Greetings, Sacred Path Community,
Registrations have been coming in for the February 18th Men’s Practicum, and a great group of guys have signed up thus far. At this point there are fewer than 5 spaces available. So, if you’ve been contemplating attending this event, please complete and fax in your form to reserve your spot. You can also email Rich Manners at Rich@DrStephenJohnson.com to let him know that you want to join us. We’re changing the venue from Holy Spirit Retreat Center to the Topanga Community House, 1440 Topanga Canyon Blvd., in Topanga. We’ve used this space before and it’s very private, nestled in the hills of Topanga Canyon, and it has a great fireplace. If the Doppler Radar system is accurate we may have rain over that weekend, so we’ll be very cozy, just like up on the Mountain when we’re on retreat. You can read about this Mindfulness event in this newsletter and you’ll find the registration form so that you can take action and confirm your commitment to enroll. This is the only one-day event that I’m facilitating this year, since I’m working diligently to complete my book for a summer release.
I’m excited to announce that we’re gearing up for the 25th Annual Spring Sacred Path Men’s Retreat combined with the 12th Annual Call to Adventure Rites of Passage Retreat for fathers and sons, boys and mentors. It commences on Thursday, April 12th through Sunday, April 15th, and is being convened once again at Gindling Hilltop Camp north of Malibu, two miles above the coastal ridge overlooking the vast expanse of the Pacific coast. The view of the off-shore islands, the nighttime crab boats and the occasional whale sightings is awesome. Please read the Calling All Heroes piece and the information about the retreat in this newsletter. We’re providing herewith the registration form so that you can take advantage of the early registration discounted fee.
We’re commencing a year of celebration commemorating the quarter-century that the Men’s Center has been hosting Sacred Path retreats and other events. As we head toward the 25th Annual Fall Sacred Path Men’s Retreat in October, 18-21, 2012, we’re getting a leg up on the fun by creating an outstanding Spring retreat. Please consider participating and inviting family members and friends to join you.
In addition to the therapy that Dan Franklin and I provide, I’m enthused to introduce you to my two new interns that will be working out of my Beverly Hills and Woodland Hills offices under my supervision. Kristen Paull and Brian Wilson bring with them a wealth of life and professional experience. Even though they’re getting started with their practices you’ll see that they’re not at all new to the world of working with and helping people to be their best. I’ve included Kristen and Brian’s bios and invite you to consider referring clients to them. Their fee range makes it truly accessible for those seeking competent counseling and guidance at a more affordable level. Give them a call and see for yourself.
The next event for men and women will once again feature Leonard Orr for a weekend of events in June commencing Friday night the 1st through Sunday the 3rd (please note that the dates for this program were listed incorrectly in the previous newsletter). The program includes didactic presentation, experiential learning and community sharing. Leonard will present informative and fascinating information on Friday evening followed by a workshop on Saturday for those wanting to deepen their Conscious Breathing expertise and then an event on Sunday for those that simply want to experience the process. We had 50 in attendance last June and many are working with the recommendations that Leonard offered for making spiritual purification an important part of one’s life. Look for further information and registration materials in the March Newsletter.
Have an enchantingly romantic or at least a loving Valentine’s Day,
Stephen
To Download the Flyer for the Spring 2012 Sacred Path/Call to Adventure Retreat, Click HERE
To Download the Application for the Spring 2012 Sacred Path/Call to Adventure Retreat, click HERE
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Feb. 18 Practicum Only Days Away - Register Now!
How are you dealing with the stresses of life these days? Do you get enough sleep, relaxation and rest? Are your nerves constantly on edge and jangled? In terms of your mood, are you depressed and anxious? Do you feel irritable and tend to snap at people? Do you awaken not ready for prime time wishing you could spend the day in bed? If you answered yes to any of these questions, consider that you’re fully human and a charter member of the majority of humanity that feels plagued by the pressures and duress of trying to keep up with the fast and frenetic pace of life today.
Here’s another question: Would you like to feel more in control, more at ease and lighter with a brighter outlook? The answer may seem obvious, yet as clear as the answer is, the mechanism to attain it isn’t necessarily so evident. Consider this: we may not always be able to control what occurs in our life and what happens to us, but we can learn how to exert greater control over how we react to it.
Mindfulness training provides the strategies and practices with which to weatherproof your life as well as maintain and sustain greater balance, equanimity and serenity. Being able to ride the daily ups and downs without being thrown makes living much less effortful. Setting the worries aside while dealing with your concerns in a discerning manner supports your capacity for taking skillful actions and manifesting resourceful outcomes. Calming the nervous system and attaining a centered presence allows for poise, focused awareness and clarity to reign supreme. This is the mechanism upon which our soulful intuition rises to the surface, guiding us to be our personal best.
