At Stone Thrower, we have moved away from using the term “retreat”. The dictionary tells us “A quiet place in which one can rest and relax”. Stone Thrower Men’s Experiences are dynamic and powerful. There is plenty of quiet reflection and internal work during our experiences but there is also a lot of laughter, sharing, shouting, chanting, song and dance, exercise and physical challenges which are used to stimulate personal growth and awareness.



Since the dawn of time, men have gathered together to put themselves to the test. Constructing rituals and rites of passage to produce strong men that can lead their families and communities. Ensuring that the tribe would survive, have food and be kept safe. With the rise of technology in modern times, these rites of passage have faded away and been replaced by binge drinking, drug addictions, porn obsessions, toxic violence, laziness, apathy and more….



In Aotearoa/New Zealand, a lot of young men celebrate their coming of age 21st birthday by sculling a yard glass (1.4 Litres) of beer to prove they are “the man”. This type of behaviour leads young men into an addiction of excess… more, more, more. Part of the reason that modern society resents “The Patriarchy” is because quite frankly a lot of men have become dishonest, poor examples: lacking discipline, compulsive liars, aggressive bullies, substance addicted, porn fanatics…. the list goes on.

This is where Stone Thrower health and Fitness comes in. Stone Thrower was born through my own personal transformation; from a lying alcoholic drug addict, porn user, depressed and anxious mess into a powerful and confident warrior, a disciplined and responsible man, a clean and sober individual dedicated to awakening the deep levels of consciousness that exist within every man (and woman).



I have seen the need for men to deeply examine themselves and their behaviour. This has resulted in the creation of safe containers and experiences where men can be honest. A place where men can speak the truth and also hear the truth! The truth of what they’ve done, the truth of what’s been done to them and the truth of what they have experienced. 



A “Men’s Experience” is a safe place for men to unpack themselves. It is a safe place to really look deep into the “self”. The self is the ego of belief. Who we think we are. The accumulation of experiences we’ve had and how they have shaped us into the thought patterns that we carry and repeat. A Men’s Experience is designed to help you find you who really are.



Someone recently asked me what was the most effective tool for men during an “experience” or “retreat”.

I responded straight away “I’ll tell you exactly what it is!… it’s a sharing circle (a sharing circle is when men sit in a circle and individually tell their own story without anyone interrupting or commenting)…

…BUT!”

I stressed….. ”the most ineffective tool for a men’s experience can also be a sharing circle”…

…I further explained:

“What I mean by that, is this: Sharing circles are deeply profound, but if men do nothing to change their circumstances they will quickly become serial complainers. Sharing circles must be coupled with physical challenges, behaviour modification and the alignment of actions with a purposeful vision”. That is the ultimate combination to help a man unlock his true potential, to feel self worth and self love.

Stone Thrower Men’s Experiences combine a powerful balance of emotional growth with physical challenge and spiritual insight. Each man works to their own level. It is a ‘challenge by choice’ environment. The group moves as one unit to support each other.



If you’d like to further discuss what a Men’s Experience might mean for you, please get in touch.