Nature & Providence
balancing the elements of a transitioning age
July 30 - Aug 12, 2027
Bali
Indonesia​​​​​​​
Sow the seeds of My divine wisdom in the pure soil of thy heart, and water them with the water of certitude, that the hyacinths of My knowledge and wisdom may spring up fresh and green in the sacred city of thy heart.
~ Bahá'u'lláh
​Bali is not only an ideal place to discuss the following topics but to also experience them. It is not just an amazing place to reconnect with nature but to also explore how nature heals and teaches. In fact, it is of no surprise at all that the world famous Green School was built in Bali and attracts students from around the world who want to not only have a unique and top notch education, but also an education that has its core mission to bring forth "green leaders."
Speaking of green leaders...​
Workshops & Presenters:​
Learning Environments
Presented by Orin Hardy
We are excited to announce that Orin Hardy will be one of our key presenters. Orin is one of the founding family members of Green School, teaches farming, permaculture, and how to build sustainably (and magnificently) with bamboo. Orin was also greatly influenced by his childhood education at Maxwell International Baháʼí School in Canada. He has a vast wealth of knowledge on many topics regarding education, learning environments and sustainable living.
Although the Hardy family has moved on to other green adventures, Green School is still a place educators would do well to visit and study; and indeed we will. It attracts parents who deeply care for the planet and want to both preserve it for their children as well as raise them to become (in keeping with the Hardy family's intentions) green leaders.​
Besides green leaders, Bali also attracts green healers, who usually set up within lush green environments that make one feel better simply upon entering. Bali is also a veritable mecca for those devoted to the paths of yoga, including Will Brashear and Jade DelRosario. This duo are Elemental Yoga Therapists who conduct trainings in Cincinnati, Ohio, all across India, and in Ubud, Bali.​​ They are bringing to us a significant portion of what they teach in their Elemental Yoga Therapy programs that draw in students to Bali annually from around the world.
The Universal Medicine Wheel​​
Presented by William Brashear
​Although it has largely died out, cultures all around the world have been studying the elements of nature for ages as tools for wisdom as well as healing. In fact, in both Indian Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine the elements are still given great consideration in how to set up ideal environments for health and success in all aspects of life. Meanwhile, most modern schools and hospitals of today extract students and/or patients away from the attributes of the elements. Furthermore, social media platforms, including those designed to educate, not only extract humans from the natural environment (as they artificially experience the world through digital screens) but from face to face human interactions as well. ​​​​
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Consider the element of Earth. It's stability gives us a place to stand. If our feet are not planted upon its firmness, we cannot lift ourselves up. Acting as a mother, it nourishes and gives us strength. As it exemplifies the caregiver archetype, Earth demonstrates incredible acceptance and forgiveness. It is also the place where unity and diversity abide. These are just a few attributes of the earth, but we could also go on for quite a while about the flowing, cooling, healing, connecting, nurturing, depths and qualities of the Water element. Furthermore, we can explore the adaptability of Air as it exchanges, controls and releases, or the vision and courage of Space that calls us to explore new frontiers, and the passion and joy of Fire as it leads the way to transformation. ​​​​​​​
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The elements find balance by working with each other through support and control phases, as depicted in this TCM medicine wheel, which is nearly identical to the medicine wheel of Indian Ayurveda.
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Similarly, Lee Brown, a Baha'i elder from a Native American tribe has pointed out that many medicine wheels from around the world share great similarities, such as a wheel from the southern states area that was found to be relatively identical to one in Kenya.
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Click Here to read the entire fascinating transcript of his talk "North American Indian Prohecies", and learn how it relates to nature's elements.
Fire has been described as the element of transformation in "Medicine Wheel" traditions found throughout the world.
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A well-known metaphor from 'Abdu'l-Bahá, explains that spiritual transformation requires the "heat" of divine love to melt away our material qualities and mold us into new beings.
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The passage teaches us how the iron, through the fire, relinquishes its innate coldness, darkness, and solidity to adopt the properties of light and heat.
In this process, the iron is completely transformed, having sacrificed its original qualities to those of the fire.
Sow the seeds of My divine wisdom in the pure soil of thy heart, and water them with the water of certitude, that the hyacinths of My knowledge and wisdom may spring up fresh and green in the sacred city of thy heart.
~ Bahá'u'lláh
The Banani & Farm Schools of Zambia​
Badi & Amita Yaganagi have run several schools and educational resource centers in India and several other countries. Their success stories eventually led to them being asked to lead the famous, international, Banani School in Zambia, Africa where they reside today. Amita primarily runs the Banani school while Badi founded the Five Element Farm School in the adjoining area. Both are very unique schools, and FarmSchool actually goes beyond the classroom to integrate sustainable, holistic, farming as a teaching modality and a community empowerment project. It's way too much for us to go into here, but you can read more about it HERE.
If Yoga was a Religion...
It's already been mentioned that Bali is a magnet for nature lovers, but also for foodies, and with that are healthy living enthusiasts, and with that we often find seekers of healers, and with that we also (and even more so) find spiritual seekers, and with that we find legions upon legions of aspiring yogis. In fact, if yoga was a religion, it would not only be the world's fastest growing religion, but no other religion would come even remotely close. However, although yoga is generally not considered a religion -by comparative definition- all religions are a form of yoga.
Religion: (Latin) to bind back and make whole.
Re - to bind back to source
Legio - and make whole
Yoga (Sanskrit) was originally pronounced Yogh, and can be traced forward to the Greek Yolk
and later to the Latin Yoke.
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A yoke derives its meaning from a Y shaped device that is used to yoke two or more wild beasts together so that they can work wholly as one, as well as be guided by the reins of the Driver. (Many depictions of this are seen in Hindu art.)
