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Journey to the Heart of the Sacred
Feminine
Dancing with the Goddess in Maui, Hawaii
May 29 - June 5, 2010
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Retreat Leaders: Alexina Mehta is a Naturopathic
Physician who inspires others to access their own innate healing potential, and
to step into their power as a creative being living in harmony with themself and
others. She also teaches a variety of transformative workshops in healing and
has trained in Energy Medicine, Yoga, Pilates, and Nia Dance. Sarah Dykstra
has been a life-long student of the Sacred and is currently working on a Ph.D.
in Religious Studies. She has been a devotee of yoga and meditation for ten
years, and is a great lover of dance and music. Read more about Alexina Mehta
and Sarah Dykstra on our About Your
Retreat Leaders Page. |
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Detailed Retreat Itinerary |
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Day 1 Sat, May 29: Arrive in Maui (D) |
 You
will be met and transferred from the airport to the beautiful Mălamalama Farm
Retreat Center. Upon settling in, you will have an orientation of the
center, the exquisite natural surroundings, and a tour of the developing farm.
You will not only be invited to connect with the spirit of the land you will be
staying upon and the beautifully positive and powerful energy within her, but
you will also be encouraged to connect with its overlighting mission.
Kolealea is an organic farm which is organized around the principles of on-going
sustainability. Kolealea promotes sustainable living on earth, as well as ways
of being in the world which are rooted in our connection with nature and with
each other. Together with Malamalama, a non-profit organization, Kolealea works
to feed the community and to assist others to do the same by teaching organic
gardening, sustainable farming and harmonious living. In doing so, they work to
facilitate much needed positive changes in service of global ecology.
Kolealea has a spiritual approach to everything that they do. Above all, they
are committed to harmonious and peaceful living. They are on a mission to bring
humans and nature back together, to foster a sense of “oneness” with the Earth
and planetary consciousness, and to help individuals to feel and know that we
are all part of the great fabric of Life. Through working in concert with the
land - the plants, animals, and all of Nature's spirits - they are working
together with the wonder that is Nature to bring us back into a state of balance
and harmony with all living things.
By bathing in the energy of this special land and feeling its life force, its
mana, we are greatly supported in tuning into our own innate wholeness and our
own internal template of the Divine. Listen to the heartbeat of this land,
listen to it breathe, and then take a few minutes to breathe together with it in
peace and harmony.
This evening we gather for our Welcome Group Dinner. Following dinner we
will begin our introduction and orientation with Alexina and Sarah and
learn a little about our fellow sisters and the amazing journey we are about to
embark on.
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Day 2 Sun, May 30 (B, L, D) |
 Enjoy
a morning Meditation and Nia Dance class followed by breakfast. We then
gather for our first teaching, The Re-emergence of the Sacred Feminine,
where we will discuss:
*Remembering Atlantis and Lemuria
*The Call of the Goddess and the
Reawakening of the Divine Feminine
*Growing the Goddess and re-uniting
Heaven and Earth
Myths and legends inform us that there have been certain cycles during the
evolution of humankind in which the feminine principle has been revered,
honoured and celebrated. Although human beings have, for the past several
millennia, been strongly orientated toward the masculine principle, we now find
ourselves living in a time when the feminine principle is yearning to be
acknowledged and reintegrated into our everyday lives. Many of us, however, are
left wondering how, in a world that is still strongly orientated toward
masculine ideals and ideologies, we can engage with and “grow” the goddess
energies - both within our personal lives and psyches and within the collective
consciousness. In this teaching, we shall explore ways in which we can chart new
pathways for honouring, engaging with, and ultimately incarnating the energies
of the Sacred Feminine.
Later, enjoy a Meditation and Invocation followed by lunch. After lunch
we embark on a hiking excursion to experience the wonders of the
beautiful island of Maui.
This evening, following dinner, we enjoy a special event, a channeling
session with renowned psychic Liah Howard, followed by our Goddess
Initiation Gathering. |
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Day 3 Mon, May 31 (B, L, D) |
 Enjoy
a morning Meditation and Yoga Dance class followed by breakfast and our
second discussion, Wisdom Teachings from the Americas, where we
will learn about:
*The Great Mother and Pachamama
*The Undomesticated, Untamed
Feminine
*The Munay Ki Wisdom Teachings:
Stepping into 2012 and Beyond
The indigenous North and South American traditions are responsible for imparting
to us a dynamic tapestry of spiritual and holistic teachings that are rooted in
a deep understanding of the living essence of the planet upon which we live.
