Why Shadow Work?
Real change and deeper connection happen when we go to the core of our wounding. Most of us spend an incredible amount of energy avoiding what lives at the core, instead finding comfort in the symptoms that show themselves on the surface. We learn to cope with them, manage them, numb them, or distract ourselves from them, ultimately avoiding and disowning the deeper pain beneath them—usually without even realizing it.
Within the shadows live our wounds, pain, unprocessed emotions, protective patterns, and disconnected conditioning. But our shadows also hold some of our greatest treasures: our creativity, playfulness, vitality, motivation, authenticity, and capacity to love.
Shadow work is the process of bringing conscious awareness to what has remained unconscious. It is the practice of turning toward the parts of ourselves we have learned to avoid, reject, or disown and meeting them with openness, curiosity, compassion, and courage.
In my experience, shadow work is the deepest and most transformative work we can do. All roads of genuine transformation eventually lead to shadow material. You can avoid it all you want, but it will continue quietly shaping your life until you bring it into conscious awareness. As you learn to meet your shadow with understanding rather than avoidance, you begin to reclaim the parts of you that have been hidden away.
From there, you begin living with much greater awareness, choice, connection, and agency.
This 9-week program will give you the opportunity, space, and proper support to become intimate with your shadows, wounding and conditioning, your masculine life force, and your unique path of healing.
Why
Brotherhood?
We were never meant to face life alone.
Challenges, hardships, loss, pain, death, uncertainty, and vulnerable emotions are all part of being human. Yet many of us never had a present, heart-connected person—or group of people—to help us process, metabolize, understand, and integrate these experiences.
Many men, especially those who grew up in the United States, were raised to navigate life in isolation. We were taught to "man up," suppress what we were feeling, and somehow already know how to handle life. Out of their own insecurities and wounding, many of our peers ridiculed or shamed vulnerability, uncertainty, or not having the answers. And this is only scratching the surface of what many of us implicitly learned as boys.
Over time, many of us learned to distrust other men.
The wounding in the masculine runs deep.
Because of that, much of the healing happens in relationship with other men.
Healing comes through cultivating loving, deeply supportive, and unconditionally accepting relationships where you can be fully seen without having to perform, prove yourself, or pretend you have it all together.
In this group, you will experience a level of support from other men that many have never experienced before. The shadow work you do, the positive changes you create in your life, and your ability to integrate those changes are amplified by being witnessed, encouraged, challenged, and cared for by other men.
The brotherhood you build here has the potential to stay with you long after the group ends. It can become a source of strength, accountability, belonging, and support that reminds you that no matter what life brings, you do not have to face it alone.
Who Is This Program For?
This program is for men anywhere from the ages of 18–99 who are looking for what's next as they enter a new phase of life.
Maybe you don't even realize you're entering a new phase. But the mere fact that you're reading this right now may be a sign that you're standing on the precipice of something bigger for your life.
This program is for men who want to cultivate deep, authentic, and lifelong relationships with other men who are committed to their own healing and growth, as well as yours.
This program is for men who are tired of doing this shit alone.
This program is for men who want the accountability, honest confrontation, reflection, and mirroring that only a committed group can offer.
It is for men who appreciate the brotherhood that comes from doing hard things together—much like a team that trains, struggles, grows, and bonds through a shared challenge.
And finally, this program is for men who are ready to lean into their edges, make meaningful changes in their lives, and be held, witnessed, challenged, and supported as they create the life and relationships they most desire.
We aren't looking for perfect men. We're looking for honest men.
Men willing to be curious instead of certain.
Men willing to practice listening and speaking from the heart.
Men willing to be challenged with Love and challenge others with care.
What Becomes Possible...
Through consistent practice, shadow work, and brotherhood, you'll have the opportunity to cultivate:
-
A deeper connection with yourself and others.
-
Greater self-awareness, self-knowledge, and self-trust.
