Venus and Mars Podcast: Recent Episodes
Anya Shakhmeyster
Anya Shakhmeyster (Shakh for short) tackles the tough relational topics we face in our society. She is joined by brilliant experts in psychology, health, science, sexual intimacy, business, and spirituality. Together, they co-author a new way forward, a way that brings harmony to the masculine and feminine elements within us and with each other. Anya has an inclusive and collaborative style aimed at provoking thought, tuning into nuance, and building empathy.
Anya breaks down the five life stages that men experience in their lives. Many misunderstandings between men and women happen because we don’t take into consideration which stage of life a man is currently in and based on that we don’t support what he is prioritizing. We know men are one task at a time people and though this is true on a micro scale, it’s just as true in the macro. What’s important to a man changes five times in his life and in this short episode I break down the five stages and what’s most important about them.
Upon listing to this episode think about what stage you are in (if you are a man) and what stage the men in your life are in (if you are a woman). Get curious about this and ask yourself the following:
Is there support I need (my man needs) that I can communicate?
Is there an assumption that has been made that perhaps isn’t true and we can confront?
If you’re listening to this than you are a man or woman that wants harmony with the opposite sex, but you may experience roadblocks. I’m here to help you clear out those roadblocks and learning the five stages of men is one of those.
Resources:
Explore Alison Armstong here
_______________________________
If you enjoyed this episode, do me a favor! Click subscribe and share it with a friend
You can also watch on youtube here
Follow Anya Shakh on Instagram @anyashakh
Fatherhood is one of the most undervalued and misunderstood human experiences that we have today, in my opinion. That matters because as it turns out, when engaged and available fathers are lacking - all sorts of problems arise (macro and micro);
90% of all runaway children are from fatherless homes
80% of children who show behavior issues are from fatherless homes
71% of high school dropouts are from fatherless homes
there are dozens of these statistics…
That doesn’t even take into consideration the homes where fathers are physically present, but emotionally lacking. Lot’s of big problems there too.
The good news is that there are wonderful men stepping up every day all over the world to not only show up as exceptional dads, but teach other men to do the same.
One such man is Matt Halson and for this episode I put a challenge out to him to come up with the 10 biggest lessons he’s learned from dadhood.
He accepted and here are the results. Matt is a husband, father of four, and coach to fathers currently living in Australia.
Whether you are a dad, know a dad, want to be a dad, want to love a dad, or understand your dad - you’ll find some gold in here. Enjoy.
Resources:
Connect with Matt on IG here
Reach out to schedule an intro call with Matt here
Get your finances right with Dylan Bain here
_______________________________
If you enjoyed this episode then click subscribe and don’t miss the next one
You can also watch on youtube here
Follow your host Anya Shakh on Instagram @anyashakh
Whether we want to admit it or not, sex runs most aspects of our lives so we might as well learn to master our sexual energy as a force for good in the world. For men, this is exactly what is known as sex transmutation or colloquially, No Fap. I have been really fascinated by this movement for years and in this conversation I got to learn so much more than I ever imagined thanks to the man they call, ‘the soldier of semen retention,’ Nakula Das.
Nakula is one of the most fascinating coaches in the personal development space and he’s responsible for the success of over 2000 men in less than two years. His voice and energy are infectious to everyone that listens to him because you can tell just how passionate and invested he in in helpful men (and by default helping women).
This is exactly what this episode is about, it answers the question why is no fap so good for women as well as for men? Expect to learn how no fap supports the masculine journey, how it can help men in both their purpose and their relationships. Learn about the three stages of sex, the five P’s of masculinity, and just why harnessing sexual power is good for our society.
Nakula has amazing resources, here they are:
Master your Sexual energy today here
Get your free sex transmutation guide here
Connect with Nakula on IG here
Nakula Recommended Books:
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
The Prince by Machiavelli
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
_______________________________
If you like what you heard then click subscribe today and don’t miss an episode
You can also watch the episodes on youtube here
Follow your host Anya Shakh on Instagram @anyashakh
Anya breaks down why exactly criticism is one of the biggest killers of connection between men and women from an evolutionary perspective. When misunderstood, this dynamic can spiral quickly into a lot of resentment, disconnection, and brokenness but it happens gradually over time so many couples miss the signs. Individually, not many understand the major sex differences that cause men and women to relate to criticism differently so you’ll find that here.
