The Mansal Denton Podcast: Recent Episodes
Mansal Denton
Lacking confidence in early life, Mansal chased a woman to Europe, which led him to prison. Struggling with shame and confusion of what it meant to be a man, he found his calling with the sacred art of hunting. He now desires to share these practices with more people bridging the gap between masculine and feminine, technology and intuition, materialism and ephemeral.
I visited Russia after their war with Ukraine started. I traveled into the country & tracked Siberian tigers in what was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. After returning, integration came with some challenges & my good friend Jared Nations asks some questions to allow me to process more thoroughly. Enjoy.
We've all heard the quote "history repeats itself", but usually there are too many factors for it to repeat verbatim. However, it does come close. I dig into some historical context around the current state of the world and suggest some things to consider in preparing for what the future looks like.
Dan Doty uses meditation, somatic awareness, and the wilderness to facilitate transformation in men and especially fathers. He is the co-founder of Evryman where he gained thousands of hours supporting men in developing greater emotional capacity to show up better in the world. He's learned a thing or two about men, about healing, and the wilds of nature.
Taylor Keen, or "Blueberry", is a man of Omaha and Cherokee cultural lineage and a scholar teaching at Creighton University. In this conversation, we discuss his cultural upbringing within his tribal identities, how the obliteration of indigenous people through disease impacted their culture, and how new findings about north and south American indigenous people suggest new paths for civilization. At the end, he shares a powerful story of his first traditional hunt.
Daniele Bolelli is a historian, podcaster, and philosopher who shares many interests as me. In this conversation, we discuss the compelling communal nature of indigenous Americans, we discuss Lakota leader Crazy Horse, and Bolelli's views on creating religion based off the best that existing establishments have to offer. Bolelli is a frequent Joe Rogan Experience guest along with an immense podcast of his own called History on Fire.
How do we make good choices in this new era of fear, mandates, and divisiveness? I tackle some audience questions about how to handle the risks we face as a collective. Good choices start from making good sense of the world. I break down some cornerstone concepts for making sense yourself. I also share my own perspective on the state of the world.
Jordan Reasoner is a friend, backcountry hunter, and he has undergone a transformation in the past few years. In this conversation, we discuss some of the more compelling encounters with wolves and bears in the backcountry, but transition into even tougher challenges Jordan faced with his businesses and relationships only a short time ago.
Nathan Smith is a movement specialist. Beyond ample time spent hunting, skiing, and rock climbing, he is a MovNat Level III, ELDOA Level III, and CHEK certified. He knows movement. In this conversation, we cover core concepts of movement and how to take action. Towards the end, we have a special treat that we share about Sacred Movement.
Alongside Nathan Smith is Matt Kinneberg, another movement specialist who has helped to create the Sacred Movement program and is an integral part of the concept development.
We are facing a "meaning-making crisis" according to John Vervaeke. I have faced the challenge of modern civilization by incorporating eco-spiritualism from my mentor into my life. I pay attention to the nature surrounding me and allow the symbology to guide and influence my actions. This episode records a particularly interesting encounter with a rattlesnake and how you can also incorporate this type of symbology in your life.
Dave Scott is the founder of Earth Native Wilderness School east of Austin, TX where he teachers thousands of children and adults primitive skills, survival, and wildlife tracking. He is one of the best wildlife trackers in the world. His background as a child participating in search and rescue, his military experience, and his immersion into the wild have given him a new perspective on life in modern civilization.
Trigger warning: being friends with a long-term intimate partner comes with triggers. Mallory Jacks and myself (Mansal) were in a 4-year romantic relationship together. We traveled many places, lived together, shared many experiences, and separated in January 2020. Since then we have faced many challenging moments, but have always come back to love. This completely authentic conversation provides context and a reason to maintain deep relationships.
Karl Dettmann has a 120-acre vineyard in Wisconsin, which has taught him much about life and partnering with the land. He also travels across the country in his RV, spends harsh winters in Texas, and generally seems to live a life of personal freedom. His story is an inspiring reminder we can be in deep relationship with land while not being tied down to any one spot.
