The Council for Cultural and Biological Diversity (CCBD)
with Sentient Experientials
presents our 6th year
A fundraiser to preserve rainforest projects spearheaded by the Council for Cultural and Biological Diversity (CCBD)
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Two Council Gatherings
Council 1: JULY 1 - 11, 2011
with Secoya Plant Masters,
and Jonathon S. Miller Weisberger,
ethnobotanist founder and steward
of Guaria de Osa
Council 2: JULY 15 - JULY 25, 2011
with Secoya Plant Masters,
guest speaker Daniel Pinchbeck,
author and editorial director, Evolver.net
and Jonathon S. Miller Weisberger,
ethnobotanist founder and steward
of Guaria de Osa
A Rainforest Plant Medicine Council Gathering
"Nature as Teacher and Timeless Wisdom for Self, Community and Planetary Healing"
GUARIA de OSA
Rainforest Ocean Wilderness Discovery Centre and Ethnobotanical Gardens
Where the Rainforest kisses the Ocean
on the OSA PENINSULA of COSTA RICA!
Join us on an unforgettable adventure of self-discovery, wellness and exploration of rainforest plant medicine traditions with time-honored maestros from the Ecuadorian Amazon, a brave and resilient ethnobotanist and rainforest conservationist, an ardent fire-keeper, alongside mindful participants — gathering in the heart of the Osa Peninsula also known as "The Little Amazon by the Ocean" endorsed by National Geographic as "the most biological intense place on Earth!"
See Fotos of past Council Gatherings @ Guaria de Osa
Please register before June 1.
Space available: 24 participants.
Participants signing up after this date,
please add an additional $150.
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Intentions
- To experientially learn from ancient rainforest plant medicine traditions stemming from the time-tested, traditional healing and well-ness practices of Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon.
- To welcome an alchemic transformation, healing, and re-integration of body, mind, heart and spirit.
- To receive insight and guidance from these ancient and profound worldviews and thus strengthen one's essence and improve one's health.
- To enjoy and be nurtured by the pristine Pacific Ocean and mighty rainforest ecosystems on the Osa Peninsula and her natural wonders.
- Expand one's guts and grace by having
- "A Beginner's Mind" ready to learn as if this were your very first time!
- Expect the Unexpected!
- Embrace the Unexpected!
- Trust in the Process!
- A fund-raiser
- To continue facilitating the transmission of the Secoya People's core knowledge of medicinal plants by providing protection and support to the community elders and their families as the Gardeners of the Rainforest.
- To provide materials for fiber glass canoes for the Secoya school children who travel on the river from home to school. This project began two years ago .. with the intention of not cutting ancient trees for their canoes.
- To reprint the first ethnobotanical bilingual education booklet on the use of their medicinal plants written by Jonathon S. Miller-Weisberger for the Secoya children.
- To provide health and wellness among the community elders – for example dental and vision checkups and other necessities when they arise … choosing alternative medicine practices when applicable.
The above projects raised with funds from this Council Gathering will be coordinated by Rodrigo Yelpi who has been living among the Secoyas for the past 15 years. Rodrigo will escort the Maestros from the Ecuadorian Amazon to Guaria de Osa for the Council Gathering.
Ethnobotanist, Jonathon S. Miller-Weisberger, director of The Council for Cultural & Biological Diversity (aka Grupo Osanimi) has dedicated efforts since 1994 to cultural heritage rekindling processes that includes participatory ethnobotanical and ethnographical field documentation and publication of this material in bilingual education booklets for local schools. It has also included the preservation of medicinal plant knowledge via workshops and educational council gatherings as well as the protection of the plants themselves in ethnobotanical gardens, in situ.
Our work has always been in collaboration and support of traditional healers and their healing methods. Among indigenous peoples communities our approach is holistic and direct in nature aimed at finding creative ways to bridging the gap among the generations in order to collaborate in the efforts of safeguarding the rainforest and the knowledge pertinent for continued sustainable living, healing and well being.
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Themes to Explore
- Experience the prehistoric origins of Plant Medicine Traditions from the Ecuadorian Amazon as taught and lived by the Secoya elders for centuries.
- Welcome the past, present and future importance of Indigenous Plant Medicines and its healers and gardeners.
- Appreciate the connection and relationship of plant medicines with the ancient traditions of Tao.
- Connect the magnitude of these two Indigenous Spiritual Sciences and aspects that nourish renewal and wellness in our personal life, our community life, and the life of our environment, locally and globally.
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Ceremonial Masters and Teachers
Golden Lines
Legendary Secoya Plant Masters
The exploration of rainforest plant medicine traditions with time-honored maestros, are Secoyas - ceremonial masters from the Upper Napo Region of the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest, an ethnic minority, whose name, Secoya means "People from the Multi-Colored River."
