I just got back from leading a men's retreat, and honestly, I'm still kind of buzzing from it. Got to sit down with Aneta Waclaw on her podcast to talk about men's work, men's groups, and what the hell healthy masculinity actually looks like in 2025.
We covered a lot of ground in this conversation. Started with the basics of what a men's group even is, why most men desperately need one, and why so many guys are walking around completely disconnected from their bodies. I shared some of the core challenges men face when they first come to this work, usually because they're in so much pain they can't hide it anymore. Relationship issues, career stuck points, chronic stress that's showing up in their actual physiology.
One thing I got into that felt really important is this idea that for men to show up powerfully in their relationships, they first have to get comfortable with their own emotional landscape. Most of us are trying to fix or problem solve our partners, and in the process, we completely miss them. When a man can be present with his own grief, anger, fear, whatever, he suddenly has the capacity to hold space for his partner's emotions without freaking out and trying to change them.
We also dove into shadow work, what actually happens on these retreats I lead, and why getting in a physical room with other men can be so transformative. There's something about touch, presence, physical challenge that a Zoom call just can't replicate. And I shared what I see happen to men's bodies when they finally let themselves feel what they've been carrying for years, sometimes decades. They come alive. More energy, more color in their face, bigger capacity for life.
If you're a man who's been curious about men's work, this is a solid intro to what it's all about. And if you want to experience it yourself, check out what we're doing at evolutionarymen.com.
