SOLD OUT! Total solar eclipse in the Pacific Coast: cosmic alignments and ocean symphonies

Courses & Events | 31/03/2024 – 10/04/2024 | Links: Apply to this course!

SOLD OUT
Introduction
Highlights
What is an un/learning journey?
Who is this for?
Itinerary
Ecopedagogy and travelling

SOLD OUT

Thank you for your interest in joining this journey. For this year, we still have spots available for our ceremonial hike across the Coordillera Blanca in Peru.

Introduction

We invite you to journey and observe the total solar eclipse in Mazatlán, a beautiful beach city ideally located in the path of totality and with the best weather for astronomic events. We will create a contemplative space to reflect on alignment, disruption, pause and wonder, rhythms of enlightenment and endarkenment, as well as other insights and inspirations. In the previous week to the eclipse, we will be exploring the South of the peninsula of Baja California, engaging with the diversity of marine ecosystems in the renowned ‘World’s Aquarium’, hiking through desert landscapes and attuning the ears, the heart and the mind to listen to the symphonies of the ocean composed by the whistles, moans, chirps, cries, dances and themes of dolphins and whales.

Highlights

Contemplative observation of the total solar eclipse in the best location in North America. This is a crafted time to let your mind wander into the spaciousness and insights of the sky in the eclipse.
Engage with the diversity of marine life -dolphins, turtles, orcas, whales- in the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California, supporting local companies and guided by experienced divers, enthusiasts of conservation.
Learn about the marvelous complexity of cetaceans, their curiosity and playfulness, the beauty of the underwater soundscapes, the current challenges they are facing and the lessons that can be listened to if the heart is open to approach them with respect.
Hike some of the amazing trails that Baja Sur offers, admiring a vast diversity of landscapes including rocky canyons, coastal sand dunes and scenic deserts.
Enjoy one of the tastiest cuisines in the world, a result of the uniqueness and diversity of ecosystems in the peninsula. From fresh seafood to vegan options, the Baja Sur offers delicious options for everybody.

What is an un/learning journey?

The raw material of an un/learning journey is time. With care, we curate, knead, craft and, sometimes, even co-create it.

They are an interruption, a slowing down, many openings.

They are brave passages to possibilities, invitations to go out of the familiar zone and expand our sensibilities to let ourselves be undone so that we can suspend the noise of the routine and be attuned to dreams, stories and practices that instigate a process of becoming guided by the calm whisper and the joyous dance of the Earth.

Unlike tourism, this is not about consuming experiences, places, or people.

It is about engaging with the land and her guardians (human, non-human, more-than-human).

It is about activating the memory that walks to the encounter of what is different -tastes, landscapes, textures, languages, rhythms, ways of knowing, modes of being- with curiosity and respect.

The journey is simultaneously a retreat, a ceremony and a ritual that embraces the unknown as a fertile soil for radicalizing imagination and a pathway to deepen the relations to self, life, consciousness and the many worlds that constitute the pluriverse.

Who is this for?

The journeys are for those willing to participate in the co-creation of different stories, dreams and practices, for those searching to expand their horizons and attune their sensibilities and desires, for those daring to entertain an open mind and heart, holding contradictions with authenticity and making space for questions rather than answers. They are for those willing to explore who they really are and how to become present for the Earth in a mutually enhancing way.

We strongly encourage to apply for the program to everyone who feels called to join, especially to people of all ages with a serious commitment to re-inventing their relationship to Earth and to self, activists, artists, scientists, students, unschoolers, therapists, educators, farmers, community organizers, magicians, dropouts, writers, workers, and everyone resonating with the invitation to be present with the other worlds that are possible and that are already here.

Itinerary

Dates: March 31st-April 10th, 2024

Day 1. Sunday, March 31st. Arrivals

Arrivals to La Paz International Airport (preferred, as Los Cabos is a 2h drive). Transfer to hotel and reception.

Day 2. Monday, April 1st. La Paz

In the morning, we will dedicate time to get to know each other with a River of Life activity. After lunch, we will have time to get grounded in the local context and visit the Museum of the Whale and Playa Balandra, a stunning bay surrounded by pristine white sand dunes and waters exceptionally calm and clear. We will spend the night in La Paz.

Day 3. Tuesday, April 2nd. Punta Gorda

After a delicious breakfast, we will drive for 45 minutes to Punta Gorda trail, where we will do a short contemplative hike along the coast (3.6 mi/5.6 km) It has magnificent views of the water, the mountains surrounding the coast and Ceralvo Island. In our way back, we will delight in a hot water source right by the beach at Playa Aguas Termales. After a late lunch, we will drive for 45 minutes back to La Paz, where we will stay for the night.