-
Authentic, lifelong relationships with other men.
-
Increased confidence, courage, and emotional resilience.
-
More vitality, aliveness, and embodiment.
-
The capacity to be present with difficult emotions rather than overwhelmed by them.
-
Practical tools for navigating life's challenges with greater awareness and choice.
-
Healthier communication, boundaries, and relationships.
-
Loving accountability, honest feedback, and compassionate confrontation.
-
A greater sense of belonging and less isolation.
-
More freedom from shame, fear, and unconscious patterns.
-
Increased discernment and clarity in the decisions you make.
-
Greater purpose, intention, and integrity in how you live.
-
A deeper relationship with grounded, heart-centered masculinity.
-
A supportive brotherhood that continues long after the program ends.
-
A path toward creating the life and relationships you most desire.
Weekly Engagement
Each week, we will explore a central topic related to shadow work, relationships, masculinity, and personal growth. Sessions will include a grounding practice, teaching, group sharing, and space for one or two men to engage in a facilitated shadow work process.
We will meet in person every Thursday from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. This gives everyone time to eat before arriving and allows us to have the space needed to settle in and go deep together.
Weekly Meetings
Between sessions, the work continues. You'll have opportunities for group chat discussions, partnered phone calls, self-reflection prompts, and weekly practices to help integrate what you're learning into your everyday life.
Outside of Sessions
Whether you are actively doing shadow work that evening or witnessing another man's process, everyone participates. Some of the deepest learning comes not only from doing your own work, but from being fully present with another man's experience while noticing what it brings up for you.
Shadow Work
The Journey...
The 9-Weeks
Shadow Rising is a 9-week journey designed to help you build awareness, cultivate brotherhood, and develop a lifelong practice of shadow work.
Over six weekly sessions, we'll explore foundational aspects of the shadow and masculine development before stepping into an immersive four-day retreat where the work has space to deepen.
We then return for two integration sessions, creating space for what was discovered during the retreat to be understood, practiced, and embodied in everyday life.
Throughout the journey, each week will focus on a central theme and may include teachings, facilitated processes, group discussion, reflection, and practices to engage with between our gatherings.
Sept 17th – Week 1: What Is the Shadow?
Sept 24th – Week 2: Family Systems
Oct 1st – Week 3: Shame
Oct 8th – Week 4: Masculinity
Oct 15th – Week 5: Anger
Oct 22nd – Week 6: Sex
October 28 – November 1
Immersive Retreat
Nov 5th – Week 8: Golden Shadow
Nov 12th – Week 9: Loving Forward
The Retreat
After six weeks of building trust, relationships, and a shared language, we'll spend several days immersed in nature together.
The retreat creates the spaciousness needed to step away from everyday responsibilities, go more deeply into the work, and strengthen the bonds of brotherhood.
Our retreat will be held at Picaflores, a beautiful retreat center nestled in the woods outside McKenzie Bridge.
There are options for staying in the cabin, camping in tents, or car camping. The property also includes a sauna, shared kitchen, walking trails, and a spacious 30-foot yurt where we'll gather for shadow work, teachings, and group process.
Nature has a way of slowing us down, opening our awareness, and reminding us that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves. It provides a beautiful setting for both deep inner work and meaningful connection with other men.
Lunch and dinner will be catered throughout the retreat, and breakfast food will be provided so we can remain focused on our time together and the work we came to do.
Meet Your Guides...
Jacob Albritton
Founder of Moon Mountain Healing, shadow work facilitator, breathwork facilitator, guide, and coach. Jacob's work integrates somatic shadow work, conscious connected breathwork, relational healing, and his personal work exploring what it means to be a man to help people cultivate greater awareness, emotional resilience, and authentic connection. His approach is rooted in compassion, curiosity, embodiment, and the belief that healing happens through relationship.