In order to really paint the picture, Anya breaks down how men think of criticism, how women think of it, and what happens when criticism finds itself in between both sexes. Finally, She provides an alternate way of communicating that is far more effective at expressing needs, mishaps, and dislikes that will alleviate tension and confusion. But it takes courage, so I invite you all to be courageous as we journey further together on this quest to build more connection between men and women.
_______________________________
If you like what you heard then click subscribe today and don’t miss an episode
You can also watch the episodes on youtube here
Follow your host Anya Shakh on Instagram @anyashakh
More than half of marriages end in divorce, less men are looking for relationships today than ever before, many men are afraid to approach women in public - we’re having a tough time and to help make some sense of what’s going on, I am joined by Igor Vasilevitsy.
Igor is a psychotherapist, healer, and writer with incredible insight into the depths of masculine and feminine psychology. Igor’s storytelling draws on mythology and captivates those listening and his writing is what drew me into his work first, it gets straight to the heart of the matter (linked below)
In this episode learn about why equality kills polarity and why polarity matters for men and women. We also uncover what’s behind rigid and controlling expressions of masculinity, why men love hierarchies, why hollywood ignores the mature masculine, and why men and women generally feel separated these days and what we really crave.
Connect with Igor
Read his writing on FB here
Apply to work with him here
Connect with him on IG here
_______________________________
If you like what you heard then click subscribe today and don’t miss an episode
You can also watch the episodes on youtube here
Follow your host Anya Shakh on Instagram @anyashakh
About This Episode
What’s beneath male ego and pride? Usually, massive feelings of unworthiness and self doubt which then manifest as addiction. Addiction comes in many forms but because it’s a symptom to a larger root cause, when the root cause is healed - life changes for the better.
In this episode, Anya hosts recovery speaker Chris Howe as they dive into the male psyche. Chris’s hero’s journey is extremely meaningful for so many people. He’s gone from addiction to being a husband, stepfather, firefighter, and co-owner of his taboo shop (that he owns with his wife). Since overcoming his addiction, Chris has shared his story vulnerably and now is devoted to helping others share theirs through his podcast, Authentic Adversity.
Chris’s willingness to get real and share his greatest fears and feelings of inadequacy is a demonstration of fearlessness and strength that is beyond touching. Our collective mission with this conversation is to help those that listen liberate themselves through their own stories.
Connect with Chris
Via his instagram here
Check out Authentic Adversity here
_______________________________
If you like what you heard then click subscribe today and don’t miss an episode
You can also watch the episodes on youtube here
Follow your host Anya Shakh on Instagram @anyashakh
In this episode, Anya host psychotherapist and relationship coach, Leigh-Anne LoPinto. She helps people attract and maintain the relationships of their dreams, the ones they never thought were possible. Her mission is to heal the relationship between men and women so that we can experience happy, healthy partnerships for the benefit of humanity.
Leigh-Anne is also a mother and a few days before we recorded this episode was March 8th, Women’s Day. That entire day was filled with plenty of chaos and confusion about what womanhood is so with that I was inspired to dive headfirst into exploring womanhood and all it’s many facets.
Expect to learn about how to reclaim womanhood in this modern age. We cover motherhood, sexual awakening, the sacred menstrual cycle, Carl Jung’s work, polarity, and partnership with men.
References
Kaylor Betts
Iron John by Robert Bly
Irreversible Damage by Abigail Shrier
Hold on to Your Kids by Gabor Maté
Connect with Leigh-Anne
Via her instagram here
Work with here here
Free Workshop here
_______________________________
If you like what you heard then click subscribe today and don’t miss an episode
You can also watch the episodes on youtube here
Follow your host Anya Shakh on Instagram @anyashakh
In this episode, Anya spends some time outlining what in our culture has us completely unable to answer the very simple question, what is a woman?
She dives into two psychological theories that are important to understand; The Chilling effect and The Abeline Paradox. From there listen to why the distinction between sex and expression needs to be made and how we are all born on a bell curve spectrum and what that means. She dives into some of the issues with the trans movement and how it’s popularity has driven kids that don’t have gender dysphoria to want to participate.
Finally she outlines what a woman means to her and why defining it matters in our culture.
