In this episode of The Circle, Eric and Tim explore how personal growth and spiritual practice can quietly slip into another form of hustle. Why do we sometimes treat healing like a to-do list? What happens when our breathwork, yoga, or journaling stops being supportive and starts becoming performative?Together, they unpack perfectionism, self-trust, and the radical permission to just be. From Tim’s morning breathwork dilemma to Eric’s meditation hall ego trip, this episode is a heartfelt, humorous, and deeply honest look at what it means to grow without losing yourself in the process.Topics include:The trap of trying to “win” at healingHow spiritual practices can become performanceThe importance of intention vs. outcomeThe power of check-ins and body-based awarenessWhy doing less might be exactly what you needWhether you’re burned out from personal development or just curious about being more present, this conversation is an invitation to soften, slow down, and stop striving.00:00 - Intro: The Hustle of Healing02:03 - Why We Strive Even in Spiritual Spaces06:20 - Eric’s “Best Meditator” Moment09:45 - The Yoga Trap: Performing vs. Practicing13:10 - External Validation in Embodiment Work18:25 - The Slippery Slope of “Not Doing Enough”22:42 - Spiritual Checklists: Help or Harm?28:00 - Choosing What’s Right for *Today*32:48 - The Fine Line Between Fixing and Growing36:10 - Doing to Be: Yoga's Eight Limbs42:12 - Intention, Not Just Action46:40 - Is This Practice Serving Me?50:55 - The Gift of Showing Up (Even When You Don’t Want To)57:12 - Internal Validation: Can It Be Enough?01:02:40 - From Broken to Better: Shifting Motivation01:07:30 - Men’s Work & the Power of Just Being01:11:58 - Check-Ins: A Simple, Radical Practice01:20:00 - Feeling Without Explaining01:25:30 - App Behavior, Loneliness & Conscious Choice01:31:15 - Being with Discomfort Without Numbing01:37:20 - Embodiment Is Not Measured in Metrics01:41:00 - Closing Reflections: Let Being Guide Your Doing

In Part 2 of our conversation with Amir Khalighi, we move from uncovering the father wound to exploring what it takes to heal it. Why are so many men with this wound quick to judge—others, themselves, and especially other men? How does hypervigilance become a way of life? And what does it take to re-father ourselves and trust again?We talk about the lone wolf archetype, how judgment protects what we’re not ready to feel, and why healing doesn’t require reconciling with your father—but it does require showing up for yourself.🎧 If you’ve ever struggled to ask for help, receive love, or trust other men… this conversation is for you.🔗 Learn more about Amir’s upcoming free workshop on Healing the Father Wound: https://embodiedmasculine.com/healing-the-father-wound/Full Episode Time Markers00:00 – Welcome back & episode setup02:05 – How to know if you carry a father wound05:45 – Hypervigilance and nervous system regulation09:50 – The lone wolf archetype and self-isolation14:15 – What we miss without a present father figure18:22 – Re-fathering yourself as an adult man22:03 – The power of safe containers in men’s work27:45 – Why judgment blocks healing33:10 – Amir’s story: somatic reconnection with his father39:20 – Healing the wound without needing reconciliation42:30 – Projecting the father wound onto other men & leaders48:00 – Tim’s story: transformation through trust53:20 – How healing shifts generational lines57:45 – Breaking the sound barrier: a metaphor for inner work1:00:40 – Presence as true power1:03:55 – How to take your rightful place in your lineage1:07:10 – Resources, workshops, and how to beginFollow along and engage with us:YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@QueerMensEmbodimentInstagram → https://www.instagram.com/queermensembodimentApple Podcasts → https://apple.co/43INn27Spotify → https://bit.ly/thecirclespotifyMerch Store → https://bit.ly/thecirclemerch1:1 Coaching with Tim Bish → https://timothybish.com/coaching/Send a Voice Note to Tim & Eric→ https://bit.ly/thecirclevoicenotes#MensWork #QueerMen #QueerHealing #TheCirclePodcast #TimBish #EricBomyea #LGBTQMen #Embodiment #FatherWound #InnerChildHealing #ShadowWork #EmotionalHealing #Reparenting #Hypervigilance #MasculinityHealing #embodiedmasculine 

