The Training
There is a great fascination around the longer quests and retreats that Earth-Heart occasionally runs. The 42-day course of several years ago was powerful and transformative and I am regularly asked when our next one will be. And vision questers regularly ask if I am going to run a 40-day vision quest to provide guidance for this “ultimate” quest. Considering how many long retreats I have taken over the years, I certainly recognize the enormous acceleration these programs offer to anyone’s spiritual path. However, I also recognize the enormous pressure that these longer courses put the student under, and how counterproductive it is to enter such a program unless you are fully prepared for the rigors of the experiences. While those who took the first 42-day retreat were deeply transformed by it, the structure of the course had to be modified to fit the preparation level of those who came. I won’t do that again.
The image of the forty-day vision quest is surrounded with mystery and has, almost, a romantic aura about it. Actually, it is impossibly hard, and it will challenge the very core of the devotion, commitment, and faith of the quester. Anyone who approaches this quest with a “romantic” sense will not last very long in it--a week or two. These romantic notions will not give you the inner fire and outer preparation necessary to complete the quest and thus gain its remarkable benefits. There is nothing magical about it, the laws that govern the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions must be worked with and bent to your purpose for success to be achieved. No amount of effort originating from the place that “wants” to do this ultimate quest will be enough to complete it.
After many requests, and despite the challenges of such a long quest and of a long retreat, Earth-Heart has decided to offer both the 40-day quest and the 42-day retreat in the fall of 2011. However, after our last experience of such long programs, we will require anyone who seeks to apply to either of these programs to complete a year-long training program to prepare them for the physical, emotional, and mental rigors they will face. Trust me, there is no benefit to taking such a long program without having honored it by adequate preparation.
I want to emphasize that anyone who wants to take either of these courses is required to do the year-long training. However, you don’t need to commit to either program to take the training—that decision, or the decision not to do either, can be made much later.
Let me say clearly, that this program is not only for those who wish to do one of the longer retreats. It is for anyone who is interested in; 1) learning about this incredible tool of humanness that we live through; 2) learning how sensitive and powerful our human tool is for living and exploring in this and many other dimensions; 3) learn how the goal of our journey already exists inside of us and that we only need to hone the human tool to awaken to that reality; 4) learn the power of focus and the tools to apply that ability in life; 5) learn about the higher functions of the tools that we now use only through their physical expression; 6) learn countless tools to help you on this journey; and 7) bring all of the above to a one-pointed, laser-like focus that will enhance and expand every dimension of your lives. It will give you a powerful ground to stand upon as you walk your path and open the higher aspects of yourself for use in the here and now. Every lesson will focus on you and will explore the incredible array of tools you have as a human being. In the end, you will have both knowledge and experience.
The nature of this training will push you to work virtually every day on the homework assignments, so you must commit time almost daily to it, to yourself, and to your path. There will be work with your body, your emotional self, your mental self, and your “essential self”. At first, that work will be on the “lower” expressions of these tools, however, as the course proceeds, we will begin to activate the “higher” functions to these tools and learn to focus and apply them to our spiritual and physical lives. The goal will be to sharpen and hone these tools to such surgical perfection that we can enter our quests, retreats, relationships, work, play—our life—with all of ourself rather than fragmented and divided.
With any long program, or, actually, in any area of our day to day lives, a weak body will shift into a defensive mode early to protect itself; a weak emotional body will similarly implode if it has not achieved at least a small amount of fluidity to process through the difficult emotional experiences that arise in life; and a weak mind will founder as all familiar landmarks are removed. This is vastly increased in a long retreat or quest. If you are not prepared, every part of you will simply shift into survival mode rather than a creative opening.
You see, the problem each of these parts of self will encounter on a long retreat is that an overwhelming upsurge of all your resistance as the vastness of the Sacred Silence will rip through the psychic structures of your lives, in a sense, annihilating the old, physically-based self. This experience will take from you all that is familiar, including the nature of your feelings, thoughts, and even your physical reactions and leave you in a new, uncharted, territory. It will bring you home.
The journey home is simple but it is not easy and only a strong body, emotion, and mind will be able to use these long retreats powerfully and learn to integrate the lessons and experiences into themselves afterwards. This training program will work with all three areas of our lives as well as with the fourth, the sacred within us. We will explore the lower and higher expressions of each aspect of self and the unfolding nature of our work, and the year long commitment, will allow us to strive for mastery of each. I recognize that this program is lengthy and will require quite the commitment. However, I have structured it in such a way that our meetings do not require a huge disruption of your lives or of your finances.
To save my time and your costs, we will meet as a group by phone. Each group will be about 8 people so there will be time for individual questions (but not personal issues—this is NOT mentoring and will not replace mentoring). We will meet once a month, via phone, for 2 hours and each phone call will have a brief check-in and review of the previous month, I will speak for an hour to explain the topic and knowledge of the next month, and the rest of the time will be for questions of previous or current work and for clarification of any practices we are using. Each month a range of practices will be introduced that will reflect different approaches to the topic of that month so if you don’t feel drawn to one of them, another should capture your imagination and interest. I will be available for email contact between the phone calls for questions that arise from the exercises you are working on.
