of rest and renewal, the importance of protecting one's artistic energy, and the power of making music—and life—at a pace that feels true.For more about Maggie Rogers: https://www.maggierogers.com/To find a transcript of this episode: https://atmos.earth/podcast/maggie-rogers-on-the-nature-of-rhythm-and-making-music Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Bayo Akomolafe: How to Move Through Chaos Without Needing Control
What if the rupture of these tumultuous times is not an ending, but an opening? In this episode, Willow speaks with Bayo Akomolafe, philosopher, poet, and thinker whose work challenges us to step beyond binaries and into the fertile, unpredictable space of emergence. They dig into how transformation doesn’t come from rigid certainty or oppositional thinking, but from the cracks—where new possibilities take root. Nature does not resolve tension; it composts it, making way for something unexpected to arise. Bayo invites us to see the turbulence of our moment not as a problem to be solved, but as an invitation to step out of fixed ways of being and embrace the "third way"—the space between and beyond, where new ways of relating, knowing, and becoming can unfold.For more about Bayo Akomolafe: https://www.bayoakomolafe.net/On How to Make Sanctuary in Times of Loss: https://atmos.earth/political-landscapes/bayo-akomolafe-on-how-to-make-sanctuary-in-times-of-loss/On Slowing Down in Urgent Times: https://atmos.earth/ecological-wisdom/dr-bayo-akomolafe-on-slowing-down-in-urgent-times/To see a transcript of this episode: https://atmos.earth/podcast/bayo-akomolafe-on-the-nature-of-possibility-in-uncertain-times/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Wildlife Photographer Ami Vitale on Why Intimacy Will Save Us
In the season finale of The Nature Of, award-winning photographer and filmmaker Ami Vitale joins Willow for a powerful and emotional conversation about witnessing extinction and choosing hope, drawing on her extensive career photographing the most critical conservation stories of our time. Ami takes Willow through her decades-long journey from documenting human conflict to the lives of endangered species—including the final days of Sudan, the last male Northern white rhino—and the people working to protect them. Together, they reflect on what it means to tell stories with reverence, how we find our humanity through connection with the more-than-human world, and why love—not loss—is at the heart of conservation.For more about Ami Vitale: https://www.amivitale.com/To see a transcript of this episode: https://atmos.earth/podcast/ami-vitale-on-the-nature-of-wildlife-and-storytelling-to-stop-extinction/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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Maggie Baird on the One Thing You Can Do for the Planet Every Day
In this episode, we explore the nature of food as a profound act of care—with the power to transform not only our health and the planet, but the very systems we live within. Maggie Baird, longtime activist, founder of Support + Feed, and mother of artists Billie Eilish and Finneas, joins Willow for a conversation rooted in compassion for humans, animals, and the Earth. From her early awakening to animal welfare to her family’s shared commitment to cultural and climate transformation, Maggie shares how plant-based food offers a hopeful path forward. Willow and Maggie discuss the myths that persist around veganism, the spiritual cost of industrial agriculture, and how joy and justice can help flavor the way we eat—for good.For more about Maggie Bair and Support + Feed: https://supportandfeed.org/about-us/To see a transcript of this episode: https://atmos.earth/podcast/maggie-baird-on-the-nature-of-food-as-an-act-of-compassion/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Transform your life with nature as your guide. As the editor-in-chief of Atmos Magazine, Willow Defebaugh has dedicated her life to illuminating the wisdom of the natural world. In “The Nature Of,” a new podcast from Atmos, she connects these teachings to the most critical issues of our time, inviting luminaries across climate and culture to share insights as to how we can navigate this moment with clarity, resilience, and purpose. Join guests like Esther Perel, Maggie Rogers, and Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson as they offer clarity and guidance on how you can change your life to change the world.
Season one of The Nature Of is made possible in part by funding from the Sierra Club Foundation. Views and opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the Sierra Club Foundation.
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