Toxic Masculinity & Stillness: Finding Balance with Steve Braun | Harder to Breathe Podcast
Manage episode 514985047 series 3579368
In this vital episode, we sit down with Steve Braun, a master mental performance coach and communication consultant (and co-founder of BGB Studios). Drawing on his martial arts discipleship, Steve explains that the core of our modern mental health and societal conflict is a deep imbalance between masculine (Yang) and feminine (Yin) energies.
This conversation offers a profound perspective on how to achieve peak performance and inner peace not through action, but through stillness and radical self-acceptance.
Key Takeaways from the Conversation:
- The Power of Stillness (Yin): Steve argues that Yin (stillness, reception) is the necessary first step for impactful action (Yang). Whether you're an actor, a CEO, or a parent, full acceptance of the present moment is the quickest path to presence and success.
- Masculinity & Self-Mutilation: We explore the Bell Hooks quote that the first act of violence patriarchy demands of men is against themselves—a "psychic self-mutilation" that denies them tools for vulnerability and emotional expression.
- The Solution to Cultural Conflict: The answer isn't more intellectual debate or "data," but somatic, communal experiences—singing, dancing, and physically working through trauma together, as our ancestors did.
- Coaching Beyond the Script: Steve explains that his work isn't about teaching lines, but about liberating the nervous system, empowering clients to be brightly sensitive in a high-pressure, often chaotic world.
📌 Episode Guide
00:00 - Intro
03:30 - Drawn to the Darkness
22:00 - The "Teacher" Archetype & Martial Arts
24:40 - Masculinity & Trauma
31:50 - The Divine Feminine (Yin)
37:05 - Stillness in Business & Life
48:05 - The Bell Hooks Quote
57:05 - Creating an Artistic Home
🎧 Listen to the full episode now: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Or wherever you get your podcasts
📲Follow Harder To Breathe: 🎙️ Libsyn: sites.libsyn.com/533902 👍 Facebook: facebook.com/RyanMichaelDusick 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/ryan_michael_dusick 🕺 TikTok: tiktok.com/@ryandusick 💼 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ryan-dusick-26460894
📲Follow Steve Braun: Web: stevenbraun.co/ BGB Studios: brehmangarciabraun.com/
#HarderToBreathe #Podcast #Masculinity #YinYang #ToxicMasculinity #MentalHealth #MartialArts #SteveBraun #Taoism #Stillness #PeakPerformance #EmotionalIntelligence #Compassion
61 episodes