The Crux

Ryan Ginn
The Crux

I'm Ryan Ginn and on The Crux I'll be tackling the most important questions around men's experiences in relationships, with the goal of giving men real, concrete steps to help them move out of frustrating places and towards feeling more confident in their relationships.

  1. Beyond Survival: Cultivating Nourishment for Presence & Connection in Relationships

    1月10日

    Beyond Survival: Cultivating Nourishment for Presence & Connection in Relationships

    In this episode, I sit down with my co-host Luke to delve into a crucial topic that affects many men today: the struggle to feel competent and fulfilled in their primary relationships. We explore the foundational issues that often hinder men from engaging fully in their relationships, particularly the balance between work, self-care, and emotional presence. We begin by discussing the common dynamic we observe—well-meaning men who work tirelessly to provide for their families, often at the expense of their own emotional and physical well-being. Luke articulates the internal conflict many men face: the fear that prioritizing their well-being will lead to a decrease in their ability to provide financially. This fear is deeply rooted in societal programming that equates a man's worth with his ability to provide. As we navigate this conversation, we highlight the importance of shifting from a fight-or-flight response to a more relaxed, connected state. Luke shares his personal journey of confronting the fear that had gripped him for years, likening it to a frozen state that numbed his ability to feel exhaustion and ultimately led to burnout. He recounts how, through consistent work with other men and a supportive community, he began to thaw out emotionally, allowing him to reconnect with his true self and experience joy in a more embodied way. We emphasize that many men may not even realize they are operating in a state of numbness, as it has become a normalized part of their identity. The conversation touches on the necessity of external support and brotherhood in helping men recognize and confront these layers of numbness and exhaustion. Towards the end of the episode, we discuss practical steps men can take to improve their relationships, starting with self-care. Luke suggests simple yet effective actions, such as booking regular massages or seeking other forms of bodywork, to help men reconnect with their bodies and emotions. We stress that investing in self-care is not just a luxury but a necessity for fostering healthier relationships with partners and children. Ultimately, this episode serves as an invitation for men to reflect on their own experiences and consider how they can begin to prioritize their well-being. By doing so, they can cultivate a deeper emotional presence that enriches their relationships and allows them to show up as more engaged partners and fathers. Join us as we unpack these vital themes and encourage a shift towards a more nourished and fulfilled life. 00:00:00 - Introduction to Men's Well-Being 00:01:30 - The Conflict Between Well-Being and Providing 00:03:30 - The Nervous System Dynamics 00:05:00 - Personal Journey of Awakening 00:06:30 - Fear as a Driving Force 00:08:00 - The Impact of Numbness on Life 00:10:00 - The Importance of Brotherhood and Support 00:12:00 - Emotional Availability in Relationships 00:14:00 - The Foundation of Relational Competence 00:16:00 - Resourcing Yourself for Connection 00:18:00 - The Male Nourishment Crisis 00:20:00 - Practical Steps for Self-Care 00:24:00 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

    27 分鐘
  2. 2023/05/19

    Domains of Self

    On taking care of all parts of yourself so you can show up fully in your relationship. Almost every man we encounter in our work has been conditioned to be somewhat dissociative in relationships. They are not fully engaged with themselves; in fact, there are entire aspects of their beings that they are not in touch with, that they were never taught how to be in touch with. This ends up being a major touch point for communication breakdown in relationships, because these men aren’t able to embody the balance of self-care and care of others that their family unit requires. In this episode of The Crux, Ryan and Slade dive into the polarization of the self that occurs for many men as they enter into long-term relationships, and discuss tactics for how to gain greater understanding around the domains of self that have been closed off or somehow inaccessible for so long. Listen to the full episode to learn more! SHOW NOTES: 00:00 – Embodying the balance of self care and the care of others 02:14 – Men haven’t been taught how to access and develop all parts of their beings 03:50 – The polarization of the self into different domains 07:20 – Engaging with the physical domain of self-care 11:16 – Your own physical dysregulation trickles down to your relationship and family 12:27 – Practices for tending to your nervous system 14:44 – Developing diverse relationships and emotional outlets 17:43 – Being intentional about your self-cultivation

