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The Men's Center of Los Angeles
Beverly Hills/Woodland Hills
in Association with
Sacred Path Productions
Newsletter for September 2005
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
ONE-DAY
CSUN EVENT PLANNED FOR SEPTEMBER 24!
SIGN UP FOR
THE FALL RETREAT BEFORE THE EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT EXPIRES!
IN THIS ISSUE:
A Message from the Director
Upcoming Events - Mark Your Calendar
- Ed Munter: Soul Journey
- One-day CSUN Event September 24
- Larry Starr-Karlin: Anger Workshop Oct. 1
- Fall Retreat October 20-23
- Ongoing Men's Groups
Read "Walter's Journey Into the Wilderness," an
Excerpt from Stephen Johnson's Book-in-Progress
Feedback: Park City Event a Smash Hit!
Into the Fire: Thoughts to Bring to the October 20th Retreat
Recommended Reading: Duino Elegies by Rainer Maria
Rilke
A New Store for Native American Spiritual Artifacts
Inward Bound: Healing in Wilderness
Men's Teams
Important Web Links
Sacred Path Alumni Yahoo Group
Contribute to the Newsletter
A Message from the Director - Dr. Stephen Johnson
 Sunday,
September 4, 2005
Greetings,
I awoke Friday morning at about 4 AM and couldn't get back
to sleep. I lay awake pondering the plight of countless numbers
of human beings that have been inundated in the wake of Hurricane
Katrina. I found myself contemplating the horrific images of
this mass devastation. I have heard people refer to this disaster
as being of epic proportion or of biblical significance; a disaster
unlike any that this nation has ever experienced before. It
certainly does seem to force us to confront the stark reality
of the times that we live in. The day before, 900 Iraqis were
killed when they attempted to escape a suicide bomber. The bridge
that they were traversing collapsed. It was later noted that
the threat posed by the suicide bomber was not real. My wife
commented to me that we seem to be experiencing a series of
raptures, including the Indonesian tsunami in which thousands
of people lost their lives. In the blink of an eye countless
numbers of people are plucked from their fragile lives on earth.
I got out of bed at 6:30 and turned on the TV. I viewed a report
that moved me to tears. I watched a man, whose name is Hardy
Jackson, being interviewed by a journalist. He told her that
he had tried with all his might to hold on to his wife with
one hand while attempting to cling to his children with his
other arm. The water level was high and the current was strong.
As he spoke, he couldn't contain his deep pain any longer. A
well of emotion surged up and overflowed. He sobbed that his
wife pleaded with him to let her go and to save the children.
She knew he couldn't hold on to all of them much longer. This
reminded me of the stunning scene from the movie Sophie's
Choice, when a mother was forced to choose which of her
two children would live and which would die. Hardy told the
reporter that, as he reluctantly released his wife to her death,
he made a promise to her soul and to God that he would take
care of his children. He wept as he said that he was lost and
that he had nowhere to go; he had lost everything. The reporter
began to cry, and my wife and I began to cry also.
I left for the gym and told a friend what I had just seen,
and tears formed in his eyes and rolled down his cheeks, and
we grieved together. My friend had planned to vacation in New
Orleans later this month. We grieved for Hardy and his family,
and we grieved for the thousands that are refugees, homeless
and bereft over the loss of their loved ones.
Crises seem to bring out the best in people and the worst as
well. There are those who are being of service and then there
are those who are part of the problem. The looters, rapists,
and murderers, who were taking advantage of the chaos as they
acted out their evil agendas, could make one despair about humanity
and the crisis confronting our civilization. Thank God for those
who put their needs aside to care for the needs of others. The
kind and compassionate ones... the Spiritual Warriors who step
up to answer the call.
When I heard the message to convene a retreat titled Out of
the Ashes, I was not as aware then of just how timely this gathering
could be. We will commence our work this year on Saturday, September
24th, at CSUN, as we look at the role that stress plays in our
lives as individuals and in relationships, and what we can do
to make a positive difference. This is a good opportunity to
reconvene after the summer and not having been together, for
the most part, since last April. It's a good opportunity, as
well, to introduce new men to our community.
We will then carry our exploration up to the mountain in October
as we look at the events that are occurring in the world today
and attempt to understand what lies ahead and how we need to
prepare to be able to rise to the challenges that may confront
us. I see the work as bringing ourselves into alignment as Spiritual
Warriors who walk a path of service to humanity. We need to
be integrated individually, in our relationships, and in our
work in the world.
