Groupwork: Sacred Gatherings
Workshops
The Erotic Journey of Lent: A Six-Week Telephone Class
March 6, 13, 20, 27, April 3, and April 10, 8 pm Eastern Time. $120 for six calls!
In this Six-week telephone class, you will experience the Christian mysteries as never before, harnessing their sensuous power to radically transform your life! Two thousand years ago, Yeshua invited his friends to set down their burdens, satisfy their thirst, come home to the garden of paradise, and find themselves again in lovemaking with God – a message, and an invitation, that is still just as powerful today.
The heart of this journey is the holy time of Lent, a period of spiritual homecoming that recalls Israel’s forty years in the desert, Yeshua’s forty-days in the desert, and most importantly, humanity’s return to the Garden of Eden, the Land of Milk and Honey, the Promised Land we were made for. The eastern Christian tradition sees Lent not as a time of self-denial and self-punishment, but as a time of homecoming – leaving the narrow places of our daily lives, purifying our emotions, surrendering our knowledge and control, returning to true nourishment and communion, and uniting with the bridegroom, the divine Beloved. This journey is not a disembodied, spiritual one; it involves every aspect of our lives, including our relationships with food and drink, our own sensuous bodies, our breath, our minds, the living world around us, and each other. It is fundamentally an Erotic journey, kindling and deepening our desire until we will be satisfied with nothing less that union with the divine beloved in everything and everyone around us.
In each of these six classes, we will explore the central themes of Lent, discuss our personal journeys as we experience them through concrete practices, and conclude each call with a brief meditation. The themes for the six classes will be:
The Erotic Journey of Lent: A Map for the Pilgrim’s Journey
Feeling the Narrow Places in our Lives, and Confronting Pharaoh
Out of the Narrow Places, Crossing the Red Sea, and Facing the Desert
Manna in the Wilderness, Water from the Rock, and Children in the Fire
Holy Week, the Feast of the Bridegroom, and Freeing the Captives
Holy Pascha, Holy Union: Looking Towards Pentecost
Pilgrims in the class will also receive a selection of writings from the great erotic mystics of the church for Contemplative Reading, as well as a set of simple, flexible practices for Contemplative Prayer, Erotic Prayer, and Sacred Relationship, including our relationships with food, our bodies, each other, and the natural world. Pilgrims do not have to attend every call, though it is strongly encouraged, so that we can each participate in the fullness of the journey, and share our own gifts with our brothers and sisters. Each call will be approximately 1.5 hours, and pilgrims are encouraged to set aside fifteen minutes before and after each call to reflect on their own journey, and integrate our time together. To register or get more information, call me at 828-450-8800 or email me at wayofwholeness@hotmail.com!
March 6, 13, 20, 27, April 3, and April 10, 8 pm Eastern Time. $120 for six calls!
In this Six-week telephone class, you will experience the Christian mysteries as never before, harnessing their sensuous power to radically transform your life! Two thousand years ago, Yeshua invited his friends to set down their burdens, satisfy their thirst, come home to the garden of paradise, and find themselves again in lovemaking with God – a message, and an invitation, that is still just as powerful today.
The heart of this journey is the holy time of Lent, a period of spiritual homecoming that recalls Israel’s forty years in the desert, Yeshua’s forty-days in the desert, and most importantly, humanity’s return to the Garden of Eden, the Land of Milk and Honey, the Promised Land we were made for. The eastern Christian tradition sees Lent not as a time of self-denial and self-punishment, but as a time of homecoming – leaving the narrow places of our daily lives, purifying our emotions, surrendering our knowledge and control, returning to true nourishment and communion, and uniting with the bridegroom, the divine Beloved. This journey is not a disembodied, spiritual one; it involves every aspect of our lives, including our relationships with food and drink, our own sensuous bodies, our breath, our minds, the living world around us, and each other. It is fundamentally an Erotic journey, kindling and deepening our desire until we will be satisfied with nothing less that union with the divine beloved in everything and everyone around us.
