The following organisations and books are all related to male spirituality, shadow work, support groups and mens health.
Organisations and networks
We are aware of the following organisations in Ireland, UK and US which assist men (including young men) with their spirituality and inner work. Please use the links below to find out more. These links are only here for your information, they are not in any way an endorsement of the organisations or any events that they may offer. When you click on the link it will open a new window.
Useful books
The following books are widely available and all provide interesting contemporary reading around male consciousness and spirituality. If you want to know more detail on a specific book - click on the title where you wil be brought to Amazon in a new tab on your browser.
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Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening, Cynthia Bourgeault
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The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, Eckhart Tolle
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The Drummer’s Path: Moving the Spirit with Ritual and Traditional Drumming, Sule Greg Wilson
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The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society, Henri Nouwen
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Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories that Heal, Rachel Naomi Remen
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Swallowed by a Snake: The Gift of the Masculine Side of Healing, Thomas Golden
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The Wounded Storyteller: Body, Illness, and Ethics, Arthur Frank
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The Power of Serving Others: You Can Start Where You Are, Gary Morsch and Dean Nelson
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Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson, Mitch Albom
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Living a Life That Matters, Harold Kushner
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What Men Live By and Other Tales, Leo Tolstoy
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Useful movies
If you want to know more detail on a specific film - click on the title where you wil be brought to IMDb in a new tab on your browser.
Local men's circles or groups are the heart of the network of Men's spirituality. They provide a place to meet together at a deep level with other men.
There are a variety of local circles and groups in Ireland (North and South). A current listing of local groups can be found below. Click each group for further information about contacts, venues and practical arrangements. If there isn't one near you, perhaps you could consider setting up a group; we can help by identifying other men in your area.
Ulster
Larne
Belfast
Munster
Waterford
Leinster
Dublin (Mt. Argus)
Dublin (Rathfarnham)
Dublin (Ballycragh/Oldcourt)
Kildare (Naas)
Connacht
United Kingdom
Male Journey
For us men, connecting is one of the five touchstones we want to advocate as being a necessary component in all aspects of our work. Truly connecting should be one of our highest goals. As such, we need to know what is meant by connecting. There are many nuances to connecting, but the purest sense of connecting is the joining. To be really connected is almost as if two separate entities become one—much like a marriage.
Of course this kind of connecting between men could be very uncomfortable. Most of us do not want or know how to be that intimate with another man. Most of us simply are not able to be that open with everyone and, in fact, it may be just one or two people that we truly feel connected to. Finding those people and maintaining those relationships are paramount when furthering the spiritual journey but, just like with many marriages, there are failed attempts to connect so we need to be discerning in our search.
A good starting point could be with a group of people. In AA, alcoholics are told to find a sponsor. Connecting with a sponsor is vital to maintaining sobriety. Newcomers are asked to look for a sponsor from within the local AA group, someone who demonstrates qualities that the newcomer would want in himself. Being part of the group and knowing there is this “other” out there gives alcoholics safe space and support to make healthy choices.
Ultimately our goal is to find these one-to-one relationships with someone who will truly listen to us — and to whom we will truly listen. Sakej Henderson says, “to truly listen is to risk being changed forever.” We are on a spiritual journey and we need someone who will be there, maybe not from start to finish, but someone who walks with us a significant way. So, like any man attempting to climb a high mountain, a good way to ensure success is to get yourself a good Guide (an Elder or a Mentor) who has been there before and knows the way. Some of us may need more than just a guide, possibly a Sherpa (Spiritual Director or Therapist) who can help carry some of the load when things get too heavy. Sometimes good guides are hard to find, but there is another man who wants to venture up the mountain with you. You decide together that you will start out, trying to find the way as a duo (Soul Brother).
It seems we all must undertake this journey, whether we want to or not. For many of us the journey has been hard, with lots of struggles and suffering along the way. But the mountain top will not come to us and usually, when we get to one peak, we see there is another. The journey never ends. Thankfully we do not have to venture out alone.
Other JOI practises:
Centering
Gathering
Releasing
Serving
