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The Evolving Man Podcast

Latest episodes

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Feb 5, 2025 • 1h 15min

#99 - Iboga: Revealing The Teacher Within - with Levi Barker

Levi is a Bwiti healer that helps people heal with some of life's most difficult problems. People come from all over the world to Iboga Wellness Center in Costa Rica to deal with problems like depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, substance and non-substance addictions in a psycho-spiritual context. Iboga is a small shrub from West central Africa in the countries of Gabon, Cameroon and the Congo. Iboga has been used for centuries by indigenous people and more recently has made its way to the Western world. On this episode, we discuss how healing and transformation can occur with the use of Iboga.  In this episode, we cover: Levi’s work with Iboga at the Iboga Wellness Center in Costa Rica. Examining the misconceptions about Iboga, with a focus on its healing properties. The “mind cleanse” process that Iboga facilitates. Explanation of how Iboga aids in overcoming trauma and emotional release. Distinction between Iboga and Ibogaine, particularly in addiction treatment. The historical and cultural origins of Iboga from Gabon, Africa. Levi’s personal journey with Iboga, using it to overcome opiate addiction. The spiritual and personal growth aspects of Iboga, contrasting it with its use for physical detox. How tradition and rituals around Iboga have shaped its modern application. Exploration of the psycho-spiritual retreat experience at the Iboga Wellness Center. Discussion on the process and effects of the Iboga mind cleanse and its impact on mental clarity. The emotional and chemical resets (dopamine, serotonin) that Iboga can initiate. Levi’s observations of physical changes in people post-treatment, especially in expressions and facial structure. The significance of integration after an Iboga experience and available support systems. Levi’s description of the spiritual energies of Iboga as a teaching tool that emphasizes self-teaching. Future trends and potential pharmaceutical developments emerging from iboga's properties. Closing thoughts on the responsibility of listening to one's inner call when considering Iboga treatment. Levi's passion is to spread healing and the gift of iboga to whomever is called. Levi wants to give back for the many gifts he has received through iboga. One key aspect of this iboga work is the Bwiti tradition. Bwiti is the name for someone who works with iboga to heal. The Bwiti tradition focuses on universal truths of our life to guide us to living a full happy life. The Bwiti tradition is a set of tools we can draw on to guide us in life to making the right decisions for ourselves, self love, managing the mind and to give thanks for the most precious gift, our life. Links from this episode:Iboga Wellness - Costa RicaBen’s “Medicine Retreats” mailing listSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Jan 22, 2025 • 1h 18min

#98 - Iron John And The Foundations Of Mythopoetic Masculinity - with Ian MacKenzie

Ian MacKenzie is a mythosomatic guide & filmmaker, as well as the founder of The Mythic Masculine, a platform dedicated to realigning masculinity with thriving life. For over 15 years, he’s been tracking the global emergence of imaginal culture. From the desert of Burning Man to the heart of Occupy Wall St, he has sought and amplified the voices of visionaries, artists and activists who have been working toward planetary system change. He is the co-director of The Village of Lovers as well as Lost Nation Road, Amplify Her, and Sacred Economics. On this episode, we cover: Mythopoetic Men's Work: Exploring myth, men's groups, and men's initiation work. The Story of Ian’s Grandfather: How his death opened the door to men's work for Ian. The Challenge of Modern Manhood: Exploring how men become men in a culture with no clear passage into manhood. The Story of Iron John: Key themes and how it relates to modern men. The Hero vs. the King Archetype: Differences and what they signify for personal growth. Ian’s Journey Into Mythopoetic Work: From the feminine gateway to exploring the deep masculine. The Lost Culture of Initiation: The impact of the absence of initiation rites in modern society. Men's Longing for Depth: The hunger for cultural depth and initiation in men’s lives. The Importance of the Wound: How a wound or adversity plays a crucial role in men's initiation. Archetypes Explained: The significance of the wild man, the golden boy, and other archetypes. The Rediscovery of Passion: How modern men can reconnect with their passion and primal energy. The Evolution of the Mythopoetic Men's Movement: A look back at its origins and its journey. The Role of Story and Myth: Utilizing story and myth to transmit knowledge and wisdom. Men's Circles: The transformative power of being seen and supported by other men. Eros and Appreciative Consciousness: Cultivating beauty and life energy in oneself. Rediscovering the Inner Well: Accessing the inner source of life energy to prevent external dependency. The Red, White, and Black Armor: Understanding the stages of masculine development. The Necessity of Men's Support: How men can provide what women and the world sometimes cannot. Emotional Coaching and Accountability: The unique way men can inspire and challenge each other. The Deep Masculine: Defining and understanding the essence of the deep masculine. Links: The Mythic Masculine Ian’s Instagram  Facebook  Ian’s Films And Essays The Arka Brotherhood men’s communityThe Conscious Relationship Council, with Ben Goresky  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Dec 11, 2024 • 54min

