In this episode of the Q-MindBody Podcast, Darren Main talks with somatic breathwork practitioner Johnny Conheeney about how intentional breathwork can support queer men in moving from coming out toward deeper self-actualization. They explore how breathwork works beyond “just breathing,” helping regulate the nervous system, release stored emotion, and bridge the gap between intellectual insight and embodied healing. Touching on masculinity, internalized shame, grief, joy, and authenticity, this grounded conversation offers a clear, accessible look at why breathwork can be such a powerful tool for queer men seeking real change, not just self-understanding.✨ If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a comment, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs a little inspiration today.

RESOURCES

Johnny Conheeney: https://paa.ge/johnnyconheeney/en

Queer Community Breathwork Workshop: https://tinyurl.com/QCBW-March2026

Q-MindBody Resources & Community https://darrenmain.net/qmb-connect

Connect with Darren Main https://darrenmain.net/followThe Gay

Men’s Sangha https://www.darrenmain.com/gay-mens-yoga-sanghaQ-MindBody on

GayWellness https://gaywellness.com/qmindbody-podcast

FREE STUFF!

FREE Meditation Course: Mindfulness for Busy Minds- Anyone can learn to meditate—even you!
https://darrenmain.net/free-meditation-course

FREE Book: Inspired Practice: Wisdom From the Heart of India: A collection of quotes from Modern teachers and ancient texts.https://darrenmain.net/inspired-practice-book

FREE Yoga Class: Join Darren for a Free online practice. https://darrenmain.net/first-class-free

In this episode of Q-MindBody, Darren Main talks with Peruvian therapist and retreat guide Gabriel Palacios—joining us from the Sacred Valley of the Incas. They explore “the mask we don’t see,” how queer men often trade the closet for new kinds of performance, and what it can look like to come home to desire as a life force (not just a bedroom topic). They also discuss Peru as a welcoming destination, the healing power of place, and Gabriel’s Queer Soul Rising ayahuasca retreat—plus what to expect if you’re curious… and still a little terrified.✨ If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a comment, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs a little inspiration today.RESOURCESQueer Soul Rising: https://www.thequeersoulrising.com/Q-MindBody Resources & Community https://darrenmain.net/qmb-connectConnect with Darren Main https://darrenmain.net/followThe Gay Men’s Sangha https://www.darrenmain.com/gay-mens-yoga-sanghaQ-MindBody on GayWellness https://gaywellness.com/qmindbody-podcastFREE STUFF!FREE Meditation Course: Mindfulness for Busy Minds- Anyone can learn to meditate—even you!
https://darrenmain.net/free-meditation-courseFREE Book: Inspired Practice: Wisdom From the Heart of India: A collection of quotes from Modern teachers and ancient texts.https://darrenmain.net/inspired-practice-bookFREE Yoga Class: Join Darren for a Free online practice. https://darrenmain.net/first-class-free

In this conversation, Darren Main and psychologist Dr. J.D. Barton explore why Heated Rivalry has become more than a guilty pleasure for so many gay men. Beneath the steam, the series taps directly into psychology, masculinity, and the attachment styles many of us carry from childhood into adult relationships. Together, Darren and Dr. Barton unpack how the show models secure attachment, emotional safety, and a new kind of gay masculinity—one that’s tender, grounded, and unapologetically intimate. This episode looks at why a story like this feels healing, and how it quietly rewrites the scripts so many gay men grew up with.

✨ If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a comment, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs a little inspiration today.

RESOURCES

Dr. JD Barton https://www.drjdbarton.com/

Q-MindBody Resources & Community https://darrenmain.net/qmb-connectConnect with Darren Main https://darrenmain.net/followThe Gay Men’s Sangha https://www.darrenmain.com/gay-mens-yoga-sanghaQ-MindBody on GayWellness https://gaywellness.com/qmindbody-podcast

FREE STUFF!

FREE Meditation Course: Mindfulness for Busy Minds- Anyone can learn to meditate—even you!
https://darrenmain.net/free-meditation-course

FREE Book: Inspired Practice: Wisdom From the Heart of India: A collection of quotes from Modern teachers and ancient texts.https://darrenmain.net/inspired-practice-book

FREE Yoga Class: Join Darren for a Free online practice. https://darrenmain.net/first-class-free

What counts as trauma—and why do so many gay men carry it without naming it? In this episode of Q-MindBody, Darren Main talks with Bay Area therapist Nick Venegoni (co-host of the Queer Spirit podcast) about how trauma shows up in queer men’s lives, from “big T” events to the slow drip of microaggressions that quietly reshape self-esteem, relationships, and the nervous system. They explore why mindfulness matters, how the body signals what the mind has normalized, and what healing can look like when you treat mind, body, and spirit as one ecosystem. Nick also shares practical starting points, plus free community resources—including Queer Spirit Care Circles and his mini-course, The Self-Confident Queer.✨ If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a comment, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs a little inspiration today.RESOURCESNick's Website: https://holistictherapysf.com/Q-MindBody Resources & Community https://darrenmain.net/qmb-connectConnect with Darren Main https://darrenmain.net/followThe Gay Men’s Sangha https://www.darrenmain.com/gay-mens-yoga-sanghaQ-MindBody on GayWellness https://gaywellness.com/qmindbody-podcastFREE STUFF!FREE Meditation Course: Mindfulness for Busy Minds- Anyone can learn to meditate—even you!
https://darrenmain.net/free-meditation-courseFREE Book: Inspired Practice: Wisdom From the Heart of India: A collection of quotes from Modern teachers and ancient texts.https://darrenmain.net/inspired-practice-bookFREE Yoga Class: Join Darren for a Free online practice. https://darrenmain.net/first-class-free

