Path to Spirit

When?

March 9-11

June 8-10

October 12-14

Where?

Camp Canaan

Mark your calendars.  

Plan ahead and enroll TODAY!

The P2S training is really a path to create a Spirit Warrior and needs to be positioned as such.  Our mission for MKP is to provide a “next” step by bringing a Spiritual presence into a warrior’s mission.  Further, our goal is to not only bless men who participate but also to make an important contribution to the MKP community. 

Contact David Lindgren at mandavidl@aol.com or call at 312 415-7455

My Story: “Out of the NWTA Experience”
I’m David Lindgren, and I’d like to share a bit of my personal history that led me to put together the PATH to SPIRIT training… 

In May of 1986, a man named Bill Kauth, a social worker and dedicated to create a men’s training, invited me to attend what is now called a “New Warrior Training Adventure” or “NWTA”, originally called the “Wild Man Weekend.”  He asked me to, “Come and play…” which confused the hell out of me.  Then a friend of his, Ron Hering, himself another pioneer, also called me and explained more about their new venture and how the “Wild Man” was a central part of this unusual training.  Being naturally curious but also doubtful, I encouraged a number of my clients, who I judged “needed” this kind of training, to attend.  I judged that as for myself, “I didn’t need it”.  Thinking of myself as a self-assured psychologist, I questioned what could these guys teach me?  A year passed, at which time the last in a line of 5 clients to attend the training convinced me, with a sense of awe, that I actually DID need the NWTA, and that he witnessed some “miracles” there.  His experience convinced me to attend the New Warrior Training where other “sales jobs” about these weekends didn’t work.

     The NWTA I attended in April 1987 was an eye-opener to say the least!  It challenged my skeptical, always questioning, and analytical mind.  I initially feared that somehow they would see through that I was a fraud and covering up my true feelings.  Of course, not being in my true feelings, I was a fraud.  Without getting into the details of my experience, I came out of the weekend changed forever…  My hair stood on end…  I looked forward to challenges everyday…  I had an edge and a mission… The shame I had felt since childhood seemed to slowly disappear…  My experience of “wild man” energy was pretty aggressive.  Walking past a downtown Chicago alley, I would dare some mugger to come out and challenge me.  I was revved up and stripped for action. But where was I going?  I knew that I had the right energy.  But where was the ground that I needed to stand on to step into my leadership?

     Then in May 1987, Ron Hering again convinced me to attend the 1^st “Spirit Warrior” Weekend at Haimowoods, a retreat center in rural Wisconsin, the same place I attended the “Wildman Weekend”.  (This was before the ManKind Project, New Warrior Chicago or any other MKP Center was founded.)  At this particular weekend, the same men that staffed my weekend pleasantly greeted me.  I felt invited, totally accepted and not challenged, to engage in a battle, like at the NWTA.  I questioned myself, “is this what real New Warriors are like?”  They assigned me a room and gave me a journal to write down all of the purposes in my life and what I basically wanted to accomplish in life.  I wrote and wrote page after page.  I couldn’t believe how deep and grounded I felt, how accepted I felt.  Stepping into the great mystery of the warrior journey now became possible.  This journey was calling out to me and I needed to trust deeper spiritual truths within me to make it happen.

“Creating New Centers and new programs”

     It was this settling experience of the SPIRITUAL WARRIOR weekend that forged me to go forward to start the New Warrior Network Center in Chicago along with Mike Greenwald who attended the “Spirit Warrior” Weekend and John Perrin.  It also moved me to be part of starting Centers in Houston, Indianapolis, Washington D.C., Windsor-Detroit and Denver.  Somehow it was believing in the great mystery of the “movement” and believing in the possibilities that it would happen that shaped my intentions.  Spirit was moving through me and others at an alarming rate. 

     Yet, ultimately my mission went beyond the NWTA, the training itself, and extended to “creating a community of men to mentor men in mission”.  My concern was more about what happened to men following the NWTA than what happened at the training itself.  NWTA stood on its own and really didn’t need any help.  But I watched as men still struggled in their lives during and after their initial I-group experience.  It was the men who had finished the training that needed more mentoring… and more trainings.

