THE ONE THING HOLDING YOU BACK: HOW EMOTIONAL CONNECTION BREAKS ALL BARRIERS

August 2–7 (Saturday dinner – Thursday lunch) “Almost always,” writes Raphael Cushnir, “what prevents us from manifesting our greatest life vision is a reservoir of unfelt emotion. Resisting this emotion is what sabotages prayer, affirmations, or any other personal-growth technique. Finding and feeling this emotion is what infuses our mission with Spirit and makes us truly unstoppable. It’s simple, but most of us never learn precisely how – not at home, school, or even in therapy.”

Raphael has pioneered a method of emotional connection that virtually anybody can master, and that can be learned in just one weekend. It’s grounded in both contemporary neuroscience and the great wisdom traditions. He’s shared it with immediate and lasting results all around the world. You can use this emotional connection to overcome lifelong struggles with career, family, relationships, weight, self-esteem, and addiction.

This workshop is designed to help you fall in love with every moment of your life. It can lead to the kind of personal accomplishment you’ve longed for, and also help you serve the world.

Raphael Cushnir is a popular contributor to O, the Oprah magazine. He is the author of Unconditional Bliss, which was nominated for Best Personal Growth title of 2000, Setting Your Heart on Fire, which is used as a teaching tool in spiritual centers nationwide, and How Now: 100 Ways to Celebrate the Present Moment, which Spirituality & Health magazine named one of the Best Spiritual Books of 2005. He came to his current path after years as a schoolteacher, activist, and award-winning Hollywood filmmaker. His heart was opened through an experience of profound grief. For more info, visit: livingthequestions.org; heartonfire.org; hownow100.com; innermanagement.biz.

Program Fee: $80

CONNECTIONS

We warmly welcome newcomers and lifelong campers, and encourage you to come for the full program, or to join us for one or more days. Most people participate in the work-party component of Connections week for 3-3.5 hours a day and therefore qualify for the daily-staff discount of $25 dollars off their lodging fees.

August 9–14 (Saturday dinner – Thursday lunch) This year’s Connections program, led by longtime camper Rolf Eriksen, will continue the rebuilding of cabins for the future. As the rebuild of Salmonberry cabin is completed, Heather cabin will get the same kind of treatment, featuring a new roofline, insulated windows, a walk-out porch, and many other improvements, all assembled or installed by campers. Campers of all ages and skill levels are urged to participate. Come and build a piece of the camp that you will look at over the years and say: “I helped build this!”

Along with the cabin project, Dennis Rice, director of education at Laurel Springs School (a 4,000-student online school), former director of Happy Valley School, and longtime friend of Indralaya, will lead a continuing “Connections”-based discussion on the experience of community, its role at camp and in our broader lives. The notion of a “theosophical way of living” and how it applies to current lifestyles and contemporary challenges will also be a topic for discussion.

There also will be plenty of volleyball, ping-pong, trips to the beaches and lake, skits, improv, storytelling, and other fun activities and opportunities through which people of all ages can connect, catch up, and participate, as the Indralaya Family.

Program Fee: $7.50 per day

WHY THE BUDDHA SMILED . . .

Day and night, the one who is Awake shines in the radiance of the spirit. – The Dhammapada

August 16–21 (Saturday dinner – Thursday lunch) The Path of Awakening to one’s True Nature and Highest Potentials is a path of liberation and joy. Supported by the instruction and guidance of experienced teachers, the inspiring forces of nature, and the company of a community of kindred spirits, this special program of meditation, inspiration, and celebration offers a rare opportunity to deepen in this journey of Awakening. Amid the exquisite natural beauty of Indralaya, we will explore timeless wisdom teachings and profound practices for awakening wisdom and compassion, and share a rich mix of deep reflection and deep connection with our multidimensional selves and world – an exploration especially relevant and crucial in these complex and challenging times.

Our days together will include a supportive balance of teachings, heartfelt silence, a variety of meditations for cultivating inner peace, freedom, and happiness (including mindfulness, tonglen, and practical ways of directing love and compassion), along with group dialogue and inquiry, open space, and mindful adventures. Both experienced and beginning meditators are welcome and will find benefit. Why did the Buddha smile? Join us and find out!

Joel and Michelle Levey have devoted their lives to the exploration and integration of the world’s great wisdom traditions and contemplative inner sciences. They have studied and practiced with many of the most revered teachers of our time, including the Dalai Lama, Krishnamurti, and Thich Nhat Hahn. Among the books they’ve written are Luminous Mind: Meditation & Mind Fitness and Living in Balance: A Dynamic Approach for Creating Harmony & Wholeness in a Chaotic World. For more information, visit their websites at: www.WisdomAtWork.com and www.KohalaSanctuary.com.

Program fee $80

DRUMFOUNDED – AWESTRUCK IN RHYTHM

August 23–27 (Saturday dinner – Wednesday lunch) Rhythm is everywhere. Internally, our lives are governed by it. Externally, our world revolves according to rhythmical cycles. We seek to balance internal and external rhythms and to welcome change as a natural part of our lives. The powerful and mesmerizing beat of the African drum engages mind, body, and spirit, becoming the vehicle for a journey of self-discovery and wellness. We will learn rhythms and songs from West Africa, the Caribbean, and South America and play percussion instruments from around the world. This “playshop” is suited to beginners or more experienced players, involving sound-healing techniques, drum circle work, guided imagery, and playful rhythm games. Our container becomes the drum circle – a versatile model within which there is potential to learn about creativity, spirituality, building community, and living in peace and tolerance. Through songs, poetry, call-and-response drumming, and body percussion, we will reconnect with our innate sense of rhythm and the Earth that sustains us.

Lyle Povah is a singer/percussionist/guitarist, writer, recording artist, teacher, and entertainer specializing in African drumming. He has studied and performed worldwide and is a pioneering educator in musical areas related to health and creativity, community building, and intergenerational learning. He works throughout North America and Europe, in hospitals, jails, retreat centers, eating disorder programs, schools, and corporate teambuilding and community events. He is on the faculty at the Haven Institute for Professional Training and regularly works for the Sauder School of Business.

Program fee $80