Garrain Jones is quickly becoming a good friend. He's recently transplanted from California to Austin and we dive into our shared stories about spending time in prison, what we learned about our own sovereignty, and how to use it to continue serving others. Garrain talks about how he walked away from a Ludicrous record deal and how he went from living on the streets for years to abundance.
Christine Hassler is an OG coach. She has helped thousands of men and women as a life and relationship coach. In this episode, we focus on her own relationship to femininity, how men can foster a relationship with that polarity, and why it is so meaningful for a man to do so. We wrap up speaking about how to navigate expectations in relating with others.
Will Taegel, "Star Heart", is one the wisest men I know and has had the largest influence on my personality and work. He straddles two worlds, the indigenous ways of being and psychological/scientific research. This conversation is a walk we had on May 23, 2021 discussing morality, where it comes from, and how to relate to it in Earth's new era.
In 1905 Teddy Roosevelt traveled to Oklahoma to participate in a wolf hunt with famed Comanche chief, Quanah Parker. The significance of this hunt, for myself and the mission of Sacred Hunting, is explored through the wisdom of Paul Chek, Will Taegel "Star Heart", and my own experience with kambo. Find out why bridge walkers like Quanah Parker are so compelling today and how we can learn from him.
Paul Chek is a man who I'd consider to the top 3 wise male elders that I have had the privilege of connecting with. He's the founder of the CHEK Institute, which is a holistic health institute helping to support patients with a wide array of ailments and teaching practitioners how to do so. Included in his philosophy is the soul, unconscious mind, and many non-materialist philosophies and practices. Aho!
Hallie Rose is an author, speaker, and coach who is currently working with men through her Conscious Man program. She brings a unique perspective in supporting men through trauma and limiting beliefs. Her podcast, The Thought Room, includes insightful conversations on a wide range of topics to be more fully immersed in the human experience.
Dr. Keith Witt is an integral psychotherapist with over 65,000 sessions of 1 on 1 therapy. He has chosen the path of the warrior and healer, spending much of his youth engaged with martial arts and therapy work. He is a wise elder and one with whom I resonate with deeply. We discuss how the masculine is drawn towards violence and how to integrate it in a healthy fashion.
Gili is a former Isreali Defense Force (IDF) operative who participated in numerous military operations in his young adult life. He spent many years first numb to the trauma the war caused and then started to open, process, and heal through somatic work (in the body) and other men's work. Most recently, Gili participated in a Sacred Hunting trip where his intention was to connect with the killer archetype again, but in a healthy and integrated way.
Jason Digges is the founder of ART International, an Authentic Relating Training company that helps facilitators use this framework for greater emotional intelligence. In this podcast, Jason discusses the premise of his book Conflict = Energy including numerous embodied exercises and tools. We discuss the foundation of connection and application for interpersonal growth.
Luke Storey is a friend and the host of the Life Stylist podcast where he interviews experts in biohacking, health, and spirituality. He is one of the youngest 50 year olds I've ever spent time with and this podcast explores his path from addiction in his mid-20s to his recent avoidance and final acceptance of plant medicines for his own healing, integration, and growth. This was a deeply personal podcast for Luke, which ends in tears of joy and gratitude. Enjoy.
Tim Koelkebeck is a unique thinker. Although he is Harvard educated, worked with the Pentagon, and started Silicon Valley startups, his gifts are currently on display in how he approaches being in the world and the current civilization paradigm. He uncovers new layers of conditioning that keep modern humans unhappy and unexpressed. In part 2 we discuss how the expectation of future outcomes is altering our capacity for true self-expression.
Tim Koelkebeck is a unique thinker. Although he is Harvard educated, worked with the Pentagon, and started Silicon Valley startups, his gifts are currently on display in how he approaches being in the world and the current civilization paradigm. He uncovers new layers of conditioning that keep modern humans unhappy and unexpressed.
Nat Eliason has attended two Sacred Hunting experiences before it was even named as such. In his most recent experience, Nat acknowledges the redemption he experienced successfully killing an elk calf providing the group with meat. Hear his story from the wild mountains of Colorado.
Gregory Kelly is a naturopathic doctor (ND) and the lead formulator at the Neurohacker Collective. He has worked extensively with the U.S. Navy, with his own private practice, as a professor, and now in the private sector. He works closely with Daniel Schmachtenberger formulating products like Qualia, Eternus, and others. In this episode we discuss his favorite new anti-aging modalities and some controversial options, the congruence gap, and resilience.
Chris Marhefka has been hunting for many years. He started originally hunting with friends, had recent experiences that put him off to hunting, and gave it a last chance with Sacred Hunting. In his experience, he was able to reframe hunting and anchor new memories and wisdom. One poignant experience included wounding an animal that taught him many lessons. We dig into his experience hunting elk in Colorado. Chris is a close friend a facilitator of men's work and CEO of Training Camp for the Soul
Laird Schaub is an intentional community and co-housing expert who has over 40 years of experience. At age 24 he founded his first intentional community and has participated in the facilitation and formation of over 150 communities. In this podcast we discuss the value of living with other people in more intimate settings, the wide range of intentional community structures, and how to align your living situation with people who value the same things. Nobody ever said it would be easy, but it can be rewarding.
This week is about a recap of my 9 day dieta. A dieta is a process of connecting to the spirit of a particular plant, in this case a teacher plant called chiric sanango. It is done in combination with a master plant, ayahuasca. In the jungle, a dieta is one of the most important processes for leaders to go through. It includes weakening the physical body to attain wisdom and guidance from spiritual realms.
Jim Garrison is an educator and wise elder with a long history of activism. He spent years working alongside Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev being the last foreign visitor to the Kremlin before the transition. He worked alongside global leaders for decades to solve global challenges. The last two decades of his career have been centered around Ubiquity University, an accredited university that aligns the mind (as most traditional education) with the heart and the capacity for social impact.
On this episode of Stories From the Wild, I interview my close friend Peter Griffin who attended a Sacred Hunting experience for his first trip. In the experience, he successfully killed a female hog, which was a profound and life-changing experience as he recounts. We discuss and share the sadness that arises in the process of killing an animal and the necessity of tapping into this archetype for being a part of the Earth. Hopefully, this provides context for what it's like for a total beginner to begin hunting.
Stefanos Sifandos is a relationship coach, facilitator, and friend. In this episode, we discuss how our wounds, shadows, and fears get in the way of finding our true mission and purpose. Stef shares his own past rife with sexual trauma, anger, violence, and ultimately, the integration of his shadow when caught in infidelity. He has alchemized his wounds and pain into a coaching and facilitation practice helping thousands of men and women relate with themselves and each other.
Jordan Bowditch is a good friend and self-described "conscious bro". He's co-founder of Kinda Conscious humor videos. He shares his process of hunting an aoudad replete with self-doubt, fear, courage, sadness, and elation. He finished that hunting excursion with an epic, challenging hike with the weight of the entire animal over his shoulders. In the challenges of carrying that load, he received even more life lessons. Jordan is a great storyteller and this podcast is a vivid representation of what's possible attending a Sacred Hunting experience.
Addiction comes in many forms and flavors. For Michael Cazayoux, it started early and involved numerous substances. After years of rehabilitation, Michael is one of the few who have been able to return to recreational use of some substances with a newfound series of practices that keep him in integrity. He is a close personal friend who has grown considerably during his relationship with addiction and is now creating live experiences in nature to facilitate growth for others.
Cal Callahan is a friend who had a long and successful career as a financial trader. But at a certain point, he wasn't happy and didn't feel authentic in his role. He did what few successful people really know how to do: get out while he's ahead. Cal has a humble perspective on life, which is refreshing and rare for someone in their mid-40's. A reflection of that is The Great Unlearn podcast that he hosts. If you feel "stuck" in a career position, I highly recommend checking out his wisdom.