     Fast forward to 1995, my second wife, Sarah, had just died of cancer.  My kids had just gone off to college.  In the place of these voids, we somehow (in retrospect, “by the grace of God”) put together a new Center at the Mural Building on Ashland and North Avenue in Chicago.  We were expanding the New Warrior message into mentoring programs.  I kept asking myself, “What did men need to be successful in the world?”   Even though I eventually led close to 100 NWTA Weekends, I realized, inspired by thinking back to my Spirit Warrior Weekend, my mission wasn’t just leading more NWTA’s.  My mission was to mentor men to be successful in the world… to be better fathers, husbands, and prosperous in their careers and business.  Each man needed to leverage his gains at the NWTA and maximize them in expanding their vision through taking charge of their lives and stepping into the great mystery.

“The Beginning of the Path to Spirit Trainings” To be successful in life in being good partners, fathers, lovers and in their careers, men needed to be committed at a deeper, more spiritual level that went beyond learning to grow into mature masculinity. We began questioning, “what does it take to step into mastery in our lives?”  The answer that came up was, “how could I attain mastery in my life if I didn’t get beyond my ego and trust a higher source?”  Then I remembered how centered I was taking on my spiritual mission.  So, along with Rob Ahrens and a number of other men, we put together the 1^st PATH to SPIRIT training in 1996.  And now over 575 men and women (mostly men) have attended P2S.

“The Next Step…”

     In my opinion, the New Warrior experience was originally intended to be a TWO-WEEKEND Training Adventure!  The founders, (Hering, Kauth and Tosi) intended to offer the 2^nd weekend officially as the “next” step — through a spiritual retreat.  Actually, it was initially a great success.  They filled about 3 trainings.  Then, somewhere during the expansion of NWTA and its many Centers, the “Spirit Warrior” Training disappeared.  I think it lost its energy because the SPIRIT WARRIOR training got disconnected from the ongoing thrust of the Centers and the NWTA.  Most of the emphasis in MKP became getting men to the NWTA and financially supporting the Center.

“Why Attend a Path to Spirit Weekend Now?”

     We understand that the mission to become the man that you were meant to be is incomplete unless your spirit is on track with the higher calling of the KING.  We do “this” work in the NWTA to complete the calling of our manhood.   But we need to answer the call of SPIRIT and how we can be “born of Spirit”.  We need to ask, “What is Spirit calling me to be?”  Typically when we can’t answer that question, much of our warrior energy is dissipated into just “doing more of the same”.  We have watched men trying to achieve great heights and still continue repeating their same “winning” formula over and over again.

     Perhaps you hear the call of Spirit… You are ready to be challenged and go deeper…  You would like to complete what you started at NWTA…  Your mission is calling to expand out into the universe…  You are looking for more satisfying love in your relationships…  You want to get your emotional and physical life unstuck and moving foward…  You want to get out of the rut you are in to find true success… 

What you are looking for may be at the PATH to SPIRIT TRAINING on December 3-5 at Camp Canaan (formerly Haimowoods).  Remembering when you were “called” to the NWTA, what are you being “called” to NOW?  The P2S training maybe the investment you need for your future and for your success in life.

Here is what others are saying that personally captures the essence and the experience of “P2S”:

     “I cannot say enough about Path to Spirit and the work David is doing.  I believe Path to Spirit is the perfect next step for men who have done their initiation work.  I am a graduate and a great advocate of “MKP”.  My Warrior weekend changed my life.  I will forever be grateful for the organization, and the dedicated men who serve there. My I-Group experience was helpful, yet I soon came to realize the limitations of addressing my base “ME” needs and began my search again to continue my developmental journey getting beyond “ME”.   I became acutely aware of the “topping off” effect of the I-Groups. Through another Warrior brother I was introduced to David Lindgren who came and led a process in our I-Group that ultimately led to my  “Path To Spirit” experience. “

– Glenn Barker, Gorrilla, Aurora , Illinois

     “Adding new high-quality processes to a group’s repertoire helps long-established groups avoid stagnation by remaining energetic and ever evolving. New processes uncover old wounds in new ways from new angles yielding new insights and new tools for personal growth and efficacy. Building upon “Warrior” processes, P2S processes expand outward from I-statements out to a somewhat more relational approach and consciousness—relationship of self: to others, to work, to success, to higher power, to the world. To that end work toward surrender, acceptance, forgiveness, and thankfulness”.

