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“I Have Circled The Edges
of Men’s Campfires
All My Life In Search of Belonging”
~ singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen
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........♦ ZEN♦MEN .. 2009 UPDATE ♦
.......NEW SANTA MONICA GROUP
......Now Forming • Now Interviewing
WESTSIDE ◊ SANTA MONICA
◊ 7:30-9:30 pm WEEKNIGHT ◊ TBA
Choice of New Evening to be worked out
by the team-leader and incoming New Guys ...
.AKASA LEVI, DhMA - is our group fire-tender / facilitator.
Contact him for a much more direct & deeper perspective
that no email or website can possibly convey. Please Read on...
INQUIRE About What’s This All About ?
No Pitch ~ No Obligation whatsoever
ASK a BUNCH of QUESTIONS and
Get Lot's of DETAILS relevant to YOU.
Please Use The PHONE: 310-450-2268
Noon to 6pm best phone time, Mon-Fri
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OK FIRST ~
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What's The "IDEA" of a Men's Inner-Growth Group ?
"That men need other men ~ and that's a good thing !" ~ Jungian analyst James Hillman
.........for men to deeply relate empathically & non-competitively ~
..........................~ obvious but never acknowledged
What's written in brief paragraphs all through this blog -
just might be a half, or even a whole 'new concept' for you
to sincerely consider - even tho' Men's Groups have been
around now for three decades or more ~
RECOGNIZED MEN like Robert Bly, Bill Moyers, James Hillman,
Michael Ventura, Jim Belushi, Peter Coyote, John Densmore,
Keith Thompson, Luis Rodriguez, Sam Keen, Ted Danson,
Herb Goldberg, Richard Gere, Michael Meade, Jack Kornfield,
Michael Beckwith, John Lee, Orland Bishop, George Lucas,
Stephen Johnson, Tracy Miller, Ray Bunch, Andrew Beath,
David Strong Bear ~ the list goes on...
Men who've been deeply involved in men's deep inner-work
for decades. They have inspired us & influenced what we do
in our local men's groups here in LA.
So... Welcome to a Good Idea!
"The World Needs a Man's Good Heart" ~
says Joseph Jastrab in 'Sacred Manhood, Sacred Earth'
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CONFUSIONS • • •
MISUNDERSTANDINGS About Men's Groups: "GOOD MEN BECOMING EVEN BETTER MEN"
A DISCLAIMER :: Some un-informed folks think that when a guy
goes to a 'Men's Meeting' (like an AA Stag Meeting), that it seems
it's always about substances, abuse or anger management –
many think that a “men's group” is just for guys with bad behavior
'problems' – This is just NOT true.
OUR Men's Groups are what's called “Men's Inner-Growth Groups” -
- there's a Huge Difference! 'Recovery-Work’ is NOT what we do –
And we highly recommend AA and other Men's 12-Step Recovery
programs to men who are seriously & intensively struggling to
overcome destructive addictions & behaviors. Please do it !
Our hearts are so with you ! But OUR 'Men's Growth Groups' are for 'clean', quite stable guys
who want to deeply discover and get into MORE genuine touch
with themselves - to bring home, bring to their families bring to
their whole lives - a better, more expressive man - a better,
fuller, richer, whole Person.
"When very Sincere Men of Good Heart
meet to ‘Inner-Quest’ together –
and explore deeply their true inner-being -
Those men cannot help
but successfully grow together."
~ Robert Bly
~ current status ~
Another
New Santa Monica Group
for '09 ~ Evening TBA
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MEN's GROUPS MEET WEEKLY in Santa Monica.
If you LIVE or WORK much closer to our meetings –
it's so much easier for you to attend our local
Weekly Groups on a committed weekly basis.. .Please Inquire Soon, if you're at all interested . . .
Right up front . . .There's some steps involved: sorry, this is not an 'event'
or just something you can drop into and see if you like it.
Our Men's Groups are purposely very limited in size and
closed to outside visitors to fully insure confidentiality,
privacy and a safe trusting environment to do deep
emotional or interior-work. Guys are putting out
some heart & soul in here. And some laughing !
Do you want do this kinda 'work' ?
It usually takes some 'lead time' to have a good phone
conversation about all this & then set up a live interview.
We thank you for your understanding on behalf of others.
You would want this for yourself. We are not just an open
support or men's drumming group. ~ Thank you for hearing
.
.( private individual therapy or relationship ~ marital counseling
is also available by appointment for women & men, or couples )
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YOUR INDIVIDUAL GROWTH
You just can't truly 'Grow' all alone on your own –
" All by myself " is an isolated, sad male-myth . . .
True Enriched Good Living - itself - takes an expanded,
embracing, expressive heart-inspired, truly engaged form
of Willing 'Fellowship' - a 'conscious' men's community...
within the larger community of all beings. For the sake
of everybody world-wide.
We all do need a 'Village' - and lotsa caring mentoring.
Everybody mentoring everybody ! Let's all learn . . .