One of the paragraphs at the beginning of my book-in-progress
reads this way: Men's work is my personal calling. I consider
the training of Good Men a critical undertaking. The future
of the world depends upon the participation of good men in it.
We need Good Men who'll help out with the worldly task of creating
order out of chaos, harmony out of discontent, and peace out
of discord. Men who have come to terms with their own issues
in the company of other men, where they have learned to speak
from the heart, are the ones best able to turn their attention
to making a positive difference in the lives of others and in
the world at large. That's what this work is all about.
Many blessings to you and yours as we celebrate all that we
are grateful for... One of the gifts to my life was the incredible
community event in Utah last month. I am most grateful to Richard
Bizzaro for hosting the 30 men and women who attended. My wife
and I carried the blessings that we received home with us and
are sharing them with the couples and families with whom we
come in contact. I'm looking forward to more events that support
our relationships with our mates and our children.
Namaste,
Stephen
Upcoming Events - Mark Your Calendar
Ed Munter: Soul
Journey
Find the Love You've Been Looking For... Look Inside!
Can art save the world? A Christian, A Muslim, and a Jew
performing in a revolutionary new musical seem to believe
it just might be possible. In this critical time, when mankind
seems to be divided into warring factions and we seem to be
balanced on the brink of a Holy War, Soul Journey
presents a completely different perspective that is inspiring
and universally accessible. Soul Journey, currently playing
at the Earth & Sky Performing Arts Center, plays like
a funny and touching spiritual fable of the soul's adventure
through the human experience.
As an audience, we are led through a soul-discovery process
to the moment of enlightenment that opens up to a joyful celebration
of our commonality. This collective discovery cuts through
global politics, religious beliefs, doctrine, dogma, spiritual
rhetoric and current world conflicts to arrive at a deeper
connection within us all.
Join Ed Munter, Christo Pellani, and Rashid Lanie
in this revolutionary theatrical experience.
Saturday, September 24th, 8PM; Continuing
on the last Saturday of Each Month
Earth & Sky Performing Arts Center
5521 Grosvenor, Playa Vista
(310) 281-6601
405 to 90 freeway / Centinela exit /
left on Centinela to Jefferson / right on Jefferson
Tickets are $20.00 in advance, $25.00
at the door
One-Day CSUN Event
September 24: Rejuvenation, Support, and Renewal for Men
This session
is a must for those men who are considering our 4-day retreat,
but who have not yet attended a LAMC/Sacred Path event.
Once again, the LA Men's Center/Sacred Path and the Family
Focus Empowerment Center will be co-sponsoring a one-day event
at CSUN on Saturday, September 24th from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM.
Arrival will be at 8:00 AM for sign-in. The price is extremely
reasonable ($55 general admission and $45 for CSUN students),
and includes the full day program, light breakfast, lunch,
and afternoon snacks.
In this fast-paced culture, it seems that there is little
time to catch one's breath and gather one's wits. With family
and relationship challenges, school, job, or career pressures
as well as increasing financial demands, men complain that
they feel burdened and can't keep up, that they're falling
further and further behind. Much is expected, and men often
express that they wish they had a place to share these concerns
with others who are able to understand.
You will have an opportunity to be in the company of others
who share similar interests and concerns. In the large group
community time and small group breakout sessions you will
hear things that you identify with, you will be listened to
and will feel understood, and will come away with more self-awareness
about how to improve your life. It is our goal that you feel
some relief, being able to release part of the stress that
you carry day in and day out.
As a participant in last year's one-day event, I found it
to be powerful and very effective in helping men who rarely
speak of their feelings (and especially their pain and fear)
to each other find the courage and confidence to open up to
other men and be heard. The atmosphere of trust and acceptance
allowed us to breach our own barricades and put down the burden
of armor we usually wear when we encounter other men. Several
of the new men attending were so filled with their own life
energy once again after years of feeling dead that they immediately
signed up for the upcoming four-day retreat. This is an event
well worth attending!
Larry Starr-Karlin:
Anger Workshop
On Saturday, October 1, between 9:00 Am and 12:00 PM, the
Los Angeles Men's Center presents an Anger Workshop facilitated
by Larry Starr-Karlin, JD, MA; a registered MFT intern supervised
by Stephen Johnson, Ph.D., MFT. Larry is in his third year
of advanced training at the Pacific Gestalt Institute.
