Shamanic Retreat to the Mayan Rainforests of Belize - 2012
Facilitated
by: Adam Kane & Al Romao
Dates: April 28th, 2012 - May 5th, 2012
Cost: $1750 (does not include airfare to Belize City
and bar tab)
Location: The Rainforests of Belize, Central America
Please Pre-Register by Calling 732-229-1119
$875 due by Feb 25th
Full amount due by March 25th
This retreat came into being after Adam and Al visited Belize in 2005. It is now our fifth time offering this annual retreat. 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 "bush doctors" for healing today.
The goal for this trip is to provide the opportunity for everyone to connect with the power, beauty, and healing of this land in a shamanic context while experiencing their own processes of transformational healing and awakening through group activities and workshops. During our past three retreats to Belize our participants expressed that the experience was both life changing and deeply healing.
Registration
Please RSVP via phone or email as soon as you can if you are interested in going on this retreat. Our group will be kept small, consisting of 10-14 people in total. Rooms are shared with two people per room- couples will have their own rooms. Each room has it's own bathroom and shower.
You can request a private room at an additional cost of $400
We have tried to include as many details as possible, but do not
hesitate to contact us with questions at 732-229-1119.
Accommodations
We
will be staying at the Black Rock Lodge in the mountains near San
Ignacio, Belize. It is on the edge of the Macal River and situated in
the Mayan Mountains. This is an eco-lodge which is off the grid, grows
its own organic produce, and has received an average of a 5 star review
through Trip Advisor. they also have a beautiful open-air palapa
building that we will be using for our on-site ceremonies and
instruction.
All
meals are included starting with dinner on our arrival date and ending
with breakfast on our departure date. Lunch on arrival and departure
will be our own responsibility. Bar tab is not included.
All transportation fees including pick up and drop off at the airport are included.
The Belize Retreat Itinerary
April 28: Belize Zoo on way from airport and then we Arrive at the
lodge, shamanic work in the evening to honor the local spirits and the
land
April 29: Guided horseback ride to the local "Flour Camp Cave". Shamanic
work and instruction at the lodge
April 30: Cave Canoeing at Barton Creek
May 1: Che Chem Ha Cave. Ceremonial work with the Mayan healing goddess,
Ix Chel
May 2: Trip across the border to the Guatemalan pyramid complex, Yajha
May 3: An afternoon at Rosita Arvigo's home receiving instruction in
Mayan spiritual healing and herbal bathing. Guided night hike to
experience the rainforest wildlife at night.
May 4: A day long trip of horseback riding to the sacred site of
"Offering Cave"
May 5: Morning gratitude work to the spirits of the land and Mayan
ancestors before departing to the airport
Please see below for full descriptions and pictures of each excursion.
Detailed activity list
On-site Instruction and Ceremony at the Lodge
Instruction
and ceremony will focus on Mayan practices of shamanism. We will have
instruction to educate everyone on how the ancient Maya viewed their
world, what their relationships were to the spirits and gods, and why
they engaged in different forms of offerings which included human
sacrifice. It is important to understand these concepts to truly
appreciate the ancient spiritual locations that we will be visiting. We
will also engage in ceremonies of meditation, drumming, and song to
connect with the land, the Mayan ancestors, and to embark upon our own
healing journeys. Each trip to a sacred site also opens the opportunity
for more teachings and ceremonies. All on-site ceremony and instruction
will be in an open air building called a palapa.
Belize Zoo
We
typically start our stay with a trip to the zoo. The native animals of
Belize are important characters in the spirituality of the Maya. The zoo
gives us the opportunity to experience these animal spirits first-hand.
The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center is settled upon 29 acres of
tropical savanna and exhibits over 150 animals, representing over 45
species, all native to Belize. The zoo keeps animals which were
orphaned, rescued, born at the zoo, rehabilitated animals, or sent to
The Belize Zoo as donations from other zoological institutions.
A visit to the zoo is the best way to get an introduction to the animals
of Belize, and to understand why it is important to protect the habitats
that sustain them.
The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center 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.