On this episode of Stories From the Wild, I discuss a wild goat hunt where I needed a bit of ingenuity to get the job done. The biggest revelation is what I learned about death and how my perspective changed from witnessing the death of this animal. The Stories From the Wild series is meant to provide context for what hunting can be through my and other peoples' experiences. Listening is great, but hopefully, it provides motivation to get into the field and grow yourself.
JP Sears is a comedian and friend hosting Awaken with JP and Ultra Spiritual. He’s hilarious in person and in his videos, but he’s also a deep thinker about life, purpose, and fulfillment. This was a great conversation on his back porch that everyone can appreciate.
Mark England is the founder of Procabulary and Enlifted where he certifies and coaches people in the language they use. The language we use informs our behavior and our behavior informs our language. In this episode we dive into how integral the language we use can be, some tangible ways to shift our language to be more empowering, and the sinister words and phrases that prevent us from taking responsibility in our lives.
Stories From the Wild is a new series I have created to share my and other hunting stories. The purpose is to tell stories about the wild places we go while hunting and to share how hunting can be a spiritual practice for those who are inclined to view it that way. This particular hunt involved an intimate encounter with a young female deer for whom I will be forever grateful.
As an indigenous person of the Apalech Clan in Australia, Tyson Yunkaporta has experience hunting and tracking beyond the reductionist practice that includes “skills” and “knowledge”. Rather, he discusses how to become more connected to the land, one with the land, and part of it rather than an observer or bystander that must impose our will. This second part of the interview with Tyson Yunkaporta is especially important for anyone looking to re-connect to Earth and all that means mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
Tyson Yunkaporta is a writer and member of the Apalech Clan of aboriginal people in Australia. He is the author of a new book called Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World, which is one of my favorite books of the year. In this conversation he discusses how aboriginal men are faced with rites of passage today including time spent in prison. Mansal relates his own time spent in prison.
Tah Whitty is a trained nurse, a coach, and facilitator of power plants (psychedelics) like huachuma (San Pedro) and psilocybin. He also happens to be black. In this conversation we start with exploring his refreshing views on racism in these tense times (hint: shaming people rarely proves helpful), how victimization can play a role in furthering one’s own oppression, and how Tah facilitates awakening experiences in participants of his experiences.
I read Stephen Cope’s book “The Great Work of Your Life” many years ago considered by a friend to be the best book he read that year. Cope weaves stories of Henry David Thoreau, the Hindu text Bhagavad Gita, and numerous other stories beautifully to share how and why following one’s life path is so valuable.
Dr. Thomas Cowan has a long history of controversial perspectives. He’s identified water as a plausible cause for cancer, he doesn’t believe vaccines are helpful or healthy, and his latest perspective on 5G and COVID had numerous media outlets in arms. But they may have misunderstood and mischaracterized his perspective. This podcast dives into some of the science and a more open-minded, alternative (though non-conspiratorial) view on COVID.
Jordan Reasoner is a lifelong bow hunter who spends a considerable portion of every year hunting for elk, deer, and bear on public land in Montana and the American West. He is also a man who has done deep inner work, expanded his consciousness using various medicines, and thinks deeply about the gifts of the practice of hunting. We talk about masculinity, the medicine of hunting, and the embodied practice that comes with it.
Will Taegel “Star Heart” is a medicine man and spiritual teacher in the Muskogee/Creek tradition. In addition, he’s an ordained minister, a psychotherapist, and 80 years old so to consider him “wise” would be an understatement. In this podcast, Will reveals his time as part of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s congregation in Atlanta, the transcendent and descendant components of spirituality, and what leadership will be required for the new era beyond 2020.
Dr. Keesha Ewers is a sexologist who has decades of clinical and personal experience with trauma and their impact on the body. Her approach is multidisciplinary mixing Ayurvedic approaches with modern scientific inquiry. She has linked autoimmune disease to undigested anger, low libido to resentment, and others. We discuss how valuable rites of passage are for humans historically and why we need to bring them back.
