What if your body—not your mind—was deciding how safe, calm, or stressed you feel?

In this episode of The Men’s Collective Podcast, therapist and Mind-Body Coach Travis Goodman, LMFT, breaks down the three organizing principles of Polyvagal Theory—a science-backed model by Dr. Stephen Porges that explains how your nervous system runs your daily life.

You’ll learn how to recognize your body’s automatic states—ventral (safe and connected), sympathetic (mobilized and stressed), and dorsal (shutdown and numb)—and how to move toward regulation, calm, and connection.

In this episode:

• What Hierarchy teaches us about emotional states and the “autonomic ladder”
• How Neuroception constantly scans for safety or threat without you realizing it
• Why Co-Regulation (connection) is the secret to true calm and healing
• A real-life example of how reaching out to safe relationships resets your nervous system
• Practical ways to notice, name, and navigate your state

If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t just “think” your way out of stress, this episode will help you finally understand the biology of safety—and how to work with it.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube
🌐 Learn more at menscollective.co or travisgoodmanlmft.com

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YouTube: Travis Goodman
Instagram: @travis.goodman.lmft
Web: TravisGoodmanLMFT.com

Feeling anxious, tense, or shut down for no reason?In this episode of The Men’s Collective Podcast, therapist and Mind + Body coach Travis Goodman, LMFT breaks down Polyvagal Theory in simple, practical language so you can finally understand your stress responses — and stop fighting your own body.

Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, Polyvagal Theory explains how your nervous system constantly scans for cues of safety or threat and shifts between three primary states:

• Ventral Vagal: calm, connected, grounded
• Sympathetic: fight / flight / mobilized energy
• Dorsal Vagal: shutdown, numbness, disconnection

Travis explores how these automatic shifts shape your mood, focus, relationships, and resilience — and why men often mistake these states for weakness, anger, or burnout instead of recognizing them as survival responses.

You’ll learn: ✅ What Polyvagal Theory is — in real-world terms ✅ How to identify your current nervous-system state ✅ Why awareness is the first step toward regulation ✅ How to work with your body, not against it ✅ A simple reflection practice to regain calm & connection

This episode is for men who want to feel more grounded, adaptable, and emotionally aware, and for anyone curious about the link between nervous system health and mental health.

🎧 Subscribe for weekly insights on men’s mental health, resilience, and purpose at menscollective.co

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INSTAGRAM: MENSCOLLECTIVE.CO

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: WATCH HERE

Connect and Support Travis:
YouTube: Travis Goodman
Instagram: @travis.goodman.lmft
Web: TravisGoodmanLMFT.com

Are you “hitting the gym for mental release”… but still feel stuck, stressed, and disconnected at home? In this episode, Travis Goodman and Marcus Filly (Functional Bodybuilding) break down purpose-driven training—how to stop using workouts as an escape and start building real strength, confidence, energy, and presence that carry into fatherhood, marriage, and leadership.

We dig into:

• The provider trap: why high-achieving men sacrifice health, then run on fumes
• Functional Bodybuilding and training with intention (not box-checking)
• How to turn fitness into a portal for purpose, not avoidance
• From dad bod to durable confidence—without dropping balls at work or home
• The power of male community & accountability (and why going solo fails)
• Practical fixes: effort, focus, recovery, and habit design that actually stick

If you’re a man, dad, or leader who “has it together” on paper but feels adrift or depleted, this conversation is your blueprint to train smarter, live fuller, and show up stronger—for yourself and the people who matter.

🎙️ Guest: Marcus Filly — Founder of Functional Bodybuilding
📲 Programs & coaching: search “Functional Bodybuilding Marcus Filly”
👥 Men’s work & cohorts: menscollective.co

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple, & YouTube or visit menscollective.co to go deeper.

JOIN THE COLLECTIVE:
JOIN THE MEN'S COLLECTIVE: CLICK HERE

JOIN THE MAILING LIST & GET INVOLVED!
CLICK HERE: MAILING LIST

INSTAGRAM:
MENSCOLLECTIVE.CO

WATCH ON YOUTUBE:
WATCH HERE

Connect and Support Travis:
YouTube: Travis Goodman
Instagram: @travis.goodman.lmft
Web: TravisGoodmanLMFT.com