Mind & Life Podcast

Liz Monson – Reclaiming the Magic

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August 14, 2025

View or download a transcript of this episode

In this episode, Wendy speaks with Buddhist scholar and meditation teacher Liz Monson. Liz is one of the pioneers in combining Buddhist teachings with nature-based practices, and her work helps us connect in an embodied way to the fundamental interconnectedness of the world. This conversation covers many topics, including:

Liz Monson, PhD
  • how spirituality and connection to nature fed into her path to Buddhism;
  • nature-based practices in the Buddhist tradition;
  • moving beyond human-centrism;
  • the energies of the natural world;
  • the sandcastle of the constructed self;
  • why human beings are really here;
  • lessons about human nature from 9/11;
  • wisdom from the trees;
  • practices to connect with the elements of nature;
  • working with elemental energies to understand emotions;
  • understanding the divine masculine and feminine archetypes;
  • psychedelics and meditation as complementary pathways toward awakening;
  • an experiential approach to suffering and healing;
  • and the need for self-compassion and love.

Elizabeth Monson, PhD, is the Spiritual Co-Director of Natural Dharma Fellowship and the Managing Teacher at Wonderwell Mountain Refuge in Springfield, NH. Liz was authorized as a dharma teacher and lineage holder in the Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism after over 30 years of studying, practicing, and teaching Tibetan Buddhism in the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages. In 2015, Liz completed a doctorate at Harvard University, and was a Visiting Lecturer in the Study of Religion in 2015-16. She derives inspiration from the teachings of Anam Thupten, Mingyur Rinpoche, and Tsoknyi Rinpoche. She also finds deep solace and healing in the teachings that have long been held by native peoples around the planet, teachings that are continuously streaming towards us from the natural world.

Liz teaches in New England and online, helping people to access their innate awakened energies and open awareness and to discover tools for how to become free in everyday life. She focuses her teaching on developing diverse methods for incorporating the Buddhist teachings into this human life through the practices of kindness and compassion, and on recognizing the natural state in every moment of our lives. At present, Liz writes, guides meditation retreats, and develops curricula for people interested in reconnecting with the natural world and in responding to contemporary social and spiritual issues as a path for liberation. She is engaged in an ongoing exploration of the potential of combining Buddhist meditation and indigenous plant medicines and psychedelics as portals for accessing and resting in the natural state.

Resources

Teacher page at Natural Dharma Fellowship
Media, events, and publications

Supported by the generosity of
The BESS Family Foundation