Tantra Workshop

Late one morning this week I high tailed it down to the beach after a few hours of work to go for a swim before the afternoon clouds rolled in. It was another glorious day in Paradise as people laughingly say around here and my timing was perfect. Blue sky, hot sun, cool breeze, perfect temperature water, near empty beach. I hadnt gotten down to the water for two days since I was busy all day Saturday getting ready for the weekly farmers market and busy all day Sunday with the market itself. I only had 2 hours  1 in the water and 1 melting into the sand  more fun than lunch and less calories too. As it turned out, two women and one 4 month old baby I know were reclining in the shade. So I stopped to chat.

One of the women asked me about my upcoming retreat in Tulum. Are people going to get naked and have sex? she wanted to know. Because this particular woman does not mince words I was reminded that this is what most people imagine a Tantra workshop is about. Ive had similar conversations with people about polyamory for decades. I took a breath before responding, Thats certainly possible but its not what Tantra is really about and not what Im all about either. She took the bait. What are you about?

I had my sound bite ready after years of media interviews. I can sum it up in three words, I replied. Integration, energy and sustainability.

Few people remember that the 1992 edition of my book, Love Without Limits, was subtitled Secrets of Sustainable Intimate Relationships. These days sustainability has become a buzz word, in Hawaii at least and Im focusing more on sustainable agriculture (sometimes known as permaculture) and alternative energy than alternative relationships but sustainability boils down to the same basic concepts however you look at it  reciprocity, truth, and awareness. The words, of course, are only words and its in the living of them that the meaning is revealed. I hope this next week in Tulum will provide that opportunity for those who journey there.

The last time I scheduled a retreat in Tulum it turned out to be just after the infamous 9/11. This time, it turns out to be just after the recent swine flu scare. The swine flu seems to have receded as mysteriously as it appeared, proving more dangerous to tourism than human life. You can definitely be assured of warm welcomes and bargains south of the border now! As a result, its still possible to join our Reteat May 23  30 in Tulum, Mexico! and probably get a deal on airfare as well  but not on United Airlines, they are not flying to Mexico this month. Call me at 808-328-8631 for more info or register online now at www.sevenlawsoflove.com. Single men are especially encouraged for gender balance at this time.

My previous Tulum retreats were called Tantra and Sexual Shamanism. In a recent conversation with Ray Stubbs (www.sexualshamanseminars.com) I discovered that this trailblazing teacher and author is now using the same term but he is much more systematic in his approach than I ever was. If you like systems, check it out! No coincidence that we have both moved in the direction of emphasizing energy as weve both been on the leading edge for decades although Im the new kid on the block compared to Ray. And no coincidence that this word energy refers both to the hot topic of renewable, non-polluting fuel sources and the invisible stuff that shamans, witches, Taoist masters and tantrikas have worked with for millennia but science is only just starting to recognize. The energy world is just as real, or perhaps more real than the physical, to those who are attuned to it.

Our challenge as 21st Century human beings is to INTEGRATE the energetic experience with the bodily experience  or to put it another way, to integrate sex and spirit. Integrate has the same root as integrity which is usually associated with words like honesty or truthfulness, and as I discuss in The Seven Natural Laws of Love, its impossible to tell the truth when you dont even know what it is because different parts of yourself arent communicating with each other. We can learn a lot from indigenous traditions which tend to be more wholistic, but the tricky part is discovering how to get from here (fragmented inside) to there (connected and aware that All is One). The work of the shaman is to heal by feeling/finding/retrieving disconnected energies and bringing them into awareness (hoala) so the natural flow of life force can restore wholeness. Only then can relationships be truly sustainable.

Most people these days have an even more highly fragmented relationship with their food source than their love/sex source. If your food comes mostly from the supermarket shelves  whether that supermarket is Safeway or Whole Foods and even if you buy mostly unprocessed foods  you are disconnected from its source, and highly vulnerable to disruptions in the food chain. I could say a lot more on this subject, but right now Ill just say that I find myself more and more deeply involved in addressing this particular split.

