The Evolving Man Podcast

COVID-19 has flipped the world - and the lives of everyone on it - upside down. Many jobs have been lost, everyone's plans have been cancelled, and half the world has entered a self-quarantine lock-down state. People are in isolation either alone, with their families, or with a partner.Relationships that may have been struggling prior to the lockdown, are now under major stress, because we're all forced in. Being forced to isolate with each other is not always easy. And, some people are isolated alone. This is especially hard for the extroverts who thrive on being in physical connection with others. In this episode Sheleana and I discuss ways you can take care of yourself and make the best of this time. We also share some strategies for couples to keep their relationship healthy at this challenging time. If you're alone in isolation, or cooped up with your romantic partner, this episode is for you. On this episode we discuss: Coping with physical isolation. Choosing how to accept reality and make the best of it. The witch-hunt - a way that people lash out at each other to look for control over their fear. Addiction and substance use at this time. Creating a routine and structure for self-care. Digital detox. More important now than ever. Digital dates with friends or romantic partners. Consuming media VS interacting with real people online. If you're struggling: we share our tips. Reach out, find the resources you need. Somatic tools for de-stressing and calming the nervous system. Breathwork - A powerful tool for immunity and nervous system regulation. Fear and the link to the immune system. The challenges Sheleana and I are facing in isolation. What couples are facing right now in isolation. How to deal with loss of attraction and polarity when in close quarters consistently. How to meet each others' needs in isolation. Negativity in dialogue, and how to deal with it. Powerful simple exercises for connecting in quarantine. Mirroring in dialogue. Sharing appreciation with your partner - a very good tool. How to honour your partner's needs and resolve disagreements about Covid precautions. Creating safety - learning to listen with non-reactivity. Successful couples are able to solve big problems together. Using competition to strengthen relationship. You can follow Sheleana with Rising Woman at: Instagram - @risingwoman and @sheleanaaiyanaYoutube.com/risingwomanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Bevacqua is a holistic nutritionist who works with addicts and other populations to transform their lives through diet and nutrition. He joins me for an informative discussion about the basics of addiction, dependencies, and recovery. We bust myths and shed light on how addicts find recovery. We also talk about how important nutrition and exercise are in the process of healing all mental illnesses, including addiction.Here is what we cover on this show: What is addiction? What is it not? The myths about common addictions? The difference between an addiction and a dependency, and how to discover that you have one. Positive addictions versus negative addictions. Where addiction lives in the brain. What part of the brain. What is the cause of addiction? Pain, trauma, disconnection. Addiction isn't only caused by genetics. The impact of early childhood environment on addiction outcomes. The environmental risk factors that contribute to addiction later in life. The steps to recovery: Remove the substance/behaviour, address the underlying pain, and build a life that supports recovery. Can we heal an addiction? First stage recovery and second stage recovery. Second stage, deeper healing. Deeper healing in second stage recovery - Conscious Relationship work, psychedelics, and plant medicines. Addiction does not live in the substance. Rat Park - The experiment that proved that drugs aren't the problem. Our society is the problem. Ideal recovery from addiction = building a rat park in your own life. Lost Connections, by Johann Hari, a useful book about depression and addiction. How to build a successful recovery plan, and how to get rid of things that are too triggering in the early days. How does nutrition play in to recovering from addiction? Healing the damage that drugs and alcohol do to the body. The double standard of coffee, cigarettes, sugar, and energy drinks in recovery circles. The benefits of quitting all substances at once. The best way to beat sugar cravings. The power of exercise in assisting addiction recovery. Recovery boosters - Running, H.I.T. workouts, and Yoga. Passion and Purpose - The special ingredient in successful recovery. Spirituality - connection to deeper self, or beyond self. The importance of open-mindedness in finding tools that work for you. Nutrition: Avoid sugar, white carbs, low quality oils. Move towards whole foods, healthy oils, wild meats, fermented foods. The power of switching from carbs to fat, for fuel. Treating depression with diet and exercise. Dr. Georgia Ede on carnivore diets and more. Chris operates a coaching business that helps clients deal with addiction and mental health issues with nutrition, exercise, and mindset. He helps you get your body and mind in the right place, so you can do the healing you need to do. Contact him for coaching here. Follow Chris on Instagram @good_n_healthy Chris is very active on Twitter @chris_bevacquaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At this point, nearly everyone in North America knows someone who is addicted to (or has died from) Opioid use. The problem has reached epidemic proportions in the US and Canada. In this episode, I sit down with a man who has been treating Opiate addiction for years. Garyth operates an Ibogane Treatment Centre called Inner Realms that detoxifies Opiates from the system in a matter of days. He helps addicts free themselves from the stranglehold of withdrawal symptoms and physical dependency, and then points them towards long term recovery.Opiate addiction has one of the highest relapse rates and highest death rates of any drug use, so solutions that can fully detox addicts and give them a strong chance at recovery are very unique. In this episode, we cover: Garyth's story of alcohol and opiate addiction. The Peace Convoy in the 80s - unemployed hippie drug culture. How Garyth experienced a breakthrough on LSD that lead him to get clean from Alcohol. Garyth's story going to rehab. The two crucial steps to recovering from addiction - Getting off the drug of choice, and learning to deal with the stress of regular life without using. The importance of community in addiction recovery. Can not be overstated. How Garyth found Ibogane, and saw it's powerful effects. What is Iboga and Ibogane, and where does it come from? What are the traditional uses of Iboga. What Ibogane clinics look like. The dark reality of Methadone and Suboxone for Opioid addiction. The documentary that best shows opiate addiction - DOSED. Legal barriers to the use of Ibogane and Iboga. What the future of Opiate treatment looks like. The best aftercare treatment for Ibogane patients. How the best addiction treatment works. The proper use of psychedelics for later recovery. The importance of diet in addiction recovery, and how diet can sabotage recovery. You can find Garyth at his website - innerrealmscenter.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nick Sol is a coach for Create The Love, a group facilitator, and a public speaker. He is a director and facilitator for The Samurai Brotherhood men's community in Vancouver, BC.Nick was on the show two years ago, and since then he has stepped deeply into his purpose of helping others through coaching, leadership, and mentorship. On this first episode of 2020, we talk about the process of choosing the right goals in your life and how to move past the resistance we all have to stepping in to most fulfilling pursuits. On this episode, we discuss: Running a marathon The process of setting goals, and knowing how to set the right goals. Finding your way towards your purpose in your 20's. The quarterly goal process Nick does with his men's groups. Getting distracted stuck in the details, and losing track of the big things that matter. Using substances like Cannabis to be creative. Resistance and procrastination. We resist the things that call to us the deepest. Superficial goals versus goals of depth. Personal growth work is really self-acceptance work. Why Nick joined a men's group. The power of the men's Warrior Weekend. The rising tide of men's work, the movement towards conscious warrior-hood. The choice to model the Samurai Warriors and their code in The Samurai Brotherhood.  Nick is on Instagram @nicksolconsulting The Samurai Brotherhood Open House is on January 15th. Streaming online @samuraibrotherhood.com To join an online Samurai Brotherhood squad, go to SamuraiBrotherhood.com/online-squadSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jessica Austin is a birth professional on a mission to educate the world on the truth about birth. The information she carries is not just something that some people need to know; it’s information that everyone needs to know. I particularly want men to listen to this episode, because many men don’t know how crucial of a moment-of-truth it will be when they are facing proposed 'interventions' on their partner during a birth process. This is an important moment to have your woman's back in the most vulnerable moment of her life. What most people think the science says about birth, is not what the science about birth says.Most people think that hospital birth is the safest and most prudent way to give birth. What I learned on this episode - amongst many other realities - is that it’s not that simple. Tune in to this episode for a very educational discussion on the topic of the most sacred human process. On this episode we discuss: What is a doula? Why someone would need or want a doula for birth. Birth is not what you see in the movies Why the statistics for PTSD are virtually the same for birth as they are for war Hospital birth VS home birth: Which is safer?  