What is Evolving Man?
In 2009 as they saw their female friends and acquaintances becoming involved in powerful women’s work, Jared and Arven began asking: where is the equivalent deep & potent work for men, and what exactly does it look like?
Extensive research into these questions uncovered a whole lot of ideas and a few specific examples of menswork structures that felt potent: in America and to a lesser extent in Europe, but not in Australia.
This led to the creation of a short series of evenings based around the Medicine Wheel, focusing on embodiment work and transpersonal self-development, and from there into the other events.
The original goal was to offer events for men to connect consciously for the purpose of deep personal development. To reclaim what some might call the ‘authentic’ or ‘sacred’ masculine, in the face of the very limited cultural definitions we are provided with. Further evening series followed the first, and then some day and weekend events. The most recent of which was in June 2014.
Both of us are now currently exploring new directions. Specific Evolving Man events will continue on an ad hoc basis for the time being. We do plan to work together again in the future. If you would like to be notified of these events as they are scheduled we have a mailing list right here.
Currently Jared is developing Embodying Man including his Men's QiGong, and Arven is involved in various projects including the next Evolving Man weekend, which is scheduled for October 2014. This will be a new expanded format, but very much based in the original goodness.
The Core Values of Evolving Man
There is such a thing as 'authentic masculine identity', which is genuine, deep and amazing. Yet it isn't a convenient or limited blueprint. Of course men share some general common attributes, yet also each man has his own unique journey and ways of expression.
We believe in mutually supportive workshops of experiential self-discovery in which each person contributes by being as real as they can be moment by moment.
Being 'real' is simply a commitment to an ongoing journey of discovery, and calls for courage to break away from the need for social approval and from cultural stereotypes. Authenticity is something you only discover by going vulnerably & honestly into the depths of who you are.
Despite our fears that vulnerability equates with weakness, the opposite turns out to be true. Journeying inward leads to reconnection with our most genuine personal power; the foundations of who we truly are on which all authentic strength rests.
Get involved in this work. It's powerful. It changes lives.