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The Men's Center of Los Angeles
Beverly Hills/Woodland Hills
in Association with
Sacred Path Productions
Newsletter for June 2007
Voicemail: (818) 348-9302
Web Site: www.menscenterlosangeles.com
Contact: info@menscenterlosangeles.com
Our Mission:
"Bringing good men together and bringing out the best in
them"
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
MOTHER'S
DAY COLLOQUIUM DIGS DEEP
ManUp retreat
on Friday Evening and Saturday, July 20-21
Celebration
of the Boys at Helen Keller Park a Proud Event
IN THIS ISSUE:
A Message from the Director [click
here]
Upcoming Events - Mark Your Calendar
Mothers' Day Colloquium Digs Deep [click
here]
Rich Manners: Review of "Away from Her" [click
here]
From the Daily Om: Being Your Own Village [click
here]
Men's Teams [click
here]
Important Web Links [click
here]
CD's by Sacred Path Members Available [click
here]
Contribute to the Newsletter [click
here]
A Message
from the Director - Dr. Stephen Johnson
 Monday,
May 28, 2007 - Memorial Day
Greetings,
I wish to thank the men from the Wisdom Council and from the
Sacred Path community along with their family members and friends
who dedicated the time out of their holiday weekend plans to
participate in the celebration of the boys who attended the
April Call to Adventure Retreat.
We gathered at Helen Keller Park at 11 AM on Saturday. After
exchanging greetings we commenced some drumming, followed by
Timothy smudging the participants. Ed then pulled out his harmonica
and belted out a song in true gospel fashion. As Strong Bear
picked up his drum, the boys started calling for a story and
they weren't disappointed as Strong Bear told the story of the
Half-Boy from a Tribe that is now extinct.
I picked up on the theme and offered my remarks directed to
the boys who are the future of our world. I told them that where
we go as a culture is ultimately determined by where this generation
of young men will take us. I expressed that it is probable that
within the next 50 years my generation, the baby boomers, will
be extinct just like the tribe that offered us the story of
the Half-Boy. Just as the last of the members of my parents'
generation, referred to by Tom Brokaw as the "greatest
generation," is leaving the planet, my generation will
have left its mark as well, and will be judged in perpetuity
for its impact in shaping the evolution of culture. It will
be up to the generations that follow to take the lead in determining
how the issues that challenge us today will be dealt with in
the future. I suggested to the boys that how they live their
lives and how they interact within their families, community
and the world at large is significant, and the difference that
they make in shaping their lives now as citizens of the world
will determine the legacy that they leave and how they will
be remembered.
I had opened my commencement talk with a brief history of
the genesis of the Men's Center and the Sacred Path Men's
Retreats, including how we had brought a coterie of good men
together over the past twenty years and had created a community
that fostered the opportunities for those men to bring out the
best in them. And, as a result these men have made commitments
to be mentors to the young men during their transition from
boyhood to conscious manhood. I further indicated that I had
made a pledge to myself, when I was at USC as student and instructor
from 1967 to 1978, to do what I could to make a positive difference
in the surrounding community of my campus. I told those in attendance
that Los Angeles is a sprawling city, but we essentially have
one big community divided up into many neighborhoods and that
we need to remember our neighbors who live across town from
us. Brotherhood is colorblind and though we may appear different
on the outside in ways, we are all the same on the inside in
as many ways. We have the same challenges and the same needs.
Deep down in our hearts we have the same capacity for understanding,
kindness and love and that is ultimately what will overcome
the adversity that we must face in dealing with the ordeals
that life presents as opportunities to learn compassion. So,
in the spirit of brotherhood, together we can and together we
will help to make a difference that counts where it is needed.
We then showed two 5-minute videos that were created by Herb
Rubenstein from footage he shot during the last two CTA retreats.
Next we invited Marvo and Cameron to address the boys. Their
remarks were quite heartfelt and provided the right bridge to
invite the boys to come up and accept their certificates of
achievement and completion. As Timothy handed out the certificates,
each boy reaffirmed his intention to walk in an honorable way
on his Sacred Path and then signed his name on the certificate.
Pictures were taken of each boy, surrounded by Timothy, Marvo,
Cameron and me, as he proudly held up his certificate. At that
point those in the audience were invited to speak. I always
enjoy hearing from the mothers who are quite acknowledging of
the support that they are receiving from the good men in the
lives of their boys. Maurice Hunter, the new Director of HKP,
offered his gratitude and pledged to triple the number of boys
that will attend the next CTA Retreat. Refreshments were served
and we adjourned at about 1:30. Again, I'm most grateful to
all of you who supported this project and who continue to offer
your support as we move ahead.
