How To Overcome A Lack of Self Love

In today’s video, I’m talking with you about “How To Overcome A Lack of Self Love.” It’s so interesting to me, for almost all of the (almost) 9,000 people who have come to us over the years, lack of self love is at the root of almost everyone’s problems.
One of my favorite parts of this video is the quote from the Buddha:
“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire Universe, deserve your love and affection.”
If you don’t totally believe that, please watch the video.
I hope it helps.

(Stay up to date on all of our videos…click here to subscribe to our YouTube channel.)

How to Know What You Want

I hope you like the new format for my weekly newsletter. I’ve done some videos in the past and I’ve had lots of people ask me to do more, so we’ve made the decision to have all of our newsletters be videos from now on (with other news and Sacred Travel included). So every week I’m going to post a new video that I hope will be helpful, hopeful, informational, and inspirational.
This week’s video is, “How To Know What You Want”. It seems very basic, but in all my work with people, I’ve found that so many don’t actually know what they really want. This is so important, because until you know what you want, you can’t go after it.
I hope you enjoy it and I hope you enjoy our new format – I’d love to hear your feedback.

(Stay up to date on all of our videos…click here to subscribe to our YouTube channel.)

If you want some help in really getting to the heart of knowing what you want, connect with us and let us create a retreat that will bring you the life or the relationship of your dreams. If you’d like us to call you, click below:

Or if you’d prefer, call us toll-free at 1-877-204-3664 (US and Canada). For our friends outside the US and Canada call 01 928-204-5988 or click here and one of our Retreat Guides will call you.
Would you like to speak to someone today? We’re even open on Sundays, because we’re here for you.

3 Very Specific Reasons why you should go to Machu Picchu and Peru (April 27-May 10, 2019)

In this issue:

Self-criticism is killing you! Here’s what to do

In this issue:

• Self-criticism is killing you! Here’s what to do
• Lauren says after her Soul Adventure, “I understand who I am and I love me!”
• Are you coming to Egypt with me? (February 18-March 3, 2019)

I read the New York Times almost every day over breakfast, and this past week I was completely startled to read an article that sounded a lot like one of my newsletters! They were talking about how damaging self-criticism is, that everyone needs to stop doing it, and they even talked about meditation as being scientifically proven to help! They cited all kinds of scientific studies, saying all the stuff I’ve been writing to you about every week for the past 16 years! Here are the things they said:

Title: Why You Should Stop Being So Hard On Yourself

• “Self-criticism can take a toll on our minds and bodies.”
• “Self-criticism can interfere with our productivity.”
• “Self-criticism can impact our bodies by stimulating inflammatory mechanisms that lead to chronic illness and accelerate aging.”
• “Self-criticism can have measurably destructive effects, including symptoms of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, negative self-image and, in a particularly vicious twist, decreased motivation and productivity.” (Study published in the Journal of Psychotherapy Integration).
• “Self-criticism leads people to becoming preoccupied with failure.” (Study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin).

The article then goes on to talk about why we do this and the answer is, (in their words) “blame evolution.”

“Our brains equip us with a mechanism to monitor our mind and our behavior, so that when we make errors, we are able to notice the mistake. In order to recover, we first must notice that a mistake has occurred.

Just noticing that we’ve deviated from our expectations or goals — whether that’s eating too much or not completing a daily to-do list — isn’t necessarily the same thing as degrading ourselves into a shame spiral. In some cases, like when our safety or moral integrity are on the line, it’s crucial that our brains tell us good from bad so that we learn the right lessons from our experiences.

But sometimes, assigning negative value to our experiences and behaviors can “ensnare” us into cycles of unhelpful rumination — like when you lie in bed at night, needlessly replaying an awkward interaction or repeatedly revisiting that minor typo. This is where we get into the harmful, counterproductive side of self-criticism.”

So we’re hardwired to do all this self-criticism, it’s very bad for us, it leads to chronic illness and accelerates aging, it interferes with our productivity, and it has “measurably destructive effects” (meaning, they’ve proven this with empirical studies) including depression, anxiety, substance abuse and feelings of failure. WOW! Could that be any worse?

