The New Era of Men’s Retreats: Why MELD Prime Works When Emotion Alone Doesn’t
The New Era of Men’s Retreats: Why MELD Prime Works When Emotion Alone Doesn’t Where Men’s Work Began and Why It Had to Evolve In the last two decades, men’s retreats have gone from fringe to mainstream. Early programs like Mankind Project (MKP) helped thousands of men break the silence around emotion. They made it […]
When Strength Becomes a Cage: How Men Can Redefine Success and Connection
When Strength Becomes a Cage: How Men Can Redefine Success and Connection In a world that celebrates false stoicism and success over connection and authenticity, many men find themselves silently struggling. On the surface, life seems perfect: successful careers, stable families, and well-earned respect. But beneath it all lies a growing sense of emptiness. If […]
How Men Really Change: Inside the Physiology of Transformation in a Retreat
How Men Really Change: Inside the Physiology of Transformation in a Retreat Men are taught to think their way into change, read another book, make another plan, and set another intention. But fundamental transformation isn’t a mental event; it’s physiological. What we call “stuck” is often a body running an old stress program. At MELD […]
How the Vagus Nerve Heals the Body and Builds Connection
How the Vagus Nerve Heals the Body and Builds Connection Two leading scientists have shown how one nerve sits at the center of both health and relationships. Neurosurgeon Kevin Tracey, MD (author of The Great Nerve), demonstrates how the vagus nerve regulates inflammation and restores physiological balance. Behavioral neuroscientist Stephen Porges, PhD (author of The […]
Behavior Is Contagious—So What Are You Catching?
Behavior Is Contagious—So What Are You Catching? I’ve been listening to Malcolm Gladwell’s Revenge of the Tipping Point, and it struck a nerve. Not because it’s about dramatic social shifts or political pivots, but because it confirmed something I’ve seen quietly changing men’s lives for years: Behavior doesn’t just change because someone “tries harder.” Behavior […]
Where Are All the Elders? The Missing Piece Men Are Searching For
Where Are All the Elders? The Missing Piece Men Are Searching For Something happened in one of our groups recently that’s been sitting with me. A man raised his hand and asked if we could spend the evening talking about elderhood. Not because he was old, he wasn’t, because he felt the absence of it. […]
Reclaiming the Real: How Men Can Return to Creativity, Community, and Struggle
Reclaiming the Real: How Men Can Return to Creativity, Community, and Struggle A continuation of last week’s: PART 1: THE GREAT SHIFT – FROM MAKERS TO WATCHERS When men stopped making, something vital went missing. Not just from the culture. From our nervous systems. Because being a man isn’t about being in charge or having […]
From Makers to Watchers: Why Men Feel Lost in a World of Consumption
From Makers to Watchers: Why Men Feel Lost in a World of Consumption There’s a quiet tragedy unfolding around us—so quiet that most men don’t even notice it happening. We’ve been told we’re more connected, more informed, and more entertained than ever before. But beneath the constant ping of updates and endless options, a deeper […]
Outgrowing the Mother: A New Model of Masculine Maturity
Outgrowing the Mother: A New Model of Masculine Maturity Why men need more than emotional safety — and how challenge, structure, and leadership complete the arc of development I sought to become more sensitive to succeed in my relationships with women. I became good at it. Women felt safe with me. Slowly, I realized that […]
When Comfort Weakens and Toughness Fails: What Men Actually Need
When Comfort Weakens and Toughness Fails: What Men Actually Need The Third Way for Men: Beyond Soft or Stoic In our culture, we have long placed sensitivity and risk-taking in opposition: one coded as feminine; the other as masculine. One associated with nurture; the other with challenge. But our experience at MELD — forged in the fire of thousands […]