Earthfire Institute

Click here for Bios of our Retreat Leaders

Windwalker & Jean

Connecting with Wildlife Heart to Heart — June 23-24, 2012. For humans who want to live more deeply and more “in the moment”, with the help of the animals of Earthfire. This retreat will offer time for truly meeting the animals, contemplation, storytelling by the fire, deep conversation and celebration. The magnificent Grand Tetons accompany us as we work towards healing the planet. Our time will be spent in our wood-latticed yurt in the company of a small and intimate group. Led by Earthfire co-founders Susan Eirich, Ph.D. and Jean (John) Simpson. This promises to be a very special and rich experience for all who attend. Please contact Skye@earthfireinstitute.orgfor details and reservations.

Watch this video from our past Heart to Heart retreat.

Michael Roads


Talking with Nature with Michael Roads — July 20-22, 2012. Talking with Nature is very much about the ability to listen. We do not listen, we hear, and we think this is listening. Nature speaks in the moment, and nobody is home! We are too busy thinking. Talking with Nature is far more than it appears to be. It is a skill, a natural art, an inner potential inherent in all humanity. This begs the question; if it is natural to us, why is it so rarely used? To talk with Nature, you are required to use your whole-brain/heart connection. Most people use a left-brain connection only. This means that most people attempt to have an intellectual relationship with Nature, which is not possible. Nature is not an intellectual expression. Nature is an expression of conscious intelligence . . . as are we! We just don’t live that way any more. We have lost our fundamental connection with Nature, and with truly living life. You cannot talk with Nature and remain as the person you currently are. You have to grow, to expand in consciousness. The very act of listening to the silence of Nature is life changing. Communication with Nature is a hugely enriching experience that we will explore during this seminar.

Michael Roads, from Queensland, Australia, discovered at an early age he had the natural ability to communicate with nature and go beyond linear time and space. After becoming spiritually awakened in 1986, Michael wrote about his metaphysical experiences and has since published 13 books, translated into 16 languages, including the best-selling “Talking With Nature – Journey Into Nature, A Michael Roads Reader”. 2012 marks his 21st year of traveling around the world giving profound and hugely popular talks and 5-day Intensives on unconditional Love and the metaphysics of Nature. He offers clear insights and relates his unique, experiential truth in a powerful, no-nonsense format, offering pathways to our deep spiritual connection with Nature, with Self, and with awakening to our Divine potential. Please visit www.michaelroads.com for more info.

Aidan O'Sullivan & Windwalker

Inhabiting Our Wild Nature Through Qigong with Aidan O’Sullivan — July 27-29, 2012. During our time together we will explore the vastness of our internal and external energies through the ancient practice of Tai Chi and Qi Kung. We will experience how these energies affect us, our environment, the animals and all of life and what agency we have within the energetic sphere. We will learn that we are not in control but we have agency and choice about our state and how we operate in life. This will not be a 10-step program to the “ultimate everything”. This is a challenge for people to come into their own presence with their feet on the ground, head linked to Heaven and heart and body linked to the vastness between. From this position you will get a chance explore you own inner landscape; to work with the energies within, the dark and the light and to be brave enough to stay in the Qi Kung state of mind as much as possible.

We all have our gifts and vulnerabilities, our strengths and weaknesses. In this workshop you will be challenged to exercise and bring your gifts to the world and the community of practice and to plumb the depths of your vulnerabilities to find the wisdom within. Tai Chi and Qi Kung are not techniques, they are a way of being which encompasses our physical, psychological and spiritual levels of Being. You will leave the workshop with a daily practice that will transform you and your life if adhered to faithfully. That will be up to you.

In preparation for this workshop consider your level of willingness to enter into this process. You do not need to know Tai chi or Qi Kung to benefit from this workshop and if you are an experienced practitioner you will benefit and we will benefit from your sharing. Because we are blessed to be at Earthfire and be in the presence of bears, wolves, coyotes, foxes, fowl of all sorts, buffaloes and many other animals in the family of Earthfire, our practice will support and be supported and our Qi Kung state witnessed in many ways visible and invisible. Being in that state in the presence of a grizzly bear is an experience not to be missed. Please e-mail Skye@earthfireinstitute.org for more information.

Ken Cohen

The Practice of Qigong: The Way of the Animal Powers with Kennneth Cohen – September 7-9, 2012. Qigong is a 5,000 year-old Chinese cultural treasure—a system of gentle exercises, meditations, and breathing techniques designed to balance the flow of qi, life energy. Although best known for its dramatic effects on health, vitality, and longevity, qigong is also a profoundly spiritual art. By following postural and movement guidelines set by ancient people, we awaken an ancient part of ourselves. We commune with nature because we are part of nature. We find the spirit of the bear, the wolf, the mountain lion, the hawk within, and, like them, learn how sense what nourishes us and how to avoid danger. Through qigong we restore the body’s original healing wisdom and sense life im-mediately, without the mediation of books and beliefs or the buffers provided by the unreal world of concrete and plastic.

In this workshop you will learn rare Taoist qigong exercises inspired by close observation of nature: the Crane Walk for balance, the Bear Walk for rooted strength, the Deer Walk for grace, the Tiger Walk for power, and the Hawk Flying for speed and perception. This will be complemented by standing and seated meditations to develop the stillness of the mountain, and ways of slowing down the breath to prevent or eliminate the effects of stress. You will also learn about the Taoist and Shamanic roots of qigong and Chinese medicine and, thus, why there is such a close connection with indigenous healing traditions of the Americas. And of course, in this beautiful, natural setting, we will discover and discuss the effect of environment on health and have an opportunity to safely experience animals in a sanctuary devoted to their protection. For those who are interested there will be an opportunity to interact with selected animals in the Wildlife Garden.

This is a rare opportunity to practice qigong in the Yellowstone Wildlife Corridor, yet away from the tourists and crowds. Here, mind and body are nurtured by the fresh mountain air, the senses cleansed by the view of the magnificent Grand Tetons. At night, enjoy a campfire and quiet conversation before returning to the comfort of your nearby motel. The workshop is open to beginners. Contact Skye@earthfireinstitute.org for more information.

Ken Cohen, M.A. (www.kennethcohen.com) is the world-renowned qigong and Tai Chi master who introduced these arts in U.S. medical school education. Ken has been practicing qigong since 1968. A dynamic and inspiring teacher, his work has been sponsored by the American Cancer Society, the Mayo Clinic, Health Canada, the British Taoist Association, and numerous conferences. He is the author of The Way of Qigong: The Art and Science of Chinese Energy Healing (Ballantine Books), best-selling Sounds True audio/dvd courses, and more than 200 journal articles on spirituality and health. In 2003, Ken Cohen won he leading international award in energy medicine, the Alyce and Elmer Green Award for Innovation and Lifetime Achievement.

Rose De Dan & Mr. Pinkerton the lynx

A Walk on the Wild Side with Rose De Dan – September 27-30, 2012. A Walk on the Wild Side: Answering the Call of the Wild is a unique event, offering participants the opportunity to meet highly respected wild Animal Ambassadors face-to-face, participate in shamanic ceremonies and learn from them over four days at Earthfire Institute. The intention of the weekend is to break down barriers and build bridges of unity and connection, facilitating healing for all participants, both two- and four-legged. The result? Increased intuitive awareness and communication skills (applicable to all species), and freedom from limiting patterns and lifelong negative beliefs. A powerful opportunity for deep personal healing as well as global transformation! This will be Rose’s third retreat at Earthfire, and this landmark event brings native wildlife and people together in dialogue and ceremony to co-sustainable vision for the future.

Click here for more information and to register for A Walk on the Wild Side.

Harvey Locke – October 2012 – Exact Dates and Details TBD.

Harvey Locke is globally known for his work on wilderness, national parks and large landscape conservation from Yellowstone to Yukon and beyond. Named by Time magazine as one of Canada’s leaders for the 21st century, his resume is filled with premier publications, keynote speaking engagements and leadership and advisory roles for some of the most well-known organizations in the conservation field. He is now playing a leadership role in a global effort to unite efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change with nature conservation. A passionate advocate for wild nature, he joined The WILD Foundation as their Vice President for Conservation Strategy in January, 2009.

Ongoing Retreats

Animal Connection – Wild Synergy with The Whole Hiking Experience – A once in a life time experience! Journey to a sacred garden where man and animal connect with mutual respect for each other and the earth. Touch the richness and mystery of life through interspecies connection within the garden and the natural world. Meet wild animals of the area – bears, wolves and more, in the intimate setting of Earthfire Institute Wildlife Sanctuary and Retreat Center. After several remarkable interspecies meetings you will hike in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to further connect with the landscape and the environment that these amazing animals call home. Go to www.holehike.com for more information and to register.

K'Lea Andreas with her Tibetan singing bowls, a welcome treat for our visitors and animals alike. (c) Earthfire

Earthfire Institute

Retreats

Retreats

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