So then, the New York Times asks, “What should I do?” And their one word answer is “Self-Compassion: the practice of being kind and understanding to ourselves when confronted with a personal flaw or failure.” It’s so cute, they then quote a study from the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin entitled “Self-Compassion Promotes Personal Improvement From Regret Experiences via Acceptance,” a clinical study showing that self-compassion and self-acceptance makes you feel better.

They then offer 3 steps to help with Self-Compassion:

1. Practice self-compassion by staying in the moment, with practices such as meditation (and then they cite yet another study “A wait-list randomized controlled trial of loving-kindness meditation programme for self-criticism” in the Journal of Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, so they can prove to their New York Times readers that meditation is actually scientifically proven to work!).
2. Meet your criticism with kindness (change your self talk from “you’re a loser” to “everybody makes mistakes.”).
3. Start noticing how you feel better when you are more compassionate with yourself, and then keep doing it over and over again.

When they’re discussing the three steps they say in this article “This is, of course, easier said than done,” and that’s the whole problem, isn’t it?

I’m sorry, but you and I both know that simply telling someone to stop calling themselves a loser and telling them to start meditating is not going to stop a lifetime of self loathing and self-criticism. I had 15 years of therapy and it didn’t stop it, because it didn’t get to the root of what was causing it.

It wasn’t until I came to Sedona and started working with the amazing practitioners here that I really got to the root of all of this. I had done Inner Child work before, I knew I had abandonment issues, but it wasn’t until I did sessions where that abandonment energy was removed and I experienced really, truly loving myself, did all that leave me. I knew that I had negative self talk and I did all kinds of things to catch myself and stop doing it, but it wasn’t until I did a Core Belief Transformation that those old tapes were just eradicated. And it wasn’t until I experienced an Inner Breath Journey that I really felt completely connected to myself, to the Divine, and to everything and everyone around me.

You see, so much of the pain and self-loathing comes from so many deep places and they affect us on all levels —physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. When we have issues of not loving ourselves completely and unconditionally (and I have to say every single person I’ve ever met has that to one degree or another), it shows up on those levels.

On the physical level, we feel insecure about our bodies (haven’t you noticed how even people who are “beautiful” think they aren’t perfect?).

On the emotional level, we deeply feel the self-criticism and it goes to our core.

On the mental level, we’re thinking things like “I’m a loser,” “I’m so stupid,” etc.

On the spiritual level, we actually believe that there’s something wrong with us.

Unless we’re dealing with this on all four levels, it just stays there, stuck and not moving.

So if this is an issue for you, please do something about it. Even the New York Times thinks you should!

Or if you’d prefer, call us toll-free at 1-877-204-3664 (US and Canada). For our friends outside the US and Canada call 01 928-204-5988 or click here and one of our Retreat Guides will call you.

They’ll connect with you (or both of you, if it’s a couples retreat) in deep conversation. Then they’ll custom design the perfect retreat for you, working with our Master Practitioners here in beautiful, mystical Sedona.

Would you like to speak to someone today? We’re even open on Sundays, because we’re here for you.

Lauren says after her Soul Adventure, “I understand who I am and I love me!”

“I was in a very dark place and my heart knew I needed healing and clarity. My soul adventure provided a safe place to journey through my pain and grief, gave me the tools to continue the healing process, and helped me become balanced and whole. I am no longer hardened by the world – I am soft and gushy! I no longer react in anger or frustration; I can breathe life and peace inside when confronted with difficult situations. I understand who I am and I love me! Thank you Sedona Soul Adventures!”
~ Lauren S., Dallas, TX

Ready to get started? It’s actually very easy, just contact us. We’re here for you. Click here…

Or, if you prefer, you can call us now, toll-free, at 1-877-204-3664 (US and Canada). For our friends outside the US and Canada call 01 928-204-5988 or click here and one of our Retreat Guides will call you.

Are you coming to Egypt with me?

I’m so excited about our next Egypt trip (February 18 – March 3, 2019). We’ll be going to all the must see places:

• The Pyramids (including 2 hours of private time in the Great Pyramid – just for our group)
• The Sphinx
• Karnak
• Luxor

Plus, we go to places the average tourist doesn’t see:

• Abu Simbel
• The Isis Temple at Philae
• Hathor Temple at Dendara

And we have our 5-day cruise on the Nile on a 5-star ship, in 5-star hotels, with our Egyptian guide (who reads hieroglyphics!).

