Elkstone Farm

Men's Retreat: The Grounded Man, September 25-27, 2026
2026-09-25 18:00 - 2026-09-27 17:00 (America/Denver) | Elkstone Farm, 40345 Virtus Way, Steamboat Springs, CO, 80487, United States
Under the aspens, we get real.

A fall men’s intensive for men who want to stop drifting and build a life with strength, heart, and accountability.
There is a lot of men’s work out there, and a lot of it creates heat without creating change.
This weekend is built for something else: grounded men. Men who can tell the truth, take feedback, build real strength, and bring more heart to the places that matter most.

Men who are ready to stop wasting time, who:
Are successful at work but struggle at home and in community
Checked boxes they were “supposed to” but are not fully alive
Want more access to their power without becoming rigid, performative, or angry
Want more heart without collapsing, self-erasing, or losing their spine
Are ready to get honest about where they are stuck and do something about it
If you are done drifting, done hiding, and done pretending you will "figure it out later," join us.
This is for men who are willing to be challenged.
Men who want clarity, embodiment, accountability, and real practice. Men who want a stronger life, not just a “powerful” weekend.
This is not therapy, nor …
A "safe space" (it’s safe enough to be unsafe)
For men who want to apologize for being men
For men who want to hide in abstraction, debate, or excuses
This is for men who are willing to tell the truth, take feedback, and practice.

What Happens Here
We work directly on the places men get stuck most: sex, money, connection, self-respect, and follow-through.
We do it through group work, partner work, embodiment practices, hot-seat coaching, shadow work, and fierce accountability.
This is practical, direct work designed to move your life, not just have a “powerful weekend.”

Problems We Address
Digital distraction taking away from presence
Overwhelm of world events
Collapse in the face of the critical feminine
Lack of purpose
How We Address Them:
Presence — what it is, how it’s done
Focus on impacting the world through what you most care about
The ability to be honest with what is without collapse
The opportunity to be seen in the parts we don’t let others see with an acknowledgement that we are all human.

What You Walk Away With
You leave with sharper clarity about where you are drifting, direct feedback on what is costing you, practices you can use under pressure, stronger self-trust, a clearer standard for how you live as a man, and real contact with other men, not just surface connection. Most men do not need more information. They need stronger practice, better mirrors, and a room that does not let them hide. This weekend is built for that.
Specifics
We are not interested in intensity for its own sake. We are interested in change that holds up when you go home.
That means work you can actually use when your:
marriage is strained
money story is running you
temper is close to the surface, or
never there at all
discipline slips
phone becomes your escape
work success stops feeling like a life
We work on grounded strength, honest self-confrontation, embodied presence, and the ability to stay open under pressure.

This will be led by experienced men’s work facilitators Jeffrey James Howard, Marco Lam, Keith Martin-Smith, and Eddie Konold.
Marco brings heart and life, open curiosity, and joy.
Jeffrey offers cutting clarity and accountability.
Eddie delivers everyday-man sensibility, a wide-open heart, and grounded intelligence.
Keith brings direct challenge, deep insight, and a no-bullshit path to strength with heart.
Jeffrey and Eddie are licensed psychotherapists. Marco is an acupuncturist, permaculture expert, martial artist, and community leader. Keith is an ordained Zen priest, published author, and martial arts lineage holder, and Marco and Keith have been in the same men’s group, with the same group of men, for nearly 20 years.
“Keith had a strong presence, physically and spiritually with meditation and embodiment exercises. Eddie was love and gentleness, killing it with kindness and active, warm, soft reflective listening and precise at picking up relational material to give back and act on. Marco was mindful, honest, and more of a quiet/wise leader and organizer. Jeffrey was an excellent facilitator, listener, and therapist, coming in with challenges that quickly closed in on the issues at hand, using a knife to sharpen his teeth and go in for the kill.
Watch out! They all worked very well together, cohesive, displayed confidence and therefore trust and a letting go into the work and the group. The container was beautiful and held tighter as the retreat came to a close. I would participate again. I would recommend this to any man wanting more from his relationships.”
— GA, Spring 2022

Schedule

Friday
6-7:15 - Council
7:30-8:30 pm Dinner at Elkstone Farm
8:30- 9:10 pm Fire circle: Turn up the heat
9:10 Close for the night

Saturday
9:00-9:40- Sit
9:45-10:15- Physical/embodiment exercise
10:15-1200 Content/circle/teaching
12:00-1:00- Lunch
1:00-3:30- Content/circle/teaching
3:30-5- Extended break/wander/practice period
5-6:30- Content/circle/teaching
6:30-7:30- Dinner
7:30-8:45- Closing circle for the day
8:45-9 — Warrior’s rest/Meditation

Sunday
9:00-9:40- Sit
9:40-10:00 Physical/embodiment exercise
10:00-11:30- Content/circle/teaching
11:30-11:45- Break
11:45-12:00- Physical/embodiment exercise
12:00-1:00- Lunch
1:00-3:30- Content/circle/teaching
3:30-3:45 Break
3:45 - 4:20 Circle/teaching
4:20 - 4:30 Break
4:30-5:00 - Bringing it home
Lodging
There are two options for lodging for this event.
Camping, either in a tent or your camper van. There is no charge for camping, and all of the details will be managed by us. All you’ll need is bedding and protection from the weather. The rest will be provided. You’re only a 5-minute walk to the main house with showers, bathrooms, and a full kitchen, all open 24/7.
Airbnb or stay in a hotel in the town of Steamboat Springs, only a five-minute drive from the farm. If you’re interested in sharing a house or room with another man or group of men, please contact me and we’ll get you onto a shared list so you can coordinate with others. This cost is not covered.

Refund Policy
Refunds will be charged a $50 fee up to 30 days before the event.
THERE ARE NO REFUNDS WITHIN 30 DAYS OF START OF THE EVENT.
