Guardians of Eden
Spiritual Retreat
and Jungle Plant Medicine Symposium
Join Tenasi Rama, Frank Cook, the AUM Crew and a host of tropical plant experts for a multi-disciplinary journey from the enchanted hills of the sacred Mount Chiripo to the Diamante Verde Sanctuary to learn higher limbs yoga, sacred songs, live foods nutrition and the biodynamic secrets of identifying, harvesting and propagating native medicinal and edible tropical plants.
December 9 - 19, 2005
Note: these dates have changed!!
From Mount Chiripo to Diamante Verde Healing Sanctuary
Costa Rica
The AUM Crew is honored to host internationally reknown botanist and edible plant guru, Frank Cook, , and a collection of native Costa Rican plant experts including, Carlos Fallas, Marcus del Monte, and the Familia Seele for this immersion into the edible/medicinal plant kingdom.
Ayurvedic Doctor Vishnudas from Kerala, India will not be joining us on this journey due visa delays, but we look forward to his arrival in January 2006.
Mapping the Rainbow Corridor
Our journey will begin in the AM just outside of Costa Rica's capital, San Jose, with a visit to Arc Herb farm, one of the nations premier botanical gardens. We will then travel down the Pan American highway to the airy Cerro del Muerte, on the northwest ridge of Mount Chiripo, the tallest mountain in Central America.
We will be forging a new route along a proposed section for the western sector of the Costa Rican Rainbow Corridor. This mystical land and the people harmoniously living within it are currently severely threatened by national legislation and free trade agreements. During our journey we will meet and stay with plant healers and shamans turned activist who will share how the creation of a rainbow corridor may be the perfect solution to saving this land from exploitation while promoting regenerative culture.
Following the natural curvature of the Chirripo Mountains to the north west, our journey will begin in the misty heights of Cerro del Muerte, a 10,000 foot pass which kept south western Costa Rica separated from the rest of the country until 30 years ago when the Pan American highway finally carved its way through.
Our first stop will be in the Seele homestead, a rustic lodge hand built by a three angelic sisters Janie, Satya and Wendy with their brother Andy. This enchanted family will then share their expertise of highland flora and fauna as we wander our way down the west side of the mountains into the Sevegre valley through what the SeeleÕs call the sweeter, softer (albeit cooler) jungle into the town of Providencia. Be sure to bring warm sweaters in addition to protective raingear for this section of the journey.
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From Providencia, we will continue down to the small village of Piedra Blanca where we will stay with a local curranderro, visit stunning caves and rest for a day. From there we make a long beautiful trek (horseback optional) up the Rio Division to reach the Tinnamaste Mountians which then lead us southward to the Diamante Verde Preserve.
Throughout the journey we will receive daily instruction in higher limbs yoga and live foods nutrition with Tenasi Rama, eat local foods and live-foods meals prepared by the Lovarian Live Foods Chef Collective , and be guided through heart-warming devotional songs.
The last five days of the retreat we will retreat to the healing waters and nurturing embrace of the cathedral de piedra in the Diamante verde healing sanctuary.
AUM Crew
Of course sharing our collective mastery in the full spectrum Art of Union Manifesto offerings will be the AUM crew, including:
Shakina Ma :jungle princess and melodic muse
Savitra : Ishia ascension yogi, musician and jungle jedi
Clinton :glowing father, lovairian live foods chef, inventor of the raw cinnamon twists!!
Familia Seele: An enchanted family of modern shamans with an expertise in highland jungle flora and fauna developed over 20 years of homesteading in Costa Rica.
And I Tenasi will be along to offer encouragement, love and yogic inspiration to allow graceful fulfillment of the next phase of this epic collective dream Ð the co-creation of the Costa Rican Rainbow Corridor!!
This retreat offers:
Higher Limbs Yoga
Live Foods Nutritional Theory
A guided colon cleanse (optional)
A tour of tropical medicinal and edible plants
Biodynamic jungle plant propagation and harvesting
Tropical tree identificaiton and usage
Beautiful heartsong sharing and
Vocal techniques for finding and expressing your inner voice.
Retreat Accomodations
The first six nights during the pilgrimage we will be staying in rustic Tico homes and pensiones. Once we arrive at Diamante Verde Sanctuary for this life changing retreat, we will sleep in the Cathedral de Piedra, a natural stone temple in the jungle, perched above the 600-foot Diamante waterfall overlooking the pacific ocean.
These sacred caves have held Christ Consciousness Energy through countless generations of indigenous shamans and modern day saints. The rustic, wilderness environment connects visitors to the womb of the earth, while a fully equipped kitchen, mattresses on stone beds, and a pair of elegant composting toilets provide comfortable accomodations.
"The mere journey to this sacred cliff-dwelling, a two-hour hike (or horse ride) up through an ancient growth jungle often catalyzes profound transformation."
Participants are encouraged to bring their own sheets, a warm blanket, a mat, warm clothes and rain gear.
Retreat Guides
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Tenasi Rama
Founder of the Art of Union and the Church of AUM
Former creator of Movement Energy and Transformation Program at the Cliff Spa at Snowbird, with a Masters of Science in Environmental Engineering, seven years teaching experience in higher limbs yoga, nutritional consultant, certified tropical permaculture designer, and author of "Out of Thick Jungle". He now leads a humble life of service through sharing mystery school teachings, leading retreats, thriving off newer and newer forms of sunlight energy, creating gardens and devoting his entire being to the re-creation of Heaven on Mother Earth (HOME).
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Shakina Ma
Devotional singer and jungle goddess
A divine lover of life and the medicine that music is,
Shakina Ma is devoted to sharing and healing through the magical medium of
music. With drum rhythms, melodic, acoustic guitar and her precious
voice, she inspires shares original and traditional songs that promote
conscious creation and devotion to LIFE. With the intention of
inspiring co-creation and bringing voices together, Shakina Ma encourages all
to sing along.
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Frank Cook
Botanical Explorer
Internationally renowned edible wild plant expert and
author of several books on plants and healers, Frank
Cook brings with him 12 years of worldly experience in
leading plant walks and spiritual pilgrimages to
identify and harvest edible plants. He has been
initiated into many ways of walking with plants by
Herbalists, Shamen, Vaidyas, Sangomas, Green Witches,
Doctors, Professors, Medicine Men...all around the
world. In recent years Frank is finding more and more
opportunities to facilitate plant walks and health
workshops for schools, conferences, and gatherings of
all kinds.
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Carlos Fallas
Native Costa Rican Jungle Plant Medicine Expert
Born in raised in the Tinamaste Mountains near the Diamante Verde Sanctuary, Carlos grew up on his family's farm and was taught the way of the plant by his grandmother, one of the last of the great curranderos of Western Costa Rica. Now a professor of English at the University in San Isidro del General, Carlos treasures the medicinal plant wisdom he carries and is honored to share it with eager students at the Gaurdians of Eden Retreat.
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Marcus del Monte
Bushmaster
A native of San Salvador, Costa Rica, just below the Diamante Verde Healing Sanctuary, Marcus del Monte has lived and worked in the jungle his whole life. In addition to edible and medicinal plant wisdom, he will share amazing knowledge about the hundreds of varieties of trees in the jungle and their uses. Legend has it that Marcus can machete a tunnel through the thick jungle undergrowth faster than any gringo can walk through it!!
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