#97 - Facing Your Mortality: The Loss Of A Father, and 28 Days In The Darkness - with Traver Boehm

Traver Boehm is the leader of the Man Uncivilized Movement, the author of multiple books, and a huge advocate for men’s work. Traver leads by example, and in this episode, he joins me on the show for a second appearance to share the powerful story of his father’s passing. He shares the insights and lessons we can all take from his experience. He also shares his story of spending 28 days in a “darkness retreat” where he saw no light for 28 days. The lessons of this powerful psychedelic experience shine through in striking detail as he takes us through what it was like to be in total darkness for a month. In this conversation, we discuss: The recent death of Traver’s father, reflecting on father wounds, with a powerful story of healing in those last days. The role of men’s work and men’s groups in healing the father wound. Dark Room: Traver’s experience living in a room by himself in complete darkness for 28 days. The insights this gave him on death, freedom, and living fearlessly, hallucinations, grief processing, and lessons about time perception. Death and Freedom: How the acceptance of our mortality can influence our approach to life and goals.  Traver’s Upcoming book, “28 Days in Darkness,” releasing in February. Links from this episode: Man UNcivilized website Traver’s Instagram Book: 28 Days in Darkness The Arka Brotherhood men’s work community  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Nov 15, 2024 • 1h 21min

#96 - Breath of Life: Breathwork For Addiction Recovery with Nick Terry

Nick TNT Terry is a certified life coach, breathwork practitioner, intervention consultant, and an author. He is the co-founder of Honu House Hawaii, a residential rehab facility in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, and the owner of Breath of Life Recovery, a wellness consulting practice offering breathwork, cold water therapy and wellness modalities. Since getting sober in 2014, Nick has worked for more than eight years in the field of addiction and mental health treatment. Nick shares how he transformed from wayward addict to breathwork and recovery life coach, and offers his holistic, much-needed perspective on how others can do the same. Here’s what we get into: - Nick’s childhood in a tumultuous environment, with early access to alcohol and drugs.  - As Gabor Mate says, the roots of addiction are disconnection.  - Nick’s habit of dishonesty and criminal behavior as coping mechanisms. - Pivotal moments in his recovery journey that led him to seek long-term sober living.  - Transformative experiences with breathwork as a healing tool for trauma and disconnection. - For addicts in recovery: The importance of being present in the moment, even if it’s uncomfortable. - Nick describes how breathwork has helped him cultivate a sense of presence and connection that long eluded him.   Links: Honu House Hawaii Instagram Breath of life recovery Buy the book - Breath of life: Finding Long-Term Recovery with Breathwork and Stepwork Ben’s Freedom From Addiction Circle  The Arka BrotherhoodSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Oct 16, 2024 • 1h 23min

#95 - Integrity and Leadership with The Kings Of Hearts: Andy Nguyen and Yenukwa Kombian

Andy Nguyen and Yenukwa Kombian are the co-founders of Kings of Hearts, an organization committed to cultivating heart-based leaders. With 8 years of experience, they specialize in men’s leadership training and facilitate transformative men’s groups and retreats. Their work is rooted in the leadership values of awareness, embodiment, and integrity, empowering men to lead with authenticity, emotional intelligence, and a deeper connection to themselves and others. On this episode, we cover: Men’s Isolation: a huge issue men are facing today. A peek into what we do in our men’s groups and why it is so impactful. The three pillars of men’s leadership training.  How Andy and Yenukwa found themselves doing “men’s work”.  How Andy emerged from being a participant into a leader. Men’s groups: The power of being seen with all one’s flaws and shadows, and being supported The challenges of offering authentic feedback to other men The “Miracle Zone” of personal growth. Osho’s dynamic meditation, the controversy around him, and useful practices he taught Embodying the Conscious King Archetype How to lead without making it about you The importance of accountability in leadership.  Emotional self-awareness and the importance of community. The Work: Men’s group in prison, and how we are not all that different from those men. Men’s big emotions: Need a container.  The importance of men’s groups that go inward. What Andy and Yenukwa recommend for men who are just starting out in this kind of work. Links from this episode: Kings Hearts website @kingsofhearts on Instagram Kings of Hearts Podcast KOH Retreat Nov 1-3 2024See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Oct 2, 2024 • 47min

