Our Approach:
Helping develop a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment for
men by fostering vision, passion, authenticity and intimate connection
to self and others
Our Services:
Psychotherapy for individuals, families, and groups, as well as
our Sacred Path and Call to Adventure Retreats,
Workshops, Seminars, and Monthly Men's Gatherings
SIGN UP NOW FOR THE SPRING RETREAT
APRIL 14th THROUGH 17th!
IN THIS ISSUE:
- A Message from the Director
- A Review of "Life Lessons" Radio Show with Stephen
Johnson and Bruce Figoten
- Undoing the Damage of Male Bashing, One Daughter at a Time
- A Shared Thought from Phillip Jennings
- Upcoming Events - Mark Your Calendar
- Dan Franklin: The Anti-Workshop Workshop
- Men's Teams
- Important Web Links
- Sacred Path Alumni Yahoo Group
- Contribute to the Newsletter
A Message from the Director - Dr. Stephen Johnson
Greetings,
It's Easter morning, and as I reflect on the meaning of resurrection,
I can't help but think of the transformative work that we accomplish
in our Sacred Path men's community. I have countless images
of the men who have resurrected their lives and are living in
a balanced and centered way reflecting authentic masculinity.
The men who have walked away from the false masculinity driven
by a need for competition, conquest, and excess have chosen
lives supported by their relationships with God, family, and
community. It's a testament to what can be gained by turning
your life over to a higher purpose... the purpose-driven life.
We are less than three weeks from our Spring Retreat.. At this
point, we only have a handful of openings for those who wish
to register for the Sacred Path men's portion of the retreat.
We have several spaces open for the Call to Adventure portion
for fathers and sons, boys and mentors.
I really want to encourage any man who has a son twelve years
or older to favorably consider bringing him to the CTA retreat.
This is such an invaluable opportunity to bond with him. I assure
you, it will be one of the most memorable experiences that you
will ever share with your son. If you know of a boy, relative
or otherwise, who you could bring to this retreat, please don't
miss the opportunity to do so. It can mean all the difference
in the world to him and to you.
Charlie Atkinson, one of Walter's sons, has made the generous
offer to match any donation to the Walter Atkinson Memorial
Scholarship Fund. He will match any donations up to a total
of $3,000.00. You can make your donation payable to Millennium
Oaks Institute and send it c/o the Men's Center LA. We are awarding
scholarships to boys and men in need of financial assistance
to be able to participate in the retreat. Charlie and Tom will
be flying from the east coast to attend the CTA retreat. It's
possible, that Benjamin, Walter's grandson, will be able to
attend as well. They will be facilitating the Bridge to Manhood
initiatory ritual ceremony on Saturday night.
Albert Marrewa will be in attendance and will bring his mastery
of the martial arts to breakout sessions for those who wish
to participate. John Mafrici will be flying in from Oregon and
will be shepherding the conscious-connected breathing session.
Andrew Soliz will pour water for our lodges and perform additional
sacred ritual ceremonies on an individual basis for men in attendance.
There will be additional breakout sessions in conflict resolution,
communication, and Shamanic healing, just to name a few. We
have a staff of about 30 men who are eager to serve you. We
want you to have the greatest possible time and carry away all
the blessings that you deserve.
So, if you haven't registered and are planning to do so, please
get on board. If you are riding the fence and are not sure whether
to come this time or not, I hope that Spirit moves you to jump
off the fence on the side of being with us. The work that we're
doing on the Mountain is extraordinary. The thought occurs to
me that we are actually moving mountains through the good work
that we're doing in our community.
In the spirit of Easter that is embodied in the grace of the
Christ-consciousness that expresses itself through all of us,
I wish you all my best.
Namaste,
Stephen
A Review of "Life Lessons" Radio Show
with Stephen Johnson and Bruce Figoten
I had the good fortune to listen to the "Life Lessons"
radio show that was broadcast on Wednesday, March 23, from 12
to 1 PM on KHTS, 1220 AM. The guest speakers were our own Stephen
Johnson and Bruce Figoten, who energetically delved into subjects
ranging from the upcoming retreat to depression in older men,
the culture's numbing effects on men's feelings, and the dire
need for mentoring for boys in today's society. Bruce spoke
of his personal spiritual growth from the frightening experience
of his first retreat to his attainment of a seat on the Wisdom
Council and his position as a staff person on the current retreats,
where he can now help other men to become fully alive. Stephen
related some of the history of the LA Men's Center and Sacred
Path, as well as the incalculable benefits of belonging to the
men's community, from small group sessions and single therapy
to the 4-day retreats on the mountain. Although the station
does not have audio archiving on its web site, the LA Men's
Center web site will shortly have an audio stream of the show
available for your hearing. It's well worth taking the time
to listen!
