This page is dedicated to the words of our brothers who have participated in the work of the The Bridge.  We hope you find their words inspiring, uplifting and supportive.  Most of these words result from our most recent Bridge event held in Sebastopol, CA in early June.  Many men who attend The Bridge tell us that these words helped them to make the decision to attend a future event.  If something touches you, shoot us an email or give us a call.

The Bridge - Final Day - June 2009

“The Bridge fed a part of my soul that I didn’t know was hungry.  Since I was 10, I’ve been told by my mother that men are liars and cowards, told by sitcoms that men screw things up and women must clean them up, told by myself that as a man I was slow and ineffective.  Until this event I’ve never had someone prove me wrong about these beliefs.  The men at The Bridge took a shovel to the bullshit I was buried under.  For five days, living among a group of men… and we survived without the help of women, or government or television, by nature and the strength of our spirit.  I pushed myself to come here, but once I arrived I was carried by the strength of the other men.  In the first rounds of sharing in the circle, men were willing to share their deepest secrets with me and darkest sources of shame, to trust me with this information.  Underground it was my turn to trust men that I would not be left buried under the weight of the earth.  That in my stuck place I could still have my needs met, I was still respected and nurtured by men.

Most importantly, because this space was held, I could complete my journey alone.  I learned there about the force that keeps my heart beating and air in my lungs.  How strong it is!  How it wants nothing more than to flee from death and revel in the ecstasy of motion, and that which moves and is alive.  At last, exhausted, my body was too weak to continue its vain attempt to move the earth off itself.  I had to surrender to stuckness.  The part of me that thought I would be moving forever died right there.  I know now this life force will at some point leave my physical body. And because of this I cherish it! Most importantly, I got the blessing of other men and the chance to bless them with my presence.  I got to feed a part of my soul that I did not know was hungry.”

Dan from Massachusetts (Age 22)

“What I got out of The Bridge is the true foundation of what man is in the depth of his soul.  I found meaning behind my fears and dove into the truth of why we are who we are.  And we cannot change who we are until dive into the fear and embrace it and make it our strength instead of our weakness.  Then we can change our energy.  The Bridge has given me a chance to look at my life and deal with the true essence of how I became myself and to turn the events of my life that I hated into positives to complete the man I am.”

Aaron from Missouri

“From the moment of the sweat lodge I felt I was marked for death by a symbol of initiation.  I felt alone in my plight and yet a part of a group that would experience the same.  Guided by men whom have experienced a similar rite of passage before, I did not know what I was in for and fear began to set in.  I came to The Bridge to drop an old part of myself and give birth to a deeper, more authentic one.

What I found through the process was much more than I had hoped.  I found myself among men whom have experienced deep wounding, shame, fear and tremendous pain, just as I have.  These men shared with me the courage to admit these weaknesses and express a true vulnerability that has left an opening within me like a river cutting its way through the landscape of my defenses.  Where I was once a frightened, timid and shamed boy, I am finding that I have a voice to speak what I feel and think without doubt of who I am as a person.  There is a place of honor inside where I used to feel shame, and it is real, the shift has really happened in me.

I still do not know what it means to be a man, but that definition does not bother me because since I have participated in this initiation with other men, I feel I no longer have the desire to prove myself as a man.  This is because I belong to and have been accepted by a group of authentic men that I can call my brothers, thereby accepting what I was unable to accept within myself.  These brothers witnessed and honored me as I buried an old and dead part of my former self.  I am honored to have participated in the group and lastly, I feel an honor within myself for who I am and what I have to say.

Fucking Awesome!”

Michael from California

“Another layer of my onion has been released.  I am aware of a life long pattern of behavior that has never served me well.  It has been a continuous block I have used to avoid walking through my fear.  I learned that  I have used embarrassment and withdrawal to avoid the pain of accepting ME just as I am.   YES!!”

Don from Missouri

“What I got out of The Bridge is a reconnection with men speaking with the deepest issues of their current lives.  With such honest sharing, the issues in my own life appeared to be issues that several others were experiencing.  So I recognized that we all are, in our own way, dealing with complications.  I felt such a sense of community which makes me feel stronger… definitely stronger to deal the thoughts that sometimes torture my mind.  A catharsis of letting go through speaking about the pain of issues I’ve never expressed and the shame of events that I’ve never expressed.  Just voicing it to others was like a shower after trenching through mud.  With such honesty from all, I could feel I am not alone in life.  Trying to be strong like a one man army, is absurd.  The personal walls are torn down and I am with an army of others.  The fears become common and then laughable that I took it so personally.  During the weekend, I was digging into the wound, releasing the puss, tension and then healing it with care and support.  Get the imaginary bullet out and then wash the wound and expose it to the sun…then the body has strength to heal.

It’s like a hospital for the mind, no distractions, a time to find the bullet, remove it and begin to feel the light force again, before the mind breaks down the body.  This is an event that goes to the core.  It was totally like preventative medicine.”