This will be an experiential workshop utilizing
a gestalt approach to understanding and managing anger.
We will create a supportive environment for learning the
many colors of anger, for contacting and exploring the anger/rage
that we carry, for heightened awareness, and for experimenting
with new ways of expression.
We value and befriend our anger.
We value healthy assertiveness.
We value interdependence.
We value emotional courage.
The cost for this workshop is $45.00
Enrollment limited to 10 participants
21243 Ventura Blvd., Suite 214
Woodland Hills, CA 91364
Call (310)948-3301
Fall Retreat on
the Mountain, October 20-23: Out of the Ashes
Join in a gathering of men dedicated to making a positive
difference in their lives. Let go of the old and welcome the
new as you consecrate your positive intentions for your future.
As Robert Bly suggests, "Ashes and cinders are code words
for the ashy, sooty, depressed, 'out of it' time in a man's
life. The word 'ashes' contains in it a dark feeling for death,
and what we know is that some men around thirty-five or forty
will begin to experience ashes provately, without ritual,
even without old men." Bly states, "They begin to
notice how many of their dreams have turned to ashes."
When it's time for something to die, it signals a time for
rebirth. It is foretold that out of the ashes of destruction
the Phoenix will rise and fly again. I see the October retreat
as an opportunity to meet and lay to rest anything that needs
to be set aside, burned or buried, so that something else
may be born of the Sacred and find its rightful place in one's
new life.
We are offering a limited number of discounted half-price
registration fees for first time participants. We will also
be rewarding scholarships to those in need. Additionally,
for each new first-time registrant you enroll, you can reduce
the cost of your own enrollment by $100. The Early Bird discount
of $25 is presently in effect until Thusday, September 15th.
Returning participants will also receive an additional $25
off your fee. Those of you who receive this newsletter and
act soon have the opportunity to take advantage of all the
discounts prior to the mailing, later this month, to the community
at large.
If you wish to register now or to enroll a new participant,
you can e-mail us at info@menscenterlosangeles.com
and we will expedite your enrollment process. A deposit of
$175 will reserve a spot. Any first-time participant enrolling
for this event can take advantage of the half-price discount
and pay a total fee of only $250. Remember, these spots are
available through a limited offering.
During this retreat we will have workshops that should be
of interest to men of all ages. We invite young men to attend,
and we encourage fathers and their sons 12 years of age and
older or other family members to take the opportunity to utilize
this event as a time to deepen their bond. The theme for the
young men's retreat will be No One is Left Behind.
We continue to focus on the Way of the Spiritual Warrior.
We are empowering men to live their lives as Good Men by bringing
good men together and bringing out the best in them. We have
witnessed the remarkable transformations that occurred on
the mountain this spring, and know that the Fall Retreat holds
more in store. Be a part of the magic!
Weekly Men's Groups
are available in Woodland Hills and Beverly Hills. Please call
for information.
Read "Walter's Journey Into the Wilderness,"
an Excerpt from Stephen Johnson's Book-in-Progress
As a tribute to Walter Atkinson, who passed away last July
27th, we will be including a segment from Stephen Johnson's
book which deals with Walter, his devotion to the Sacred
Path and Call to Adventure programs, and his illness and
eventual transition. Check the Call to Adventure Newsletter
under "News" on the web site and you'll find the
segment there beginning August 6.
Feedback: Park City Event a Smash Hit!
The weather was ideal, the group was loving
and generous, and the first Park City August Retreat was a
huge success! Andrew  Soliz
and Stephen Johnson led over 30 people from California and
Utah on what turned out to be an amazing journey. Included
for the first time were the wives and mates and daughters
of some of the most powerful men on the planet. The women
brought a wonderful new dimension to the sweat lodges and
the ceremonies that occurred during on our Friday and Saturday
night retreat. There is talk about next year already, and
I hope that many more men and women will take advantage of
what will be a Sacred Path tradition for years to come.
Much love,
Richard Bizzaro aka Richie from the Bronx
The Sweat Lodge ceremony has a way of stripping
us of our apparent separateness and revealing our essential
oneness with  each
other and with Life. This unveiling is what I witnessed in
Utah earlier this month.
A group of Sacred Path men and their partners
traveled to Richard Bizzaro's beautiful ranch located on a
fertile plateau surrounded by mountains to join with like-minded
people from Park City to participate in sacred ceremony led
by Andrew "Walking Buffalo" Soliz.
