What We Offer

Here in one place is a sketch of the range of Jonathan’s Circle’s activities.

Meetups differ from brotherhood circles (see below) in that they are never the same group. They are one-off circles that typically include men who regularly attend, some who don’t, and some who never have come before. Still, a level of trust and intimacy is built up through exercises that engage body, mind, and spirit, just as happens in our brotherhood circles (described below).

Although only those who register through Meetup.com are eligible to participate, you may join a meetup group without committing to attend any meetups at all.

To join our Fresno group, go here. To join our Los Angeles group, go here. To join our Washington, DC meetup, go here.

The pandemic caused us to temporarily discontinue in-person meetups. We are currently beginning to resume in-person meetups under our inoculation policy.

Brotherhood circles consist of a maximum of 10 men who commit to be together over several months exploring key issues in sexual and spiritual life. Circles are small by design to promote trust, bonding, learning, and sharing. Two facilitators lead the circle. Meetings are based on tested modules (meeting plans) that both provide structure and allow flexibility.

We have developed both Level One and Level Two brotherhood circles.

Level One, called “Seeking the Profound: An Intimate Erotic Expedition Inward” is open to any man willing to make the commitment and who meets the prerequisite of having had some involvement in one or more of Jonathan’s Circle’s programs. Level one is eight bi-weekly group sessions following a required orientation, interspersed with one-on-one sessions among participants.

Level Two, “Going Deeper,” is open to any who have completed Level One. It consists of six group sessions interspersed with one-on-one conversations among participants.

Both Levels, when offered, are fully described on our registration page.

Jonathan’s Circle Online, our daily center, is a group at MeWe.com. (Jonathan’s Circle Live is our monthly online open conversation—read about it below; our MeWe group is private, by invitation only for which you may email us.) We take care to ensure that men who join know our norms and expectations and the ethical code that we abide by. We require that you have a photo or image on your MeWe profile (which does not have to be a personal photo or a headshot). Men agree to introduce themselves to the circle as soon as possible. Requesting membership in the group signifies that a person is a legal adult male of at least 18 years of age. Since the community is for members only, posts are confidential and not accessible to non-group members. Be sure to have a MeWe account and photo of your choice on your profile before you ask to join. We’ll ask you a few questions and apprise you of our norms. You’ll be most welcome.

Jonathan’s Circle Live, monthly online moderated conversations on a range of topics related to the integration of sexual life and spiritual life, takes place on Zoom, with which participants should be familiar. Ten participants are normally the maximum number present. Dates and topics are announced both in Circling and on our registration page. They are open to any adult (18+) self-identifying men who wish to register, pay the small fee, and attend.

These conversations explore various aspects of the sex-spirit connection, with presentations by members of Jonathan’s Circle and special guests, with ample time for give-and-take among participants. You need to have a stable webcam and microphone. You may connect on desktop or laptop or through an app for your phone or tablet.

Circling, our e-magazine (“e-zine”) reaches your inbox monthly ten times a year. It brings news and feature articles, details of current events, and resources for integrating sex and spirit.
Each issue typically links to one of our 360° Videos in which Frank Dunn spotlights a subject ripe for growth in integrating sexual and spiritual life. You’ll also find in Circling a short column of helps and hints called “Men’s Tools.” Subscribe on the form at the bottom of this page.

Jonathan’s Circle sponsors retreats, both residential and non-residential, for members; and also networks with other organizations and individuals who lead retreats. Topics vary from bodywork to meditation, from traditional silent retreats to weekends for hanging out. Check our registration page to see current and upcoming retreats.

From time to time we offer workshops on various approaches to integrate sexual and spiritual life. Often brothers step forward offering workshops in special areas of their own expertise and experience. Some workshops in the recent past have focused on avenues leading to integrating sex and spirit through writing fiction, drawing, playfulness, exploring poetry, religious practices, and photography. Workshops are announced in Circling, and are open to members of Jonathan’s Circle only, not to the general public.

The quality of an experience in Jonathan’s Circle directly depends upon the competence, trustworthiness, and open-heartedness of whoever is leading the circle. We are committed to providing safe spaces for the critical and deeply personal work of integrating sex and spirit. Facilitators are leaders of Jonathan’s Circles whom we train to guide the men who participate.