I will require a four-month commitment, so twice through the year you could opt out if you don’t feel the class is going in a direction you are interested in. This is because it will take four months for you to grasp what we are doing and give you an understanding of the breadth of the teaching and practices we will be employing. Only then will you be able to fairly judge if the program is right for you. For the first four months, I ask that you simply trust your original impulse to enroll in the program.
My medicine has always been to demystify and simplify the knowledge of spiritual truths and in this program you will get the fruits of 45 years of experience along the spiritual path. However, none of it will mean a thing to you unless you engage the exercises and push yourself to do the work in the weeks between our calls. This work will require your commitment, focus, discipline, and heart. You will get out of it only what you put into it. What I share with you will only be information until you do the work to own it in your heart and life.
Think of me not as a teacher so much as a coach who is helping you train for the thrilling challenges of life and living. It makes no difference how ‘conditioned’ I may be, if you want to become a world-class spiritual athlete, you will have to follow through with the effort to do the exercises and become the very best you were born to be, which is nothing short of brilliant. I can show you the way and share the tools that will help you, however, it is up to you to exercise them until you find the mastery that is your birthright.
Because of the economic recession we are in, I am pricing this program at a ridiculously low level so that everyone who is interested can sign up. Believe me, the next time I offer it, it will not be this inexpensive by a long shot. Also, I have limited spots available. Because of other commitments, I can only offer this program to four groups of 8 people each, one group a week. Cost of the program is $50 per month, or $200 per 4-month commitment—a mere $600 for the year. Payment will be by 4-month increments through either PayPal or a check, due before the first call.
I will be holding a couple of conference calls to answer any questions or concerns any of you might have about the program to help you decide if it is right for you now. If you would like to participate in an informational call, email me for the next date and time of a call. There will be several in March, 2010, the inauguration of this program; and, after that, scheduled as needed. Please email me at mail@earth-heart.net to register for the call (no cost, just to let me know how many will be there and be sure the system can accommodate everyone). Put “The Training” somewhere in the subject line. I will then send you the phone number for you to call into the conference call.
If you know you want to sign up without the call, email me that as well. It is on a first-come-first-served basis. I will need the typical Earth-Heart application with medical form (important!), letter, and picture. I will then send you more detailed contact information for the calls, and ask you for available times for our monthly calls.
This is not mentoring and so there won’t be time to delve into personal issues that come up during the course of the work. If something personal comes up and you want to talk to me about it, we will have to schedule a phone consultation to do it. See the web page for pricing of those calls.
The image of the forty-day vision quest is surrounded with mystery and has, almost, a romantic aura about it. Actually, it is impossibly hard, and it will challenge the very core of the devotion, commitment, and faith of the quester. Anyone who approaches this quest with a “romantic” sense will not last very long in it--a week or two. These romantic notions will not give you the inner fire and outer preparation necessary to complete the quest and thus gain its remarkable benefits. There is nothing magical about it, the laws that govern the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions must be worked with and bent to your purpose for success to be achieved. No amount of effort originating from the place that “wants” to do this ultimate quest will be enough to complete it.After many requests, and despite the challenges of such a long quest and of a long retreat, Earth-Heart has decided to offer both the 40-day quest and the 42-day retreat in the fall of 2011. However, after our last experience of such long programs, we will require anyone who seeks to apply to either of these programs to complete a year-long training program to prepare them for the physical, emotional, and mental rigors they will face. Trust me, there is no benefit to taking such a long program without having honored it by adequate preparation.
I want to emphasize that anyone who wants to take either of these courses is required to do the year-long training. However, you don’t need to commit to either program to take the training—that decision, or the decision not to do either, can be made much later.
Let me say clearly, that this program is not only for those who wish to do one of the longer retreats. It is for anyone who is interested in; 1) learning about this incredible tool of humanness that we live through; 2) learning how sensitive and powerful our human tool is for living and exploring in this and many other dimensions; 3) learn how the goal of our journey already exists inside of us and that we only need to hone the human tool to awaken to that reality; 4) learn the power of focus and the tools to apply that ability in life; 5) learn about the higher functions of the tools that we now use only through their physical expression; 6) learn countless tools to help you on this journey; and 7) bring all of the above to a one-pointed, laser-like focus that will enhance and expand every dimension of your lives. It will give you a powerful ground to stand upon as you walk your path and open the higher aspects of yourself for use in the here and now. Every lesson will focus on you and will explore the incredible array of tools you have as a human being. In the end, you will have both knowledge and experience.
