Podcast Summary

Podcast: Kreatures of Habit Podcast

Host: Michael Chernow
Episode: Why Every Man Needs a Retreat Like This | Monday Moments
Date: March 16, 2026

Main Theme

This episode centers around the transformative power of the Return to Self Men's Retreat hosted by Michael Chernow on his Hudson Valley property. Michael shares firsthand experiences and insights on why immersive, technology-free, self-development retreats are essential for men, describing the unique practices and spiritual breakthroughs that defined last year’s gathering. The episode is both a personal reflection and a call to action for listeners to consider joining or sharing news of this intense, supportive retreat experience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Purpose & Power of Men’s Retreats

Michael underscores that Return to Self is not just a retreat but a "full immersion into self development" and a "mountain moving experience."
Quote [00:19]:

"I can't expect men to do it all the time, but once a year to go super deep and really, really open up and get vulnerable... it's just a, it's a, it's a mountain moving experience."
Stresses the importance of retreats as rare chances for men to deeply connect and support one another outside of daily obligations.

2. Retreat Details & Structure

It’s a three-day, outdoor event (June 18–21, 2026), combining breath work, somatic work, nature immersion, and traditional ceremonies.
Hosted on Michael’s property in the scenic Hudson Valley, NY.
Participation is limited and curated to foster a cohesive, supportive environment.
Segment [01:55]:

“We do breath work, we do somatic work, we do some non psychoactive plant medicine like combo sanga and Happy. We spend a lot of time talking and connecting around a fire.”

3. Immersive Activities

Nature Connection: Entire experience is held outdoors to maximize the restorative power of nature.
Spiritual Practices: Features Native American ceremonies, breath work (especially "rebirthing" breath work), contrast therapy (saunas and cold plunges), and technology detox.
Quote [02:48]:

“We finish with a ceremony that is very, very hot. It's a traditional Native American ceremony that is incredibly powerful.”
Breakthrough Techniques:
- Breathwork, especially the "rebirthing" method, is credited for deep, therapeutic emotional breakthroughs.
- Quote [08:27]:
  
  "I've had more breakthroughs in breath work than any therapy session in years of therapy. I've had more breakthroughs with rebirthing breath than any other form of therapy before."

4. Memorable and Spiritual Moments

Michael recounts a powerful, surreal experience involving a wild bird during a ceremonial building process:
- After an offering to Mother Nature, a bird landed first on a participant's head, then Ricky's foot, and stayed throughout.
- Story starts [10:16].
- Quote [11:54]:
  
  "I've never seen a bird land on someone's head before. I've just never seen it. And it was just a sign that, you know, they're with us. They were, they were with us... It was a very real moment at the retreat and we all were like, wow. Wow, it was crazy."

5. The Community and Returnees

50% of attendees from last year are coming back, creating a strong sense of brotherhood and continuity.
The retreat welcomes men from diverse backgrounds, including former Navy SEALs, who also experienced deep emotional breakthroughs.
Quote [13:33]:

“Even Navy SEALs that were there had real breakthroughs, you know, broke through that tough skin.”

6. Application & Invitation

The retreat is intentionally limited in size for intimacy and effectiveness, with only 10 spots left at the podcast’s recording.
Men are encouraged to apply, and listeners are asked to share with anyone who might benefit.
Website Mentioned [03:26]:
- warriorcouncil.com (“Return to Self Retreat” section)

Notable Quotes & Moments

“This is a life changing event.” – Michael Chernow [01:15]
“Everything is outside so we are outside the whole time... it’s just so beautiful.” [02:31]
“We hand select the people based on the group… there is an application that you can fill out.” [04:02]
“We do breath work every day… ground shaking. Where you go in that breath is unlike anything I’ve experienced.” [08:09]
On the bird: “We all just looked at each other and were just blown away that we had that experience together.” [11:33]

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:00–01:13 — Opening: Why Michael believes men’s retreats are vital
01:14–03:25 — Details on past and upcoming retreat; invitation to apply
03:26–05:10 — Activities: nature, somatic work, plant medicine, ceremonies
05:11–07:25 — How applicants are selected; the focus on community
07:26–09:20 — The power of breath work and spiritual experiences
09:21–12:20 — Story: The bird and the ceremonial moment
12:21–13:53 — Brotherhood and breakthroughs among diverse participants
13:54–End — Closing invitation; call to share with others

Tone & Takeaways

Michael Chernow is candid, enthusiastic, and deeply personal, describing both logistical details and the transformative impact of the retreat.
The episode is a heartfelt call for vulnerability, brotherhood, and authentic self-discovery, especially for men who rarely have outlets for such deep work.

For more information or to apply, visit warriorcouncil.com and search for the Return to Self Retreat.

Transcript

A (0:00)

