Giraffes have the largest heart of any land mammal, so a giraffe puppet is used as a teaching tool in this language model, which has been used to help ease tensions and promote understanding in many areas of conflict around the world. During this week with Scott, we'll look toward the gray whale as the carrier of the ocean's heart ......
The focus of this week will be on empowering each participant with an increased ability to connect ... with nature, with themselves and others, and with Spirit (in whatever form one perceives the Infinite).
Traveling first to an exclusive island on Magdalena Bay — where the gray whales are born — then to a secluded Eco-Resort on the Sea of Cortez, 14 participants will have the opportunity to learn Compassionate Communication with Scott Catamas, and have the whole week to practice and hone these skills with one another.
Compassionate Communication (also known as NVC or Non-Violent Communication) helps us connect with what is alive in ourselves and in others from moment-to-moment; with what we or others could do to make life more wonderful; and with an awareness of what gets in the way of our innate capacities to give and receive generously. This communication model strengthens our ability to inspire compassion from others and respond compassionately to others and ourselves. It also guides us to reframe how we express ourselves, hear others and resolve conflicts by focusing our consciousness on what we are observing, feeling, needing, and requesting.
Compassionate Communication serves to awaken empathy and honesty, and has often been described as “the language of the heart.” We will practice with each other throughout the week, and return home with a new set of skills that will enhance all our relationships. A global organization, there's a good chance that an NVC practice group already exists in your own home town.
Having recently completed the Climate Project training with Al Gore in Nashville, Tennessee, Scott will freely share what he’s learned with our group. Invitations will also be extended to select members of the local Mexican communities who are interested in learning more about the climate crisis - and exploring regional and global solutions - as suggested in Al Gore's documentary “An Inconvenient Truth.” Through our NVC practice, we'll also explore effective ways to communicate this information to people who may, for any number of reasons, be resistant to receiving it.
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Al Gore and Scott Catamas during the Nashville training in January 2007.
Scott will also be giving "Deeksha" — an energy transmission similar to that of Reiki that quiets the mind and opens the heart. As demonstrated by a team of German neurophysicists, it activates the calming frontal lobes and quiets our parietal lobes and amygdala–hippocampus centers (overactive meaning makers). It attunes the brain with the fields of unity, relieving us from the distress of “apparent separation.” There is no particular doctrine or teaching except to invite the Divine into yourself and recognize that it's already there.
In 2005, Scott was a guest at the University of Oneness in India, where he was initiated into the practice of giving Deeksha. Scott has since given Deeksha to over 2,000 people in India, Hawaii, Oregon, and throughout California. There are now hundreds of Deeksha givers around the world.
During this week in Baja, Scott will aid us in empowering ourselves to the fullest — by giving as many as 2-3 Deeksha treatments a day, depending on each individual's wishes. Mexico is no stranger to Deeksha ... the country's President as well as many members of its armed forces have openly received it, so we'll be in good company!
About the facilitator:
Scott Catamas is an EMMY award-winning writer and internationally acclaimed communicator. He is dedicated to helping others to connect with their Divine Nature and to living in a harmonious world. Scott weaves together the best of several spiritual practices, as well as techniques gained through his extensive experience in the human potential movement. Over the past 20 years, he has helped thousands of individuals to communicate more clearly, working with teenagers, adults, couples, and even inmates in the California state prison system. Scott has most recently focused on facilitating communication workshops based on the teachings of his friend and mentor, Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, the founder of NVC. He is currently a senior faculty member at Celebrations of Love in Marin County, California, where he teaches Compassionate Communication classes with Lori Grace.
Watch this 10-minute video to see Scott in action, and visit the NVC website to learn more about this work. Scott may be reached at 415-336-1276 or by email at NewEarthScott@aol.com.
Tour and payment information
The tour is outfitted and supported by Blue Waters Kayaking of Inverness, CA ... with 21 years experience of leading kayaking and whale-watching tours in Baja. It will follow their 8-day Magdalena Bay / Sea of Cortez Eco-Resort itinerary ... with 1st night in a Loreto hotel, next 3 nights on an exclusive island within the Magdalena Bay gray whale nursery, and last 3 nights at a secluded Eco-Resort on the Sea of Cortez. Daily workshop sessions will be seamlessly integrated into their itinerary. Beginning kayakers are welcome, and all activities are optional ...
Click for the Blue Waters itinerary, travel info, terms and conditions ...
Cost:
$1695 for (8-day, from 3/13-20, at Mag Bay & Sea of Cortez)
or $1195 (5-day, from 3/13-17, Mag Bay only)
Includes:
All airport transfers and ground transportation within Mexico
All meals in Mexico (except one dinner on the town in Loreto)
Use of kayaking and camping equipment
Guide services
Hotel stay in Loreto
Most Eco-Resort activities
Four (4) hours of whale watching in Mexican pangas at Mag Bay
Does not include:
Air/bus/car travel between the U.S. and Loreto
Optional rental of snorkeling gear
Single-occupancy accommodations ($40 single supplement in Loreto; inquire about availability at Eco-Resort)
Additional whale-watching hours @ $15 pp (minimum 5 participants/boat) on Mag Bay
Optional day trip by boat to hot springs and to view whales on the Sea of Cortez - about $30-$40pp
Private healing and massage sessions
Gratuities (suggested $100-$200 for guides, cooks and drivers is appreciated, not required)
To hold your space, please send $350 check or money order to The River Guidess (email for address), or by credit card here through PayPal. Once this non-refundable deposit is received, you will be sent a registration packet that includes your itinerary, a health/dietary questionnaire, packing list, liability waiver, and suggestions for purchasing travel insurance (highly recommended).
The balance is to be paid to Blue Waters Kayaking by check, money order, or by credit card (with advance arrangements). Please inquire if you'd like to set up a payment plan. Checks or money orders may be sent to Blue Waters Kayaking, P.O. Box 983, Inverness, CA 94937.
Why contact us early with your interest?
• To guarantee your space for this unique opportunity, limited to 14 participants.
• As of 1/4/07, airfares start at $317 RT from LAX to Loreto; $375 from SFO (check www.kayak.com for best fares). Please be aware that fares can increase substantially over time. Blue Waters will provide a special code when you book online with Alaska Airlines (alaskaair.com) that will save you an additional 10%!
For more about this trip, flights to Loreto, and to receive email updates as it all unfolds,
contact Gail
at 415-312-3112 or go@RiverGuidess.com
Click for upcoming events around the Bay Area, including slide and video shows, special 2-for-1 Tomales Bay kayaking tours, and special events with facilitators.
Go to the main Baja page for details on our Magdalena Bay and Sea of Cortez destinations ... |
