In a time of chronic stress, breakneck pace, and the weight upon your shoulders, itâs time to work harder and keep on doing what weâve been doing remember your potent resources and recover your childlikeness.
Reconnect with your original innocence,
hone your capacity for generative ridiculousness,
and explore Bayard Rustinâs âAngelic Troublemaking.â
âMarvelous to Behold.â
- John Ball (Maryland)
Collaborate with other intrepid men in:
-> Experiments with childlikeness
-> Invitations to play and holy foolery
-> Essential conversations around compulsions
-> Opportunities for joy
-> Antidotes to burnout
-> A balm for the stress we carry
You will:
-> Laugh, sing, and be silent
-> Drum
-> Practice presence
-> Share plenty of high-fives
-> Engage in council
-> Wander in the wilderness
-> Experience rituals
âBe joyful though we have considered all the facts.â
Wendell Berry
âIt was an awe-filled and wonder-FULL experience for my inner child and innocence. Phenomenal.â
Supurb, original, and creative - John Drinkard
Relinquishing control, speaking truth, and living free - Doug Goulding Sr
A time of healing through laughter and tears - Tim Dunn
This gave me hope - Fadzi Ushewoklinze
Reclaiming childishness childlikeness
Resucitating foolishness holy foolery
âThis gave me permission to find happiness and play after eight months of grieving the death of my wifeâ
âThis meant so much to me, as deeply moving as any retreat Iâve attendedâ
âI broke through 50-year-old barriers.â
- Kerry Gilpin (Virginia)
GET READY TO MOVE
+ from isolation to solitude
+ from loneliness to friendship
+ from numbing to reflecting
+ from unhealthy risks to healthy risks
+ from tired eyes to wondering eyes
Western North Carolina
March 27-29th, 2026
Sacred Waters Retreat - Marshall, North Carolina
-
Matthew Ray Lyda drives a 2012 Honda minivan sporting a unicorn license plate, with three glorious children who could not care less about his credentials and post-nominals like: Soul Companion, Author, Pastoral Sex Addiction Professional, Masters in Theology, blah, blah, blah!
What men are saying about the Holy Ruckus
âThis is a new beginningâ
âThis changed my perspectiveâ
âI found an innocent version of myselfâ
âMatthew brought energy, intelligence, imagination, and love. He addressed important topics with courage, wisdom, humor, and humilityâ
âIt reminded me of what is important. So encouraging.â
âWorthwhile. The sparks of transformation.â
âIt was an extraordinary and memorable weekend. I cherish the memories and know I will for a long time.â
âThe time together was so special and meaningful.â
âThank you! It was so good for my too often serious self.â
âWe donât stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.â
George Bernard Shaw
âEye-opening, fun, and renewingâ
âThe healing and reconnecting came at the perfect time in my lifeâ
âIâm not alone with my problems. God loves me as I am. Iâm renewedâ
Ancient Wisdom: We pair the treasures of science with the gems of ancient wisdom. Whether it be time-worn Judeo-Christian practices, lessons from indigenous peoples, spiritual community, storytelling, or heroic journeys, we root our work in a grand story. Considering meaning, purpose, vision, and values.
Vintage, an age-old path.
Body-Based: This stance is faithful to mindfulness, experience, the sensual, and the imaginative; all elements oft-neglected by pseudo-masculinity, and white-washed spirituality. As the wisdom of the body is accessed, an opportunity to heal age-old rifts between the sexual and the spiritual opens
Hospitality: Unsubscribing from perfectionism and backspacing the blunting of empathy (mostly resulting from numbing behaviors Ad nauseam), this posture is faithful to see wounds morph into sacred wounds, a with(ness) to suffering, common humanity, and kindness. This is the call of hospitality to self and others.
Trauma-informed: This stance is a commitment to address systemic issues, hone honesty, craft âsafe-enoughâ settings, and foster collaboration. Dipping deeply from research-based recovery intelligence.
Embrace the Unexpected: The predictable, comfortable, and business-as-usual is death to our souls. The deepest transformations often occur outside of our expectations, and all our oh-so-cherished ways of thinking and behaving. Often, what is needed is the unexpected, the ridiculous, whatâs âoff the beaten path.â
Belonging: the domestic takes us only so far. As Thoreau said, âIn the wilderness we have our tonic.â Nature is more than âout thereâ, but a reality that pushes past the boundaries of our skin, including us! Encounters with land, with more-than-human realities of life are Non-Negotiables to heal outdated myths of man greater than nature and man vs. nature. What we discover is: we belong to this organic reality, awe, and wholeness. We are more connected than we could ever have imagined.
Choose your investment
Generosity Rate
$499
For those whoâd like to contribute to the wellness of others.
Resource Rate
$349
For those financially stable and have their basic needs met
Community-Supported Rate
$219
For who have a financial hardship
If youâd like to tent camp and would also like to save on registration, type âTENTâ in the checkout to save $50.
In need of financial assistance? Reach out to matthew@recoverthewild.com
We are committed to finances not being a barrier to this essential conversation.
Curious about what others are saying about Recover The Wild?
â Check out more testimonials HERE.