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December 2006
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Dear Retreat Enthusiast,
If you love joining in on a yoga retreat, learning a
new meditation technique, maybe camping with
fellow women or men, RetreatFinder.com lists retreats
that will peek your interest. Retreat Events are being
added to our site every week. Search Our Event Listings
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Retreat and Renew at Shambhala Mountain Center
Unplug, slow down and unwind. Enter the world of
Shambhala Mountain Center, a six-hundred-acre
sanctuary in the pristine Rocky Mountains. Join us
in 2007 for our diverse programs to cultivate inner
peace, wisdom, compassion and creativity. Tame your
mind through our introductory meditation
programs, stretch your body and mind in a
yoga retreat, explore Buddhist wisdom and
practice with our highly regarded dharma
teachers, and cultivate serenity and beauty through
traditional Asian arts such as tai chi,
qigong, kyudo and East Asian calligraphy.
Cultivate conscious relationships with your intimate
partner or larger community:
- Sharing the Path with Judith Ansara Gass and
Robert Gass
- The Sexual Body with David Deida
- Tending the Hearth of Community with Sobonfu
Somé
- Leading Through Conflict with Mark Gerzon
With war and violence flaring all over the world,
many of us are left feeling vulnerable and helpless.
Join Pema Chödrön and Richard Reoch in
Practicing Peace in Times of War to learn
practical meditation techniques and practices that
any of us can use to work for peace in our own
lives. As Pema writes in her latest book,
Practicing Peace in Times of War, “War begins
when we harden our hearts, and we harden them
easily—in minor ways and then in quite serious,
major ways, such as hatred and prejudice—whenever we
feel uncomfortable.”
Shambhala Mountains Center provides an inspiring
conference and retreat venue for groups up to
500 in the spring and summer and 150 in the fall and
winter. We offer comfortable and elegant hotel
accommodations, three unique meeting facilities, and
indoor and outdoor dining. Our lodges are
sustainably designed using natural materials such as
slate, oak and bamboo, complementing the natural
surroundings—elegant, spacious and arranged to
support your needs.
Join us at Shambhala Mountain Center in 2007, for an
invigorating experience of renewal and
inspiration.
For further information or to request a catalog of
programs contact us at (888) 468-9620 or callcenter@shambhalamountain.org
Visit Shambhala Mountain Center online
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The World is More Peaceful than You Think
The world has become dramatically more peaceful
since 1992, according
to the Human Security Report. The number of wars,
coup d'etats, and
acts of genocide has declined by 40 percent. Weapons
sales between
countries have dropped 33 percent during the same
time, and the number of refugees has diminished by
45 percent.
Over the past dozen years, the global security
climate has changed in dramatic, positive, but
largely unheralded ways. Civil wars, genocides and
international crises have all declined sharply.
International wars, now only a small minority of all
conflicts, have been in steady decline for a much
longer period, as have military coups and the
average number of people killed per conflict per
year.
The wars that dominated the headlines of the 1990s
were real—and brutal—enough. But the global media
have largely ignored the 100-odd conflicts that have
quietly ended since 1988. During this period, more
wars stopped than started.
Myths and misunderstandings
Public understanding of global security is hampered
by many myths and misunderstandings about its
nature. Some of these originated in the media;
others were propagated, or reiterated by,
international organisations and NGOs. Such myths
include claims that:
- The number of armed conflicts is increasing
- Wars are getting deadlier
- The number of genocides is increasing.
- The gravest threat to human security is
international terrorism.
- 90% of those killed in today’s wars are
civilians.
Not one of these claims is based on
reliable data. All are suspect; some are
demonstrably false. Yet they are widely believed
because they reinforce popular assumptions. They
flourish in the absence of official figures to
contradict them and conjure a picture of global
security trends that is grossly distorted. And they
often drive political agendas.
A consistent theme in the Human Security Report 2005
is the inadequacy of available data, especially
comparable year-on-year data that can be used to
document and measure national, regional and global
trends. In some cases, data are simply non-existent.
Read more of the Human Security Report 2005
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The Solo Path
by Andrea Kowalski in My Yoga Journal Issue 231
Earlier this year, a yogini friend made a commitment
to take her practice deeper. For 40 days, she
participated in an early morning group practice.
While she found her heart opening, her health
improving, and her strength building, her partner
wasn't appreciative.
According to Dharma Mittra, if you surround yourself
with people who support your practice and you
continue on your path, eventually everyone else will
fall away. It's not necessarily as easy as it
sounds, however. In our dedication to making healthy
choices and expanding our consciousness, we’re bound
to come across a partner, a parent, a coworker, or a
friend who doesn't understand. How do we interact
with them?
Be conscious of your own resistance and invite
potentially difficult people into your heart.
Practice acceptance for more harmony with your
partner. In all of your interactions, learn to stay
in your neutral mind and discern, rather than judge.
In my friend's case, her partner eventually began
his own practice, but only after they parted ways.
If you're trying to maintain a state of calm in the
face of a relationship challenge, try working your
way into the practice of Yoganidrasana, or practice
the Calm Heart meditation.
Read more about yoga in Yoga Journal
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Top Ten Bad Things That Are Good for You
Beer quells heart disease and chocolate staves off
cancer? Though often tagged with a disclaimer,
studies that tell us to eat, inhale and generally
indulge in "bad stuff" is music to our ears. So go
ahead and enjoy these bad-for-you
remedies—everything in moderation, as they say—until
the next study inevitably overturns the research.
