Water Harvesting & Breathwork @ Baja BioSana

Baja California Sur, Mexico
Description
September 19-25; 2010
Language of instruction: English

Air and Water - two key elements necessary to enjoy an abundant life. Join us for six days of exploring rainwater harvesting and breathwork at Baja BioSana, Baja California Sur, Mexico.

The rainwater-harvesting course is structured to blend both conceptual and practical elements of rainwater harvesting: information and experience, so that you gain immediate applicable practical theory and practice, knowledge and skills. The material is structured within a permaculture perspective, offering a whole system design approach.

Breathwork awakens our innate creative and healing energies. It is way to harvest some of our most precious inner resources. Breathwork deepens and strengthens our connection to life, nature, and to each other. It's a way to expand our perspectives and increase our awareness; a way to change or enhance our emotional, psychological, and physiological state.

The Rainwater Harvesting Component will include:
The permaculture principles and ethics
Key water harvesting design considerations
Methods for calculating water harvest potential and water budgets
Basic survey methods
Hands-on gabion and swale design and implementation with backhoe
Design for water efficiency in infrastructure and garden systems

Conceptual and practical activities blend to facilitate deeper learning, as well as assist in the development of the Baja BioSana site. This includes over 2-acres of existing orchard and extensive vegetable and herb gardens. There are numerous interesting projects at different stages of manifestation. We will be focusing on the development of new contour swale and gabion systems, which harvest rainwater, as an extension of the current BioSana rainwater-harvesting plan.

During the Breathwork Portion, you will be introduced to six different forms, styles, schools, or approaches to conscious breathing. Each breathwork method offers a unique and powerful way to enhance personal growth and spiritual development. The purpose of this training is to help each individual to awaken creative and healing energies, to clear any negative or limiting beliefs or blocks, in order to more fully realize and express their highest potential.

About Us
Baja BioSana is an early stage community with a vision of co-creating abundance in meeting fundamental human needs through the collective wisdom that we hold. We embrace demonstrating possibilities in terms of eco-systemic development and community, food production, healing, learning and exploring. We are dedicated to contributing to a vibrant local community, and connecting to other nodes of excellence in order to help generate self-sustaining systems. Permaculture forms part of the solution-based tapestry that we seek to apply.

Our landscape is made up of 20 acres of gently sloping land on the edge of the old river floodplain. Located literally 50 yards south of the Tropic of Cancer, we are situated in the dry tropics of the Baja Peninsula, within the state of Baja California Sur, Mexico. This area lies approximately 1100 miles south of San Diego. Our site is about 2 km past Agua Caliente on the road to El Chorro in the vicinity of Santiago. Our land contains approximately 2 acres of existing mango, plum, and avocado orchard, as well as newly developed vegetable gardens and plantings of papayas, bananas and other fruits and herbs.

Baja BioSana is located just a mile from the LaLaguna Mountains Biosphere reserve. About 25 minutes walk from our land, the biosphere reserve includes hot springs and a river - ideal for relaxing and soaking. We are also a 25-minute drive from beaches on the east coast (Sea of Cortez).

Course Instructors are both founding members of Baja Bio Sana:

Andrew Jones has a background in sustainable development, ecology and international aid, as well as a more recent focus on integrative wellness. He has been a permaculture designer and teacher since 1999, having trained with Geoff Lawton, Bill Mollison and others. He is an Australian born activist who has been involved a wide range of environmental, ecological, and humanitarian projects in the tropics, temperate and desert climates of the world.

Dan Brulé is a renowned pioneer in the Art and Science of Breathwork, with a genius for loving and enjoying life. He is one of the originators Breath Therapy and leading member of the worldwide spiritual breathing movement. Since 1976, he has personally trained more than 70,000 people in over 40 countries to use the breath as a tool for health, growth, and change in spirit, mind, and body. For more information, visit: www.breathmastery.com.
Registration
* $500 (6,500 Mexican Pesos) covers the week-long course costs.
* Camping is available at BioSana for $16/nigh (200 pesos). Other local accommodation options are available - email us for a summary of these.
* Food - You are welcome to bring your own food, or we can provide three vegetarian meals/day for $10/day (130 pesos) or $60 for the full course (780 pesos)

Payments can be made thru PayPal at www.breathmastery.com
Email: ajventure@gmail.com (please cc danbrule1008@hotmail.com)

Transport
Booking Flights
There is an international airport in Cabo San Lucas/San Jose del Cabo - airport code SJD (be sure to use this, as there are a number of San Jose airports around the world). It is about a 45-minute drive to Baja BioSana from the airport. Another regional airport is located in La Paz (airport code LAP), which is a 2.5-hour drive away from our site.

Driving Directions
Below are driving directions, from the San Jose Airport:
1. Get on Highway 1 North toward La Paz.
2. Drive 26 miles to the turn off for Santiago on your left.
3. Drive through the town of Santiago following the signs to the Zoo (2.8 miles).
4. As you pass the zoo, the pavement ends.
5. Continue on the dirt road to Agua Caliente (about 4 miles).
6. Drive through Agua Caliente (see small school, church on your left)
7. Continue straight towards El Chorro (marked as San Jorge on Google maps)
8. After 1 mile, the road takes a sharp right down onto the river bed.
9. About 150 yards up on the other see the little blue BAJA BIO SANA sign on your right.
6. Follow the narrow road to the right, and veer left at the fork to arrive at our gate.
10. Welcome to Baja Bio Sana!

What to bring
For all students - We'll be spending a decent amount of time outdoors during the short southern Baja wet season. Sturdy footwear, hat, sunglasses, water bottle, field bag and comfortable clothing for summer heat are important. In addition, a notebook and camera would be useful. Bring your swim gear for ocean, river, and hot springs.

For Campers @ BioSana - below is a more full description of items to consider.
Plan for outdoor living - you'll quickly adapt if this is not your current lifestyle, but do consider the following list to make life easier and more fun during an extended camping trip.

* LED Headlamp & batteries
* LED torch (shaker, wind-up, or battery powered)
* Lamp (solar or wind up are really useful) - see Ikeas $20 solar lamp or Freeplay 'indigo' -
http://www.freeplayenergy.com/ /
* Sun hat (some people like a 'working' and 'dress' hat for going out)
* Warm woolen cap (night chills)
* Sunglasses
* Hiking shoes/boots, walking shoes (light weight), sandals or flip flops
* Light colored, lightweight, sun protective clothing
* A few warm layers for chilly nights (October - May) -
* Thermal under layer - wool or silk thermals are recommended over synthetics
* Swimming trunks
* Warm sleeping bag + inner (silk inner's are warm & luxurious)
* eco soap for washing
* Personal hygiene items
* A pair of work gloves that fit you and give some thorn protection - many people like one heavier pair and one lighter pair with a rubber, non-slip face
* Spanish dictionary/language learning tools
* Water bottle/s (2 is a good idea)
* Day pack or drawstring bag for carrying things around
* Towel/pack towel
* Sleeping mat (inflatable/inner foam are good)
* Yoga mat - if you want to do yoga/stretching
* Pocket knife, hunting knife
* multi-tool
* Musical instrument of your choice
* Drawing/painting materials of your choice
* Personal reading materials