Alex Lee Schwartz and Deagan Maki are the husband-and-wife co-founders of Blue River Breathwork, located just outside Asheville, NC. I first met Alex earlier this year at Heart of Men: Men’s Prayer for Peace, and a few months later I returned for the Liberate Your Life Force men’s cohort with Thomas and the crew.

Before the next immersion on Black Mountain, I stayed with Alex and Deagan for a night—and that time together laid the groundwork for this conversation.

In this episode, we dive into breathwork, grief, and what it means to live an examined life. As my own journey unfolds, it’s the blossoming of connections like these that make me feel grounded, seen, and aligned with my purpose.

Doing the work the world needs isn’t easy—some might even say it isn’t a choice. Yet here we are, listening, learning, and growing together.

Peter Roman is a Wellness Professional, social justice advocate and community builder based in New York City. In this conversation you’ll find us basking in the afterglow of Sacred brotherhood forged in the fire of our 5 day immersive retreat in Asheville, NC- Men’s Prayer for Peace. Peter shares challenges of his East Harlem upbringing, the strength and beauty of allowing ourselves to be witnessed in our healing process and what it really means to be a man.

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