Over the last few weeks, since our October Gathering, we have been talking about the feedback we're getting about people's experiences in Mentone. The growing dialogue among the participants has been so unique and profound that we feel strongly led to continue providing opportunities for these conversations. It's clear people want to remain connected, and have the opportunity to meet others for whom conscious living is a priority.

We are happy to announce our next Gathering
on the weekend of December 11-13, 2009!

We have found a venue we're particularly excited about, and where we feel everyone will be comfortable, since in truth, the weather could be 25 or 65 degrees!

Located in northwest Alabama, Dismals Canyon is an 85-acre natural conservatory which is privately owned and operated. The canyon is so utterly unique, in such a variety of ways, that we couldn't begin to describe it in this space. Please visit their beautiful website at www.dismalscanyon.com to see photographs and video, and to learn about what the canyon offers.

www.dismalscanyon.com

We will gratefully be joined at this Gathering by our friend Cindy Aycock, a Birmingham healer and spiritual guide who has led several retreats in the canyon and has experienced the sacredness of the area. Cindy feels strong communion with the unique energy of sacred places, and she'll share with us her understanding of vortexes, ley lines, and such. The following is a blog entry by Cindy:

This mystical canyon fits every single definition of a sacred site. Only a mile long, you cannot imagine your transformation, as soon as you descend the stairs to the floor of the canyon at the foot of Rainbow Waterfall. Its beauty stuns you into silence and you breathe deeply as the mundane world falls away. The anomalies present in this tiny paradise are numerous and fascinating to witness. Once an ancient swamp, this sunken forest is beautiful and supernatural, a hidden treasure of trees, ferns, moss and mystery. The tallest hemlock tree in the world, over 350 years old, grows in this canyon, hundreds of miles away from any other Canadian hemlocks. Tiny gnats that glow in the dark cover the giant boulders like secret constellations, thrilling visitors on the night tours. The Discovery Channel used Dismals Canyon as one of the locations for the film "When Dinosaurs Roamed the Earth" because of the similar foliage and pristine conditions found in the canyon. Jesse James and Aaron Burr hid out among the moss covered boulders and several Native American tribes called it home. As you walk the trails you feel your body begin to vibrate a bit, you forget to talk and you remember to be grateful for our dear Earth home. We have facilitated group retreats and watched lives deeply touched by the high vibration of the canyon energy, as well as the highest concentration of negatively charged ions ever measured on this planet. To experience the sacred with a group is a practice in connection with Creation, an opportunity to grow in compassion and awareness of stewardship for the planet and each other.

Cindy recently said to us, "There's nothing I enjoy more than taking people to Dismals Canyon for their first time. Being able to witness their face is like watching them open the best Christmas present they ever received!"

We have secured the two cedar cabins available in the Canyon for the weekend of December 11-13. Each cabin sleeps eight, and has a stone fireplace, covered deck, and full kitchen.

In these winter months, it is historically traditional to gather as family and enjoy each other over...food! In this light, we will be collectively preparing meals, with an intentional focus on the consciousness we bring to this vital yet often ordinary activity.

Part of our concept for this weekend is that we engage with one another beyond the level of conversation, and we'd like to utilize the very basic metaphor of the food we bring into our bodies as an illustration of how we are manifesting reality as well as consciously sustaining ourselves in every moment. Our hope is that in the process of preparing food for one another with one another, we will each perceive how we illustrate reality to one another, even in the quietest, most ordinary moments.

Beyond that, we simply wish to share time with one another in a truly sacred site. Friday night, a guide will lead us on a tour to see the 'Dismalites,' rare and tiny bioluminescent creatures that live in the canyon. On Saturday, we will spend much of the day walking and talking in the canyon. Those of you who were with us in Mentone at either Gathering understand how powerful being with other conscious individuals in a beautiful, loved space can be for the larger group, for the community...and this weekend will provide an opportunity for an ever-deepening connection.

Due to space limitations, we can only accommodate 12 people in addition to the four of us (Joshua, Cindy, Kelly and Steve), so if you feel led to join us, we strongly encourage you to secure your reservation immediately. The cost is $120, which includes lodging for two nights, and fresh and healthful meals and snacks throughout the weekend. Please feel free to extend this invitation to friends you feel may resonate with the Gathering experience. We look forward to hearing from you!

Peace...Steve, Kelly, Joshua

What lies behind you and what lies in front of you,
pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson