Basecamp for Men E214: Embracing the Mystery

E214: Embracing the Mystery with Special Guest Vincenzo Falone

 

E214 Introduction

One of my goals when I started Basecamp was to invite the men who listen into a more mythic way of viewing themselves and their lives. Having been an initiate of the Mankind Projects’ New Warrior Training, I saw firsthand for myself and the men who I have been close with just how powerful and long-lasting the impact of this initiation was.

One of the core benefits (I believe) is that the weekend awakens something in the Soul of men. Something that stirs in our depths but is dormant until the right initiatory pulse awakens it. It’s the combination of a deep sense that you belong in the tribe of men along with a clear sense of purpose that is often missing in so many men I see.

Before being properly initiated, men can chase money and status and women as a way of measuring and validating themselves. I think deep down, most men know that this road is futile. But there are no other clear paths that are marked. There is just a faint trail and maybe the only man or men who you‘ve seen take it are different from you in some regards…. a bit more courageous perhaps? Maybe, but I think its more ready, more tired of the posturing, more tired of living without a clear purpose. More tired of their own bullshit and living from their shadow.

My guest today is also a product of the faint trail. You can hear it in his speech, in his vibration.

There is always an invitation to join us on a Warrior weekend. It doesn’t matter your age, race, socio-economic background, your sexual preference, the weekend was built for you. Yes you.

There is a long cherished saying in the men‘s community when it comes to this initiation: Men Are Waiting.Waiting for you to take the faint trial, waiting for you embrace the mysterious and the mythic, and waiting for you to trust the tribe of men to have your back. Enjoy the interview!

Vincenzo Falone Bio

My guest today is Vincenzo Falone. Vincenzo is a father, a longtime bodyworker and cranial sacral therapist in addition to being a Certified Co-Leader with the Mankind Project. Vincenzo is also the co-founder of The Center for Relaxation and Healing in Chatham NJ. Here is my interview with Vincenzo Falone.

Basecamp for Men E130: Tony Rezac and the Hero’s Journey

E130: Tony Rezac and the Hero’s Journey

 

E130 Introduction-

I was recently on Eric Zimmer’s excellent pod called The One You Feed. I highly recommend subscribing, if you have the bandwidth for another show. Eric is an excellent interviewer of his guests and is comfortable to hang out with, which is a necessary super-power amongst podcasters.

He was gracious enough to send me over the interview audio file so I could turn it into a Basecamp episode. Which is what I did here.

I love being in these sorts of conversations. Deep, authentic, humorous at times. I love talking to people that are willing to cut through the small talk and get down to what is really going on.

In this hour, we talk about my 2014 book Body and Soul: The Essential Handbook for Men. We also cover the challenges that men face, male archetypes and how they show up or not show up in our lives. And we talk a bit about my Life Renewal Program for Men, which I offer as an ongoing program.

Here is me on the other side of the conversation, so to speak, on The One You Feed with Eric Zimmer. I hope you enjoy it.

 

 

 

 

Basecamp for Men E78: The Path with Heart

E78: The Path with Heart with Special Guest Scott Wyman

 

E78 Introduction-

I would like to start by thanking a dear friend of mine, Roger Songster. Roger, your text message really helped strengthen me this week so thank you for that.  You’re a true friend.

I have found that when you follow your Hero’s Journey and commit to living your deepest truth, it doesn’t always come as a celebration to those that are closest to you. This is part of what makes it heroic. You leave what is familiar. This inevitably takes us away, sometime far away, from the familiar faces and viewpoints and identities of where we have come from and where we have been.

I didn’t think when we started Basecamp for Men that it would be such an important  chapter in my life. I have learned just as much as you have about this emerging tribe we are calling WE THE PEOPLE.

Of all the things I have tried and done, I think writing and hosting this podcast has been my favorite endeavor. I never thought it would bring me this much satisfaction. I just love it! It feels like a culmination of all my life experiences and all the things I have read and researched all rolled into one expression. That and I get to interview incredibly wise and kind-hearted people like my guest today.

Scott Wyman Bio-

Scott Wyman has been a passionate student of the spiritual path for over 40 years. A psychotherapist for over 30 years he as come to blend western psychological insights with ancient teachings that have stood the test of time, using practices that go directly to the source of our suffering, connecting the highest truth of our Soul with the darkest aspects of our shadow.

E78 Final Thoughts-

A couple of final things. If all this talk of meditation as a tool for your own growth and development has piqued your interest and you like Scott as much as I do, go sign up for his upcoming 3-day online meditation retreat on March 5-7that www.scottwyman.comThis will surely be a great retreat for beginners and advanced students alike. Let Scott know you heard him here on the show.

And Scott recommended a beloved meditation teacher and author from Vietnam named Thich Nat Hahn.  His book Being Peace is considered an absolute classic in most spirituality circles.  I have a number of his books in my library and they all contain great wisdom.

 

 

Basecamp for Men E60: Living a Mythic Life

E60: Living a Mythic Life with Special Guest Jon Wilson

 

E60 Introduction

As a collective, I see much in the male tribe to be optimistic about. Men from all walks of life seem to be ready for new tools and new narratives. Men are tired of the worn-out old stories about who we are and what we are capable (or incapable) of doing.

I feel a bit sheepish writing about myth . I don’t feel qualified. After all, Joseph Campbell laid it all out for us. However if I have learned anything from my studies it’s that myths are living stories. They demand our active participation to keep the transformative power in them. They are our partners through the ages and epochs, carrying wisdom and warnings and giving us a roadmap of the (sometimes) treacherous road that we face.

Once we learn to read the signposts of myth, we can step out onto the faint trail with much more confidence, having a bit more of an inkling of what might await us.

Myth also connects us to our ancestors near and far.  This is important in a number of ways. For one, that perspective can inspire us. If my late grandparents and great-grandparents and my son’s not-yet-born kids and grandkids are included in our mythic viewpoint, it starts to get interesting and personal in very immediate way. You’re not just playing for you. You’re playing for everyone in your circle. We’re all depending on you.

By consciously living a mythic life, you raise your hand to be counted. No matter where consciousness is taking us; no matter what our great human story has in store for us; by setting your life in mythic terms you state to unseen forces, higher beings and allies that are always helping us that YOU CAN COUNT ON ME. I am paying attention.

    In our modern lifestyle, men can feel that life is reduced to making as good a living as you can and be as good of a husband/partner/father you can be. It can feel a bit small for a man’s spirit. I know it can for me. Myth helps with this by enlarging the story into more proper proportions. This approach always works, by the way. 100% of the time.

If we are, as philosopher Charles Eisenstein says, “in-between stories”, then what tools are at our disposal to fully arrive at the new story? In this changing narrative, we will need a powerful, sturdy framework to keep us grounded.

It is here that myth is so valuable. In our search for our most courageous life, myths contain the instructions. They are built right into the story. The sub-conscious mind will pick up on all the details and nuances. You don’t necessarily have to be aware of all that (at least not at the beginning).

In high-level modern myth-telling like Lord of the Rings, or Star Wars, or The Matrix, you start with an awareness of a battle between Light and Darkness. This is a meta-myth. But as you watch or read the story, all the fascinating teachings start to unfold in your awareness: the arrival of the mentor, the dark night of the soul, the ascent, etc. AND as you steep yourself in this more mythical way of seeing the world, the EXACT SAME THING starts to happen to you. YOU see your test and your fear and reluctance. YOU leave the well-troden path to go find the faint trail. YOU experience the dark night of the soul and the arrival of a mentor. The Hero‘s Tale brings you into the action to share with you the transformative power of the myth.

Men need inspiration and clarity, not to mention magic and mystery, to lift them.  It is here on the mythic byways that men can find inner sustenance and food for the Soul.

 

Basecamp for Men E10: Inside the Men’s Circle

E10: Inside the Men’s Circle

 

E10 Introduction

One of my intentions in creating BASECAMP FOR MEN is to give the listeners a sense of what the conversations are like inside of men’s wisdom circles.  I thought that if I could shed a light on the types of conversations that happen inside these groups, that more men would get curious and start to look for one near them.

Men inevitably find these groups inspiring, authentic, and uplifting. And they really are for everyone!

This episode addresses this intention and marks the introduction of a segment that I am calling The Warrior Dog Council. This means that each time we do this segment, we will have a small group of men on to answer questions, have a dialogue, etc.

This will give fresh perspectives to our Basecamp listeners, adding more voices on these important topics. We will be adding a Q & A segment to the show where listeners can email in their questions and The Warrior Dog Council will address them. That way the listener will hear multiple insights about a particular challenge that is brought to light.

Thank you for listening and enjoy E10: INSIDE THE MEN’S CIRCLE.