Mindfulness training is based on age-old wisdom principals. You can think of it as a blueprint that lays out the structure for crafting your lifestyle to fit your own unique design. The elements tend to rearrange and fall into place when we sit quietly in stillness and silence and allow the inner voice of our deepest intuition to speak to us. Learning how to incorporate Mindfulness meditation into a daily practice can go a long way in providing the context with which energy moves into place. Learning how to breathe effectively in order to clean and balance our energy body strengthens our life urge and nurtures the revitalization of our cells. Energy becomes what we think, and thought is a divine creative force that has power and potential for great change mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
I am inviting 20 men to participate in a day of reflection, introspection and authentic self-examination of the blueprint underlying the foundation and structure of the lives that we’re living. During the time together we’ll explore Mindfulness strategies and learn useful spiritual purification practices involving the key elements of earth, air, water, fire and ether. You’ll have the opportunity to develop the powers of intuition through cultivating the deep experiential wisdom imbued with divine creativity and universal intelligence. During the event you’ll engage in experiences that are transformative and you’ll carry away the framework of a technology that is practical, useful and applicable on a daily basis. I invite you to be one of the men that will gather for this practicum.
To download the flyer/application, click HERE
Here’s another question: Would you like to feel more in control, more at ease and lighter with a brighter outlook? The answer may seem obvious, yet as clear as the answer is, the mechanism to attain it isn’t necessarily so evident. Consider this: we may not always be able to control what occurs in our life and what happens to us, but we can learn how to exert greater control over how we react to it.
Mindfulness training provides the strategies and practices with which to weatherproof your life as well as maintain and sustain greater balance, equanimity and serenity. Being able to ride the daily ups and downs without being thrown makes living much less effortful. Setting the worries aside while dealing with your concerns in a discerning manner supports your capacity for taking skillful actions and manifesting resourceful outcomes. Calming the nervous system and attaining a centered presence allows for poise, focused awareness and clarity to reign supreme. This is the mechanism upon which our soulful intuition rises to the surface, guiding us to be our personal best.
Mindfulness training is based on age-old wisdom principals. You can think of it as a blueprint that lays out the structure for crafting your lifestyle to fit your own unique design. The elements tend to rearrange and fall into place when we sit quietly in stillness and silence and allow the inner voice of our deepest intuition to speak to us. Learning how to incorporate Mindfulness meditation into a daily practice can go a long way in providing the context with which energy moves into place. Learning how to breathe effectively in order to clean and balance our energy body strengthens our life urge and nurtures the revitalization of our cells. Energy becomes what we think, and thought is a divine creative force that has power and potential for great change mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
I am inviting 20 men to participate in a day of reflection, introspection and authentic self-examination of the blueprint underlying the foundation and structure of the lives that we’re living. During the time together we’ll explore Mindfulness strategies and learn useful spiritual purification practices involving the key elements of earth, air, water, fire and ether. You’ll have the opportunity to develop the powers of intuition through cultivating the deep experiential wisdom imbued with divine creativity and universal intelligence. During the event you’ll engage in experiences that are transformative and you’ll carry away the framework of a technology that is practical, useful and applicable on a daily basis. I invite you to be one of the men that will gather for this practicum.
To download the flyer/application, click HERE
Daily Om: Fellowship with a Purpose
Starting a group with like-minded people can help you feel grounded and connected to what matters in your life.
Human beings, by their very nature, love to gather. Yet as much as we crave community, the rigors of real life frequently interfere with our efforts to come together with likeminded individuals. For this reason, fellowship is crucial to humanity's wellbeing now more than ever. Most towns and cities play host to a variety of small groups that allow people to congregate purposefully, but that does not mean we should not consider founding our own. When people with similar interests, ideals, or aspirations come together as a group, a community is built that provides a new dimensionality to our earthly experiences.
The formation of a group is like an invitation welcoming all those desiring companionship and camaraderie into a circle of support. You may feel driven to found a group for women, healers, knitters, readers, writers, or political activists. Rules need only be a part of your communal experience if you find that level of organization appealing, and it matters little whether your group is large, goal-oriented, or structured. When you have a firm vision of the group you wish to bring into being, hang posters, reach out to acquaintances, and get in touch with similar groups to attract participants. Groups of likeminded individuals are to some extent inherently exclusionary, being that they serve as a supportive environment in which people who have something in common can gather. Yet such groups can also transcend the boundaries that might otherwise keep people apart, The group you create will likely attract people from many different ethnic, cultural, and spiritual backgrounds, a! nd if you make these individuals feel equally welcome, your group will grow and thrive as a result.