Dr. Keith Witt is a psychotherapist and integral theorist. This conversation was powerful because I could feel the transmission of wise-elder energy in my body even through the video call. We discuss what integral theory is and how once you know the system, it is easy to see everywhere. We explore his optimism for the future amid the despair of the world currently. We finish by discussing how one develops a relationship to spirituality and the role of shamanism in our species’ past.
Peter Griffin is a friend, not the character of Family Guy. He co-founded a men’s group with me (Mansal) and we are now up to 7 members with significant fulfillment, meaning, and the potential for co-housing on the horizon. We highly emphasize how valuable community and a feeling of belonging is for our species despite how challenging it is to quantify its value.
Dr. Michael Kessler is a functional medicine practitioner and doctor of chiropractic who has teamed up with Dr. Javdat Karimov to create the HeartQuest software. This heart-rate variability (HRV) software uses frequencies from the heart to map out various eastern medicine practices. They map HRV data onto the chakra system, the Ayurvedic doshas, and meridian system. The software does much more and Dr. Kessler explains how they have verified the devices and why it’s so powerful.
Most people are averse to astrology and for good reason. But Human Design is different. Never claiming to be Truth, it is instead a template to experiment living life based upon the time, date, and location of birth. Given that the moon can alter water on Earth significantly, it would make sense that our time and location of birth may be altered by alignments in the cosmos. Listen with an open mind to how valuable Human Design might be (and how to get started).
Doctor Daniel Stickler is a medical doctor that understands the role of complexity in our health. Dr. Stickler is the founder of the Apeiron Center for Human Potential where he helps clients go from healthy to performing their best. He is on the cutting edge of biologics (peptides, hormones etc), but he and his practice also recognize the value of less quantifiable tools like mental coaching and trauma work. For all you biohackers who want a taste of woo, this is for you.
Welcome to all the new listeners joining this week. In today's Solocast I'll share how this podcast started, the vision for the future, and why precisely you will benefit from listening. For many curious souls, I will include stories about my time in prison, my psychedelic ayahuasca journeys, and much, much more.
Of the COVID pandemic, one of the most cogent thinkers to emerge was Charles Eisenstein with his piece “The Coronation”. In this epic conversation, Charles illuminates how the most impactful things to change the world have come from the realm of art. He relays the perspectives of indigenous people, how art and beauty is intertwined with their life, and provides the groundwork for listeners to re-imagine what life might look like (in terms of relationships, where we live and more).
The hard sciences often (though not always) affirm ancient wisdom. In this far-ranging conversation, neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Hill shares first how his love of baking has influenced his life, quarantine, and the current chaos in America. He then walks through numerous specific errors people are making with their sleep and how to fix it. Finally, he sheds some light on phenomena like dreams and spiritual experiences.
Anthony Gustin spent 15 years working hard, achieving in his career, and most recently building the successful company Perfect Keto. But financial and business success does not always lead to psychological, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. Anthony describes how his childhood affected his work habits and what he’s been doing about it over the past year to find more meaning, fulfillment, and healing. Let this be a great reminder that the things we often value the most do not require success.
Forty-seven years ago in south America, Dr. Luis Eduardo did ayahuasca with Terrence McKenna. It was both of their first times with the medicine. This started a relationship with Terrence, his brother Dennis, and many other great thinkers in the psychedelic, botanist, and indigenous wisdom space. Eduardo Luna studied anthropology of indigenous tribes in south America, their art, and how their mind and spiritual perspectives may be highly valuable for the way of being westerners have come to inhabit.
Dennis McKenna is an ethnobotanist and brother of famed psychedelic proponent, Terrence McKenna. In this conversation, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, McKenna shares some insights into what it would look like for humanity to “take our medicine” from this gentle lesson from Earth. We discuss some of the catastrophic risks associated with our current civilization and inquire about how we might marry ancestral and indigenous wisdom to modern science and technology. If we do not up level our wisdom to match our innovation, we may not have long on this planet.
