Earth and Sky Speak to Us Nature Awareness - Attunement during, day, dawn, sunset and/or starry night time Some of the experiences: -- A time of deep observing, as you relax into now awareness. Begin to sense energies, textures, qualities of light and shadow. Make a personal friendship with a tree. Sink into the earth and invite connection with her vibration/energies and see the crystalline pattern within the rocks. Listen to bird sounds, see the landscape through the eyes of one of the wild animals as you practice vibrational shapeshifting to sense their spirit and allow that to enliven you. -- Elements of our high desert ecosystem -- Then practice ways of being in nature as a doorway to open to fresh inspiration: divining walk, rock divining, vision circle, tree wisdom, thick description, close observation, embracing the elements, messages mirrored to you from nature, noticing patterns. What are signs? What makes some places sacred? -- Ancestral perceptions of living earth and ways to stay in balance and honor the earth; sky stories. Discussion of purpose of unseen, but still active ancestral shrine sites in our region. Intentionality in directing, consecrating energies in nature. Why spend time with nature? Slowing down, relaxing the thinking mind and allowing yourself to feel enlivened by the primal energies and beauties of nature helps us release stress and unwind into our natural way of being. As you become more at home on the land, you build confidence. Then when back home people might notice that, like coyote, your eyes hint at mysteries of the wild that resonate within you. Stimulate your imagination, slip for moments into timeless sense of connection to Life. Often fresh ideas and insights slip in. Who knows, maybe you will spark a new mythology of who you are. So that when you return back to the urban, domesticated world, you find your perception has sharpened, your world is larger, more in perspective. Each outing uniquely created for the weather, the particpants. Can be adapted for children. Short nature walks in 1 - 3 areas. Not a hiking or overall tour of Sedona. I will point out places to go to deepen your own experience of nature and archaeology, including ways to approach prehistoric sites (which are numerous in our valley) and to connect with spirit of place. Please scroll to bottom for program options, costs. -----Led by Sandra Cosentino, (M.S. Natural Resources Planning and former land manager in Alaska, fire look-out at Sierra Ancha remote sites and school teacher in rural Arizona) who has decades of life experience out in wild places, mystical knowledge, 30 years sharing wisdom and friendship with Native peoples, and an understanding of the natural history. Please scroll to bottom for prices and seminar choices. “..this is Coyote’s country—a landscape of the imagination, where nothing is as it appears.  ... These astonishing formations invite a new mythology for desert goers ...The stories rooted in experience become beads to trade.  It is the story, always the story, that precedes and follows the journey.” “Coyote knows it is the proportion of days spent in wildness that counts in urbane savvy.” quotes from Terry Tempest Williams from her book Red: Passion and Patience in the Desert   Patterns in nature reflect our inner story. Each season has its gifts, its own energetics and beauty. How much do we know about the common robin as shown here in this amazing photo by Jackie Klieger of Sedona? Below is an image I made while in Canyon de Chelly of grasshoppers mating. These intimate moments in nature takes us into pure connectedness beyond the thinking mind. And leave imprints of timeless joy. The energy shifts as the sun goes down and moon and stars comes out. How much do we know of nature at night? Big Dipper--part of northern hemisphere circumpolar star groupings Pleiades Time lapse of star movement----a pattern you become aware of with observation during the course of the night. Awareness and Creativity in Nature Program Options 1. Core skills program: Earth and Sky Speak to Us Seminar in Nature Overview given above. Can be done at dawn or toward sunset or during the day. It is not a Sedona tour; although we may use 1 - 3 locations for our nature work. Each program customized to participants interests and level. Appropriate for those with general nature interest, for children/parents or individuals developing nature awareness skills as a spiritual practice. Combine with a Tour $75 pp with 3 or more, 2.5 hours $85 pp with 2 people, 2 hours $130 with 1 person, 1 1/2 hours plus tax .09375% 2. Night time experience: Sunset - Starlight Nature, Sacred Solo Circle Sense shifts in sounds, the air as night falls. Stargaze, enjoy sky stories, ancient and neww. Living earth understandings for balance and insight. Introduction to vision quest circle in nature: focus, calming mind, being in communication with the costmos, safety tips so you feel comfortable being in solo vision circle for an hour. This is much deeper experience if your first do The Earth and Sky Speaks to Us and/or Mystical Nature Shamanic Journey $110 pp with 3 or more, 3.5 hours $135 pp with 2 people, 3 hours $260 with 1 person, 3 hours Opening to Earth Connections and Mystic Seeing Retreat For those developing a practice working with spirits of nature, you will have greater depth of experience with this progression of related experiences to create a retreat of 3 to 4 days: 1. Earth and Sky Speak to Us Plus (1.5 - 3 hours) plus Sedona Sacred Sites/Vortex Journey (2 - 2.5 hour short version) so you know the places to access the land, the Native and metaphysical perspectives on sacred land, the natural history, the stories that bring you into the land in a richer and quicker way. Would do this in combination with #1. 2. Mystical Nature Shamanic Journey (3 - 4 hours) brings you experience with doing soul flight/shamanic journey and lucid dream awareness to connect with the vibratory essences of Creation for guidance and healing with intuitive insights/guidance from Sandra who has decades of direct experience with these practices. 3. The Circle of Power (Medicine Wheel) Teaching and Ceremony (2 - 3 hours) takes the nature awareness and mystical perceptions a step farther to actively work with intention, ceremonial protocols, directing energies to create change in your life. 4. Sunset - Starlight Nature - Sacred Solo Circle(3 - 3.5 hours) Retreat cost: $460 each for 3 people ($575 each for 2 people; $850 for 1 person) If you want to reduce time frame and/or cost of retreat, we can delete #3, Circle of Power Ceremony.   creative options: Nature as stimulus for artistic expression: --A seminar with a talented local landscape artist can be arranged--he can work with people with no previous experience. --Create your personal leather shield and paint with symbols based on your experiences as we do during vision quest retreats. updated Aug. 20, 2011 Crossing Worlds Journeys and Retreats P O Box 3288 Sedona, AZ 86340 1-800-350-2693 for initial info calls Office:  928-282-0846 eMail: journeys@crossingworlds.com