I attended a four-day retreat, Warrior Monk, before the holidays, with the goal of achieving greater clarity, courage and commitment in following my heart. The workshop "welcomes those in transition and those seeking their next level of authentic growth, healing and spiritual connection," and includes a combination of meditation, poetry reading and writing, chanting, singing and dancing, all designed to encourage mindfulness and intentionality. There were daily opportunities for stretching: physically (a 5-step Tibetan rite sequence), mentally (paradox-embracing and reality-creation exercises, reminding me of the movie What the Bleep), emotionally (consistent focus on identifying, feeling and working with the four basic emotions: joy, anger, fear, sadness) and spiritually (incorporating elements of a variety of spiritual traditions). As with the New Warrior Training Adventure, it was a wonderful opportunity to form strong bonds with great men, and I benefited as much (if not more) from the work other men did as from the work I did … though as I write this, I realize I’m not as willing to make as much of a distinction between my work and their work — or indeed, between me and them — as I was before the retreat.
Among the outcomes from the weekend were the new articulation of a personal mission statement ("I create a world of harmony and love by helping people relate to one another", supplanting, or perhaps augmenting, the mission statement I articulated during NWTA in April 2002: "I follow my heart at all times"), a new shadow mission statement ("I create a world of fragmentation and fear by isolating myself from others"), and a new daily spiritual practice (20 minutes of yoga, 20 minutes of meditation, and an invitation to the energies of the four directions).
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In the East (direction of the Lover, Player, Coyote; element of Water): I invite the sacred energies of mature Love and Pleasure; may they flow through me this day.
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In the South (direction of the Warrior, Protector, Provider; element of Fire): I invite the sacred energies of healthy Power and Control; may they flow through me this day.
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In the West (direction of the King, Queen, Leader; element of Earth): I invite the sacred energies of Order and Virtue; may they flow through me this day.
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In the North (direction of the Elder, Sage, Shaman; element of Air): I invite the sacred energies of Wisdom, Joy and Release; may they flow through me this day.
I also adopted a new animal name ("Powerful, Worthy Dragon"), which I find increasingly energizing. Dragons have been appearing synchronistically for me in a variety of forms and media for the past several months, e.g., in "The Artist’s Way at Work: Riding the Dragon", which I reread during a recent Artist’s Way workshop series, and "Eragon", which I read with my son. When I attended the Best of the Northwest craft show in Sand Point Magnuson Park in November, I went with the sole (soul?) intention of finding an inspiring dragon-related artifact, and bought a dragon figure, crafted by Sally Wilson of Earthwing Pottery, without any clear idea of where to place it or how to use it. We were instructed to bring a "sacred object" to the retreat, so I chose this dragon, and it has since become my [non-fire] "breathing dragon", a meditation companion who reminds me to return to my breath during my daily practice.
Comments
11 responses to “Warrior Monk: A Spiritual and Soulful Retreat”
Joe
Congratulations on doing such fine work. It always great to see other men who are willing explore inner as well as outer worlds and feel free to talk about their experiences. You’ve lived up to the name of your blog! Good luck to you and come visit my site when you get a chance!
Please refer to http://www.rickross.com for information on MKP “Mankind Project” aka “NWTA”, New Warrior Training Adventure etc. MKP is an LGAT with cult type tendecies. Do as much research on this group as you can before allowing them to do their brain altering techniques on you.
Dan: I am absolutely elated to revisit the blog post through which we first connected, 2 years ago!
James: I’d never heard of “LGAT” before, but I suspect you are referring to Large Group Awareness Training. I would agree with your recommendation for people (well, men) to investigate the Mankind Project before making any decisions about joining the organization. The description included on the organization’s web site rings true to me, having been involved in MKP for nearly 5 years now:
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I won’t deign to speak for others, but my mind (and body and spirit) was definitely altered during NWTA and subsequent experiences with MKP, in ways that I judge to be positive. MKP does have certain practices, conventions of expression and other elements that might be viewed as cult-like. These include practices such as separating data from judgments from feelings from wants, the cultivation of a clear, direct, concise communication style and a willingness to perceive, accept and express emotion.
