70. Asian Masculinity, Spirituality and Masculine and Feminine Energies with Johnson Chong

On this episode, Johnson and I talk about the energetic and spirituality of masculinity from the East to the West, masculinity within the LGBTQ+ community and Asian masculinity. Disclaimer: This was recorded before the Atlanta Georgia mass shooting. Some themes might tie in but that was not included in the context. Key themes of the episode: Why there shouldn't be judgement on what is masculine vs feminine How masculine and feminine energies shift from Eastern to Western societies Religious trends of masculinity (dharma and ying and yang vs more rigid definitions) The importance of exploring humanness... not just man and woman What it's like to be a gay man and exploring masculinity The intersectionality of Asian masculinity and LGTBQ masculinity Looking at your childhood to understand your masculinity How Asians take a softer approach to masculinity while the American way is more competitive About Zach: Johnson Chong is the best-selling and award-winning author of Sage Sapien: From Karma to Dharma. He was the founder of Sagehouse in Singapore, a studio for yoga, Pilates, meditation and spiritual workshops and coaching. He is a native New Yorker, and has lived on 3 continents, currently based in Sydney, Australia. He specializes in helping people break free of their mental, emotional and spiritual roadblocks so they can live more aligned to their inner peace and joy versus their fears. Having worked with corporate professionals in various fields, he has a strong interest in working with members of the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized populations. He has also spoken and led workshops at companies like Unilever, Facebook, Nike, UBS, UOB and various other organizations. Johnson is known as a bridge between ancient wisdom and direct modern application. In his dynamic coaching style, he integrates the practical and most useful parts of yogic wisdom, meditation, somatic movement, energy medicine and shamanic journeying to help his clients breakthrough daily self-criticism and emotional overwhelm. The unique experiences that Johnson curates offer a profoundly healing self-discovery experience, followed by very practical and actionable steps to create the most powerful breakthroughs. As a certified InnerGuidanceTM coach, a Four Winds Energy Medicine Health Coach, and Reiki Master in conjunction with his background as an advanced E-RYT 500 Hr Yoga Teacher Trainer, and PMA Pilates Teacher Trainer, he has an expansive knowledge on the inner workings of human psychology and how it gets trapped in the physical and mental bodies. Johnson is the host of the Truth Wisdom Freedom Conversations podcast on Apple, Google and Spotify where he talks about holistic wellbeing with various conscious leaders in their field, and he also runs transformational retreats at www.exodusretreats.com. You can connect with him on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/johnsonchong_sagesapien/ (@johnsonchong_sagesapien), on https://johnsonchong.com/ (his website), or his https://www.facebook.com/johnsonchongsagesapien?ref=bookmarks (Facebook). As always, feel free to follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theimperfectpod/ (@theimperfectpod) or shoot me an email at luke@theimperfectpod.com