In this episode of the Q-MindBody Podcast, Darren Main sits down with Rev. Jim Mitulski, legendary former pastor of Metropolitan Community Church in San Francisco’s Castro District during the darkest years of the AIDS crisis.✨ If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a comment, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs a little inspiration today.RESOURCESJim on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mitulskiCongregational Church of the Peninsula: http://ccpeninsula.org/Q-MindBody Resources & Community https://darrenmain.net/qmb-connectConnect with Darren Main https://darrenmain.net/followThe Gay Men’s Sangha https://www.darrenmain.com/gay-mens-yoga-sanghaQ-MindBody on GayWellness https://gaywellness.com/qmindbody-podcastFREE STUFF!FREE Meditation Course: Mindfulness for Busy Minds- Anyone can learn to meditate—even you!
https://darrenmain.net/free-meditation-courseFREE Book: Inspired Practice: Wisdom From the Heart of India: A collection of quotes from Modern teachers and ancient texts.https://darrenmain.net/inspired-practice-bookFREE Yoga Class: Join Darren for a Free online practice. https://darrenmain.net/first-class-free

What happens when a fundamentalist Baptist pastor deconstructs his faith, walks away from evangelicalism, and becomes a fierce ally for LGBTQ people?In this episode of Q-MindBody, Darren talks with Brian Recker, former pastor and author of Hell Bent, about how fear of hell, Christian nationalism, and purity culture have shaped the spiritual trauma so many queer men carry. Brian shares his journey from independent fundamentalist roots and non-affirming ministry to becoming a public voice challenging the religious right, Christian nationalism, and the weaponization of “love the sinner, hate the sin.”✨ If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a comment, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs a little inspiration today.RESOURCESBrian Recker's Website: https://www.brianrecker.com/Brian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/berecker?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==Read Hellbent: https://amzn.to/4iFxv7X✨Q-MindBody Resources & Community https://darrenmain.net/qmb-connectConnect with Darren Main https://darrenmain.net/followThe Gay Men’s Sangha https://www.darrenmain.com/gay-mens-yoga-sanghaQ-MindBody on GayWellness https://gaywellness.com/qmindbody-podcast

This episode takes a necessary detour into a hard truth: anti-Asian bias inside gay men’s spaces. Darren talks with writer Kyle Chang about the lines between “preference” and prejudice, from app bios to club doors to the casual “you’re cute… for an Asian.” Kyle shares early experiences, how media shapes desire, and what both non-Asian and Asian queer men can actually do: examine biases, widen exposure, respond with respect, and practice self-worth rather than hierarchy. ✨ If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a comment, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs a little inspiration today.RESOURCESKyle's Article on Gay Asian Discrimination: https://laist.com/news/essays/how-one-gaysian-man-navigated-racism-and-romance-to-ultimately-say-asian-guys-are-hotKyle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsmejiakaiQ-MindBody Resources & Community https://darrenmain.net/qmb-connectConnect with Darren Main https://darrenmain.net/followThe Gay Men’s Sangha https://www.darrenmain.com/gay-mens-yoga-sanghaQ-MindBody on GayWellness https://gaywellness.com/qmindbody-podcastFREE STUFF!FREE Meditation Course: Mindfulness for Busy Minds- Anyone can learn to meditate—even you!https://darrenmain.net/free-meditation-courseFREE Book: Inspired Practice: Wisdom From the Heart of India: A collection of quotes from Modern teachers and ancient texts.https://darrenmain.net/inspired-practice-bookFREE Yoga Class: Join Darren for a Free online practice. https://darrenmain.net/first-class-free

In this episode, Darren Main talks with healer and musician Bradford Tilden about creating an inner sanctuary when the world feels like it’s cracking at the seams. Bradford shares how sound, crystal energy, and a conscious mindset can transform fear and trauma into peace and strength. The two friends revisit their parallel journeys with HIV, recovery, and spiritual growth, offering a refreshingly real take on what “healing” means for gay men today—beyond lab results and into the deeper work of emotional, energetic, and spiritual resilience.

✨ If you enjoyed this episode, please drop a comment, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs a little inspiration today.

RESOURCES

Bradford Tilden's Website: https://crystalmusichealing.comQ-MindBody

• Resources & Community https://darrenmain.net/qmb-connect
• Connect with Darren Main https://darrenmain.net/follow
• The Gay Men’s Sangha https://www.darrenmain.com/gay-mens-yoga-sangha
• Q-MindBody on GayWellness https://gaywellness.com/qmindbody-podcast
• FREE STUFF!FREE Meditation Course: Mindfulness for Busy Minds- Anyone can learn to meditate—even you!
https://darrenmain.net/free-meditation-course
• FREE Book: Inspired Practice: Wisdom From the Heart of India: A collection of quotes from Modern teachers and ancient texts. https://darrenmain.net/inspired-practice-book
• FREE Yoga Class: Join Darren for a Free online practice. https://darrenmain.net/first-class-free