As we question the institutions of our current civilization, it is worth reflecting on core beliefs or stories that may not be true. The common understanding of how species evolve through competition, ruthlessness, and “survival of the fittest” is a myth. While it does have a role, in the grand scheme of things, collaboration and cooperation is much more helpful on a macro level. Mansal breaks down the myth (or rather, puts it in its place) and shares why this applies to your life directly and the tools and tricks to avoid the pitfalls of this kind of thinking.
This wide-ranging conversation with Dr. Craig Koniver covers how and why be believes spiritual connection, presence, and meaning are cornerstone pieces of a healthful life. Mansal explores how Koniver’s interest in Ancient History informs his medical practice, what’s surprised him about the medical system in this post-coronavirus era, and a series of high-value tactical tools, such as intranasal testosterone and NAD+ injections, for people who want to accelerate their performance.
There is nothing like a global pandemic to create widespread chaos for modern civilization. But this is a relatively gentle nudge. Mansal contemplates the value of true stillness when social and news media creates chaos. He breaks down 3 historical figures who found and utilized stillness amidst some of the deepest crises in human history. As usual, he clarifies tangible tips and tricks on how to cultivate stillness in your quarantine life right now.
Carly Johnson-Brawner, aka: frolicandflow, is an Austin-based wellness and functional nutrition enthusiast. After turning away from pharmaceuticals to heal her autoimmune disease, she found a passion for helping others live a non-toxic life. In questioning the medical establishment, he also began to question other areas of life leading to recent experiences with plant medicine.
It is obvious that COVID-19 is a pivotal event for humanity. Rather than spending time in granular detail, Mansal zooms out to look at history, sociology, and how the future might look in the aftermath. This is the first of his bi-weekly solo podcasts covering topics specifically chosen by email subscribers and followers. If you'd like to request a topic find him on Instagram and ask via direct message.
Darryl Barnes is a master falconer with decades of experience trapping, training, and living with birds of prey. We explore what it is like to have a relationship to a predator that is a true partnership — after all, birds can leave any time they desire. We explore what it is like to have this intimate relationship with nature and how meaningful it is to eat meat these regal creatures catch.
Anat Peri is the founder of Training Camp for the Soul helping participants (including me) to address limiting beliefs and create the habits to form a new reality. She uses therapies like eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), and emotional release methods to start living life on purpose.
Taylor Collins is the founder of EPIC Bar and steward of Roam Ranch with his wife Katie. Together, they have gone from small, independent start-up to General Mills acquisition. Despite a large financial exit, the couple has invested back into healing Earth by managing over 1,000 acres of land regeneratively.
Keith Norris is the co-founder of Paleo F(x), which is the largest ancestral health diet conference in the world. I initially met Keith 6 years ago when steeped in the Paleo diet. Since that time both he and I have evolved with the help of numerous plant medicines like ayahuasca, psilocybin, and some new entheogens that Keith shares on the podcast.
Aleks is a Level IV CHEK Practitioner with a holistic approach to his clients’ health. In this podcast, Aleks shares how past traumas and psychological wounding can influence the way our digestive system works and absorbs food. We also discuss why hunting resonates with Aleks and how a brotherhood of men can be incredible for reconnecting with a sense of tribe.
In this episode of the What We Eat podcast, I dive into a tangential topic with Kyle Kingsbury. First, I start with his open marriage because it is is a way of relating with intimate partners that has some primal, ancestral wisdom to it. We discuss his hunting experiences, how they've transformed his relationship to stillness and different medicinal journeys and paths that he is exploring as well.
Will Taegel is an 81 year old medicine man and trained therapist. He bridges indigenous traditions and wisdom with modern science. He has been a major teacher of Mansal's for 6 years.
Find the show notes here:
https://sacredhunting.com/will-taegel/
Mansal is interviewed by his dear friend Tim Koelkebeck about why he started the podcast, why nature is fundamental for life, and how to eat rightly.
Find the show notes here:
https://sacredhunting.com/mansal-denton/