Try to ward off any discouragement you feel when those intrigued by your group's purpose are not ready to contribute actively. They are likely waiting to see how it evolves and whether you are truly committed to serving as its heart and soul. If the group you have founded is a positive influence in the life of even a single individual, it is well worth it. Your intention to bring people together will be the seed that develops into a source of nurturance and community that stays true to its purpose long after its initial inception.
Introducing Kristen Paull, M.A.
Kristen is dedicated to working with children, adolescents and young adults as well as couples and families. She provides psychotherapy and life coaching, using a collaborative approach for clients who may be struggling with feelings of depression, stress, anxiety, low self esteem, family conflict, loneliness or isolation, and relationship issues among others. By creating a warm, supportive, therapeutic environment she strives to help her clients gain a deeper understanding of who they are and how the patterns they’ve created in their lives may be holding them back from achieving their full potential. Although her orientation is Psychodynamic, she uses Cognitive Behavioral strategies tailored to her clients’ specific needs, often helping them transition from one stage of life to another.
Kristen’s clinical training is extensive. Most recently she has been working at Swanson, Conti and Associates in Encino California, where she provides supportive psychotherapy to all age groups - from children as young as 3 years old, to teenagers, young adults, couples, families, and older individuals. She also worked with severely mentally ill clients at Alcott Center for Mental Health Services for five years, providing individual, group and family therapy. Additionally, she worked with teenagers suffering from Oppositional Defiant Disorder at Camp David Juvenile Center in Malibu. At New Start, in Santa Monica, she helped clients who were struggling with a wide array of issues including, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and sexual disorders. Kristen has also worked as a consultant in the motion picture industry, advising writers, actors, and studio representatives regarding therapy techniques and therapeutic interventions for feature films.
As a mother of two children, Kristen has extensive hands-on experience and plenty of opportunities to utilize her therapeutic skills, incorporating appropriate modeling, setting of limits, and positive reinforcement strategies. Kristen was recently recognized by The Los Angeles Unified School District for volunteerism in her children's school.
Kristen is available in our Beverly Hills office Monday morning, afternoon and evening, as well as Wednesday and Saturday. Call Kristen at 310-962-5092 to set up an appointment.
Introducing Brian Wilson, M.A.
Brian A. Wilson, M.A., received his master’s degree in clinical psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles. As a Marriage and Family Therapy Intern (#66962), his clinical training includes counseling severely mentally ill clients at Sylmar Health and Rehabilitation, an in-patient, locked psychiatric facility in the LA area. In addition, he counsels at-risk youths through The Peacock Foundation of Los Angeles, utilizing a variety of animal assistants including a rabbit, rats, California king snake, a chinchilla, a skink and two desert tortoises.Brian specializes in working with creative individuals, and creative endeavors have been an integral part of Brian’s life. He started a lifelong love of photography in junior high, and still shoots (professionally and for pleasure) to this day. He has worked as a photojournalist for major national publications including USA Today and TIME. For many years, he was a writer for Hallmark Cards Inc. and in the advertising and public relations field as well. Most recently, Brian worked in the dream factory/meat grinder known as Hollywood as a writer/director, producing award-winning scripts and short films. Recently, he optioned his first feature screenplay.
As a creative person himself, Brian understands the pressures, struggles and challenges faced by writers, actors, directors, musicians and artists of all kinds. He loves working with creative people, and wants to do all he can to help them reach their full creative potential, and live rich, rewarding, fulfilling lives.
Brian is available to help individuals, couples and families from all backgrounds. Whether you’re struggling with a major life stressor or are just “feeling stuck,” Brian is ready and willing to help you regain your high spirits, nurture and build loving relationships and navigate your life’s purpose, goals and transitions. He is available in our Beverly Hills office on Wednesday afternoon and evening, and in the Woodland Hills office mid-day Thursday and Saturday mornings. Call Brian at 818-524-9282 to set an appointment.
Where Are All the Heroes?
By
Stephen J. Johnson, Ph.D.
Where are all the real heroes today? Role models that represent leadership for our youth appear to be absent or in short supply. Many young men today lack guidance to prepare them for manhood. Positive role models that represent the fundamental qualities of mature masculinity such as honesty, integrity, compassion, a sense of social responsibility and a commitment to purpose are needed now more than ever before.
In fact, now more than ever, our young males are yearning for a sense of belonging. Inner city youth, succumbing to the dramatic absence of fathering and mentoring, turn to urban gangs for a sense of belonging. Males from privileged backgrounds perceive acquisitions as the measure of manhood. It is evident that young men from all backgrounds have entered a troubled world with little guidance, diminished preparation and dashed hope.
