Spiritual Journey in Guatemala
I think you're going to like the following information about a spiritual retreat in Guatemala.
Artful Living in the Present - Intensive Retreat in Guatemala
2006
Author: Samuel Kirschner
For the past two years we have been spending the end of our NYC
summer on retreat at lake Atitlan in Guatemala, which Aldo
Huxley termed the most beautiful lake in the world.
In June of 2004, we were looking for an exotic, not too popular
and remote place overseas for a summer meditation / yoga retreat
and vacation. My partner Stan who teaches a form of yoga and
qi-gong which he developed called qi-yoga and myself, a teacher
of Living in the Present / dynamic mindfulness meditation, found
Villa Sumaya (heaven on earth in Arabic) - a retreat center at
lake Atitlan - which turned to be the ideal place for ourselves
and the three busy New Yorkers (in desperate need for an end
summer get away) who joined us.
From the moment we arrived to Guatemala and started our journey
to lake Atitlan, we kept falling in love with the beauty,
colorfulness, simplicity and diversity of this country. The
weather in August is perfect for those who don't like it too
hot, too humid and who don't mind a little afternoon shower.
Villa Sumaya is a combination of simplicity, elegance,
exoticness and impeccability. While respecting the Mayan
cultural motifs of "Her Majesty the lake", (as they refer to it
there), Wendy Stauffer's personal accent and taste is felt
throughout the premises. (Wendy, the owner and founder of the
retreat center is a talented American ex-patriot artist and
shaman herself)
There are seven simple and comfortable double occupancy and
single rooms, including a delux suite, which are all named after
the animal totems they represent. All the rooms face the lake
through an incredible garden and each room has it's own hammock.
The first light of dawn and the setting of the sun in the
evening, are particularly breath taking. I fell in love with the
lake instantly, and found myself mesmerized watching the stoic
seaweed gatherers on the lake in boats that look like they were
built 2000 years ago.
The only way to travel around the lakes is by public (or
private) boats, which because of the size of the local people
tend to be very low, and for a tall westerner can be an
adventure, as they dock at the small towns around the lake, and
people travel in them with their live stock, children and
incredible local garments - which differ from town to town, as
do their indigenous languages. We learned very soon that the
lake dictated our activities and it was no wonder why was it is
so revered and respected by the locals. One evening, we got all
decked up to go to Panahchell, (the closest town" - for a
performance, the lake which is usually calm and pristine, got
very turbulent, and as we looked out and saw our boat being
tossed up and down, we took a look at each other saying "you've
got to be kidding me..." and decided to skip the trip and give
each other massages at the meditation hall - as we were watching
mother nature displaying a dramatic storm. (we later learned was
the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan..)
The people are modest and friendly to Westerners. As in any
developing country, it is apparent how poor they are in
comparison to us, and yet, there is a mutual exchange that can
be worked out based on mutual repect - which is an art by
itself. Keeping a determined, yet honoring smile and saying
'hola' is crucial. It's not unlikely to arrive to one of the
towns surrounding the lake and be flocked by local people who
are trying to sell their goods and offer their services. It is
however easy to communicate interest or disinterest without too
much of a hassle. These trips to the towns around the lake,
which we offer are centered around visiting the indigenous
cultures and experiencing them first hand: the churches, the
people, the food, the art and some shopping. Our favorite towns
are San Marcos and Santiago. Traveling in Guatemala as in many
other developing countries can be a challenge and a great lesson
to the 'control freak' in us. Last year, after the group left,
Stan and I stayed on for a couple of days, and took a trip to
Xella, a town with hot Springs, which we wanted to experience.
We rented a van for the day, and as we were making our way
through the incredible mountains, we noticed that the traffic
was stopped for kilometers ahead of us. When we left the van to
inquire what happened, we found out that the local villagers
blocked the road with rocks and trees in protest to the
privatization of their water - by the government. Three hours
later... we found ourselves flowing with the unexpected change.
We engaged in conversation with the people, who were too eager
to tell us their story, and when the road opened up finally, it
was too late to go to our original destination, and yet, it was
one of our most memorable experiences of our last year's trip to
Guatemala. We transcended being consuming tourists to having
made a connection with the people.