#94 - The Masculine Blueprint with GS Youngblood

GS Youngblood is the author of “The Masculine in Relationship” which offers a model for conscious masculinity. With The Masculine Blueprint, GS teaches men  to become grounded in their own power while also staying in relationship with their feminine partner.  GS teaches that many relationship problems are actually rooted in a lack of “Relational Masculinity” which is a combination of groundedness, leadership, and relational skills. He joins me on the show to discuss these topics.  On this episode, we talk about: Complacency in Relationships: Men’s complacency in relationships to avoid becoming complacent. The importance of being in “directive energy”. Leadership in Relationships: Challenges in nurturing leadership roles. Making decisions without always feeling compelled to do so. The importance of attunement to your partner when making decisions. Creating Emotional Safety for your partner The importance of self-examination and assessment - humility. Receiving feedback from partners. Structure in Relationships Internal and External Structure Setting boundaries. Conflict resolution rules. Taking emotional leadership. The need for intentional work on emotional intelligence in men. Operating Styles: Differences between doer/thinker and feeler modes. Switching to a feeler mode for nourishing relationships. Embodiment and meditation tips from GS. Focusing on physical sensations versus stopping thoughts during meditation. Breath Work and Movement recommendations from GS and Ben: Three Elements of The Masculine Blueprint: Respond vs. React. Provide Structure. Create Safety. The results: Groundedness, clarity, boundaries, emotional and physical safety in relationships. Links from this episode: GS Youngblood’s book: "The Masculine in Relationship." GS’s course: "The Art of Relational Masculinity." GS Youngblood’s Live Workshops  GS on IGSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Jul 17, 2024 • 1h 37min

#93 - EMF Radiation: New Discoveries On the Effects of WiFi and Cell Phone Radiation - with Dr. Anthony Balduzzi

Dr. Anthony Balduzzi delves into the harmful effects of EMFs from cellphones and WiFi, discussing ways to reduce exposure. Topics include EMF sensitivities, electricity in our bodies, benefits of earthing, 5G towers, non-ionizing radiation, and practical tips for minimizing health risks.
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Jun 26, 2024 • 1h 24min

#92 - The Dance Of Partnership - Relationship Wisdom with Alison Armstrong

Alison Armstrong has been teaching and speaking publicly about men and relationships for 3 decades. She is a thoughtful and inquisitive individual whose curiosity led her to a profound revelation about human behavior and relationships. Through her deep contemplation and examination of male development, she realized that men often react independently of women's influences, shaped instead by their developmental stages.  Her insights shed light on the misconceptions women might have, believing that a man's dedication to his career or personal goals could signify a lack of love. Alison's keen realization emphasizes that men and women's actions and priorities are influenced by different developmental needs, rather than personal affection or commitment. Her work aims to foster better understanding and communication between genders. In this episode, Alison and I explore the complexities of conflict resolution, emphasizing the importance of curiosity over false conclusions. We discuss the evolution of the men's movement, strategies for handling relationships, and the power dynamics between genders. Alison shares her own transformative experience of challenging negative perceptions of men and highlights the critical role of empathy and understanding in nurturing strong, healthy relationships. On this episode, we discuss: How men and women deal differently with emotions.- How women can get what they need while empowering men. How she became a champion for men, and a helper in relationships between men and women. Frog farming vs. discovering princes. Helping women understand stages of men’s development. How she learned to stop diminishing men, and how that changed her relationships. Ways that women justify disempowering men. Moving ‘from furious to curious’. Learning to improve communication. Dropping over-fixation on boundaries and leaning in with curiosity. Avoiding labelling each other. Being ‘pro-choice orgasm’ Tips on really listening to each other, and common traps of not listening. The importance of making friends outside your relationship. How her work has changed over the years. Her thoughts on different waves of feminism. Links from this episode: Alison’s website Alison’s Instagram Alison’s YoutubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Jun 5, 2024 • 1h 31min