Im so grateful to have finally finished writing a grant proposal to fund the creation of a multi-farm Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Project here in South Kona. I worked around the clock for two weeks and just made the deadline. I wont find out until September whether its funded or not, but I figure why wait? Might as well get started now! In my next letter Ill be explaining how YOU can be part of this, but feel free to ask if you dont want to wait. Patience is not always a virtue!

I plan to be in Hawaii most of the year, and am available for phone or Skype sessions anywhere in the world or as a private retreat guide here in Hawaii, so email me now at taj@lovewithoutlimits.com or phone 415.507.1739 to schedule.

Aloha ia o'koa pa'ulo. When we meet in love, we shall be whole!

Much love to you all,

Deborah Taj Anapol

Mexico in May

Please give this your attention ASAP because

1. The airlines are offering some fantastic sale fares for a limited time. Sample fare - on American Airlines is $362  with good times and connections -- from San Francisco to Cancun (which is the airport you want to fly in to). 2. I need to release the rooms at Maya Tulum that our group will not be using soon. We all know that the Global Economy is shaky right now and many people are fearful about their financial futures, which is precisely why Im asking you to take a chance on acting on what you believe in, prioritizing this gathering and taking a stand for a positive future by registering now! 3. Ive spent my whole life doing my best to be the change I want to see. I want and need your participation to co-create and launch the next phase of this work. Yes we CAN make a difference. Together we can co-create a New Earth. But time is running out & 4. You can be part of this from your own home whether or not you join us in Tulum! How? By signing up now for a new Teleconference series which will begin the first week in March and continue every other week through the end of August. There are more details about this teleconference and individual coaching package later in this letter, for now Ill just say that its FREE if you register for Tulum by February 10th. 5. The free upgrade to Ocean Front room offer is about to end. All the rooms at Maya Tulum are wonderful, but they are not all right on the beach.

A Little History

For those who are new to this network, let me begin with a little background. I first visited Maya Tulum in October 1997 with Jerry Deutsch, who you may have seen with me in the HBO Real Sex episode on polyamory filmed that year and still being broadcast over 10 years later. We had just finished months of intense and stressful work producing the first Celebration of Sacred Sexuality Conference at Harbin Hot Springs which included 25 teachers from different traditions and over 100 participants. Maya Tulum had offered me a free stay if I would come check it out and I was more than ready for a vacation.

The clothing optional pristine white sand beach and gentle Caribbean sea, along with natural beauty of traditional round thatched roof cottages (palapas) with comfortable beds, marble floors and Western plumbing complete with hot showers, not to mention delicious healthy food and fresh juices immediately sold me on bringing a group, which I did the following year and for many years after before changing our venue to Lesvos Island in Greece. Those of you who were there know these groups were always memorable, and that each one had its own unique flavor. Over the years, the evolutionary process brought me, my relationships, and the group process into greater alignment with Spirit and laid to rest the illusion of separation which sometimes created drama in the earlier years. The last retreat I did in Tulum was the best ever for me. Total harmony and support with Coen, my beloved at the time, fabulous music and lots of laughs from Armand who had not yet become Armand and Angelina, and an easy, synergistic, and yet powerful flow to the group sessions.

The Opportunity

I anticipate 2009 to surpass everything weve experienced up till now even though many things have changed.

First, Maya Tulum is no longer begging group leaders to bring groups. Even with their rates double what they were in those days they are fully booked over a year in advance and one of the most popular Yoga Retreat destinations on the planet.

Second, I gave Sacred Space Institute to one of my students in 2005, and took nearly a two year break from leading groups. Carolena has decided that running a seminar company is too much work and not her cup of tea, and I am refreshed after turning my attention to coffee farming in Hawaii, traveling throughout Asia and healing my broken leg. I am not resurrecting Sacred Space, but want to create something new, and I invite you all to join me in birthing the 21st Century version.

Third, so many dramatic world events in the intervening years are creating openings for all of us to shift our lives in the more sustainable directions weve always longed for.

We all know that a weeklong retreat in a beautiful, nurturing place is not only fun, but can give us a glimpse of whats possible, allowing old patterns, beliefs, and blind spots to dissolve and new ways of being to emerge. But most of us need more than this to support deep and lasting life transformation and thats what my work is all about as you can see from the testimonials at the end of this letter.