The pricing is all-inclusive – airfare to and from New York (JFK) to Egypt, 3 flights within Egypt, 5-star hotels, 5-day, 5-star Nile Cruise, 3 meals each day, all transportation, admission to all the sites, our guide, even tips and travel insurance. Click below for all the information.

If you have any questions about our trip, send me an email at: Debra@SedonaSoulAdventures.com

Or feel free to give me a call – I love talking about Egypt! 1-877-204-3664

If you already know you want to go, Click here to make your deposit.

My wacky workout, 850 pound leg presses = Big Life Lesson

In this issue:

• My wacky workout, 850 pound leg presses = Big Life Lesson
• Lois says her Soul Adventure took her “from a dark, hopeless existence, to a joyful, abundant and grateful life” with health, “positive tools to combat negative feelings.”
• Sign up for the Egypt trip now and save $200! – Feb 18-March 3, 2019 

I have the craziest workout. I do it every 10 days and I can finish it in about 25 minutes! People are always stunned to discover that:

I can leg press 850 pounds!

I can dead lift 380 pounds!

My lat pull downs (pictured here) are 260 pounds!

Now here’s the real kicker – When I started (8 years ago) I could only dead lift 110 pounds… now it’s 3 times that. My leg presses were only at 320 pounds and I could only do 90 pounds on the lat pull down.

Nobody is more surprised than me that this is what’s happened. And believe me, this isn’t about me being a weight lifting superstar, I’m certainly not. I only hold the lifts for 5 seconds, because the science has shown that’s all it takes. I don’t have giant muscles in my arms (I don’t want that), if anything I wish my arms were smaller!

So here’s the deal with this and why I’m talking to you about it. First of all, this is a special program I found out about 9 years ago. The idea is to build lean muscle mass and it’s based on very current science that says the best way to do that is to take the muscle to failure and then let the muscles completely recover, which takes a full 10 days. So every 10 days I do this weight training and the goal is to increase it by 5 pounds each time.

This week I realized I’ve done this now for exactly 8 years and as I looked back at where I started, I was struck by the fact that what this is REALLY about is:

• Getting Started
• Learning what to do
• Doing a little bit, but doing it consistently
• Never stopping

And I realized that this is such a metaphor for life and it’s certainly the same thing for people who come to us to do a Soul Adventure.

Getting started is so hard. It’s so silly, I actually had the information about this program for over one year (!) before I did anything with it. I had seen something online and ordered the information (I think it cost $27!). But it seemed like it would be so hard and so boring to move all those weights around, and I was actually a little afraid to try to move all that weight around by myself. I had done standard 3-times per week workouts with a trainer, but I was embarrassed to ask him about it… I was concerned he would be offended by a workout you do only every 10 days. When I finally called him (one year later), he suggested I bring in the information. He read it and said he thought it was brilliant. He said he would help me get started and then if I wanted to, I could do it on my own.

The next part was learning what to do. When I started, it wasn’t so critically important that I do the lifts perfectly, but I could tell that if I wanted to do heavier weights down the road, I had to do it right so that I wouldn’t hurt myself. Paul is such an excellent trainer with incredible credentials and he taught me perfectly. And it was so effective, I wanted to keep on working out with him. Plus, we have so much fun talking and laughing… and he does the boring work of adding more and more weight as I do my warm-ups. So I’ve been doing this with him now for 8 years! Learning what to do from someone who knows their stuff makes all the difference.

But I know the biggest thing here is the consistency. Unless I’m out of town, I never miss my session with Paul, and I mean never. I always go, I never tell myself, “oh I don’t feel like doing it today,” even though there are definitely days when I don’t feel like doing it and days where I’m so incredibly busy that I’m telling myself I shouldn’t take the time. But I go because I know if I don’t do it now, it’s going to be a little harder to do it next time. Plus, I’ve seen the incredible results from doing a little bit, but doing it consistently. I just have to do a little bit. I just need to increase by 5 pounds, I just need to hold the lift for 5 seconds. Just by doing that little bit over and over again, I’ve tripled what I was able to do before.