The Secoya language is a Western Tucanoan language spoken by 297 Secoya People in Ecuador and 144 in Peru. Tucanoan, consisting of 15 languages, is a language family of Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru.
The bad news: geopolitical borders, the encroachment and harassment of the petroleum companies, and the impact of colonization now imperil their culture and ancestral lands.
The good news: the few living Secoya traditional elders refer to their plant lore as an umbilical cord that connects them to their past.
Sentient Experientials will bring to Guaria de Osa during this Rainforest Plant Medicine Council Gathering "Nature as Teacher and Timeless Wisdom for Self, Community and Planetary Healing" a number of Secoya elders – over 70 years young - who will facilitate boundless healing transformation giving participants a first hand opportunity to meet deep-forest healers and cultural masters. Their songs, profoundly and uniquely cherished, will guide your journey's meditations.
Jonathon Miller-Weisberger (aka Sparrow), Ethnobotanist and student of Traditional Chinese and Indigenous Medicine, a Naturalist, and Rainforest guide, has more than 14 years of ground level experience in the Ecuadorian Amazon. His friendship and work relationship with the Secoyas date back to 1994.
Jonathon has the important task of holding the container at the Council Gatherings - as well as Sentient Experientials Journeys into the Ecuadorian Amazon and all events at Guaria de Osa on the Osa Peninsula.
He is the founder and steward of Guaria de Osa Rainforest Ocean Wilderness Discovery Centre and the director of the Council for Cultural and Biological Diversity – CCBD. Click here for more information.
Born in Berkeley, California, he was raised in Ecuador with his sister Ladna, he has over 18 years of Rainforest Conservation advocacy beginning from his early years at Humboldt State University. Jonathon writes and submits articles in Spanish and English, keeps volumes of excellent journals, and now, 'sandwiched between' rainforest conservation projects in the Ecuadorian Amazon and Andes, marine rescue turtle project on the Osa Peninsula, and the creation of Guaria de Osa and its medicinal plant garden, his book is now in progress.
"Over the years, I have been working on what I call The New Ethnobotany, an emerging discipline that seeks to enact new methods of cultural transmission to revive, validate, and strengthen the vast plant lore among and within Indigenous and rural peoples' communities. I believe that the preservation and attentive transmission of Indigenous plant knowledge both among forest communities and the world at large are crucial links in ongoing forest protection. Ultimately millions of hectares of priceless tropical Rainforest lie in the hands of Indigenous peoples' communities undergoing rapid changes and cultural dissolution, and the fate of these forest lies directly in the ability of Indigenous People(s) to continue renewing their relationship and sustainable approach to living in the forest. Consequently much work is necessary among these communities to, at the very least, strengthen traditional plant knowledge. The problems of deforestation are tremendously complex, yet, that shouldn't stop people from finding practical solutions to this global concern. We are seeking to discover effective techniques and strategies towards these ends."
— Jonathon S. Miller-Weisberger, ethnobotanist
Daniel Pinchbeck, guest speaker, author, activist, and advocate of shamanism, living in New York's East Village, where he is Reality Sandwich's editorial director and plays an active role in Evolver, a social network for conscious collaboration. He is the author of Breaking Open the Head, where, in Chapter 22, "My Shamanic Vacation," Daniel writes about his experience Oct. 2000 with Sentient Experientials, guided by ethnobotanist Jonathon Miller-Weisberger, into the Ecuadorian Amazon. Daniel will attend the 2nd Council Gathering and this is his 3rd visit to Guaria de Osa.
Rodrigo Yelpi is a master metallurgist and baker who has lived since 1995 among the Secoya elders. His passion for life and unadulterated vision has shown him the path of selfless service while at the same time having a darn good time. His jewelry and baking are equally unforgettable. Not a moment is lost with Rodrigo and every second with him will be well remembered. He is a true brother and reliable friend to the Secoya elders. Rodrigo Yelpi will accompany the Secoya elders from the Ecuadorian Amazon to the "Little Amazon" at Guaria de Osa on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica. He is also translator for the Secoyas and the fire-keeper for this auspicious event.
Dahlia and Ladna Miller (mother & daughter) are the ones who will get you to Guaria de Osa effortlessly by arranging all your Costa Rican logistical reservations and transfers. Once you get off your international plane you will be 'escorted' all the way to Guaria de Osa on the Osa Peninsula of Costa Rica.
"It's a family operation (Ladna, Dahlia, and Jonathon,) and what a family! I have worked with all three and they do a wonderful job. The retreat participants just need to get a flight to San Jose and the rest is taken care of. They will arrange for the hotel in San Jose, the transfer from the hotel to the domestic airport, the flight to the Osa Peninsula, and the boat to Guaria. It's a real adventure and everything goes like clockwork. Once at Guaria, all meals are provided and the yoga/meditation space is wonderful. The participants can spend their free time on the beach or in the jungle, or Jonathon provides some really interesting trips for the more energetic and adventurous. In addition, our tuition supports rainforest conservation."
—DAVID MOORE, geological eco-engineer
You can 'meet' us by clicking The Staff.
Additional Healing Modalities
Acupuncturist, Sarah Chase MacOM studied for three years at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in Portland, Oregon and one year in Jiangxi, China. Prior to founding the Brooklyn Acupuncture Project, a low cost community Acupuncture clinic in Brooklyn, New York, she worked in a collaborative medical clinic in West Bengal, India, then returned to the states to share this tremendously effective medicine with the east coast. Sarah holds a masters degree in Oriental Medicine and is nationally certified to practice acupuncture, Chinese herbalism, and shiatsu massage, as well as teach a form of medical Qigong. She is grateful for the opportunity to serve at Guaria and looks forward to meeting you. Sarah will serve Council 2.
Tai Chi Teacher, Dylan Hunt has been practicing Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Ch’uan for over 7 years and is ranked as a black belt in Shaolin-Do Kung Fu under Grandmaster Sin Kwang The. Dylan has extensive training in Shuai Chiao Kung Fu and Yang Style Tai Chi under master Alexander Knight and has completed the rigorous Chi Kung training of Jingui Golden Shield under the guidance of Dr. Bob Zhang and Tim Chrisco. Dylan will serve Council 1.
In addition to the martial arts, Dylan practices daily Yoga, primarily inspired by the style of Ashtanga created by Patabi Jois. He believes in bringing his body, mind and spirit to optimum health through continual physical practice, conscious awareness, kindness and laughter. He lives in Costa Rica with his family where he teaches Tai Chi in his local community, as well as Shaolin Kung Fu to kids and adults.
Yoga Teacher, Mike Mancini is a certified yoga instructor through Yogaworks, NYC. He had a 15-year career competing in triathlons and speed skating all throughout the Northeast. A student of the Vinyasa style of yoga, Mike has retrained his body to attain maximum efficiency through alignment and breathing techniques. "Understanding the flow of energy inside, teaches us to minimize pain while maximizing strength." Mike practices and teaches Restorative Yoga to relieve tired muscles in a gentle and calming way. Mike will serve Council 2.
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Council Fees
Tuition $2,000 / person / Council Gathering
10 nights / 11 days
Space available: 24 participants
Fees Include
Note: All activities are optional because we know sometimes to do less is to do more.
Besides having the privilege of being in the company of Secoya Shamans of the Ecuadorian Amazon during this shape-shifting event, there will be:
- Day 1, 2, and 3: three Sunrise Renewal Ceremonies at 3 am to balance the body's pH, crucial to any healing or detoxification program and for preventing disease. Most people in today's modern society are acidic because of diet, sedentary lifestyle (or in some cases, over-exercising), stress, pollution, and the accumulation of chemical and heavy metal toxins. When the acid and alkaline properties are of equal strength, we say the pH is balanced. Purging with medicinal plants with the heavenly stars looking at us is a very good thing to do!
- Day 5, 7, and 9: three traditional all night healing ceremonies with rainforest plant medicine for the intention of spiritual and physical self-integration, renewal and wellness. Facilitated by traditional masters who come from a direct lineage going back generations within the Secoya People of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Their heavenly shamanic chants are extraordinarily inspiring and healing.
- Learn forest ecology, tropical nature & indigenous worldview with its Origin mythology from the Amazon.
- Ethnobotanical Plant and Talk Walk through Guaria de Osa's Gardens
- Presentations and dialogues with themes to explore throughout the week: Ethnobotany, Wisdom Transmission, Plant Medicine Traditions in the Amazon; Indigenous World View, Cosmology and Mythology; comparative study of Amazonian and Taoist spiritual views; and how these traditions translate into a modern context as lessons from Nature.
- Listen to rare recordings of shamanic healing chants from the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Amazon.
- Several Rainforest walks to experience the highlights of the Osa Peninsula – the wondrous and awe-inspiring world of biological diversity of towering gallery of trees, beach and ocean ecosystems.
- Ocean swim and snorkel
- Sit on a wooden turtle or anaconda carved bench
- Climb very tall old trees
- Make Secoya Crowns
- Beading with Secoya designs
- Face Painting Secoya style
- Engage in lots of laughter!
