Episode #31
Rush Sturges
From Rapids to Stillness: Healing Through Nature and Creativity
In this episode Rebecca dives into the deep currents of creativity, purpose, and healing with legendary kayaker, filmmaker, and musician Rush Sturges. From first descents on the world’s most powerful rivers to producing award-winning films like The River Runner (on Netflix), Chasing Niagara, and Edge of the Unknown (on Disney+), Rush has lived his life on the edge of adventure and artistry. He and Rebecca explore how nature, trauma, and creativity intertwine, and how slowing down can be the most radical act of all.
Rush shares his journey from world champion athlete to filmmaker and mentor, the lessons learned from loss and risk, and how a devastating earthquake in Nepal reshaped his understanding of fear, nervous system health, and what it really means to live fully. This is a conversation about flow, healing, and the art of coming home to yourself.
Show Notes
Rebecca and Rush explore:
Growing up at his parents’ kayak school, Otter Bar, and discovering a lifelong calling on the Grand Canyon at age 14
The parallels between rivers and life: how chaos, calm, and flow teach us who we are
What expedition kayaking reveals about presence, teamwork, and vulnerability
The evolution from athlete to filmmaker to musician and the importance of building creative teams off the river
The transformative impact of mentoring Indigenous youth through Ríos to Rivers and the Paddle Tribal Waters project during the historic Klamath River dam removal
Lessons from loss: processing death, danger, and risk in the adventure community
His experience with PTSD after surviving a deadly Nepal earthquake and how it forced him to confront the limits of endurance
The healing power of therapy, meditation, and slowing down
Why true mastery is learning to move—and to rest—with intention
Transformative insights:
The river as teacher: Its turbulence and stillness mirror the flow of life
Healing the nervous system: How mindfulness, breathwork, and community restore balance after trauma
Creativity as connection: Music, film, and art as extensions of nature’s flow
Redefining performance: Moving from risk and recognition toward service, purpose, and self-awareness
Vulnerable moments:
Rush recounts surviving a catastrophic earthquake in Nepal that triggered years of tremors and insomnia.
Rush opens up about witnessing loss in the kayaking community and how grief shaped his view of risk.
Rebecca shares her own recovery from brain injury and how both learned the power of stillness and surrender.
Practical wisdom:
Small shifts—like walking more slowly or unplugging from your phone—can reset the nervous system.
True strength comes from knowing when to stop pushing and start listening.
Building teams in life, art, and healing creates the support needed for real transformation.
Personal growth:
From adrenaline and ego to empathy and awareness: Rush’s evolution as a creator and human being
How service projects like Paddle Tribal Waters reconnect purpose to passion
The practice of slowing down as a daily meditation one mindful step and one quiet breath at a time
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