“Best Place for Man Talk” – Georgia Straight, Best of Vancouver

Fall 2022 marks the start of Manology’s 14th year!
Thanks to everyone who helped bring us this far over these years!!  Gratitude!!

Manology is currently operating in several closed groups.  If you are interested in joining a closed group please contact me at: david@davidhatfield.ca

Stay connected, feed your happiness, aim for sustainability and resilience.
Hope to see you in person soon!

Below is a sample of our former format of open drop-in, scheduled sessions.

Fall 2021 schedule

Sept 13 – Welcome Back!
Facilitator: David Hatfield
Seventeen months after we last met in person, we return to our host venue the Roundhouse, to gather ourselves and see where we are at, and who we are now.  Since March 2020 some societal tectonic plates have moved dramatically, shaking all of us, disturbing our sense of identity, relationships, and our take on past present and future.   Covid – waves 1 through 4, massive shifts in social spaces and workplaces, health mandates, the murder of George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, Biden as president, insane heat and the now familiar fires and smoke, mass graves at residential schools, Delta variant, anti-vaxx protests and a federal election…and these just the biggest headlines in our part of the world amid the other uncountable stories we are living in our respective communities, families, workplaces, relationships and individual lives.  Tonight, we gather to regroup, catch up with self and other, and see how things are.

September 20 – Attachment
Facilitator: Nigel Mojica
How do early childhood experiences in our families of origin shape how we relate to others – particularly romantic partners – throughout life? What shapes our attachment styles and how do these patterns influence our feelings, thoughts, and behaviours? Can attachment styles be changed and how? In this session, we will explore the concept of attachment and reflect on how it shows up in our lives and relationships.

September 27 – Trauma and Nervous System Arousal
Facilitator: Nigel Mojica
What happens in our brains when we lose our temper, feel attacked in a conversation, or get triggered by something in our environment? How do past traumatic experiences influence how we respond to events later in life? What is the “window of tolerance” and how can we regulate our nervous systems when we become hyper-aroused? In this session, we will look at the role of the nervous system in shaping our emotional, mental, and physical experiences, and explore some ways to soothe and regulate ourselves in moments of distress.

October 4 – Getting’ Outta Our Heads!
Facilitator: David Hatfield
Oh yeah!  Tonight, we are going to change it up, using a combination of music, drawing, creative impulse and simple movement. We’ll invite the intelligence of the body and a big helping of sounds (ie: music) to take the focus.  There will be lots of encourage to listen to and follow what the body wants to do.  It’s not a workout nor a dance class!   But all the same, wear some comfortable clothing and you’ll likely be happy to have a water bottle too.   We’ll check-in with ourselves beginning and end to gather insights about ourselves and one another.  Expect fun, to feel the body loosen up, and to be moved, literally!  You will also learn about and experience some body-based resources that can help us when we get stressed, anxious or depressed!  A playlist of the music used will also be shared.

October 11 – Thanksgiving  – No Manology – Gratitude for all we may have.

October 18 – Flex Flux and Flow
Facilitator: David Hatfield
It’s good to have a plan, and sometimes not.  Sometimes having no plan is a good plan too.  Tonight we’ll let our focus emerge out of our interactions, moods, and energies in the moment.  Many of us were encouraged to be prepared, follow the directions, aim for expected outcomes, execute at a high level, alone if possible, with a structured precision. These attributes and styles and the truly awesome and great outcomes they can produce are enduringly linked with ‘how men do stuff.’
And…

…there is more than one way to hold a hammer, more than one kind of knowing, of doing things, of being yourself and relating to other men.  Instinct, teamwork, openness, innovation, and in-the-moment presence…this is the field we aim for tonight.  It will be…

Theme: Climate Change

Many will be closely watching the upcoming UN COP26 global climate change summit in Glascow, October 31 – November 12.   As we continue to seek solutions for raging social issues we also watch the steady stream of intense changes in weather and climate patterns locally and around the world.   Manology acknowledges there is polarity of opinion about climate change, just as there are diverse opinions about everything else.  These sessions are not about that debate.  They are for those feeling anxious, angry, confused, numb or grieving about climate change.  We’ll approach this from several directions.

