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REALITY SANDWICH PLANT MEDICINE
AUGUST 15 - 22, 2010
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Hosted by Daniel Pinchbeck,
author of Breaking Open the Head
In October 2000, Daniel went to the Ecuadorian Amazon with
Jonathon S. Miller-Weisberger, ethnobotanist & guide,
founder & steward of Guaria de Osa EcoLodge.
This experience is written in his book Breaking Open the Head, Chapter 22 "My Shamanic Vacation." |
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Ken Jordan an online pioneer
of the award-winning SonicNet.com |
with
Columbian Healer Nando Vila
and his partner Kathi Von Koerber
Reality Sandwich invites you to embark on an eight-day journey of healing, discovery, and transformation set in the breathtaking natural beauty of Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula. This Reality Sandwich spiritual excursion will be hosted by RS's editorial director Daniel Pinchbeck, executive producer Ken Jordan, Colombian healer Nando Vila, and his partner Kathi.
The retreat will be held in the tropical paradise of Guaria de Osa, a stunning sanctuary of primary rainforest and pristine beaches alongside the Pacific Ocean in Costa Rica. This inaugural Reality Sandwich Plant Medicine Retreat takes place August 15 - 22, 2010.
Retreat leaders will lead discussions during evenings; workshops during the day; sharing circles to integrate knowledge into our daily lives and public actions; and private consultations on how to best develop our core intentions. Each of us can be a leader to help make the change we know is necessary.
The Osa Peninsula is also known as the "Little Amazon" of Costa Rica. The immediate environment is superb for swimming, bird-watching, canoeing, hiking, kayaking, ocean & river swimming, and star-gazing. There will be guided nature walks, and scuba diving and surfing will be available (for an additional fee).
 The Osa Peninsula is also known as the "Little Amazon" of Costa Rica. The immediate environment is superb for swimming, bird-watching, canoeing, hiking, kayaking, ocean & river swimming, and star-gazing. There will be guided nature walks, and scuba diving and surfing will be available (for an additional fee).
Mornings will begin with a toning movement session, which combines yoga, Qi Gong and bioenergetics into a healing session that helps you to know your body better, and to integrate the ceremonial work of the week. During off-days, there will be a group bathing ritual at the beach, as well as optional dances that honor the elements inspired by the eastern movement arts. Bodywork is also available (for an additional fee; schedule once you arrive).
CEREMONY GUIDES
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Nando Vila is a Colombian healer, musician, and environmentalist. He has worked closely with indigenous groups across South America - such as the Camsra, Kogis, Sionas, Kofanes, Emberas and Fulnio - assisting with ecological projects and keeping alive the traditions of music, plant medicine and ancient wisdom. Nando offers his gifts of song and purifying healing in many ways, from holding prayer circles and workshops to, founding indigenous preservation projects and youth leadership programs. His prayers are focused around the sweat lodge, pipe ceremonies, and the continuity of herbal remedy wisdom and earth teachings. |
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Kathi Von Koerber is a dancer and healer from Germany and South Africa. She has spent time with elders from Bushmen tribes in southern Africa; the Tuareg in the Sahara; Gabonese Eboga priestess Bernadette Riebenot; the Lakota, Navajo and Cherokee in the United States; Xawante and Fulnio in Brazil; and the Camsra and Kogi in Colombia. Kathi works toward the preservation of indigenous wisdom, advocating rituals as a key element in human evolution and initiation into adulthood. She embraces the spirit of the divine feminine through communion with the elements: the earth and its foods, the fire and its transformation, the water and its purifying power, and the air in which we move in our dance of life. | |
RETREAT CENTER
Guaria de Osa
Guaria de Osa is a truly untouched haven of vibrant rainforest, coastal wilderness, and picturesque beaches along the sparkling Pacific Ocean. Named after the beautiful purple orchid that grows there, it is a place of repose, rejuvenation, and connection with the spirit of nature. Guaria sits just south of Drake Bay on the westernmost cove of the Osa Peninsula, nestled in a secluded ethnobotanical garden of vivid ornamentals, fruit trees, and medicinal plants. Just a short stroll from the lodges, its beaches are home to a "biological treasure trove" of marine life in undisturbed, protected waters. Dedicated to preserving the rainforests and biodiversity of Central and South America, Guaria de Osa is a place for those who truly love nature.
Tucked away just inside the forest edge from the coast is Guaria's campus, a unique collection of elegant lodges and cozy bungalows. Guaria de Osa's main lodge is called the Lapa Lapa Lodge, named after the majestic neighborhood Scarlet Macaw (Lapa) that reside permanently on the beaches. Surrounded by exuberant botanical gardens and topped with a meditation cupola and observatory, the Lapa Lapa Lodge is an impressive feat of architecture set in a tropical paradise.
COST & ACCOMMODATIONS
To sign up for the retreat, see the Registration section at the bottom of this page.
The Retreat cost includes:
- 3 sacred Amazonian plant medicine ceremonies
- 3 delicious, freshly prepared meals a day (vegetarian options are available by request
- Transportation to Guaria de Osa from Drake Bay (see Travel section below)
- 2 guided nature hikes
- Morning toning sessions each day (yoga/qi gung/bioenergetics)
- "Off-day" activities (bathing rituals, dances)
Other activities are available for an additional fee, including: horseback riding, snorkeling, scuba, surfing, bodywork, and extended hike.
Indoor Lodging
- $2000 per person (bungalows and tented lodging)
Specific accommodations are offered on a first come, first served basis, depending on availability. There are private double-occupancy rooms available for couples, as well as singles beds in rooms shared between 3 to 4 participants.
Camping
Campers must bring their own tent. Raised platforms and hanging tarps will be provided. Spaces for camping are limited, so sign up quick!
- $1500 for a single occupancy tent
OR
- $1100 per person for two participants sharing a tent.
TRAVEL
Please note: Travel into and out of Costa Rica is not included in the Retreat cost. Participants will need to make their own arrangements to fly into San Jose. Please plan on arriving no later than August 14th, as we are arranging flights departing early on the 15th to make the trip to Guaria de Osa from San Jose by air.
Participants will also need to book overnight accommodations in San Jose for the evening of the 14th. We have a hotel in San Jose, where we recommend all participants to stay.
Early on the morning of the 15th, we will depart from San Jose hotel to Drake Bay Airstrip on a chartered flight with Nature Air, enjoying spectacular views along the way. Once you sign up for the retreat you will be given the details on how to reserve your seat on the flight. Guaria's boat waits at Drake Bay Beach for a 20 min. coastal ride to go disembark at Playa San Josecito. Once on shore, you'll walk 20 min. walk south (unless you stop to gaze at the monkeys, birds, big trees ....) with the rainforest to your left and the ocean to your right. Although we provide porter service, please pack lightly.
Please contact us for more details.
REGISTRATION
Space for this inaugural Reality Sandwich Plant Medicine Retreat is limited to 39 participants.
To participate, please download an application below, and email your completed application to stfrequency (at) gmail (dot) com. If you have questions regarding the retreat, accommodations or travel, please email us at the same address.
50% of the Retreat cost is due by June 20th, 2010 to reserve your space. Full payment is due by July 26th.
We look forward to joining you on this unforgettable adventure!
Stephen Thomas
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