Shamans and Siddhas: Meeting at the Crossroads of Shamanism & Tantrism with Robert Thurman and Isa Gucciardi
Thursday, December 3 – Sunday, December 6, 2015
This retreat on the cusp of the winter solstice, a time of natural inward self-reflection, focuses on the traditions of the “psychonauts,” explorers of the subtle realms of dream, death, and all “between” states. Such people are known as “shamans” in indigenous traditions and as “siddhas” or “adepts” in Buddhist and Hindu Tantric traditions.
Isa Gucciardi joins Robert Thurman in exploring the deep and vast dimensions of these traditions, focusing on our planetary welcoming of various forms that consciousness takes in this time of global crisis, as she has done from time immemorial. Shamans and siddha adepts provide us with resources from long-developed, time-tested positive sciences and arts that help us celebrate the blessings of reality and live meaningfully in the midst of the ups and downs of our daily lives ever more realistically and happily.
In this retreat, we will review the historic encounters between these two spiritual traditions from world indigenous and Indic regions and learn how they have informed one another from time immemorial. While steeped in philosophy and psychology, this retreat is also highly experiential in nature. We will explore methods of going inward drawn from both traditions including the Shamanic Journey and Indo-Tibetan Deity Meditation. The Shamanic Journey is an ancient and time-tested method that shamans around the world have used to develop a deep relationship with the powers of the Earth and Cosmos. Deity Meditation is a form of meditation that brings the meditator into an intimate understanding of the fields of wisdom, sensitivity, and power held by the deities of the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon. We will explore the role of ritual and ceremony in both contexts and learn what role ritual and ceremony provide in bringing forward the realizations, sensitivities, and powers that are the fruits of these deep forms of inner exploration.
We will not only learn the basics of the shaman’s journey but also meditate, dialogue together, and create and perform ceremonies in order to align ourselves with the power that these two traditions have provided humanity for millenia. Daily yoga will also be offered.
Select readings from Shamanic and Buddhist wisdom literatures are available by request, to prepare for the experience. Readings will be on hand at Menla for those of you who do not request them ahead of time.
From Shamanic side:
The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell
Hero of a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
The Shaman’s Way by Michael Harner
Soul Retrieval by Sandra Ingerman
Return to the Great Mother by Isa Gucciardi
From Buddhist side:
Transcendent Wisdom Sutra
Flower Ornament Sutra
Vimalakirti Sutra
White Tara Healing Meditations
Faculty
Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D., has spent many years studying Buddhism and shamanism both academically and in the field. Out of her studies, she developed Depth Hypnosis, a spiritual counseling process that combines Buddhism and shamanism with hypnotherapy and transpersonal psychology. She leads trainings in all these areas of study and more at the Foundation of the Sacred Stream, a school for consciousness studies that she founded in Berkeley, CA. Author of Return to the Great Mother, she has trained many birth professionals and mothers on ways to preserve awareness and draw on the power of the sacred feminine in the birthing environment.
Robert Thurman is Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, co-founder of Tibet House U.S. and its Menla Mountain Retreat in service of H. H. the Dalai Lama and the people of Tibet; a world-wide lecturer on Tibetan Buddhism, the translator of many philosophical treatises, such as The Vimalakirti Sutra; Tsong Khapa’s Essence of True Eloquence, and Brilliant Illumination of the Lamp; and author of numerous popular books, including Inner Revolution; Infinite Life; Why the Dalai Lama Matters; The Jewel Tree of Tibet; Essential Tibetan Buddhism; and Love Your Enemies (With Sharon Salzberg). In partnership with Nena Thurman, and other teachers and dedicated contributors, he now focuses on making Tibet House US’ Menla Mountain Retreat a global center for the promotion, study and practice of Tibetan Buddhist healing arts and sciences of body, mind, and spirit, dedicated as a complement to the vast life work of its patron, His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Tuition
$440(per person); $410(for Tibet House members)
Three-Day Accommodations: Arrive Thursday, depart Sunday. Fee includes housing and gourmet vegetarian meals and does not include tuition.
