Director's Message for February

February 1, 2008

Greetings,

On Saturday, January 26th, 20 men gathered to launch the first in a series of 6 Mindfulness Practicums that I will facilitate during the coming year. If you were unable to attend the first Practicum I hope that you’ll be able to make one or more of them in the months that follow. We are booked into Holy Spirit Retreat Center in Encino for the Practicums scheduled for March 8th, May 17th, July 26th and November 8th. We have not set the date for the September Practicum as yet but it will probably be held at the same location in Encino where we met in January. Please mark your calendars now with the above dates and we’ll confirm the date for September shortly (it will likely be September 20th).

I thoroughly enjoyed working with the group of men that attended on Saturday. The depth of the work was profound and the openness and care that was afforded the experience was truly remarkable. I’m truly blessed to be able to offer the work to such a wonderful group of men and look forward to the potential growth and development of the participants over the coming months.

At the end of the Practicum on the 26th approximately a dozen of the men pre-registered for the March 8th Practicum. Those that participated in the first Practicum were offered the opportunity to pre-register for the March 8th Practicum. The registration is now open to those that would like to fill the remaining spaces. If you attended one or more of the Colloquiums offered during 2007, but were unable to participate in the first Practicum in January, I invite you to step back in and experience the next level of the work throughout 2008. We had 3 new men who joined us last month and I welcome more newcomers to the Sacred Path. It’s not necessary to attend all Practicums in the series; however, I do invite you to attend as many as you can to benefit from the continuity and support throughout the coming year. The registration form for the March 8th Practicum can be downloaded below, printed and completed. The remaining spaces will be filled on a first-come basis and a waiting list will be formed.

Now, let’s turn our attention to the 21st Annual Spring Sacred Path Retreat. The Call To Adventure Rites of Passage Retreat for fathers and sons, boys and mentors was first convened in 2000. This upcoming retreat will commence on Thursday, April 10 and run through mid-day Sunday, April 13. The theme of this forthcoming retreat is Commitment. What are you committed to? Whether you know it or not, your actions and what manifests in your life reveal your commitments. If you don’t like what is resulting in your life, then take a look at what you are intending, because that translates through your commitments to the certain outcomes that are showing up. It may be time to honor your commitments, or maybe it’s time to make some changes. The spring retreat can be the perfect opportunity for you to inspect your life, become Mindful of your commitments and take the necessary steps to enhance the quality of your life.

Even though we especially welcome fathers and sons, boys and mentors to this retreat, we also invite any man who just wants to be in the company of other good guys that are endeavoring to make a positive difference in their lives. All retreat-goers will have the opportunity to participate in a sweat lodge, a ropes course, a drum-making workshop and all the other elements that comprise the 4-day event. The ropes course and drum-making workshop are optional and do require an additional enrollment fee. There are plenty of options to choose from so if you don’t want to participate in the ropes course, for example, you will have additional events to choose from. The registration form for this retreat may be downloaded below, completed and submitted to secure your registration.

There will be other seminars to choose from throughout the year. We are in the planning stages of hosting seminars presented by men from our community who are experts on men’s health and anti-aging, financial and estate planning, the Integral Life Formula and anger management, to name a few. As always, I’m looking forward to seeing you at one or more of the events that the Men’s Center and Sacred Path Productions will be hosting in 2008.

In the Spirit of brotherhood,
Stephen

TO DOWNLOAD THE MARCH PRACTICUM FLYER/APPLICATION, CLICK HERE: http://www.menscenterlosangeles.com/3_8_08_practicum_flyer_copy.pdf

TO DOWNLOAD THE CALL TO ADVENTURE RETREAT FLYER/APPLICATION, CLICK HERE: http://www.menscenterlosangeles.com/cta_08_wforms.pdf

Drum Circle at Earth/Sky Lodge February 9

My dear friends!! there's been a lot of asking... so I'm giving!! It's drum circle time again at the Earth and Sky Lodge ... please forward this to all your drum enthusiasts... no drumming "experience " required,   just your open heart and desire to share in community.   Please bring an uncooked potluck snack/drink to share.  NAMASTE!!

“Rhythm Awareness” COMMUNITY DRUM CIRCLE 

Hosted by Christo Pellani

Feb 9 2008 8 pm 

Earth and Sky Lodge, 5521 Grosvenor Blvd., LA 9006

(90 freeway West to Centinela, Exit LEFT on Centinela to Jefferson, RIGHT 1 long block to Grosvenor, RIGHT 500 feet on left to 5521)

Join Christo in celebrating expressions of community and experience the more fun and connecting aspects of drumming in a casual atmosphere of wellness…an interactive circle of breathing and community drumming…connect with your deeper self re-powerment through the RHYTHM connection. Come drum some fun with us! Some drums provided, but bring your own if you have one.