In this special two part episode of The Circle, we’re joined by our mentor and teacher Amir Khalighi—founder of Embodied Masculine—for a deep conversation about the father wound, masculine lineage, and the path to healing. Together, we explore how emotional or physical absence from a father figure can shape a man’s identity, disrupt his relationship with power, and perpetuate patterns of codependency, people-pleasing, addiction, and emotional disconnection.Amir shares his own story of growing up without a present father, how that wound became a gateway to personal transformation, and what it truly means to reclaim masculine integrity and presence. We dive into the hidden cost of being “the good son,” the generational pain men carry, and how men's work offers a path not just to healing—but to purpose, self-trust, and wholeness.Whether you're working through trust issues with men, navigating unresolved family dynamics, or seeking deeper embodiment and community, this conversation offers compassionate insight and practical encouragement. We also explore how queer men can reclaim both masculine and feminine aspects of themselves, and how every man carries a unique medicine that becomes accessible once the healing begins.Topics Covered:What is the father wound and how it impacts men’s developmentShadow archetypes: the tyrant, the weakling, and the “good boy”How generational trauma is passed through the masculine lineThe danger of solo initiations (e.g., drugs, over-responsibility, isolation)Creating safe containers for healing and emotional expressionWhy trust, forgiveness, and community are essential to men’s workHow queer men are redefining masculinity and reclaiming their powerThe difference between healing and fixing—and how healing actually begins

In this episode of The Circle Podcast, Eric and Tim go all in on the many dimensions of trust—from how we cultivate trust within ourselves to how we navigate the messy terrain of trusting others, institutions, and even the universe.With personal stories, embodiment reflections, and real-world examples from breathwork, therapy, and men’s work, they unpack why trust is so deeply linked to safety, regulation, consistency, and surrender. Whether you're rebuilding self-trust after a rupture, discerning who and what to trust externally, or learning to let go of control, this episode meets you right at the edge—offering insight, humor, and heart along the way.🔑 5 Foundational Questions from the Episode:What helps me trust myself—and what disrupts that trust?How do I know when I can trust someone else?What role does nervous system regulation play in building trust?When is control a barrier to trust and when is it a safety mechanism?Can I trust in something greater—like the universe, spirit, or intuition?⏱️ Episode Time Markers:00:00 – Intro: Why Trust is Foundational 02:13 – What Do You Trust Most? The Journal Prompt 06:08 – Trust and Self-Consistency: How We Build It 11:42 – Trust and Safety in the Body 16:26 – Rigidity vs. Flexibility in Daily Practice 20:45 – Reclaiming Trust After a “Missed” Commitment 26:30 – The Role of Felt Sense and Embodiment in Trust 33:10 – Abandoning Self to “Trust” Others: Fear & Lack 37:40 – The Pattern Before the Ping: Making Aligned Decisions 43:16 – Trusting the Universe: From Skeptic to Surrender 49:00 – Acupuncture, Energy, and the Evolution of Belief 52:32 – Magic, Language & Repetition: Spiritual Trust Building 56:20 – Breathwork and Control: Working With Internal Authority 1:00:02 – Final Reflections & One Last Breath Practice 1:01:20 – Closing Ceremony: Gratitude and Integration🔗 Follow Along and Engage With Us:YouTube → @QueerMensEmbodimentInstagram → @queermensembodimentApple Podcasts → Listen HereSpotify → Listen HereMerch Store → Shop Now1:1 Coaching with Tim Bish → timothybish.com/coachingSend a Voice Note to Tim & Eric → Ask a Question

In this episode of The Circle Podcast, we’re joined by Jonathan Scott—also known as Wild Blue Yonder and Esther the Village Mermaid—for a deeply moving conversation about queer resilience, the Radical Fairy movement, and the healing power of gathering in circle.A longtime community organizer and founder of the Victory Programs, Jonathan shares his lived experience from the height of the AIDS epidemic, when queer communities, abandoned by institutions, created sacred spaces for care, grief, breath, and belonging. From heart circles in treatment centers to radical fairy sanctuaries, he reminds us that intimacy, connection, and breath can be medicine—especially when systems fail.We explore:✨ The birth of “circles of care” during the AIDS crisis✨ What the Radical Fairy movement teaches about subject-to-subject connection✨ How breathwork and storytelling offer deep healing✨ The importance of queer spaces beyond clubs and apps✨ Intimacy without performance—and the freedom of just beingWhether you lived through the epidemic or are learning this history for the first time, this episode offers essential wisdom for queer healing, spiritual embodiment, and collective care.00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:23 Meet Jonathan Scott and Esther, the Village Mermaid01:18 Circles of Care During the AIDS Epidemic04:51 The Power of Heart Circles08:33 Living Through Two Pandemics15:51 Radical Fairies and Heart Circles21:55 The Importance of Unapologetic Expression28:11 Navigating Expectations in Queer Spaces29:13 The Power of Intentional Gatherings32:52 Creating Safe and Intimate Spaces34:16 The Importance of Compassion and Connection37:22 The Role of Rituals and Ceremonies45:21 Honoring the Past and Building the Future49:16 Concluding Reflections and Gratitude🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more conversations on men’s work, queer embodiment, and healing.#AIDSEpidemic #RadicalFairy #QueerHistory #QueerHealing #LGBTQPodcast #MensWork #Embodiment #JonathanScott #Breathwork #HeartCircle #GayMenHealing #SubjectToSubject #QueerResilience #Provincetown #TheCirclePodcast #LGBTQWellness #LGBTQHistory