Inside everyone is a great shout of joy waiting to be born.
—David Whyte
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Spirituality Courses
Courses on Loss and Grief
Courses on Dreams
Travel Courses
Conferences and Trainings
Waking Up in Paradise
May you open the gift of solitude
In order to receive your soul;
Enter the generosity of silence
To hear your hidden heart;
Know the serenity of stillness
To be enfolded anew
By the miracle of being.
This week-long retreat offers an opportunity to connect and live from your spiritual center in a community of conscious women on sacred Hawaiian land. We will shed a sense of time and boundaries as we fall back into natural rhythms and live in an environment without walls. This retreat will encourage us to shed the stresses of everyday life, cultivate true rest, allow life in all its richness to flow unimpeded through us and relax into the welcoming silence that awaits us. We can then discover that each one of us is a flowing expression of a divine love and intelligence that hums through our very cells.
Our retreat site of Balinese design sits at the edge of the ocean in a large lush garden filled with bright flowers, singing birds, statues of Buddha and white sand paths. To be here is like stepping back into old Hawaii-- there is no electricity (only solar power) and the property exudes tranquillity, peace and beauty. Ho’okena is a remote beach settlement on a historic Hawaiian site far away from the bustle of modern life. This sacred land, warm ocean, and loving community of women create a safe and supportive womb for the unfolding of truth within each of us. We will be nurtured and challenged to dive deeply into ourselves and uncover fresh inspiration for our lives.
The main house has a large open lanai that overlooks the garden and ocean, with a spacious circular yoga/meditation room adjoining. The eight bedrooms scattered throughout the property are all unique, open air and decorated with bamboo furniture and bright Balinese quilts—two of them are antique ceremonial huts from the island of Timor. Showers are outdoors. The lovely secluded bay and black sand beach of Ho’okena are just a five minute walk along the ocean’s edge.
Our days will incorporate early morning swims (with the dolphins if they choose to be with us), yoga and meditation, afternoon snorkeling to see turtles, colorful coral and fish. There will be plenty of time to gaze out at the ocean and watch sunsets from the hammocks and bamboo furniture on the lanai, walk through the garden, pick papayas off the trees, get a massage, nap, write in your journal, and most importantly just be. The yoga/meditation room will be always available for movement, yoga, and meditation (there are already yoga mats and cushions there). This property is so peaceful and nourishing to the spirit that it is hard to leave the grounds. However, there are several wonderful places we can make field trips to: the Place of Refuge (where ancient Hawaiians would go to pray for forgiveness), Kealakekua Bay, the Peace Gardens, the volcano to make offerings to Pele.
As we dive deeper and deeper into the ocean both within and without, we will lovingly observe the messages surfacing from our bodies, dreams, meditations, and journaling. Every evening there will be meditation, teachings and sharing, along with periodic rituals that help build the collective energy. Other than these evening discussions, five of the seven days will be spent in silence.
We will savor three healthy meals a day cooked with local produce (organic when available) by a chef who lives on the island (she is also a Lomi-lomi masseuse!)—with such dinner menus as Thai coconut soup and summer rolls, vegetarian sushi, ginger garlic Ahi with coconut rice, and fajitas with guacamole—all with big fresh salads.
You are invited to join us for this special retreat. Come be nurtured and transformed by the magic and power of the Big Island and reconnect with your truest self.
For more information, contact Alexandra.
Spirituality Courses
In The Footsteps of Saint Francis
St Francis is inexhaustible, he turns his back on no one; to each he shows something of himself and enriches all who approach him.
—Nesta De Robeck
Join us for a one week pilgrimage to Assisi and explore the life of St. Francis, the mystic. Assisi is one of Italy’s loveliest towns, imbued with the spirit of St. Francis and preserved much as it was in his time. We will stay at a peaceful 12th century convent/guest house in the middle of Assisi from which we will explore the town, walk in the countryside, meet local artists, and visit churches. Exquisite frescoes in the Basilica of San Francesco depict important stories in Francis’ life, stories that will come alive for us as we visit such places as the church of San Damiano where Francis heard the voice of the crucifix that changed his life, composed the Canticle of the Creatures, and to which he brought Clare and her followers. We will also visit the forest hermitage on Mount Subasio where he preached to the birds and retired to caves for contemplation and the ancient Porziuncola chapel which he restored and then used as a center for his order of friars. It was here that the Pope brought all the leaders of the world religions in 1986.
We will be in Assisi during the Festa di Calendimaggio, a medieval event, staged to mark the official arrival of spring-- lots of costumed parades, flag-wavers, dancing and theatrical shows, amongst other events. Other excursions are to Spello (Assisi’s little sister), with possible excursions to Deruta (where ceramics are made), and Madonna di Bagni (where ceramic votive plaques from 1600 to the present show miracles attributed to the Madonna; also a Black Madonna in the chapel).
As we explore Francis’ spiritual development and the mystical landscape that inspired him, we will investigate how each of us connects to the divine. We will devote time each day for silence and contemplation, dreamwork, guided imagery, and discussions about the spirit of nature and the nature of spirit. How will your own life be touched by this joyous saint and how will the land infused with his passionate and peaceful spirit enrich and renew you as you seek your own connection to the divine?
Preparation for this pilgrimage will include a slide show/presentation of Assisi and Giotto’s exquisite frescoes that depict the significant events of Francis’ life, two movies about Saint Francis (Francesco and Brother Sun, Sister Moon). For those of you who would like to extend your stay in Italy, you will be provided with suggestions of cities and sites to visit (Orvieto, Florence, Siena, Rome—all accessible by train), along with hotel recommendations.
This retreat is limited to 8 women (including Alexandra).
For more information, contact Alexandra.
An Evening with St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis is inexhaustible; he turns his back on no one; to each he shows something of himself and enriches all who approach him.
—Nesta D. Robeck
Let's explore together the life of St. Francis, the 12th century rebel mystic who for hundreds of years has inspired and deeply touched people of all religions. Looking at slides of Giotto's exquisite frescoes will inform us of the significant events of St. Francis' life and give us insight into his spiritual development. The peaceful hilltown of Assisi which is imbued with his spirit and preserved much as it was in his time will come alive for us through slides, taken on a recent tour led by Alexandra Kennedy. The presentation includes the church where both Francis and Clare (his childhood friend and founder of the Poor Clare's Order of Nuns) were baptized, the streets he wandered as a young troubadour, the church where he heard the voice from the crucifix and composed the "Canticle of the Creatures," the forest hermitage where he retreated to pray, and the Porziuncola chapel which he used as a center for his friars. Reading St. Francis' poetry will illuminate for us his vision of the divine. We will also look at St. Francis through the eyes of writers and film directors, such as Celano (his first biographer), Kazantzakis, Zefferelli and Cavani. Finally, we will discuss how our own lives might be touched by this joyous saint and how his passionate spirit can enrich and renew us as we seek our own connection with the divine.
Presented at University of California Santa Cruz Extension and the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment.