Reconnecting with the Great Mother through Chi Kung, Sacred Ceremony and Meditation
February 23 - March 4, 2011
Tour Leaders: Raúl Heredia is the founder and director of the Adya Agni School of Chi Kung, Psychotherapy and Meditation and is the cofounder of the International School of Chi Kung “7 Lotus”. He has trained in several healing modalities and spiritual practices and offers instruction and therapeutic work in several disciplines.
Our guest teacher, Carlos de León is a Doctor in Clinical Psychology and Holistic Medicine, and a leading authority in transformational studies, consciousness development, and spiritual practices from all over the world. Read more about Raúl and Carlos on our About Your Tour Leaders page.
Come and experience a Journey through the 5 Elements with spiritual teacher, Raúl Heredia, and reconnect with the Great Mother in the tropical forests, vast green sunlit valleys, and breezy ocean shores of the Gulf of Mexico. This is Veracruz, a land that rises from a tropical coastal plain into the temperate valleys and highlands of the Sierra Madre Oriental….a land of extreme fertility and abundant life force energy. Strengthen your body, mind, and spirit through the daily practice of morning Chi Kung, and allow the vital chi energy to stream through your entire being. Our journey is based on the model and teachings of spiritual teacher and doctor of Clinical Psychology and Holistic Medicine, Carlos de León, who will honour us as a guest teacher at the onset of our journey. Throughout the journey you will explore the 5 elements of water, earth, air, fire, and ether, integrating these elements into your daily physical and spiritual practices.
Reconnect with the ancients, learn the correct way to enter and exit these sacred places and connect with their energies, and experience the transformational healing power of the elements through special ceremonies and deep meditations. Revel in the purifying element of water at Cascada de Texolo waterfall and Eyipantla Falls, ground yourself with the strengthening earth element at El Tajin and Cempoala, energize and revitalize yourself with the fire element in a Fire Dance and Fire Walk at Nanciyaga Ecological Reserve, let your spirit soar and feel negative energies lift away with the air element during a cleansing Limpia and Temazcal Ceremony, and examine the ether element by exploring history and rediscovering ancient peoples at the Anthropology Museum of Xalapa. We will also be introduced to Odiyana - a private one of a kind ecological, humanistic and transpersonal community near Xico being developed by Carlos De León and his partners.
To begin your journey, you will be gifted with a special Talisman, a sacred and protective object associated with elemental power and used by many cultures around the world for thousands of years. This special amulet will be empowered by the individual wearer as well as through ceremonies at the various sacred sites visited and will be honoured in a final ceremony at the end of the journey.
Throughout the journey you will share in insightful discussions and lectures facilitated by Raúl to learn more about how the 5 elements can aid in restoring balance within yourself as well as with the natural world. You will also have the privilege of meeting wise elders and local shaman to learn firsthand how their honouring of the elements allows them to live a more sacred and balanced life, fully attuned to the rhythms of Mother Earth.
Join us in this experiential journey through the 5 elements and allow yourself to tap into not only your own vital life energy, but the wonderfully healing and powerful energy of our Great Mother as well. Let the transformative energies of this sacred place strengthen, rejuvenate, and awaken you!
Raul Heredia Raúl Heredia is the founder and director of the Adya Agni School of Chi Kung, Psychotherapy and Meditation and is the cofounder of the International School of Chi Kung “7 Lotus”. He is an instructor of 7 Lotus Chi Kung, Tibetan White Crane Kung Fu, and meditation. In addition he is a therapist and trainer at the Peng Jiu Ling Chi-Kung Health Center. He is a trained massage therapist in the modalities of Organity Massage, TEP Massage, and Chi Kung Healing Massage and has experience in the preparation of Chinese herbal remedies, tonics and food supplements. He has also training in Shamanism and Ontogonic Therapy and Counselling with the International Institute for Ontogony Research and Development. His practices and studies include Shaivism, Vippasana, Dzogchen, Mahamudra, Zen, Kabbalah, Mahayoga Tantra. Raúl has studied with Carlos de León, a doctor in clinical psychology and holistic medicine and renowned spiritual teacher, since 1993 and has also studied with other great masters such as Lama Tharchin Rimpoche, Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, Drukchen Rimpoche, Roshi Ello Takata, Lopon Tenzin Namdak Rimpoche, Tenzin Wangyal Rimpoche, Ajang Tong, Master Peng Jiu Ling, Sikung Vincent Chow, Sheik Nur, Babaji Hari Dass and others.
