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Ecotourism is:
"Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the
environment and improves the well-being of local people." ----------
Bamboo Farm
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We are specialized in structural bamboo, the lumber of the future. Most of our houses are green buildings, built with bamboo, recycled lumber and environmentally conscious materials.
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Beekeeping
At Maui Retreat, we have a bee hive with one queen bee and about 10,000
worker bees. They pollinate all the fruit trees on the property.
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Vermiculture
All our extra office paper is shredded and put into a vermiculture
system where it is fed to worms, which convert it into extremely rich
worm castings, perfect for fertilizing the gardens.
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Chickens
We have seven wonderful chickens. They give us blue and red eggs. They love to be held and we invite you to meditate with them. Yes, they are very very friendly!
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Permaculture
I am proud to announce that I recently became
a certified Permaculture Designer. Now I can support and educate our young students in a even more sustainable way of living.
P.S. Mochi, my little Tibetan Spaniel took the training as well and helps in the gardens. Mostly playing!
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Lulu the Duck
Lulu arrived on Christmas day and decided that the pond is her new home. She greets all the guests and if you feed her, she will be your best friend and walks with you where ever you go.
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Wwoofers
World Wide Organisation of Organic Farming.
If you would like to know more about our 3 to 6 month student program - volunteer work exchange, please submit an application. Space limited. Click Here to find out more.
Become a fan of our Facebook Page here.
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Tsunami Hawaii - Awakening the Eco-Soul! Are you ready?
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Aloha.
We survived the tsunami - which never came!
Our tsunami scare was a great eye opener to what might or could have happened. The earth quakes in Haiti and in Chile had a rippling effect through the entire world. One of these ripples was supposed to hit us last Saturday at 11:19 am in Hawaii in the form of a big tsunami wave. Luckily, the tsunami ripple collapsed into a small 2 foot wave and hit us only as a big ripple in our consciousness and awareness, with what could have happened and are we prepared?
As Barbara Max Hubbard wrote:
"Humanity is facing unprecedented, evolutionary changes. It is amazing-out of the famous Mayan prophecy has come the indication that we are facing the end of this world as we know it and the beginning of the new world by 2012. This date corresponds to environmental and social predictions of breakdowns and breakthroughs now widely known. Let's assume there is some validity in these prophecies. What vision of the future, of the new world, might we see so that we can place our attention upon this vision as a strange attractor to carry us through this critical transition?"
What vision of the future might we see to carry us through this critical transition?
I have been an environmental spiritual activist since my mother introduced me to recycling and composting of our left overs to nurture our earth when I was just 6 years old. Being the steward of a magical piece of land in Maui has given my the opportunity to co-create with nature in harmony and awaken my eco-soul by applying the growing edge of human consciousness and evolutionary technologies to life-affirming goals into a life style Embodied Spirituality and Sustainability practices.
Awakening the Eco Soul
When we start to care for nature and the environment as much as we care for our own physical body, we are awakening that consciousness that generously protects and cares for all living forms.
Naturally we create balance within all our actions. Balance equals sustainability. We need to become sustainable in everything we get involved in and approach each action with a holistic vision of understanding the interconnectedness of all life.
Recently I became a Certified Permaculture Designer.
The knowledge I received is nothing new to me, as I learned much of this knowledge from my mother. However, getting some cutting edge tools and technologies that show you how to support the larger vision of nurturing our environment is an amazing way to learn from experts who do nothing else than study how to preserve and live in a balanced relationship with the earth.
Everything is changing so fast and keeping our nature protected is becoming a challenge. Using modern technology and ancient wisdom to create a sustainable life style is more important then ever before if we want to leave a legacy to our next seven generations.
This morning as the Tsunami was approaching the Hawaiian islands, all the sirens went off at 6am and the people had to leave their homes if they lived close to the shore or in a flood zone area. We did not hear the sirens, as we live further out on the North Shore,
nestled above a 250 foot high cliff above the ocean. However, I was awakened in the early hours of the morning by some distressed phone calls from family in Europe and friends on the mainland as word of the tsunami was broadcast over the international news.
