JOURNEYMEN EASTERN CIRCLE

MAY 2-5, 2024 - SPRUCE KNOB WILDERNESS AREA, WV

THE JOURNEYMEN COMMUNITY HAS CONTINUED TO GROW IN NUMBERS AS MORE AND MORE MEN ARE CHOOSING TO SET A MORE INTENTIONAL PATH FORWARD. WE ARE ENCOURAGED BY THE WAY MEN CONTINUE TO WANT TO SHOW UP AND CONNECT WITH OTHER MEN.

OVER THIS LAST YEAR WE HAVE BEEN GATHERING FEEDBACK ON HOW THE JOURNEYMEN COMMUNITY CAN BEST GROW TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE MEN HERE. . THE RECOMMENDATION WE HEARD MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IS FOR US TO OFFER MORE “IN-PERSON” GATHERINGS.

JOIN US AT: EASTERN CIRCLE 2024

WHEN: THURSDAY MAY 2ND - SUNDAY MAY 5TH

WHERE: SPRUCE KNOB WEST VIRGINIA

FOCUS: THIS GATHERING IS A COMBINATION OF CONNECTION, LEARNING, EXPERIENCING AND PLAY SPREAD OVER A LONG WEEKEND IN THE WILDERNESS.

WHO: THE MEN WHO ARE ON THIS MAILING LIST HAVE FIRST SHOT AT ATTENDING THIS EVENT. ATTENDANCE LIMIT: AT THIS TIME WE ARE LIMITED TO 30 MEN.

COSTS: $950.00

WHAT’S INCLUDED
LODGING FOR THURSDAY, FRIDAY, AND SATURDAY NIGHT
ALL MEALS
NIGHTLY SPEAKERS
WORKSHOPS AND COACHING
YOGA, BREATHWORK, MINDFULNESS, HIKING AND PLAY.
YOU WILL GO HOME CONNECTED DEEPLY WITH 30 MEN WHO CAN BE A SUPPORT TO EACH OTHER GOING FORWARD.

PURPOSE: WE USE THIS RETREAT NOT AS A MEANS OF ESCAPING THE WORLD, BUT FOR DEVELOPING SKILLS TO HOLD OUR LIVES MORE FULLY. WE KNOW HOW HARD IT CAN BECOME TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN PRACTICES IN OUR DAILY LIVES, SO BY WORKING IN COMMUNITY TO PIVOT INTO THESE PRACTICES, WE CAN SUPPORT EACH OTHER IN THE PROCESS. THE RETREAT WILL BE WOVEN TOGETHER WITH RITUALS, DESIGNED TO HONOR OUR PROCESS AS INDIVIDUALS ON A POWERFUL JOURNEY OF LIVING. EACH DAY WILL BE FILLED WITH BOTH REST AND MOVEMENT, WITH THE DAYS BEGINNING AND ENDING WITH MEDITATION AND MINDFULNESS PRACTICES, THROUGHOUT THE DAYS WE WILL HAVE SKILLED PRACTITIONERS AND MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, FACILITATING SESSIONS IN YOGA, MOVEMENT, AND FLOW. EACH DAY WILL ALSO CREATE SPACES FOR SMALL & LARGE GROUP CIRCLING, MOVING THROUGH MODALITIES MEANT TO ATTEND TO FEAR, RESILIENCE, GRIEF, GRATITUDE AND COMMUNITY BASED STORYTELLING.

ACCOMODATIONS:A SPECTACULAR RETREAT CENTER IN THE HEART OF THE LARGEST WILDERNESS IN THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION. WE ARE GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO HOST OUR PROGRAMS AT SPRUCE KNOB CENTER A PROPERTY THAT WAS HAND BUILT AND STEWARDED BY THOSE LIVING IN DEEP RELATIONSHIP TO THE LAND. THIS SPECIAL PLACE BORDERS THE MONONGAHELA AND WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON NATIONAL FORESTS. SOME OF THE LARGEST AREAS OF NATIONAL FOREST EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THESE PARTS OF THE LAND FEATURE THE DARKEST SKIES IN THE EAST, THE HIGHEST PEAK IN WEST VIRGINIA, HEALTHY STREAMS, NATURAL SPRINGS AND NUMEROUS CAVES. THEY ALSO INCLUDE EXTENSIVE RED SPRUCE AND NORTHERN HARDWOOD FORESTS THAT BOAST SOME OF THE HIGHEST BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.

