71. As Within, So Without: The Microbiome & Recovery with Zach Bush, MD71. As Within, So Without: The Microbiome & Recovery with Zach Bush, MD
In The Circle
Tommy Rosen talks with Zach Bush, MD about addiction as a symptom of human abandonment and disconnection from nature, food and each other. They link the microbiome, industrial farming, spiritual experience and practical recovery tools, suggesting that reconnection with the earth and a sense of inner wholeness may be key to lasting change.
1:09:03•18 Jun 2024
As Within, So Without: Microbiomes, Nature and Addiction with Dr Zach Bush
Episode Overview
- Addiction is described as rooted in a deep abandonment disorder, not just in substances or behaviours.
- Industrial chemicals such as glyphosate are said to damage soil and human microbiomes, dimming biological vitality and contributing to disease.
- Alcohol is framed as a sterilising compound that weakens the gut microbiome and reduces the body’s energy.
- Practices like yoga and breathwork can support recovery, but can also become new addictions if they are not grounded in a sense of inner wholeness.
- Re‑connecting with nature – for example, lying under an oak tree and allowing oneself to be “remembered” by the earth – is presented as a powerful way to heal disconnection and shift the frequency of addiction.
“Any attempt to understand and heal from addiction that doesn't take into account our relationship with the planet, our relationship with food, our relationship with others, is going to be incomplete.”
Zach frames addiction as “a state of abandonment disorder within humanity”, arguing that any attempt to heal it without looking at our relationship with food, the planet and each other is “going to be incomplete.” He links alcohol, chronic disease and even infertility to damage to the microbiome – the bacteria and organisms in our soil and bodies – describing how chemicals like glyphosate and industrial farming literally “dim the lights on biology.” You’ll hear vivid stories from Zach’s life: growing up among Cambodian refugees, working on chemotherapy, delivering babies in poverty, and later serving as a hospice doctor.
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation between recovery guide Tommy Rosen and physician Zach Bush, MD, stretches far beyond usual talk about quitting substances and goes straight to the roots of why humans feel so disconnected in the first place. Each story underlines his belief that life keeps offering chances for rebirth, even in the darkest circumstances.
Tommy brings the conversation back to practical recovery, challenging the idea that food is an “outside issue” in 12‑step rooms and sharing how yoga, breathwork and lifestyle shifts can change the “frequency of addiction.” Zach gently warns that anything – even yoga – can become another addiction if it isn’t grounded in a sense of wholeness, and suggests re‑connecting directly with nature as medicine: lying under an oak tree, feeling truly seen, and letting the body “remember” it belongs to the earth.
He talks about watching people at the end of life describe their deaths as “perfect”, and suggests that recovery may involve “dying” to ego, fear, guilt and shame while still alive. If you’re in recovery, support someone who is, or just feel oddly separate from life, this episode might have you asking: what if healing starts with how you relate to the soil under your feet?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.
Related Episodes
Similar episodes from other shows in the catalogue.