Are you the type of guy who is curious about a men's retreat? Or, maybe you have a husband, son, father, or male friend who seeks reflective time to explore deeper significance and meaning in life.

Describing a recent men's retreat led by Spiritual Directors International member, James Neppl, The St. Cloud Times offers a glimpse into the leadership and thoughts of participants through the article, "Retreat Gives Men Time for Reflection" by Frank Lee, March 28, 2010.

Neppl, who designed a reflective retreat aimed at life "balance" is interviewed along with participants. Lee writes:

"Neppl said that when men usually get together, they make small talk about hunting, fishing, weather, sports and other “safe” topics. "We normally, as men, don’t do a lot of self-care, and we, as men, don’t normally sit around and talk about the softer things of love and relationships and our spirituality, and so for them just to get there is a major step,” said Neppl, retreat facilitator. ...The first thing I tell the guys is that nobody is going to make you do anything that you don’t want to do, you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to, that there is a level of trust here, and that what’s said here stays here. ...And you can just feel the guys relax.”"

"Neppl said finding one’s “spiritual center” is an essential part of the balance in a person’s life. He implored the men at the retreat on St. John’s campus to find God “in the midst of the chaos.”"

One participant says, "I learned that we need to make decisions, we need a time for discernment, we need to take pause, think about it and measure our reaction, and those are things that I think will help me in both my personal life and my business."

Another shares, “I guess I was somewhat reserved, having never done a retreat of any kind before,” he said. “What I was attracted to about the retreat was it was for ‘overly busy men’ — they mentioned the word ‘chaotic’ — and those words spoke to me.”

Neppl plans to offer additional retreats, and for the past several years has worked with other SDI members to provide leadership for the men's retreats offered as a part of the annual educational events.

Links

• To read the complete article by Frank Lee, click: "Retreat Gives Men Time for Reflection"
  
  
• A Men's Institute will be offered April 11-12, 2010 in San Francisco, California, USA during the SDI educational events. Click to learn about "Becoming Soulful Men: Learn to be Grateful and Live with the Questions" with Don Bisson, FMS, DMin.