In a time of our ancestors, tribes would initiate young men into manhood through a rite of passage. The elders of the tribe to ritualize the young man’s journey into maturity would facilitate a ceremony involving some form of challenge.
As the ones who created the world our youth will inherit, it is our job to prepare our young people for the journey ahead. Although we cannot provide them with their answers, we can point them in the direction of the right questions to ask and equip them with tools for their process of self-discovery. The Call to Adventure Retreat is a rare opportunity for young men to become heroes in their own lives and leaders in their community.
THE CALL TO ADVENTURE RETREAT offers contemporary rites of passage into manhood for young men. This is an ideal bonding experience for fathers and sons. In today’s culture, it is critical that young men have pivotal experiences that present a model of true manhood. This retreat is that transformational adventure!
Not only for fathers and sons, but for spiritual warriors of all ages… a four-day vision quest into the heart of one’s soul that includes discussions, stories, leadership and following processes, a team building ropes course, workshops, sacred ceremony, time for introspection, self-reflection and meditation all geared to providing dynamic opportunities to discover one’s authentic self within a context of safety, acceptance, understanding and love.
We endeavor to open the world of conscious manhood to those seeking enhanced awareness, clarity of values, sharpened skills and a mature masculinity modeling what it means to be a good man today. We will not be mailing out the flier but rather will spread the word via the Internet and interpersonal contact. Please pass this message to those that you would like to invite and you can also download and print the flier to hand out. We’re looking forward to assembling upwards of 80 participants for this very special event and we sincerely hope that you’ll choose to be with us.
Partial and full scholarships are awarded based on request and established by need. At this point we have approximately $1,000 and another $4-5,000 committed from two of our men in support of our upcoming 25th Annual Spring Sacred Path Men’s Retreat happening concurrently with the 13th Annual Call To Adventure Retreat. Their committed donations are earmarked for the CTA portion of the combined retreat (April 12-15, 2012). We would like to increase this fund by at least $5,000 in order to bring more deserving boys and mentors to the SP/CTA Spring Retreat. For each $500 that is donated we can fully scholarship one participant. Please consider making a donation or getting the message out to sources capable of contributing to our Scholarship Funds. All donations in any amount are welcomed and greatly appreciated.
For those wishing to donate to assist men in need, you can earmark your donation for the Conrad Burke Memorial Scholarship Fund. If you wish to contribute to our youth scholarship fund, you can earmark your donation for the Walter Atkinson Memorial Scholarship Fund. Checks may be made out to Millennium Oaks Institute that manages our scholarship programs. M.O.I is a 501c3 Not-For-Profit Organization that is overseen by Charlie Atkinson, Walter’s son. Thank you for your generous support of our programs.
You’re invited to participate with a group of dedicated individuals committed to supporting the work of the Men’s Center Los Angeles through our efforts to provide inner city boys the opportunity to have a memorable experience of conscious manhood. There are a number of areas in this endeavor that can use more manpower. MCLA is working in collaboration with Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and the Los Angeles County Second District, C.U.R.E., USC coach Pete Carroll’s A Better LA, UNITY, those in prevention with LAPD, LA County Probation, County of LA Sheriff’s Department as well as LA County Parks and Recreation to expand our youth enhancement program. We sincerely hope that you’ll favorably consider joining us.
Our mission is to offer these retreats to more young males residing in the inner city. Upwards of 80% of African American children in south central Los Angeles and other urban areas across the nation are growing up without a biological father in the home, and we want to make a positive difference. Our current focus is on reaching out to private and corporate sponsors to help underwrite this program. Please consider making a contribution to our scholarship programs to support men and boys worthy of our help. On behalf of the men of the Sacred Path Wisdom Council, I thank you for your consideration of this request. Please notify us of your intention to make a contribution and we will discuss your preferred method of payment and provide further information concerning a tax deduction.
The 13th annual CTA is fast approaching. The event commences Thursday afternoon, April 12th, and concludes Sunday afternoon, April 15th 2012. It takes place on a hilltop overlooking the coastline, just beyond the Malibu city limits in Ventura County. A varied menu and comfortable lodging are provided. An enriching experience is promised. An adventure of personal development is guaranteed.
Visit our web site, www.menscenterlosangeles.com, to read more about our programs and this upcoming retreat. Listen to audio recordings and view videos that illustrate what has been accomplished when good men come together to make a positive difference in their own lives and the lives of others.
Blind Perspective, Volume 4
It’s early morning. I can feel a familiar paw resting on my cheek. I slowly open my sleepy eyes to the most beautiful set of yellow-green eyes. Zacky, my male cat, is perched on my chest. My God, I can see again!
