Practically Spiritual Podcast
What does it actually look like when a man chooses growth after everything falls apart? In this episode, Reena sits down with Chris, after 30 years of friendship, for one of the most honest conversations this podcast has ever held. Chris is a father of four who didn't see his separation coming. What followed was one of the most painful and ultimately transformative seasons of his life. Chris opens up about being blindsided by what ultimately caused the end of his 17-year marriage, discovering his own codependency patterns, learning to be vulnerable for the first time, and how letting go of expectation changed everything, including a 30-year friendship that quietly became something more. This episode is for the woman who wonders if emotionally available men actually exist AND for the man who is sitting in the (potential) wreckage of his relationship right now, confused and blindsided, wondering what happened. And it's for anyone who has ever wondered whether the pain they're in might actually be the beginning of something better. Spoiler: it absolutely can be. But only if you choose it. What We Cover in This Episode * What it felt like to be blindsided by the end of a 17-year marriage - and the painful process of seeing his own blind spots * Why conflict aversion is one of the most quietly destructive forces in a relationship * How his relationship with his four kids actually improved after the separation * The moment vulnerability became the key to everything - not just in relationships, but in life * What codependency really is - and why it shows up in far more relationships than we think * The daily practices that anchored his growth: meditation, intentionality, and the work of noticing * How 30 years of friendship - and one honest conversation - became the foundation for real partnership * What releasing expectation actually looks like in practice and why it's a gift of freedom * The difference between therapy and coaching, and why accountability changes everything * What Chris would tell any man whose partner is on the verge of leaving right now Memorable Moments & Quotes "If I was the person I am now, emotionally, back then — it would have been very different. I would not have swum along in that muck for 20 years." — Chris "The key to it all was vulnerability. Being honest with people about what you needed, what you wanted — and letting them be honest too." — Chris "Codependency is basically acting in such a way to shape the outcome. It's a form of control. Letting go of that — actively working against that — was everything." — Chris "Releasing expectation is a gift of freedom. It gives the other person the right to choose how they respond — and it's not the end of the story, regardless of what they choose." — Chris "You can choose to be the victim, or you can do something with it and turn that energy into something so beautiful that you lift the whole vibration of everything around you." — Reena "I am the best version of myself. There has never been a better version of me. I don't long to go back to anything that existed before that." — Chris "What if it feels like something is ending — but it's just the beginning?" — Reena "Vulnerability with other people requires the depth of being willing to look at how you feel, what your role is — and acknowledge that you even have feelings." — Reena "I had a huge well of pain to catalyze action. The question is — how do you do the work before you have the pain that makes you choose it?" — Chris About Chris Chris is a father of four, engineer, and Reena's partner after 30 years of friendship. After being blindsided by the end of his 17-year marriage, Chris chose growth over bitterness : doing deep therapeutic work, building a daily practice, and learning to be vulnerable in ways he never had before. His journey from emotionally closed-off to emotionally available is the living proof that men can do this work, and that it changes everything. This is just the beginning. Resources Mentioned * Codependent No More by Melody Beattie * The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley — free practical exercises for presence and wellbeing: greatergood.berkeley.edu * Ready to do your own work? Connect with Reena at Luna Wellness LLC — Aligned Love is for both men and women navigating relationship transitions * lunawellnessllc.com [https://lunawellnessllc.com] * FB/IG: @reenasifer * email: lunawellnessllc@gmail.com [lunawellnessllc@gmail.com] * Get Your Free Human Design Chart: lunawellnessllc.com/human-design [https://lunawellnessllc.com/human-design] * Work with me: https://calendly.com/lunawellnessllc/workwithme [https://calendly.com/lunawellnessllc/workwithme] * If you know a man who is blindsided and confused right now, share this episode with him * FOLLOW THE PODCAST: Practically Spiritual on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
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