"Everything we've ever, ever learned -
we've learned somehow from somebody else." ~ The Male Mentors Guide
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.“MEN'S GROUPS
Are For Men Enriching Themselves
& The Women, Youth, Families, and Work That Deeply Affect All Our Souls” ~ mythologist & poet Robert Bly
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.“The Spiritual Warrior
chooses 'A Path with Heart' – and follows it.
He 'knows', because he 'sees' – he sees that his life will be over altogether too soon. He really knows that nothing is more important than anything else is. It all is important. And then he rejoices and laughs. A path is only a 'path' - and there is no affront, to oneself or to others, in dropping it - if that is what your heart tells you. Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times as you think necessary. Then ask yourself, and yourself alone, one question – “ Does this Path have a Heart? ”If it does, the path is good - If it doesn't - It is of no use.”
~ The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge – Carlos Castaneda (1968) .
If you have any Hesitations / Questions
about all or any of what's written in here ~
'Great Doubt' as they say in Zen, can be
an encouraging growth-stimulus
and it's really good to have it !
phone us and let's explore it.
310-450-2268
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The L.A. MEDICINE ◊ MEN’S ◊ LODGE ◊ mentored by Akasa Levi
a Los Angeles Men’s Growth Group continually meeting since 1989
ZEN MEN :: A SUPPORTIVE TRIBE OF TRUTH-HONORING MEN
THAT MEET TOGETHER IN TRUST & SUPPORT EVERY WEEK __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
• HONEST TALK
• HEART-FELT LISTENING
• MEANINGFUL FEEDBACK
• GOOD FELLOWSHIP .. with Who ?
“A Butcher, a Baker, a Candlestick-maker -
Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief -
Soldier, Sailor, Tinker, Tailor -
Rich man, Poor man, Beggar man, Thief “
• EVERY TYPE OF MAN
COULD USE BEING IN A MEN’S GROUP{ absolutely every kinda’ guy. How MANY ways can we say it . . . }
Yes, men do gather for work-related,
family, friend, sports-related stuff –
even gangs or the military....
BUT
too often they're power-related, combative or competitive
gatherings of men ... NOT "Inner-Growth" groups of men –
that 'empathy' and kindly 'nobility' is missing in our society -
and filled in with a tolerated enabling or a bonus check.
A ‘man’ needs other good men – MOST men so need this!
That’s our only ‘pitch’.
It’s not some 'Smiley-face New Age' talk or
‘Best Buddy’ talk we do . . it’s different.
“I GET the point – I NEVER really thought about it before.
It's a valuable point really worth considering” ... Michael, 42
Most American men haven’t considered it.
Even about the 'existence' of men's groups.
It just never occurred to most of us either. . .
anyway ~ read on
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Where the 'Talking-Stick' is Alive !
You Talk, We Listen ! Everybody Feeds Back !.What is a ‘MEN's COUNCIL’ ? ... A Tribal Council ? The Men's Lodge ? The Men's Kiva ? The Men's Longhouse
"It's inconceivable to me that we 'modern' men don't gather in
a 'Sacred-Soul Way', not just a sporting way! Or except when
we go to church or temple, usually on the prompting of women.
With more true personal integrity & a less techno-alienated society,
the adult men of the village always meet in Tribal Men's Council
- very regularly - to support their own 'noble strength' of deep
inner manhood - a sort of Monday night football for the Soul."
"This is not some 'corny' or a 'hokey' idea - in gadget-happy
America, the true, authentic, heroic/poetic Masculine Soul is
way, way under-nourished! AND enormously 'enabled'
A Man's pampering baby ‘needs’ have become a lame TV joke.
The now classic archetype of Dr. Mom and her befuddled male.
Impotent Viagra Man with his goofy smile. An apologetic, sort of
'mock' shame-based mythos seems to have taken over & rules
the day. The true 'Wild Man' ( Feeling-Man ) has become
a hazard or an embarrassment." ~ Akasa Levi
“It’s a Very, Very Ancient Male Tribal Tradition:
The Men’s Circle Calls To Us ! The Men’s Circle IS THERE, specifically,
FOR Men’s Inner-Work
& FOR Men’s Life-Issues” ~ Jungian analyst James Hillman
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TO YOU GUYS READING THIS BLOG ––
It's All About US As "MEN of TRUE CHOICE"....IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME MORE TIME& LOT'S of PATIENCE ON YOUR PART
TO READ & SORT THRU ALL THE 'THOUGHTS'
THE WORDS ON THIS BLOG MAY BRING UP.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO READ IT ALL AT ONCE -
TAKE IT IN SMALL BITES - SKIP AROUND IN IT
~ ENJOY IT !!!
REALLY 'THINK' ABOUT THE DEEPER CONTENT...
YOU'LL KNOW A LOT MORE ABOUT
WHAT YOU SINCERELY WANT FOR YOURSELF
and IF YOU WANT TO DO THIS, OR NEED THIS,
OR JUST PLAIN RESIST THIS –
WHEN YOU'RE DONE READING THIS.
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