4th Annual Guardians of Eden - Holistic Thrival Quest

Join Frank Cook, Marcos de Monte, Tin, Satye Seele, Itai Huben, and Tenasi Rama, and a host of tropical plant experts for our 4th annual pilgrimage in Costa Rica to cultivate our relationships of self, plants, and community.

This retreat offers:

Ethnobotany
An in depth botanical exploration of Costa Rican flora
An immersion into tropical medicinal and edible plants
Biodynamic jungle plant propagation and harvesting
Tropical tree identificaiton and usage

Holistic Awakening
Higher Limbs Yoga – including kundalini, kriya and sonic yoga
Partner Yoga and Shamanic Breathwork
Live Foods Nutritional Theory- and yummy fresh organic produce
Benefits of Fasting – with a group  cleanse
Massage Exchange
Sweatlodge(s)

Art as a form of Prayer
Heartsong sharing
Creating  dream catchers
Contact Improv/ Inspirational Dancing

Community Living Skills
Heart circle of compassion
Recipes for healthy Community
Decision Making - Contracts and Agreements
Conflict Resolution and Non-violent Communication

This years Guardians of Eden Retreat, Dec. 27th, 2008 - Jan. 11th, 2009,   will take the form of a Holistic Thrival Quest thru kin-necting intentional communities and permacultue communities. The journey consists of four segments, allowing partipants to join us for the whole retreat or for specific parts of it.

Guardians of Eden - Holistic Thrival Quest	Dates	Price
Entire Journey	Dec 27- Jan 11	$650
Ethnobotanical Intensive at Ark Herb Farm and Las Vueltas Paramo Farm	December 27 -30	$240
Pilgrimage thru the Diamante Valley	Dec 30 - Jan 6	$240
Journey to the Talamanca highlands	January 6 - 9	$160
Sacred Celebration " Cantando la Vida" at Finca Amrita	January 9-11	$90

**** Due to the current world economic crisis ****
We are doing everthing we can to make this retreat affordable for all to join. The above rates will cover the cost of our teachers, the food, lodging and transportation. Participants are advised to bring additional cash for personal expenses along the journey. We do have several work trade postions available as well.

    

Our journey begins Saturday, Dec 27th with a two-day ethnobotanical intensive at the Ark Herb Farm near San Jose.  We will meet for an opening circle at 9:00 am at the "Ark", and spend the morning strengthening our walkling we will meet Tin and Satya, who will give us a tour of the largest collection of edible, useful, and medicianl herbs and trees in all of Costa Rica. Participants will be given the Guardians of Eden Plant List that we have created over the past three years and during thes first two days we will familiarize ourselves with the major plant families and ractice our skills at identifying plants.  Please see http://www.arkherbfarm.com/ 

From there, we'll journey to the Familia Seelye "Las Vueltas" Farm in the high cloud forest or paramo of Cerro del Muerte where we spend two days as we familiarize ourselves with the mystical flaura and fauna of this enchanted ecosystem. 

Dec. 30th we head to the heart of Eden's Rebirth in Southern Pacific Costa Rica, where we will spend 4 magical nights in the Catedral de Piedra at the Diamante Verde Spiritual Sanctuary .  Here, we will relax into the nurturing energy of this magnificent natural temple, eat vitalizing vegetarian meals harvested out of our organic garden, cultivate a daily higher limbs yoga practice, swim in pristine natural pools, prepare plant medicines, and enrichen our botanical knowledge in one of the most floraly diverse regions of Costa Rica.

 

Participants will be invited to join us for the whole journey or indivudual segments. Please see

of the journeThe  from the Diamante Valley, along the path of the Ceibo, up into the highlands of the Talamanca Mountains. We will start our quest at with a two day botanical intensive at the Ark Herb farm in San Jose and then spend two days at the Las Vueltas family farm for an immersion into the highland plant world.

andiintended for any and all of those who wish to not only survive, but thrive in the newly emerging paradigm that respects both human life and nature.  To prepare us Guardians for this return to Eden, we will visit several farms and healing centers throughout Southern Pacific Costa Rica where participants will learn about Ethnobotany, Permaculture Principles, Biodynamic Farming, and Natural Medicines.  Throughout our journey, we will nurture our beings through Higher Limbs Yoga, natural organic and live foods, sharing in song and dance, and healing and connecting through massage.  

Note: this page is still in development: the info below pertains to last years retreat.

 

Worktrade Opportunities

With the guidance of five unique medicinal plant teachers, we will dive into the diverse ethnobotany of the Diamante verde wilderness sanctuary and medicinal gardens. We will initiate a relationship with about 50 of the most common tropical plant families, and learn the biodynamic secrets of propogating and harvesting medicinal herbs.

Descnding from Diamante Verde on Jan. 2nd, we will continue on to visit a series of model farms where we will continue to explore Holistic Thrival in the new Paradigm.  On Jan. 6th, we continue on the path of the Ceibo into the foothills of the majestic Talamanca Mountains where we will participate in the birthing of an eco-community and ecological reserve.  Then on Jan. 9th, the Guardians will unite with many other kindered spirits as we share in sacred song and dance  at the gathering "Cantando la Vida" at Finca Amrta.  Our quest will culminate in a Sweat Lodge Ceremony under the first full moon of the year.  

Throughout we will practice higher limbs yoga, live food nutrition, sacred songs, and share the biodynamic secrets of identifying, using, harvesting and propagating native medicinal/edible tropical plants.

 

 

Can't make it for the complete retreat?  Interested in joining us for a few days?  Contact us to make arrangements to meet up with the pilgrimage on any of the dates highlighted above.  

 

December 27, 2008 - January 11, 2009

The AUM Crew is honored to host international botanical explorer and edible plant guru, Frank Cook, permaculture-design wizard, Itai Huben, and a collection of native Costa Rican plant experts including, world reknown ethnobotanist Luis Poveda, Tin from the Ark Herb Farm, Marcos del Monte, and the Familia Seele for this immersion into the edible/medicinal plant kingdom.

 

	Full Retreat Price $1100
Retreat FAQs : Photo Gallery

Our circle will gather December 27th - 28th in the

Exploring the Costa Rican Rainbow Corridor

On the morning of January 2, we will hike down from the cave, and shuttle to the misty heights of Cerro del Muerte, a 10,000 foot pass which kept south western Costa Rica separated from the rest of the country until 30 years ago when the Pan American highway finally carved its way through the mountains.
We will deepen our connection with people, plants and ourselves on a nine day pilgrimage down the Savegre River watershed along the western sector of the Rainbow Corridor. This enchanted land and the people harmoniously living within it are currently threatened by national legislation and free trade agreements. During our journey we will meet and stay with plant healers and shamans, turned activist, who will share how the creation of a rainbow corridor may be the perfect solution to saving this land from exploitation while promoting regenerative culture.

 

Our first stop will be for two days in the familia Seele homestead, a rustic lodge hand built by a three angelic sisters Janie, Satya and Wendy with their brother Andy. This enchanted family, who has homesteaded for over 20 years, will share their expertise of highland flora and fauna, and outline the current environmental challenges the area is facing. From there we wander our way down the west side of the mountains into the Sevegre valley through what the Seeles call the sweeter, softer (albeit cooler) jungle into the town of Providencia. Be sure to bring warm sweaters in addition to protective raingear for this section of the journey.

In Providencia we will meet and stay for two days with an inspiring, native Costa Rican plant healer turned environmental activist. From there we will bid farewell to our Mentor Luis Poveda and continue down through several small remote villages to Piedra Blanca where we will stay with a local curranderro, visit stunning caves and rest for another day. We will finish our nine day pilgrimage rafting down the final 12 miles, of the wild Savegre River to end up at the Pacific Ocean.

We will reward ourselves the final two days of the retreat by basking in the sun, drinking fresh organic cocos, lots of amazing fruits and loving each other

 

Throughout the journey, Frank Cook, Tin and our local teachers will share modern and ancient biodynamic secrets of identifying, using, harvesting and propagating native, medicinal and edible tropical plants. We will balance the outer wisdom with daily inner practices to expand our collective consciousness, including higher limbs yoga, the heart circle of compassion,live/whole food nutrition, and sharing heart-warming devotional songs.