In each of these six classes, we will explore the central themes of Lent, discuss our personal journeys as we experience them through concrete practices, and conclude each call with a brief meditation. The themes for the six classes will be:
The Erotic Journey of Lent: A Map for the Pilgrim’s Journey
Feeling the Narrow Places in our Lives, and Confronting Pharaoh
Out of the Narrow Places, Crossing the Red Sea, and Facing the Desert
Manna in the Wilderness, Water from the Rock, and Children in the Fire
Holy Week, the Feast of the Bridegroom, and Freeing the Captives
Holy Pascha, Holy Union: Looking Towards Pentecost
Pilgrims in the class will also receive a selection of writings from the great erotic mystics of the church for Contemplative Reading, as well as a set of simple, flexible practices for Contemplative Prayer, Erotic Prayer, and Sacred Relationship, including our relationships with food, our bodies, each other, and the natural world. Pilgrims do not have to attend every call, though it is strongly encouraged, so that we can each participate in the fullness of the journey, and share our own gifts with our brothers and sisters. Each call will be approximately 1.5 hours, and pilgrims are encouraged to set aside fifteen minutes before and after each call to reflect on their own journey, and integrate our time together. To register or get more information, call me at 828-450-8800 or email me at wayofwholeness@hotmail.com!
Ecstatic Stillness: A Two Spirit Training
Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 12:00pm until Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 10:00am
From birth, most of us are taught a gender role based on our sex; male children are taught how to be a man, and girls how to be women, according to the roles assigned each gender. Many Indigenous societies around the world see more than just two gender roles, however, based not just on the child's sex, but also on his or her inner Nature, as it reveals itself. Two Spirited children were trained as embodiment of both Male and Female, but neither, to bring forth their natural gifts as mediators. Every child and person has a place and a gift brought to the People, and that is nurtured in every individual.
In this retreat we will delve into training as Two Spirited, Third Gendered people that is our birth right, that many of us did not receive as children. For those familiar with Two Spirit traditions, this will be an opportunity to take that knowing to a deeper level, although no experience of these ways is definitely not necessary. Through experiencial exercises, Ritual, Sweat Lodge, Talking Circles, and Teachings we will explore the Between Spaces of male and female, Mother Earth and Father Sky, Seen and Unseen, to realize the True Nature of our Being as Two Spirited people. In the Between Spaces we’ll discover the Ecstatic Stillness that is our gift as Two Spirit People. Participants will depart with hands on training to deepen and maintain relationship with Spirit Guides, and Higher Self, and a deeper Understanding of the Sacredness of our Sexuality and Gender.
This Retreat/ Training will be held in comfort and intimacy of the beautiful home and land of Michael and Wolf, in the foothills just outside of Santa Fe NM. The land is stunning, and the Spirits here Inviting. This is also to help keep the cost of this retreat to a minimum. We are offering this event for just $400. We have beds for 5 or 6, plenty of floor space for those willing to sleep on bed rolls and sleeping bags, or lots of land for tenting for those willing to brave the chilly March nights. There is a motel very near, The Pecos Trail Inn, 505-982-1943. It is ten minutes down the road. The accommodations are very nice and affordable starting at around $80, and up to $120 for a Casita! Food is included in the cost of the retreat, and all meals will be communal at the house. You are welcome to bring specialty items if need be. Be sure to let us know of any dietary restrictions.
Space is limited, many have expressed interest, so Please respond ASAP to reserve your spot. A deposit of half, or full amount will assure your participation in this special fun filled event, that is sure to deepen your Connection to All That Is! To register or get more information, call me at 828-450-8800 or email me at wayofwholeness@hotmail.com!
Thursday, March 8, 2012 at 12:00pm until Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 10:00am
From birth, most of us are taught a gender role based on our sex; male children are taught how to be a man, and girls how to be women, according to the roles assigned each gender. Many Indigenous societies around the world see more than just two gender roles, however, based not just on the child's sex, but also on his or her inner Nature, as it reveals itself. Two Spirited children were trained as embodiment of both Male and Female, but neither, to bring forth their natural gifts as mediators. Every child and person has a place and a gift brought to the People, and that is nurtured in every individual.
In this retreat we will delve into training as Two Spirited, Third Gendered people that is our birth right, that many of us did not receive as children. For those familiar with Two Spirit traditions, this will be an opportunity to take that knowing to a deeper level, although no experience of these ways is definitely not necessary. Through experiencial exercises, Ritual, Sweat Lodge, Talking Circles, and Teachings we will explore the Between Spaces of male and female, Mother Earth and Father Sky, Seen and Unseen, to realize the True Nature of our Being as Two Spirited people. In the Between Spaces we’ll discover the Ecstatic Stillness that is our gift as Two Spirit People. Participants will depart with hands on training to deepen and maintain relationship with Spirit Guides, and Higher Self, and a deeper Understanding of the Sacredness of our Sexuality and Gender.