Our retreat last year had 11 participants who started their
mornings with qi-yoga, conscious breathing and mindfulness
meditation. A delicious breakfast was followed by a lecture and
a hike around the lake. After lunch there was free time to catch
up on rest, reading, a healing session or a boat tour. Our
evenings started with another qi-yoga and meditation practice
followed by a candle light dinner; sharing time in conversation,
videos, jacuzzi and sauna or just quiet time listening to the
crickets.
The retreat started with a blessing ceremony of a local shaman.
One of the eight days was a day of silence, which started right
after breakfast and ended at dinner. During that day we had
plenty of free time to roam around the property, swim in the
lake, journal and just lounge in the garden, and just be... Yes,
being present - that lost essential art of being - which in our
busy 'doing' lives in the 21st century is probably the most
calming, enriching yet challenging benefits available in the
retreat. Spending quality time with yourself, reflecting on your
life - far enough from it, yet closer to it than ever before,
because of the surroundings and the incredible beauty of nature,
the guidance and demonstration of the teachers, and support of
the other retretians, can be an investment of a life time; a
discovery of the Self - we are always looking for, yet often too
busy to find.
It was amazing and humbling to see the participants upon
arrival, and witness their transformation and flowering over
eight days. Our last night of dance and celebration was
particularly joyful. We were happy to share our presence and
felt close and accepting of each other. And while we felt sad to
leave, we were ready to take the experience with us and
integrate it into our daily lives.
As we are preparing for our 2006 retreat, we realize how much
the trip impacted our lives, and how long the effects of it
stayed with us since we have been there last. We are thrilled to
go back to Lake Atitlan and share its splendor and innocence
with the next group.
About the author:
Samuel has spent 20 years as a body/mind therapist and a
meditation teacher, speaker and author. In the 1980s, he
facilitated The New York Healing Circle, which helped thousands
of people with HIV live with a sense of peace and
self-acceptance. He is trained in body-centered psychotherapy,
in the Zen tradition, and the Vipassana style of meditation, as
well as in MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
http://www.livinginthepresent.com
Artful Living in the Present - Intensive Retreat in Guatemala
2006
Author: Samuel Kirschner
For the past two years we have been spending the end of our NYC
summer on retreat at lake Atitlan in Guatemala, which Aldo
Huxley termed the most beautiful lake in the world.
In June of 2004, we were looking for an exotic, not too popular
and remote place overseas for a summer meditation / yoga retreat
and vacation. My partner Stan who teaches a form of yoga and
qi-gong which he developed called qi-yoga and myself, a teacher
of Living in the Present / dynamic mindfulness meditation, found
Villa Sumaya (heaven on earth in Arabic) - a retreat center at
lake Atitlan - which turned to be the ideal place for ourselves
and the three busy New Yorkers (in desperate need for an end
summer get away) who joined us.
From the moment we arrived to Guatemala and started our journey
to lake Atitlan, we kept falling in love with the beauty,
colorfulness, simplicity and diversity of this country. The
weather in August is perfect for those who don't like it too
hot, too humid and who don't mind a little afternoon shower.
Villa Sumaya is a combination of simplicity, elegance,
exoticness and impeccability. While respecting the Mayan
cultural motifs of "Her Majesty the lake", (as they refer to it
there), Wendy Stauffer's personal accent and taste is felt
throughout the premises. (Wendy, the owner and founder of the
retreat center is a talented American ex-patriot artist and
shaman herself)
There are seven simple and comfortable double occupancy and
single rooms, including a delux suite, which are all named after
the animal totems they represent. All the rooms face the lake
through an incredible garden and each room has it's own hammock.
The first light of dawn and the setting of the sun in the
evening, are particularly breath taking. I fell in love with the
lake instantly, and found myself mesmerized watching the stoic
seaweed gatherers on the lake in boats that look like they were
built 2000 years ago.
