Expansive Man Reclamation: Lover Archetype- A Men's Work Retreat

Expansive Man Reclamation: LOVER

Men, we invite you to join us this May 17th-20th for a 3 day & 3 night retreat held on the beautiful land of elder Mumsi Sylvia Shanoss in the Sachteen territory next to Lillooet Lake.

We will be tapping in through shadow work, breathwork, martial arts, sweat lodge, qi gong, primal movement, authentic relating, earth wisdom, and more, all while connecting to the power brotherhood and men's work.

Facilitated by our talented team of Benoit Forest, Brian Carew, Damian Kai Norman, Godwyn Young, Vern Petty, and Zachary Koop.

This retreat will be themed around the Lover archetype. This is the archetype of joy, expression, sensitivity to beauty, passion, eros, empathy, and oneness. If you are a ship the captain is the king, the man with the compass, map, and telescope is the magician, all the crew are the warriors, and the engine in all of their hearts is the lover.

We will be working directly with shame and fear to support each other in unlocking new layers of our lover and honing the skills to experience and express this new terrain. Doing the work to deepen into the way of living “life as art”.

This is for men:

• who are ready to step into their full authentic expression so they can lead a fulfilling life from their heart.
• who desire to have a greater purpose and deeper connections.
• who are ready to get out of your own way so you can step more fully into your power.
• Who are ready to challenge their edges of discomfort.
• who want to be trusted and respected by those around them.

We will be exploring:

• What it means to embody powerful, healthy masculinity
• How we can heal our own trauma and release the stories and energy trapped in our bodies
• Accessing and expressing our inner child
• Healing deep shame
• Reclamation of our self worth and letting go of limiting beliefs
• Facing our fears with grace and courage as we learn to meet our challenges
• Cultivating a deeper relationship to indigenous wisdom and mother earth
• Learning to empower ourselves and others around us to show up in our purpose, peace, and passion!

When you enter this space, you will not be the same Man when you exit.

Integration

We will be supporting you in every step of the way, including integrating this powerful weekend of experiences. This retreat includes 2 free integration calls for you to be supported in effectively returning to your day to day while also embodying the new lessons and shifts you experienced during the event. Calls will be Sundays 6pm-8pm May 26th and June 2nd.

On top of this, you will be forming unique bonds with the other men at the retreat that will serve as pillars of community and support outside of this container. You will also be learning how to show up in your male relationships in new ways. This is the key to life long learning is knowing how to support and be supported by other men. Not only will you develop these skills but you will be connected to other men that resonate with this empowered way of being.

LOGISTICS: Please read to the end

Lodging

We will be camping together on the land. You will need your own tent, and sleeping gear.

Food

Two meals a day, lunch and dinner will be provided by the amazing chef Scott Burgess and team. We source almost all of our ingredients from farms and hunters nearby. These are no basic meals. We feast.

We have found eating in the morning is less ideal during the retreat but you may bring your own breakfast if you desire. All dietary restrictions will be honored, please just let us know in advance your restrictions. Snacks will also be provided but we also invite you to bring some of your own.

What you need to bring

Water bottle, tent, sleeping gear, toiletries, clothes for all temperatures to be in the woods for 4 days, and a small gift for our elder and land steward.

Travel

As long as you can get to Vancouver / Pemberton / Squamish, we will help get you to the retreat! We will be carpooling to Pemberton and meeting at 1 mile lake at 10am. From there we have about an hour drive to the land.

We will open the space at 12pm on Friday May 17th and the retreat will go until 1pm on Monday May 20th. This is a holiday weekend and most people have both the Friday and Monday as a paid stat.

Cost

• The total cost of the retreat is between $700 and $1000, based on a sliding scale.
• Early bird pricing is set at a minimum of $700, with a deposit of $500 required to secure your spot. After April 26th the deposit increases to $600.
• Upon completion of the retreat, participants are required to pay a minimum of $200+ towards the total cost.
• All food costs and taxes are included in the price.

Payment Schedule:

• Early Bird Deposit: $500 (due to secure spot)
• After April 26th Deposit: $600 (due to secure spot)

• Remaining Payment: Minimum of $200+ (due upon completion of the retreat)

We use this method for multiple reasons: To encourage early commitment to begin mental preparation. Breaking up the payment makes it easier on those who may not have $700 that’s currently disposable. Lastly, to give the opportunity to offer more in return if you have the means. Everyone we have hosted so far has given testimony that the experience is of higher value than the cost. However we keep the cost as is to make it more accessible, and deeply appreciate when someone can contribute more to support the facilitators and the scholarship fund.