Finally, I do think that the Wikipedia definition of cult applies to MKP:
The reason I joined, and continue[d] to participate in, MKP is that I want to make the non-standard beliefs and practices to become a part of my life … and by striving to model those beliefs and practices, to help make them more a part of the mainstream. Aho! 🙂
This conversation about MKP is fascinating. I participated years ago and got an enormous amount out of it which has stayed with me. I did not do much in the community after the first year and never had a problem withh being honest about my feelings or saying “no” to events or activities that I simply did not feel drawn towards. I think it is true that you go in with what you’ve got and go out with what you take. I have known men who have grown enormously from the experience and also men, in my judgment, who simply found a new vocabulary for the same egotism they had before. Whatever, Each of us is on his own trajectory, and will go where he is bound to go. W can each be swept along by the forces around us or take a pretty good stab at having some say in it all. Sort of like riding a surf board on a very big wave. You may be somewhat or very skilled, but there is an enormous presense around you!
Thanks for the blog.
Dean: thanks for sharing your insights and experience. Last week, I attended my first MKP I-Group meeting in over a year (my former “home” group), and it was great to reconnect with the men, and with the positive masculine energy circulating in the group.
Hello,
I found your blog by Googling “shadow mission statement.” I remember that phrase from my New Warrior Training back in Feb. 1998. Your shadow mission statement as written really strikes a chord with me. I work online (rating tests and teaching college) and I have been isolating myself by engaging in virtual relationships, not just with women but through all kinds of people, such as “friends” in Facebook. Thanks for articulating so well your shadow. I’m going to use your words as an inspiration to write my own.
Scott / Dancing Bear: Thanks for taking the time to offer some positive feedback! I’m glad my shadow mission statement is useful to you. Your comment, in turn, is helpful to me, as I’ve recently been reflecting on my shadow mission, and was not correctly remembering the “fragmentation” part (and I judge the lapse of recall of that term as meaningful) – I’d forgotten that I’d written it here. I wish you all the best as you articulate your own shadow mission statement!
Kia ora Joe,
Interesting post which I have just now read. I think any interaction with other males is such a positive course. I particularly find that out in nature where it so much easier to leave the world behind and just Be. A good friend and I are heading out into the wintry mountains for 5 days on what will be our 8th annual such journey. I find now we actually talk much less but say so much more if that makes sense. Hope all is well Joe.
Noho ora mai ra e hoa,
Robb
Hi Robb,
Your reference to talking less and saying more reminds me, ironically (in the context of this blog), that one of the traditions in MKP is to practice what we call CDCT communication: clear, direct, concise and truthful. Although I do my best to be truthful here and elsewhere, I suspect the level of clarity, directness and conciseness of my writing throughout this blog may not always measure up to MKP standards.
I’ve shared more on CDCT communication in an earlier book review and commentary on Snoop: An Investigation into Possessions, Perceptions, Projections and Personalities:
My inclination to delve into complexity in this blog may sometimes / often come at the expense of some of the other elements of CDCT communication.
In any event, thanks for the note, and I hope you enjoy your journey!
Joe.
Did you have to participate in any activities that involved nudity? My husband is looking into this at the request of my father who has been doing this for years. But I’m a bit worried that he will feel violated, since I have read some material (largely from James/rickross.com) that references rituals involving undressing/dancing/close contact.
@Eakins: The only activity I participated in during Warrior Monk that involved nudity was when I took a shower (in a private bathroom). The only things I shed in the presence of others were preconceptions, attachments and other intellectual and/or emotional burdens. I did not experience anything that I would characterize as a violation.
For me, Warrior Monk was a lightening and enlightening experience, and I’m grateful for your comment, as it offered me a welcome opportunity to review this post and consciously renew some of the Warrior Monk energy that has unconsciously dissipated over time.