As we shared dinner the day before Lodge, we
were strangers getting to know one another and sharing our
purposes for sitting in Lodge. We shared some fears and concerns
as well as hopes and dreams. We began to come together as
Richard and Stephen welcomed us. We laughed and moved deeper
as Matthew drummed us a Creation Story. We centered and prepared
ourselves as Andrew spoke to us about Sweat Lodge and encouraged
us to pay attention to our dreams that night.
The next day we all placed our intentions in
the Stone People [lava rocks] and our releases in the firewood.
In the morning our new Utah friends went into Lodge with Andrew.
In the afternoon, we Los Angeles folk joined Andrew in the
lodge. I want to respect the sacredness of the ceremony by
not talking directly about what happened, however, I'm moved
to speak of the results.
Men and women joined together in this particular
lodge. As a result, the experience seemed even deeper, more
challenging, and more profound than any previous Lodge I've
sat in. I saw many great things happen for people.
One person shook off old ways of thinking and
stepped into a new life. Another person wept away years of
frustration and self-loathing to discover how truly magnificent
she truly is. Another person committed himself to bringing
ceremony to a new service project. Another person renewed
his commitment to his marriage and his love for his spouse.
Another person went even more deeply into ceremony, cut off
all her hair, and freed herself from the prison of her own
thinking. In all these different ways we were refreshed, renewed,
revitalized and baptized.
We began this ceremony full of distinctions,
discriminations, and differences. We came from different backgrounds,
lived in different places, and were of different gender and
belief systems. By the end of the day, however, all these
faces and layers were gone. They simply weren't important
when faced with the enormity of sacred presence. In ceremonial
time we came together as one living being performing the eternal
dance of revealing more fully who we truly are.
I look forward to joining with you again on
the mountain, brothers.
Namaste,
Tom Couper
Into the Fire: Thoughts to Bring to the October
20th Retreat
It is a fact that when fires erupt on the plains, bands of
wild horses become the victims and begin galloping furiously
away. The ruthless wind blows the smoke ahead of the flames.
There is a wise old mare in the bunch who will turn around
and begin galloping directly for the flames. Some of
the younger horses will follow her. In the end, when the ground
is still black and hot, most of the deceased creatures have
died of asphyxiation from the smoke as they continued running
from it. Primarily it is she and those who have faced the
flames with her who survived, however singed they may be.
They are living.
– Ashley Collins
Recommended Reading: Duino Elegies by Rainer
Maria Rilke - Translated by David Young
This month, we're presenting a new feature which
will be a regular part of the newsletter. Sacred Path members
can send in their own reviews and recommendations of personal
favorites, whether they be novels, poetry, short stories,
or nonfiction dealing with men's work, essays, anecdotes,
sources of inspiration, etc. Each review could include a short
blurb on the author, or perhaps a short piece taken from the
work. Send your favorite reads to Rich Manners at:
jyngleman@sbcglobal.net
I never give you the answers. Love the questions, and
perhaps you'll live your way into the answers. - Rilke
Those of you who don't as yet know Rainer Maria Rilke's poetry
have a real treat in store. Rilke (1875-1926) is acknowledged
as one of the foremost German poets of any era. His work was
an amalgam of the late romantic style with the harsh expressionism
that arose from the chaos of World War I. He was a master
of combining emotion and intellect, and was fascinated with
the human condition inherent in the knowledge of one's own
death. His strong contention was that life and death were
parts of one great unity.
The Duino Elegies, the last great work by Rilke, is
a series of ten poems which combine into one great opus, the
ultimate expression of his spiritual experience. He wrote
the first poem in 1912, isolating himself at the castle of
Duino on the sea near Trieste, after two frustrating years
of being artistically blocked. The first lines came to him
as he stood on the parapet of the castle in a torrential thunderstorm.
All in all, it took him ten years to complete this work, a
piece which allowed him to stand on the borderline of life
and death and sing both in anguish and jubilation.
The Elegies are thronged with acrobats, stories, historical
characters, myths, statues, cities, landscapes, animals, carnivals,
angels, words, a summer morning, dead children, and always
death; a presence, a mystery which looms up far or near, to
give the poem its fullest resonance and meaning.
Here are a few lines from the end of the 8th Elegy
which always strike deeply into my heart:
Who has turned us around this way
so that we're always
whatever we do
in the posture of someone
who is leaving?
Like a man
on the final hill
that shows him
his whole valley
one last time
who turns and stands there
lingering –
that's how we live
always
saying goodbye.