He has been in men’s work for over 5 years, doing intentional shadow work for 4 years, and professionally leading shadow work and guiding others through transformation for over a year. His mentor and teacher for shadow work and men’s work is Luke Adler. Jacob has been working with Luke for 4 years.
Dustin Caldwell
Dustin Caldwell is a business owner, men's group facilitator, and guide whose passion is creating spaces where men can show up honestly, reconnect with themselves, and experience the healing that happens through authentic brotherhood.
His journey into men's work has been shaped by decades of personal growth, leadership training, and shadow work. Through Heart of Shadow, ongoing men's groups, and years of working alongside mentors such as Luke Adler, Dustin has come to believe that some of life's deepest transformation happens when men feel safe enough to be fully seen, challenged with compassion, and supported by other men walking the same path.
Dustin approaches this work with humility, curiosity, and the belief that none of us ever outgrow our own healing. He is committed to continuing his own work while helping cultivate spaces where men can reconnect with their authenticity, courage, and capacity to love.
Alex (Oak) Brown
Oak has been working in various capacities of service and care for most of his adult life. He has resonated with supporting other humans through much of his work and continues to lean into this passion. Currently, he is a licensed massage therapist working at a spa in Eugene. Bodywork and healing touch has greatly expanded his path of introspection and body awareness. This work has given him clarity on how each individual's healing path is unique and beautiful. Finding the ways to support himself and others on that path is central to his purpose in this life.
Over the past six years, Oak has been involved in various forms of personal shadow work, spiritual growth, healing arts practices, and, more recently, men’s work. He took part in Cascadia Quest’s Tending Male Fire in 2022, which was deeply transformational and led to deeper explorations independently. When Jacob invited Oak to co-facilitate their Root & Rise open men’s group, he was deeply honored and became truly passionate about the importance of this work.
SIGN UP NOW
AND RESERVE YOUR SPOT
Sign up for the September 2026 Shadow Rising Cohort
This program is limited to 10 men.
Questions? Would you like to discuss if this program is right for you?
Program investment and payment plans
$800 — Early Bird Rate: Available until August 14th
Sliding scale:
$1,000 — Supported Rate: For those who need financial assistance while remaining fully committed to the journey.
$1,200 — Sustaining Rate: The amount that most closely reflects the value of the program and supports its sustainability.
$1,400 — Supporter Rate: For those who are able to contribute more, helping make supported-rate spots available for other men.
Early Bird Rate
If committed to the program by August 14th, you qualify for this rate.
3x Payment
Payment can be broken up into 3 separate payments. The last payment is due the day the program starts.
Single Payment
This is a one time payment that is due within 2 weeks after committing to program.
Alternative Plan
Alternative payment plans may be discussed and agreed upon depending on our assessment of your commitment to the work. Don't hesitate to talk to us about this.
Podcast or videos about the program
Coming Soon!
FAQ
What are the prerequisites for signing up?
We ask all prospective participants to either attend one or two Root & Rise Open Men's Groups or schedule a discovery call with one of the facilitators. This gives us an opportunity to get to know one another and ensure that Shadow Rising is the right fit for everyone involved.
Before enrollment is finalized, you'll complete an intake form that the facilitators will review. Once accepted, you'll receive a questionnaire to help us prepare and make the most of our time together.
Do I need previous experience with shadow work or men's work?
No. Previous experience is not required.
Whether this is your first experience with shadow work or you've been doing inner work for years, the program is designed to meet you where you are. What matters most is a willingness to show up with honesty, curiosity, and a commitment to your own growth and to the group.
What if I'm not comfortable sharing?
You will never be forced to share before you're ready.
Participation is expected, but we honor each man's pace. As trust develops within the group, most men naturally find themselves sharing more deeply than they initially imagined. You are always encouraged to lean into your edges while honoring your own capacity.
Is this therapy?
No. Shadow Rising is not group therapy.