I understand that most of you are unable or unwilling to simply leave your old lives behind and commit to an ongoing experiment in exploring group synergy and spiritually based community, which is what Judith, Ed and I will be doing in 2009. While thats not an appropriate path for everyone, I feel everyone can benefit from having a window into this kind of full on process. So I am proposing a much simpler, but still very powerful alternative. If you want to just show up May 23-30, thats totally fine. But if you want more, heres what Im offering if you register now!

The Teleconference Series

This is a way to both prolong and expand the retreat experience, and vicariously taste residential community living, through a series of group conference calls, and individual coaching sessions, before and after the Tulum Gathering in May. As youve probably discovered, on an energetic level, the course actually begins when you sign up, even if this is months in advance of the physical gathering. The whole process of deciding whether to attend or with whom, making choices and planning the logistics, the fears and hopes that arise, what you imagine will happen there  this all kicks in the moment you register. And when you return home after a significant opening, you naturally want to continue the process, to further develop your new friendships, to anchor the shifts youve made and to integrate the whole experience into your every day life. So why not consciously make use of both the prelude and the aftermath?

You know that expert facilitation makes a big difference during a retreat. And now you can give yourself that gift before and after at no extra cost!

These calls will begin the first week in March and will take place every other week for the three months prior to the Tulum Gathering and for three months afterwards. Each call will last for one hour and will be recorded so that you can still listen in if the time is not convenient for you. This package also includes 30 minutes per month of individual consultation with me (a $500 value)! Participation in these calls is not required, but it is encouraged. And best of all, it is FREE to you, IF you register for Tulum by February 10, 2009.

If you later cancel your registration (see our refund policy at the bottom of the retreat flyer and please ask if you need a copy) or if you want to join the calls without registering the cost is only $100/month for two conference calls and one private consultation each month.

The Process

You may be wondering what will happen on these calls and in the retreat itself. Because this is a new creation rather than a canned program I cant give you a detailed answer. But I can tell you that each call will be similar to the sharing that goes on in small groups throughout a retreat. I will be tuning in each time to my own inner process and intuition about what is up for all of us, and invite you to do the same. Whatever theme emerges will be the starting point for the rest of the conversation. You are free to ask about whatever is arising for you, either in your life in general, or in response to what I, or others say.

The retreat itself will offer one meditation/movement session to start the day, 2 two-hour full group sessions with varying levels of structure each day, one small group session, lots of free time to enjoy delicious healthy meals at the retreat center restaurant, the beach, the warm water, the jungle, the nearby Mayan ruins and other local attractions, and bodywork or spa treatments (at additional cost). One day, somewhere in the middle will be mostly free for longer excursions or quiet time. If youve never attended one of my groups, or just want to talk to someone whos been to one of the previous Tulum groups, let me know and Ill be happy to put you in touch.

But this retreat will be different from anything Ive done in the past. While I will certainly be available to work with you on relationship and sexuality issues during the retreat and on the calls, if thats where you need help, I am holding space for us all to get these needs handled in whatever ways best suit us and be free to turn our attention to the bigger picture of how we can support each other to find the personal freedom and creativity to assist in birthing a New Earth and a New Culture.

The Potential of Sexual Freedom

Reclaiming our sexual power is often the start of transformation, but it is only the start! As Osho put it, Sex is only the beginning, but if you miss the beginning, you also miss the ending. I visited the Osho Ashram, AKA the Osho Resort, on my trip to India in December and if you are interested, would be happy to share more about that when we talk.

Some of you may be familiar with the work of Dr. Wilheim Reich, a brilliant protégé of Sigmund Freud and major architect of the Sexual Revolution, whose work is the basis for Jack Painters Pelvic Heart Integration work, as well as most mind/body therapies in use today. Most people have forgotten that Reichs theories and practices for enhancing orgasmic potency and sexual freedom were PART of a larger vision for returning humankind to a more natural state. Like Osho, he believed that if the energies wasted in repressing sexual desire were freed up and if we could unravel the twists in personality and society whose purpose is to repress sexuality, then our inherent creativity and resources could be directed toward designing a better world.