October 25 – The Magnitude of All Things
Guest Presenter – Jennifer Abbott
This session of Manology will explore the themes of grief and loss in times of personal and planetary change with veteran filmmaker Jennifer Abbott. Jennifer’s most recent film, THE MAGNITUDE OF ALL THINGS (https://www.themagnitudeofallthings.com) took her around the world to some of the hardest hit climate frontlines to engage with people about how they were feeling about the changing world around them. For most people, coming to terms with the scale and violence of the climate crisis brings up strong and difficult emotions from despair, powerlessness and grief, to anger, rage and depression. How can we use those difficult feelings to energize, not immobilize?  How do we face and accept the reality of climate catastrophe while solidifying our determination to engage in the only thing we can now do – resist? This session will introduce participants to some of the ways they can come to terms with their deepest fears and sorrows about climate change in order to begin the long journey of healing, resilience and transformation for both themselves and the world around us.

November 1 – The Truth Mandala
Facilitator: David Hatfield with acknowledgement to Joanna Macy
Back by demand-ing circumstances: wildfires, extreme heat, floods etc.  We’ll use a ceremony created by author and teacher Joanna Macy as a simple, respect structure to acknowledge our deep concerns and feelings about climate change.  This 2- part series on climate change will occur during the UN COP26 global climate summit in Glascow, Scotland.  Macy says truth-telling is like oxygen – it enlivens us.  Without it we grow confused and numb.  It is also a homecoming, bringing us back to powerful connection and solidarity.   We first experienced the Truth Mandala ceremony at Manology in 2012.  It has been requested multiple times since.  With respect to this issue, a lot is the same since then, and a lot has changed, not so much for the better.  Many men make for a strong and vibrant ceremonial container – please join us.

November 8, 2021 – Climate Change: Taking action personally, collectively and systemically.
Facilitator: David Hatfield
Tonight, as the UN COP26 climate conference continues in Scotland, we will  share all the helpful practices, choices, organizations and actions we know about to lessen our negative impacts on the Earth.  We’ll go from individual actions to looking at ways to support and motivate systemic change.  Don’t be passive on this session, bring what you know about.  It’s our collective knowledge that is our power tonight!!  All proceeds from this session will be donated to an organization of our choice that works on climate change issues.  Also, the massive and awesome pile of resources we assemble together will be shared to the full Manology community. This East Vancouver housing project pictured above is so well insulated and air tight that it can function without a primary central heating system.  Good one!

November 15 – What Is Love? (Baby Don’t Hurt Me)
Facilitator: Nigel Mojica
In All About Love: New Visions, Bell Hooks defines love as, “the will to extend one’s self for the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth”. How are we choosing to define love? How do our definitions of love impact how we experience romantic relationships, friendships, and connections in our communities? In this session, we will explore what we mean when we use this ubiquitous and significant four-letter word, and how we relate to love in our own lives.

November 22 – Love Stories – an all-genders session
Facilitators: David Hatfield and Ashley Rose
Love.  The binding power of humanity, the course of connection.  We all experience it, in our own ways…sometimes by having it and sometimes by longing for it.  Covid’s interruptions of connection has increased for many of us, our affection and appreciation for people and Life.  We might love our lovers, friends, family members, children, animals, experiences, states of being, parts of nature, creativity, colors, flavors, sounds, sameness, difference…a never-ending list.  Tonight, we’ll come together to share stories of love, and in doing so, aim to expand our ideas and sense of possibilities about love and our vocabulary for it as well.  There is no obligation to share personally, just come ready to experience a lot of love!  This is an all-gender session: all genders, non-gender conforming people are welcome!

November 29 – Let’s Talk A Lot About Sex
Guest Presenter: Marie Damgaard
This experiential session is open to all men who are interested in a curious, authentic, compassionate and mindful exploration of how constructed masculinity impacts men’s intimacy and sexuality.  This seminar will check in with all attendees around their hopes for session outcomes, and will touch on the following areas:

• Individual perceptions of sexuality
• Societal expectations of men’s bodies and sexuality
• Porn’s impact on the male psyche and performance
• Multiple spheres of shame
• Identifying unique resources for healthy sexuality and embodiment

We will explore how the above elements can become compounded in the mind and body, which can cause an inability to be present with your needs for intimacy and connection.  By the end of this seminar, co-participants will be in touch with some of their unique individual resources for healthy sexuality and safe embodiment.