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*Book now!* Roots and Wings: A Retreat with a Purpose March 21-28, 2010 Tassia Lodge, Kenya Cost: $5500 Limited to 12 participants Beneficiary: Lakipia Wildlife Forum This retreat is designed for individuals driven by a strong sense of mission and purpose, who desire a week for rebalancing, replenishing and realigning this mission and purpose with their life activities. Spend a week at Tassia Lodge in the Northern frontier lands of Kenya. Situated on 60,000 acres of community owned conservation land, Tassia is in a stunning wilderness area untouched by development. Shared by tribe people, cattle and wildlife, this aboriginal eco-system struggles for balance—a challenge that mirrors our own struggles internally and in our outward lives. Your daily program will include yoga, guided meditation, safari and visits with local Maasai, to learn about their way of life. The week is a unique opportunity to connect deeply with yourself while immersed in pristine natural surroundings.

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Daily Program

We begin each day with meditation practices that open us to our roots, our ancestry, and the earth. This grounding then allows us to experience our wings, our higher Self, our dreams, our mission.

Naming our intentions, we will follow our inner journeys throughout this week, using techniques such as yoga, breath work, shamanic journeying, family constellations, art and rituals.

Most days we will have a morning and an evening session.

Your stay is inclusive of all meals. Menus are an exotic mixture of African, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking, using organic fresh ingredients.

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Getting There

International Flight to Nairobi, followed by scheduled air and charter flights to Tassia Lodge.

Visas:

Kenya visas are obtainable upon arrival at the Nairobi airport.

Climate:

Weather is hot and dry, cooler at night. Please bring comfortable clothing.

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Tassia Lodge

Tassia Lodge, on Lekurruki Community Ranch (60,000 acres) looks out over the Northern Frontier District towards Samburu, Shaba and the sacred Lolokwe Mountain.

Tassia sprawls gently over a rocky bluff, which protrudes from the Mokogodo Escarpment and overlooks a valley in which there are many Loimugi trees - a favourite food for the elephant that visit the area. The entire lodge is run on solar power.

Tassia is built entirely from low impact local materials. No trees have been cut down and the whole project has been constructed with conservation and the preservation of the environment in mind. The structure is organic and seems to be a natural extension to the ground on which it is built.

All five double bedrooms have ensuite bathrooms. There is a swimming pool, dining room, bar and chillout area.

Your stay will include a visit to a Maasai manyatta, where some of the lodge staff live with their families. This offers a true insight into their culture as Mokogodo Maasai.

You can also enjoy botanical walks, where you will discover the traditional and medicinal uses and names of all the plants and trees. The Maasai have been guardians of the beautiful Mokogodo forest for centuries, it offers an entirely different ecosystem and experience.

On tap are game drives, bush breakfasts, picnic lunches by the river. As well as night drives and forest excursions.

The game you are likely to encounter at Tassia is dependant on the water in the area. Through out the year there is Grater and Lesser kudu, gerenuk, waterbuck, Buffalo. There have been sightings of cheetah, leopard, wild dog, spotted and stripped hyena.

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Hosts

Samvedam B. Randles works as a psychologist and body worker in Boston, USA, where she is the Founder and Director of the Inner Arts Institute. Samvedam has offered workshops and trainings for over 15 years and has taken groups into various environments to experience different connections to Self and Spirit. For more information about her work please go to www.innerartsinstitute.com.

Martin Wheeler and Antonia Hall and the Mokogodo Maasai of the Lekerukki Community Ranch.

Martin Wheeler is a forth generation Kenyan. He was born and brought up on Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, one of the most prestigious conservation areas an Africa. His father, Charlie, runs camel safaris in the Northern frontier of Kenya, so throughout his life he has been immersed in the bush. He has a great empathy and knowledge of the wildlife, as well as incredible relationship with the nomadic people of the area. He was made an honourary warrior as a Best man at a traditional Maasai wedding. This is a very rare and special honour. Martin's passion for the wilderness, wildlife and local community led him to Tassia lodge. He and Antonia, formed a partnership with the Maasai community, in the running of the lodge and 60000 acre conservancy. His other great passion is falconry and at Tassia he has set up a rehabilitation centre for birds of prey. He is a talented sportsman, and greatly enjoys fly fishing, kite surfing, motorbiking and paragliding. He is a licensed guide, deep sea fishing skipper and falconer.

Antonia Hall was born in England. However, due to her Kenyan ancestry she has spent much of her life in Kenya hosting and guiding in various lodges. She moved to Kenya some years ago after achieving a BA in English literature and becoming a Leith's Chef. She found her niche in tourism and conservation many years ago leading horse riding safaris. She is happiest when exploring the African bush, either on foot or on horseback. She has a great passion for wildlife and is committed to the community conservation project that she started with Martin and the Maasai community. Her other interests include literature, cooking, travel and climbing. She has formed a company 'Waste not Want Not' working with the Maasai woman's group. They create products using traditional and local materials that also have a function in the western world.