The Return to Self Men's Retreat last year was the first one and it blew the roof off. The men's retreat is really a full immersion into self development and this is a life changing event. There were 30 guys at the men's retreat. These men showed up ready to dig and we dug and we went deep. All of us went super deep. I do this because I believe men need an outlet like this and I can't expect men to do it all the time, but once a year to go super deep. I cannot wait for the Return to self retreat on June 18th because of how powerful it was for me last year. It's a mountain moving experience and so we're hosting the retreat again on June 18th. I do believe that there's only 10 spots left, so I'm sharing it with this community. For anyone that would like to potentially attend, share this with someone who you think may may want to participate. Yeah, give It a look. Warrior council.com return to self retreat. An entrepreneur straight out of New York City, Michael Chernow. What's crack? What up, y'? All? Welcome back to the Creatures. Have a podcast for the Monday moments. It's a Monday. Maybe for you this podcast is dropping on a Monday. And so maybe it is Monday, maybe it's not Monday. I want to talk to you guys today about the Return to Self men's retreat that I host every year. Actually not every year. Last year was the first one and it blew the roof off. It was the best. I mean, I hosted the event and I participated in the event and it's a three day event from Thursday to Sunday. We're doing it this year on June 18th. It is so, so powerful. And I want to just preface, yes, this is a men's retreat. So all my lady friends, if you're listening, you can continue to listen for sure. And if you have a husband or brother or friend or father that you want to send this to because you think a men's retreat would be helpful for them, I encourage you to do so. Or you can sign off, but you might as well just stand, stick around and listen. The men's retreat is really a full immersion into self development and I very rarely use this term. I actually hate when I hear it, to be honest with you. But this is actually true. This is a life changing event. There were 30 guys at the men's retreat, the Return to Self Mentors men's retreat last year, last June, on my property. And also I hosted on my property in the Hudson Valley in upstate New York. These men showed up, ready to dig. And we dug and we went deep of us went super deep. And there's a council of men that I partner with on this retreat. They, they come here all the way from California and we do breath work, we do somatic work, we do some non psychoactive plant medicine like combo sanga and Happy. We spend a lot of time talking and connecting around a fire. Everything is outside so we are outside the whole time. So we're really taking in the nature. My property is large and we are in the middle of rural New York where it is just so beautiful and, and we finish with a ceremony that is very, very hot. It's a traditional native American ceremony that is incredibly powerful. We also have two 12 person saunas brought in. We have five cold plunges. So we do a lot of contrast therapy throughout the weekend and it's just a, a real deep dive. Technology free and life changing. And so we're hosting the retreat again on June 18th. I do believe that there's only 10 spots left so I'm sharing it with this community. For anyone that would like to potentially attend, there is an application that you can fill out. So the website is warrior council.com it is warrior council.com and you can find the retreat there. Warrior W A R R I O R Council C O U n c I l.com and just, just look for the Return to self retreat and you can, you can click there, you can learn way more about it and you can apply there. And we hand select the people based on the group. It's there, there is, you know, we want it to be a cohesive group of men that are there to attend. And, and based on your application is, is really how we, we curate that group of men. But I don't make any money on this. I do this because I believe men need an outlet like this and I can't expect men to do it all the time but once a year to go super deep and really, really open up and get vulnerable and it's just, it's just a, it's a, it's a mountain moving experience. So I highly encourage you to at least go and look at it. Warrior Council.com, look for the Return to self retreat there. Look at it, learn about it. And if it, if, if it inspires you apply to join, it's going to be June 18th through June 21st everybody. You can leave on Saturday night on the 20th if you choose or you can leave on Sunday morning the 21st. The 21st is Father's Day. So I know some men will be leaving on Saturday night after the closing ceremony, but you could also stay over Saturday night and leave first thing Sunday morning. Gentlemen, this is something that you would want to participate in. And if you're listening to this and you don't think it's for you or you're a female, you can send this to anyone who you think it may be for. I say this with every cell in my body. I cannot wait for the Return to self retreat on June 18th because of how powerful it was for me last year, really. And there's a brotherhood of men that came, I think, I think 50% of the men that came last year are coming back this year. We do breath work every day and we do a style of breath work called rebirthing. Breath work where it's about an hour long experience and it's ground shaking. Where you go in that breath is unlike anything I've experienced. And so the breath work is really, really powerful. I've had more breakthroughs in breath work than any therapy session and years of therapy. I've had more breakthroughs with, with rebirthing breath than any other form of therapy before. And you know, we were, we were doing, I probably, I would honestly say like the amount, like we were surrounded by spiritual, like the spiritual component of the retreat was tangible, like you could feel it. And, and I'll share one story with you that nobody on the retreat could understand outside of spiritual participation. Meaning there were spirits there with us. So we were, we were building this Native American ceremonial structure. And one of the men on the council, one of the guys from, from California, has a lot of experience with this ceremonial venture or this ceremonial thing that we were doing. And, and, and, and part of it is you ask Mother Nature, you ask Earth if it's okay if we break into the ground because we had to do some digging. And, and so Ricky asked for permission to break into the ground and then offered some tobacco as a, as an offering. And there was a participant at the event that was standing in the middle of this big circle that we made with a post that we were going to use as a structural component of what we were doing ceremonially. And 30 seconds after we made the offering of tobacco, a bird, a wild bird, flew over to him and landed on his head and stayed on his head for, I don't know, 30 seconds a minute. And then right after it was on his head, it flew over to Ricky and landed on his foot. And then the bird stayed with us as we began digging for this structure. We all were astonished we could not believe. And, and this was like on the second to last day that we were building. So we had all sort of bonded in a very, very, very real way. And we were, we all just looked at each other and were just blown away that we were, that we had that experience together. I've never seen a bird land on someone's head before. I've just never seen it. And, and it was just a sign that, you know, they're with us. They were, they were with us. And I know that sounds so. Woo woo. I'm sure anybody listening is like, you know, maybe some of you are. Have experience with this kind of work and for those of you that don't, you might be rolling your eyes. I'm just here to say that it was a very real moment at the, at the, at the retreat and we all were like, wow. Wow, it was crazy. So, yeah, things like that and just massive breakthroughs for every single human that was there. Even Navy seals that were there had real breakthroughs, you know, broke through that tough skin. So anyway, enough of that. Share the podcast. Share this with someone who you think may, may want to, to participate. Until the next one, y'. All. Sam.