Undoing the Damage of Male-Bashing, One Daughter
at a Time, by Kathleen Parker
[Ms. Parker's Article is based on a class run by Dr. Linda
Nielsen, who recently appeared with Stephen Johnson on Glenn
Sacks' His Side radio program. The show is archived on
the www.HisSide.com web site.]
While most American women obsess about the laments of frazzled
mothers, a handful of their daughters at Wake Forest University
are turning their attention to the study of that mysterious
and often-demonized species – fathers. Yep, you read it
right. Fathers. Dear ol' Dad. Remember him?
Each week, these young women (and one young man, who signed
up because he hopes to be a good father someday), arrange their
desks in a circle with Dr. Linda Nielsen, psychologist, professor
and author, to learn about fathers and fatherhood in the only
such college course in the country.
The class is not a therapy session or support group, but a
tough college course like any other, involving, research, reading,
field projects, papers, tests, and grades. It's just harder
than most because it also involves introspection, self-analysis,
and the search for insight into one of life's most important
relationships.
I attended a class recently, both as an observer and as a quasi-lecturer,
at Nielsen's invitation. Nielsen's and my discovery of one another
was like that scene in "The Count of Monte Cristo"
where Edmund Dantes suddenly hears the tapping of another inmate
through the dungeon floor and realizes, joyously, that he's
not alone. Together they labored to tunnel their way out of
captivity and darkness into freedom and light.
Similarly, these young people dig deeply to liberate themselves
from the dark male stereotypes that pervade our culture, enlightening
themselves in order to embrace their fathers. The title of Nielsen's
book and the course textbook is Embracing Your Father: How
to Build the Relationship You've Always Wanted with your Dad.
(McGraw-Hill, 2004).
Despite the popularity of Nielsen's class, now in its 15th
year, and rave reviews from alumni, Nielsen has received scant
attention from our nation's literary and cultural gatekeepers.
She understands the problem. It is, after all, her job to understand
the psychology of groupthink and the unconscious motivations
of human beings.
Thus, the joke around Nielsen's kitchen table is that her book
might have been a bestseller if she'd titled it Ten Reasons
to Hate Your Father... While Losing 20 Pounds and Having Great
Sex!
Nielsen prefers to deal in reality, however, and is fearlessly
steadfast in her conviction that most young women have been
brainwashed by the culture into believing that men are inferior
to women and that everything lacking in the father-daughter
relationship is Dad's fault. An avowed feminist, Nielsen tries
to show her students that sometimes girls and women are not
victims, but are arrangers of their own unhappiness and misfortune.
At the same time, Neilsen is careful not to demonize mothers,
which she says would be counterproductive and unfair. Daughters
need to respect the mother- as well as the father-part of themselves,
which evolves from a deeper understanding of both parents.
Her approach is short on warm and fuzzy. She's a teacher, not
a baby-sitter, and instructs the old-fashioned way, using hard
facts, statistics, and research that bear out what women who've
had good relationships with their fathers have always known
– that most fathers are lovely creatures who teach their
daughters, among other things, self-respect.
How peculiar that so many girls today learn a different story,
often from mothers who, sometimes hurt or embittered by divorce,
communicate negative messages to their daughters. Movies, books,
television, and other media are equally culpable.
By contrast, Nielsen's book is full of documented facts that
invariably take students by surprise. By learning, for example,
that 2 million single dads are raising 3 million kids on their
own, or that 80 per cent of married fathers in this country
earn most of the money for their families, students begin to
see their fathers as hardworking, responsible men, rather than
objectified wallets who routinely disappoint families by working
too much.
