with AJ Block, Xango Shola and special guests Tata Pedro Cruz and Nana Marina Cruz of the Tz’utujil Mayan Family of San Pedro de Atitlán
GUATEMALA
April 24 – May 3, 2018
You are invited to enter the Heart of Mayan Wisdom, a journey into ancient shamanic practices.
On this pilgrimage we will reach places where indigenous communities practice ancient ceremonies and prayers, upholding traditions which have gone uninterrupted for thousands of years.
Our journey into knowledge is focused on inner-development and self-improvement through tangible tools passed from Mayan elders. Many of these ways have been hidden away, protected from misuse by outsiders. Now with the emergence of the Age of Aquarius, profound knowledge from the Mayan people is being unveiled. The Mayan tradition is founded on the manifestation of spirit in the natural world. Plants, animals, minerals, the four elements, the cosmos, and everything found in the natural world plays an important role in Mayan ceremonies and daily life.
If you would like to attend and learn more about this trip please fill out our form by clicking the PRE-REGISTRATION LINK BELOW
PRE-REGISTER HERE
The sites of our pilgrimage are a direct manifestation of this spirit-nature worldview. Our trip will be centered at the Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, a spiritual hub for Mayan wisdom. Many of our activities will happen here and we will also travel to sacred sites throughout the region where we will participate in ceremonies.
Together with the Mayan elders we will participate in a number of traditional Mayan ceremonies and practices, including:
Mayan Fire Ceremony
To the Mayan People, the sacred fire is a living manifestation of spirit and responds to our offerings and prayers. We will participate in these ceremonies at ancient sites throughout the region.
Cacao Ceremony
The sacred cacao plant has been used as a sacrament by the Mayan people since ancient times, and in ceremony it carries the power to cleanse and purify. In addition to participating in cacao ceremonies, we will learn about the traditional uses of cacao and how to prepare it for ceremonial use.
Temazcal (Sweat Lodge)
In many native traditions throughout the Americas, every home has a temazcal, a earthen chamber used for sweat lodge ceremonies. The sweat lodge is used for physical, emotional, mental and spiritual healing. The Mayan people have a unique approach to the sweat lodge ceremony and we will participate in and learn the wisdom of this practice.
Mayan Yoga and Meditation
Over many thousands of years the Mayan people have developed an equivalent to the yoga of India. Through postures, exercises and meditations, these practices aim to connect us to the spirit realm and help us to find long lasting health and happiness.
Additionally, we will be immersed into traditional healing arts such as the Mayan massage, Mayan plant medicines to address all healing conditions, tobacco healing, tobacco divination and more. Vegetarian food will be provided for all meals and a translator will facilitate the transmission of information from Spanish to English.
OUR MAYAN ELDERS & GUIDES
Tata Pedro Cruz
One of the few surviving members of the Mayan Council of the Elders of Tz’utujil, which is a branch of the Maya Qui-che. “Tata Pedro” as he is most affectionately known, is a traditional Mayan Ajq’ij and Day Keeper, and one of the principal authorities of the Council of Mayan Elders of Lake Atitlan in Guatamala. He received the title, “Heart of the Lake Atitlan” K’U’XYA, by his fellow Mayan Council of Elders and Tz’utujil people. Tata Pedro recognizes the interconnectedness of all people, the expanding consciousness of the planet, and the urgent need to unify our spiritual, cultural and ethnic wisdom for the benefit of the planet and humanity. Tata Pedro is a globally recognized elder in the Mayan tradition and has traveled far and wide sharing knowledge, ceremonies and practices. He is the interpreter of dreams for his community and a leader of the preservation and education of Mayan day keeping and fire ceremonies.
Nana Marina Cruz
Nana Marina is the daughter of Tata Pedro and is a healer, day keeper, herbalist, and conductor of the Cacao, Temazcal and Fire Ceremonies. In addition she is highly knowledgable in the use of tobacco for healing and divination and has trained many younger healers from her community.
TRIP ORGANIZERS
AJ Block and Xango Shola
Walking together in sacred union, AJ & Shola are dedicated to developing pathways of peace and understanding by nurturing community building through education, service and the healing arts. For the past 8 years they have been traveling the world with their teacher, Maestro Manuel Rufino and the Golden Drum in an effort to weave together an inter-tribal global community that embraces the transcendental path of wisdom, love, truth and knowledge of the eternal soul.
AJ & Shola are co-founders of Sacred Arts Research Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides educational programs that support the preservation of arts traditions from around the world. They are active members of the Golden Drum, a cultural community center for consciousness located in Brooklyn, New York, and are members of the Dream Seed shamanic sound healing collective, a musical ensemble that tours the planet sharing transformative sound in an effort to heal, uplift and bridge cultures and communities together.
AJ & Shola have been initiated by Mayan elder Tata Pedro Cruz as Mayan day-keepers and have been passed the sacred Mayan fire ceremony. Through these sacred practices, they feel blessed to be connected to this lineage and are honored to share the wisdom that resides in the living Mayan tradition with the attendees of this pilgrimage.