The only way to travel around the lakes is by public (or
private) boats, which because of the size of the local people
tend to be very low, and for a tall westerner can be an
adventure, as they dock at the small towns around the lake, and
people travel in them with their live stock, children and
incredible local garments - which differ from town to town, as
do their indigenous languages. We learned very soon that the
lake dictated our activities and it was no wonder why was it is
so revered and respected by the locals. One evening, we got all
decked up to go to Panahchell, (the closest town" - for a
performance, the lake which is usually calm and pristine, got
very turbulent, and as we looked out and saw our boat being
tossed up and down, we took a look at each other saying "you've
got to be kidding me..." and decided to skip the trip and give
each other massages at the meditation hall - as we were watching
mother nature displaying a dramatic storm. (we later learned was
the aftermath of Hurricane Ivan..)
The people are modest and friendly to Westerners. As in any
developing country, it is apparent how poor they are in
comparison to us, and yet, there is a mutual exchange that can
be worked out based on mutual repect - which is an art by
itself. Keeping a determined, yet honoring smile and saying
'hola' is crucial. It's not unlikely to arrive to one of the
towns surrounding the lake and be flocked by local people who
are trying to sell their goods and offer their services. It is
however easy to communicate interest or disinterest without too
much of a hassle. These trips to the towns around the lake,
which we offer are centered around visiting the indigenous
cultures and experiencing them first hand: the churches, the
people, the food, the art and some shopping. Our favorite towns
are San Marcos and Santiago. Traveling in Guatemala as in many
other developing countries can be a challenge and a great lesson
to the 'control freak' in us. Last year, after the group left,
Stan and I stayed on for a couple of days, and took a trip to
Xella, a town with hot Springs, which we wanted to experience.
We rented a van for the day, and as we were making our way
through the incredible mountains, we noticed that the traffic
was stopped for kilometers ahead of us. When we left the van to
inquire what happened, we found out that the local villagers
blocked the road with rocks and trees in protest to the
privatization of their water - by the government. Three hours
later... we found ourselves flowing with the unexpected change.
We engaged in conversation with the people, who were too eager
to tell us their story, and when the road opened up finally, it
was too late to go to our original destination, and yet, it was
one of our most memorable experiences of our last year's trip to
Guatemala. We transcended being consuming tourists to having
made a connection with the people.
Our retreat last year had 11 participants who started their
mornings with qi-yoga, conscious breathing and mindfulness
meditation. A delicious breakfast was followed by a lecture and
a hike around the lake. After lunch there was free time to catch
up on rest, reading, a healing session or a boat tour. Our
evenings started with another qi-yoga and meditation practice
followed by a candle light dinner; sharing time in conversation,
videos, jacuzzi and sauna or just quiet time listening to the
crickets.
The retreat started with a blessing ceremony of a local shaman.
One of the eight days was a day of silence, which started right
after breakfast and ended at dinner. During that day we had
plenty of free time to roam around the property, swim in the
lake, journal and just lounge in the garden, and just be... Yes,
being present - that lost essential art of being - which in our
busy 'doing' lives in the 21st century is probably the most
calming, enriching yet challenging benefits available in the
retreat. Spending quality time with yourself, reflecting on your
life - far enough from it, yet closer to it than ever before,
because of the surroundings and the incredible beauty of nature,
the guidance and demonstration of the teachers, and support of
the other retretians, can be an investment of a life time; a
discovery of the Self - we are always looking for, yet often too
busy to find.
It was amazing and humbling to see the participants upon
arrival, and witness their transformation and flowering over
eight days. Our last night of dance and celebration was
particularly joyful. We were happy to share our presence and
felt close and accepting of each other. And while we felt sad to
leave, we were ready to take the experience with us and
integrate it into our daily lives.
As we are preparing for our 2006 retreat, we realize how much
the trip impacted our lives, and how long the effects of it
stayed with us since we have been there last. We are thrilled to
go back to Lake Atitlan and share its splendor and innocence
with the next group.
About the author:
Samuel has spent 20 years as a body/mind therapist and a
meditation teacher, speaker and author. In the 1980s, he
facilitated The New York Healing Circle, which helped thousands
of people with HIV live with a sense of peace and
self-acceptance. He is trained in body-centered psychotherapy,
in the Zen tradition, and the Vipassana style of meditation, as
well as in MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction
http://www.livinginthepresent.com
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