From Collapse to Awakening: Dr. Zach Bush on Healing the Soul and the Soil

Dear Listeners,

Welcome to the My Legacy Podcast & Syndicated Radio Show, where we explore timeless lessons, meaningful connections, and the power of creating a living legacy. Hosted by Arndrea Waters King and Martin Luther King III, alongside Marc Kielburger and Craig Kielburger, our show brings you transformative conversations that inspire impact, fulfillment, and healing.

This week, we are honored to welcome Dr. Zach Bush, a triple board-certified physician, regenerative health advocate, and visionary leader in the movement toward integrated healing. Joining him is Alissa Bush; this parent-child relationship adds powerful intergenerational depth to a conversation that bridges science, soul, and legacy.

Together, Zach and Alissa explore the collapse of traditional medicine, the necessity of spiritual awakening, and the sacred journey of healing our bodies, families, and planet.

Episode Summary

This conversation with Dr. Zach Bush is personal, revelatory, and deeply moving. Once a prominent cancer researcher working to design lifesaving drugs, Zach reached a painful crossroads: he realized the system he served was not built to heal.

A spiritual awakening- sparked by profound personal loss and disillusionment- radically shifted his purpose from fixing disease to restoring the human spirit. Now, Zach works at the intersection of medicine, ecology, and consciousness.

In this episode, he opens up about that turning point, the moment he almost gave up, and the higher calling that emerged from it. Joined by Alissa, who shares her own healing journey and reflections on growing up in the wake of transformation, this dialogue becomes not only a story of personal redemption, but a blueprint for planetary regeneration.

This episode is an invitation to question everything we’ve been told about health- and to step into a legacy of love, listening, and conscious care.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why Dr. Zach Bush left the traditional medical system to pursue a more holistic approach to healing

• The moment of spiritual collapse that became a catalyst for awakening

• How soil health, human biology, and emotional well-being are interconnected

• Alissa Bush’s reflections on growing up with a parent in transformation- and the healing they did together

• The role of grief and surrender in reclaiming personal purpose

• Why true legacy is not what we build, but how we choose to heal

Deep Dive: From Collapse to Connection — The Science of Inner and Outer Healing

Dr. Zach Bush’s transition from traditional medicine to ecological and spiritual healing is part of a growing movement rooted in both science and soul. His core message: the human body is not separate from the Earth. Our physical health mirrors our environmental health.

A 2019 study published in Nature Reviews Microbiology underscores how human health is deeply connected to environmental microbial diversity. The research highlights that industrial agriculture, antibiotic overuse, and modern sanitation have significantly reduced microbial exposure- contributing to rising rates of chronic inflammatory diseases. This supports Dr. Zach Bush’s view that the loss of biodiversity in our external ecosystems mirrors the internal dysregulation we now see in the human microbiome. Source

Zach also speaks to spiritual breakdown as a gateway to awakening- a process often likened to the “dark night of the soul.” Research by psychologist Dr. Lisa Miller at Columbia University reveals that people who undergo spiritual struggle and transformation develop greater emotional resilience, brain integration, and long-term well-being. Source

Meanwhile, Alissa Bush’s reflections echo insights from intergenerational trauma research. Families inherit more than stories- they inherit stress responses and healing potential. Dr. Rachel Yehuda’s groundbreaking work at Mount Sinai confirms that trauma can be epigenetically transmitted, but so can resilience. Source

Dr. Zach Bush’s view that personal healing leads to environmental stewardship is supported by a 2020 study in Frontiers in Psychology, which found that people with higher connection to nature and a mindfulness practice were more likely to engage in pro-environmental behaviors and report better well-being. Source

His work bridges regenerative agriculture, systems biology, and contemplative spirituality into one unified purpose: to reconnect.

Reflection and Conversation Questions

Weekly Journal Prompts

• What systems in your life have you outgrown- and what are you being called to rebuild?

• Have you ever experienced a moment of collapse that led to unexpected clarity?

• What role does nature play in your physical and emotional healing?

• How can you listen more deeply- to your body, your loved ones, or the Earth?

Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion

• What does “regenerative healing” mean to you?

• In what ways are your health, purpose, and the environment interconnected?

• How can spiritual pain become a portal to legacy?

• What lessons about resilience and inner truth can be passed across generations?

Questions for Families

• How do we talk about health and healing in our home- beyond just physical symptoms?

• What rituals help us reconnect when things feel fractured?

• How can we model vulnerability and self-awareness for our children?

• What does it mean to heal as a family, not just as individuals?

Additional Resources

• ZachBushMD.com

• The Biology of Belief by Dr. Bruce Lipton

• The Awakened Brain by Dr. Lisa Miller

• The Myth of Normal by Dr. Gabor Maté

• Farmer’s Footprint – Dr. Zach Bush’s nonprofit initiative on regenerative farming and health

Next Week:

In the next episode, we continue our exploration of legacy, leadership, and impact. We’ll hear from another extraordinary guest who is reshaping the way we think about storytelling, social justice, and personal transformation.

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Thank you for being part of this movement. Let’s keep building our legacies together.

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