_______________________________
If you like what you heard then click subscribe today and don’t miss an episode
You can also watch the episodes on youtube here
Follow your host Anya Shakh on Instagram @anyashakh
In this episode Anya hosts Alex Resnick, he’s the CEO and Founder of his training and consulting company, Evolve Leadership. He teaches the skills that actually bring business the greatest Return on their investment; Self Awareness, Emotional Intelligence, and Communication Skills.
Alex spent the last 15 years in Sales, Consulting, and Training across the startup and corporate worlds. He’s got a wealth of knowledge in the fields of EQ and Leadership.
We cover male and female communication styles at work, and helping bosses/ceos relate to their employees better. We also dissect why it is that people get defensive in the first place and the invisible barriers that hold us back from being our best selves. An interesting topic we address is how to reach masculine men that are less in touch with their emotions at work. Alex identifies some simple actions for helping you get way more out of your life at work; which directly translates to your life at home.
Resources:
Connect with Alex on IG here
Learn about Evolve Leadership here
In this episode Anya hosts 3rd Degree Black belt in Jiu-Jitsu and Certified Uncivilized Men’s Coach, Robert Wunderlich. Robert is building a method to combat isolation and loneliness by fostering a deep connection with oneself and others and his mission is to teach that to as many people as he can.
When I think of what a fighter is, I think of two things; the warrior and a lover. Not many people think about love in the context of fighting. Robert beautifully represents this duality and in this episode we came together to explore the topics of loneliness, connection, and some real talk on what we as modern humans are struggling with. We hit on blind spots, what ‘doing the work’ actually means, the industrial revolution, and modern feminism. Robert also lays out the 5 points of connection and how to combat loneliness in a very specific way.
Robert has a Master’s Degree in Anthropology and worked as a project archeologist for roughly 20 years primarily within the western United States. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in 2004 under Professor David Ruiz. He competed in local and international tournaments and traveled the country as a referee for F2W Pro. He currently operates the Shokunin Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Association and The Academy of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Arvada in Arvada, Colorado.
Resources:
Of Boys and Men - Book by Robert Reeves
Traver Boehm - Mentor & Founder of Uncivilized Nation
Duey Freeman - Mentor & Tenured Therapist
Get in Touch:
Connect with Robert on IG here
Schedule a call with Robert here
_______________________________
If you like what you heard then click subscribe today and don’t miss an episode
You can also watch the episodes on youtube here
Follow your host Anya Shakh on Instagram @anyashakh
In this episode Anya hosts life coach and generational trauma expert, Jamie Star Crawford. She helps men and women with self- mastery in all aspects; mind, body, and soul.
In honor of the 25th episode of Venus and Mars, I have asked Jamie to join me for this part 2 that was inspired by the cultural narrative out that that no one cares about men. As two women who care about men deeply and are committed to shifting these narrative, we know that one of the most important tools to bringing more harmony between men and women is when women acknowledge, celebrate, and appreciate men.
In this episode, Jamie and I go back and forth (ping pong) style sharing all the reasons why we love men. Gentlemen, this is for you, in honor of you, and inspired by all that you are and bring to the table as men.
(See I Love Men Because…Part 1 episode episode 13 for more).
Connect with Jamie on instagram here
For more content about how to understand men and women better - follow your host on IG @anyashakh
In this episode Anya hosts Financial Coach and CPA, Husband, and father of 2, Dylan Bain. Dylan began his financial journey when he left his job as a math teacher to pursue a career in accounting while supporting his wife through grad school and raising two daughters. Determined to make it work and leave his former life of multiple jobs and welfare behind, he set out to rewrite the script of his life and find peace in financial security.
Dylan has gone from food stamps to financial sovereignty; down a path that involved five jobs, four addresses, three degrees, two kids, and one vision of an amazing life. He has learned how to live, love, lead, and learn with his wife and raise their kids through all the challenges of those times. Now, in addition to working as a CPA, he runs Fiscally Savage, a financial coaching practice focused on the emotions of money, budgets as statements of shared values, and how to take control of your financial life and live free.