Retreat Accomodations The first ten nights during the pilgrimage we will be staying in rustic Tico homes and pensiones. Once we arrive at Diamante Verde Spiritual Sanctuary, we will sleep in the Catedral de Piedra, a natural stone temple in the jungle, perched above the 600-foot Diamante waterfall overlooking the pacific ocean. These sacred caves have held Christ Consciousness Energy through countless generations of indigenous shamans and modern day saints. The rustic, wilderness environment connects visitors to the womb of the earth, while a fully equipped kitchen, mattresses on stone beds, and a pair of elegant composting toilets provide comfortable accomodations.   "The mere journey to this sacred cliff-dwelling, a two-hour hike (or horse ride) up through an ancient growth jungle often catalyzes profound transformation." Participants are encouraged to bring their own sheets, a warm blanket, a mat, warm clothes and rain gear. Please read our frequently asked questions page Retreat FAQs for more detailed suggestions about what to bring. Retreat Guides and AUM Crew Sharing our collective mastery in the full spectrum Art of Union Manifesto (AUM) offerings:       Tenasi Rama Co-founder of the Art of Union and HOME Community Former creator of Movement Energy and Transformation Program at the Cliff Spa at Snowbird, with a Masters of Science in Environmental Engineering, seven years teaching experience in higher limbs yoga, nutritional consultant, certified tropical permaculture designer, and author of "Out of Thick Jungle". He now leads a humble life of service through sharing mystery school teachings, leading retreats, thriving off newer and newer forms of sunlight energy, creating gardens and devoting his entire being to the re-creation of Heaven on Mother Earth (HOME).       Frank Cook Botanical Explorer Internationally renowned edible wild plant expert and author of several books on plants and healers, Frank Cook brings with him 13 years of worldly experience in leading plant walks and spiritual pilgrimages to identify and harvest edible plants. He has been initiated into many ways of walking with plants by Herbalists, Shamen, Vaidyas, Sangomas, Green Witches, Doctors, Professors, Medicine Men...all around the world. In recent years Frank is finding more and more opportunities to facilitate plant walks and health workshops for schools, conferences, and gatherings of all kinds.       Luis Poveda & Tin Native Costa Rican Jungle Plant Medicine Experts Luis Poveda is dean of ethno-botany at the University of Costa Rica and the author of hundreds of botanical books and articles. A native Costa Rican, he is gifted with direct connection to the plant world. Tin apprenticed under Luis and is now managing the Ark Herb Farm in Herredia, see www.arkherbfarm.com. He has become a master botanist in his light and holds keys to decoding the mystery of plant identification.         Marcos del Monte Bushmaster A native of San Salvador, Costa Rica, just below the Diamante Verde Healing Sanctuary, Marcos del Monte has lived and worked in the jungle his whole life. In addition to edible and medicinal plant wisdom, he will share amazing knowledge about the hundreds of varieties of trees in the jungle and their uses. Legend has it that Marcus can machete a tunnel through the thick jungle undergrowth faster than any gringo can walk through it!!     Satya Seele Born in Costa Rica into an enchanted family of modern shamans, Satya shares an expertise in highland jungle flora and fauna developed over 20 years of homesteading in Costa Rica. Her self-taught knowledge of botany and connection with the plant and spirit world inpires joy and admiration, even from University professors who come to study with her! Jesse Chapman : jungle jedi master, inspirational musician, and certified mountain guide Recognizing the teacher/student in all of us, the Art of Union encourage all participants to offer their wisdom, love and inspiration during this co-creative experience. We are all weaving this web together. Only through embracing our union will we allow the graceful fulfillment of the next phase of this epic collective dream, the co-creation of Heaven on Mother Earth and the Rainbow Corridor!! Full Retreat Price $1100 Retreat FAQs : Photo Gallery Worktrade opportunities   Three Partial Worktrades available for Guardians of Eden Retreat   One Partial Worktrade ($400 reduction) - Plant Database and Plant Labels Assitance is needed updating the Art of Union plant database, before and after the retreat Participant will be responsible for uploading plant database to website and adding pictures printing out and laminating plant ID labels fashioning durable stands to display labels. Knowledge of Excel required, and knowlede of php (drupal) a bonus (but not required) Participants will learn many of the plants we will encounter on the retreat Much of the work can and should be done before coming down to costa rica Particpants are required to arrive at least two weeks early at the Diamante Verde Sanctuary in order to complete preparations before the retreat, and and stay one week after the reatreat update new finds. One Partial Worktrade ($400 reduction) - Create Tree ID signs for Diamante Verde Sanctuary We are looking for someone with experience in woodwok to focalize the construction of roughly 300 tree ID Signs out of scrap hard wood. Signs may be carved or etched with a dremmel tool, stained, and preserved. Particpant will be given tools to use and a group of volunteers to focalize to complete the project. Particpant is required to arrive at least two weeks early at the Diamante Verde Sanctuary in order to complete preparations before the retreat, and and stay one week after the reatreat update new finds. Partial Worktrade ($300 reduction) - Build a Solar Dehydrator at Diamante Verde Sanctuary We are looking for someone with carptentry skills to come two weeks prior to the retreat and build a free-standing solar dehydrator according to our design plans. Particpant is required to arrive at least two weeks early at the Diamante Verde Sanctuary in order to complete preparations before the retreat © 2005, The Art of Union, All rights reserved.