In today's episode, we meet Jason Lang; a men's embodiment coach who focuses on supporting men in relationships, career, and health, emphasizing the importance of connection and challenging societal expectations for men to be tough and self-reliant. Jason and Reah discuss societal expectations around men's emotional expression, noting that men are often expected to suppress their feelings while women are expected to show a range of emotions.  Jason and Reah highlight the need to address these expectations for men as parents, particularly in teaching emotional intelligence to children, and noted a positive shift in societal conversations about men expressing emotions. They additionally touch on the importance of breaking generational cycles and fostering open discussions about mental health and emotional expression for men.

Jason and Reah discuss the impact of COVID-19 on mental health, particularly for men, highlighting increased social isolation and challenges in connecting with others and explore how traditional masculinity norms, such as the expectation of invulnerability and suppression of emotions, contribute to lifelong struggles for many boys and men. Jason emphasizes importance of teaching emotional expression and attunement from a young age, contrasting the different parenting approaches often given to boys and girls while focusing on the educational system's role in perpetuating these issues, noting research on the growing gap in educational outcomes between boys and girls, with suggestions like holding boys back a year to address the disparities.

Jason discusses how boys mature emotionally slower and benefit from early physical activity and play, which helps with socialization and self-regulation. He emphasizes the importance of teaching children, especially boys, to recognize and articulate their emotions, as a lack of emotional awareness can lead to negative coping mechanisms like substance abuse or withdrawal. Reah shares her experience with her adopted son, who at 10 years old, was able to acknowledge and express his anger, which led to improved behavior and emotional regulation. Both agreed that understanding and addressing emotions early can lead to better outcomes for children.

Jason and Reah further discuss the societal changes in how emotions are perceived in men, particularly the concept of the "man box" which restricts traditional male emotions to only anger as well as how boys and men are taught to suppress emotions like grief, fear, and shame, and how this can lead to unhealthy expressions of anger. Jason shares an example from his personal experience of creating a safe space for his son to express anger, which revealed underlying emotions of grief and they conclude by discussing the importance of teaching children healthy ways to express anger and other emotions.

Jason emphasizes the importance of men's connection and emotional expression, highlighting how men's groups can provide support and accelerate personal growth. He explains the benefits of sharing vulnerabilities and receiving feedback in a safe environment, emphasizing how this can lead to leadership and purpose; sharing insights from his podcast, "Evolutionary Men," which focuses on helping men achieve balance between power and sensitivity.

Learn more about Jason at https://www.evolutionary.men!

To learn more about Reah visit https://www.Falolity.net, and watch full videos and reels at https://www.YouTube.com/@reahhagues!

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