Flour Camp Cave
Enjoy
a guided horseback ride to Flour Camp Cave. Flour Camp Cave is actually
a number of caves with several entrances and exits and is filled with
Mayan pottery and awesome stalagmites (from cave floor) and stalactites
(from cave roof). Travel back through time and discover caverns,
chambers, and Maya pottery.
We like to offer a day of light activity for our first full day in
Belize. This gives everyone time to get used to the climate of the
rainforest while beginning to open up to the wonders and spirit of this
powerful land.
We are lucky enough to have a cave in the immediate vicinity of the
lodge, which makes for an easy visit.
Caves are very important places within Mayan shamanism. They are the
gateways to the underworld where spirits dwell. As with many caves in
Belize you will see ceramic pottery in the cave left from the ancient
Maya during their offering ceremonies to the spirits of the other
worlds.
Cave Canoeing
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.
Che Chem Ha
Discovered
by a local farmer, this cave is most notable for its unique collection
of Mayan artwork and artifacts. Visitors with an interest in
archaeology will appreciate the cave's entrance, which is decorated with
Mayan motifs and the extensive assortment of ancient storage jars,
called "ollas," that line the walls of its chambers. Inside Che Chem Ha,
there are many ladders, each leading to chambers high within the cave,
places where many ollas still contain maize and other staples of the
ancient Maya diet. Because these antiquities are so distinctly
representative of Mayan life, the cave is carefully monitored to prevent
looting and visitors are only allowed to enter when escorted by an
experienced resident guide.
Ancient altars, ceremonial rooms and artifacts that lay undisturbed for
the last 2000 years can be seen left behind by the Mayas that once
occupied these sacred places.
Yaxja (pronounced Yash-ha)
Yaxhá,
which translates to "Blue Green Waters", sits between two beautiful
lakes. The climb up many of its Temples, yields beautiful views of both
the lakes and the Rio Azul river that feeds them.
Occupied from 600BC to 900AD, the site offers a variety of construction
styles. It is famed for its organized street structure, unique to the
Mayan world, and Stelae which are influenced by Mexico's Teotituacan.
There are several complexes excavated, the most famed of which is the
North Acropolis. This Plaza contains three tall temples with
unparalleled views of the surrounding rain forest and lakes. The Plaza
of the Shadows and the Astronomical Plaza are both examples of the Mayan
ability to chart the skies.
Both spider monkeys and howler monkeys inhabit the area. In particular,
the howler monkeys add quite an element to the experience of seeing
these ruins. So named because of their lion like howl or roar, hearing
these animals throughout the afternoon is a constant reminder that you
are in the jungle.
Workshop at Rosita Arvigo's Home
Rosita
Arvigo is a respected and well known practitioner of Mayan spiritual
healing. She was an apprentice of the late Don Elijio Panti, one of the
most well known Mayan healers. She is also the author of Sastun, a book
that tells about her experience with Don Elijio Panti. We have the
wonderful opportunity to study at Rosita's home and learn about Mayan
spiritual healing.
We will be spending the entire day at Rosita's. Everyone will have the
opportunity for hands on work and to experience a spiritual bath.
Description of the teachings:
Modern medicine is beginning to understand the healing wisdom of ancient
cultures. The link between many physical illnesses is connected with
unresolved emotional stress and distress.
This workshop addresses the causes and treatment of chu'lel (life force)
and four major spiritual illnesses of the Maya: susto (fright), pesar
(grief), tristeza (sadness), and invidia (envy), and the uses of healing
techniques such as prayer, herbal bathing, and incense.
Offering Cave
This
will be our first time visiting Offering Cave. During our trip last year
we met a wonderful and knowledgeable guide by the name of John Chuc. John
is working with Don Heriberto Cocom (a Mayan healer) in preparing for
the 2012 ceremonies at the end of the year. He is knowledgeable about
shamanism and Mayan spirituality.
John highly recommended this cave for our group and this year we are
taking his advice. John will take us on a several hour horseback ride
through the forest to the location of Offering Cave. Few people visit
this cave, so it will be a rare treat. From there we will take a several
hour tour through the cave with John Chuc. He has many stories and
wisdom to share.
This cave will give you a deep sense of the spiritual practices that
took place in caves by the ancient Maya and will put you into direct
contact with the power that still resides in this sacred site.