Money is one of the most taboo topics we experience in the western world, I’d say even more than sex. Many of us don’t realize that the way we relate to money is usually the same way we relate to our relationships, our confidence, our self-worth, boundaries, and yes our even our sex lives. In this episode, Dylan takes us on his journey to personal sovereignty by debunking the biggest myths we have about money. We discuss exactly how the money we have relates to how we feel about ourselves, we get into covert contracts and intimate relationships and how money plays a massive role in both.
Listen in as Dylan and I uncover the emotions of money.
References:
Connect with Dylan on IG here
Enjoy his free tools here
Listen to the Fiscally Savage Podcast here
Discover Man Uncivilized here
For more content about how to understand men and women better - follow your host on IG @anyashakh
In this episode, Anya hosts Doctor of Chiropractic, Mark Mathis. Mark loves contributing to people’s health through his passion for what he does and with that he hopes to inspire others to find their purpose.
What really lights me up about Mark is how committed he is to his vision to help people heal (which is in direct contrast to what he saw around him as a kid). Mark opens up about his journey towards his purpose by completely defying the cultural paradigms that he was born into.
It’s a real hero’s journey of finding masculine fulfillment and peace of mind by being in service to others. We cover how interlinked relationships and health are to each other, understanding what purpose is and is not, and why filling a need and being of service is fundamental to finding peace as a man.
We end with a beautiful visualization exercise that everyone listening can do at home. A perfect way to jump start 2023.
If you are in the DFW area, get in touch with Dr. Mathis to book an appointment.
References:
Connect with Mark on IG here
Reach out to book an appointment with him here
Eat Smarter by Shawn Stevenson here
Atomic Habits by James Clear here
For more informative and educational content on understanding both masculinity and femininity follow your host on IG @anyashakh
In this episode Anya hosts Men’s coach, father of 4, and oil and gas electrician of 13 years, Matt Halson. Matt is living in Australia and he pulled himself back from being a poor communicating unhappy, workaholic who was close to losing his family.
He now has a happy, fulfilling, and connected life with his family and lives as the man he deep down knew he could be. With almost a decade of experience in mens work and self development, Matt now helps men discover their values, vision, and purpose in life. He works with men who, like himself, have ticked a lot of the boxes for the “blue print” of life, yet find themselves unsatisfied, unhappy, and empty or with that thought of “there has to be more to life.”
I stand for men’s work, Matt stands for men’s work, but there’s still a confusion about what men’s work is in the mainstream. If you turn on CNN and hear “men’s work,” you might get it confused with some other words about male movements that are floating around. Terms like Manosphere, MGTOW, and Red Pill. In this episode Matt and I dispel any possible confusion about the relationship between men’s work and these other movements - they could not be in further opposition from each other.
Listen in as Matt and I dive into how what men’s work is, how it saved his life and impacted his family for the better, and how he helps other men do the same. We also cover different priorities that men and women have, how providing emotional safety expands the lives of men in infinite ways, and what union and partnership require from us.
References:
Connect with Matt on IG here
Reach out to schedule an intro call with Mike here
Check out his Forge Ahead coaching program here
In this episode, Anya hosts passionate Men’s Coach, Mike Danson. Mike is a United States Marine Corps Veteran whose mission is now to bring brotherhood to young men so they can change manhood for the better. He’s now a teen coach for Uncivilized Nation, a men’s group dedicated to ending the suffering in men and the suffering caused by men. He has lived many lives and his dedication for supporting young men through it all comes through here.
I wanted to know, what are boys looking for these days? What do they need? How do we inspire parents to understand them? What do we do for the boys of today so we can help the men of tomorrow?
We dive into all of this and more in this episode titled, The Marine & The Magician. There are four main archetypes within masculine psychology; The King, The Lover, The Magician, and The Warrior. Here we get into the two most important ones at the beginning of a man’s life; The Magician and The Warrior (aptly named The Marine here in honor of Mike’s experiences in the Marine Corps).
Tune into this comprehensive look into the hearts and minds of boys and men as Mike and I explore the elements that are required for boys to become healthy and fulfilled men later in life.
References:
Connect with Mike on IG here
Reach out to schedule an intro call with Mike here
Check out his Teen program, Uncivilized Teen here
In this episode, Anya brings to light the the top instincts men and women have when it comes to selecting a mate and/or being attracted to the opposite sex. Many times, popular culture tries to deny the biological urges that we’ve inherited from our hunter and gatherer ancestors but they are alive and well. Anya brings forth recent data to illuminate what’s really going in on the hormones of men and women in order to help people integrate their animal aspects with their greater and much more expansive spiritual side.
