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JOURNEY TO THE HEART OF MAYAN WISDOM
A 10-DAY RETREAT
with AJ Block, Xango Shola and special guests Tata Pedro Cruz and Nana Marina Cruz of The Tz’utujil Mayan Family of San Pedro de Atitlán
GUATEMALA
April 24 - May 3, 2018
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You are invited to enter the Heart of Mayan Wisdom, a journey into ancient shamanic practices.
On this pilgrimage we will reach places where indigenous communities
practice ancient ceremonies and prayers, upholding traditions which have
gone uninterrupted for thousands of years.
Our journey into knowledge is focused on inner-development and
self-improvement through tangible tools passed from Mayan elders. Many
of these ways have been hidden away, protected from misuse by outsiders.
Now with the emergence of the Age of Aquarius, profound knowledge from
the Mayan people is being unveiled. The Mayan tradition is founded on
the manifestation of spirit in the natural world. Plants, animals,
minerals, the four elements, the cosmos, and everything found in the
natural world plays an important role in Mayan ceremonies and daily
life. |
| If you would like to attend and learn more about this trip please fill out our form by clicking the PRE-REGISTRATION LINK BELOW
PRE-REGISTER HERE
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| The sites of our pilgrimage are a direct manifestation of this
spirit-nature worldview. Our trip will be centered at the Lake Atitlan,
Guatemala, a spiritual hub for Mayan wisdom. Many of our activities will
happen here and we will also travel to sacred sites throughout the
region where we will participate in ceremonies.
Together with the Mayan elders we will participate in a number of traditional Mayan ceremonies and practices, including: |
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| Mayan Fire Ceremony
To the Mayan People, the sacred fire is a
living manifestation of spirit and responds to our offerings and
prayers. We will participate in these ceremonies at ancient sites
throughout the region.
Cacao Ceremony
The sacred cacao plant has been used as a
sacrament by the Mayan people since ancient times, and in ceremony it
carries the power to cleanse and purify. In addition to participating in
cacao ceremonies, we will learn about the traditional uses of cacao and
how to prepare it for ceremonial use.
Temazcal (Sweat Lodge)
In many native traditions throughout the
Americas, every home has a temazcal, a earthen chamber used for sweat
lodge ceremonies. The sweat lodge is used for physical, emotional,
mental and spiritual healing. The Mayan people have a unique approach to
the sweat lodge ceremony and we will participate in and learn the
wisdom of this practice.
Mayan Yoga and Meditation
Over many thousands of years the Mayan
people have developed an equivalent to the yoga of India. Through
postures, exercises and meditations, these practices aim to connect us
to the spirit realm and help us to find long lasting health and
happiness.
Additionally, we will be immersed into
traditional healing arts such as the Mayan massage, Mayan plant
medicines to address all healing conditions, tobacco healing, tobacco
divination and more.Vegetarian food will be provided for all meals and a
translator will facilitate the transmission of information from Spanish
to English.
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| OUR MAYAN ELDERS & GUIDES |
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Tata Pedro Cruz
One of the few surviving members of the Mayan Council of the Elders
of Tz’utujil, which is a branch of the Maya Qui-che. “Tata Pedro” as he
is most affectionately known, is a traditional Mayan Ajq’ij and Day
Keeper, and one of the principal authorities of the Council of Mayan
Elders of Lake Atitlan in Guatamala. He received the title, “Heart of
the Lake Atitlan” K’U’XYA, by his fellow Mayan Council of Elders and
Tz’utujil people. Tata Pedro recognizes the interconnectedness of all
people, the expanding consciousness of the planet, and the urgent need
to unify our spiritual, cultural and ethnic wisdom for the benefit of
the planet and humanity. Tata Pedro is a globally recognized elder in
the Mayan tradition and has traveled far and wide sharing
knowledge, ceremonies and practices. He is the interpreter of dreams
for his community and a leader of the preservation and education of
Mayan day keeping and fire ceremonies.
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Nana Marina Cruz
Nana Marina is the daughter of Tata Pedro and is a healer, day
keeper, herbalist, and conductor of the Cacao, Temazcal and Fire
Ceremonies. In addition she is highly knowledgable in the use of tobacco
for healing and divination and has trained many younger healers from
her community.
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AJ Block and Xango Shola
Walking together in sacred union, AJ & Shola are dedicated to
developing pathways of peace and understanding by nurturing community
building through education, service and the healing arts. For the past 8
years they have been traveling the world with their teacher, Maestro
Manuel Rufino and the Golden Drum in an effort to weave together an
inter-tribal global community that embraces the transcendental path of
wisdom, love, truth and knowledge of the eternal soul.
AJ & Shola are co-founders of Sacred Arts Research Foundation, a
non-profit organization that provides educational programs that support
the preservation of arts traditions from around the world. They are
active members of the Golden Drum, a cultural community center for
consciousness located in Brooklyn, New York, and are members of the
Dream Seed shamanic sound healing collective, a musical ensemble that
tours the planet sharing transformative sound in an effort to heal,
uplift and bridge cultures and communities together.
AJ & Shola have been initiated by Mayan elder Tata Pedro Cruz as
Mayan day-keepers and have been passed the sacred Mayan fire ceremony.
Through these sacred practices, they feel blessed to be connected to
this lineage and are honored to share the wisdom that resides in the
living Mayan tradition with the attendees of this pilgrimage.
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| If you would like to attend and learn more about this trip please fill out our form by clicking the PRE-REGISTRATION LINK BELOW
PRE-REGISTER HERE
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