Conceiving ‘The Collective’
What can emerge from a community of men
willing to commit themselves
to be more centered,
honor their masculinity, and
express their vulnerability?
We are thrilled to launch The Centered Man Collective – an innovative program blending the wisdom of individual & group coaching with the power of community, designed to support men from all backgrounds on their journey to live from their fullest expression. It feels like an emergent moment of possibility, one that has been building in each of us individually for the past 20+ years.
We have each been on our own journey of discovery and healing for much of our lives. Jayson’s started back in 2001 when he first read The Way of the Peaceful Warrior as he embarked on what would become a three-year solo backpacking trip around the world – and more importantly, an inaugural trip within, to begin to explore his inner landscape. Through Vipassana meditation, several types of therapy, coaching, plant medicine work, and dozens of self-development books, Jayson explored his inner world, finding his authentic self and learning to be more embodied and more grounded in how he walked through the world (and he still has a way to go).
Cyrus’s inner work journey started soon after a tragic life experience, losing his father to cancer at an early age in 2002. Since then, he has been passionately exploring bigger questions of purpose and meaning. His development path has included mindfulness retreats, integral coaching, therapy, somatic work, and leadership development. He has facilitated developmental groups and Enneagram workshops for over 10 years, and men’s groups for the past 3+ years.
Our paths crossed in 2018 at New Ventures West, deepened in a men’s group that Cyrus formed, and resulted in a calling to do more work in community, particularly with other men. In early 2023, we began imagining what would become The Centered Man Collective.
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 compassionately bear witness, we further our own growth, and we aid in the unfolding and healing of each other.
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 more connected 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.
We invite you to learn more about where we are headed and to join us on our journey to become more centered, grounded, and fully available men.