When we can lay our instincts out on the table and learn to accept and even love them, we can stop getting stuck in the tension that misunderstood instincts brings to men and women. Once we make peace with them, we come closer to the harmony and union that most men and women deeply desire. Anya touches on the terms hypergamy and misogyny in addition to sharing the results from one of the most popular studies in sex differences done by Evolutionary Psychologist, David Buss, called the 37 cultures study.
Upon listening to this quick little episode, Anya’s intention is for masculine men and feminine women to let out one big sigh of relief.
In this episode, Anya hosts devoted girl dad and entrepreneur, Teevee Aguirre. Teevee is many things to many people. By day he runs a marketing agency that helps small local businesses grow their revenue and presence in their cities.
By night, he’s a passionate kizomba dancer committed to growing Dallas’s community through his Kizpassion brand. His marketing and management experience has been integral in building Dallas as one of the top scenes in the nation. If you know, you know - as the kids say.
But what he’s most proud of being is a father and helping nurture two brilliant human beings. This little humans are now “adults” and independent thinkers and blazing their path in life.
Now he dedicates some of his spare time to sharing his stories and experiences on how he got here as a divorced father through his art, writing, podcasts, and videos.
Tune in as Teevee lets us into his personal experiences with fatherhood that take us from trauma to fulfillment in a story about how he chose to do fatherhood differently. We cover how by instilling confidence and self-love in his girls early, he gained their trust and love for the rest of their years together.
It’s my honor to highlight and feature such a wonderful man and dad. This was a heartwarming episode, I hope you all enjoy listening to it as much as I did recording it.
References:
Get in touch with Teevee on IG here
Connect with Teevee’s work here
Hold on to Your Kids by Gabor Maté here
In this episode, Anya hosts dedicated Men’s Coach, Ewan Corlett. Ewan has been to battle with his own demons and has come out on the other side victorious with a powerful purpose to help men do the same. He supports men from all walks of life in finding their power, living from their hearts, and finding joy and fulfillment in their lives. His emotional strength and depth come through beautifully in this episode about understanding men and emotional availability.
An emotionally available man? In our culture this phrase buzzes around especially in women circles. Is he or isn’t he emotionally available? But we never stop to actually define the term, understand the variables, and ponder how different behaviors from women might impact emotional availably or the lack of it.
We discuss the arc of emotional availability and what that journey looks like for men. We explore what’s at play when men fall into lust versus concisely choosing relationship. We get into how and why men’s work is a prerequisite for emotional availability, a very paradoxical and important thing for women and men to understand. Since at the end of the day, we all want more emotionally available men right?
Tune into this beautiful exploration of manhood and womanhood right alongside it as we ebb and flow towards understanding what qualities are required for men and women to meet each other in a truly emotionally open place.
References:
Connect with Ewan on Instagram here
Work with Ewan directly here
We discuss the Shia Lebouf interview on Real Ones here
In this episode, Anya hosts Confidence and Compassion expert, CEO of Workplace Catalyst, and host of “The C Word,” Magalie René. Magalie helps individuals and corporations bring leadership, compassion, and well-being together into one high-impact package.
This episode is called ‘Uncovering Femininity and Understanding Men’ because as women find their femininity, they begin to see men with greater love and compassion. Both Magalie and I didn’t really understand femininity until very recently and that journey of discovery is one we want to share with you - all in the name of healing men and women.
This is a continuation from our prior episode where we discussed Daddy Issues (aka the father wound). Women that have experienced daddy issues typically have a tough time with femininity and reclaiming it is a revolutionary experience. One that brings a brand new relationship with work, pleasure, receiving, confidence, and men of course.
This episode is live just in time for Maglie’s launch of her new miniseries, The “C” Word (no it’s not a 4 letter word)! It’s a 10 part miniseries about a 10-letter word with the power to change the world. Compassion is a game changer and no one teaches how and why quite like Magalie René. Her approach has changed my life and it is sure to change yours, connect with Magalie below:
References:
Watch The “C” Word here
Watch Magalie on Good Morning DC here
Connect with Magalie on instagram here
In this episode, Anya hosts wise woman and psychotherapist, Taune Lyons. Taune is devoted to interconnection and she helps people take that elusive journey from their head to their heart.
