GO, MEN*, GO!

WINTER RETREAT

Inverness, California — January 15-17

*Men and people drawn to exploring their masculinity together.

A weekend retreat on Tomales Bay for men who want play, depth and real connection, at their own pace.

A weekend of GO, MEN*, GO!

Big men. Small men.

Soft men. Strong men.

Men who aren’t men.

Men who aren’t sure.

Folks who are just fine

One way or anoth’r.

Quiet men. Loud men.

Shy men. Proud men.

Men who dance. Men who don’t.

Men who laugh, or cry, or won’t.

Come play! Come make!

Come sing. Come shake.

Come walk in the woods.

And stay up late.

Come have a hell of a great weekend with us 🙂

The practical stuff

When: January 15–17, 2027
Friday evening through Sunday afternoon

Where: Inverness, California, overlooking Tomales Bay, near Point Reyes National Seashore

Reserve your spot: A $200 deposit holds your place and counts toward the total retreat cost. Your deposit is fully refundable through December 15, 2026.

Cost: $750 standard / $850 community supporter rate
Includes food, accommodations, and facilitation. The supporter rate helps make lower-cost participation possible. Your remaining balance is due on January 4, 2027. Pay by installments can be arranged.

Scholarships: A limited number of lower-cost places are available. Please ask.

Food: We bond over the cutting board. Meals prepared and shared together, with dietary needs and preferences in mind. Great snacks always available.

Sleeping: Simple, communal arrangements. Most participants sleep on floor mattresses or pads, in tents, or in their vehicles. Three comfy beds are available for people with physical needs.

Accessibility: Easy wheelchair access, including an accessible bathroom with a fancy tiled roll-in shower. No floor lip!

Participation: Always at your speed and opt-in. Facilitated experiences, shared chores, and space in between to drop in with people or re-center yourself.

Come help shape the community, or just spend a wonderful weekend with interesting humans.

“The weekend was incredible and of the three retreats that I’ve done now, probably my favorite. The location and setting were perfect, the men were all wonderful, and all of the planned programming really resonated with me, and opened up room for a lot of great conversations during the unplanned portions.”

Mike McLively

There’s not a proper place for this story on this page. That might be just right. One night around the fire, we started sharing deep stuff. When someone was done sharing, all these different acknowledgement sounds came out, including “Aho.” The sentiment made sense but the phrase sat crooked. We talked about it, and I suggested a deeply felt “Fuck yeah” instead. A new tradition was born. All these little things that shape a community. I’m kinda crazy for them.

~leaf

What happens?

Two and a half days of richly facilitated labs, unstructured time, shared meals, and getting into nature.

The culture is developing over time. People have begun bringing poetry to share, published or things they have written. Sometimes we’re absurd. Sometimes we’re quiet together. Sometimes something unexpectedly tender or profound happens.

We have room here for each other in our imperfection and care. You will likely hear real laughter, honesty, grief, affection, but nobody has to bare their soul to belong.

The group is its own thing, changing and evolving with every gathering, and every season. While every member has an impact on the weekend (by design), participation is always your choice, and it is enough that you simply show up as yourself.

Lots of it is just fun. We play. We dance, sing, do art, try improv, and not necessarily well. And it’s always a welcome surprise to find out what the guest facilitators bring.

Who is Behind This?

leaf Wild | Founder, Wildish Work

leaf is an artist, educator, relationship counselor, and facilitator with decades of experience in experimental theater, improvisation, participatory art, and experiential education.

He holds an MFA in Digital Arts and New Media from UC Santa Cruz and has worked across university classrooms, community programs, and unconventional creative spaces.

He knows when to lead, when to disrupt, when to listen, and when to get out of the way.

And he’s not above making a complete fool of himself.

The place

We’ll gather in Inverness California, one of the small coastal towns in Marin County. (I recommend arriving early to indulge in the vibe, and maybe sample some excellent local cheese or fresh local oysters). Our home base is a gorgeous cabin overlooking Tomales Bay. It’s about a 15 minute drive to Point Reyes, where we often take a slow and easy Saturday hike. Accommodations are communal and informal. There are three beds for the folks who most need them. The rest of us sleep in tents, vehicles, or inside on mats, cots, couches. It’s… quaint. The kitchen is modern and open, so it’s easy for a bunch of us to prep, cook, and clean without feeling like we are missing anything. The living room bay windows and large deck both have a great view, and we hold most of our gatherings there.

The weekend

“The weekend softened all of us men into a deep space where taking risks and being loved and held was the norm.”

Dan Moglen

Friday Evening — Arrive and connect

Welcome! We’ll have hot, nourishing food waiting for you, no matter what time you arrive. Settle in, get acquainted at your own pace, and gather for an opening circle.

Saturday — Play, explore, connect

Check-in, movement, group labs, half a day in nature, and conversations. Opportunities for deeper exploration. Our evening grief ritual has also become a tradition. Feel free to ask about it.

Saturday breakfasts have become a thing for us, hosted by one of our regular participants. You’re welcome to join in prep, cook, clean-up.

Sunday — Make stuff together

Deep circle talk, art-making led by the current artist-in-residence, reflection, a closing circle, shared cleanup, the not-to-be-missed Orchestra of Love, and farewells.

This is a rough outline, with room for what emerges. We developed a motto: “We run a loose ship.” It’s got a compass bearing, while staying nimble and responsive to the currents and winds of the moment.

“Everyone is able to engage to the degree they feel comfortable and there’s no pressure to be something other than how you feel in the moment.”

 Mojo

Note: This particular retreat is filling faster than usual.

Let’s share one hell of a great weekend. Fuck yeah! 🙂

Wildish Work: at the corner of Love & Wisdom