Day 4. Wednesday, April 3rd. Bahía Magdalena

After an energizing breakfast, we will drive for 2 hours to Bahia Magdalena, the largest bay in the peninsula of Baja and a beautiful nature reserve. We will take a boat and search for an encounter with the second largest mammal in the world, the grey whale. They are present in the region for birthing in the warmer waters of the Pacific. Scuba diving is possible with an extra fee. After lunch, we will host a reflection circle and will spend the night glamping in the island.

Day 5. Thursday, April 4th. Bahía Magdalena

We will welcome the day in the island with a morning activation before having an enlivening breakfast before we set up for our second day of Whale-watching. This will also be an opportunity to encounter turtles, orcas, dolphins, sea lions and, with a little bit of luck, blue whales. We will return to the island for our lunch and wil get time in the evening for our collective circle. At night, we will do a storytelling session by the bonfire. Stay in the island.

Day 6. Friday, April 5th. Todos Santos

After breakfast, we will take the boat back to the mainland and drive for 3 hours to Todos Santos, a pastel-colored, coastal town known for its many galleries, the slow pace of life, and stunning beaches. We will have time to wander around the streets and discover the local gastronomy.

Day 7. Saturday, April 6th. La Paz

We will have a slow morning in Todos Santos, hosting our reflection circle and having an extra time to enjoy the town before driving for 1 hour to La Paz, where we will have lunch and a couple of free hours before boarding the ferry at 6 pm that will take us in a 12-hour journey to Mazatlán.

Day 8. Sunday, April 7th. Mazatlán

Arrival at 7 am to Mazatlán. We will stay in cozy cabins and it is an opportunity for the group to enjoy a free day, ideal for relaxing, co-creating activities or non-activities. In the evening, we will have a lecture about eclipses an their interpretations across cultures.

Day 9. Monday, April 8th. Mazatlán

The day has come for the solar eclipse viewing in the morning (9:30 am - 12:30 pm). In the evening, we will host a reflection circle and debrief.

Day 10. Tuesday, April 9th. Mazatlán

Integration and celebration.

Day 11. Wednesday, April 10th. Mazatlán

Departures.

Ecopedagogy and travelling

Before, during and after the journey we exercise a cosmopolitical pedagogy of emergence (COPE). We understand cosmopolitics as an exercise of ‘slowing down reasoning’ (Stengers) that creates an opening for possible articulations between worlds. In this sense, it is a pedagogy of encounter, of sourcing inner wisdom, of dialogue between cultures and world-making practices, one that involves movement, story, dreams, inquiries, solidarities, boundaries and practices that allow for the uniqueness of the process of coming into being, of a becoming that invites a new relationship of the human within an entangled, endangered yet potent web of life.

Before the journey, registered participants will get access to a platform with resources on different topics of the journey, such as: Maya culture, the Chicxulub event, Deep Time perspective, anti-tourism and radical hospitality, marine life ecosystems, archeoastronomy and indigenous peoples resistance to extractivist models of development. These are materials and resources that learners can engage freely, at their own rhythm and with no expected outcome. Participants are invited to choose one topic of inquiry during their journey that is relevant and alive for them.

During the journey, we will have a combination of visits, group process sessions, lectures, practices and free time. Participants are invited to document their journey in the way that suits them better for their learning process.

Cost

As a cooperative, we are trying new approaches to make the journeys affordable for as many people as possible while covering the costs and paying our faculty and hosts. We are experimenting with a sliding scale in which you can choose the fee according to your life situation.

Consider contributing MORE on the scale if you:

have the ability to comfortably meet all of your basic needs
belong to a sponsoring organization or are employed full-time
have investments, retirement accounts, or inherited money
travel recreationally
have access to family money and resources in times of need
work part-time by choice
own the home you live in
have a relatively high degree of earning power due to level of education (or gender and racial privilege, class background, etc.)

Consider contributing LESS on the scale if you.

have difficulty covering basic expenses
are supporting children or have other dependents
have significant debt
have medical expenses not covered by insurance
are an elder with limited financial support
are an unpaid community organizer
have unstable housing and/or limited access to reliable transportation
have not taken a vacation or time off due to the financial burden

(This is based on the ‘Green Bottle’ sliding scale model by Alexis J. Cunningfolk

www.wortsandcunning.com)

If you select an amount at the higher end of the scale, you will make possible future offerings and support the good work of the speakers, facilitators, and organizers who are generously contributing their gifts to this event.

Basic fee: $2,600 USD in shared accommodation and $2,900 in private accommodation.
Regular fee: $2,900 USD in shared accomodation and $3,200 in private accommodation.
Plus fee: $3,500 USD

We require a non-refundable deposit of $500 USD to book your spot.