According to many of the North and South American indigenous cosmovisions, the
earth is regarded as the Great Mother: She who births, nurtures and sustains all
those who inhabit Her oceans, lands and skies. Within these traditions, the
Great Mother (known as “Pachamama” in the Peruvian Andean traditions) is
regarded as the overlighting presence responsible for gifting us with life, and
it is predominantly through Her that we live and move and have our being. In
this teaching,
 we shall explore some of these “Great Mother” traditions, and
contemplate what it would mean to give our primary spiritual allegiance to our
Earth Mother. We shall look, in particular, at an ancient lineage of teachings
born out of the Andes, and imparted to us by the wisdom keepers of the Qu’ero (a
modern day Peruvian tribe whose peoples are the descendents of the ancient
Inca). We will then have the special opportunity of participating in a
Despacho Blessing Ceremony.
Later, with a packed lunch, we head out for a Maui Beach Tour to revel in
the glorious sunshine and soak in the soothing and transformative healing
properties of the ocean.
After watching the sunset, we return to Malamalama Farm for dinner, after which
we gather for a Goddess Fire Ceremony. Here we shall take part in a
ceremony in which we connect with the ancestors, let go of old stories, and step
into new ones. |
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Day 4 Tue, Jun 1 (B, D) |
 This morning we enjoy an early breakfast and depart for a breathtaking,
three-hour bus trip along Hana Highway to the small village of Hana. Our
trip will include stops along the way to view the waterfalls as well as the many
other beautiful scenic vistas of coastal Maui. We then spend the afternoon
visiting the Seven Sacred Pools in Haleakala National Park where we will
participate in a sacred water ceremony and enjoy some time for hiking and
swimming.
We return to our retreat center later in the afternoon to relax and refresh
ourselves ,and to reflect upon the day before gathering for our evening dinner. |
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Day 5 Wed, Jun 2 (B, L, D) |
 Enjoy another morning Meditation and Bellydance class followed by a
teaching, Ancient Manifestations of the Sacred Feminine: India, Sumeria,
Egypt and Greece where we will discuss:
*The Cosmic Mother
*Kali and the Dark Goddess
*Tara: Mother of Mercy and
Compassion
*Inanna: Queen of Heaven and Earth
*Isis and the Cosmic Feminine
*Aphrodite: Sensual and Celestial Love
Ancient cultures and civilizations have much to teach us about the Sacred
Feminine. From these cultures we inherit many myths and legends which serve to
highlight the various different faces of the Cosmic Feminine. In this teaching,
we shall explore the Goddess from the perspective of four of the world’s
greatest ancient civilizations: India, Sumeria, Egypt and Greece. What do these
goddesses teach us and how can their stories enrich our modern lives and bring
us closer into contact with our own interior essence? Through exposing ourselves
to their legends and myths and engaging with them through certain meditative and
ritual practices, we shall work to forge deeper connections with all aspects of
our interior being.
We then gather for a Meditation and Invocation followed by lunch. After
lunch, we enjoy the afternoon in the colourful and vibrant village of Paia
where we will explore local boutiques, relax on the beach, and soak up the
unique atmosphere of one of Maui’s most funky towns. We return in time to wash
up and get ready for dinner.
This evening we will be joined by guest teacher, Kachina Palencia who
will lead us in a special Tibetan Buddhist Tara Dance. Here we shall tap
into the feminine aspect of the Buddha by dancing through the 21 qualities of
the goddess Tara. |
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Day 6 Thu, Jun 3 (B, L, D) |
 An early morning departure will have us embarking on a day trip to the highest
point on Maui (10,023 feet) at Haleakala (“house of the sun”). Here we
shall watch the sunrise, participate in a ceremony on the summit of the
volcano, and hear about some of the local traditions surrounding the indigenous
volcano goddess Pele. We will also experience a special guided hike in
the Waikamoi Preserve, a place which in former times was frequented only
by those who were regarded as being worthy of entering into the wao akua (“realm
of the gods”), and whose access still remains restricted today. Here we shall
encounter windswept native cloud forests, native plants, birds, and
invertebrates, and discover an “ecological fabric that supports some of the
rarest and most beautiful of Earth's creatures”.