On another note, we convened a group of men for the third Man
Up Colloquium, held the day before Mother's Day earlier this
month, to explore the impact of our mothers on our lives and
our relationships with women in general and our significant
others in particular. There was some very profound sharing by
the men, and all the participants exclaimed that they so enjoyed
the day spent at Holy Spirit Retreat Center. The ambiance, serenity,
cuisine and good-natured fellowship made all the difference.
I'm looking forward to our mini-Man Up retreat in July. We will
convene once again at Holy Spirit in the late afternoon on Friday,
July 20th, for meditation and dinner followed by an evening
program, and then a full day program on Saturday, the 21st.
There will be four packages to choose from, including an overnight
stay in one of the 30 comfortable rooms on site. I will offer
an array of spiritual psychology processes to help participants
deepen their practice and commitment to men's Soul-work. We
will limit the attendance to 25, so register for this one soon
so that you'll be one of the men on board for this experience.
You can read more about the last Man Up Colloquium as well as
the July Man Up Retreat in this newsletter.
I hope you had a great Memorial Day extended weekend. As a
remembrance offered to those that have served and given their
lives in the spirit of liberty and the pursuit of authentic
freedom and justice for all
I send you my best,
Stephen
To learn more about the Executive Director of the Los Angeles
Men's Center and Sacred Path Productions, go to: www.drstephenjohnson.com
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Upcoming Events - Mark Your Calendar
Fred
Sugerman/Christo Pellani: Summer Solstice Celebration
Embody
the Spirit
What if we really are "of spirit?"
 Join
us as we return to right relationship... with Our Selves;
with Each Other; with earth, through Ceremony and Celebration.
With sounds created by Master Percussionist Christo Pellani
(and Guest Artists) and movement guided and facilitated by
Fred Sugerman, we will bring the best of our attention into
our Bodies as the Vehicles of our Spirits: feeling, responding,
shape-shifting within and around ourselves, and, from there,
each other... discovering, each in our own way, what the Ancients
referred to as the "Temple" - Our Bodies as Temple.
Our Bodies, Ourselves as Earth Beings Being on Earth - Alive,
Passionate, Powerful and Fluid: Human Beings Capable of...
Anything.
In the large community room in the Upper
Davies Building in Farnsworth Park
568 E. Mount Curve Avenue, Altadena, CA 91009
Sunday, June 17th, 2007 1:00-5:00 PM
A pot luck feast following!
$50.00 pre-paid before June 10th $65.00
at the door
Call for rgistration and directions
818-608-9848
e-mail: fsugerman@yahoo.com
ManUpRetreat
to be Held on Friday Evening and Saturday, July 20-21
Dear Past and Future ManUp Colloquium Participants,
Following the successful evolution of the first three one-day
Man Up Colloquiums I am delighted to announce the dates of
our first ManUp Retreat in July. This will be an overnight
event for those who wish to stay in one of the beautiful and
restful rooms on the grounds of Holy Spirit Retreat Center
nestled in the hills south of Ventura Boulevard in Encino.
One can choose a room with double occupancy or a private room.
For those who desire to participate in the program but will
not spend the night, we have two packages to choose from.
We will limit the number of participants to 25.
On Friday, July 20th, we'll begin with a meditation and then
break for dinner, followed by our evening program in which
we'll work with practical metaphysical concepts surrounding
how we use our minds. We'll explore our thought processes
and understand what core laws are at the center of our belief
systems. We'll discuss the information as set forth in The
Secret and how it is based on sound spiritual practices
that can in fact benefit you.
I completed my doctoral dissertation at USC on The Benefits
of Yoga Therapy on Self-Esteem, Conflict Resolution and Emotional
Adjustment, and then went on to study with the National Academy
of Metaphysics for 4 years after earning my Ph.D. in Counseling
Psychology. I also studied with Leonard Orr and became one
of the first Rebirthers to teach people the ancient art of
Sacred Breathing. My work with Yoga, Rebirthing, and the postdoctoral
curriculum in Metaphysics based on the Essene Teachings was
the foundation for the blending of spirituality and psychology
that has been at the heart of my personal development and
my professional practice as a psychotherapist.