It is a facilitated men's development program rooted in shadow work, relational healing, and embodied practices. While many participants find the work deeply therapeutic, it is intended to complement—not replace—the support of a licensed mental health professional when appropriate.
What is the refund policy?
Due to the intimate nature of the group and the commitment required from every participant, tuition is non-refundable once the program begins.
In extraordinary circumstances, we may apply your tuition toward a future Moon Mountain Healing event or program.
What does the program investment include?
Your investment includes:
-
Nine-week Shadow Rising men's journey.
-
Six weekly in-person group sessions.
-
A four-day immersive retreat at Picaflores Retreat Center.
-
Two post-retreat integration sessions.
-
Facilitation and support from three experienced guides.
-
Weekly teachings, practices, and shadow work exercises.
-
Snacks provided during weekly sessions.
-
Small group and partnered accountability throughout the program.
-
Group chat support between sessions.
-
Light facilitator support for participants who need additional guidance.
-
Retreat accommodations and catered meals.
-
Multiple follow-up gatherings to support continued integration and brotherhood.
Do I have to pay for my own travel?
Yes.
Participants are responsible for their own transportation to the weekly sessions and retreat. We will do our best to coordinate carpooling whenever possible.
What are the accommodations for the retreat?
The retreat will be held at Picaflores, a beautiful retreat center nestled in the forest near McKenzie Bridge, Oregon. The property includes a spacious yurt for our group work, a fully equipped kitchen, sauna, walking trails, and peaceful outdoor spaces to rest and reflect.
Participants should be prepared for one of three sleeping arrangements:
-
Staying in the cabin
-
Camping in a tent
-
Sleeping in their vehicle
There are only three cabin spaces available, so these spots will be assigned by lottery after the group has been finalized. Enrolling in Shadow Rising does not guarantee a cabin space. By registering, participants agree to be comfortable with any of the three accommodation options.
Lunch and dinner will be provided each day, and breakfast groceries will be available for everyone to prepare their own breakfast each morning.
The retreat is intentionally simple and immersed in nature, creating the spaciousness needed to step away from everyday responsibilities and go more deeply into the work.
What do I need to bring for the retreat?
A detailed packing list will be sent before the retreat, but participants should plan to bring:
-
Comfortable clothing for both indoor and outdoor activities
-
Layers for changing mountain weather
-
Comfortable walking shoes
-
Sleeping gear appropriate for all accommodation possibilities (tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, pillow, etc., if camping; bedding appropriate for a cabin if assigned one; or whatever you need to comfortably sleep in your vehicle)
-
Toiletries and any personal medications
-
Water bottle
-
Journal and pen
-
Flashlight or headlamp
-
Swimsuit and towel for the sauna (optional)
Please come prepared for any of the three sleeping arrangements, as cabin placement is limited and cannot be guaranteed.
Do I need to attend every session and the retreat?
Yes.
We ask every participant to make a wholehearted commitment to attending all weekly sessions and the retreat. The consistency of the group is one of the reasons this work is so impactful. Each man's presence contributes to the trust, safety, and growth of the brotherhood.
We understand that unexpected situations can arise. If you must miss a session, we'll do our best to help you reconnect with the material, though nothing fully replaces being present with the group.
The weekly practices and reflections outside of sessions are also an important part of the journey. While we understand that life can get busy, we strongly encourage you to engage with them as consistently as possible.
How many men will be in the group?
To preserve the intimacy, depth, and relational nature of the work, participation is intentionally limited to a small group of approximately 8–10 men.
I still have questions.
Please email onehappylife@moonmountainhealing.com or call 541-653-6498. If I'm unable to answer right away, I'll return your call as soon as I can.
We're happy to answer any questions and help you determine whether Shadow Rising is the right fit for you.
Personal Growth
Brotherhood
Relational Healing
A Continuation of Self-Discovery
Reserve your spot!
Shadow Rising is more than a program. It is an invitation into a lifelong practice of awareness, brotherhood, and Loving Forward.