''Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.''
// Thomas Merton
Everyone knows that in order to lead a happy life, we need to lead a life of balance and harmony. But what does it mean, really? Is balance about making enough time for oneself while also caring for societal matters? Is it about keeping ourselves busy enough so that we don't lose interest in life and also finding enough time for rest and relaxation? Or is it about being playful, adventurous and travel a lot while still standing firmly on the ground, having short-term and long-term goals and plans and doing everything to achieve them? Is it all of it?
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LA LUNA
The dark of the night.
The Feminine mystery. The Moon. Being naked in the center of her vulnerability, she surrenders to the flow of life. She knows that truth comes as body whispers, born from her own experience. She is comfortable with the dark and messy areas of her life, recognizing the wisdom of the cycle and nature rhythms. |
ILLUMINA
The light of the sun.
The Masculine clarity. Illuminated. Thriving on the call toward adventure through inspired action, he sets mission-driven goals and knows himself through ''doing'' and the passion generated from his vision. He demonstrates his abilities to rise to life's call. La Luna is there for him to support his journey. |
COMBINED
In this retreat of mindfulness, we create a safe space where we all learn and explore together.
What is the Feminine inside of us, really? How can we tap into our intuitive body wisdom and create beauty and love everywhere we go? How can we access the valuable direction of the Masculine, while still keeping our integrity and values? How can we establish and maintain that inner balance, supporting ourselves in becoming better leaders and members of our communities? How can we work together instead of fighting against each other? |
How can we illuminate our own darkness?
WHAT ARE WE HERE FOR?
With the project La Luna Illumina, we wish to reach the following objectives:
▼ create a safe space for ourselves to learn, explore and grow together, rising our levels of consciousness
▼ explore the concept of BALANCE - what is it and how do we maintain it? Is it even necessary and why?
▼ share tools and methods for staying centered and balanced in our everyday
▼ for each participant to create their own effective practice for restoring emotional balance to be applied daily
▼ spread the message of the project with lager circles by sharing our experience with others
▼ to create situations back at our home countries where we can actively practice the principles of La Luna Illumina.
▼ create a safe space for ourselves to learn, explore and grow together, rising our levels of consciousness
▼ explore the concept of BALANCE - what is it and how do we maintain it? Is it even necessary and why?
▼ share tools and methods for staying centered and balanced in our everyday
▼ for each participant to create their own effective practice for restoring emotional balance to be applied daily
▼ spread the message of the project with lager circles by sharing our experience with others
▼ to create situations back at our home countries where we can actively practice the principles of La Luna Illumina.
THIS IS HOW WE DO IT
What exactly happens depends also on you, but we'll definitely use body movement activities and stillness, singing and freeing the voice, practices, rituals and ceremonies from native tribes, dynamic meditation and visualizations, women and men circles, releasing what no longer serves, seeding the new, tuning into senses and going for a sacred pilgrimage.
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BUT WHY?
In its very essence, the project La Luna Illumina is an answer to the increasing pain we see all around us in our communities, in our environment, in our economy. The world has clearly shifted out of balance, and it is our wish and desire to support others in recreating that sense of inner harmony within themselves. Because by feeling inner harmony, we also start to feel outer harmony with the nature, people, and matters of 21st century - we come to accept things as they are, people as they are, situations as they are, and by doing so, we can take unbiased action towards a better future, improved and more inclusive relationships, and sensible decisions in various fields of our life.
Care for nature is what drives this project, and so we also bring in the principles of Zero-Waste philosophy. We reduce what we need, reuse as much as we can, send little to be recycled, and compost what we cannot. For this reason, we also ask you to take extra care for what you bring with you and how you show up in this project, limiting all waste both in terms of trash and unnecessary packaging, but also when using water and other resources of our planet. |
THE SANCTUARY
Rites, a beloved place for endless creativity, is the training site of Piedzīvojuma Gars and is located in a beautiful remote area with just a few neighbor houses around, with the nearest town Ķegums at a distance of 15 km.
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We'll live together in a close shared space on the 2nd floor of the house, taking care of the environment and each other by contributing to daily household tasks and supporting the community for common growth.
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The training site has no alcohol and no drugs policy. Wi-Fi is limited and we invite you to leave your electronic devices behind.
We will have our own cook preparing local, organic, fully vegetarian meals. |
TIME FRAME AND COSTS
We are meeting on 8 October at 11.30 in Riga center for a registration, then go together to Ķegums by train, and after - on a hike to the venue.
The program ends on 16 October at 22.00 and the departure day is 17 October. Plan your travels accordingly. |
The partner countries of this project are Greece, Romania, Czech Republic, Spain and Latvia.
Your travel expenses will be reimbursed up to 275 EUR for Czechs and Romanians; 360 EUR - for Spanish and Greek participants.
If you wish to explore Latvia, you can come/leave 2 days before/after the project dates. All expenses during these days are up to you.
The rest of the expenses (accommodation, food, materials) within project dates are funded by Erasmus+ program.
Your travel expenses will be reimbursed up to 275 EUR for Czechs and Romanians; 360 EUR - for Spanish and Greek participants.
If you wish to explore Latvia, you can come/leave 2 days before/after the project dates. All expenses during these days are up to you.
The rest of the expenses (accommodation, food, materials) within project dates are funded by Erasmus+ program.
BRING WITH YOU
Take the time to evaluate what you truly need and leave the unnecessary behind. Here is the minimum we advise you to take with you:
▼ comfortable, weather-friendly clothes for movement and stillness both outdoors and indoors, ▼ a set of white clothes for celebration and ceremony, ▼ outdoor shoes (also suitable for longer walks) and indoor shoes, ▼ a sleeping bag and sleeping mat (also possible for rent at the venue), ▼ towel and personal hygiene kit, ▼ personal medicine if needed, ▼ reusable water bottle, ▼ flashlight, ▼ notebook and pen, ▼ ID and all of your travel documents, ▼ travel insurance (not EHIC), ▼ everything packed in a backpack (ready for a 2-day hike!). |
SPACE HOLDERS
rOTA GULEVSKAA forest fairy whose main drive in life is taking care for planet and helping Mother Earth by supporting people to reconnect to themselves, others and nature.
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KAJ VISHWASA tireless world traveler, explorer and mystical body worker.
He believes in the power of constant learning, seeing the greatest development opportunities in how we relate to each other. |
ABOUT US
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CONTACTS
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CAN YOU ILLUMINATE YOUR DARKNESS?
JOIN THE TEAM OF CREATORS
We are also looking for media team members:
▼ a photographer, ▼ a film-maker for creating promotional videos of the project, ▼ a social media ninja to take care of our online activities on Instagram and Facebook. If you are interested in any of those roles, add this information to your application form, and let us know about your creation so far by writing an e-mail to connect@piedzivojumagars.lv with a couple of examples of your work. As a team member, you will participate in online planning and have the opportunity to experience the activities from a different point of view, while still playing an important role in the tribe. |