During this ManUp Retreat I am afforded the opportunity to
share with you these concepts and practices that I believe
will add dimensionally to your ongoing development as a spiritual
warrior on the Sacred Path. The following is the proposed
agenda and pricing for the 4 packages offered for this retreat:
Friday, July 20, 2007
4:30 – Arrival for those spending the night.
5:00 – Arrival for others.
5:30 – Meditation
6:00 – Dinner
7:00-10:00 – Program
Saturday, July 21, 2007
7:00 – Yoga, Chanting and Meditation
8:00 – Breakfast
9:00 – Sacred Breathing Session in Dyads
12:00 – Lunch
1:00 – Small Groups
2:45 – Break
3:00 – Council
4:30 – Adjourn
A. Program including dinner, lunch and snacks - $195
(for those rejoining the program at 9:00am on Saturday)
B. Program including dinner, breakfast, lunch and snacks
- $215
C. Program including overnight accommodations with three
meals and snacks (double occupancy) - $250
D. Program including overnight accommodations with three
meals and snacks (private room) - $285
I hope that you will choose one of the programs that fits
your needs and desires and be one of the good men that will
participate in the first Man Up mini retreat. Please indicate
your intention to participate by sending in your registration
form accompanied by full payment to reserve your space. Looking
forward to being with you at Holy Spirit in July.
Namaste,
Stephen
To Download
the Flyer and Application, Click Here
Weekly
Men's Groups are available in Woodland Hills and
Beverly Hills. Both Stephen Johnson and Dan Franklin have
room available in their weekly therapeutic support groups
held in Beverly Hills and Woodland Hills. More information
at: info@menscenterlosangeles.com
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Mothers'
Day Colloquium Digs Deep
On the day before Mothers' Day, the ManUp Colloquium III
was held at the Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Encino. Although
several men had to miss the colloquium due to emergencies,
the 16 men who participated found the experience to be incredibly
meaningful. Since the next day was one in which we're supposed
to celeebrate our mothers, the topic that was continually
foremost in the comversation was our relationships with women,
and how our experience with our mothers continued to color
them. We found ourselves going down to levels of wounds that
we have been extremely careful to keep covered, and with the
support of the other men, bringing them to light, in some
cases after decades or more of being in the shadows. I made
several really uncomfortable connections with how I live my
life now, at 66, and how I had to placate my mother's craziness
to survive as a child. I found my soul wound of mother abandonment
just as bloody now as it was in my earliest memories.
The atmosphere of serenity and safety afforded by the retreat
center gave us extra support in uncovering the raw places
in our lives, and I'm very pleased that we will have a chance
to meet there again in July. I look forward to seeing many
of you who have been attending once again, along with new
men who would like to experience a deepening of the gorup
experience.
– Rich Manners
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Rich
Manners: Review of "Away from Her"
Grant (Gordon Pinsent) and Fiona (Julie Christie) have been
married for 44 years. They have been through rough patches,
but their lives are inextricably connected and their relationship
seems idyllic: they share a private language and obvious affection
for one another. Now retired, they live comfortably in a house
in the country, but their contentment is permanently disrupted
when Fiona's memory starts to deteriorate. Determined not
to saddle Grant with her declining health, she insists upon
going to a rest home, which only tears Grant apart. He feels
guilty about decades-old affairs with his students, and his
state is worsened by the rules of Fiona's new residence, which
demand that he not communicate or visit with her for the first
30 days of her stay, as she descends further into the forgetfulness
of AlzheimerÕs disease.
To complicate matters further, as Grant visits Fiona in the
nursing home, he sees her developing a caring relationship
with another patient, a brain-injured man (Michael Murphy),
while she no longer knows her husband.
This is a beautiful and a difficult film to watch, and I
loved it and was devastated by it at one and the same time.
Grant's relationship with Fiona is much more complex than
it first seems to be. Is it his guilt that drives him to see
her every day at the nursing home, is it his love, his drive
to make her know him once more, or is it his neediness to
have her with him? Is he the strong one in their relationship,
or is she, even with Alzheimer's disease, the one he depends
upon? There is layer upon layer of interrelationship exposed
here, and although this does not appear to be a "man's
film" at first glance, I think it's extremely important
for men to see this film and to explore their own relationships
with their wives in its light. We all have a lot to learn
about love, about caring, and about aging, and this film tells
us a great deal about them all.