In Addition!
- 11 days / 10 nights lodging
- On non-fasting days: scrumptious, wholesome, meals with vegetarian options
- One Osa Peninsula roundtrip land and water group transfer.
Note: a non-group Osa Peninsula transfer cost $50 one way.
- Just a 3 min. stroll thru Guaria's gardens – or longer if you stop to smell the flowers and gaze at the birds – is a secluded 1 & 1/4 mile beautiful beach to swim, surf, and snorkel. (Although our beach is secluded, from time to time, locals walk the beach; therefore, for cultural sensitivity, we ask there be no skinny dipping. Thank you! )
- Surfboards and boogie boards
- Solar system lighting
- Clean linens and towels
- Costa Rican Tourist Tax
- A significant donation from your investment goes to The Osa Foundation's Rainforest Projects
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Fees Do Not Include
[Rates are subject to change]
- If you would like to do arts & crafts with the Secoya, please bring glass beads (small and medium size beads); needles and nylon.
- All San Jose expenses: hotel, taxi transfer, meals,
$26 / person airport exit tax (as of 2010)
- Costa Rican Osa Peninsula domestic air flight $255 round trip (as of 2011).
Please Note: Guaria's staff will make this reservation for you.
- We suggest a separate $100 donation to the Secoya Curanderos (healers) which will support their families in the Amazon.
Please present your donation to Jonathon, who will distribute equally to the Secoya Elders at the Council and he will earmark donations to other Secoya members who couldn't attend the Council yet are in need of financial assistance.
- Extra nights before and/or after the Council Gathering is $100/night plus a $50 non-group Osa Peninsula transfer
- A non-group Osa Peninsula transfer is $50 one way.
- One on One Healing with the Secoya Shamans: $100/session
- Our attentive and tireless staff gratefully accepts gratuities.
We suggest at least $100 for the 10 nights of devoted service. Please present your gratuity to Jonathon, Guaria's administrator, who will, in turn, distribute the staff donation to those 'on stage' and those 'behind the curtain.'
- Acupuncture Sessions with Sarah Chase, founder of the Brooklyn Acupuncture Project Clinic in Brooklyn, New York.
$60/session which is donated to the Secoya Fund.
- Secoya hand-made hammocks (that take a month to make): about $500.
- Internet Fees: Due to the high installation and monthly service cost of remote satellite internet here in Costa Rica, our rates for internet or internet phone use are: $3 for the first 15 minutes; $5 up to 30 minutes; $10 for one hour. Bring your own laptop and you can be connected to our wireless satellite connection. Cost is $30 / week. However, during the Council Gathering, we strongly advise you to 'unplug' from the world during the 11 days you are at Guaria de Osa.
- dn Pablo Amaringo Prints
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How to Pay Extra Fees at Guaria de Osa
- We accept Costa Rican Colones, US Dollars, or PayPal with a major credit card.
- We do not accept personal checks or American Express Travelers Checks because the bank takes 6 months and more to cash.
- What We Offer is listed at the links below:
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How to Pay
To Reserve Your Space
- Write your check payable to: SENTIENT EXPERIENTIALS
- Mail your investment to:
Sentient Experientials @ Guaria de Osa EcoLodge
c/o Dahlia Miller
PO Box 1004
El Cerrito, CA 94530
- Mailing in the US: please mail your tuition via Priority Mail and purchase a Receipt for Certified Mail (which requires Dahlia Miller to sign for it).
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Contact Person
Dahlia Miller
E-mail:
Tel. (510) 235 - 4313 in California
In the spirit of networking,
we thank you for passing the news on to others about
this significant shape-shifting event.
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Getting to Guaria de Osa
We pre-arrange the following round-trip reservations
to get you to Guaria de Osa effortlessly!
- Costa Rican domestic round-trip flight from San José to the Osa Peninsula (Drake Bay & Palmar Sur). You will receive instructions how to pre-pay.
- Taxi transfers in San José: from Juan Santamaria International Airport and Tobias Bolaños Domestic Airport; to & from hotel in San Jose. Please pay taxi driver.
- Hotel in San José: cozy and affordable, centrally located near museums, shops, and parks with benches to sit on and watch the people go by. Please pay hotel directly.
- Included in your investment:
One Osa Peninsula roundtrip land and water group transfer.
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International Flight Reservations
Please check your passport to make sure it is valid for at least 6 months after you leave Costa Rica.
Costa Rica requires everyone to purchase a round trip ticket.
Before you purchase your international flight ticket, please e-mail us the itinerary to review. Thank you.
- Important: We suggest participants arrive into San Jose, the capital city of Costa Rica, at least one day before your Council Gathering starts.
