The Wisdom Circle
October 2026 - April 2027
Seven months. An ancient lineage. No shortcuts.
For men who live in or near the Bay Area.
The cohort alternates monthly between in-person gatherings in Redwood City and online sessions, both are part of the program.
You’re carrying so much.
And it’s been weighing you down
Or breaking you
Or squeezing the life out of you
And there's no one you can actually say that to.
Not because you don't have people.
You might have plenty: colleagues, friends, family.
But not people with whom you’re willing to share your inner life.
Or people who are ready to receive you fully.
So you carry it quietly, the way you've learned to carry everything…for everybody.
You may have even gone looking for an answer with a podcast, retreat, plant medicine, cold plunge, peptide stack… and yet…nothing has changed.
Monday comes. And you're still the only one who knows.
And you feel stuck.
Here’s the good news:
None of what you've tried, or haven't tried, was wasted.
But a peak experience or aha moment without a container doesn't change your life, and neither does silence.
Both are ways to survive it. Neither gives you somewhere to actually put it down.
The Wisdom Circle is that place.
Where you can put down your burden.
Where you can be held by inspiring and trustable men.
And where you can learn a new path.
Here’s the part you probably don’t want to hear….
you’re out of integrity.
Here's what living out of integrity looks like:
A body
you override until it breaks, pushed past its own signals until it finally forces the issue for you.
A mind
that says one thing and does another. Attention scattered across whatever's loudest instead of what actually matters. A word that can't quite be trusted, even by you.
A heart
that's stopped feeling, or feels everything and has nowhere honest to put it, until it comes out sideways, as numbness, or addictions, or rage, or distance from the people closest to you.
A soul
that quietly knows this isn't where it's supposed to be, going through the motions of a life that isn't fully your own.
None of this stays contained to you alone. It shows up as messy, lonely, empty, unfulfilling relationships, with the people closest to you, with yourself, and for many men, with God, or whatever you call what's larger than your own life.
It doesn't happen all at once. It happens one small compromise at a time, until you look up one day and don't recognize the life you built.
Don’t take my word for it.
Ask yourself the following:
Integrity of Body
Are you embodied? Do you actually feel what's happening in your own nervous system, or override it until it breaks? A body in integrity isn't a performance of strength, it's a body that's listened to before the crisis, not just managed after one.
Gift: The more you can attune to your own nervous system, the more you can attune to someone else's, sensing when a partner or a child needs to be met, before they say a word.
Integrity of Mind
Do you keep your word? Do you put your attention on what actually matters to you, or wherever the noise pulls it? A mind that says one thing and does another is a mind at war with itself, and you can feel that war even when you can't name it.
Gift: The more your own word is solid, the more you can actually hold someone else's, tracking what matters to them instead of half-listening while you wait for your turn to speak.
Integrity of Heart
Are you in touch with what you actually feel, and can you let it move, out loud, in a way another person can receive? Not performing an emotion. Not swallowing it either.
Gift: The more you can feel your own feelings without flinching, the more room you have to receive someone else's, without needing to fix them, flee, or make it about you.
Integrity of Soul
Are you where you need to be, and going where you're meant to go? This is the quiet ache underneath a life that looks fine on paper, the sense that something's slightly off course, and the relief when it isn't.
Gift: The more clearly you can see your own path, the more clearly you can see someone else's, and support them in it, instead of quietly steering them toward yours.
There is a path to integrity.
Unfortunately….it’s not magical and it’s not immediate.
Rather, it’s methodical. It’s challenging.
The gift is subtle.
And…it will help you reshape your life.
The lineage I teach is one I inherited through the Jewish practice of Mussar, blended with teachings of embodiment and nervous system training. It is at once both ancient and modern, touching a part of you that you already know and yet perhaps have never identified.
I come to this alchemy of practices through my training as a rabbi and student of embodiment, but you do not have to be Jewish or schooled in esoteric practices to step into this world. (You can see my about page for more about me)
The path is based in:
The Seven Character Traits
Here’s what’s included:
1. Monthly in-person circles in Redwood City
Held Wednesday evenings from 7-10pm (July 8, August 12, September 9, October 7, November 4, December 2)
2. Monthly online circles over Zoom
Held Wednesday evenings from 7-8:30pm (July 29, August 26, September 23, October 21, November 18)
3. Small Groups
A few men, meeting monthly between the larger gatherings. A closer, more intimate layer of contact, and a place to practice leading rather than only being led. Every man in this cohort will hold that role at some point.
4. Access to a dedicated Signal space
For ongoing support and connection with Ted and the other in TWC.
5. The Wisdom Circle Intensive (Optional)
A 4-day, 3-night retreat in the Santa Cruz Mountains (Nov 12–15) — the shared, embodied high point of the year.