Carlos de Leon
As a Doctor in Clinical Psychology and Holistic Medicine, Carlos de León is a leading authority in transformational studies, consciousness development, and spiritual practices from all over the world. A practitioner and researcher for over 33 years, he has extensive knowledge in martial arts, chi kung, meditation, shamanism, religion, paranormal phenomena, and many forms of alternative healing including Ryodoraku acupuncture, Ayurvedic medicine, Chinese herbology, Chi Kung, Radionics, Homeopathy and different styles of massage. Much of his work has been with some of the world’s most respected teachers, and has included the diverse areas of Tantra, Zen Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Dzogchen, Mahamudra and Bon. In addition, he is trained in traditional native healing and shamanism in Mexico, Indonesia, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, Canada, China and Peru, as well as in various disciplines of martial arts with masters from Japan, India, China and Korea.
Today, Carlos is a sought after international teacher and charismatic presenter; most notably known for creating Ontogony – a multi-level, cross-cultural and all-encompassing program of self-liberating tools and paradigms; as well as Ontogony Psychotherapy. He is also the founder of the International Institute for Ontogony Research and Development in Vancouver (1991) and President of the Association of Psychotherapy and Transpersonal Ontogonic Development in Mexico City. He has students in Mexico, Spain, Canada, Greece, Israel and Guatemala.
Dr. Carlos de Leon has authored seven books: Dare to be Free, Time to Awaken, How to Choose a Spiritual Path, Biblical Meditation, The Hidden Pearl, Flow of Life (Ontogonic Psychotherapy), and Spiritual Psychopathology.
Day 1 Arrive Veracruz
Day 2 Veracruz to Xico
Day 3 Odiyana, Xico, Cascada de Texolo
Day 4 Xalapa Anthropology Museum, Session with Raul
Day 5 El Tajin, Veracruz
Day 6 Veracruz, Cempoala, Catemaco
Day 7 Eyipantla Falls, Nanciyaga Ecological Reserve
Day 8 Nanciyaga Ecological Reserve
Day 9 Nanciyaga Ecological Reserve, Catemaco Lake, Veracruz
Day 10 Depart Veracruz
Map - View of tour destinations
View Journey through the 5 Elements in a larger map
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 Wed, Feb 23: Arrive in Veracruz
Arrive in the historical Port of Veracruz, Mexico’s largest and oldest port city, and be transferred to your hotel. Spend your time independently settling in, visiting some of the historical sites, strolling along the boardwalk, or relaxing in a city square.
(Overnight in Veracruz at Grand Hotel Diligencias)
Day 2 Thu, Feb 24: Veracruz to Xico (B, L)
Enjoy an introductory breakfast with the group this morning and then travel by coach to charming Xico to arrive at the Agua Bendita Hotel & Spa. Once checked in, we will gather for our Introductory Meeting and Talk with Carlos De León, a doctor in clinical psychology and holistic medicine and renowned spiritual teacher. Together, we will review the theme and intention of our journey and be introduced to Carlos de León’s teachings and the 5 Elements of Chi Kung which we will be learning and practicing throughout the journey. We will also be introduced to the Odiyana Intentional Community.
We then enjoy lunch followed by a discussion and Chi Kung demonstration and practice with Raúl. The discussion will include an introduction to the 5 main sources of chi kung, as well as a talk on cosmic energy, creative process, and loss of balance and harmony and how this brings illness and imbalance with the elements. We will also learn exercises for stabilizing the chi, or cosmic energy, and observe a presentation of the first sequence of chi kung which includes all the elements we will be working with. As a sacred tool to be carried with you throughout the journey, each participant will be gifted with a special and unique Talisman today with an explanation from Raúl on how we can empower these talismans and “bring them to life”. Enjoy dinner independently or gather with your new found friends to learn more about each other.
(Overnight in Xico at Agua Bendita Hotel de Campo & Spa)
Day 3 Fri, Feb 25: Odiyana, Xico, Cascada de Texolo (B, D)
Today we explore the water element. After breakfast, we enjoy a visit of the Odiyana property where we take part in a 5 Element Chi Kung practice which will continue to be our morning practice throughout the journey. We will be offered a tour of the beautiful property and discuss the Odiyana Master Plan with Carlos De León.