A portion of every dollar that comes into EM is given back in the form of offering experiences to men who need it but can’t afford it. To apply please reach out via email with your request and we will go from there. Scholarships will be prioritized to bipoc and indigenous brothers.

We also offer payment plans for the deposit. If this would make the experience possible then please reach out via email and we’ll find a plan that works.

You can purchase a ticket through Eventbrite or by sending an e-transfer to Vern.Wellness@gmail.com

You can send all questions or inquiries you have to to expansive.brotherhood@gmail.com or set up a discovery call with Vern through this link.

go.vernpetty.com/bookings

So, are you ready to reclaim deeper depths of the greatness within you? Are you ready to connect with powerful men like yourself and support each other in catalyzing your purpose, peace, and passion?

Facilitators:

Vern Petty

Founder of Expansive Man, Vern is a professional counselor, certified ICF accredited coach, masculine embodiment coach, breathwork facilitator, and event host. Vern is a space holder of containers curated to explore the expansive possibilities of what it is to be human. How we can live our lives in deeper purpose, connection, and love.

He founded Expansive Man as a space for men to connect with other men who desire "something more" out of life. To learn how we can heal ourselves, empower greatness in all our relations, and cultivate collective devotion to serving the world through our own unique gifts for the good of all.

Godwyn Young

On a healing man's journey, alongside you, Godwyn brings a plethora of life experience and ancestral insight to each Circle and Space shared. A descendant of West Indian and Metis/Lineage, he has been gifted and handed down an abundance of knowledge & teachings that can be applied immediately to support others on their path.

When considering our connection to ALL, this Father of 4 Men and Grandfather to 5 remarkable little ones, his dedication to family, lineage, and those to come instills a deeper connection to YOUR purpose.

We are Elders in training! This teaching along with others handed down are shared with intention and passion. As a Spiritual Guide & Coach he is committed to being a bridge that brings Men, Women and Young Ones back to wholeness through Ceremony and the Language of Mother Earth. All My Relations

Zach Koop

Zach is a Holistic Medicine practitioner, coach, and ceremony leader. He uses a multidisciplinary set of tools to help people find harmony and achieve their dreams. The practices he focuses on are Traditional Chinese Medicine, Medical Qigong, Breathwork, and Yoga. Zach will be guiding a Qigong practice. The qigong practice will integrate dynamic movement and stillness, breathwork, and meditation. The practice of Qigong has been used in China for thousands of years for health, cultivation of energy, mastery of the body, and to connect with nature.

Damian Kai Norman

As a certified counsellor specializing in trauma and somatic therapy, a x2 certified breathwork facilitator, a psychedelic integration counsellor, a certified ICF accredited coach, a leader in conscious men’s work through the Arka Brotherhood as the Co-Captain of Tiger Squad, and a holistic movement practitioner with a professional dance background; Damian Kai Norman values community, freedom, and physical-emotional embodiment. He loves facilitating group work and wellness retreats, creating safe containers for authentic vulnerable conversations, exploring how we can master our nervous system, and cultivating our capacity to feel fearlessly.

Benoit Forest

Benoit has always drawn inspiration from fantasy stories since he was a child. This curiosity has brought him to develop an interest in relating to the elements of nature, the importance of myth and stories as vehicles for teaching and learning, and the value of recognizing symbolism for self-awareness and personal growth.

He shows up in service as a Certified Therapeutic Counselor (RTC), a teacher at a Waldorf school and an energetic and physical bodyworker. Beyond the body, he uses esoteric tools, shamanic practices, and voice exercises to support people in feeling empowered and engaged in their own healing journey.

Brian Carew

Brian Carew is a Holistic Embodiment & Erotic Coach. Starting in Western allopathic medicine as Respiratory Therapist, Brian honored his heart and left his prestigious career to explore esoteric and Eastern approaches to healing and self-mastery in his early 20's.

Now after many years of self-study and exploration, Brian has combined breathwork, somatic-experiencing, sexual kung fu, and movement exploration to create experiences of connection, transformation, and empowerment for his clients and students.