Taune’s empathy and openness paired with her clarity and realness made her the perfect person to discuss the very confusing state of relationship labels and buzz words that we find ourselves in today.
While options and labels for different relationship structures are growing, the level of personal understanding, integrity, and authentic alignment isn’t always…so I wanted to explore that.
To do that, I went back to basics to ask the simple questions; what is polygamy? what is polyamory? what is monogamy? what is consensual non monogamy? What is partnership? How do we know what is authentic to us?
Taune and I talked partnership, power-dynamics, sex, love and the role culture and history play in our relationships. Our intention was to give everyone listening an opportunity to discover what being in true-integrity might mean for them.
References:
Connect with Taune on Instagram here
Work with Taune here
Hold on to Your Kids by Gabor Máte here
In this episode, Anya hosts powerhouse mindset coach for women, Sidney Scott. Sid is the creator of the CURE coaching framework which is the process he uses to help women achieve their best breakthroughs. His company, Your Best Breakthrough, empowers women to break through physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially. Having spent 8 years as a language analyst working in counter-intelligence, he uses a tactical yet spiritual approach to guiding women through the work to have them boldly step into the woman who creates all the outcomes she desires.
Sid is a man who truly understands women at the deepest level and it was an honor to share the space with him. This episode is a demonstration of what’s possible when men and women see each other and want the best for each other. With Sid focusing on helping women, and myself focusing on helping men we came together and broke down what’s really going on in the hearts, minds, and souls of both sexes.
We talk about partnership, the mistakes men and women make (and most importantly, why), and what it means to be seen by the opposite sex. We unpack the difficulty men and women have with giving and receiving, what emotional leadership looks like, and we paint the picture for a potential new vision for partnership.
Sid is based on Phoenix, AZ but works with women all over the world. He hosts workshops, has programs, and coaches 1:1. He’s currently enrolling for his upcoming 6 week course.
References:
Connect with Sid on Instagram here
Connect with Sid on facebook here
About This Episode
In this episode, Anya hosts NY based psychotherapist Michael Shawe. Michael’s passion for helping people heal their traumas so they can create meaningful connections is infectious. He’s currently spending a lot of time coaching couples as well as leading a men’s group.
What I originally thought would be a conversation about unpacking what’s behind the term mama’s boy, we went much deeper. We ended up going on a hero’s journey where we unearthed what it means to actually love a person in their wholeness. We talk about how the key to making real connections is through our dark sides and how similar we all are in our experiences.
We talk about mama’s boys, emotionally absent fathers, power dynamics, and how sex and our wounds are inextricably linked until we make the subconscious conscious.
With plenty of personal references, anecdotes, and examples; this conversation is an invitation for everyone, man or woman, to ask themselves some important questions about their truest desires for love, sex, and connection.
References:
Connect with Mike on Instagram here
Check out Mike’s Zocdoc reviews here
Iron John by Robert Bly
Existential Kink by Carolyn Elliot
Trauma & Recovery by Judith Herman
In this episode, Anya hosts self-mastery coach and wise woman Julie Diaz. This is a special episode that was inspired by the awareness of the cultural narrative out there that no one cares about men. As two women who care about men deeply and are committed to shifting this narrative, we wanted to get together and go back and forth sharing all the reasons why we love men.
Gentlemen, this is for you, in honor of you, and inspired by all that you are and bring to the table as men. It’s 20 minutes long so listen in as Julie and I ping-pong finishing the sentence, ‘I love men because…’
Connect with Julie here
Connect with Anya here
In this episode, Anya hosts vibrant and expressive fitness coach and dancer Hannah Rose. Hannah’s passion for people find deep connection and freedom within their bodies is inspiring.
She’s got immense wisdom to share about how people’s body movement or lack thereof is directly related to the pain they hold within them. As a dancer and fitness coach, Hannah and I discuss both the strip club and fitness industries at length and unpack the wounded and healthy masculine and feminine dynamics that live in both spaces. We highlight how different movement is for men and women and why so many women feel helpless in the hyper-masculine fitness industry because they don’t achieve the results they want.