Simply put, the definition of yoga is the same as religion: to bind back and make whole.
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Yoga enthusiasts come from all religions as well as (by typical definition) no religion. Many come with no belief in God as well (until you get into a deeper conversation and find that concepts such as "Source" and phrases such as "the infinite wisdom of the Universe" are terms most atheistic yogis are completely agreeable). Nevertheless, in nearly all cases, yogis from around the world are among the most open to the teachings of the Baha'i Faith; for it, too, strives to Yoke the wild and diverse peoples and religions of the universe back to the One Source ~ to make humanity whole. And yet most Baha'i's, like most people in general, know relatively little about yoga beyond breathing and stretching techniques; which are actually just the means to yoga (virtue, integrity, wholeness), not the goal. Notwithstanding, however, such techniques are an excellent starting point for delving into deeper religious concepts and principles - such as virtue, integrity, service, devotion and other essential elements to spiritual development.
Teaching the Baha'i Faith to Yogis / How this event came about...
As mentioned above, if yoga was considered a religion it would be the fastest growing religion in the world, by far. Furthermore, yogis are very open to the truths of religious unity and in many ways already integrate the yogic (unifying) truths of many religions into their practice. Thus, when presented with Baha'i teachings, one hears time and again, this is what I have always believed... but didn't know there was an actually religion that brought it all together so beautifully.
Will Brashear came to the Baha'i Faith in this way himself, declaring in 1989. By 2004, Will set out on a teaching tour of about a dozen major cities in India, wherein, probably by Divine coincidence, he landed in Bangalore at a unique time when all 9 members of the NSA of India and all 9 LSA members of Bangalore happened to be meeting together. The 2 Assemblies got word that Will was coming through the area at that time and invited him to meet with all 19 members; perhaps because of the enormous success of his tour, wherein he had been interviewed by several major newspapers and outlets, gave talks at several college campuses, and was even asked on the spot to give the opening address at an Ayurvedic College. His main intention, however, was to discuss with various Baha'i communities a wide range of correlations between Baha'i teachings and yogic teachings. Therein, after Will's report the 2 assemblies consensus was that Will keep this work going and to create a compilation of findings. ~ Now, more than 20 years later, this compilation is in its 7th Edition as it is presented in a training manual for both Baha'i's, interested in yoga, and also as a professional Elemental Yoga Therapy training manual for all who are interested in yoga as a way to heal and spiritually develop for themselves and for the world; of which several hundred students have graduated since 2014. In fact, his program was also adopted by Antioch University Midwest (AUM) as a Master's degree program (entitled by the university as Integral Studies). In other words, much of this event in Bali is the fruit of over 2 decades of work that Will was inspired to continue after meeting with the assemblies in India. However, by coming to this event you can learn the essential teachings of this degree program for free. True the flight may be expensive, but nothing compared to tuition to Antioch University. Also, Antioch is in Ohio, but Bali is in paradise! Furthermore, Bali offers the following amazing perks!...
Although it is not confirmed, we are hopeful that Mas Saiful Anam, a member of the Indonesian NSA and resident of Bali, may also join us.
Elemental Yoga Classes
The campus for this retreat usually hosts yoga trainings that are run by Will & Jade. Every morning there will be a class in Elemental Yoga, which focuses of the energy channels of the body commonly known as meridians and which also are related to the various organs, which are related elements (earth, water, fire, air, space), which is related to certain virtues and attributes. Thus, in elemental yoga the student learns not only how to stretch, but also what meridians, organs and elemental qualities are stimulated.
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Adventurous Excursions
In addition to these great programs we will also take excursions off the campus for...
Waterfall & Jungle Hikes, Volcanoes, Snorkeling, Beach Excursions, Ancient Monkey Forest, Jungle Elephant Reserve, Sound Healing Pyramids, Balinese Dance & Cultural Events, World Famous Green School, and Much More!
The Feel & Experience of Bali
In addition to our adventurous excursions you will also have a few days on your own; and nothing is to say you have to leave after our program. Your visa will be good for 30 days (and the program is only 2 weeks) so we highly encourage you to add at least a few more days to explore Bali on your own. You can spend days on foot, bike or scooter exploring it's endless magic! Or if you are feeling a bit lazy, there's no need to go anywhere. Just hang on our campus experiencing our therapeutic spa treatments, or other spa and healing treatments found nearby. Ubud is the Mecca of Bali when it comes to mind-body-spirit explorations. You can find places everywhere for a wide variety of massage techniques, methods for detoxifying (such as a frangipani flower bath), sound healing, cooking classes, therapeutic treks through ultra green rice fields, or just lounge around the gorgeous pools and gardens.
The Medicine of Ubud
Whether you go for a spa treatment or not, just hanging out in Ubud on your time off is quite a healing treat in itself. In fact, Ubud is the Balinese word for Medicine, a name which came to it naturally due to all of its natural medicinal plants (Ubad) and surroundings; from nature walks along trails of medicinal plants, to taking a sound-healing bath within the "Pyramids of Chi," or visits the famous healers in the area, or the "Yoga Barn" to try many different styles of yoga and/or healing workshops.
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Ayurvedic & Balinese Spa Treatments
In addition to what you learn and experience in the training there are also lots of opportunities to experience other styles of massage and spa treatments all around Ubud.
(...and at local prices; the average price for a Balinese, Deep Tissue, Shiatsu, Thai, etc., massage is about $7 - $12 for an entire hour!)
Acu Thai
Ayurvedic Yoga Massage
Jade & Will hold trainings in Ubud for this magical healing bodywork technique; and it will be offered daily to attendees of this retreat following the morning yoga class. (Learn more about AcuThai)
READY?
LET'S DO THIS!