Shine a Light Men's Project

Welcome!

Read Original Writing

Read and comment on the author’s original writing on men’s issues, mindfulness practice, and the state of the American experiment.

Join a Men’s Meditation and Discussion Group

Contact us to arrange an introduction and join a group already in progress.

Schedule a Men’s Meditation Group Presentation

Invite us to give a presentation to your organization, place of worship or community. We offer both in-person and online formats.

Contact: Mensproject999@gmail.com

Many men report a sense of loss as male roles have been upended in recent years, challenging their sense of place in the world.

This project invites men with diverse perspectives to come together and share experiences related to these trends.

Our objective is to shine a light on these challenges and find ways to renew and refresh our identities, develop methods to embrace change, promote connections among peers and rediscover the sense of joy as men moving into the future.

All persons identifying as men are welcome to participate in project activities including cisgender, gay, trans, queer and nonbinary individuals. All are welcome here.

Mindfulness Meditation for Men Only

In the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election, it is clear that one of the most influential factors was masculinity. Men’s roles continue to evolve and challenge our sense of who we are. How shall we be authentic men in a changing world? This is for us to decide.

The Shine a Light Men's Project is a mindful gathering for men to meet and discuss among themselves what it means “to be a man” and how we may use this awareness to improve our lives. For the 2025 season, we are offering mindfulness meditation and discussion of men's issues in-person as described below. Join us!

The 75-minute meetings feature mindfulness meditation training for beginners and advanced practitioners, along with open, constructive, and supportive small group discussions.

The Shine a Light Men's Project is non-political, non-religious and non-judgmental, and openly invites differing points of view whenever relevant. Mindfulness brings us together as men.

Please see the see below for times and locations.

Rockville In-Person Program

Join us for in-person mindfulness meditation weekly at the Rockville United Church, 355 Linthicum St, Rockville, MD 20851. We meet on Tuesday evenings, 7:00 to 8:15 p.m. We are usually a small group, and for anyone who lives nearby, we have a wonderful space for meditation and discussion.

Start date: February 25, 2025.

Keep in mind, The Shine a Light Men's Project is non-political, non-religious and non-judgmental, and openly invites differing points of view whenever relevant.

Online Program Available via Google Meet

For those who prefer virtual meetings, we offer weekly meetings in the evening 7:00 to 8:15 p.m. Feel free to join from any PC, laptop, tablet or cell phone.

Please contact us to inquire about starting a new online group.

Orientations and Interviews Available:

Link to Page for Registered Participants:

Resilience Workshop

Building Resilience Workshop

Announcing a new advanced workshop for men. Once a year we will offer a small-group forum specifically designed for men. The workshop will focus on developing mindfulness practices and incorporating these into participants' lives.

We will learn to utilize mindfulness strategies to build resilience and consider advanced issues impacting men in today's world.

Please stay tuned for the next available workshop. Please send applications and requests for further information to the coordinator at Mensproject999@gmail.com.

This men's only workshop will meet for six 90-minute sessions.

Please note the Resilience Workshop page is password protected.

Men and Boys are in Trouble

6 Oct 2023 15:25

Men and boys are falling behind girls and young women in both high school and college achievement. They are becoming significantly under employed, especially the 25-35 age group. Men account for three out of every four “deaths of despair” — suicide and drug overdoses. During the COVID pandemic, middle-aged men accounted for 80% more deaths than middle-aged women. In the United States, mass shootings seem to occur frequently and in every case, men are wielding the guns.

What About Women and Girls?

4 Oct 2023 16:05

This is question we should address upfront. Why are we focusing on men and boys when women are still fighting for equal rights, equal pay and social empowerment? The answer is simple: these are not zero-sum challenges. Concern for men and boys does not negate our concern for women and girls. Only there are far fewer opportunities for men to collaborate on their own challenges.

Why a Men's Project?

2 Oct 2023 21:33

Why a men's group? This is a question we hear a lot. Sure, women meet in groups, and there are many women's groups focusing on still-serious inequities in western societies. Men play sports, attend football games, work on projects together. They don't do groups. Or at least this is the prevailing misconception among many misconceptions regarding gender identity. In any case, what we are offering is not just a group, but an on-going project wherein men may develop their own solutions and share them with other men, and hopefully the communities where they live.

The Essence of Silence

Listen closely. Can you hear it?

The modern world is filled with noise. Most workers are overloaded by multiple, simultaneous streams of messages. Social life is experienced via overlapping channels of electronic activity leading to stress and exhaustion. In contrast, meditation practices invariably depend on silence, or at least the quieting of one’s mind and body. Silence is at the heart of such crucial peacemaking practices as deep listening, forgiveness, love and compassion. And yet many men fear lapses into silence and resist meditation as contrived and unnatural.

'Shine a Light' Origins, Now a Men's Project

A phrase with many origins, now shining a light on men’s issues

The Shine a Light Men’s Project began as a mindfulness alternative to men’s groups designed to take on men’s most pressing issues. I believe that mindfulness is foundational to the stated agenda: a call to action by men, for men, to come together and discuss the issues most profoundly influencing their lives.

Mindfulness for Men

Coping with the essential messiness of the present moment.

Humans are a particularly imaginative species. The enlarged prefrontal cortex of the human brain is constantly at work drawing our imaginations from here to there and everywhere. You know the feeling, those moments when you suddenly realize that for the past several minutes your mind has been wandering, touching on all manner of details, desires and curiosities from the day’s experiences and beyond. This experience is common to both men and women, although for men, a much more of their mental wandering is sexual in nature. No surprise there!

The End of Brotherhood

Warning: This story contains graphic references to violence, bloodshed and suicide. If you have violent or suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Hotline: Call 988

Brotherhood in 21st century western society is in decline. Most traditional men’s organizations, including the Freemasons, Elks, and Odd Fellows, report significant declines in membership in recent years. We find a similar trend with the closing of so many pubs and bars where men once gathered to drink, tell bawdy stories and blow off steam.

Stuck in the Man Box

27 Oct 2023 15:46

In the early 1980s Paul Kivel and others at the Oakland Men's Project developed a paper and pencil exercise which illustrated gender expectations by drawing "Act Like a Man" and "Act Like a Lady" boxes. Workshop students responded to open-ended statements in each box and outlined how they believed men and women should act. For some years this "act like a man box" exercise was used in various men's programs.

Slipping Past the Man Box

1 Nov 2023 16:53

A friend pointed out recently that, although xe agrees that escaping the man box is not likely, except maybe for Superman, some men appear to slip by relatively unscathed. After running through our catalogs of male friends, we each confirmed this observation. Consider this an addendum to the "Stuck in the Man Box" entry a few days ago.

Toxic Masculinity: It's Complicated

An antiquated phrase with a curious history

In a medical review originally posted November 2022 with a 2024 update, the online medical information service WebMD presents an overview, diagnosis and treatment plan for toxic masculinity. To be clear, no where in this piece does WebMD identify toxic masculinity as a medical condition. Nevertheless, treating it as a social disorder, the medical reviewer points out:

"[The term] is meant to point out that certain behaviors and ways of thinking often associated with masculinity, from mental and physical toughness to sexism and homophobia, have a negative and often dangerous impact on the world."