We touch on the bodybuilder’s journey and the mental struggle that can exist there, in addition to highlighting the missing space for the feminine within fitness in general. We talk about men and the way they relate to their bodies through the training process and sexuality. Finally, we unravel the layers of validation and rejection that exists for both men and women within body movement.
We highlight some resources and cultural references during this episode including;
Strip Down, Rise Up - a must watch documentary on netflix for both men and women highlighting sensual expression and trauma
Shredded - An award winning short documentary from Israel that follows the mental struggle of a bodybuilder. (Link to watch only available for 48 hours after release of this episode)
Magic Mike - Understanding the sensual freedom and safety that fluid body movement creates for men (specifically the live shows)
Last but not least, connect with the wonderful Hannah Rose on instagram. She’s currently creating a beautiful new program for women that fuses the discipline of the gym with the fluidity of sensual dance.
In this episode, Anya hosts game-changing elite life coach, Nick Tillia. He’s the go-to coach when Elite athletes and professionals want extraordinary support and the unfair advantage in their lives.
Nick has become an expert in understanding inner child work and during this episode he let’s us into the wisdom behind his teachings. We cover the multi- dimensional meaning behind the phrase, ‘heal the boy and the man will appear,’ in addition to the loneliness epidemic, understanding masculinity, unconscious dynamics between men and women, and parenthood.
-Connect with Nick here
In this episode, Anya fills a gap that we have in our culture by bringing to light a term that is missing, masculinism. Many times, we see feminism and masculinity being placed next to each other (or pitted against each other), but that’s not correct. Feminism is a movement, while masculinity is a life force (apples and oranges).
Etymology is extremely important, when we don’t have the right word or the right definition of a word in our culture, we get stuck. And currently we are stuck because we are missing the word and definition of masculinism. Listen in as Anya introduces masculinism, where it came from, and why we so desperately need to add it to our vernacular. In this short episode, Anya talks about Robert Bly (the father of men’s movement), Egyptian mythology, Indigenous storytelling, and how we can use masculinism in the modern context to help get us unstuck and move forward.
In this episode, Anya hosts expressive and magnetic musical artist, Chelsea Perkins. Chelsea makes upbeat girl-power music that gets you off your chair and into your body. Her style and energy is one-of-a-kind and sometimes when we think of artists, we think of them one-dimensionally (i.e. only cooking or singing or acting) but the truth is that it’s their personal lives that impact them the most creatively.
That’s exactly what I found out when I went behind the scenes with Chelsea. Listen in as she shines light on the personal journey that has made her who she is today. From dating to healing to modern womanhood, join Chelsea and I as we uncover how to express your creativity and unique YOU-ness through the properties of masculinity and femininity. We also do a live exercise that brings forth how to separate the two elements within you in a clear way that you can join in on. Once you meet Chelsea you’ll want to check out her music in all the places music is available:
Connect with Chelsea on IG here
Listen to her latest songs here
Follow her on Twitch here
In this episode, Anya hosts nurse, dance teacher, wife, and mother of three teen boys, Abelin Cedeno. Abelin is a pillar within the Brazilian Zouk dance community in Dallas and while she’s not working, wifing, or mothering, you can find her organizing the next dance event to bring people together.
Abelin lets us into her personal experiences, observations, and perspective on why “unconditional love” doesn’t work. She opens up about her divorce, her current marriage, and all she’s learned in between. We cover the difference between sacrifice and discipline, how resentments develops, and why conditionality within all relationships is something we should all consider.
Connect with Abelin here
Check out Dallas Zouk here
In this episode, Anya hosts life coach, Bruce Languren. Bruce let’s us into a brand new way of thinking about curiosity that’s not what you might think. We tackle the topics of control, attachment, and the fear of rejection hindering the opportunity for curiosity in all aspects of life.
Bruce highlights the two most important things that men and women need from each other (hint: they are very different) and we end the conversation by discussing rites of passage and the way curiosity can help you live in a state of choice and freedom versus a state of limitation and lack.
Connect with Bruce here
Connect with his community here
In this episode, Anya hosts elite leadership coach, Omar Iribe. Join us as we dive into what masculinity is based on Omar’s personal experience as well as the numerous elements of yang (yin/yang) such as respect, kindness, and taking ownership for ones life.
