December 28, 2010 to January 2, 2011
Sunrise Springs Resort
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Through celebration, ceremony, reflection, and play, we will support each other in rejuvenating our lives with new energy and new vision. We will also be assisted in these acts of love by the beauty, power, and healing of Northern New Mexico's dramatic landscape and the traditional dances of the indigenous Pueblo cultures.
The shamanic traditions of peoples around the world understand that our lives are magnificent gardens, filled with the fruit of our dreams and longings. Some of the seeds we have sown grow strong and beautiful, because we chose them with awareness and nurtured them with love and courage. Sometimes the weeds of judgment and expectation crowd out the seeds of our own personal fulfillment, and our gardens are tangled with fear, doubt, and confusion.
February 5-12, 2011
Sayulita, Mexico
(north of Puerto Vallarta)
The Winter Soulfest is much more than a winter gay vacation as we share together activities that will restore your body and soul back to life thus providing a greater sense of well being and vigor. From the moment you touch down in sunny Mexico, you will be physically, emotionally and spiritually transported from the hustle and bustle of daily living.
This special retreat is held at the Haramara Retreat Center in Sayulita, Mexico, just 45 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta. Haramara, a sacred Huichol word for "Mother Sea," offers seclusion, quietness and extraordinary beauty to create a spectacular setting for the inner and outer work of this week.
Here we find breathtaking views of the sapphire blue Pacific Ocean, secluded beaches, warm ocean water, world class surf, and lush jungle vegetation while the balmy Pacific breezes keep the climate temperate and comfortable.
 The Two Of Us:
A Retreat for Gay CouplesMarch 19-26, 2011
Thatch Caye, Belize
A gay couples romantic retreat... the time has come! Join us for eight days of unabashed celebration and romance. This very special retreat, intended for gay men, will be filled with activities to help us grow even closer together as couples. Whether your time together has been two months or twenty years, this is a chance to connect deeper with the man you love, as well as a chance for relaxation and play.
There are only enough rooms on the island for ten couples, so register early. Our days are designed at a very leisurely pace and will offer abundant free time to just to be together on this secluded island or take an adventure to the mainland for cave tubing and/or zip lining through the rainforest canopy.
April 26 - May 11, 2011
Egypt and all her mysteries
Please register soon! There are only 4 spots left.
A private visit to the King's Chamber inside the Great Pyramid... A private visit to the Sphinx to stand between it's paws, to place your hands upon it... A private visit to the Isle of Philae and the Temple of Isis at sunrise... Two nights at the Movenpick Hotel on Elephantine Island in the middle of the Nile...
A small, intimate group of fellow journeyers (a maximum of 16)...
There is no place on our planet like Egypt, and no better doorway into her mysteries like a Spirit Journey. |
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Dear Spirit Journeyers,
Thank you for making it a spectacular summer for Spirit Journeys! The response to our new offerings has been incredible, with most of our events filling to capacity.
I assure you that I will continue to strive to offer new and interesting events to aid you on your own personal journeys. Also, to add to the quality of our events, I am now limiting the number of participants to a maximum of 12 to 24 people, depending on the type of event. This limit allows for wonderful energy within the group, but helps prevent you from "getting lost in the crowd", so to speak.
As we move forward, I welcome any ideas from you on what topics or kinds of events you'd like to have us offer. Send me a note, or better yet, give me a call... I would love to hear from you! Call me, 800-754-1875 (if you get voice mail, call my cell, 201-788-0605) or send me an email with your ideas.
Lastly, since our events are now filling fast and early, I highly encourage you not to put off registering. Waiting until the last minute to make a decision could mean a lost opportunity!
Remember, the Universe IS conspiring for our betterment (we just might not be able to see it that way while we are in the midst of the changes that life brings our way).
Calendar Updates
What are you doing to celebrate the arrival of the New Year? There's no better way to ring in the New Year than with our New Year's Retreat in Santa Fe. Come release what has been holding you back and welcome a new future!
Need a break from the cold of winter? Our Winter Soulfest near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico is the perfect chance to break up the gray skies of winter. Through powerful restorative practices such as movement, breath-work and meditation, we will unwind the stresses and strains of winter and bring the juices of life back into our bodies and do it while basking in the healing energy of a spectacular natural setting.
The Two of Us is a romantic retreat for gay couples. Join us for eight days of an unabashed celebration of our togetherness. This is a very special retreat, intended for gay men, that will be filled with activities to help us grow even closer together as couples. Whether your time together has been two months or twenty years, this is a chance to connect deeper with the man you love, as well as a chance for relaxation and play. There are only enough rooms on the island for ten couples, so register early.
