2009 Mayan Shamanic Retreat to

Belize Rainforest

Please RSVP via phone or email as soon as you can if you are interested in going on this retreat. Our group will consist of 10 to 14 people in total. Rooms will be shared with two to three people per room- couples should have their own rooms. Each room has it's own bathroom and shower. Bed choices will be on a first come first serve basis according to when we receive deposits (as there are combinations of king, queen, futon, and single beds). The Jungle Dome Lodge is reserving their facility for us- so we will be the only guests there. I have tried to include as many details that I could think of in this email, but do not hesitate to contact me with questions. For more details on the Jungle Dome Lodge visit their website at: http://www.belizejungledome.com/ For more information on my personal experience in Belize visit my journal of my first trip to Belize HERE Retreat Synopsis: This retreat has come into being after my partner, Al, and myself visited Belize in 2005. The power and beauty of the land of Belize is incredible and breath taking. The land and the people are deeply connected to shamanic work. Many people still work with shamans and medicine men for healing today. The goal for this trip is to provide the opportunity for everyone to connect with the power and beauty of this land in a shamanic context while experiencing their own processes of transformational healing and awakening through group activities and workshops. We are hoping everyone can find a wonderful balance of personal healing, learning, and relaxation during this retreat.
Belize Shamanic Retreat The Jungle Dome Lodge	Ixchel Mayan Goddess of Healing
Dates: 3/28/09 - 4/4/09 Cost: $1660 (this does not include airfare) It does include lodging, all activities, meals, and car service. Airfare: prices are currently $740 for round trip tickets from Newark, NJ through Continental Airlines. Deposit: We will need a nonrefundable deposit of $175 by August 15th. The remainder is to be paid no later than January 15th, 2009. Everyone is responsible for booking their own plane tickets but we will coordinate seat selections so that we can travel as a group.	Itinerary: Mar 28: Arrive at lodge, get settled, short drumming circle to honor and connect with the land. Mar 29: Morning Horseback Ride in the jungle, Riverboat tour during the day. Mar 30: Trip to "El Pillar" Mayan ruins for a tour and private shamanic ceremony Mar 31: Workshop day on shamanism and Mayan techniques. Also plenty of time for relaxation and individual work on the land. Apr 1: Cave Kayaking at Barton Creek Apr 2: Workshop day on shamanism and Mayan techniques. Also plenty of time for relaxation and individual work on the land. Apr 3: Trip to the sacred caves of Actun Tunichil Muknal. This is a very intense day, both spiritually and physically with a long jungle hike and several river crossings. Apr 4: Departure day with a trip to the Belize Zoo on the way back to the airport.
Activities
Horseback Riding and River Boat Tour	Horse Riding Adventures from the Belize Jungle Dome take you through Jungle Trails, Rivers, and Teak Tree Plantations on an Adventure you will never forget. Miles of jungle and riverside trails await you. The largest herd of horses in Belize (130 horses and counting) and 20 years plus experience in running Equestrian Vacations make our venue the ideal location. Horseback Riding Day Trips last about 2 1/2 hours. Our cowboys are trained to deal with the complete novice but if you are an experienced rider and want to gallop the trails then we encourage you to do so
El Pilar Mayan Ruins	Well hidden beneath the jungle canopy of the Cayo District, the Maya ruins of El Pilar straddle the Belize/Guatemalan border. Encompassing over 25 plazas and approximately 100 acres (38 hectares), it is more than four times the size of nearby sites, indeed, the largest center in the Belize River area. Its network of five marked trails makes it easy to spend an entire day exploring the ruins as well as the flora and fauna of the largely undisturbed jungle. This is a rarely visited site by tours and was recommended by our guide as a good location for us to conduct a shamanic healing ceremony.
Cave Kayaking	Barton Creek is in Amish territory deep in the hills and valleys of Belize. A great day trip for families, groups and individuals, this tour offers something for everyone. Equipped with Canoes and high-powered lights you will gently paddle into Xibalba (she-bal-ba), Maya for underworld. Stalactites and Stalagmites hang high overhead as you float past impressive calcite crystal formations. Knowledgeable guides discuss the relevance of the cave to the ancient Mayan people and the archaeological significance of this 7.5km limestone Cave system.
Actun Tunichil Muknal	"Cave of the Stone Sepulcher" is one of the most impressive caves in the Maya Lowland. Located in the heart of the Belizean Rainforest, this cave was a sacred place to the prehistoric Maya of Belize, who first began to use the entrance during the early classic period (300-600AD). It was not until the late terminal classic period (700-900AD) that the Mayas traveled deeper into the Cave to conduct their ceremonies The cave system consists of a series of chambers, ending in a 300 by 50 meter Cathedral where ceremonies once took place. Here you will be exposed well preserved artifacts in their original surroundings, including pottery, altars, and preserved skeletons. This trip consists of a one hour hike through the dense rainforest, several river crossings, and finally the entrance into the cave where some swimming is required as well as climbing over boulders as we trek up an underground river. We will be in the cave for approximately 3 hours. This is a strenuous and amazing day.
Belize Zoo	The Belize Zoo is settled upon 29 acres of tropical savanna and exhibits over 125 animals all native to Belize. The zoo keeps animals, which were either orphaned, born at the zoo, rehabilitated animals, or sent to The Belize Zoo as gifts from other zoological institutions. The Belize Zoo believes that by bringing the people of Belize closer to the animals which are their natural heritage, they will feel proud of these special resources, and want to protect them for future generations You will have the opportunity to see Crocodiles, Black Jaguars, Ocelot, Puma, Otters, Kinkajou, Peccary, Deer, Howler Monkeys, Spider Monkeys, Harpy Eagle, Jabiru Stork, Scarlet Macaw and many many more of Belize's Local inhabitants.
Workshops	Workshop days will be conducted at the Jungle Dome. We will have two to four hours of workshops on these days focusing on Mayan shamanic techniques. These days will also leave the majority of the day free for personal work on the land and/or relaxing in the hammocks, pool, and gardens of the Jungle Dome.