In this powerful and tender conversation, Markku Kostamo—a nonprofit leader, mental health advocate, and Illuman brother from British Columbia—shares his journey through mental illness, grief, and recovery, and how the Men’s Rites of Passage offered him a path toward deeper healing and belovedness.

With host Ned Abenroth, Markku reflects on:
• Living with bipolar disorder and the layered work of recovery

• Discovering his core wound and the healing power of ritual• The unspoken grief many men carry—and how it becomes sacred

• Why nature, brotherhood, and descent are essential to the masculine path

• How ancestral trauma and mental health are woven through our stories

With honesty, grace, and grounded insight, Markku invites us into a spacious conversation about what it means to be fully human, fully wounded, and fully loved.

🔸 A story of descent, mental health, and the sacred masculine.

🔸 An invitation to show up with your whole self—and be held.

—

Learn more about Illuman and our work: ⁠https://illuman.org
Subscribe to stay rooted in the fire.

#TheCaveAndTheFire #MensWork #MasculineSpirituality #MentalHealth #SacredMasculine #Grief #Belovedness #MensRites #Recovery #Council #JourneyOfIllumination #BipolarDisorder #HealingInCommunity #InnerWorkThatMatters

In this conversation, T. Michael Rock, a pastor, community builder, and leader from the Twin Cities, shares his journey from performing to embracing vulnerability and authenticity. T. Michael reflects on his path of self-discovery, the lessons learned through the Men’s Rites of Passage, and the deep healing he found within the Illuman community.

Together with host Ned Abenroth, T. Michael explores:

• The evolution of masculinity and the ongoing cultural conversation around it

• The power of showing up for others in community and the profound effect of repeated commitment

• How embracing both masculine and feminine energies can create a more integrated self

• The journey of love, restoration, and grace in the context of personal growth and masculinity

Join T. Michael as he shares how a life of service, love, and authentic connection has shaped him, and how these principles are guiding a new generation of men toward wholeness.

🔸 A story of healing, vulnerability, and the beauty of masculine love.
🔸 An invitation to embrace your full self and show up, just as you are.

#Illuman #MasculineSpirituality #MensWork #Restoration #Grace #Belovedness #Authenticity #MensRites #Healing #InnerWorkThatMatters #JourneyOfIllumination

What does it mean to be a man shaped by both power and tenderness?

In this wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation, Brazilian-born theologian Gustavo Santos shares his journey from the boardrooms of São Paulo to the forests of British Columbia—and from performative success to a deeper encounter with the Divine.

Together, Gustavo and host Ned Abenroth explore:
• The cultural shape of masculinity in Brazil and North America
• The healing power of Council and the Men’s Rites of Passage
• How ancestral wounds and blessings shape identity
• What it means to lead with “a strong kindness”

With candor and grace, Gustavo reflects on finding a home in his own story, and discovering that belonging isn’t earned—it’s inherited.

🔸 A story of migration, masculinity, and mystery.
🔸 An invitation to drop the masks and show up, just as you are.

—

Learn more about Illuman and our work: https://illuman.org
Subscribe to stay rooted in the fire.

#TheCaveAndTheFire #MensWork #Illuman #Belovedness #InnerWorkThatMatters #MasculineSpirituality #Ancestry #Council #MensRites #JourneyOfIllumination

MB01QW48VFLW2WR

In this moving conversation, we sit down with Matthew Lyda—a brother within the Illuman community whose fierce tenderness and grounded presence invite others into deeper authenticity. At just 39, Matthew brings a rare self-awareness, offering reflections on his Men’s Rites of Passage, the unspoken grief many young men carry, and the sacred call to heal.

Together, we explore the contours of masculinity today—its distortions and its potential. From flaccid strength to the archetypal boundaries of Gandalf, from deep male friendship to interfaith wonder, Matthew reflects on what it means to live from belovedness in a fractured world. We also delve into how the Journey of Illumination, Council Circles, and Illuman’s interspiritual community have shaped his path and leadership.

Whether you’re a seasoned elder or a young man awakening to your own story, this episode is a soulful offering of grief, play, presence, and hope. Tune in to hear how the sacred masculine is not about dominance or denial, but about integration, service, and love.

MB01QW48VFLW2WR

 These are crazy times, and so much of what we assumed we knew seems to be up for grabs. In the midst of it all, men are struggling. From one side, there's a lot of anger, even hatred of men, which perhaps is understandable, but isn't helping anything. And from the other side, what it means to be a man is taking a huge step back to authoritarian ways of being.

The generative masculinity we saw in patriarchs such as Martin Luther King, Desmond Tutu, Jackie Robinson, Lincoln, Washington, Merton, Einstein, Thich Nhat Hanh, Gandhi, Francis, Jesus, those kinds of men seem in short supply today. And their brands of masculinity would be questioned by today's male role models who emphasize domination as the quintessential quality of manhood.

But in the midst of this, there are islands of sanity. Illuman is one such place. Illuman is a global community of men who are courageously forging more generative ways of being men. We might never read their names in the news, but these anonymous heroes are the kinds of men the world needs in a time such as this.

Join me as I talk with remarkable guys. Men from Russia, Brazil, India, Canada, Central America, Europe, and the U. S. Men from the Bible Belt to the left coast. Young and old. Of multiple religious and ethnic backgrounds. Men. Who are all stepping deeper into life in a way that blesses and sustains life for everybody else.

What is it about this community, what makes Illuman a place that man after man finds so enlivening? My name is Ned. Join me.