In other words, the original intention behind the Sexual Revolution went way beyond sexual freedom. Its true purpose was to transform the world and its high time for the Next Wave of Shakti-powered change to be set in motion! Please join us on these calls/and or in Tulum, if youd like to be part of this exciting project.

Reichs theories have not yet been the subject of scientific research. Was Reich was just plain wrong? Despite the increases in sexual freedom in the last fifty years, Utopia has not arrived and greed and violence continue unabated. If Reich is correct, those of you whove been working on your own sexual liberation for years now, should be prime candidates for leading the next wave of change. These are empirical questions, easily explored by scientific research. Until we manifest a research institute, Im inviting you to join me in an experiential enquiry into the role of sexualove in personal and planetary transformation.

The Team

I also want to provide some links for those of you who may not be familiar with the Musical Ministry of our troubadours, Armand and Angelina, or with my new community mates, Ed Fell and Judith Shivani Davis. Visit www.armandandangelina.com to see and hear why I invited this incredibly talented, funny, and open-hearted couple to provide original, live music for most of the groups I led for several years.

To hear an inspiring podcast interview with Ed Fell who is a senior leader and trainer with the Mankind Project, click here personallifemedia.com/guests/1513-ed-fell. Im excited to be joining forces with Ed for many reasons. His many years of facilitation in the Mens Movement and specialization in sacred sexuality and intimacy, combined with my own background in grassroots Womens Consciousness Raising in the 1970s, and more recently Tantra, sexual healing and conscious relating, opens the door to co-creating a body of work which ending the war between the sexes to a whole new level.

Judith Davis (www.awakenedloving.com) is a true sister whose work seamlessly integrates sex and spirit with depth and clarity. Her thirty year background in the healing arts includes certification as an Advanced Tantra Educator with Charles Muir's Source School of Tantra Yoga, as well as training in the Divine Feminine Mystery School with Caroline Muir. Judith is also certified in Structural Integration (rolfing), and has experience with trauma and abuse related somatic healing. She is a past teacher of the Diamond Approach, a school for spiritual development, (the work of A H Almaas).

Journey into Unknown

As one of my favorite teachers used to say, nothing new can ever happen if you think you need to know what it is before it happens. The unknown is by definition unknown. If you feel youve already reached your full potential, then this project is probably not appropriate for you.

If you sense that theres more to life than what you already know and youre ready to explore your edges, you owe it to yourself to join us at this retreat and/or the Teleseminar.

The ongoing conference calls give you an opportunity to see how the new community experiment is developing, help shape the retreat itself, and to ask whatever questions arise for you. I know thats a little vague, so this is a great chance for your mind to let go of needing to evaluate what will take place or what you will learn and instead allow your intuitive or right hemisphere to see whether you feel drawn to participate.

Click to see the Workshop Brochure: www.lovewithoutlimits.com/docs/Tulum_2009.pdf

Click here to register now with a credit card. www.sevenlawsoflove.com;cat=Workshops

Credit card registrations must be paid in full. See our flyer for the refund policy. If you prefer to pay by check you can of course pay the full amount, OR you can make a $500 deposit now with the balance due by March 23. There will be a $100 discount if you pay by check, which reflects my cost to process credit cards. Please make checks out to Deborah Anapol and send to me at 84-5114 Painted Church Rd, Captain Cook, HI 96704.

With much love and aloha,

Deborah Taj Anapol

PS If you absolutely cant make it to Tulum, Judith, Ed, and I are available  individually or together -- for private retreats on the Big Island of Hawaii starting in March.

Addendum -- What past participants have said about my work:

I want to express my gratitude for the magical and intimate space you created for my partner and I, as well as for others in the workshop. Something deepened for us that goes beyond words. Everything seems different now, and yet we dont know exactly how to define it. We only know theres more love between us and in our reality.