The nature of this training will push you to work virtually every day on the homework assignments, so you must commit time almost daily to it, to yourself, and to your path. There will be work with your body, your emotional self, your mental self, and your “essential self”. At first, that work will be on the “lower” expressions of these tools, however, as the course proceeds, we will begin to activate the “higher” functions to these tools and learn to focus and apply them to our spiritual and physical lives. The goal will be to sharpen and hone these tools to such surgical perfection that we can enter our quests, retreats, relationships, work, play—our life—with all of ourself rather than fragmented and divided.
With any long program, or, actually, in any area of our day to day lives, a weak body will shift into a defensive mode early to protect itself; a weak emotional body will similarly implode if it has not achieved at least a small amount of fluidity to process through the difficult emotional experiences that arise in life; and a weak mind will founder as all familiar landmarks are removed. This is vastly increased in a long retreat or quest. If you are not prepared, every part of you will simply shift into survival mode rather than a creative opening.
You see, the problem each of these parts of self will encounter on a long retreat is that an overwhelming upsurge of all your resistance as the vastness of the Sacred Silence will rip through the psychic structures of your lives, in a sense, annihilating the old, physically-based self. This experience will take from you all that is familiar, including the nature of your feelings, thoughts, and even your physical reactions and leave you in a new, uncharted, territory. It will bring you home.
The journey home is simple but it is not easy and only a strong body, emotion, and mind will be able to use these long retreats powerfully and learn to integrate the lessons and experiences into themselves afterwards. This training program will work with all three areas of our lives as well as with the fourth, the sacred within us. We will explore the lower and higher expressions of each aspect of self and the unfolding nature of our work, and the year long commitment, will allow us to strive for mastery of each. I recognize that this program is lengthy and will require quite the commitment. However, I have structured it in such a way that our meetings do not require a huge disruption of your lives or of your finances.
To save my time and your costs, we will meet as a group by phone. Each group will be about 8 people so there will be time for individual questions (but not personal issues—this is NOT mentoring and will not replace mentoring). We will meet once a month, via phone, for 2 hours and each phone call will have a brief check-in and review of the previous month, I will speak for an hour to explain the topic and knowledge of the next month, and the rest of the time will be for questions of previous or current work and for clarification of any practices we are using. Each month a range of practices will be introduced that will reflect different approaches to the topic of that month so if you don’t feel drawn to one of them, another should capture your imagination and interest. I will be available for email contact between the phone calls for questions that arise from the exercises you are working on.
I will require a four-month commitment, so twice through the year you could opt out if you don’t feel the class is going in a direction you are interested in. This is because it will take four months for you to grasp what we are doing and give you an understanding of the breadth of the teaching and practices we will be employing. Only then will you be able to fairly judge if the program is right for you. For the first four months, I ask that you simply trust your original impulse to enroll in the program.
My medicine has always been to demystify and simplify the knowledge of spiritual truths and in this program you will get the fruits of 45 years of experience along the spiritual path. However, none of it will mean a thing to you unless you engage the exercises and push yourself to do the work in the weeks between our calls. This work will require your commitment, focus, discipline, and heart. You will get out of it only what you put into it. What I share with you will only be information until you do the work to own it in your heart and life.
Think of me not as a teacher so much as a coach who is helping you train for the thrilling challenges of life and living. It makes no difference how ‘conditioned’ I may be, if you want to become a world-class spiritual athlete, you will have to follow through with the effort to do the exercises and become the very best you were born to be, which is nothing short of brilliant. I can show you the way and share the tools that will help you, however, it is up to you to exercise them until you find the mastery that is your birthright.
Because of the economic recession we are in, I am pricing this program at a ridiculously low level so that everyone who is interested can sign up. Believe me, the next time I offer it, it will not be this inexpensive by a long shot. Also, I have limited spots available. Because of other commitments, I can only offer this program to four groups of 8 people each, one group a week. Cost of the program is $50 per month, or $200 per 4-month commitment—a mere $600 for the year. Payment will be by 4-month increments through either PayPal or a check, due before the first call.
I will be holding a couple of conference calls to answer any questions or concerns any of you might have about the program to help you decide if it is right for you now. If you would like to participate in an informational call, email me for the next date and time of a call. There will be several in March, 2010, the inauguration of this program; and, after that, scheduled as needed. Please email me at mail@earth-heart.net to register for the call (no cost, just to let me know how many will be there and be sure the system can accommodate everyone). Put “The Training” somewhere in the subject line. I will then send you the phone number for you to call into the conference call.
If you know you want to sign up without the call, email me that as well. It is on a first-come-first-served basis. I will need the typical Earth-Heart application with medical form (important!), letter, and picture. I will then send you more detailed contact information for the calls, and ask you for available times for our monthly calls.
This is not mentoring and so there won’t be time to delve into personal issues that come up during the course of the work. If something personal comes up and you want to talk to me about it, we will have to schedule a phone consultation to do it. See the web page for pricing of those calls.
Date and Location
TBAInstructor: Malcolm