    20 分鐘
  3. 2023/05/01

    Finding the True Masculine

    On the heels of facilitating a men’s intensive weekend in Ashland, Oregon, Ryan and Slade wanted to delve deeper into the benefits of this kind of concentrated, immersive men’s work. As adults, most men don’t realize the degree to which wounded younger parts of them (think the inner child) are impacting their ability to sustain intimate relationships. This inner boy whose needs were not properly met in childhood is getting triggered in both small and great ways every day, setting off a whole array of behaviors that negatively impact his relationships. These behaviors, like aggression, defensiveness, mansplaining, tuning out, ‘fixing their partners’—the list goes on and on—are all forms of protection for the boy underneath who is hurting, alone, and generally feeling like he is ‘not enough’. So as long as this boy is neglected and buried underneath other protective parts, the man will never step into his vulnerable masculine self and find the intimacy that he longs for. Men’s work is a safe and powerful container within which to unpack the past traumas held inside our inner boys, deconstruct them, and discover what we must heal in order to grow into our true masculinity. When you can open yourself up to this inner emotional work, you open the door to improving the dynamics at home. When your partner no longer has to take on the parenting role for your inner child, you can connect much more deeply. Listen to the full episode to learn more. SHOW NOTES: 00:00 – Ryan and Slade share about a men’s intensive program they recently facilitated, and the experiences they witnessed there 04:23 – The beauty and sacredness of the courage to be vulnerable 05:51 – Each man has a unique, core piece of work they must accomplish 07:22 – Creating new reference points: The impact of men’s work on our relationships 10:33 – Misconceptions around what it means to be “truly masculine” 13:20 – Using men’s work to deconstruct our masculine facades 16:20 – Good men’s work containers are compassionate and flexible, but strong 18:06 – The importance of seeing your inner work and your experiences reflected around you in society

    22 分鐘
  4. 2023/04/27

    Finding Your Partner’s Antidote

    On mitigating each other’s trauma responses in conflict. Periodically, in coupledom, you’re going to do something—or not do something—that elicits a threat response or inflammatory reaction of some kind in your partner. The problem is, most people don't know how to effectively handle that response. At that moment, it can seem like a gross overreaction. But you may start to realize that this same response comes up over and over again, and it is actually due to a mixture of unique experiences, traumas, and needs that your partner has faced at various points in their life. In working with hundreds of couples over the years, we’ve seen that most people have individual “antidotes”, certain approaches to conflict that can help soothe their frustrations and emotional responses better than others. In this episode of The Crux, Ryan and Slade dive into the different types of antidotes people can have, and how to effectively implement them to ensure greater empathic communication between both parties. Listen to learn more! SHOW NOTES: 00:00 – Ryan and Slade introduce what a partner’s “antidote” means 02:26 – Why our emotional responses are disproportionate to our partner’s feedback 05:06 – Do you want to be right or do you want to be connected? 05:41 – Conceptualizing your partner’s trauma wounds 09:00 – You have to know your partner’s history to understand where they’re coming from 11:30 – Methods of delivering the antidote 15:45 – The importance of slowing down to ensure authenticity 20:08 – Conscious empathic communication requires trial and error 21:30 – Steps to implement this in your own relationship

    27 分鐘

評分與評論

5
(滿分 5 顆星)
3 則評分

簡介

I'm Ryan Ginn and on The Crux I'll be tackling the most important questions around men's experiences in relationships, with the goal of giving men real, concrete steps to help them move out of frustrating places and towards feeling more confident in their relationships.

若要收聽兒少不宜的單集,請登入帳號。

隨時掌握此節目最新消息

登入或註冊後,即可追蹤節目、儲存單集和掌握最新資訊。

選取國家或地區

非洲、中東和印度

亞太地區

歐洲

拉丁美洲與加勒比海地區

美國與加拿大