More in Live Science
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Awaken Possibility 2007
North Carolina
Does it wake you up at night?
The ache that says you’ve lost yourself somewhere
along life’s path? The yearning of your heart to
rediscover your deepest dreams? Perhaps it’s time to
open the door to possibility in 2007 and live the
life you were meant to live! Join a group of
fabulous women at GardenSpirit Guesthouse for a
holiday retreat that will reawaken possibility and
re-energize your passions.
More details
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Caribbean Meditation Retreat
St. Croix, US Virgin Islands
Summa Foundation for Mindful Living
An extended weekend meditation retreat on the
western beaches of St. Croix. The program is
designed for people with some meditation experience,
who wish to deepen their inner work with a period of
sustained meditation practice among other meditators
in a magnificent natural setting.
More details
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Echo Lake
Warrensburg, NY
The facilities at Echo Lake are something we
take great pride in. Because of our size and great
array of activities there is no request that we
cannot meet. Some highlights include: meeting space
for up to 500, full service restaurant and banquet
facility, lots of outdoor options like ropes courses
and heated pools.
More details
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Dorje Khyung Dzong
Gardner, CO
For over thirty years, practitioners have come to
know Dorje Khyung Dzong ("Indestructible Garuda
Fortress") as an ideal place for solitary retreat.
Secluded on over four hundred acres of piñon and
juniper forests in Southern Colorado at an altitude
of 8200 feet, DKD provides the quiet and privacy of
a solitary retreat for those who seek to deepen
their spiritual practice through meditation.
More details
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Lassen Pines Camp, Retreat and Conference Center
Shingletown, CA
Located in the Foot hills of Mount Lassen on 45
acres including a fishing lake and a swimming lake,
horse barn, go-cart track, paint ball course,
housing for 400 over night guests, commercial
kitchen, basket ball courts, football field, and so
much more. The price is negotiable and the
property also can be sub-divided.
More details
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A Self-Renewal Retreat
Accommodations for Personal Retreat
Oceanside, CA
For one or two guests on the spiritual path- PERFECT
FOR WOMEN IN TRANSITION. Sometimes things happen
that drag you down—perhaps a loss or a crucial time
of transition.Perhaps you have an important decision
to make and you need to get away to become clear on
what is best for you to do. Or you may just feel
it's time for you to go on a solo vacation and
expand your consciousness through yoga. If you have
any such feelings, think about taking time to pamper
yourself at a private three-day spiritual getaway.
More Details
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Fourth Annual Northern CA Sufi Sesshin
Petaluma, CA
Ten days of Zikr, Dances of Universal Peace, and
Meditation.Join us for ten days of Silent Meditation
alternating with Zikr and Dances Of Universal Peace,
exploring this new way of integrate active practice
with meditation. Previous years' retreat with nearly
100 people attending was a deep and joyful success.
More Details
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Illumination: Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Viejo
The goal of Lightquest is to provide opportunities
for like-minded seekers to come together in a
synergistic energetic environment where powerful
change can occur. We combine Shamanic Lightwork,
Incan ritual, nature connections and play into a
spiritual experience that can be as deep as you
choose to make it. If approached properly, and
attended to with intent and respect, the impact of
this work can be profound.
More Details
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Blue Max Inn
Chesapeak City, MD
This elegant bed & breakfast is located in historic
Chesapeake City, Maryland, along the shores of the
famous Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. Built in 1854,
The Blue Max Inn is a charming and romantic inn
located in the heart of the historic area of the
town. The Blue Max Inn Bed & Breakfast provides a
luxurious atmosphere that is both comfortable and cozy.
More details
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House of the Redeemer
Personal Retreat Accommodations
New York, NY
The House of the Redeemer is an Italian Renaissance
style palazzo dedicated to providing peace and
serenity for those who seek "a place apart" - the
designation given to it by it's donor. The House is
open to all faiths for prayer, meditation and
spiritual renewal. We offer morning and evening
prayer in our chapel Monday through Friday. The
House also offers a unique space for select events
and meetings and is conveniently located close to
Fifth Avenue and within the "museum mile."
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More details
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Animal Talk: Interspecies Telepathic Communication by Penelope Smith |
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Council Oak Books, Tulsa OK, 2004. $14.95
Is the cat spraying to get back at you, or is it
marking the family territory so that the stray dog
that comes to the window will not enter the house
and threaten the family? Does your dog want to spend
the day outside while you are at work or be inside
so she can guard your belongings? Through animal
telepathy you can understand your companion’s point
of view on their behavior. Just like humans, animals
want to know they are understood and appreciated for
who they are as individuals. If approached in this
way, the same techniques for assisting humans to
release emotional issues, blocks and traumas help
animals as well. Detailing in easy to follow steps
Penelope Smith, a professional animal communicator
for over thirty years, guides you through sending
communication to your companion, and more
importantly, receiving reliable communication. If
you have been trying to communicate but your animal
friend just lie there, don’t assume they don’t hear
you. Not all companions perk up and pay attention.
The real proof of your communication lies in the
results—when your cat stops gnawing at her wound, or
the dogs no longer fight over their food. Whether
your beloved companion is furry or feathered, or if
it has two, four, eight or no legs, Smith skillfully
reminds you how to use your inborn telepathic
ability to deepen your relationship.
Reveiwed by Alec Franklor
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RetreatFinder.com
phone:
1-800-889-6906
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