They also learn that they share the responsibility for having
a better relationship with Dad, and that fathers sometimes need
permission to be more involved with their daughters. Such lessons
offer dividends beyond grades, as expressed by grateful students
who write to thank Nielsen for helping them discover their fathers
as fellow travelers in life's journey rather than obstacles
to gratification.
All students learn that most invaluable of lessons, that Dad
is also "just" a human being, perhaps flawed and even
struggling, and that he, too, could use a little understanding.
Just like his little girl.
A Shared Thought from Phillip Jennings
[Gentlemen, I wanted to share this message from our brother,
Phil Jennings. It is fitting that we meditate on who we are
to each other as we approach the retreat, and especially over
the Easter holiday. – Happy Easter, SJ]
Dear Dr. J.,
I have not had a more difficult writing assignment in many
a year. I have looked at several things that could have been
said, and settled on what caused the note to be shared in the
first place. I pass it to you for review and inclusion with
the note:
"I have stated to several Wisdom Council members that
they are mirrors to me, helping me see who I am by their interactions
with me. In sharing this note, I allow my brothers to see that
part of me that shows when the mirror before me is myself. May
it help you in understanding yourself, as you have helped me
understand myself."
I thank you for the honor your give me in allowing this sharing
of growth. I await your comments and advice.
Namaste,
Phillip Jennings
Upcoming Events - Mark Your Calendar
Sacred Path / Call to Adventure Retreat on
April 14-17. At this juncture, we have over 30 men signed
up to participate in the Sacred Path retreat, and 10 young men
and fathers/mentors taking part in the Call to Adventure. As
we mentioned previously, those who wait too long to register
will have to go onto a waiting list and may be bumped from the
retreat roster. Don't delay in signing up - full payment is
due by March 31.
Mark Goodman's "SEAL WITH A KISS" - Advance
ticket sales have been brisk for Mark's tap dance extravaganza
taking place on Saturday, April 9, at 2 PM and 8 PM. The show,
choreographed by and starring Mark Goodman, one of our own,
appears at the Madrid Theater, 21622 Sherman Way in Canoga Park.
Music is by Seal, and the dance troupe is truly mind-blowing.
We were on our feet clapping through the entire preview! Call
the box office for tickets at (818) 347-9938. Prices are $35.00
or $25.00 for seniors.
Weekly Men's Groups are available in Woodland Hills
and Beverly Hills. Please call for information.
Dan Franklin: The Anti-Workshop Workshop
Beyond Self-improvement – Opening to our Authentic
Natures
Are you tired of nonstop self-consciousness and the feeling
that you're never good enough? Is even personal growth work
getting to you? Is trying to get better and be more or be less
of something starting to feel like a burden rather than a blessing?
And better than what or who? Compared to what
standard? Where is the model and what is the litmus test?
Many of us are aware of concepts that speak to the pitfalls
of "becoming" rather than mere "being".
Terms like spiritual materialism, the stench of Zen,new-age
B.S. and the like are all references to the paradox of attempting
to quell the excesses of our egos in ways that somehow end up
fortifying the very thing we're attempting to tame.
There is an antidote, born of the great wisdom traditions,
contemporary psychology, and common sense! The vehicle for real
transformation and the express lane to self-realization is simply
put: "opening".
What do we mean by opening? Sounds simple enough. Too simple?
Opening is adaptation to life as it unfolds and presents itself.
We are part of it, can't escape it, and don't seem to be in
control of the whole shebang. What to do? We contend the truth
of what's called for lies not in doing, but in being.
How to we get there, or more aptly put, get nowhere? The destination
is always right where you are. That's the point.
Opening is allowing for a vast, even infinite expansion in
terms of accepting whatever comes our way. It's working with
external situations, circumstances, and people as well as internal
energies, emotions, and thoughts. This opening is the starting
point, and in a sense, the end point as well.
Philisophically, it takes us beyond the realm of attitudes,
belief structures, and entitlements as we commonly experience
them. What we are entitled to is our natural birthright –
SELF-REALIZATION. This is neither a goal or a destination, but
our natural state of being, without the extra trimmings; not
only our own individual true nature, but the collective nature
of the mind and human experience. To understand ourselves is
to understand the world.