- Outside Santa Maria International there will be a microbus waiting for you with a yellow sign with the name: Hotel Brilla Sol - and your name.
- For anyone who needs to leave Costa Rica on the last day of the Council Gathering keep in mind your morning transfer from the Osa Peninsula arrives into San Jose at 11 am. Therefore, it is very important to book your departure international flight back to your home country anytime after 3 pm. or spend the night in San Jose.
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Disclaimer
Important to read more on our Disclaimer and Safety Rules to the right of the sunset photo at our Fees and Reservations page. Please read in full.
Please note: Guaria de Osa is not a resort, nor a spa, nor a hotel.
Instead, Guaria de Osa is a road-less, wilderness discovery centre, powered by the sun, rooted in a rainforest beach / ocean environment on the Osa Peninsula, also known as 'the Little Amazon of Costa Rica" - endorsed by National Geographic as "the most biological intense place on Earth!"
Guests will undertake full responsibility for all that is experience because essentially your sojourn at Guaria deOsa, albeit an enriching adventure, is a personal experience.
Guaria de Osa wishes to reserve the right to change the itinerary if by chance there may arise unforeseen circumstances, such as raw weather or sea conditions or other physical or material logistics that may surprisingly arise. This also includes last minute cancellations by guest teachers. Please trust that whatever changes are made, these will not affect the quality of the experience.
Although we do our best to 'keep on schedule' we understand that there is more than one notion of 'time' that does not always coincide with the western notion of linear time. We like to call it "jungle/beach time." Therefore, we ask you to please be open and flexible to appreciate the multiple realities of what might be considered 'the norm.'
Although there is a lot to do at Guaria de Osa and its beautiful surroundings, we understand that sometimes 'to do less is to do more.' We also value the benefits of 'embracing the unexpected' and 'releasing expectations.'
For the 'seasoned traveler' – or otherwise – please come to Guaria de Osa with a 'beginners' mind.'
All guests are financially accountable for breaking or loosing any Guaria de Osa items or belongings – including surfboards. If such an occasion should arise, we ask for reimbursement at the current cost in Costa Rica of the particular item that needs to be replaced.
We ask that you sign in and sign out or inform Jonathon when you leave the campus. Please take your walks and swims with a buddy.
Respecting cultural sensitivity, we ask that you keep your swimsuits on when swimming in the ocean and/or sunbathing on the beach.
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Comments from January 2011 Council Gathering
"I had an wonderful experience and learned a lot being at Guaria de Osa. I was very inspired of the work Jonathan is doing in order to help people in Ecuador. It was quite hard to get back from "paradise" where I only needed a toothbrush, a pair of sandals, bikini, towel and a dress. With love and Light." Cecilie A. naturopathic healer from Norway
"Wonderful to visit paradise here! Much love." Daniel Pinchbeck from New York, author of Breaking Open the Head (Chapter 22 "My Shamanic Vacation")
"Our experience was great. We stayed in the newest and best cabin ! The bed was great. The food was great. The place itself is amazing. We'll return for another visit. Met some great people. I was blessed to receive a lot of medicinal benefit and healing. I feel very fortunate. On our last day at Guaria, we were the last guests, all three dogs slept on our porch and followed us to San Josecito, and barked and cried when we left!" Daniel T. gardener from New York
"It will come as no surprise to you that I received the most amazing and loving care from everyone there. I was very sick and although I would not consciously choose that or to inconvenience others, what unfolded seemed part of a larger plan and I received many gifts as a result. I am extremely shy about asking for or needing help from others, especially strangers. I am also very shy about people seeing me in a completely "messy" state. These two circumstances were taken out of my hands and became part of my healing. Jonathon is a truly remarkable being. He is so authentic, kind, loving, generous, and an excellent healer. He ranks with my own son, and for me, there is nothing higher. Rodrigo and the Elders are, of course, stellar. As promised, I had amazing experiences. And as big as that was and continues to be for me, the genuine human caring remains closest in my heart. Also David was my knight in shining armor during my illness. He made sure I made it from the beach to the lodge after I collapsed there upon arrival. He stayed up with me that first awful night, and accompanied me to the hospital, where he stood by me the whole timeÉ This is a lot for a 26 year old man to do for an old lady stranger. Thank you is not enough. I wish to reach through the invisible Field and let you feel my heart, my gratitude. Be well Dahlia, you and your family are doing an amazing thing for this world - true warriors. You have my admiration." Debbie H. teacher from Vancouver
"I grew in so many magnificent ways at Guaria De Osa. I arrived expecting nothing, and I left with so many dreams and aspirations for which are still arising.
Motivation.
