Retreats and Programs that Open the Heart
Community Events
Discover gatherings, retreats, and programs that invite you deeper into the Practice of Presence. These events connect with various aspects of the resources we provide—Choosing Presence, the Practicing Presence app, and the Awakening to Presence online course—helping you bring awareness, peace, and connection into your daily life.
We’re glad to share these events as a resource for our community. Some are hosted by outside organizations or individuals; unless noted, Choosing Presence isn’t responsible for their content, leadership, or outcomes. For event details, contact the listed organizers directly. Questions or want to submit an event for consideration? You can do so here.
2026 NorCal Men’s Rites of Passage (MROP)
A four-night/five-day initiation experience for men—rooted in ancient patterns of male initiation, guided by powerful ritual, deep teaching, time in nature, and honest small-group sharing. Come to awaken your masculinity, spirituality, and life purpose.
2026 Illinois Men’s Rites of Passage (MROP)
A four-night/five-day initiation experience for men—rooted in ancient patterns of male initiation, guided by powerful ritual, deep teaching, time in nature, and honest small-group sharing. Come to awaken your masculinity, spirituality, and life purpose.
2026 East Coast Men’s Rites of Passage (MROP)
A four-night/five-day initiation experience for men—rooted in ancient patterns of male initiation, guided by powerful ritual, deep teaching, time in nature, and honest small-group sharing. Come to awaken your masculinity, spirituality, and life purpose.
2026 Texas Men’s Rites of Passage (MROP)
A four-night/five-day initiation experience for men—rooted in ancient patterns of male initiation, guided by powerful ritual, deep teaching, time in nature, and honest small-group sharing. Come to awaken your masculinity, spirituality, and life purpose.
CHOOSING PRESENCE | Awakening to God's Peace and Presence
Join us January 23–25, 2026, at the Carmelite Spiritual Center for Choosing Presence: Awakening to God’s Peace and Presence. This men’s retreat offers guided practices, teachings, councils, nature time, and sacred ritual to help men slow down and reconnect with Divine Presence. Open to all men; registration required.
Awaken 2025: 🔥Igniting the Fire or Our Sacred Masculine
Step into deeper presence this November at Awaken 2025: Igniting the Fire of Our Sacred Masculine. Held at Shrine Mont in Orkney Springs, VA from November 6–9, this immersive gathering invites men to cultivate grounded, compassionate masculine presence amid nature. Guided by Illuman’s mission, participants will embody courage, curiosity, trust, and belonging through soulful connection with self, others, and the wild.
The Wild God: Five-Day Exploration of the Masculine Spiritual Journey
The Wild God: Five-Day Exploration of the Masculine Spiritual Journey immerses men in sacred space, soulful brotherhood, and encounters with the Wild God within. Led by Jim Taylor and Marc Oehler, this October retreat unfolds in the quiet of Warwick Conference Center and the wilderness of Camp Johnsonburg. Step away from the noise, remember who you are, and return renewed and whole.