Why morbidity statistics are higher in hospitals The problem with inducing birth with medication versus letting it happen on nature’s time Why everyone who has had a caesarean section thinks they HAD to have it done. Fear, and how it controls us in our decision making process with birth. The actual statistics for children dying in birth. Emergency caesarean section are not always emergencies Breach birth - does it need to be done via caesarean? Haemorrhage - one of the main causes. Why birth progress stalls when women arrive at the hospital.Why your comfort and intimate space helps your birth process progress naturally. How men can support women in the hospital.Myth busting - these myths are discussed at the end of the episode: My baby is too big, so I need a caesarean section. Dilation speed - Friedman’s Curve. We are lucky to have the medical system, because everyone was dying before hospital births came in to play. The hospital has more tools for birth than midwives (who do home births). Home birth isn’t safe. The umbilical chord can get wrapped around the neck - this is an emergency. The stakes are too high. We need to do a hospital birth. Jessica Austin has been supporting women in giving birth for over 10 years. She is a doula, a trainer of doulas, and a pre-natal instructor.Her website: BirthTakesaVillage.com Instagram @jessicaaustinchildbirth Facebook: facebook.com/austinjessicaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeddy Azuma has been deeply involved with men's work in California for over a decade. He is the founder of the Rising Man Movement - @risingmanmovement on Instagram- and his mission is to create a generation of initiated men.Jeddy is deeply passionate about helping men find themselves, find their way, and find each other - using nature, ritual, and connection circles. On this episode we discuss: Initiation in to manhood, for men. Call The Warrior - Jeddy's Haka workshop led by Leon Ruri. The definition of Haka. Why men are afraid to express themselves. "Toxic Masculinity" and the difference between men and masculinity. The core difference between The Boy and The Man. The Initiation Ceremonies Jeddy takes men through. The power of fasting in creating an altered state of consciousness. The initiation process: a circle of support to examine what's so in your life, a declaration of where you can serve your community, and a community to receive you on the other side. Spiritual tourism and the need to carry all medicines with a connection to their lineage. Initiation weekends for young men in California - YMUW and The Legacy Weekend. Fatherlessness and the missing piece for young men. Whose job it is to initiate young men. Safety For Women - One of Jeddy's Passions. The key to the world's problems: Freedom for men to express, and safety for women. A man's eternal task of helping the women in his life feel safe.  You can find Jeddy's podcast on The Rising Man Podcast.Instagram - @JeddyAzuma and @RisingManMovementSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Phil Teertha Mistlberger is a transpersonal therapist and an author of 5 books, including a new book for men: The Way Of The Conscious Warrior - A Handbook For 21st Century Men. He joins me on the show to discuss the issues men face today and the solutions he has proposed in his book.Phil teaches that in this time of rapid change, there has been a loss of the warrior ethos. In his book, he points to a much needed revival of some of the admirable qualities of the warrior archetype: grit, discipline, fire, embodiment, and "necessary battle". On this episode we discuss: Spiritual Bypassing: Phoney Holiness and the need to know your ego before you can transcend your ego. “To be an awakened man, you first need to be a man” - G.I. Gurdjieff. There’s no awakening without self-acceptance. Using your life experiences (particularly the challenging ones) to find the meta-messages for your life. All the happenings in your life are teachings in disguise. The 3 things needed to wake up - The Buddha (the teacher), The Dharma (the teaching), and The Sangha (the fellowship). Building a “Conscious Warrior” - Taking the useful traits of the Monk and the Warrior. Phil’s favourite warrior cultures. Why Phil uses examples of warriors throughout history, but does not idolize any of them. The power of living life for principles rather than blind devotion to people. Who is this book for? How men struggle in their lives as an unconscious attempt to punish their father or mother. The best way to change the world: do you own inner work, and be present and involved with the outside world. Live an impeccable life. What is happening with the growth of The Samurai Brotherhood - Phil’s men’s work community that he founded. To find the book, look on Amazon and please do leave a review, or look for it at your local book store. You can find P.T. Mistlberger's online writings at ptmistlberger.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dhamindra Jeevan is a digital map builder who uses virtual reality to create psychedelic art - art that changes minds and alters perspectives. His dream is to gamify personal development and he has a vision of harmonizing digital life and human life.Jeevan wants to visually map the inner-world (psychologically, emotionally, and and spiritually) to integrate and generate light and awe for life. We dug in to his plan for doing that on this show, along with discussions about artificial intelligence, archetypes, and the expansion of technological progress. On this episode we discuss: The evolution of technology, and the creation of digital humans. The projection of technology being malicious or only for-profit. The quick rise of artificial intelligence. 