And I know that this is keeping me healthy, making me feel good in my body and helping to maintain my weight. It helps me feel strong.

And that’s just what it takes in every part of our lives, especially our spiritual life. Just doing a little bit, but doing the right things and doing it over and over and over can give us tremendous benefits. Doing a little bit of meditation each day, even 9 minutes can make a huge difference! Being just a little kinder to everyone you meet can make the difference between a good day or a bad day. Just being a little kinder to yourself can give you enormous benefits (more on that next week).

And, of course, it’s exactly the same thing with doing a Sedona Soul Adventure. For everyone, Getting Started is the biggest hurdle. I’ve said to so many of our people that 90% of this is just about showing up — getting here and getting started. We’ve had people who have waited 2, 3, 5, even 10 years from the time they first felt the nudge that they should do this. As with anything in life, getting started is the hardest part.

And then you need to be learning what to do. Working with our incredible practitioners, having someone who really knows what they’re doing, urging you on, helping you, holding you to a higher standard than you might even be holding yourself, can make all the difference when you’re trying to change something. When you come here, not only are we clearing out all the blocks and the gunk that’s holding you back, we’re bringing you back into connection and giving you tools to maintain and deepen that connection. You learn how to do it and you take it home with you.

And then it’s all about just doing a little bit, but doing it consistently. The last session that everyone does as part of their retreat is called Intuitive Integration. In that session, we review what’s happened during the retreat and then we talk about how you can best integrate this into your day to day life: What are the things that you can do that will fit into your life and that will maintain and deepen the connection and peace that you found here? We put together an action plan for you, making sure that it’s doable, practical and effective. Just doing a little bit can keep you feeling centered, balanced, peaceful and strong.

So are you ready to get started? It’s actually very easy, just contact us. We’re here for you. Click below:

 
Or, if you prefer, you can call us now, toll-free, at 1-877-204-3664 (US and Canada). For our friends outside the US and Canada call 01 928-204-5988 or click here and one of our Retreat Guides will call you.

They’ll connect with you (or both of you, if it’s a couples retreat) in deep conversation. Then they’ll custom design the perfect retreat for you, working with our Master Practitioners here in beautiful, mystical Sedona.

Would you like to speak to someone today? We’re even open on Sundays (and on Memorial Day) because we’re here for you.

Lois says her Soul Adventure took her “from a dark, hopeless existence to a joyful, abundant and grateful life”

“Prior to my Soul Adventure, I had been struggling with depression, weight gain, addiction, smoking and anxiety for months. I had tried medication and therapy and neither of those worked, in fact the medications only made things worse; more weight gain, less energy and sluggish thoughts.  Then my husband found Sedona Soul Adventures, how, I still don’t know, but I am so thankful! I called them the following day to learn more about their services and immediately knew this was for me. We left the following day on an 8 hour road trip to Sedona.
During the adventure, I could already feel blockages opening up and hope coming back into my mind. I was in such a sad and lonely place prior that I immediately felt changes occurring. It was so exciting learning new techniques and tools to help manage my moods. Each night I felt like I was just bursting with information and excitement with the ideas and perspective I was gaining.
After completion of the adventure, I went home and immediately put my new techniques into practice. Within a month, I effortlessly lost 9 pounds and started working out again as soon as we arrived back home.  In the past, I didn’t even have enough energy to walk around the block. I ate better and made conscious decisions to remove negativity and old behaviors that no longer served me. I have taken a proactive approach towards my attitude, protecting it from negativity and situations that provoke anger and irritability. However, those situations and emotions are not always avoidable and I have learned to cope better in those cases. I live in the moment now and am able to see immediately when my emotions are turning and take responsibility for my wellbeing by either meditating or just sitting with the feeling and trying to figure out why I am experiencing them. In the past I would reach for anything to change that feeling, including alcohol, prescription drugs, or smoking. Soul Adventures provided me with healthy, positive tools to combat negative feelings.  I am proud to say that I am 100% chemical free, no medications, no smoking and I am even eating organically!  By living in the present, I can step back and be objective about a situation verses viewing everything subjectively and as a victim. I now see myself as the creator of my destiny, able to manifest pure joy and happiness, whatever I desire.
I was hopeful and optimistic about Soul Adventures, but I had no idea that in less than a month my life would go from a dark hopeless existence to a joyful, abundant and grateful life.  Thank you Soul Adventures!”
~ Lois R., Buena Park, California Ready to get started? It’s actually very easy, just contact us.
We’re here for you. Click here…
Or, if you prefer, you can call us now, toll-free, at 1-877-204-3664 (US and Canada). For our friends outside the US and Canada call 01 928-204-5988 or click here and one of our Retreat Guides will call you.