Odiyana will be a private one of a kind ecological, humanistic and transpersonal community near Xico. The community will include individuals, couples and families of practitioners living together, working together and learning together for the purpose of co-creating personal and social change. Their programs will be designed with you in mind whether you are a new or an experienced practitioner - all that is required is a sincere desire to learn and master disciplines from a number of spiritual traditions. The vision is to create an intentional way of living, minimizing impact on the land, nature and the surroundings by pioneering an ecologically and economically sustainable way of life. We will learn about their exciting vision and plans for development!
We then make a stop in charming Xico, known for its delicious traditional cuisine, where you can enjoy lunch or browse the markets before heading off to visit the spectacular Cascada de Texolo waterfall with the group. Here, in this stunning area of waterfalls and rivers filled with the drumming sounds of cascading water, we will discuss and explore the water element. We will also hike the surrounding trails and participate in a special meditation ceremony at the edge of the river. We then return to Xico for a group dinner and a chance to share the day’s experiences.
(Overnight in Xico at Agua Bendita Hotel de Campo & Spa)
Day 4 Sat, Feb 26: Xalapa Anthropology Museum, Session with Raul (B)
Today we explore the ether (akash) element, the most subtle of all elements. We begin the day with our chi kung practice followed by an exercise which will allow us to feel the energy of all the elements from the chi kung and shamanic point of view. After breakfast, we visit the Anthropology Museum of Xalapa which guards the most important collection of pre-Columbian works and houses the largest collection of artifacts from cultures such as the Olmec, Huastec and Totonac. The most prominent exhibitions are that of the giant Olmec heads and the smaller Totonac heads, also known as the “caritas sonrientes” or “little smiling faces”. After lunch, enjoy some free time to independently explore Xalapa, which means “spring in the sand” in native Nahuatl, before returning to Coatepec. Once settled, we gather together for an informative session and discussion with Raúl. He will introduce us to Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent deity of the Aztecs, and discuss his role in Mexican spirituality and priesthood. Together we will also explore the ether element through chi kung and meditation. The evening is yours to reflect on all you have learned thus far in quiet meditation or join with friends for dinner.
(Overnight in Xico at Agua Bendita Hotel de Campo & Spa)
Day 5 Sun, Feb 27: El Tajin, Veracruz (B, L)
Today we explore the earth element. We begin the day with our chi kung practice, followed by breakfast, and then depart for a full day excursion to the UNESCO World Heritage site of El Tajin. This amazing archaeological site was once the largest and most important cities of the Classic and Mesoamerican era. Its most prominent feature is the majestic Pyramid of Niches, but the complex also contains a ballcourt, palaces, and numerous temples. Here, in the splendour of the ancients, we will gather for a special ceremony where we will connect with the Great Spiritual Mother and ask permission of the guardians to enter this sacred place. During this ceremony, we will learn how to approach the sacred sites in a safe and respectful way and how to work with the ancient energies that live at these special places. We will then carry this mood of honour and reverence at each sacred site that we visit. We will ask to be cleansed with a protective and healing energy and request the Great Mother’s blessings. You may then explore the site freely and sit in private meditation before heading off for lunch nearby. After lunch we board our bus and return to Veracruz for the evening.
(Overnight in Veracruz at Grand Hotel Diligencias)
Day 6 Mon, Feb 28: Veracruz, Cempoala, Catemaco (B)
Today we explore both the water and earth elements. We begin the day as usual with our chi kung practice followed by breakfast. We then spend the morning visiting the historical Mesoamerican city of Cempoala, also known as Zempoala meaning “20 waters”, and its impressive archaeological site. At the time of the conquest, Cempoala was the Totanac capital and largest city on the Gulf of Mexico. We then make our way to Chapala Beach for some fun in the sun. Spend your time swimming, exploring the huge sand dunes, or just lounging on the beach. In the afternoon we gather together for a Shamanic Ceremony at Quiahuiztlan, meaning “place of rain” in Nahuatl, an archaeological site and fortified settlement on the slopes of a volcanic mountain. This beautiful Toltec site offers a harmonic marriage of both earth and water elements with its unusual rock formations and breathtaking views of the ocean. We then make our way to Catemaco and our lovely hotel for the evening.