Transformation.
Opportunity.
Manifestation.
Release.
Creativity.
Acceptance.
Death.
Rebirth.
"There are no words (English, Spanish or beyond) that could possibly express my gratitude for all of the beautiful souls I met and all who made Guaria de Osa possible. I traveled physically, mentally and spiritually without fear... I received love and light and life beyond comprehension. I am so happy to have traveled on such an amazing journey with some brilliantly bright guides. THANK YOU to the power of 10! Thank you! Merci! Gracias!" Kaeli, artist from Ontario, Canada
"Guaria is doing special work, and we're glad to be able to support it by bringing it to the attention of the Reality Sandwich community." Ken Jordan, online pioneer of award-winning SonicNet.com
"The Council Gathering was such a beautiful experience. I loved every minute of it. The group was really special. I can't wait to go back next year. I'm already inviting friends to come with me. Thanks so much for everything. You do such a fabulous job planning everything for the trip." Karen P. yoga teacher from New York
"I highly recommend this retreat.... the level of healing, the light, the love, the blessings the elders bring with them is something unbelievable....it is difficult to describe what you live and what you receive in this retreat. Another VERY good thing is that the group is not too big so you get plenty of attention so the opportunity to interact with almost everybody is effortless. I also take this moment to say that Jonathon, the coordinator, is an amazing, amazing guy!!!!" Patricia C, software developer
"Thank you Dahlia and Ladna! This was a very profound experience. Thanks for your orchestrating and brilliant intentions for getting us all together!" Krista K., Brooklyn, New York bed & breakfast owner
"From start to finish, my experiences at Guaria were amazing. The physical beauty of the Osa Peninsulia is overwhelming and the Guaria de Osa Ecolodge is a beautiful jewel in this lush garden. The Ecolodge is right off the beach and Jonathon and the entire staff are enthusiastic to share their knowledge of the flora and fauna that share the space. The accommodations blend perfectly into the environment and the meals and services are top notch. I look forward to returning soon." Scott M. from Belize
"Sweet Dahlia! Your son, Jonathon Miller Weisberger, is an amazing spirit--a shaman, eco-warrior, plant medicine healer, and so in touch with not just the many species of plants and animals of the rainforest, but also, their interactions, medicinal uses, and the ecology of the land itself. He is absolutely an inspiration for MY life, as he dedicates and commits his manifold talents to not just saving/preserving the rainforest, which is so devastatingly threatened, but also to the divine spirit of the indigenes, including the Secoya and the many other native peoples whose land is under severe threat. There should not only be a book on Jonathon--but also a full-length movie that could only star himself--who else could possibly fill his shoes? This man/spirit is making a real difference for a whole population of humans, plant and animal communities, and his passion is contagious! I desire to work with him in the future, in a variety of modes, to assist him in making a real difference, on the ground, in the front lines, in a world that so urgently NEEDS his heart, and his action, and his PASSION! Thank YOU, dear Dahlia, and to your daughter, Ladna, for your love of life, and your desire and action to actually make a damn difference! much love." Dr. Steven E. chiropractor from North Carolina
Kudos from 2010 Council Gathering
"We had an amazing time. Thank you so so much for everything. Your son Jonathon is an amazing person, thanks so much for having him and bringing him up so well. The planet is truly blessed to have him. We have a very strong connection that will never be broken. Thanks again from the bottom of our hearts, our lives will never be the same again. We have had a major transformation. The Secoyas and Jonathon are so beautiful and powerful." —Karen Passalacqua and Larry Weinberg, New York yoga teachers
"With regards to our experience at Guaria, it was fantastic. The experience at the Council Gathering way exceeded our expectations and we could both say that this was one of the most important and meaningful 10 days of our lives. It was a life changing experience and I know that from now on life could never be the same for the better. The elders are overwhelming with their wisdom and humbleness. It is an honor for us to get to know them and drink the medicina with them. We really miss them and Rodrigo and Jonathon. It was also a great pleasure for us to meet Jonathon. He definitely created a true paradise on earth. This planet just needs more people like him." —Silviya and Daniel Slavova, owners of Italian Restaurants, Bulgaria