Sign up for the Egypt trip now and save $200! – February 18-March 3, 2019
It may sound kind of crazy, but I’m so excited about the Egypt trip coming up next February. It’s silly, because this will be my 19th time! It’s not like I don’t already know what’s going to be happening. Maybe it’s because we’ve been planning some little surprises that I can’t even tell you about yet. Maybe it’s because I have a big surprise I’m going to tell you about in a few weeks. I think it’s probably because this week I’ve been looking over lots of photos from past trips putting together our new brochure and updating our website. Just looking at all those happy faces and remembering all those happy times. There is something incredible about going to these amazing places and experiencing these energies, connecting with the special people who go on these trips and making memories that last a lifetime.
If you sign up for the Egypt trip now, you’ll save $200. I’d love to have you join us. Click here to make your deposit.

Dreamed of seeing the Pyramids?

Is Egypt on your bucket list? if so, you should come on our next trip – February 18 – March 3, 2019.  
Have you always dreamed of seeing the Pyramids?
*Can you imagine seeing the Sphinx for the first time?
*Can you imagine seeing the treasures of King Tut, up close and personal?
*How about cruising down the Nile on a luxurious 5-star cruise ship, stopping at temples along the way?
*Or staying in a beautiful 5 star hotel that is just across from the Pyramid?
“The Egypt trip was the trip of a lifetime.” – Pam O’Connor

If Egypt is calling you, let me tell you 10 reasons why you should go on this trip:

1. I think this will be the last year without crowds. I’m pretty sure this will be the last year without the hordes of crowds that used to be in Egypt. We saw this year that more and more people are coming back (especially Europeans), so it feels like this will be the last year of small crowds.

2. The price is All-Inclusive – it includes round trip air from New York (JFK) to Cairo, 3 flights within Egypt, 5-star hotels, 5-star – 5-day cruise down the Nile, 3 meals each day (breakfast, lunch and dinner), all transportation, admission to all the sites, our Egyptian guide (who reads hieroglyphics!), and even your tips and travel insurance.

3. Seeing the Pyramids, Karnak, and Abu Simbel, and cruising the Nile in 5-star luxury. Seeing all these amazing places is so incredible. Staying in 5-star hotels and cruising down the Nile in a 5-star cruise ship, stopping at temples along the way, is simply amazing. In Cairo we stay at the incredible Mean House hotel. Can you imagine being at the pool and looking up at the Pyramids? Our cruise ship is one of the most beautiful ships on the Nile and the service and food are incredible. Here’s a picture of me getting waffles on the cruise ship – they’re fantastic!

4. Absolutely everything is taken care of for you. I’ve been working with Guardian Travel since 1995 and they are such a joy. They greet us warmly at the airport, and after that, we don’t touch another bag for 2 weeks. They take care of everything in such a wonderful way, from our hotels to all our transportation, food, even giving the guards some baksheesh (tip money) so that we can do meditations in certain spots (don’t tell anyone!). They are another Egyptian treasure. All you have to do is show up and have a fantastic time.

5. The exchange rate now is almost unbelievable ($17 US dollars to 1 Egyptian pound – the lowest has been 3:1). This will make the incredible shopping even more incredible. Look at that fabulous rug that Melissa and Chris got this past February, it’s so beautiful!

6. This is a spiritual experience unlike any other. If you feel a pull toward Egypt, that’s probably because you have had a past life there. The energy in Egypt is amazing and experiencing these places is phenomenal. I had an email recently from someone who was on the trip last year and she said the ceremony inside the Great Pyramid (we have 2 hours of private time just for our group inside the Great Pyramid) completely changed her life. And from everything that’s happened to her in the past few months (all of it amazing and incredible), it obviously has! That’s what the Egypt trip does. 