This Retreat/ Training will be held in comfort and intimacy of the beautiful home and land of Michael and Wolf, in the foothills just outside of Santa Fe NM. The land is stunning, and the Spirits here Inviting. This is also to help keep the cost of this retreat to a minimum. We are offering this event for just $400. We have beds for 5 or 6, plenty of floor space for those willing to sleep on bed rolls and sleeping bags, or lots of land for tenting for those willing to brave the chilly March nights. There is a motel very near, The Pecos Trail Inn, 505-982-1943. It is ten minutes down the road. The accommodations are very nice and affordable starting at around $80, and up to $120 for a Casita! Food is included in the cost of the retreat, and all meals will be communal at the house. You are welcome to bring specialty items if need be. Be sure to let us know of any dietary restrictions.
Space is limited, many have expressed interest, so Please respond ASAP to reserve your spot. A deposit of half, or full amount will assure your participation in this special fun filled event, that is sure to deepen your Connection to All That Is! To register or get more information, call me at 828-450-8800 or email me at wayofwholeness@hotmail.com!
The Erotic Body of Christ:
Exploring the Erotic Wisdom of Christianity
7-9:30 pm Friday May 4 and 1-5 pm Saturday May 5
at Jubilee! Community in Asheville NC; Suggested donation $10 for Friday and $40 for Saturday, but all are welcome!
Join us for a gentle and joyful exploration of the erotic wisdom at the heart of the Christian mystical tradition. Christians, non-Christians, and curious wanderers are all welcome as we explore the original vision of Christianity, a vision that insists upon the holiness of the world as icon and incarnation of God, and calls us to the “one thing needful”: making love with God in every feeling, thought, breath, word and gesture. In this vision desire, pleasure, and joy become crucial steps on the spiritual path of theosis, or union with God.
In our presentation Friday and our experiential workshop Saturday, we will begin to free the teaching of Jesus from millennia of distortion, healing our shame and fear, re-awakening the spiritual power of our desire, and celebrating the holiness of our bodies and our world. Activities will include presentation, sharing, partner work, chanting, breath work, gentle movement, healing touch, and ceremony. All activities are clothed, so please wear loose, comfortable clothing, and bring a journal to record your reflections. For more information, call me at 828-450-8800 or email me at wayofwholeness@hotmail.com!
Exploring the Erotic Wisdom of Christianity
7-9:30 pm Friday May 4 and 1-5 pm Saturday May 5
at Jubilee! Community in Asheville NC; Suggested donation $10 for Friday and $40 for Saturday, but all are welcome!
Join us for a gentle and joyful exploration of the erotic wisdom at the heart of the Christian mystical tradition. Christians, non-Christians, and curious wanderers are all welcome as we explore the original vision of Christianity, a vision that insists upon the holiness of the world as icon and incarnation of God, and calls us to the “one thing needful”: making love with God in every feeling, thought, breath, word and gesture. In this vision desire, pleasure, and joy become crucial steps on the spiritual path of theosis, or union with God.
In our presentation Friday and our experiential workshop Saturday, we will begin to free the teaching of Jesus from millennia of distortion, healing our shame and fear, re-awakening the spiritual power of our desire, and celebrating the holiness of our bodies and our world. Activities will include presentation, sharing, partner work, chanting, breath work, gentle movement, healing touch, and ceremony. All activities are clothed, so please wear loose, comfortable clothing, and bring a journal to record your reflections. For more information, call me at 828-450-8800 or email me at wayofwholeness@hotmail.com!
The Wisdom of Desire
June 29, 2012 to July 01, 2012 at Kirkridge Retreat Center, Delaware Water Gap, PA. This Retreat is for Gay and Bi Men, Singles and Couples Welcome
Cost: $495.00; Limited to 20 men!
Have you felt the sweet, sharp pang of desire? Have you followed desire’s call, past all common sense and reason? Maybe you have fought against desire, only to feel its coals still burning deep inside, ready to burst into flame? Or perhaps you feel only its absence? Whatever your relationship with desire, come!
“Every bit of the universe is filled with wanting, and whatever any bit wants, wants the wanter!” - Mevlana Rumi
We invite you to join us for a passionate, playful and profound exploration of desire, its role in our lives, and its potential to set us free! In this four-day experiential retreat, we will draw upon the teachings and practices of the world’s mystical traditions to:
• rediscover the deep organismic wisdom of desire
• liberate our desire from addiction, judgment, and fear
• break through habits of suppressing or indulging our desire
• harness our desire to create lives of passion and joy
“Look into the nature of desire and there is boundless light.” - Padmasambhava
Through inner exploration, dialogue, interactive group exercises, breathwork, authentic movement, intimate touch, and erotic play, we will support each other in discovering a relationship with desire that heals and fulfills us.