Daven from California.

“What I got out of The Bridge is the blessing and meaning of real friendship – and that it does not take a lifetime or even years, but maybe only the experience of a vulnerable open heart shared and witnessed in a group to cement the bond.

Also, when confronting my own fears with a group of men in a setting of beauty and under the loose, but skilled guidance of an experienced facilitator, the lines and boundaries get blurred and even melt.  It is then the magic / love / light penetrates and oh brother, watch out,  because I then enter the land of miracles.”

David from California

“I came to The Bridge with fear of the burial ritual.  That was my conscious awareness of my fear, digging my grave and being buried for ten hours.  I was willing to experience whatever came up in the process.  However, what I discovered was my greatest fear was my resistance of my own feelings for myself.  Through the burial experience I came to the place where I had to surrender to the acceptance of who I am…  a true reality check of who I am in the present moment.  For me, this whole Bridge experience centered around my lifetime of resistance versus my total acceptance of who I am today.

The pain that exists in my knees is a tremendous metaphor for my life.  The sweat lodge presented a tremendous challenge because I had used a deep tissue liniment on both knees earlier in the day.  In the sweat lodge, that only made the pain and burn deeper.  Then I rubbed that sweat in my eyes and it burned tremendously.  I felt the macho need to prove I could take it (resistance learned from my dad) and just suck it up.  I finally came to the point where I could not take it anymore and had to ask for help.  A wet towel was brought it.  I made it through to where I needed to be – acceptance.

All of the various rituals and processes led me to seeing my need to let go of resistance and embrace acceptance of my existence the way I am.  The two energy exercises Saturday evening were very powerful for me.  What struck me from those two exercises was the deep feeling of accepting love from everyone in the room.  The warmth and depth of that feeling was incredible.”

Ron from Missouri

“Being a first time participant at The Bridge, I didn’t know what to expect or receive.  But once here, I immediately felt welcomed and part of a group of men that truly felt like a brotherhood, something I have never before experienced.  I witnessed and became a part of a great sense of camaraderie in every sense of the word.  There was no hierarchy, all egos were “checked at the door” and every man was equal.

I felt I was able to express myself with no inhibitions or fear of shame or embarrassment.  I was able to be myself and was accepted for who I am.  I was blessed with the knowledge that we all have our own issues and realized that I was not alone.

The group circles were a unique experience for me, allowing me to open up and express my feelings without judgment from the other men – a feeling I will take with me and try to apply in my daily life when I leave here.  Each of the attending men are special in their own way, but we all came together as one.  We all shared, we all offered of ourselves, and we all loved.  The Bridge opening my eyes as well as my heart and honestly gave to me a deeper understanding and insight to my fellow man, for which I am grateful.  I would whole heartedly recommend every man to experience this great sense of real and true brotherhood.”

Christopher from California

Breaking Morning

“During The Bridge I had the opportunity to unplug from the outside world.  I had the chance to share my deepest fears with a group of men without the fear of being judged.  I have taken something from every man that was in attendance.  I realized that I have a bad habit of making assumptions about my life and making those assumptions true in my own mind.”

Kendrick from Missouri

“What I got out of The Bridge is a new respect for my innate wisdom, and for my own power to reclaim that wisdom.  I also got the courage to pursue a life’s purpose, in my case, a means of earning money – that I have blathered about for several years (Editor Note:  Frank is a Photographer!)  I renewed my hope for men’s power to renew my “western culture’s” overall direction of consumption of Earth’s resources as its primary drive.”

Frank from Illinois

“I am a 23-year-old male who has lived a life absent of a father.  Sitting with the men of The Bridge was my first experience being truly surrounded by male energy.  Over the course of the event, I was able to grapple with my estrangement from my male self, and accept and integrate it.  This event and the men involved provided me the space to shed my boyhood self and helped build the platform to launch myself into the world as the man I truly am.”

Steele from California

Brothers In Arms

“If there is an experience which helps men to transform themselves into powerful creators of their own reality, it is The Bridge.  If you want to really get in touch with your Divine Masculine and claim your power, do this event.  You won’t be regretful.  It is raw, it is wild, it is intense, it is real you.”

Koray from Idaho

“This event is an opportunity to look deep into the soul and breadth of our experience as men in this world.  I experienced deep understanding of how I became the man I am.  I saw clearly what it was that shaped my view of my father.  I clearly saw the impact of my family disconnectedness.  I am more able now to accept responsibility for my masculinity.  I now know what the expressions of my rage came from.  I have been able to admit and voice my failures as a warrior.   I made intentions to make amends to those harmed and to those I have damaged as a result of my failures.”

Grenville from California

“The support of this group of men carried me into confidence.  By way of a ritual that the men carried out in my honor,  I found something about me that has been missing.  If you find yourself to be open to honest sharing, this event will be very powerful for you, and if you don’t find yourself open, then perhaps even more so.”

Ray from California