-Rich Manners
A New Store for Native American Spiritual Artifacts
Ivor Weiner has discovered a new store in the West Valley which
offers Native American spiritual artifacts for sale. The info
is:
Native Spirit Stones - Greywolf's Spirit Stones
21523 Sherman Way
Canoga Park, CA 91303
(818)703-7046
Open Wednesday through Sunday, 12 Noon to 6 PM
Closed Monday and Tuesday
The owner, Greywolf, has a gift for any man identifying himself
as being from the LA Men's Center. The prices are reasonable,
and you can avoid having to turn to the web or higher-priced
dealers for spiritual artifacts.
Inward Bound - Healing in Wilderness: A trip
to Limpopo in South Africa
Inward Bound's intention is to explore the inner or healing
journey into wilderness. This implies using the experience of
nature as medicine, and the itinerary for the trek differs vastly
from most wilderness adventures. During and after these journeys,
the participants have profound restorative and healing experiences.
Many of them who have done wilderness trips for years admit
that this inner journey is quite different and even life-altering.
Limpopo in the Northern Province of South Africa is an enchanted
land and was the inspiration for Rider Haggard's books, notably
"King Solomon's Mines". The scenery is breathtaking
and the traditions remain largely intact. The Kruger national
Park is one of the largest and best managed game reserves in
all of Africa. Recently a trans-frontier park was formed, linking
game reserves in Mozambique and Zimbabwe to Kruger. Inward Bound's
2005 adventures will explore this profoundly magical area, its
wildlife, its peoples, their culture, their healers, and their
crafts.
A November 27th departure is planned. For further information
about Inward Bound's November Adventure, e-mail www.davidcumes.com.
Men's Teams
The ongoing eight-man San Fernando Valley team will meet again
on Monday, September 12th. We are now up to eight men, and membership
is closed for the present. If you'd like to get on the waiting
list, call Ivor Weiner at (818) 268-1589, or e-mail him at:
ivor.weiner@csun.edu.
The West Side/West LA team will be holding their next meeting
on Thursday, September 22nd, at Demian Lichtenstein's house,
1257 S. Orange Grove, Los Angeles 90019, at 7 PM. For those
who want to drum, please arrive 15 minutes early. Demian's phone
number is (310)901-5757. For more information or to join the
group, , call Mark Kreher at (310)581-6616 or e-mail him at:
mark.kreher@verizon.net.
You can also call David Sacks at (323) 650-8239, or e-mail him
at: dasacks@yahoo.com.
Matthew Burke's group is full and going great guns in Thousand
Oaks/Malibu. To get on the waiting list, contact Matthew at
(818)774-1000, or e-mail him at: matthewburke@singerburke.com.
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: dj0814myers@earthlink.net.
Lastly, a new group is forming in the Mountain View area of
Northern California. Check on e-mail with the LA Men's Center
for further info.
Important Web Links
SACRED WAYS, Andrew Soliz' organization dedicated to
promoting growth and healing through traditional Native American
teachings and ceremonies. To check on the latest events, ceremonies,
sweatlodges, and other information, log on to www.sacred-ways.org.
To contact Andrew directly, e-mail Andrew@sacred-ways.org.
ALBERT MARREWA, counselor, instructor of martial arts,
consultant, lecturer, and workshop facilitator. Access Albert's
web site at www.albertmarrewa.com
for biographical information, lists of services, and calendar
of events, or e-mail Albert directly at albertmarrewa@aol.com.
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.
ED MUNTER, originator and star performer of Soul
Journey. Find out about the latest performances of this
soul-stirring experience, as well as CD ordering info and more
about Ed himself. Log onto www.innerpathproductions.org
INTERFAITH INVENTIONS, an organization dedicated to
enriching the lives of children and adults through programs
that promote respect and understanding between people of diverse
faiths. They are developing a national network of summer camps
to bring together Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Native
American, and other faiths' children to have fun and to form
lasting relationships. The camp experience includes developing
a relationship with the natural world around them; sharing family
stories, food customs, drumming and music; exploring shared
values of compassion, reconciliation and respect for others
through sacred texts and stories from their traditions as well
as art projects, games, camp fires, and informal play time.
The summer program includes following up activities to help
forge lasting relationships between the children and their communities.
For more info on this highly worthwhile organization, contact
Phil Dichter, President of Interfaith Inventions, at: www.interfaithinventions.org
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:
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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