A typical in-person session includes:
Embodied Practice
Movement & Breathwork to connect with your body and to express & move through your emotions
Check-Ins
Sharing challenges & celebrations with a circle of men who are here to lovingly challenge and support you
Focused Activities & Discussions
Learning tools and practices for building the life and relationships you most desire
Coaching
Receiving on-the-spot coaching from Ted and the collective Wisdom of the Circle.
Investment
$1,800 USD
*Application & interview are required for participation.
Who is this program for?
If this is new to you: You're carrying something, and there's no one you've been willing to say it to. Maybe nothing's visibly broken. Maybe something is. Either way, you've been managing it alone, and it's starting to cost you, in your body, your relationships, your sense of who you actually are. The Wisdom Circle is a room of men who will actually receive what you bring, not just hear it and move on.
If you've done this kind of work before: You know what a real circle costs and what it gives back. This one runs seven months instead of six, with a new layer built in: monthly small groups where you're not just receiving, you're leading. If you've been through EMLT, a men's group, or therapy that actually asked something of you, you'll recognize the container. This one goes further.
The Wisdom Circle is an incredible way to raise your bar and be held accountable for living an incredible life, surrounded by high quality men with world-class facilitation.
—David Clavens, Magician & Consultant
I now look for opportunities to use the tools I've learned to communicate with more intention to heal broken relationships, empathize with others and approach everything from a place of understanding and love. It also taught me to put more stock in myself, value myself more and believe that I can work to change things about myself that I don't like.
—A., Tech Executive
Ted’s thoughtful direction, exercises, and curated space. Our monthly in-person meetings always left me energized, joyous, and introspective.
—Joe D.
You won't find a coach with a deeper heart than Ted. He feels like family. He brings incredible insight and wisdom to his work that allowed me to see deeper truths about myself, while providing the compassion needed to make real, difficult change. My life is fundamentally different after our work together.
—Brad Gordron
FAQs
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The most important requirements are:
A willingness to be vulnerable: to share your truths, the things that keep you up at night, the things that carry shame, the things that you want no one else to know.
And, a generosity of practice: being a nonjudgmental YES to whatever your brothers bring into the Circle
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Confidentiality is foundational in The Wisdom Circle. We set clear agreements around trust and respect from the start. By establishing boundaries and modeling vulnerability, I work to ensure each man feels secure in sharing his truth. It’s this atmosphere of trust that makes deep, meaningful work possible.
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Our cohorts have been an inspiring reflection of diversity. You'll be joining men from a wide range of backgrounds, spanning different ages (30s–60s), ethnicities, countries of origin, professions, income levels, relationship structures and dynamics, sexual identities, religious traditions, and physical abilities. The group thrives on this diversity, as it enriches the experience for everyone.
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By the end of seven months, you'll have practiced facing your own integrity, body, mind, heart, and soul, one middah (character trait) at a time, in a room of men who notice when you're not fooling anyone, including yourself. Expect to feel less alone carrying what you carry. Expect at least one relationship, with yourself or with someone else, to genuinely shift. What that looks like specifically depends on where you're most out of integrity right now, but the men who complete a cohort consistently describe feeling more solid, more honest, and less isolated than when they started.
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Embodiment and breathwork help you become more aware of your body and emotions, allowing you to respond to life's challenges with greater calm and presence. The middot, Presence, Gratitude, Courage, Trust, Love, Strength, and Joy, bring in the ethical and spiritual dimension, one a month, giving you a concrete practice for each. Together, these create a well-rounded system that supports growth on all levels, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The approach draws on the Jewish practice of Mussar and is also informed by the teachings of men's work leaders John Wineland, Robert Glover, and David Deida, who I've studied with and continue to draw from.
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You may face some discomfort as you let go of old habits and step into a more authentic version of yourself. This could mean confronting beliefs that have held you back or trying new ways of relating that might feel awkward at first. But with challenge comes growth, and the group is here to support you as you push beyond your comfort zone.
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Beyond the monthly Circles, you'll also be part of a small group call once a month, plus our Signal thread for ongoing connection. The extra time commitment depends on how much you want to invest. The more effort you put in, the more rewarding the process will be.
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Life happens and missing a session can occur. While we may record the teaching portions, the deeper, personal work will not be recorded to protect confidentiality. Missing a session means missing that particular experience, but you will still have the support of the group and the chance to continue your journey in future sessions.
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I'm an ordained rabbi and certified coach, and for over a decade I've studied under John Wineland, now serving as a lead facilitator for his men's programs. I've led men's circles for years, and I bring my full lineage, rabbinical training, embodiment work, and Mussar, into every room I hold. See the About page for more.