“I prefer to be a dreamer among the humblest, with visions to be realized, than lord among those without dreams
and desires.” - Khalil Gibran
The exercises we will explore come from an amazing spectrum of mystics: yogis, medieval cabbalists, Buddhist monks, sufi saints, sacred intimates, Toltec masters, Christian mystics – and even the early founders of the twelve step tradition. All of them recognized desire as the fundamental fact of our existence, and devoted their lives to the cultivation and ripening of its transformative and enlightening energies. They recognized that desire, met with fear, judgment, and ignorance, can cause great suffering.
“Eros once again, limb-loosener, whirls me, sweetbitter, impossible to fight off.” - Sappho
At the same time, they discovered ways to liberate desire by releasing the shame, doubt, and fear that twist and suppress desire. They learned how to meet our desire with awareness, love, and courage, and channel it through our greatest gratitude and generosity. As we liberate our own desire, it can inspire our dreams and move us to extraordinary acts of creativity, and open gateways to bliss and illumination. To register or learn more, please go to www.spiritjourneys.com, or call me at (828) 450-8800.
June 29, 2012 to July 01, 2012 at Kirkridge Retreat Center, Delaware Water Gap, PA. This Retreat is for Gay and Bi Men, Singles and Couples Welcome
Cost: $495.00; Limited to 20 men!
Have you felt the sweet, sharp pang of desire? Have you followed desire’s call, past all common sense and reason? Maybe you have fought against desire, only to feel its coals still burning deep inside, ready to burst into flame? Or perhaps you feel only its absence? Whatever your relationship with desire, come!
“Every bit of the universe is filled with wanting, and whatever any bit wants, wants the wanter!” - Mevlana Rumi
We invite you to join us for a passionate, playful and profound exploration of desire, its role in our lives, and its potential to set us free! In this four-day experiential retreat, we will draw upon the teachings and practices of the world’s mystical traditions to:
• rediscover the deep organismic wisdom of desire
• liberate our desire from addiction, judgment, and fear
• break through habits of suppressing or indulging our desire
• harness our desire to create lives of passion and joy
“Look into the nature of desire and there is boundless light.” - Padmasambhava
Through inner exploration, dialogue, interactive group exercises, breathwork, authentic movement, intimate touch, and erotic play, we will support each other in discovering a relationship with desire that heals and fulfills us.
“I prefer to be a dreamer among the humblest, with visions to be realized, than lord among those without dreams
and desires.” - Khalil Gibran
The exercises we will explore come from an amazing spectrum of mystics: yogis, medieval cabbalists, Buddhist monks, sufi saints, sacred intimates, Toltec masters, Christian mystics – and even the early founders of the twelve step tradition. All of them recognized desire as the fundamental fact of our existence, and devoted their lives to the cultivation and ripening of its transformative and enlightening energies. They recognized that desire, met with fear, judgment, and ignorance, can cause great suffering.
“Eros once again, limb-loosener, whirls me, sweetbitter, impossible to fight off.” - Sappho
At the same time, they discovered ways to liberate desire by releasing the shame, doubt, and fear that twist and suppress desire. They learned how to meet our desire with awareness, love, and courage, and channel it through our greatest gratitude and generosity. As we liberate our own desire, it can inspire our dreams and move us to extraordinary acts of creativity, and open gateways to bliss and illumination. To register or learn more, please go to www.spiritjourneys.com, or call me at (828) 450-8800.
Finding Love: A Path to Satisfaction!
Jemez Springs, New MexicoAugust 15, 2012 to August 18, 2012. This Retreat is for Gay and Bi Men, Singles and Couples Welcome. Cost: $595.00
Looking for love? Leaving loneliness behind? Ready to release the fear, shame, doubt, or grief that keep you from finding love and letting it in? Join us as we explore and release the things that keep us from having a fulfilling, lasting relationship with another man. With the support of our brothers, we will unlock our minds and hearts and allow ourselves to love and to be loved.We will explore such things as:
♦ Seeing and Dissolving the Habits that Sabotage Love
♦ Keeping The "Fire" Alive In A Relationship
♦ Taking the “Hard Work” out of Relationship
♦ Creating Trust, Acceptance, and Intimacy
♦ Becoming We: What It Means To Be A Couple
♦ Balancing “I” and “We”
♦ Overcoming Fear and Growing Into Unconditional Love
♦ Kindling the Fires of Passion Without Getting Burnt
♦ The Passionate Arts of Erotic Touch and Sensual Living
To register or learn more, please go to www.spiritjourneys.com, or call me at (828) 450-8800.