"The wind, the sun, the sand, the water, the jungle. Although we can't find these everywhere, here at Guaria the depth of experiencing all of these is awesome. The elders and their ancient wisdom, and songs, as well as their healing powers, is an experience that a few fortunate souls get. When I look at the richness of my life and the great blessing given to me, this point in my life's journey is one that greatly enriches the road it follows. Thank you for bringing me here for the first time. Thank you Jonathon for making possible this experience in healing for me and the many who came to this jewel in Costa Rica. With much gratitude." —Ken Hammerlund, Garden Center Owner in Florida
"A beautiful journey. The elders are such a magical experience of the walking divine in ultimate simplicity. Thank you to my sister Lina for bringing me here and for all of her wisdom and vitality and to our group full of wondrous people celebrating my time. Birthday here was so special – facing the reality that we are dying and being born every moment, every breath, and that life is a choice and that it may be a difficult road at times but that we owe it for ourselves and each other to shine the brightest light that we are all made of. Blessings of love and health to all. Con Cariño" —Krista Kujat, Bed and Breakfast owner in Brooklyn, New York
"'Love' is the word that keeps coming back to me as I reflect on the past 8 glorious days that Martin & I spent at Guaria de Osa. It is so apparent in the intention of this magical place – from the trees Jonathon planted, to the care in the craftsmanship, in the caring staff and in the people who are drawn here from all corners of the world. Words cannot express the gratitude I feel toward Tin Tin, Rogelio, Marcelo, Rodrigo, and Jonathon and the plants, animals, ad spirit that reside here for making this journey a transformational and memorable experience. I will carry the lessons learned here forward. Love and thanks to all!" —Ellen & Martin Barr, massage and occupational therapists from Washington State
Kudos from January 2009 Council Gathering
"Spending the past 20 days at Guaria de Osa has been a monumental, shifting occasion. The gardens seem to speak an invisible language. Magic flows, whether sitting, wondering, or just allowing the mind to contemplate. The past ten days were shared with amazing traditional elders from the Secoya Community in Ecuador, a truly unforgettable time! I wish them well on their ascension to the heavenly realms, and to you Jonathon for your stories, huge heart, and passion. Gracias!" Andy from Australia
"Thank you Jonathon, Dahlia, Diego, Josep, Irma, and especially the Secoya masters for your vision, effort and support on behalf of us as guests and for the planet, the plants, the forests." Armand from Canada [his fourth Council Gathering]
"Jonathon, the elders, the apprentices and the staff have greatly changed my perspective on life and love. This is no small task. I am greatly indebted to them for all of the work they performed so unselfishly. I came here for healing and I feel as if I am leaving a better person, body, mind, and spirit." Carl from United States
"A superb venue for natural work, very well supported by high-quality assistants and nutritious food. The presence of Ecuadorian elders and their chanting made this event extraordinary." Chris from Australia
"Plant Medicine Council! A life-changing event! Excellent support from the master elders." Carla & David from Canada [their second Council Gathering]
"My dance with life will forever be more vibrant, more clear and anchored in the bigger realities. I superbly appreciate the quality of attention and devotion of every one - volunteers and staff - kitchen choppers and ascending masters. This retreat is not at all what I expected- however was more than I ever imagined. Much more. Much love, always." Kathy from United States
"Wow! Thank you! For all the experience, knowledge, wisdom shared & bestowed upon us. Sincerest gratitude for your visions in action! Love prevailing. Hope to share more experiences soon!" Sonia from United States
"A huge thank you to Jonathon and his staff, and especially to the Secoya Elders for their unconditional service. An amazing week in this Garden of Eden!" Steve from Australia
More Kudos prior to 2009
"Dahlia Miller brings her gaia/kali spirit to the Council Gathering while invoking the balancing presence of the Great (Feminine) Mystery." Armand Huet de Grenier from Canada, Spiritual Ceremonial Counselor and Teacher
"I felt as if I were on my own private South Pacific Island! Everyone is so kind, knowledgeable and helpful! Food is amazing! The orthopedic mattresses were well worth all the trouble it must have caused to get them here. Thank you for helping to make me conscious of my impulses and the power of my investment. You are a treasure that I will always keep in my heart." Bobby Sager, Sager Family Foundation from Boston, Massachusetts
"Jonathon! What good magic here at Guaria de Osa! Presided over by a most benevolent array of plant energies and animal intelligences, leafing and leaping spirits, laughing under a gazillion gleaming stars, accompanied by the steady drumbeat, like a dark heart of the wave on the sloping strand in wilderness and wonder." David Abram, author of The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World