$10.00 Donation and a can of food for the food bank (if you can) 

Info: christodrums@soundformation.com or 310-578-5174

Gathering people together for sharing a fun musical experience is powerful. Something uplifting happens when we come together to create a sense of community expression through drumming and rhythm.
We create a special type of magic when we communicate through a rhythm language, compelling us to tune into each other in a new exciting manner. This collaboration “re-powers” us to unify our individual talents. Soundformation is committed to recreating this spirit of musical connection.
Rhythm Awareness Drum circles:

• Emphasize fun and creative expression.
  
• Welcome anyone to participate, with the belief that everyone brings their own unique musical gift to the group.
  
• Focus on the quality of the interaction between the participants.
  
• Enhance “creative listening” skills.
  
• Build enthusiasm, cooperation, “re-powerment” and success.
  

Christo Pellani

is the founder of Earth and Sky Lodge. He is a master percussionist, sound healer, and insightful teacher of inspirational modalities for personal growth, expression and well being.
Please visit: www.soundformation.com for more info

Reviews of January Practicums

As men in our culture, we are so thirsty for a deep bond with our mothers, our fathers, our spouses and lovers, our children. Yet, we goose step through our existence thinking our worth can, and somehow should, be tallied on a balance sheet with an accountant’s pencil. Our culture supports us in going unconscious to our connection to the divine, our intuition, our broken hearts, and remaining so. The baby boom generation has forged its relationship with Iron John, in all its dimension and complexity, to the extent that it has done so, through the crucible of ostensible freedom of the late 60’s and 70’s. The post baby boom generations, it seems, are focused on simply making themselves a life. Yet, they too need to wake up to the metaphysical talents that lie within and should be touched and developed so as to fully realize one’s genetic potential.

So, what do I mean? What am I talking about? It is simply this. It is not enough for men to talk about self realization, love, relationships, life. . . . we must learn to employ ways of learning and knowing that do not depend upon the use and refinement of the frontal cortex of our brains. That is what the new practicum sessions led by Dr. Johnson are really about. Learning the practices that awaken our deeper wisdom, the non-linear centers of our being, and making them our own. Introducing the techniques that allow us to think with our gut and know with our heart. If all that seems airy-fairy, it’s because you’re in your head. Come and try a practicum. You will feel what our words cannot really express.

Our first practicum has come and gone, but like the tail of the wind, still remains. We welcome those men that want to take their practice of ways of knowing below the head level to new depths as we go through the remaining events this year. I believe everyone who was there this past week will agree that the experience is so worthwhile, and one that in many ways is beyond words. It is an example of the very special resources available to us through the Men’s Center.

-Mitch Roth

I have attended the great majority of colloquiums last year, and I must say in all honesty that the Practicum held on January 26th was a mammoth step above those, both in the content of the day’s teachings and activities and the willingness of the participants to let it all hang out and go with Dr. Johnson’s flow.

Rather than talking about problems, we entered into a world of practical solutions in the form of practices that would bring us into altered states of consciousness and help to clear the cobwebs from our thinking. We moved from a state of thinking to a state of being – and the men were willing to risk it all in their depth of participation. I have never seen so many men get so much out of the breath work in which we participated, and the meditation/Yoga worked wonders for centering ourselves.

The most exciting thing about the series of Practicums is that each one builds on the previous sessions, so that by the time the series ends, the men will have a great variety of tools on which to draw.
I look forward to seeing you all there!

- Rich Manners

Review and Invitation to "Dying to Live" Documentary

This past Saturday night I gathered with eight other men and one remarkable actor, writer, director, producer, caregiver and wonderful human being. He showed us the documentary he had just finished and wanted our thoughts and feelings about it. It is called “Dying To Live.” The man’s name is Ben Mittleman. He is an actor by trade and stars in his own documentary about his family and experiences during the year 2000. He is faced with needing open heart surgery to repair damage to his heart valve. Along with this he discovers that his soul mate and companion of the last 20 years has an aggressive form of lung cancer, his mother is declining in health and his father’s cousin, whom he takes care of as if she were his mother, is declining in health as well. Yet, throughout all this, he manages to be there for everyone and take care of himself as well. We see and hear his uttermost fears and regrets. There is nothing false about this film. It is all done with a hand held video camera and edited well. After seeing it I realized how much pain I had felt watching it. It made me go deeper into my innermost thoughts and feelings and I cried and cried. This film opened up unhealed wounds in me that I thought were healed. I thank god it did as I can now know what I need to work on. Ben is a very courageous giving man and has given us a gift by sharing his life. If you are interested, you can see a trailer of the film on his website, www.dyingtolivethemovie.com. Ben is having a benefit premier of his movie on March 13, 2008 and has extended an invitation to our community to attend. It will also be shown regularly for the following 2 weeks as well. I would highly recommend that you and your family see this movie together. It is my opinion that this film will change your life.

