We are thrilled to conceive The Centered Men’s Collective. It feels like an emergent moment of possibility, one that has been building in each of us individually for the past 10+ years.

Both of us have been on our own journey of discovery and healing for decades. Our paths crossed when Cyrus was Jayson’s POD Guide during Jayson’s year of Integral Coaching Certification at New Ventures West in 2018. A connection was formed, and a seed was planted for what would later germinate in a men’s group that Cyrus formed and invited Jayson to join.

We have each been on our individual exploration and healing journey for several decades, and in 2022, we individually felt a calling to do more work in community, particularly with other men. We share a belief that self-discovery, growth, and healing of wounds are best navigated in a community of support – that when we authentically share ourselves while others witness, we further our own growth, and we aid in the growth of others. Moreover, in compassionately witnessing and supporting another in their sharing, we also grow and heal ourselves.

This community of support often eludes men, who are raised to be completely self-reliant and isolated, to mask emotion and vulnerability, to not show weakness. Unfortunately, many men never participate in a forum where they feel fully heard and understood, cultivate deep and meaningful connections, and experience a sense of growth and fulfillment. The results can be tragic: universally, men live shorter lives and often ignore their basic well-being; men are far more likely to commit violence towards women, other men, and themselves; and even those who do not lash out suffer a great cost to their unrealized potential and to their relationships.

However, when men put these archaic and unhealthy notions aside and come together, we too can participate in the nurturance of community and thus feel less isolated and more resourced in the face of our individual and collective challenges.

Although we are coaches and guides on the journey, we experience the same growth and healing benefits that members of the cohort receive. In working both individually and collectively with the men’s groups, we get to see and work with aspects of ourselves, and thus continue our journey to being more centered, authentic, available men.