While we believe that men are fully capable of meeting in small groups and taking responsibility for themselves and their own growth, our organization is invested in leadership development.

We offer periodic online and personal training in the form of coaching, feedback, and support. Training is held at various locations around the country when there is a need for it. While time frames are flexible, training events are generally overnight experiences preceded by advance preparation. For a full description of training and for further information on Frank Dunn’s background as a coach, counselor, and trainer, visit his website, thesoulinyou.com. Other credentialed trainers participate in developing excellent leaders in Jonathan’s Circle. Contact us for details about training.

Events, both online and, when safe, in-person, such as camping, small gatherings, heart circles for sharing, are announced in Circling.

Jonathan’s circles are always small groups, ideally of eight to ten men. Six is a viable number, and a total of twelve suggests two groups of six. Our retreats and occasional weekend events are the only exceptions, but even in those settings we endeavor to maximize personal interaction within the overall design. The size of a group is quite important, because bonding, trust, and depth of relationships are all integral to the experience.

And experience is key. Jonathan’s Circle is not a discussion group, where men do what men do so well: stay in our heads. It is about experiencing in our bodies, often in the simplest ways, the power that exists in our depths—power frequently layered over by the tremendous burden of having to prove ourselves to our parents, our wives and lovers, our children, to other males, and to our society.

Brotherhood Circles, Meet-ups, and weekend events all build upon thematic modules that are tested program designs. We have approximately fifty such designs covering a broad range of topics. Each of them addresses some aspect of the process of integrating sexual experience and spiritual life. All are experiential, involving body, mind, and spirit.

Our events are not free. Most involve expenses from internet access and equipment, software, materials, even storage costs. We have no paid staff. No one, including our executive director, draws a salary. Leaders of our events receive modest honoraria, in line with their professional expertise. Many leaders are volunteers from the ranks of our brothers. Costs of events, such as our retreats, are built into our fee structure. Fees are kept as low as possible.

Financial assistance is available as far as funds allow. Resources are dependent upon the generosity of our brothers and others who contribute to Jonathan’s Circle.

It is the policy of Jonathan’s Circle that no one be turned away because of lack of funds.

Questions or concerns about any aspects of Jonathan’s circles? Just ask.

Join CIRCLING for monthly news and updates

CIRCLING is our e-magazine (“e-zine”), published ten times a year, full of news, announcements of events and programs, resources, features, and more. Be sure to check the permission consent as it is required.

Contact Information

If down deep you know that there must be a way of connecting your soul and your body, a way that honors both your spiritual life and your sexual self, contact us.

Mail

frank@jonathanscircle.org

Address

P. O. Box 4217 Palm Springs, CA 92263 USA

What We Offer

Here in one place is a sketch of the range of Jonathan’s Circle’s activities.

Although only those who register through Meetup.com are eligible to participate, you may join a meetup group without committing to attend any meetups at all.

To join our Fresno group, go here. To join our Los Angeles group, go here. To join our Washington, DC meetup, go here.

The pandemic caused us to temporarily discontinue in-person meetups. We are currently beginning to resume in-person meetups under our inoculation policy.

We have developed both Level One and Level Two brotherhood circles.

Level Two, “Going Deeper,” is open to any who have completed Level One. It consists of six group sessions interspersed with one-on-one conversations among participants.

Both Levels, when offered, are fully described on our registration page.

While we believe that men are fully capable of meeting in small groups and taking responsibility for themselves and their own growth, our organization is invested in leadership development.

Events, both online and, when safe, in-person, such as camping, small gatherings, heart circles for sharing, are announced in Circling.

Financial assistance is available as far as funds allow. Resources are dependent upon the generosity of our brothers and others who contribute to Jonathan’s Circle.

It is the policy of Jonathan’s Circle that no one be turned away because of lack of funds.

Questions or concerns about any aspects of Jonathan’s circles? Just ask.

Join CIRCLING for monthly news and updates

CIRCLING is our e-magazine (“e-zine”), published ten times a year, full of news, announcements of events and programs, resources, features, and more. Be sure to check the permission consent as it is required.

Contact Information

Mail

Address

Contact Information

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