(Overnight in Catemaco at La Finca Resort Hotel & Spa)
Day 7 Tue, Mar 1: Eyipantla Falls, Nanciyaga Ecological Reserve (B, D)
Today we explore the fire element. After our morning chi kung practice and breakfast, we return to the Eyipantla Falls for a powerful connection ceremony with the water element. With the sounds of the roaring falls reverberating throughout, we can also sense the commanding fiery energy that envelops the area. Here, you may spend some time independently for private meditation, have lunch, or purchase gifts and souvenirs. We will make a stop at the Santiago Tuxtla Market to pick up some herbs for our limpia (cleansing ceremony). Afterwards we make our way to the Nanciyaga Ecological Reserve where will have our cleansing ceremony with the local shaman. During the ceremony, the element of fire is incorporated through the use of smudging, herbal cleansing, and smoke as a vehicle for meditation. After dinner, cleansed and rejuvenated after our limpia, we gather around the fire pit for a bonfire and cleansing ceremony with fire. Stirred by the rhythm of the drums, we will join in a Fire Dance and for those more daring, a Fire Walk. Retire for the evening with the music of nature resounding in the night and drift off to sleep with the pulsating sounds of the drums beating along with your heart. Expect some powerful and revealing dreams on this night.
(Overnight at the Nanciyaga Ecological Reserve)
Day 8 Wed, Mar 2: Nanciyaga Ecological Reserve (B, L, D)
Today we explore the air element. Awaken to the vibrant sounds of nature and allow this vibrating energy to flow through you during our morning chi-kung practice. After our practice we enjoy an invigorating rainforest walk through the reserve with a local guide. We will also have the opportunity to indulge in some therapeutic treatments such as mud facials and mud baths. After lunch, we participate in a powerful Temazcal Ceremony. Here, in the belly of Mother Earth, surrendering to the powerful energies in the sweat lodge, we release all negativity which will evaporate into the heavens leaving us purified and rejuvenated. After dinner, enjoy some free time at the lodge to experience the abundance of nature and commune with our Great Mother.
(Overnight at the Nanciyaga Ecological Reserve)
Day 9 Thu, Mar 3: Nanciyaga Ecological Reserve, Catemaco Lake, Veracruz (B, L)
This morning we participate in our final elemental chi kung practice which will incorporate all the elements we have worked with throughout the journey. This will allow us to fully integrate all we have learned and experienced and will act as a recapitulation of our entire time in Mexico.
After breakfast, we enjoy a fun and leisurely boat tour on Catemaco Lake followed by our farewell lunch. We then close our journey with a powerful Talisman Ceremony, acting as a significant reminder of the wisdom we have attained and allowing us to carry our personal journeys with us for all time. We then return to Veracruz for a final evening to enjoy the city independently.
(Overnight in Veracruz at Grand Hotel Diligencias)
Day 10 Fri, Mar 4: Depart Veracruz (B)
Depart Veracruz to return home with inspiration, strength and wisdom, or continue your learning with Carlos De León at his retreat starting March 5th (more details coming soon).
(B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; D = Dinner)
Note: This itinerary is subject to change due to conditions beyond our control.
Tour Inclusions & Price Tour Includes:
9 Nights Accommodation
Breakfast daily, 4 Lunches, and 3 Dinners
Arrival and Departure Transfers
Private Coach Transportation
Hotel Taxes & Service Charges
Admission to all sites as per itinerary
All guide services as per itinerary
All tips and gratuities to drivers, guides, waiters, bellboys, housekeeping etc.
Added Features:
Travel with Chi Kung and Meditation Instructor Raúl Herdia
Discussion and Teachings with special guest teacher, Dr. Carlos de León
Special Talisman for each participant with closing Talisman Ceremony
Daily Chi Kung Practice
Informative Lectures and Insightful Discussions
Sacred Ceremonies and Meditations
Limpia Ceremony with local Shaman
Fire Dance and Fire Walk
Rainforest Walk
Mud Facials and Mud Baths
Temazcal Ceremony
Boat Tour on Catemalco Lake
Tour Does Not Include:
Airfare to Veracruz, Mexico
Cancellation & Medical Insurance (ask us for a quote if your are Canadian)
Meals and drinks not specified
Cost to obtain valid passport
Any items of a personal nature such as laundry, drinks and telephone calls. Any item that is not specifically detailed on our website as being included in the journey.
Tour Price
Price Per Person (Land Only) Single Supplement
USD $2995.00
USD $550.00
Note: The single supplement is ONLY for those who would like to secure a private room throughout the tour, at the indicated additional price. If you are not traveling with anyone you know and would like to share a room, we will be happy to work to find you a suitable roommate. Per our Terms and Conditions, registration for the tour will be held open until two weeks before the departure date in order to try to match everyone with a roommate. If by that date we have not been able to match you with a suitable roommate, you will be responsible to pay for the single supplement. An early registration will facilitate this process.