7. Being with other like-minded seekers adds such a wonderful level to the trip. Doing ceremony and meditations, talking about who built the Pyramids and why, really connecting. It’s a total experience and so wonderful to share with other like-minded people.

8. Don’t worry if you don’t have someone to travel with. Our groups usually fall in love with each other within 48 hours and make friendships that last a lifetime.

9. The trip is perfect. Can you believe it, this is my 19th trip to Egypt! And I’ve been doing this particular trip since 1995! I have to say, after 15 years of leading groups to Egypt (and over 30 years of going there myself), plus all the tweaking and adjustments I’ve made over the years, this trip is perfect.

10. We have lots of fun! Not only is this a life-changing spiritual journey, it’s also lots of fun! Seeing all these amazing sites, cruising down the Nile, eating great food, shopping, talking, laughing — it’s the trip of a lifetime. We even have a night on the cruise ship where we dress up like Egyptians. 
We go to all the must see places:
*The Great Pyramid (including 2 hours of private time just for our group for ceremony)
*The Sphinx
*Karnak
*Luxor
*Abu Simbel
*Cairo Museum (to see the complete King Tut exhibit and all the other treasures)

And we go to places that the average tourist doesn’t go to:
*Isis Temple at Philae
*Hathor Temple at Dendera
*Horus Temple at Edfu
*Kom Ombo (dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and Horus)
*The fabulous temple of Abydos (above) and the Osirion (where we’ll see the Flower of Life)

One of the first things you might be thinking is – “Is Egypt safe?” I was just there in February and (as usual) it was wonderful, incredible, and safe. Everyone in the group commented that they felt completely safe. As I said, this will be my 19th trip to Egypt (my first was in 1983). The Egyptian people are some of the warmest, friendliest people you will ever meet, and they love Americans.

“The Egypt trip was awesome and amazing! Our guide was so passionate and knowledgeable and so much fun. I felt completely safe, the Egyptian people are so wonderful. I loved our group, we all loved each other right away, just like Debra said we would. I manifested the trip using Debra’s “Bringing In Egypt” meditation – not only did I end up with enough money to come on the trip, a few weeks before I left my mother gifted me some additional spending money and my boss gave me a bonus that was completely unexpected!” Cyndee Wickstrom, 2018

Download our beautiful “Mysterious Egypt” report

Download my beautiful 35-page report, including beautiful photos, about spiritual Egypt, the important temples, the Egyptian gods and goddesses, who built the Pyramids, and even discussing some of the esoteric questions such as, “Why is there a carving of a tank, a helicopter and a submarine in the walls of the Temple of Abydos?” Click here to download the report.

Get all the information – Book now and save $200!

Come with me on this trip of a lifetime – I’d love to have you!

For all the information on the all-inclusive pricing, Click here.

For all the information on our fabulous Day to Day Itinerary, Click here.

If you have more questions, send me an email at
Debra@SedonaSoulAdventures.com.

Or call me – our toll-free number is (877) 204-3664. For our friends outside the US and Canada, call directly at 011-928/204-5998 – I love talking about Egypt!

This will be a small group and it will sell out. If you book now, you can save $200 off the cost of the trip. Click here to make your deposit.

Is this the year you’ll give yourself the gift of Egypt?

“I’m More Spiritual Than You Are” [Very Funny Video]

We all need to poke fun at ourselves sometimes. If you’ve been around spirituality for very long, you’ve seen it. The people who want you to know just how spiritual they are by making you feel you’re somehow, not as spiritual as they are. Which, of course, means they’re not being spiritual at all!
It’s not a contest! The minute you start judging other people, that’s when you know for sure, that something isn’t right.
J.P. Sears really captures this in his “How To Be Ultra Spiritual” video.
One of my friends sent this to me this week and I couldn’t stop laughing because it’s so true! Here are some of my favorites:

“Judging other people to be less spiritual than you, makes you a better person than them, and that’s exactly what makes you more spiritual than them.”

“Reclassify all the ways you’re being irresponsible by saying ‘I’m a free spirit.’”

“Deny Your Pain – ‘You’ve been sleeping with my best friend? Oh no, I’m not hurt, it’s all part of the perfection.’”