One of our students and myself left the Maui Retreat later in the morning. We had a plan to visit a plant nursery up country for creating a little Zen garden in the back of our main house. We decided that the warning did not apply to our living situation and we proceeded to drive up the mountain toward the Haleakala crater. Off we went! The first little shop/gas station we passed had a long line of cars waiting to fill up their gas and propane tanks. Our car was already filled with gas so we just visited the inside of the shop. All three registers were in full swing and each had a line of customers with their basket full of groceries and especially water bottles.
By 9am they were already out of water and some of their emergency supplies. By 11 am the gas was out too. I walked around the store and I realized that I did not need anything, although I did find some special food for our duck Lulu!
We continued our journey and passed through the suburbs of a little up country town. We realized that most of the houses had only grass lawns. No food gardens, no fruit trees, no rain catchments, no solar panels on the roof.... We assumed all the people from those houses were now in Foodland and Safeway trying to get a slice of the survival items they so desperate needed.
I asked myself, how easy would it be to get some sustainable elements implemented into this small suburb homes with a permaculture design? Probably very little effort if the people would be willing to educate and start to care for themselves with a sustainable approach.
I realized how calm and prepared I felt. Would I have felt the same, living in one of those houses? Surely not. Is this tsunami warning a wake up call to transform some of the grass lawn into food gardens? I truly wish so.
Yes, I do hope that we all shift our identity from our ego to our essence. This is the the key step to being born as a more universal human and awakening and embracing our eco-soul.
Find a life purpose.
Ask to know what you are born to do.
Follow the compass of joy and happiness.
Seek out those who affirm the highest in you.
Go Green! Live more sustainable.
Care and Share and build community NOW
With this I salute you with an Aloha and Namaste and end this newsletter once more with the wise words of our friend Barbara Marx Hubbard:
"Where two or more are gathered in the name of that highest dimension or your being there, "I Am" is in your midst. Everyone is needed. Everyone is called. The greatest blessing any one of us can have is to say "yes" to the dormant potential within us. Reach out to those who attract you, and connect with as many others doing the same as you possibly can."
With deep love and gratitude and thank you for supporting in staying with us at our Maui Eco Retreat.
Kutira and Raphael,
the Kahua Community of Students,
Wwoofers, Guests, dogs, cats, ducks and earth worms.
If you would like to find out "What makes us an eco-retreat center"? please click here.
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 Special Tsunami Packages
A New Way of Living Elegantly Green!
Explore living sustainably and off the grid, with solar, natural alkaline well water and organic eco-gardens. Our property is a secluded, oceanfront sanctuary that is only a short drive from town. We specialize in bamboo technology and permaculture design. Enjoy our lagoons and temples, surf our high-speed wireless internet, or hike amazing trails that will lead you to waterfalls and natural pools in a romantic, ocean-side setting. The unique energy, or Mana, of this sacred land creates an ideal place to connect with nature and your own inner vision.
Experience our luxurious bamboo housing, the new lumber of the future. Perfect for singles, couples/ honeymooners, and small, we are a five star certified green retreat and voted "The Greenest Spot on Maui". Take the time to visit our website and feel free to give us a call so that we can make sure your needs are met. Congratulations, in choosing a green spot like us to offset your carbon footprint.
Special Prices for April and May if you mention our Tsunami Special Discount from this Newsletter!
 
Click here to get more information and to book.
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What People have to say about us...  With open minds and open hearts we stumbled
upon paradise. A glorious place to spend our honeymoon and 10 year
anniversary. We are grateful for the love and attention that has gone
into creating such a peaceful and harmonious retreat.
Lori and Paul, California
Sam Stewart, London, England
What a little taste of heaven. So quiet, so tranquil, so peaceful.
Paul & Tami, Minnesota
 
Read more visitor comments.
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If you enjoyed reading about our eco-retreat and are planning on coming back to Maui, we would be very happy to welcome you again. If you know of any friends that are considering a vacation in Hawaii, please support our green vision for the future and forward this newsletter so that they can make a difference and set off their carbon footprint in staying with us. Please enjoy our musical you-tube video of the land click here. Warmest Mahalo
Kutira & Raphael
Maui Retreat
If you would like to send an email to Kutira and Raphael send it to kutira@kahuainstitute.com
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Retreats
If you are interested in our upcoming Embodied Spirituality retreat in Bali, Bhutan, and Maui please send us a request. For more information click here.
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