What is included

Your journey includes:

A team of experts, professional tour leaders and educators and local community organizers.
All food (except snacks) and beverages (except alcohol).
Accommodations in shared or private room with all amenities
Boats and ferry, as outlined in the itinerary.
All logistics for tours and transportation as outlined in the itinerary.
All entrance fees for nature preserves and other attractions except optional activities.
Complimentary WiFi access where available.

Your journey does not include:

flights to La Paz International Airport or Mazatlán International Airport
snacks
optional activities and local tours in free time.
health and travel insurance

Testimonials of past participants

“Our journey together was the most inspiring, fulfilling, satisfying, and enlivening trip I’ve ever taken… well, with the exception of being alive and somewhat conscious at this particular time in the Universe. Thank you for this extraordinary co-creation of Imagination, Possibility and Beyond” Marianne

“Each person we met, each environment we engaged, was more astonishing than the last, making deep impressions on my consciousness about other ways of being. I carry these precious astonishments with me as I go”. Terri

Reasons to participate

You have an interest in:

Becoming present for the Earth in a mutually beneficial way.

Delving into localized wisdom and scientific breakthroughs, exercising presence and exploring old new ways of relating to the web of life, including but not limited to our selves.

Participating in, place-based, embodied, experiential learning that expands sensibilities and imagination.

Cultivating spaces for other ways of knowing and being -aside from mainstream, disembodied, fragmented knowledge- which are highly relevant for the current challenges of our time.

Unfolding a self and collective inquiry leading to the birth of new practices and stories.

Co-creating a space for deepening artistic explorations.

Meeting fellow travelers with similar interests and mutual inspiration .

Ethics and economy

As a cooperative, we believe in offering programs that help you, your community and the world be enlivened again. We strive to co-create regenerative livelihoods for our families and for the planet. We refuse to engage in deadlihoods and we engage in initiatives that support alivelihoods, regenerating ourselves, the earth’s natural systems and local healthy families and communities.

By participating in this journey, you support an effort to engage with equity and social and environmental justice, supporting localized circular economies, exploring more regenerative economic practices, helping a democratically run cooperative, and enhancing the practice of being a grateful guest of Earth.

Faculty and team:

Dei, explorer and marine naturalist fascinated by the sea and all its life. A Psychologist currently focusing on Ethology of marine mammals, studying, researching and publishing about them. An underwater videographer, on his Instagram account @oceandei he gives a closer look and he shares about the ocean and its members.

Gerardo López-Amaro, co-founder of the Enlivened Cooperative, is currently walking the path of autonomous education with the task of imagining spaces of encounter for thinking-feeling together about ways to strengthen the defense of life, memory and territory. He sees this as part of a planetary struggle for cognitive, relational and ontological justice. He is purposefully becoming entangled in a great “we” of people enacting the pluriverse, that “world where many worlds fit.” Born and raised in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, he’s a pilgrim of viable spaces informed by politics of love and consciousness regarding the healing of land and territory, love and intimacy, and labor and livelihood.

Marianne Rowe, a Founding Teacher of Monterey Bay Meditation Studio, an Emergent Dialogue facilitator, an Ecotherapist, and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Pacific Grove, CA. Her teaching, therapeutic work and leadership focus on healing, transformation and evolution through awareness and relationship — developing Integral consciousness through the physiological, cognitive, emotional, relational and spiritual aspects of being. She is dedicated to catalyzing and cultivating embodiment of a New Story for human beings (inspired by Charles Eisenstein) and playing a conscious role as part of the evolving Universe Story (inspired by Thomas Berry, Brian Swimme, Duane Elgin and Deeptime Network). My passions include inspiring reverence and reciprocity with Earth and Universe, spiritual activism, and conscious relationship with all beings.

Stephan Martin is an astronomer, educator, and writer who has taught astronomy and physics at colleges and educational centers across the U.S. for over twenty-five years. Currently an adjunct instructor in the Consciousness and Transformative Studies program at John F Kennedy University, he is also a co-director of the continuing care program at the Center for Spiritual Emergence, where he supports those emerging from spiritual crises in living their new found realizations in daily life. He is also a lead teacher for the Deeptime Journey network where he has presented courses such as “Cosmos, Consciousness, and Birthing the Ecozoic” (2020) and “Applying the New Cosmology” (2021) to a global audience.

Learning Journey summary

We require a minimum of 10 people and will take a maximum of 15 people
Registration start date - April 1st, 2023
Registration last date - December 31st, 2023
Dates of the learning journey - March 31st-April 10, 2024
No of days - 11 days
How will we be traveling - We will have pre-booked cars for the travel. Boats and a ferry will also be used for some sections of the travel.
Total Kms - We will be traveling roughly 1000 kms (average 2h30min per day)