This is to create a clear distinction between masculinity as a life-force versus the “”mask” of masculinity popularized in the US in the 1950’s by John Wayne films. We discuss ways to unlock true masculine fulfillment in love, purpose, finances, and family.
-Connect with Omar here
-Work with Omar here
In this episode, Anya hosts cop and gym owner, Nov Chowdhury. He works in the narcotics division of the NYPD and you can also find him at his gym, Coney Island Fitness, in Brooklyn.
Nov lets us into his personal experiences, observations, and desires with a masculine POV and no-BS approach. We cover the differences in how men and women date, the apps, action focused love, long-term partnerships, and even coping with grief.
-Connect with Nov here here
-Check out his gym here
In this episode, Anya hosts men’s coach Tommy Geary, aka The Dad Coach. Tommy owns We Embark, along with his wife, Brenda. He helps men who have seemingly “made it,” but still feel like something is missing find the internal freedom they crave.
Join us as we cover internal versus external validation, the life stages of men, male happiness, acknowledgment, and brotherhood. Tommy teaches a free course every week highlighting how quickly men can go from stuck to feeling energized and living on purpose each day. One last note, we talk about Will Smith’s new book and did not side step his recent actions. This was recorded prior to the Oscars (we both still love Will).
Connect with Tommy here
Sign up for coaching or join his men’s group here
Links
-Boys & Sex by Peggy Orenstein here
-Wild at Heart by John Eldridge here
-The 4-hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss here
-Atomic Habits by James Clear here
-Will by Will Smith here
In this episode, Anya hosts Compassion and Confidence expert, transformational coach, and CEO of Workplace Catalyst, Magalie René. Magalie helps individuals and corporations bring leadership, compassion, and well-being together into one package.
Join Magalie and I in this soul baring episode about our experiences with our fathers. Listen in as we give this term a much-needed rebrand by taking it from a place of defeat to one of empowerment.
Connect with Magalie René here
LINKS:
Attached by Amir Levine, M.D. and Rachel S.F. Heller M.A. here
The Book of Forgiveness by Desmond Tutu here
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle here
In this episode Anya hosts entrepreneur and married couple, Ben and Chloe Gower. Chloe helps women find freedom in their skin through mindset and health coaching, while Ben is a sales expert that has run numerous successful businesses including High Impact Coach.
With divorce rates up and marriage being questioned more than ever, join me and the Gowers as we unpack what’s at the heart of the marriage crisis. Listen as Ben and Chloe let us into the vision, values, and systems that power their successful relationship. Learn about how they view the purpose of marriage so that you can be better equipped to determine what’s right for you.
Links
Connect with Chloe Gower https://www.instagram.com/chloegirl/
Connect with Ben Gower https://www.instagram.com/ben_gower_/
Luxury Beliefs by Rob Henderson https://quillette.com/2019/11/16/thorstein-veblens-theory-of-the-leisure-class-a-status-update/
In this episode Anya hosts life coach and generational trauma expert, Jamie Star Crawford. She is the founder of popular group program for women, Truth Serum for the Soul (next round begins on 4.26.22 and she is currently accepting enrollments).
Join Jamie and I as we uncover why the male gaze has become taboo in our culture. We begin with the origins of the male gaze and what the purpose of it is within the masculine/feminine dynamic. We then get into what went wrong and how we, as men and women, can co-author a new conversation together.
Links
Connect with Jamie https://www.instagram.com/jamiestarcrawford/
Check out Truth Serum for the Soul https://www.jamiestarcrawford.com/truth-serum
Ways of Seeing by John Berger https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2784.Ways_of_Seeing
My theory is that the tension and imbalance we feel in society stems from one root cause - the disharmony between the masculine and the feminine in ourselves and with each other.
Over the years it’s become my mission to help restore that harmony the best way I can. I’ve been studying, researching, and having some powerful conversations with brilliant people from all backgrounds.
Conversations that I desperately want to share with you and through these conversations, we’re actively building a bridge.
Brick by brick.
A bridge that unites the masculine and feminine.
A bridge that unites men and women.
Join me on this journey of curiosity, empathy, and a desire to understand. If you or anyone you know would like to be on the show, please reach out to me at anyashakh.com
This is the Venus & Mars Podcast
Subscribe Today!