Initiation for Modern Times
The ManKind Project has created a modern initiation for men. In almost every global culture, rites of passage taught boys how to be men and become productive members of the ‘tribe’. Often these experiences were harrowing and physically painful. These days, that old kind of initiation is no longer appropriate, safe, or useful (though dangerous initiations are still occurring in gangs, universities and adolescent acts of rebellion.) The modern initiation is safe, non-shaming, and focused on the problems that face men in the 21st century. We conduct an initiation because we believe it is absolutely necessary for a man to learn in an unequivocal way; what he is capable of, why he is here, and how to engage fully in his life.
If you are ready for some tough questions, The Adventure might be for you.
With this knowledge, a modern man is freed to make choices, take risks and assume full responsibility for his life. This is not some freshers ritual or an entrance to a secret organisation; you’re not joining a gang: this is a challenging 48 hour immersive experience that will likely have life-changing effects. Not every man is ready for our training, but every man can gain something when he is willing to take that step.
Our training may have aspects of other workshops you have experienced, but the power of initiation is in the challenge.
It is an entry point into a new way of being you.
Mature Masculinity
There is something profoundly and subtly different about a man who strives for maturity in all aspects of his life. This kind of man has been called many things throughout history; we call him the New Warrior. Many aspects of the New Warrior will sound familiar. What the ManKind Project offers is a time proven way of integrating aspects of the mature masculine into your everyday world in a powerful, responsible and self-aware way, as part of a community of like-minded men. We commit to integrating these values into our lives, and we support each other and provide tools to help each other succeed. We don’t just talk the talk, we work together to walk the walk.
Values of the ManKind Project
Accountability
Authenticity
Compassion
Generosity
Integrity
Leadership
Multicultural Inclusivity
Respect
If you like the sound of these, The Adventure might be for you.
Men Helping Men
As boys and as men, we often view one another as competitors; for our parents’ attention, in sports, in classes, for mates, for jobs.
In pre-history this competition was for the survival of our species. Today the pressures to compete in an ever more complex world drive men to lots of unhealthy behaviours. To the extent that this competitive attitude isolates us from other men and from our communities, it is killing us, literally.
Men who suffer isolation are less healthy, less happy, less successful and die early. Coupled with other health risks, emotionally isolated men are more than twice as likely to die prematurely.
Tragically, we often feel alone even with our families and loved ones. The prevalence of alcoholism, depression, violence, suicide, and many other addictive and self-destructive behaviours are directly linked to the fact that men in our societies are disconnected from themselves and from each other.
There is another way!
The skills of relationship are learnable. In the ManKind Project, we often talk about these skills as growing our connection to feeling, waking up, or building emotional intelligence. You can learn to stop being enslaved by your anger or fear, learn to share openly without shame the deepest parts of yourself, learn to express love and joy in a way that fosters powerful relationships, learn to feel safe and whole around men and women.
Emotional literacy is widely recognised today as the most important factor in creating a successful and deeply satisfying life. You can continue to think your way through life, pushing away the unpleasant feelings that are cycling through your mind and body, but you will miss most of the experiences that make life worth living.
That’s not what you want. You want to live fully.
The Adventure could be for you.
The ManKind Project supports men. We help each other. Through our training’s, our social networks and our ongoing men’s groups we engage one another at a deep emotional level, sharing the highs and the lows. Having a broad support structure leads to healthier coping mechanisms and better physical and emotional health, life-long. You will be able to create and maintain relationships with men that are not just socially satisfying, but that will help you move forward in meaningful ways in your life.
Your family will benefit, your work will benefit, your friendships will benefit. Many men experience a level of aliveness that they have never known before. We challenge each other to keep growing. We support each other in all our life’s experiences. Competitive energy no longer isolates us from each other, but becomes a spice in our relationships, helping each of us to become the men we want to be.
Connection to Feeling
Many men have been taught to value thinking and to distrust feelings. They have been desensitised, taught to endure pain without complaint, and told that it is an honour to sacrifice our bodies for society. As a result, many men suffer from isolation and are prone to addictions and to acting out their feelings in dysfunctional ways. Many are afraid of intimacy, both with men and with women. They hide behind masks that are brittle and in need of repair.
Many men are sad, lonely, frightened, angry, and ashamed, and don’t even know it. And with the loss of their feelings, they also lose what is most precious to them: their ability to value their world and to hold life dear.
Other men know their feelings perhaps too well. They have learned to indulge in their feelings and use them to manipulate others, often the ones they love most. They lack the ability to stand in their own authenticity. Lost in their feelings, they too lose what is most precious to them: their ability to be trusted and loved.
There is another way
On The Adventure men re-discover their feelings with their feet on the ground. They begin to learn to clarify what they’re feeling and to express those feelings directly and authentically. They begin to learn to clarify what they’re feeling and to express those feelings directly and authentically. They begin to learn to balance the depth of the heart with the wisdom of the mind. If this kind of authenticity sounds attractive to you, The Adventure may be for you.
“Closing down in the midst of pain is a denial of a man’s true nature. A superior man is free in feeling and action, even amidst great pain and hurt. If necessary, a man should live with a hurting heart rather than a closed one.
— David Deida, Way of the Superior Man