– Tim Goldich, Gorilla For Real, Chicago, Illinois

“Before dawn on the cusp between Winter and Spring I found myself trudging through the snow with my fellow pilgrims as we were lead to our morning taskmaster.  Scott was a rather skinny fellow who had the nerve to guide us through a rigorous session of yoga followed by an obnoxious discussion about healthy lifestyle choices.

There I sat, age 44, extremely overweight and out of shape, huffing and puffing and wondering what any of this had to do with my spirituality. 

When I caught my breath I volunteered that I had once cared about my body but hadn’t exercised in twenty years.  Diet and exercise were reserved for those who were vain and I had matured beyond that.  After all, wasn’t I giving up a precious weekend  to find a spiritual path?

Then “yoga man” asked me how I felt and I wanted to cry. 

Slow but sure something stirred.  Three months later I began eating with greater awareness.  Ten months later I ran my first mile.  Two and a half years later I ran my first marathon.  Eight years have passed now and making healthy lifestyle choices is still a priority.  Its part of my spiritual journey, along with meditation, prayer and making myself vulnerable to change.

More happened that weekend than I can begin to share in a few words, more than I actually comprehend.  So last Fall when I learned that Path to Spirit was being rekindled I jumped at the chance to sign up.  What a blessing.  I don’t think running more marathons this time is my direction.  What I I do hope for is to show up in the more mundane things which make up the fabric of my life, like returning phone calls, doing what I say I am going to do and being an honest man.”

– Michael Burns, Haiku Bunny Rabbit with Samurai Sword, Chicago, Illinois 

PATH TO SPIRIT, December 3-5, 2010  HAIMOWOODS

  (more…)

We have the luxury and even the necessity of rethinking the meaning of the training and what makes the P2S training so distinctive.
In preparing for the meeting with the MKP Leaders at our 25th anniversary, I met with Robert Moore and got stimulated to reread his “Facing the Dragon” book which is on grandiosity. He basically says in the book that we individually and collectively in groups have to “get over ourselves” in terms of either indentifying or projecting our grandiosity. And grandiosity comes from not distinguishing the Self from what Moore calls the Great Self (g_d). Moore suggests that we need to recover from something, otherwise the grandiosity will take over. Since beginning this work, I had to embrace this idea or be overcome with grandiosity not only from my own flirting with greatness but from dealing with other’s projections. Thus, the renaming of my animal name to Just Cougar. I am grateful for that transformation as I can focus of distinguishing between my stupidity and my strengths.
So where does that lead us? Well, the men’s work needs to begin with dealing with how we identify with the masculine. I get from Moore’s work when he says that humanity needs “Humanity Anonymous”, meaning that everyone has to deal with narcissism and grandiosity. It’s the basis of how we look at ourselves. So the men’s movement and the NWTA is really “Men’s Anonymous”. That is, the NWTA is at root finding our real masculine selves in exploring the “shadow” side of our masculine nature. And the substantive part of that process is exploring our “little boy” shadow and how our fathers were absent. The NWTA focuses on how the constellation of the 4 archetypes depend on coming to grips not having enough “fathering” and feeling powerless as a boy. It is in that search for the deeper masculine and a relationship with the inner father/King that we embark on finding our real power.
The NWTA provides this masculine fathering and mentoring that men sorely miss. We realize the need for male companionship and to be loved by men guides us in finding our mission and deep power.
So how does this relate to P2S? In thinking of the weekend and revisiting its meaning, I recalled that most men in the Dilemma Building exercise usually pick a woman to which they have a conflict. And then I started thinking just how conflicted we are as men with women. They are both the bane of our existence and the prize that we pursue. And what is the basic origins of this need? MOTHER. Most of us want and really need the acceptance and affection of women but it started with our mothers.
Whereas, the NTWA focuses on “father-loss”, the P2S work often gets even deeper and earlier to “mother-loss”. Most boys have deficient nurturing by mothers to develop the inner masculine. We don’t get touched or consoled as much as girls. And then when we get older, we project this royal need for mothering on to, guess who? WOMEN. We end up needing their love.
So then I got thinking that the “Breath Work” exercise needs to start with generating focus and energy on the “mother-loss”. For those of you who attended the “Path to Mastery”, you may remember the “Pleading for Mercy” piece. We had the men plead for their parent’s mercy in terms of “where were you when I needed you, mom (or dad)? Anyway, the Breath work energy needs to go deeper into the unconscious of feeling disconnected from mother. We have focused on men finding a love object in the Breath process and when they touch is an element of shadow.
Now I see the NWTA as dealing with the “royal” masculine side. We have always referred to the distinction with NWTA as it deals with the “yang” energy and P2S deals with the complementary “ying” energy. In dealing with “energies”, we stayed away from the masculine/feminine comparison and just stayed with energies.
Yet, the NWTA is getting men to find their masculinity without being caught up with identifying or projecting their grand(iosity) masculinity or with the masculine God. And P2S appears to focus on not projecting their feminine need on to the royal woman and owning that incompleteness in our psyches of needing nurturing through the royal woman.
We all know just how devastating and damaging not facing this dragon can be. We either over-identify with needing women or we can dis-identify with this need. Either way, we are left with this need to complete ourselves through the feminine.
So perhaps, we have something here whereby we have the holy compliment to the NWTA and can market it as such.

