Photo credit: Men’s Health Magazine: NILS ERICSON
Men’s Health Magazine November 2018 issue features a story on the Evryman Retreat, cofounded and created by Dan Doty, Sascha Lewis, Lucas Krump, and Dan’s mentor, (and New Warrior) Owen Marcus from the Sandpoint, ID Men’s Groups. The article, by Nate Green beautifully, honestly, and emotionally captures the work that men in the ManKind Project know as ‘men’s work,’ the work of healing our hearts and souls in a brotherhood of men.
Link to the Full Article: https://www.menshealth.com/health/a25090246/evryman-retreat
The ManKind Project gets a good mention in the article as another organization doing work to help men overcome our resistance to connection and intimacy in a growing movement toward healthier masculinity.
The article beautifully describes a reality that we know well,
“Men are hurting,” says Dan Doty, “Suicide rates are climbing. School shootings. The #MeToo movement and sexual abuse,” he says. “Men are hurting themselves and they’re hurting other people. But men are not getting the help they need.”
In Dan’s view, there are two main things hurting men: repression of their emotions and lack of deep human connection.
“Some men resist the idea of talking about their feelings and will avoid it at all costs,” says Edward M. Adams, Psy.D., president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, a division of the American Psychological Association.
Adams believes that men right now are at a “danger point.”
“Without connection to each other, men tend to lose their sense of identity and their sense of compassion for themselves and others,” he says. “But some guys think this kind of work sounds too soft and not manly. They think they can handle it on their own.”
The Evryman program offers an experience somewhat different, but deeply complementary to the New Warrior Training Adventure and ManKind Project Men’s Groups. Evryman “Open Source” Retreats are week long events, with lots of nature and outdoor activity, customized for a geographical area and incorporating ‘adventure’ activities. Evryman also hosts men’s groups in a number of locations across the USA. The NWTA is a residential weekend experiential training, with a lower cost and an experience structured around a ‘hero’s journey,’ with staff outnumbering participants by 30-50%. Follow-up men’s groups are available in over 700 locations around the world.
Boysen Hodgson, the ManKind Project USA’s Communications Director, said, “The ManKind Project will certainly continue to be connected with Evryman and support the program.” Hodgson recently spoke in depth on Doty’s Evryman Podcast. Click here.
Hodgson continued, “We’re all in this to create a better and more beautiful world. And it’s going to take all kinds of efforts to make it happen. Dan’s work with his partners at Evryman sings the same song of soul-healing that we’re singing.”
Doty’s mentor, Owen Marcus is a New Warrior and a long-time proponent of men’s work. He’s received notable praise for his work with the movie “About Men” by film-maker Maja Bugge, for his TEDx on ‘Masculine Emotional Intelligence,’ and for his creation of the ‘Free to Win‘ men’s retreats.
Men are hungry for the work. This year the ManKind Project has seen an 8% jump in enrollment and the continuing expansion of our communities into new global regions this past year. For men interested in learning more about the work, but unready to attend a live weekend, the ManKind Project USA is now offering a three week online introduction called, simply, ‘the Men’s Work.’ This program gives men a grounding in basic concepts of men’s work and a connection to a group of men in circle. It is currently being offered 3 times per month.