Opening is the vehicle or activating ingredient, the musculature
of real transformation. Again, and we'll keep repeating, this
is not ultimately about self-improvement. To realize something
is to understand and experience its true nature: to connect
to what's real. To life a self-realized life is to accept reality
– what is – in each and every moment and for a very
good reason: because it's already here. It's not about what
we wish were so, what we want to hold on to, or what we're anxious
to avoid. It's sitting with it. Opening to it. One can even
say, leaning into it.
If we lean in slightly to life as it presents itself, that's
all the action we need. It's not about forcing or attacking
or defending. Opening as an active, animating energy is therefore
not passive either. It is engagement, connectedness, and being
in relationship to and with all phenomenon as we recognize and
experience it.
– Dan Franklin, Associate Director
FUTURE WORKSHOPS
Beyond Self-improvement: Opening to Our Authentic Natures
– Coming in June 2005
Dan Franklin and Albert Marrewa facilitate a powerful
exploration in the tradition of the great spiritual teachings
on the path of self-knowledge, self-acceptance, and self-realization
The Wonders of the Enneagram: and Exploration of the
Nine Personality Types – Tentatively scheduled for
September 2005
Join Dan Franklin in this exciting journey into the profound
and uncanny world of personality as we discover how we present
ourselves to the world
Romance: Falling In and Out of Love and Into Relationship
– Coming in December 2005
Dan Franklin and Albert Marrewa tackle the fascinating
world of love, sexual attraction, and illusion. Don't miss
it!
Dates, times, and other details for the remainder of the series
to be announced in upcoming newsletters and/or contact DanFranklinmft1@aol.com
or (818) 348-9302 for further information.
Men's Teams
The ongoing eight-man San Fernando Valley team will meet again
on Monday, April 11,7:30 PM, at CSUN. We still have openings
for one or two men before closing membership, so if you're interested
in meeting biweekly and getting down to the nitty-gritty in
your life, here's the place to get the support you need. Call
Ivor Weiner at (818) 268-1589, or e-mail him at:
ivor.weiner@csun.edu.
The West Side/West LA team is still in the process of formation.
To join, call David Sacks at (323) 650-8239, or e-mail him at:
dasacks@yahoo.com
Important Web Links
HIS SIDE, the weekly radio program on KTIE 940 AM hosted
by Glenn Sacks. Go to www.hisside.com
to find out about future programs, sign up for the weekly newsletter,
listen live via streaming audio at 5 PM every Sunday, and contact
Glenn directly.
MEN ALIVE, the web site hosted by Jed Diamond, psychologist,
author, and speaker. Jed spoke at our first monthly gathering
and again last November, outlining his new book, "The Irritable
Male Syndrome: Managing the 4 Key Causes of Male Depression
and Aggression". Go to: menalive-on@lists.mcn.org
to receive Jed's weekly newsletter online, and contact Jed directly
at: jed@menalive.com.
CHRISTO PELLANI, Sacred Path's Master Percussionist.
Stay current with events featuring Christo and his friends by
logging onto his web site: www.soundformation.com.
Sacred Path Alumni Yahoo Group
What does Sacred Path do to support men after they have completed
their retreats? The Sacred Path Alumni Discussion Group is one
answer to that query. It provides a means for our community
of men to have ongoing e-mail contact and discussions with their
fellow Sacred Path Retreat graduates. Membership is restricted
to graduates of a Sacred Path retreat. The simplest way to sign
up is to send an e-mail (its content is irrelevant) to: Sacred_Path_Alumni-subscribe@Yahoo.groups.com.
You can also join from the Sacred Path Alumni's home page:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sacredpathalumni.
Once you have become a member of the discussion group, you
can begin using our Sacred Path Alumni Yahoo Group immediately.
Members are able to use any or all of the following features:
- Post a message
- Create group polls
- Invite others to join
- Share files and photos
- Create group calendars
- View the archives (past postings)
When you join the group, please remember to use only lower-case
letters and numbers in choosing your group ID name. Yahoo doesn't
recognize capital letters!
Contribute to the Newsletter
Does your creativity need an outlet? Here's a chance for your
unique words to appear on the printed page (or at least a computer
screen)! Send us an article, an anecdote, a poem, a joke; whatever
tickles your fancy. Please address your e-mails to Rich Manners
at: jyngleman@sbcglobal.net.
Bribes will be cheerfully accepted!
[return to archives
main page]
