Host Ying Deng launches a mini-series on “how do we face this moment?” and interviews Ash Lounsbury, an ecopsychologist and enrolled citizen of the Osage Nation with ecotherapy training, meditation experience, and research on bird divination. Ash describes holding spring’s renewal alongside political and climate “polycrises,” reflects on privilege, neurodivergence, and “autistic joy,” and explains ecopsychology as the study of human relationships with nature (humans are nature). They discuss sustaining practices like sangha/community, small nature-connection rituals (sunrise, birdsong), and Ash’s bird divination workshops as meaning-making. Ash shares examples of collective action and resistance in Asheville (protests for protecting the urban forest, opposition to data centers & surveillance cameras, mutual aid) and leads a “sphere of influence” practice at the end centered on the inquiry: “How can I sustain my wave of change?”
Listen now on Apple Podcast and Spotify
00:00 Welcome
00:38 Meet Ash Lounsbury
05:32 What Is Ecopsychology
06:57 Nature as Daily Practice
08:20 Sustaining Practices and Community
10:28 Bird Divination Explained
14:10 Service and Collective Action
18:30 Hope and Resistance Stories
21:31 Sphere of Influence Practice
28:57 Final Quote and Where to Find Ash
Find this episode’s transcript here.
Resources:
- Download a free ADHD emotional regulation menu
- Booking a free coaching discovery call with Ying, an award winning ADHD coach & meditation teacher featured on Self Magazine
Guest’s Bio:
Ash Lounsbury is an ecopsychologist and enrolled citizen of the Wahzhazhe (Osage) Nation. Ash holds a non-clinical Master’s in Ecopsychology from Naropa University and Level 1 and 2 certificates in ecotherapy from the Earthbody Institute. Her graduate research culminated in a dissertation on the intersection of ancient bird divination and contemporary ecotherapeutic modalities. Ash sometimes writes about myth, ecohealing, queerness, and birds.
With over a decade of meditation experience, she’s had the honor to support Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield’s virtual meditation community members. In 2025, she co-founded Earthwild Ecology Club where she co-facilitates virtual ecopsychological workshops.
Wake! Ecohealing https://wakeecohealing.com/
Earthwild Ecology Club https://www.earthwildec.org/
IG: @wake.ecohealing
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