-Bruce Figoten

Ben Mittleman’s Film, “Dying to Live,” is extremely important for men to view on many levels. Ben is forced into a mid-life crisis that few of us can imagine on our worst days. As he approaches age 50, his athletically perfect body, which has always been an important element of who he is, suddenly starts to fail. His successful acting career is crushed in mid-stride. He can no longer get his breath after two minutes of exercise, nor can he run five miles a day. The culprit is a mitral valve in his heart which has begun to leak and will require immediate surgery if he expects to live. We learn that his father had the same affliction, which changed his life into a painful spiral into depression and death. The film focuses on Ben’s reaction to his own crisis, his realization of his own mortality, how others around him react to it (or run away), and his relationships with those close to him. He is willing to share his struggles with us, the audience, in a feat of bravery seldom witnessed. His successful emergence from the surgery and its aftermath is followed almost immediately by the revelation that his wife’s mesothelioma has become much more aggressive. His feelings of guilt that maybe he was the cause of the exacerbation of her disease begin to emerge. He allows us to witness their relationship through the times of hoping for miraculous cures, the realization that were to be no cures, and finally, her dying process. The film very strongly captures the fact that a man can be a strong and faithful caretaker, as Ben is to his wife, his mother, and his aunt. Above all, Ben’s bravery in letting us see and share every private piece of himself is truly amazing. We all have something important to learn from viewing this film.

- Rich Manners

Here is an invitation from Ben Mittleman:
There is a simple lesson underlying the work I’ve been doing these past few years; that the truth will never hurt you. I ask for your help in bringing my new film into the world.

My documentary feature, “Dying To Live- the journey into a man’s open heart” will have its benefit premiere on March 13, 2008 at the Laemmle Music Hall Theatre in Beverly Hills, CA at 7:30pm. This will be followed by a two week run at the Music Hall.

The proceeds of the premiere screening will be donated to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation and the Los Angeles Caregivers Resource Center. Both of these charities hold great significance for me and the issues brought to light in the movie.

Over the years I have often needed to reach out to my friends for support. Now I believe I’ve made a movie that will resonate to a broad audience and help families living through the raw realities of survival and loss.

In “Dying to Live,” I’ve laid bare everything I’ve learned in the theatre and in life. The film needs a leg up and I hope you will help me spread the word.

Visit the website at: www.dyingtolivethemovie.com, watch the trailer, forward it on to your friends & family and come out to the premiere. The tickets for the event are $35. Please hold the date open to attend on Thursday March 13.

You can book tickets for the premiere at: www.dyingtolivethemovie.com/tickets or call our office at 310-859-7292. If you aren’t able to make the opening, please come out during the run. It’s important to demonstrate that this small film with heart has an audience.

Looking forward to seeing you there, and thanks for your help.

Sincerely,

- Ben Mittleman

David Friedman's Art at LBA Gallery

Hello Friends,

I am pleased to announce I have 2 paintings accepted in

"Celebration of Color" 

Long Beach Arts Gallery

Jan 12 - Feb 15

"The Color of Now" and "Z-space Into the Light"

Juror: James Scarborough

245 West Broadway Suite 260

(corner of Broadway and Pacific)

Long Beach, CA 90801

562 435 5995

**********

Come visit MetaPixel Studio & Gallery

www.DavidFriedmanArt.com

Two Choices - What Would You Do?

You make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice?

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: "When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?"

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. "I believe that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child."

Then he told the following story:

Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, "Do you think they'll let me play?" Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, "We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning."

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. His Father watched with a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart. The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!" Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second!" Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball ... the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, "Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay"

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third! Shay, run to third!"

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, "Shay, run home! Run home!" Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.

"That day", said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, "the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world".

Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his father so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY: We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate. The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.

If you're thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you're probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren't the "appropriate" ones to receive this type of message. Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference. We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the "natural order of things." So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice: Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?

A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats its least fortunate amongst them.

- Nick Rath