20 - 23 June, Marahau, South Island, New Zealand

Let's gather together! We'll connect to the life-giving elements through water-honoring ceremony, strengthening & nourishment of our earth-bound bodies, breathing that heals as we explore First Winter's focus on the 3rd eye at Ajna Chakra. Our element here is light as we explore & celebrate Matariki, Māori New Year,  & Winter Solstice. What an auspicious time to connect!

Melissa Billington & Miriam Lancewood will guest-star as resident Amazons & Brian Morris, an Amazon Ally, will lead us in martial arts-based Awareness Skills. Other facilitators are listed below in the schedule.

This gathering is open to male-identified people, which we call the Amazon Allies (go here for more on that: https://theamazonacademy.com/what-about-the-men), as we aim to explore & cultivate healthy interdependent relationships.

We'll learn more about ourselves & also about the bio-region. Some of our practices may include (but are not limited to): Ojibway Water Ceremony, Nutritional Awareness in our meals, MYOGA Seasons sessions, Seasonally-appropriate Qi Gong sessions, Verbal Learning/Storytelling, Archery Introduction, Horse-Friendship Introduction, Fire Awareness, Amazon Ally Sessions, Combat Arts/Awareness Skills, Meditation/Restorative Sessions &/or Drumming Journeys. Additionally Miriam will share from her range of wilderness skills--foraging & animal prep, lighting fire, edible plants, hunting, finding camp spots, & her experiences on expedition.

What's chosen for the weekend will align with the Seasonal focus, be readily available in the region & be aimed at helping us Awaken the Heart to Action! As the activities are confirmed, the schedule below will be updated.

Please be aware that this is Not a Retreat, but rather an Advance! We'll have good night-sleeping hours but no lag time during the days. We also encourage you to recognize any blocks that arise in considering joining us & the journey you make to when we gather. When you come up against a block, ask yourself, "What would an Amazon do?" We're discovering who Amazons were & how we can be Amazonian today, so let the inquiry assist you in facing self-defeating behaviors.

The Schedule:

Thurs--arrive & settle in
--evening meal & orientation session--Melissa to detail some of what we know (or think we know) of the historic Amazons

Fri--dawn water ceremony
--MYOGA First Winter Season practice
--breakfast & conversation
--Morning Session with Miriam on Wilderness Skills, including fire
--lunch
--Afternoon Session with Brian Morris on confidence-building Awareness Skills (martial-arts based)
--dinner
--Evening Session around the fire, Matariki learning & focus

Sat--dawn water ceremony
--MYOGA First Winter Season practice
--breakfast & conversation
--Morning Session with Karea exploring Rongoā, native plants & foraging
--lunch
--Afternoon Session with David on Archery--marksmanship skills with handmade recurve & long bows
--dinner
--Evening Session with Rebecca Bee Gunson on re wilding the voice after which we'll explore silence thru Sun breakfast! This gives us an experiential of the Autumn Season's focus in truth-speaking & creative self-expression.

Sun----dawn water ceremony
--MYOGA First Winter Season practice
--breakfast
--Morning Session with Brian on Horse Friendship
--lunch
--Afternoon Session--how do we Awaken the Heart to Action & take that back into our home worlds?
--pack up & head home!

Costs are:
--$444 (ONO) for the 3 days! This includes your accommodation, food, fees for whatever specialty sessions we have--yoga, archery, horses, wilderness skills, etc. There is some flexibility on the accommodation cost depending on whether you tent or want a shared or individual cabin at Old MacDonald's Farm. You're also welcome to source your own housing.
--getting to & from Marahau. Please make a note below if you'd like to carpool.
--cost of any extra food you want for yourself, or to contribute to the collective gathering
--$20 cash for a signed copy of Miriam's book

If money is a barrier for you, don't let the cost steer you away! Get in touch with Melissa at melissa@myoga.co.nz. While we have money-based costs to cover, please also consider this approach:
How much can you contribute, versus how much can you "get"? As the structure of the Amazon Academy unfolds we move away from a traditional expert-to-attendee model & towards a collaborative model where each of us has gifts to share as well as skills to gain.

How you can prepare:
--review First Winter MYOGA Freedom practices so we can go farther & deeper with them in person, both in terms of your physical aptitude & in terms of understanding with the mind. If you haven't already gotten on board with these foundational embodiment practices, go to www.theamazonacademy.com/product/free-trial
--read Miriam's book Woman in the Wilderness. She'll have copies there if you don't yet have a copy.
--make note of any questions you have from those two above as well as anything else you want to explore
--make sure you have whatever bedding & special foods you require to sleep & eat well!

This will be an intimate gathering, so space is limited.