A Trauma-Informed, Somatic Shadow Work Journey The Loving Forward Path is a phase-based shadow work container designed to support meaningful and lasting transformation through awareness, emotional processing, and embodied integration. How It Works Session Length: 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) Frequency: Weekly Format: In-person in Eugene, Oregon, or online via Zoom Investment: Sliding scale of $80–$160 per session Commitment for each phase: A minimum of 6–9 weeks of week

Introduction I discovered breathwork after listening to a podcast with the Iceman, Wim Hof, back in 2016. I remember hearing about the amazing things he was doing and telling my friends what this crazy guy was up to—defying all logic at the time, climbing Everest with barely any clothes, running marathons with ease, and fighting off intentionally injected viruses with his immune system and mind. I was one of those people who deeply believed he was an anomaly until I started d

A Four-Phase Journey Into Self-Awareness, Expansion, Integration, and Embodied Living One of the things I’ve noticed through my own journey and through supporting others is that most people already know what is keeping them stuck. They know their patterns. They know their reactions. They know the stories they tell themselves. They know the cycles they keep finding themselves in. Perhaps it’s because they have been doing therapy (or something similar) for years and can speak o

So here’s the thing: Every human has a shadow, just like every human has a light. And in the lightest, brightest parts of you, there is also a speck of darkness. And in the darkest of the dark within the depths of you, there is also a light. This may sound like it resembles the yin and yang Taoist symbol… Because it most certainly does. I view the world through the lens of relationship and how things interact with each other. Good exists insofar as it is in relationship to ba

I used to think that if I meditated enough, did enough work on myself, and reached a certain level of intelligence, I would eradicate mistakes from my life—and no longer have to face the discomfort and frustration that come with them. And there is still a part of me—much smaller at this point—that believes if I actually had my shit fully together enough to be a respectable human, then I wouldn’t make mistakes. There is a deep-seated belief surfacing in these statements. Jacob

Spring is hard, and I'll tell you why :-)

I just listened to Michael Pollan on The Ezra Klein Show talking about his new book A World Appears, where he dove deep into the subject of consciousness in his science-, research-, and experiential-based way. Jacob is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. There is a lot of beautiful information and discovery that Pollan found through this process—much of it things I’ve felt for a while—but one m

“It is crucial not to make a problem out of our resistance to facing our fear. There is enormous energy bound up in resistance, energy that can be freed up for more life-giving purposes if we will but approach our resistance with clarity and compassion, moving at a pace that neither rushes us nor proceeds too slowly.” – Robert Augustus Masters, PhD So what is fear? Fear is a primary emotion — one of the oldest, most pervasive and persistent feelings experienced across living

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how uncomfortable I used to feel in my body… almost all the time, particularly in high school. There was this sense of unease that was just always present. I didn’t understand it at all, and I hardly ever questioned it. I just remember thinking it was normal — what it’s like to exist in a body as a human. Jacob is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Reflect

What does it actually mean to “do the work”? We hear the phrase everywhere — but what does it look like in real life, in the body, in our relationships, and in the choices we make each day?

You don’t need a retreat, a substance, or a peak experience to access deeper reality. Your breath can guide you there — helping energy move, awareness expand, and long-standing patterns begin to change.

This piece explores what it means to hold anger and grief while choosing love and connection in a time of deep political and cultural division—without bypassing, hardening, or losing our humanity.

A blog post about my thoughts on men's groups and why they are important.

What is it like working with me? Hopefully this article informs you a bit.

An essay about my path to healing, and how it led me to intentionally helping others heal.

Just breathe… From the moment we entered this world and took in that first powerful inhale of oxygen, we have been breathing. It is an autonomic function, just like our heart beating or our nervous system responding to external stimuli. It just happens. And at some point in human history, humans began intentionally working with the breath, controlling it, manipulating it, and using it for specific purposes. We discovered that by working with the breath, we could change our co

You’re in a school, why don’t you take the curriculum? Why don’t you try being human? - Ram Dass This is one of my favorite quotes from Ram Dass. However, it’s Ram Dass quoting his formless friend, Emmanuel, which is pretty ironic, right? Nevertheless, it marked a poignant shift for him, one that I relate to deeply. This quote is part of what makes me see Ram Dass as one of the greatest spiritual teachers of our time. From everything I’ve gathered, he moved through all the pl