THE RETREAT CENTER ITSELF HAS A VARIETY OF ACCOMMODATIONS, THAT INCLUDE INDIVIDUAL YURTS, SHARED ROOMS AND BUNK AREAS, AS WELL AS CAMPING FOR THOSE THAT PREFER TO BE OUT UNDER THE STARS BUT IN SHORT DISTANCE TO COMMON AREAS OF DINING, SHOWERS AND FIRE PITS. THIS IS A RUSTIC RETREAT WITH THE COMFORTS NECESSARY TO REST AND REPLENISH FROM OUR DAYS OF DEEP DIVING.

FOOD: FOCUSED ON FRESH, HEALTHY, WHOLE FOODS TO ENHANCE THE BODY & MIND

YOU IN? IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR COMMUNITY AND A SENSE THAT YOU HAVE BROTHERS THAT CAN SUPPORT YOU GOING FORWARD, THIS IS A DON'T MISS EVENT. THIS OFFERING IS MEANT TO BRING US ALL UP TO SPEED ON THE JOURNEYMEN MISSION AND TO SET A FOUNDATION FOR OUR COLLECTIVE JOURNEY THIS YEAR AND BEYOND.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, SEND AN EMAIL TO MIKE ARMSTRONG AT MIKE.JOURNEYMEN@GMAIL.COM TO ADD YOUR NAME TO THE SIGN-UP SHEET IN THE ORDER THAT THEY ARE RECEIVED. THIS WILL SAVE YOUR SPOT BUT YOU WILL GET A CHANCE TO OPT OUT WHEN WE LAUNCH THE SIGN-UP PAGE IF YOUR PLANS HAVE CHANGED. MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION TO FOLLOW THIS ANNOUNCEMENT. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS IN THE EMAIL THEM TO MIKE @ MIKE.JOURNEYMEN@GMAIL.COM

WE ARE WORKING TO GATHER SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING TO HELP THOSE BROTHERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND BUT MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD THE FEE. THESE SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE LIMITED TO THE FUNDS WE ARE ABLE TO SECURE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GET ON A SCHOLARSHIP LIST PLEASE REQUEST THAT IN AN EMAIL TO MIKE ARMSTRONG MIKE.JOURNEYMEN@GMAIL.COM

What’s included

Lodging for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night

Healthy Veg Meals, With Plenty of Bites in Between

Speakers and Guiding Work

Circling and Guided Practices

Yoga, Hiking, Breathwork, Flow and Mindfulness

Activities

Hiking

Meditation/Yoga/Mindfulness

Breath work

Large Nightly Fires and Music

We use this weekend not as a means of escaping the world, but for developing skills to hold our lives more fully. We know how hard it can become to create and maintain practices in our daily lives, so by working in community to pivot into these practices, we can support each other in the process. The retreat will be woven together with rituals, designed to honor our process as individuals on a powerful journey of living. Each day will be filled with both rest and movement, with the days beginning and ending with meditation and mindfulness practices, throughout the days we will having highly skilled practitioners and members of our community, facilitate sessions in Yoga, Movement, and Flow Hacking. Each day will also create spaces for small group and large group circling, moving through modalities meant to attend to fear, resilience, grief, gratitude and community based storytelling.

Accommodations

Experience Learning provides shared bunks, individual yurts and as well as camping options based on preference, we are asking participants to provide proof of vaccination and to please monitor symptoms beforehand and test as needed. This is rustic, with options to camp or pod with others in shared rooms. We will get wet, muddy, cold and we’ll keep you warm and dry with fires and good food.

Food

Healthy Meals will prepared by the Journeyman Team.

Location

Spruce Knob Wilderness Area, West Virginia

Transportation

Experience Learning is Located in the Spruce Knob Wilderness of WV. .

We will be helping to coordinate carpools.

Pricing

General Admission ticket $950

Full Schedule

Full Schedule will be released in late Feb..Attendees should arrive Thursday Night to share dinner, Circling will Go through Sunday at 1pm