The Embodied Masculine

In this episode of The Embodied Masculine, I sit down with Justine Benanty to talk about silence, devotion, community, and love as a daily practice.Justine shares about her relationship with phone addiction, the choice to create more space from distraction, and a 10-day silent retreat that helped deepen her spiritual path.Together, we explore presence, language, friendship, family healing, sexuality, soulmates, self-love, and the courage it takes to love fully without needing to possess or control.This is a conversation about self-trust, non-attachment, and the ripple effect that becomes possible when we choose love again and again.More about JustineHer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinemagicbean/

What if a more embodied masculinity begins by learning to listen again: to the body, to the earth, and to the parts of ourselves we were taught to ignore?Cub (Chase) Bishov, MA, AMFT is a holistic psychotherapist, artist, musician, and facilitator based in Northern California. In this conversation, Cub shares his path from isolation, illness, and disconnection into a life shaped by somatic therapy, creative expression, nature connection, and relational healing. We explore his work at the Center for Embodiment Medicine, where he brings Gestalt, IFS, somatic, relational, and transpersonal approaches to communities often excluded from this kind of care.Together, we discuss how patriarchal conditioning disconnects men from their bodies, emotions, needs, and capacity for intimacy. Cub offers a grounded critique of mind-over-body culture, biohacking, spiritual bypassing, and the ways modern life trains us to override our deepest intelligence. We also explore nature as a mirror, beauty as medicine, psychedelics as powerful tools requiring humility, and art as a way of bringing the soul into form.This episode is an invitation to return to the wisdom of the body, cultivate deeper male friendship, and remember a more connected way of being with ourselves, each other, and the living world.More about Cub:His website: https://www.chasebishov.com/His instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blucubred/ 

Alec Carrier is a former Army Black Hawk helicopter pilot, entrepreneur, and graduate of UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business. He left the structure of military life to navigate the uncertainty of entrepreneurship, fatherhood, and building a more intentional life.What happens when the identities you've built your life around begin to fall away?In this conversation, Alec reflects on his transition from military service to civilian life, the challenges of career reinvention, and the deeper questions around self-belief and self-worth that emerged along the way. We explore how becoming a father accelerated his growth, reshaped his understanding of masculinity, and challenged him to lead with both strength and softness.Through honest reflections on fatherhood, relationships, healthy conflict, and personal responsibility, Alec offers a grounded perspective on what it means to become a more resilient and authentic man. Together, we discuss navigating uncertainty, breaking generational patterns, and why the work we do on ourselves has the power to shape the lives of those who come after us.More about AlecLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alec-carrier

What if the path to a more grounded, authentic masculinity begins not with doing more, but with becoming more present?Frank W. J. Anderson, MD, MPH is an Obstetrician-Gynecologist, mindfulness meditation teacher, author, and podcast host. In this conversation, Frank shares how mindfulness transformed his life, from a pivotal meditation retreat in Thailand to his work as a physician, father, and teacher. We explore his Mindful Awareness Perspective (MAP), the ways modern life pulls us away from ourselves, and how awareness can help us break free from unconscious patterns, emotional reactivity, and cultural conditioning.Through reflections on presence, parenting, purpose, and personal growth, Frank offers a compelling invitation to cultivate a deeper relationship with ourselves and the world around us. We discuss how mindfulness can support healthier expressions of masculinity, greater compassion, and a more intentional way of living: without retreating from the responsibilities and challenges of everyday life.More about Frank:Mindful Awareness Institutehttps://www.mindfulawarenessinstitute.org/Exploring Awareness Podcasthttps://open.spotify.com/show/4FNHTZ4uZo97TdcRjYd4i4Guide to the Mindful Awareness Perspective: How Mindfulness Works Bookhttps://www.amazon.com/Guide-Mindful-Awareness-Perspective-Mindfulness/dp/1624080251Substackhttps://frankwjanderson.substack.com/

Laura reflects on what it means to be an ally to men in a cultural moment where conversations about masculinity often feel polarized and adversarial. Through her experiences as a bodyworker, community builder, mother, and longtime San Francisco resident, she explores the challenges men face in modern dating, relationships, and identity, and why many feel unseen, misunderstood, or disconnected from meaningful connection. Through conversation about dating apps, gender dynamics, and “leaky sexual energy,” we examine the importance of boundaries, compassion, and mutual understanding. Laura points to positive role models, honest dialogue, and intentional community as essential ingredients in cultivating a healthier masculinity.More about Laura:* Her personal IG, which links to the events she hosts: https://www.instagram.com/lbm

Rafat reflects on how the absence of early brotherhood—spaces of safety, belonging, and vulnerability—can leave men feeling disconnected from themselves and other men, and how many carry an unspoken “brother wound” into adulthood. Through his experience growing up in Bangladesh, feeling not “man enough,” and his journey of returning home to himself, he explores identity, healing, and what it takes to rebuild trust and connection. As the founder of Tribe, Rafat points to the importance of intentional spaces, honest dialogue, and shared growth in cultivating a more grounded masculinity, one rooted not in performance, but in belonging, depth, and real brotherhood.More about Rafat:* His personal IG: https://www.instagram.com/happyrafat/* Tribe, his company: https://www.instagram.com/tribe_socialclub/

Kyle reflects on how traditional male success—status, career, power—often comes at the expense of presence at home, and how many men lack the language and practice for deeper emotional connection. Through examples such as men’s groups, therapy, and fatherhood, he points to a more grounded masculinity rooted in vulnerability, accountability, and the open honoring of the people you love.