Our Wonders of Egypt Journey in early April of 2011 is sold out. However, I have scheduled a second Wonders of Egypt Journey April 26 to May 11, 2011. The weather is still not too hot in early May, but a lot of the tourists are gone, so it is a great time to be in Egypt! If you're interested in exploring Egypt on those dates, register soon, there are only 4 spaces left!
Power, Pleasure and Play (how's that for a title!) is our next workshop at Kirkridge, running April 28 to May 01, 2011. Don't we all want to feel powerful? Enjoy pleasure? Be playful? Join Kevin Kortan, Kai Ehrhardt and a community of fellow men, where you will have the chance to discover how the dynamics of Power, Pleasure, and Play influence our body-mind-spirit, our careers and our relationships. Come uncover your strengths, challenge your unproductive habits and open yourself to new ways of being.
Come experience the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River as only a Spirit Journey can offer... from the bottom up!
Going Deep: A Grand Canyon Rafting Adventure is scheduled for June 15-24, 2011.
We travel the entire length of the Grand Canyon, some 277 miles. Along the way, we take time for side canyon hikes and playing in waterfalls. We also take time to connect with this majestic place in a very real and meaningful way.
This Month's Special Focus
"Health and Wellness" by long time Spirit Journeys facilitator and good friend David (Abhimanyu) Moreno.
SpiritFund Information
No matter how you choose to support SpiritFund, either with direct donations or by buying items at SpiritWear, know that you are making a difference in people's lives. To date seven people have benefited from SpiritFund.
Donations and applications for scholarships can be made online at the SpiritFund page. On the SpiritFund page you will also find a list of Frequently Asked Questions that should explain everything about the scholarship program.
Total Donations Last Month: $0.00
Profits from SpiritWear Sales Last Month: $0.00
Total Income to Date: $2557.00
Total Expenses to Date: -$108.00
Total Net SpiritFund Income to Date: $2449.00
Number of Scholarship Applications: 31
Total Number of Scholarships Accepted: 7
Total Amount Awarded: $2425.00
SpiritFund Balance: $24.00
Presented by David (Abhimanyu) Moreno
well-ness [wel'nis] - noun - Optimal physical and mental health as the result of deliberate effort.
We live in an age when we have more opportunities to keep fit and healthy, along with greater stress than ever before. Some would argue that stress is relative to the time/place we live in - Neanderthal men had stress too, all those saber tooth tigers to run from!
But now our planet itself is stressed, as are the political and financial systems that control it.
Fortunately, we have so many avenues for managing stress in these complex times yet it seems like all of these choices need to happen concurrently. It's not enough go to the gym without paying attention to our diet, to stay active without being reflective - getting the proper amounts of rest, to charge through a profession without being passionately in love with what it is we are doing, to stay fit and young at heart while accepting aging and our inevitable death. In this information age, we know too much but often lack the determination to know what to really do with that information. And, at the same time, we can't afford not to listen and incorporate.
Yoga has always been the vehicle that offers the most multi-dimensional approach to wellness as it ultimately takes into account the balancing and harmonizing of all things. As a spiritual practice it sees the body, mind, and spirit as reflections and attributes of one another, as well as, taking into consideration "For whom and for when." Yoga adapts as we adapt to the different phases of life...
My entry into Spirit Journeys was through teaching yoga as part of a travel retreat to Mexico and then as part of the Annual Summer Retreat. Over time I was able to offer the following retreats and workshops including, Men & Yoga, Touched by Eros, Balinese Travel & Yoga Adventure, and Living the Practice, which combined yoga, Ayurveda and Zen practices. And for years you said, "Do you have a yoga DVD?" And, for years I replied, 'No, why would I with so much already available?' Famous last words....
But recently, I began practicing yoga in a particular way that incorporated all the different schools of yoga that I have studied including Tantra and Ayurveda. I began calling this particular style Deep Flow because the types of postures I was sequencing brought the immediate and profound unwinding of mental and physical tension, open awareness to the inner wave of subtle energetic movement, while strengthening and toning the oblique abdominals and organs. Then when an Italian composer presented me with her new composition called, "Insence" I knew the time had come to produce a yoga DVD.
So, now there is not one but two yoga DVDs to tell you about! In addition to "Deep Flow: Lateral Sequence" is, "Wheel of Yoga: For Cyclist", which incorporates another classic yoga practice specifically tailored needs of pre and post ride workouts ideal for cyclist but great for runners too, as well as, someone who has never done yoga before and those who do it daily!! Now there is no excuse not to reduce stress by doing yoga more regularly at home or on the road - the way we have done together in different parts of the world or at the Bodhi Manda Zen Center.
A percentage of all sales will go to the Spirit Journeys Scholarship fund, so tell your friends, give them as gifts, and reduce stress by practicing with them!
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