Men Talking Mindfulness: Mental, Physical, & Emotional Fitness to Elevate Performance and Resilience for Leaders and Teams Under Pressure!

Dr. Varpas de Sa Pereira, US Marine veteran, former USASOC Special Operator, and clinical psychologist at the VA, joins Jon Macaskill to break down warrior withdrawal syndrome and why traditional diagnoses like PTSD and adjustment disorder miss the mark for so many veterans. Dr. Varpas uses a substance abuse model to explain why military service functions like a drug and why separation produces real withdrawal symptoms, even in veterans who never deployed to combat. He covers why basic training alone is enough to create the warrior identity, how infinite choice after the military breeds anxiety the same way zero agency breeds depression, and the PLEASE acronym (physical health, limit screen time, eat right, avoid mood-altering substances, sleep, exercise) as both a skill set and a scoreboard. Jon and Dr. Varpas also dig into sleep as the foundational fix, the grenade analogy for interpersonal conflict and why mindfulness extends the fuse, marksmanship as active mindfulness, and why that critical first six months after separation is when most major negative life events happen.Full episode: pod.fo/e/2ebcc0 Full video hereFree A2A Awareness assessment, free Focus app, and limited free access to the full A2A course: text MTM to 33777 GET MORE FROM MTM:Text MTM to 33777 — free weekly newsletterSubscribe & Episodes: https://mentalkingmindfulness.com/FREE APP: https://focusnowtrainingapp.com/FREE Assessment: https://focusnowtraining.com/assessment-pageA2A COURSE:12 modules on attention, presence & performance. Self-paced. Built for people who hate the word mindfulness.https://focusnowtraining.com/a2a-courseBRING FNT TO YOUR TEAM:Custom training for your organization. In-person or online.https://focusnowtraining.com/contact-usProduced by Robert Lopez | https://www.cratesaudio.com/

What does a man do when no one is coming to save him?Hal Hughes is a registered psychotherapist, former police officer, and federal corrections officer who survived two traumatic brain injuries, a bipolar and PTSD diagnosis, and an opiate addiction that nearly killed him. At his lowest, he was on eight psychiatric medications and undergoing electroconvulsive shock therapy. Today, Hal runs Hughes Counseling in Smiths Falls, Ontario, specializing in first responders, military personnel, and anyone navigating the wreckage of a life that got away from them. In this episode, Hal joins Jon and Will to break down the philosophy, the structure, and the daily discipline that actually gets a man through the hard stuff — not the kind you read about, but the kind he earned the hard way.IN THIS EPISODE:1.  Two TBIs, bipolar, PTSD, and opiate addiction — Hal’s full story2.  The sharp instrument: why the human mind cuts us when we’re untrained3.  The rat park experiment and why addiction only gets fixed in community4.  The healing circle that led to forgiveness — and where “more love, less judgment” was born5.  Get the vehicle right first: the body-mind framework that makes everything else possibleMore about Hal Hughes:1.  Website: https://www.halhughes.com GET MORE FROM MTM:Text MTM to 33777 — free weekly newsletterSubscribe & Episodes: https://mentalkingmindfulness.com/FREE APP: https://focusnowtrainingapp.com/FREE Assessment: https://focusnowtraining.com/assessment-pageA2A COURSE:12 modules on attention, presence & performance. Self-paced. Built for people who hate the word mindfulness.https://focusnowtraining.com/a2a-courseBRING FNT TO YOUR TEAM:Custom training for your organization. In-person or online.https://focusnowtraining.com/contact-usProduced by Robert Lopez | https://www.cratesaudio.com/