5G and it's inevitable exponential bandwidth. The new 'types' of humans that will further complicate - and possibly further divide - the world: OG humans, cyborg people, full robot people, and disembodied digital people. How Jeevan learned to see the external world of matter mirroring the inner world of psychology. Hanuman 11's universal map of the unseen, built in virtual reality. The 4 masculine archetypes of - King, Warrior, Magician, Lover. Expressions of the masculine and feminine. How they can be seen. Why China is probably going to have the first general artificial intelligence. Quality data is the currency of the future. The artificial intelligence will be better at teaching humans new skills than humans are. The way to uncover more free will in your life: doing self-discovery work. The best insurance policy against getting cloned by a computer: uncovering your true full uniqueness by doing deep work. The origin of Family Constellations work - looking at how people are formed with patterns that are linked to their past. Rupert Sheldrake and the morphogenetic field. Burt Hellinger's phenomenological approach to working with 'the field'. How to find a Family Constellation's facilitator. Hanuman's fractal game that will help humans of the future discover their own minds Jeevan can be found at Jeevan11.com Hanuman11 is at hanuman11.com    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sheleana Aiyana joins me again on the show to discuss shadow vows, ceremony, and all things related to weddings. Sheleana and I were married this spring and we learned so much in the process, so this is our debriefing conversation to integrate those lessons, along with some Q & A at the end.In this episode, we dig in to what we think is missing in weddings these days and we share some of the key takeaways from our wedding, and we also share some of our sacred and shadow vows.If you want to have a laugh, listen through to the end of the episode for our goofy moments.On this episode, we discuss: Shadow Vows and the power of naming the unsavoury parts of relationship. Painting a picture or a vision statement for a relationship through vows. The fantasy of the "perfect wedding". Introducing imperfection in to the wedding process. Sacred Vows as a relationship contract - writing vows together. Projections that Sheleana and I run about each other - toughness. One of our strategies for resolving conflict in our relationship. The Gifting Ceremony at our wedding - instead of the Gift Table. The Magic Gifting CIRCLE - a randomized gifting web between everyone at our wedding. Including and excluding certain wedding traditions. The traditional Bachelor and Bachelorette parties and what we don't like about them. Using the bachelor and bachelorette gatherings as an intentional step in to a new phase of life, through challenge and support. The importance of having a village to support a marriage. The story of what happens when Sheleana and I disconnect from our community. Q & A: A question about how to "hold space" in a relationship when you're feeling emotionally reactive - I share my tips for how to do it. Anxious and Avoidant conflict styles - Managing the balance between them. Doing all your inner work before finding Mr./Mrs Right. and what this really means. Intuition - how to find intuition in knowing what relationship is right for you. Plant Medicines - Can be helpful, but you MUST do your work to integrate the work in to your life. Things you can do to prepare for plant medicine work: meditation, mindfulness, and challenging inner-work of other kinds. Somatic Experiencing Therapy Sheleana is the founder of RisingWoman.com and can be found on Instagram @sheleanaaiyana.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retired boxer and current Wim Hof Method instructor Cian Dalton joins me on the show to discuss the power of cold exposure paired with breath work and mindset training. Cian grew up in Ireland, learning to fight, and after a boxing carreer eventually found his 'inner work' and the personal growth community. Through that he found Wim Hof breath work and became a certified instructor. On this episode we dig in to the details of different breath work types, and how a person can use them for various types of healing, particularly the Wim Hof Method and The Breath Wave method.On this show we discuss: Cian's story and how he found breath work The emotional breakthroughs that can come from breath work, and how they occur. The Wim Hof Method - Cold Exposure, Breath Work, and Mindset Training. Using your breath to down-regulate the immune system in cold water. Breath work for auto-immune disorders, depression, and other physical ailments. How we are conditioning ourselves to be comfortable all the time and need to shake things up to stay healthy and adapted. Finishing with cold after a hot/cold dunk day. Cian's Breath Work trainings that he runs at The Stretch Space. The active breath of Wim Hof Method versus the gentle approach of Breath Wave. The magic of filling the body with breath energy, and relaxing in to it - release. The neurons in your brain that watch your breath pattern, then respond to that. Breath Work for kids. The importance of setting the right setting for any kind of breath work. Cian runs The Stretch Space in Vancouver, Canada, where he combines breath work with stretching and movement. Follow on Instagram - @thestretchspaceCian also does breath workshops and 1-1 breath sessions with his other business The Breath Connection. Follow on Instagram - @breathconnective Follow Cian - @ciandalton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.