Love,

Tysa, Los Angeles, CA

As a Ph.D. in Marriage and Family therapy Ive attended many workshops and retreats, and never have I experienced such skill and experience combined with a lack of personal ego. You gracefully kept the workshop moving forward, offering people safety and sacredness while finding their edge, facing shadows, and risking giving up old stories. You dealt with the personal stuff for many of us while integrating it into the group process seamlessly. You made space for love and let us support each other. You presented valuable information and drew out of us even more valuable information. I recommend your workshop to anyone who is genuinely seeking to deepen, heal, and expand their ability to love. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Weve already signed up for the next one.

Peace,

Matt, Atlanta, GA

During this retreat, I experienced myself truly being who I came here to be and doing what I came here to do. The work Ive done with you has progressed way beyond reclaiming my sexuality and become an inseparable part of the process of reclaiming my Godhood! Im so grateful for your contribution to my life!

Love,

Kevin, Maui, Hawaii

Phone 415.507.1739 or visit us at www.LoveWithoutLimits.com

Have you read The Seven Natural Laws of Love? Order your copy now at www.sevenlawsoflove.com

Register now for our 10th Anniversary Love Without Limits Retreat in Tulum, Mexico May 23-30, 2009 and get an upgrade to an ocean front room!

Personal Letter from Deborah

Yesterday as I swam with the dolphins for what seemed like hours I became very aware that it's extremely rare to see One Dolphin. The dolphins always travel in pods. Usually there are around thirty dolphins including a few babies, although two, three, six, twelve or some other subset may swim in closer formation, playing the "leaf game," making love, dancing and spinning, sometimes chatting. Most likely this is also the natural way for humans but I spend most of my time alone these days. The computer is my main link to the rest of the world. And there is a whole world out there I havent explored yet. 2008 may be my year to travel. Im open to invitations& Are you interested in sponsoring a workshop in your area? Creating an opportunity for some intensive individual work for yourself? Offering me space for a writing retreat? Hosting a visit?

If you havent checked out my websites lately, now is a good time. These monthly newsletters are being posted on my blog, as well as my vision statement for community, Recreating the Village. Just click on www.sevenlawsoflove.com/lblog/default.asp and choose the Vision for Community category to read about my latest ideas. There are also categories for Introducing Yourself and The Advice Column. And feel free to suggest additional ones.

I will continue to email the letter as well in this transitional time, but plan to switch to just an email reminding you to click the link to my blog to read the latest letter in the coming months. Im hoping that once you are on the site you may feel moved to post a comment and create a dialogue with me and others on the list. I am also looking into software that will give you the option to post your own profile and give others the option to contact you directly from within my site (which means they will not have your regular email address, only your address within the site if you choose to set up a profile  like other social networking sites.) Please let me know if you have any questions about this, and whether it is a feature youd be likely to use as your feedback would really help me decide whether to do this. Also note that the blog has a Calendar feature which will allow you to check for the latest information on Teleseminars and Retreats whenever you wish!

Finally, thanks to Cinnamon Sky, a face lift for www.lovewithoutlimits.com is in the works. You are probably reading this before the new site goes live, but do check back and see the new improved version soon. After a couple of years of transition one piece at a time, a new concept was definitely overdue and this is the first step toward integrating all the different pieces/websites into one whole.

Also, please make a mental note and electronic bookmark my online Store at www.sevenlawsoflove.com/store/default.asp where you can buy books, ebooks, and the worlds best coffee as well as registering for events. If you spend time in Hawaii or other tropical places, watch for the new Gardening/Recipe e-books Im working on with Stacy who has catered our Hawaii Retreats for many years. You can now grow and cook the same yummy, healthy food you enjoyed at those retreats! The Store will also be getting a face lift, so do visit the new, more beautiful version soon!

This summer or fall I would love to facilitate your personal retreat at Lokahi Farm if youd like to enjoy a tropical vacation in the Garden of Eden while healing old stuck places alone or with your partner. Or if you prefer to vacation privately, inquire about renting our beautiful, simple home for a week or more in late August or September. I dont know if I will be at Lokahi Farm beyond December of this year, so if youve been putting off a visit, get it on your calendar now! You can reach me at taj@lovewithoutlimits.com or at 415.507.1739.