After ten days of being temporarily blinded by medication, I awake, as predicted, with my eyesight. I blink and rub my eyes. Zacky jumps off the bed and I sit up, not sure if I’m dreaming. The morning light bathes the room as the prisms on the windows dance with all the colors of the rainbow. The purple bougainvillea explodes with color, and the scent of jasmine fills my nostrils. Momma Girl jumps on the bed and meows good morning. I take her in my arms. “Didn’t I tell you that soon I’d see again?” She looks at me with eyes as yellow as mustard. I sit at the side of the bed, my depth perception a little compromised. I feel like I’m a wee drunk and hold on to the doorstop. I focus on the bathroom ahead. I see myself in the mirror for the first time in ten days. Oh boy, do I need a shave, I think to myself. I shower, feed the cats and make myself some cereal. I’m shocked at how full the refrigerator has gotten from food my friends and family have brought while I was blinded. I open the kitchen door and marvel at the carpet of cobalt blue and yellow morning glories flowing from the ancient California Pepper tree onto the ficus hedge. My eyes take in all the green grass against the terra cotta pavers. The phone rings.
“Good morning!” I say.
“Michael, you’re so excited!” It was my sister.
“Ingrid, I can see again!”
“Oh, thank God. I knew it would all work out,” she said, relieved. “Do you want me to accompany you to your doctor visit tomorrow?”
“No, thanks. It should be pretty routine.”
“Okay. I’m sure you have lots of people to call. Love you!”
I hang up and call my friends and family. Before I know it, it’s sundown, friends have come and gone, and my depth perception is normal again.
The following morning I’m up early, driving to visit the ophthalmologist. It feels so good to drive again! I arrive and recall being in the doctor’s office, blind just 12 days before, and how it all feels like a bad dream.
“Mr. Tapia?” the nurse calls.
“Yes?”
“The doctor will see you now.”
“Thank you, Ma’am.”
I see the doctor for the first time. He looks nothing like I’d imagined.
“Mr. Tapia, have a seat,” he says. He puts a couple of drops in my eyes and has a look with a very powerful magnifier. “Umm,” he mumbles.
“Your uvitis has cleared. The HIV virus has weakened your immune system quite severely. Unfortunately, you also have budding CMV retinitis.
“You’ll be permanently blind in two years.”
After ten days of being temporarily blinded by medication, I awake, as predicted, with my eyesight. I blink and rub my eyes. Zacky jumps off the bed and I sit up, not sure if I’m dreaming. The morning light bathes the room as the prisms on the windows dance with all the colors of the rainbow. The purple bougainvillea explodes with color, and the scent of jasmine fills my nostrils. Momma Girl jumps on the bed and meows good morning. I take her in my arms. “Didn’t I tell you that soon I’d see again?” She looks at me with eyes as yellow as mustard. I sit at the side of the bed, my depth perception a little compromised. I feel like I’m a wee drunk and hold on to the doorstop. I focus on the bathroom ahead. I see myself in the mirror for the first time in ten days. Oh boy, do I need a shave, I think to myself. I shower, feed the cats and make myself some cereal. I’m shocked at how full the refrigerator has gotten from food my friends and family have brought while I was blinded. I open the kitchen door and marvel at the carpet of cobalt blue and yellow morning glories flowing from the ancient California Pepper tree onto the ficus hedge. My eyes take in all the green grass against the terra cotta pavers. The phone rings.
“Good morning!” I say.
“Michael, you’re so excited!” It was my sister.
“Ingrid, I can see again!”
“Oh, thank God. I knew it would all work out,” she said, relieved. “Do you want me to accompany you to your doctor visit tomorrow?”
“No, thanks. It should be pretty routine.”
“Okay. I’m sure you have lots of people to call. Love you!”
I hang up and call my friends and family. Before I know it, it’s sundown, friends have come and gone, and my depth perception is normal again.
The following morning I’m up early, driving to visit the ophthalmologist. It feels so good to drive again! I arrive and recall being in the doctor’s office, blind just 12 days before, and how it all feels like a bad dream.
“Mr. Tapia?” the nurse calls.
“Yes?”
“The doctor will see you now.”
“Thank you, Ma’am.”
I see the doctor for the first time. He looks nothing like I’d imagined.
“Mr. Tapia, have a seat,” he says. He puts a couple of drops in my eyes and has a look with a very powerful magnifier. “Umm,” he mumbles.
“Your uvitis has cleared. The HIV virus has weakened your immune system quite severely. Unfortunately, you also have budding CMV retinitis.
“You’ll be permanently blind in two years.”
(To be continued in the next issue)
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