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! There is only space for 4 more men.
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.
Our second Wonders of Egypt Journey is from 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 3 spots left!
Power, Pleasure and Play 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.
Check out our Calendar of All Events for other upcoming workshops, retreats and journeys.
This Month's Special Focus
"Investing In Me" a little article I wrote about getting more out of my time away.
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
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Total Income to Date: $2557.00
Total Expenses to Date: -$108.00
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Number of Scholarships Offered: 33
Total Number of Scholarships Accepted: 7
Total Amount Awarded: $2425.00
SpiritFund Balance: $24.00
Investing In Me
by Howie Holben
These can be very stressful times. Most of us have never experienced anything in our lives that even comes close to the fear and uncertainty that surrounds us these days. We are worried if we will have a job next week; we wonder where the next war will break out; we're concerned about the damage we are doing to our Earth. And all we hear from the media is how bad things are... Who wouldn't be stressed?
As humans, we are programmed to avoid anything that "feels bad" or uncomfortable. If it hurts, the first thing we try to do is get away from the pain, and stress certainly is painful. We're also taught, especially in Western culture, that the quick fix is the best fix. Got a headache? Take a pill. Can't sleep? Take another pill. Stressed out? Have a cocktail, or... take a vacation!
"Yes, a vacation... that's what I need"; a chance to get away from life's stresses; to escape; "That way I can come home refreshed and ready to deal with life's stresses with renewed vigor". A typical vacation can be a big help in dealing with stress. I get a chance to leave the worries behind me for a week or two, but at some point I have to go home; home to the same demands of life I left behind. Sometimes the demands are even more than I left behind, what with the pile of work now waiting on my desk!
If I take a "typical" vacation, most likely I will not learn any new skills to deal with the stresses that made me need a vacation in the first place. In this sense, ordinary vacations are only a quick, temporary fix, like a pill or a drink.
My experience has shown me that I need more than just to "veg out" while I'm on a vacation. I need to be engaged and challenged to question my "current way of being in the world". Sure, I need, and want, all the typical benefits of a vacation like relaxing and playing, but also I need extra benefits like the introduction to new ways of thinking, the learning and practicing of techniques to handle stress and the building of a support network of friends. I know these "extras" will help me in the long term to be less affected by life's ups and downs and to be more confident as I move through my life.
I also want to meet and connect with people at a level simply not possible on an ordinary vacation. Learning new things and hearing new ideas from others adds immensely to the enjoyment of my time away. To be able to sit and have a real conversation with someone; to be listened to with genuine interest and, in return, to listen with my heart. The importance of these things cannot be measured and bring a deep sense of fulfillment. Yes, there is effort involved. I can't just hide in my room. I will need to be "present"; I will need to be willing; I will need to be as open and honest as I can be.
I am willing to put forth the effort of being present and open because I know that the process can change me to my core. When I get home, I can have a whole new outlook on life; the stresses of life may no longer have the same power over me as they did before I invested this time in myself. I may be able to move forward to making every day, a vacation day.
