How to navigate the shadow of the Masculine & Feminine polarity world - Steve James

This week's show is with Steve James. Steve travels internationally teaching somatic practices, meditation, as well as leading explorations in contemplative & relational realms. Known for his direct, grounded approach and his dedication to first-hand research, he has extensive experience in elite athletic performance, contemplative and spiritual disciplines, the arts, extreme outdoor survival, and human behaviour.

Steve’s unique range of experiences and understanding of human behaviour, high performance, spirituality, and interpersonal relationships is highly sought after by leading figures at the highest levels of the arts, entertainment, and business. In his private client practice he specialises in the unique interpersonal and strategic challenges faced by very successful and highly visible individuals. Ongoing clients include Oscar-winning actors, multi Grammy winning musicians, CEO’s, and fund managers.

Steve is the creator of the Movement Koan Method® and the host of the Guru Viking Podcast.

In this show, Steve and Lian spoke about Masculine and Feminine polarity, the shadow that's present in some modern polarity teachings, how to recognise when wounds need tending instead of plastering polarity work over the top of them, how we might benefit most from polarity work by using it generatively instead of in a reductionist way: the Masculine and Feminine as expansive archetypes rather rigid stereotypes.

I’d love to know what YOU think about this week's show. Let’s carry on the conversation…  please leave a comment below.

What you'll learn from this episode:

• There's been an increasing trend in the personal growth field around teaching polarity, which can be a wonderful thing - and it can reveal deep wounds that we don't benefit from ignoring and blindly doubly down on polarity techniques - I loved Steve's example of when we embark on a new physical exercise which reveals an underlying injury or imbalance that requires addressing
• Steve referred to the message of the book The True Believer by Eric Hoffer "The power of a doctrine is not in its efficacy as much as it's in its certainty." polarity teachings very much offer that certainty and can be wonderfully expansive and revealing if we enter them as a game or exploration rather than as doctrine
• Playing with polarity as a lens on life and holding poses to see what they illuminate can be a powerful way of understanding our edges, shadows and possibilities.
• Lastly, remember that relationships are really about people and no matter the explorations we're in, we can bring love to whatever we do

Resources and stuff that we spoke about:

• Steve James Official Website: Guru Viking
• Join Steve James in the Movement Koan Method®
  • Movement Koan Method® Video by Steve James
  • Movement Koan Method® 2 Video by Steve James
• Explore meditation and practice together online with Steve James at Guru Viking Meditation Club

Thank you for listening!

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Thank you!
Lian & Jonathan