01/05/2024
It’s sometimes painful to be ahead of the curve.
I recently read in a wellness industry newsletter the following title: Trend: Wellness Retreats Finally Take a Human Approach to Men
The content then references a few articles in major publications including this Fortune piece:
Goodbye, tough guy. More men are rejecting the finance bro stereotype and going on retreats to learn empathy. – Fortune
How more men, hitting crises in their lives, are heading to men’s retreats such as Evryman and Junto, that challenge the age-old idea of stoic, self-sufficient masculinity. The retreat-goers report that they find themselves transformed by the days devoted to connecting with others, guided conversations about relationships and work life—interspersed with wellness experiences such as hikes and meditation. How more men are seeing emotional intelligence as a crucial quality to being a leader at work.
Having been involved in running Men’s Circles and Retreats for the past 15 years I am grateful that the media and more mainstream culture is accepting that ‘Men’s Work’ is no longer a taboo subject. And in another way I feel challenged by the fact that some new Men’s Work coaches are charging £1,400+ for a few days Men’s Retreat - who have slick branding and videos on their website.
There is an opportunity cost that comes with choosing to live more of life In The Real World instead of trumpeting one’s accomplishments and offerings with hyper-regularity.
Yes - I would like my Men’s Retreat to be more full. And at the same time, I don’t want to be a slave to the Digital Gods of Distraction.
I know my approach to combining Men’s Work with deep Nature Connection in wild places - based on the time-honoured Vision Quest of spending intentional time alone in Nature - works. Men often come away feeling a deep sense of groundedness. With a break from their to-do lists they often re-remember what their values are and who they want to become more of. To not chase culture’s narrative of success, but instead design their own version.
I’m running my annual Men’s Retreat in the wilds of southern Tuscany in Italy 15-19th May.
Come join me. You won’t regret it.
Details in the comments.