Father's Day is almost here, so Jon and Will sat down to talk about what fatherhood actually asks of us. Not the highlight-reel version. The real one.This episode is about forgiveness. The kind you give your kids, the kind you give your own father, and the kind you eventually have to give yourself. We get into how holding onto resentment quietly wrecks the connection you say you want, and what changes when you finally put it down.We talked as dads. We also talked as sons, because you can't really separate the two. Some of this got personal. That felt right for the topic.If you're a father, or you're still working through things with your own, this one's worth your time.What we cover:Why Father's Day is a good excuse to look honestly at how we show up as dadsForgiveness as a real tool, not a soft one, for repairing the father-child bondHow resentment blocks the peace and clarity most of us are chasingWhat we've learned sitting on both sides of the relationship... as fathers and as sonsWhere forgiveness actually starts the healing, and where it just papers over thingsMost of this work starts with one skill, paying attention to what's actually going on inside you before you react. That's the whole premise of our Awareness to Action course. If you want to build that skill on purpose, you can check it out here: https://focusnowtraining.com/a2a-courseAnd if you're not sure where you stand right now, start with our free Awareness Self Assessment. It takes a few minutes and gives you a real read on where your attention is going: https://focusnowtraining.com/assessment-pageTime stamps: (00:01)Forgiveness and Fatherhood: An Advanced Human Skill(10:16) Forgiveness and Fatherhood(12:39) "Understanding and Forgiving Our Fathers Across Generations"(15:09) Forgiving and Accepting Parents for Who They Are(17:45) The Neuroscience and Psychological Benefits of Forgiveness(19:04) "Parental Influence on Adult Behavior: A Study on Forgiveness and Vengeance"(20:45) "The Interconnection of Forgiveness, Mindfulness, and Self-Compassion"(24:33) "Understanding Emotional Differences and Healing Relationships with Fathers"(26:25) Forgiveness and Self-Compassion: Healing Relationships and Moving Forward with Integrity(28:08) "Transformative Power of Awareness and Forgiveness"(29:53) Modeling Forgiveness for Our Children(31:42) The Power of Empathy and Forgiveness in Personal Growth(37:22) "Understanding and Forgiveness: Transforming Relationships"(44:41) "Discussing 'The Living Years' Lyrics"(45:21) The Importance of Forgiveness in Relationships(48:49) "Podcast Sign-Off and Father's Day Wishes" GET MORE FROM MTM:Text MTM to 33777 — free weekly newsletterSubscribe & Episodes: https://mentalkingmindfulness.com/FREE APP: https://focusnowtrainingapp.com/FREE Assessment: https://focusnowtraining.com/assessment-pageA2A COURSE:12 modules on attention, presence & performance. Self-paced. Built for people who hate the word mindfulness.https://focusnowtraining.com/a2a-courseBRING FNT TO YOUR TEAM:Custom training for your organization. In-person or online.https://focusnowtraining.com/contact-usProduced by Robert Lopez | https://www.cratesaudio.com/

Dr. Lisa Larkin, doctor of internal medicine and 35-year women's health specialist, joins Jon and Will to explain what men need to know about menopause and perimenopause. She covers why women age completely differently than men (fits and starts vs. gradual decline), the biological reasons behind declining libido, sleep disruption, mood changes, and body changes in women's 40s and 50s, and why communication is the single most important thing couples can do during this transition. She also breaks down breast cancer risk assessment (25% of women are high risk and don't know it), the history of hormone therapy from the 2002 Women's Health Initiative scare to where the science stands now, why she opposes high-dose testosterone pellets for women, and why lifestyle beats supplements every time. Dr. Larkin is a breast cancer survivor herself and past president of the Menopause Society.Full episode: https://podfollow.com/mentalkingmindfulness/episode/03387a9002dca750859496876727425e576ad645/viewFull video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-gSueDpfWYFree A2A course access: use code FREE at https://men-talking-mindfulness-a2a.circle.so/checkout/free-accessFree Awareness assessment and Focus app: https://mentalkingmindfulness.com/linkinbio or text MTM to 33777 GET MORE FROM MTM:Text MTM to 33777 — free weekly newsletterSubscribe & Episodes: https://mentalkingmindfulness.com/FREE APP: https://focusnowtrainingapp.com/FREE Assessment: https://focusnowtraining.com/assessment-pageA2A COURSE:12 modules on attention, presence & performance. Self-paced. Built for people who hate the word mindfulness.https://focusnowtraining.com/a2a-courseBRING FNT TO YOUR TEAM:Custom training for your organization. In-person or online.https://focusnowtraining.com/contact-usProduced by Robert Lopez | https://www.cratesaudio.com/

The longest relationship you'll ever have is the one inside your own mind. Most men have never been formally introduced.Jimmy Wightman — former London DJ turned global meditation teacher — joins Jon and Will for an honest conversation about what a consistent medit3IN THIS EPISODE:How Jimmy's Meditation practice saved his relationship in real timeConcentration, sensory clarity, and equanimity are the three components that rewire behaviorEquanimity: the magical third option between reacting and suppressingHow people-pleasing is a nervous system pattern mindfulness exposes and rewiresWhat Jon, Will, and Jimmy still get triggered by — and what they do about itHow to choose a meditation style: interest, opportunity, necessityRELATED EPISODES:Ep. 120 — Creating Emotional Stability with Jay FieldsEp. 111 — Accessing Inner Harmony: Mind-Body Integration with Luke IorioEp. 138 — Curiosity Is Key to Breaking Men Free from Judgment and RuminationMore about JIMMY WIGHTMAN:Instagram: @that_meditation_guyWebsite & Courses: delvedeep.com GET MORE FROM MTM:Text MTM to 33777 — free weekly newsletterSubscribe & Episodes: https://mentalkingmindfulness.com/FREE APP: https://focusnowtrainingapp.com/FREE Assessment: https://focusnowtraining.com/assessment-pageA2A COURSE:12 modules on attention, presence & performance. Self-paced. Built for people who hate the word mindfulness.https://focusnowtraining.com/a2a-courseBRING FNT TO YOUR TEAM:Custom training for your organization. In-person or online.https://focusnowtraining.com/contact-usProduced by Robert Lopez | https://www.cratesaudio.com/