"Love, Love, Potency. Fabulous eco journey in the jewel of Central America." Ganga White, founder of White Lotus Foundation, Santa Barbara, California and author of Yoga Beyond Belief
"For Jonathon! Thanks for your work in the world! With best wishes." Jeremy Narby, author of The Cosmic Serpent, DNA, and The Origins of Knowledge
"Beautiful spot, great gardens, fantastic buildings, wonderful forest, very rich people. Thanks for the help, hospitality, generosity, honest, and all around good vibe. And the presence of the plants is palpable." Lincoln Stoller, physicist
"Many thanks for sharing the beauty and wisdom, shining the deep listening and the natural healing vibrations. What an inspiring and uplifting, magical and amazing meeting place. And the sounds … the music …" Nerupa Hoffman-Paiss, yoga teacher; and Amir Paiss, musician
"My trip to Guaria de Osa was a psychospiritual journey that opened up possibilities in my personal and professional life that I had only dreamed of before. And it was exotically beautiful, rejuvenating and fun!" Dr. Rachel Harris, psychologist
"I came here as one and left as another. Thank you." Simon Astaire, England (one of Queen Elizabeth's consultants)
"Sacred Love." Sting, musician from England
"My experience in Guaria de Osa was an extraordinary - I think I had the most important, powerful and beautiful moment of my whole life there and my life prior to that was not boring at all. So I am extremely grateful to you, Jonathon, and everyone else involved..." Yura Bein, Russian physicist, currently a truck driver
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Just
Some of our Favorite Interdisciplinary Readings
Ayahuasca Visions: The Religious Iconography of a Peruvian
Shaman
by Pablo Amaringo and Eduardo Luna. To order: North Atlantic Books,
Berkeley - chard@northatlanticbooks.com
Ayahuasca Reader: Encounters with the Amazon's Sacred
Vine
edited by Luis Eduardo Luna and Steven F. White;
(read A Huaorani Myth of the First Miiyabu
by Jonathon S. Miller-Weisberger)
Book of Changes and the Unchanging Truth, attaining
Unlimited Life
by Hua-Ching Ni
Breaking Open The Head
by Daniel Pinchbeck (read Ch. 22 on Sentient Experientials in the Ecuadorian Amazon)
Coming Back To Life: Practices to Reconnect Our Lives,
Our World
by Joanna Macy and Molly Young Brown; foreword by Matthew Fox
El Bebedor de Yajé / The Yaje Drinker
by Alfredo Payaguaje, Secoya ethnobotanist, Ecuador Amazon
HerbalGram: The Journal of the American Botanical
Council
http://www.herbalgram.org
If You Love This Planet: A Plan to Heal the Earth
by Helen Caldicott, M.D.
In the Rainforest: Report from a Strange, Beautiful,
Imperiled World
by Catherine Caulfield
One River, Explorations and Discoveries in the Amazon
Rain Forest
by Wade Davis
Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the
Pillage of a Continent
by Eduardo Galeano
Permaculture: A Designers’ Manual
by Bill Mollison
Riding the Horse Backwards
by Arnold and Amy Mindell
Romancing the Beloved: A Sacred Sexual Adventure into Love; Her Story
by Joan Heartfield - Chapter 2 Eco Emissaries
Seven Life Lessons of Chaos: Timeless Wisdom from the
Science of Change
by John John and F. David Peat
Shaman’s Drum Journal, A Journal of Experiential
Shamanism and Spiritual Healing
http://www.shamansdrum.org/
Shamanism, Colonialism, and the Wild Man: A Study in
Terror and Healing
by Michael Taussig
Taoist Inner View of the Universe and the Immortal
Realms
by Hua-Ching Ni
The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge
by Jeremy Narby
The Forest Within: The World-View of the Tukano Amazonian Indians
by Gerardo Reichel-Dolmatoff
The 100th Monkey: A story about social change
By Ken Keyes Jr.
The Lost Language of Plants: The Ecological Importance
of Plant Medicines to Life on Earth
by Steven Harrod Buhner (Please read Ch. 11 Living Biognosis ≠ the work of Sparrow, pgs. 249 ≠ 268 and other writers.)
The Nature of Shamanism: Substance and Function of
a Religious Metaphor
by Michael Ripinsky-Naxon
The Reenchantment of Art
by Suzi Gablik
The Reenchantment of the World
by Morris Berman
The Shaman's Body
by Arnold Mindell
The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception & Language
in a More-Than-Human World
by David Abram
The Tao of Physics
by Fritjof Capra
The Three Halves of Ino Moxo: Teachings of the Wizard
of the Upper Amazon
by Cesar Calvo and Kenneth Symington
The Way of the Shaman
by Michael Harner
The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of
Living Systems
by Fritjof Capra
Thinking Like a Mountain: Toward a Council of All Beings
by Joanna Macy, John Seed, Pat Fleming, Arne Naess
Thought As A System
by David Bohm
Vine of the Soul, Where the Gods Reign
by Richard Evans Schultes
Workbook for Spiritual Development of All People
by Hua-Ching Ni
World as Lover, World as Self
by Joanna Macy; foreword by Thich Nhat Hanh
In the spirit of networking,
we thank you for passing the news on to others about this significant
event.
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