From the Daily
Om: Being Your Own Village
Residing
at the Helm
Simple survival requires us to be in
possession of many skills. The pursuit of dreams requires
many more. Most individuals rely on the support of a village,
whether peopled by relatives or community members, to effectively
address the numerous ways we need assistance. This can mean
anything from asking favors of acquaintances and leaning on
loved ones for support to paying a skilled artisan to handle
specialized tasks. However, each human being is born with
the capacity to be their own village. We embody many roles
throughout our lifetimes, all of which are representative
of our capacity for self-sufficiency and self-determination.
In different moments in our lives, we are our own counselor,
janitor, caregiver, cook, healer, teacher, and student. Our
willingness to joyfully take on these roles grants us the
power to maintain control over the direction our life's journey
takes.
In times past, human beings learned
all of the skills needed for survival. Today, the majority
of people specialize in a single discipline, which they hone
throughout their lives. Thus, many of us feel uncomfortable
standing at the helm of our own existence. We question our
ability to make decisions concerning our own health, happiness,
and welfare, and are left feeling dependent and powerless.
But the authority to take ultimate responsibility for our
lives is simply a matter of believing that we have the necessary
faith and intelligence to cope with any circumstance the universe
chooses to place in our path. Proving that we can each be
our own villages through action enables us to accept that
we are strong enough to exist autonomously. Cooking, cultivating
a garden of fruits and vegetables, undertaking minor home
repair, or adopting a healthier lifestyle can help you reassert
your will.
Being your own village does not mean
embracing isolation, for a balanced life is built upon the
dual foundations of the inner and the outer villages. Rather,
being your own village is a celebration of your wondrous inner
strength and resourcefulness, as well as an acknowledgment
of your innate ability to capably steer the course of your
life.
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A new group will be forming in the Venice/Pacific Palisades
area. For more info on joining and meeting times, contact Nick
Rath at (310) 454-2965, or e-mail him at: nrath@adelphia.net
The West Hills Group is now filled to
capacity. For those interested in adding their names to the
wait list, contact Ross Avery at (818) 762-5022, or e-mail him
at rossandarlyn@sbcglobal.net
The West Side Men's Group is now filled to capacity. For
those interested in adding their names to the wait list, contact
Mark Kreher at (310) 581-6616 or e-mail him at: mark.kreher@verizon.net.
You can also contact David Sacks at (323) 369-3344, or e-mail
him at: sacks.d@gmail.com
The Thousand Oaks/Calabasas Men's Circle is currently meeting
monthly at the home of Bruce Figoten in Northridge, and includes
men from Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Simi Valley, Northridge,
Los Angeles, and Hollywood Hills. If you have an interest in
participating in a men's group, contact Bruce at (818) 363-8864,
or e-mail him at: spinedr32@gmail.com
for more information.
David "Stongbear" Myers is heading up a team in the
San Gabriel Valley. If you're interested in joining, talk to
Strongbear at (818)541-9499, or e-mail him at: strongbear46@msn.com
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Important
Web Links
The LAMC web site now has a page dedicated to links to various
individuals and organizations who may be of assistance to members.
You'll find therapists, counselors, authors, realtors, health
resources, men's issues resources, assistance in fathering,
musicians, Native American and interfaith teachings, ceremonies
and camps,mid-life issues resources, and a lot more. If you're
reading the newsletter on a PDF file, simply paste this link
into your web browser to go to the Links page: www.menscenterlosangeles.com/links.html
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CD's by Sacred
Path Members Available
You can purchase the excellent CD's by Sacred Path brothers
Ed Munter, Tommy Holmes, Christo Pellani, Rich Manners
and Albert Marrewa.
Ed's CD's, Tracking Down the Soul and Soul Journey,
are available at www.innerpathproductions.org
Tommy's self-titled album can be ordered from www.TommyHolmes.com.
Christo's second album, Soundscape Pyramids – Resonance
Forms, is available at info@soundformation.com
Rich's CD, Speechless, featuring the voices of Mimi
Manners, is available at jyngleman@sbcglobal.net
Albert's Relaxing Into Now is available at www.albertmarrewa.com
In addition, talks by the Director of the L.A. Men's Center,
Dr. Stephen Johnson, are available on the LA Men's Center web
site, as well as several CD sets of past retreats. Go to
www.menscenterlosangeles.com
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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!
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main page]
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