Jemez Springs, New MexicoAugust 15, 2012 to August 18, 2012. This Retreat is for Gay and Bi Men, Singles and Couples Welcome. Cost: $595.00
Looking for love? Leaving loneliness behind? Ready to release the fear, shame, doubt, or grief that keep you from finding love and letting it in? Join us as we explore and release the things that keep us from having a fulfilling, lasting relationship with another man. With the support of our brothers, we will unlock our minds and hearts and allow ourselves to love and to be loved.We will explore such things as:
♦ Seeing and Dissolving the Habits that Sabotage Love
♦ Keeping The "Fire" Alive In A Relationship
♦ Taking the “Hard Work” out of Relationship
♦ Creating Trust, Acceptance, and Intimacy
♦ Becoming We: What It Means To Be A Couple
♦ Balancing “I” and “We”
♦ Overcoming Fear and Growing Into Unconditional Love
♦ Kindling the Fires of Passion Without Getting Burnt
♦ The Passionate Arts of Erotic Touch and Sensual Living
To register or learn more, please go to www.spiritjourneys.com, or call me at (828) 450-8800.
Retreats
20th Annual Summer Retreat
Jemez Springs, New Mexico
August 05, 2012 to August 11, 2012. This Retreat is for Gay and Bi Men, Singles and Couples Welcome. Cost: $1395.00A VERY special Summer Retreat in honor of our Twentieth Anniversary!
The Spirit Journeys Summer Retreat has always been a relaxing, rejuvenating, life changing and life affirming event. However, we are planning some very special things for our 20th Anniversary to make it even more powerful. The Summer Retreat is a chance to really "get away from it all"; to recover from the stresses of daily life and to make new connections with other men, much more so than on an ordinary vacation. There is extraordinary power to be found in a community of gay men gathered together for seven days in such an intimate setting. With the loving encouragement of brothers, we are able to see ourselves more clearly and empower each other in realizing our life's potential; taking small steps, and sometimes large leaps, toward living life to the fullest.
The shifting light on the red rock walls of Jemez Canyon, the sounds of the Jemez River, the natural hot springs, the new friends you are about to meet and the endless stars overhead, all welcome you. Here you can "unwind" to the core and go home truly renewed. Our days can consist of insightful group sessions, yoga, meditation or shamanic ceremony, and of course lots of laughter and play. There is also plenty of free time just to "chill out". You may discover deep levels of intimate connection with other participants and lifelong friendships can be born. Greater self-acceptance and clarity of future direction often spring from this sacred time together. To register or learn more, please go to www.spiritjourneys.com, or call me at (828) 450-8800.
Jemez Springs, New Mexico
August 05, 2012 to August 11, 2012. This Retreat is for Gay and Bi Men, Singles and Couples Welcome. Cost: $1395.00A VERY special Summer Retreat in honor of our Twentieth Anniversary!
The Spirit Journeys Summer Retreat has always been a relaxing, rejuvenating, life changing and life affirming event. However, we are planning some very special things for our 20th Anniversary to make it even more powerful. The Summer Retreat is a chance to really "get away from it all"; to recover from the stresses of daily life and to make new connections with other men, much more so than on an ordinary vacation. There is extraordinary power to be found in a community of gay men gathered together for seven days in such an intimate setting. With the loving encouragement of brothers, we are able to see ourselves more clearly and empower each other in realizing our life's potential; taking small steps, and sometimes large leaps, toward living life to the fullest.
The shifting light on the red rock walls of Jemez Canyon, the sounds of the Jemez River, the natural hot springs, the new friends you are about to meet and the endless stars overhead, all welcome you. Here you can "unwind" to the core and go home truly renewed. Our days can consist of insightful group sessions, yoga, meditation or shamanic ceremony, and of course lots of laughter and play. There is also plenty of free time just to "chill out". You may discover deep levels of intimate connection with other participants and lifelong friendships can be born. Greater self-acceptance and clarity of future direction often spring from this sacred time together. To register or learn more, please go to www.spiritjourneys.com, or call me at (828) 450-8800.
How to Contact Me
For more information regarding freedom coaching, shamanic healing, journeys & retreats,
please contact Hunter at:
phone: (828) 450-8800
email: wayofwholeness@hotmail.com
Thank you!
© Copyright 2010, Hunter Flournoy, all rights reserved.