Room with Queen Bed and Private Bath – $675 (per person); $439couple (per person)
Room with Queen Bed and Shared Bath – $567 (per person); $391 couple (per person)
Room with 2 Twin Beds and Private Bath – $486 (per person)
Room with 2 Twin Beds and Shared Bath – $432 (per person)
Room in Private House with Twin Beds or Bunks and Shared Bath – $405, 375, 355, or 330 (per person), depending on whether you book a single, double, triple, or quad, respectively. Please note that beds in Private Houses are on a first come first serve basis. We cannot assign specific beds on registration.
Cots- Occasionally, cots can be added to shared rooms – $300 (per person)
Campers – Includes facility use and all meals – $285 (per person)
Commuters – Includes facility use and all meals – $255 (per person)
OR
Tuition
$300 (per person); $270 (Tibet House members)
Two-Day Accommodations – Friday – Sunday
Either arrive Wednesday, depart Friday or arrive Friday, depart Sunday. Fee includes housing and gourmet vegetarian meals and does not include tuition.
Room with Queen Bed and Private Bath – $495 (per person); $325 couple (per person)
Room with Queen Bed and Shared Bath – $415 (per person); $290 couple (per person)
Room with 2 Twin Beds and Private Bath – $360 (per person)
Room with 2 Twin Beds and Shared Bath – $320 (per person)
Room in Private House with Twin Beds or Bunks and Shared Bath – $295, 275, 260, or 240 (per person) depending on whether you book a single, double, triple, or quad, respectively. Please note that beds in Private Houses are on a first come first serve basis. We cannot assign specific beds on registration.
Cots – Occasionally, cots can be added to shared rooms – $210 (per person)
Campers – Includes facility use and all meals – $210 (per person)
Commuters – Includes facility use and all meals – $170 (per person)
Note: We will assign you a roommate if you do not book a single and do not register with one.
Schedule
Thursday, December 3
12:00 PM – 8:00 PM Arrival & Check-in
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Dinner by the Delos Inn Fireplace
7:30 PM Welcome & Introductory Discussion (Bob & Isa)
Friday, December 4
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM Yoga
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM Breakfast
9:15 AM – 1:00 PM Morning Program (Isa: The Shamanic Journey)
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Lunch
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Free time for Spa Treatments, Hiking
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM Afternoon Program (Bob & Isa)
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Dinner
7:30 PM Evening Program (Bob & Isa) with Q & A by the Delos Inn Fireplace
Saturday, December 5
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM Yoga
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM Breakfast
9:15 AM – 1:00 PM Morning Program (Isa: Deity Meditation)
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Lunch
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Free time for Spa Treatments, Hiking
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM Afternoon Program (Bob & Isa)
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM Dinner
7:30 PM Evening Program with Q&A (Bob & Isa) by the Delos Inn Fireplace and/or Ceremony
Sunday, December 6
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM Yoga
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM Breakfast
9:15 AM – 1:00 PM Closing Discussion and Q&A (Isa and Bob: The Intersection of Tantric and Shamanic Practices)
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Lunch and Departure
Schedule subject to change at any time.
Continuing Education Information
14 CEs for psychologists are provided by the Spiritual Competency Resource Center which is co-sponsoring this program. Spiritual Competency Resource Center is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The Spiritual Competency Resource Center maintains responsibility for the program and its content. SCRC is a California Board of Registered Nursing Provider (BRN Provider CEP11909). California Board of Behavioral Sciences accepts CE credits for license renewal by LCSWs and MFTs for programs from approved sponsors of CE by the American Psychological Association. For questions about CE visit www.spiritualcompetency.com or contact David Lukoff, Ph.D., at david.lukoff@gmail.com. Please check with your state licensing organization as to the acceptance of the above credits. If 14 CEss are desired, additional cost is $35 by check payable to “SCRC” at the event. Participants must attend all sessions, starting at 7:30 pm Dec 3, 2015, to receive 14 hours of credit. No partial credit will be given. Partial credit is not available for those who miss any of the registered times.
Registration
Registration available via menla.org.
Contact info@sacredstream.org for more information.