But my special favorite is, “Use an exaggeratedly light tone of voice when you are talking with other Ultra Spiritual people. It’s like showing your ID to get into a bar – it proves that you belong.” What’s up with that? I’ve never been able to get away with that – wearing long, flowing skirts and speaking in a breathy voice and saying “It’s so beautiful” all the time. I’ve just always been a little too loud, and I’ve never been tall and thin enough to pull off the long skirts. I guess it means I’m just not Ultra Spiritual!
And I have to admit that I do one of the things he talks about… I talk about energy all the time! Sorry!
I hope you enjoy the video as much a I do, and I hope you “get” the point of the video. There’s Fake Spirituality and then there’s the Real stuff.
By the Real stuff, I mean living your life connected to the highest part of yourself and in connection with the Divine. I mean being happy and feeling like your life has purpose and meaning. I mean feeling peace and joy, and occasionally, some bliss. I didn’t feel that way for so many years of my life; instead I felt unhappy, dissatisfied, disconnected, and stuck. J.P. might make fun of me for this (comparing the Fake stuff to the Real Stuff), but adding this element (the Real stuff) to my life has made all the difference.
If you’d like some of the Real stuff, please connect with us. Coming to Sedona 19 years ago is what changed everything for me — maybe it will change everything for you.
Connect with us and let us create a retreat that will bring you the life or the relationship of your dreams. Click below:

Or if you’d prefer, call us toll-free at 1-877-204-3664 (US and Canada). For our friends outside the US and Canada call 01 928-204-5988 or click here and one of our Retreat Guides will call you.
Would you like to speak to someone today? We’re even open on Sundays, because we’re here for you.
“I was skeptical and nervous at first, wondering if I was making the right choice or not. My life was falling apart, I was lost, scared, confused, and just ready to give up until I went on my Soul Adventure. Everyone there is just totally incredible.  Everything they taught me I have been able to bring home and use in my daily life and I am feeling stronger and stronger. I truly believe that had I not taken this time for myself and taken my “Soul Adventure” I would not be here today. How can I ever thank all of you for what you have given me.” 
                ~ Lisa R., Provo, Utah
And last but not least, watch “How To Be Ultra Spiritual”:

Enjoy!

Did you see your results yet?

Check out the results from our recent survey – quite fascinating!

Bringing in the light of your Inner Sun

One of the themes of the teachings that we receive while we are here in Peru – from our shaman and guide, Jorge Luis Delgado – is about “connecting with the Light.” He talks to us about connecting with Father Sun; he teaches us about walking in the light; and he talks extensively about the light that is within each of us and how important it is for us to let that light shine.
And I’ve been struck on this trip at how many times there have been interesting beams of light that have shown up in our photos. The one above is of Jorge walking through a gateway in Pisac, an ancient Inca ceremonial site. Can you see the beam of light at the top right hand side of the photo? I took photos of everyone walking through that doorway, but Jorge’s was the only one that had that beam of light.
But the next one that was startling was this one. We were in an underground ceremonial cave that is on the grounds of Jorge’s incredibly beautiful hotel in Urubamba. The place is unbelievable — in addition to being incredibly beautiful, it has mountains on one side and the Urubamba river on the other, and it’s built on sacred ground. They discovered this underground cave that is completely dark except for one hole in the top, where at certain times of the day, the sun comes in just in a certain way. Jorge had me stand under the hole and I couldn’t feel anything, but everyone was oohing and aahing, and here was this picture. Unbelievable!
The next day, we were at the spectacular Temple of Ollantaytambo. The energy there is simply amazing – in fact, for me, the energy there is even more intense than in Machu Picchu. I took this photo of Richard against the mountain and suddenly there was this beam of light. It almost looks like a waterfall, but it isn’t, it’s simply light. I took another one and it wasn’t there. Jorge had just been talking about our Inner Sun and how we can use that Inner Sun that we all have, to connect with each other, with ourselves, and with the Cosmos.
Yesterday we were in Urco, which is a site that is so ancient no one really knows exactly what it was used for. It is pre-Incan. But it is obvious from the stonework and the energy that this is a sacred ceremonial place. We did a special ceremony here to bring up the energy of Pacha Mama (Mother Earth) into our hearts. After the ceremony, Richard and I were lying on the grass talking, and Rick Reynolds (our wonderful Angel Guide who is also on the trip with us) took this picture without us knowing about it. He just thought it was a sweet picture and then we saw this incredible beam of light. And it looks like it’s going straight to my heart! I also love the look of love that is in both of our eyes. Peru certainly fills you up with love.
Yesterday we came back from our amazing overnight visit to the island of Amantani (which is in the middle of Lake Titicaca), where we stayed with a local family. It is always so special to be with them. I am god-mother to their son, Anthony, and we always do the most spectacular ceremony there. As we were walking back to our boat, I was just filled with so much gratitude, and took what I thought was just a simple photo of the Lake. Instead, this beautiful beam of light appeared in the photo. Again, I couldn’t see it, it was there when I took the photo.
It’s so interesting. It feels like these beams of light show up when I’m filled with love or gratitude, or feeling the special energy of these sacred places. Almost like it’s God winking at me in some way. I know the rational explanation is that it’s just some refraction of light that shows up when the camera is held a certain way, but I’m not that interested in the rational explanation. I’m more interested in the explanation that has to do with light and love and gratitude and energy. How about you?