After this extraordinary experience, we return to the retreat centre to wash up
and get ready for dinner. This evening you may also want to take advantage of
the optional healing treatments offered at the retreat centre. |
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Day 7 Fri, Jun 4 (B, L, D) |
 This morning enjoy a Nia dance class followed by breakfast and then our
teaching, The Feminine Face of God within the Western Traditions: Judaism,
Christianity and Islam, where we will discuss:
*Sophia and Shekhina: Gnostic and Hebrew
Expressions of the Divine Feminine
*Mother Mary and Mariology
*The Recent Resurrection of Mary Magdalene
*The Black Madonna and the Virgin of Guadalupe
*The Feminine Principle in Sufism and Islamic
Mysticism
Judaism, Christianity and Islam are generally known as religious traditions that
were born out of a strong patriarchal consciousness and deeply orientated toward
masculine ways of being in the world. It is less known that throughout the
evolution of these religious traditions, there have been certain mystical and
esoteric trajectories that have deeply honoured and revered the Sacred Feminine.
In early Christian circles, for example, the goddess Sophia proved an integral
part of the early Christian cosmology. Likewise, in some early Christian
circles, Mary Magdalene was deeply revered and even regarded by some as “the
disciple of disciples”. In the Middle Ages, Mary, Mother of Jesus of Nazareth,
attracted a strong cultic following, and came to be known as a great cosmic
force in her own right. In this teaching, we shall explore some of these lesser
known traditions, discuss the recent search for expressions of the feminine
principle upon the part of those devotees of the Western religious traditions,
and examine these developments from the greater perspective of the return of the
Cosmic Feminine to planetary consciousness.
 We then participate in a Meditation and Invocation followed by lunch.
Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your leisure to wander the grounds of the
retreat centre, explore Maui independently, or simply relax and reflect on the
journey and teachings thus far.
In the late afternoon, we are invited to a special lecture, Cycles of the
female body and how they relate to the earth: Ancient practices to rejuvenate,
nourish, and enliven the female form. How can we live in harmony with
our body and ultimately bring it into a state of radiance and grace? As women
living in the modern world, we have become disconnected from the beauty, grace
and health of the female form. In this teaching, we shall discuss how we can
re-align our bodies and our bodies’ cycles with those of the moon and the earth.
We shall also consider Ayurvedic, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Naturopathic
Medicine viewpoints on how to support and regulate the female body in its
various cycles and rhythms. We shall look at various plants and herbs and we
shall discuss nutritional tips designed to optimize the functioning of the body.
Finally, we will use the power of the mind-body connection via meditations to
facilitate this process.
We then gather for our final group dinner followed by our closing celebration
with special guests, Kachina Palencia and friends, who will lead us
in a series of Sufi Dances of Universal Peace which draw from a variety
of the world’s sacred and religious traditions. |
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Day 8 Sat, Jun 5 (B) |
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We enjoy one final
breakfast in paradise followed by our last discussion, Integrating the
Sacred Feminine into our Everyday Lives, where we will learn the
practical elements of incorporating our teachings and experiences into our
everyday contemporary lives. You will be transferred back to the airport for
your departure flight home. |
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Retreat Inclusions
& Price |
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Retreat Includes:
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7 nights accommodation at the Malamalama Farm
Retreat Centre in Twin Rooms (2 beds per room) |
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All meals (mostly organic) - Breakfast Daily,
5 Lunches, and 7 Dinners (not including 1 lunch in Hana) |
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Private Airport Transfers |
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Private Transportation for all excursions
included in the itinerary |
Special Added Features:
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Wisdom Teachings and Discussions with
facilitators, Alexina Mehta and Sarah Dykstra |
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Special Guest Teacher, Kachina Palencia, who
will lead us in a Tibetan Buddhist Tara |
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Dance and Sufi Dances of Universal Peace |
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Yoga Dance, Nia Dance, Belly Dance classes |
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Channelling session with special guest Liah
Howard |
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Meditations and Invocations |
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Goddess Fire Ceremony |
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Sacred Water Ceremony |
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Despacho Blessing Ceremony |
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Hiking Trips |
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Beach Tours |
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Excursion to Haleakala Volcano |
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Excursion to Hana and the Seven Sacred Pools
in Haleakala National Park |
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Guided Hike in Waikamoi Preserve |
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Optional Healing Treatments and
Lomi Lomi Massage |
Does not include:
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Airfare to Maui, Hawaii |
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Cancellation & Medical Insurance (ask us for a
quote if your are Canadian) |
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Meals and drinks not specified (participants
will be responsible for buying their own lunch in Hana) |
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Cost to obtain valid passport |
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Any items of a personal nature such as
laundry, drinks and telephone calls. Any item that is not specifically detailed
on our website or in the final retreat itinerary. |
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Retreat Price Per Person |
Retreat Price Per Person (Land Only)
USD $2499.00Note: This retreat is
open to a maximum of 12 participants. Early registration is encouraged. |
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© 2003 - 2010 Sacred
Earth Journeys.
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