#91 - Indigenous Wisdom on Parenting, Plant Medicines, and Personal Growth - with Vivien Vilela

In today's episode, we’re diving deep into the world of sacred plant medicines, indigenous wisdom, and conscious parenting with the extraordinary Vivien Vilela. Join us as we explore the delicate art of harvesting peyote, the spiritual importance of maintaining a respectful relationship with the earth, and the dangers of commodifying sacred plants. Vivien shares her journey from the party scene to a profound spiritual awakening. We discuss the significance of ceremony and proper guidance when working with plant medicines, and we specifically discuss Peyote. We also discuss the visionary Aniwa Gathering, a transformative event founded by Vivien, which brings together indigenous leaders from around the world to share sacred ceremonies and wisdom without the use of entheogenic medicines. Learn about the critical need for sustainable practices, the impact of screen addiction on children's development, and how to raise children naturally in a city environment. Ben and Vivien also reflect on their personal experiences, the importance of spiritual initiations, and the lifelong journey of personal growth and healing. Whether you're a parent, a seeker of spiritual wisdom, or someone curious about indigenous practices, this episode offers valuable insights into living a conscious, connected life. Tune in for an enlightening conversation that promises to leave you inspired and informed.  On this episode, we discuss: Harvesting and use of Peyote properly Destruction and Disruption of Peyote Plants Efforts to educate on responsible harvesting Indigenous Cultural Practices Emphasis on reciprocity and respectful relationships with the earth Rituals such as fasting, offerings, and spiritual connection Commodification and Misappropriation Concerns over sacred plant medicines being commodified Importance of traditional initiations and proper practices The dangers of recreational use without proper guidance Adherence to indigenous practitioner wishes Ceremony and Reciprocity Knowledgeable Practitioners and Offerings Importance of sitting in ceremony with experienced practitioners Physical and spiritual offerings Reciprocity and its significance Aniwa Gathering Focus on spiritual connection without entheogenic medicines Use of natural herbs like cacao, tobacco, and sage Raising funds for indigenous projects through the Huya Aniwa foundation Peyote’s Spiritual Significance Description of peyote and its roots in Mexico and Texas Its role in connecting individuals to their true selves and ancestral memory Importance of using peyote in the right ceremonial context Indigenous wisdom on parenting  Lack of initiation rituals in western societies Approaches to avoid screen time and societal pressures Emphasis on discipline with love and fostering unconditional love and respect Traditional midwifery and keeping children close Nurturing imagination and avoiding artificial toys Faster brain development in indigenous children in nature Challenges in City Environments Pushback from society and finding natural stimuli The impact of screens on children’s emotional balance and ability to be present Concerns about excessive screen time Conscious living as parents Personal Growth and Spiritual Awakening Vivien’s Story Journey from party scene and drug use to spiritual awakening Spiritual session leading to significant growth   Aniwa Gathering Aniwa’s main site Aniwa on instagram Hyua Aniwa Aniwa on Youtube Ben’s Freedom From Addiction CircleSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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May 22, 2024 • 1h 10min

#90 - An End To Arguing: Valuable Lessons For Relationships - with Charlie Bloom

Charlie Bloom and his wife Linda have been writing and teaching about relationships for decades, and he joins me on the heels of the release of their recent book “An End To Arguing: 101 Valuable Lessons For All Relationships” We discuss these points and more: -Differences are unavoidable; conflict is not. -Your partner thinks differently than you. -Ways to free yourselves from impasses. -It’s often better to just drop a fight until your heads are cooler. -Deepening a relationship beats winning an argument. -Speak according to the receptivity of your partner. -Learn to see the fears of yourself and your partner. -Learn to share responsibility for problems with your partner. -Coming out of victim scripts into co-creation. -Different relationships have different kinds of conflict. -Are there couples who never fight? -Learning how to be in conflict. -‘Sudden’ endings to relationships are often years in the making. -Translating relational teachings into action. -Losing the hope that you’ll never get triggered -The biases of friends supporting us in relationships. Links:  Charlie and Linda Bloom’s website The Creating Conscious Love Course See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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