Beautiful teaching from Jorge Luis Delgado in Machu Picchu

Well, it’s happened again. Just when I think Machu Picchu and Peru can’t get any better, it does.
We’ve had such an incredible trip and it’s only half-over! Our group is absolutely amazing and as usual, we were all in love with each other within 48 hours. It’s so incredible to travel with other seekers, having deep experiences and lots of fun.
We started in Cuzco on our first day and Jorge immediately took us to the Heart Temple to do an incredible ceremony. The ceremony was for clearing out “the heavy energies” and bringing us back into our hearts, truly loving ourselves and everyone else. Here’s Richard hugging Rochelle as she came out of the Heart Cave.
We then walked on part of the Inca Trail, literally jumping for joy (see the video below)!

That evening we had a beautiful and delicious dinner in Cuzco, complete with music and dancing.
Then on our third day, we were off to Machu Picchu, the bucket list item of our trip. It’s amazing to me that most tours take the train here, run around for a few hours and then leave. You can see it doing it that way, but you certainly aren’t experiencing it! I love that we have three days to truly have the complete experience of this mystical place. On the first day, we took the train, which goes along the Urubamba river and is so absolutely beautiful. Jorge brings us into Machu Picchu in an unexpected and special way (it’s a secret!) and it literally takes your breath away (don’t you love the picture of the group at the top?).
One of the other fun parts of Machu Picchu is that there are llamas all over, and they are so sweet and wonderful to connect with. Usually they are kind of skittish and don’t stay with you for long, but Richard and I had a moment with this adorable one. He just stayed and looked at us, and we locked eyes for the longest time. Everyone in the group kept snapping photos because we couldn’t believe how long he was staying with us. He kept making this sweet sound and Richard and I kept making the sound back to him. I’m not sure what we were saying to each other, but he must have liked it because he stayed with us for a really long time!
On our second day, we got up before dawn to do a ceremony in Machu Picchu as the sun is rising over the mountain. Here I am with my dear friend Ranjita connecting in with Father Sun during the ceremony.
And that has been one of the special things for me on this trip, to have two dear friends and practitioners here with me. Many of you know Ranjita Ryan and Rick Reynolds from doing transformational sessions with them during your Sedona Soul Adventure. They are both such amazing practitioners and it’s so wonderful to have two dear friends like this to share Machu Picchu with.
After our sunrise ceremony, we walked up to the Sun Gate, which in ancient times was the entrance to Machu Picchu and where the Inca Trail ends. On our way, we stopped at the Mother Temple to do a sweet meditation. Here’s Richard filled with the energy of this fantastic place.
But certainly the best part of this trip is being with Jorge everyday and receiving his teachings. He is such an amazing person and wonderful teacher. Plus, he is fun, playful, and so down to earth. I love this photo of him at Machu Picchu, it really captures him.
And I want you to listen to this short video, it is so indicative of his teachings. Of how important it is for us to truly love ourselves – that is the key to everything. Enjoy!
And sending you so much love from Peru and Machu Picchu!