PATH to NOWHERE (NOW-HERE):  “Tiger by a Necd:

In my pantheon of male heroes, most of them are of African descent, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and Mohammed Ali.  Not that I am making this a race distinction, although I do believe that seemingly suffering of our Black brothers begets wisdom and compassion.  Tiger Woods has always been a favorite of mine.  I believed his father, Earl, when he predicted that Tiger would have a far greater impact in the world than what he would accomplish as a golfer. 

Up until now, Tiger hasn’t really found his “cause”.  He has initiated educational programs for inner-city kids and made it possible for other African-American kids to by-pass the color boundary and ascend to the possibilities of their own greatness.

Yesterday, Tiger checked himself out of the Players Tournement Championship because of a “neck” injury.  He apparently has had this condition for “awhile”.  He didn’t want to report it because he apparently didn’t want the world to know about it.  And apparently to Tiger, it wasn’t any of our business anyway.

From my understanding, the neck resides in the part of the body which we refer to as the 3rd chakra.  This area of the body holds the energy for speaking ones’ truth.  If you have some resistence to telling the truth, you might have trouble speaking.  Something might get stuck in your throat.  You might have to clear your throat to speak the truth.  You might also have some hankering for “necking”.   Now all this is unconscious awareness.  But it feeds the premise that Tiger has not only been circumspect in withholding his truth but also hiding his true feelings.  As my yoga teacher, Steve, mentioned yesterday, there are “facts’” and then there is “truth”.  Truth comes from a full awareness of our feelings.  Tragically, you never get the full scoop when Tiger speaks. 

I am still a Tiger-fan, although I am waiting until he begins to fulfill father-Earl’s prophecy of making a big impact on the world.  I would suspect that some spiritual transformation is due.  The Buddhist principle of ahimsa would seem to apply here.  In Tiger’s case, not bringing harm to himself or to others.

Ahimsa begins with as all things “breath” and a letting go of all things injurious to oneself and others.  This requires “speaking ones truth”.  Can you imagine Tiger sitting in one of our circles sharing his truth and then coming to the awareness of how this is burdening him and his golf game.  And how through forgiveness he could be a model for others who ignore the shame of keeping a secret. 

At Path to Spirit there are more secrets shed than any one place that I know.  It is intrinsic to our process to find the truth in each element of our own burdens.  Each “split” is an opportunity to comes to terms (in God’s eyes and ears, so to speak).  Imbedded in each split is the truth that “passes all understanding”.  I am looking forward to Tiger coming forth and healing his 3rd chakra.  Tiger the “time is NOW” and the “place is HERE”.

If you are ready to register for a P2S training or you want to refer a person to register, please refer to the Applicaton page.