Dancing on the Edge:
Answering Your Soul’s Call for Expansion
Saturday, June 23 to Saturday, June 30, 2012
A Celtic Soul Experience in the West of Ireland
with Kimberly Schneider, M.Ed., J.D., LPC
Questions?
Email
support@kimberlyschneider.com
Or call Cindy at
314-494-5315
|
Don’t the Old ones whisper to you
Don’t the waves crashing against
That even you
That what you declare here
And that who you are
From “I Need A Sky that Moves” |
This Celtic Soul Experience in western Ireland is not just a tour of sites. It is a spiritual journey, a weeklong transformational workshop and enlivening retreat. While you won’t see all or even most of Ireland, you will touch its soul. Or, perhaps it is more accurate to say that Ireland’s soul will open your own soul to something ancient and wild within you.
While your soul will be stretched, your capacity for wonder and fun
will expand as well. Our journey together will move easily between
awe-inspiring treks and toe-tapping music, contemplative moments and
laughter over pints of Guinness in the pubs. There will be time for
shopping and singing, drinking and dancing, feasting and frolicking,
relishing and remembering, walking and wondering… every part of you will be
engaged and welcomed.
We will hike to ancient holy sites….
(St. Coleman’s Well, County Clare)
get to know local musicians….
immerse ourselves in poetry and story where saints and legends lived and walked.
We will get to know one another……
We’ll engage in ritual.
We’ll laugh and we’ll cry.
We’ll enter into silence and we’ll enter into song amidst the
elements.
Kimberly
will draw upon decades of experience as a group facilitator, counselor,
transformational speaker, edge-seeker and creator of ritual, dipping into
her own heritage and study of Irish spirituality to create a sacred space
for you to be present to your own inner journey.
Imagine yourself in a fishing village on the west coast of Ireland.
You open the door to your thatched cottage in the morning to a view of a
horse standing on the shore of Galway Bay. Two swans circle in the
water and the sun is breaking through the clouds.
After a strong cup of Irish tea topped off with the richest milk you’ve ever tasted, you relish eggs and brown bread with soft, creamy butter and a side of fruit, enjoying conversation with your cottage mates. Soon you will gather in the main cottage with other fun-loving spiritual seekers to have a taste of poetry and reflection and learn about the place you’ll be visiting today.
And what a day! Hiking through some of the most dramatic
country you’ve ever experienced, stretching your body and mind, smelling
clean Atlantic air. After a rain shower you pull your hat off and
watch a rainbow spread across the sky above the ocean. Today, you are
remembering how to breathe again. You hadn’t realized you’d forgotten.
Yesterday when you walked into the village you enjoyed a steaming bowl of
chowder, so full of chunks of fresh fish and vegetables that you couldn’t
even finish it. You did, however, somehow find room for that tasty
fruit tart before you walked over to Quinn’s store to peruse the local
wares. Should you go back tomorrow to get that Irish drum? Or the wool
sweater? The linen scarf?
Listening to traditional Irish music and visiting sacred sites in this land of raw yet soothing beauty awakens something ancient and yearning in you. You’re not sure where it is taking you but you know you’ll have a chance to write about it in your journal later. For now, perhaps you will delve into the mysteries of life over conversation and a pint of Guinness at one of Ireland’s most famous pubs. Will those amazing local musicians be back again tonight? The Irish certainly know how to party! After a pint, you can walk home from your outing and reflect on the day while staring into your cottage’s peat fire.
Your pilgrimage with Kimberly to western Ireland is a celebration of the particular way the soul comes alive in the midst of a magical place. Western Ireland is a land of shape-shifters and dreamers. The rocks and the sea, the moving sky, the soaring cliffs exist companionably with horses, sheep and ancient monuments.
|
The sky
dissolves itself again
In this land of shape-shifters and
like a kiss, blown into the center
from “Why
Beauty Went to Sleep”
|
Questions about the trip:
What Is the Structure of the Program?
Each day will be different, but on most days, in addition to our visits to local sites we will also gather as a group at one of the cottages for reflection, processing, poetry and/or music. Kimberly will offer perspectives on ancient Irish spirituality and how it speaks to the modern soul, based not only on her prior visits to western Ireland but also 17 years of intense interest and study.
You will experience some of Kimberly’s accessible and thought-provoking poetry, as well as the work of other poets inspired by nature and spirituality, to explore the existential questions of meaning, longing, desire, grief, joy and expansion. All poems, reflections and music will be connected to Celtic cosmology as well as the particular activities planned for the day.
Several days will involve journeys outside of the village to sites of spiritual and historical interest. There will be time at each place for quiet, to be with the spirit of each spot and what it evokes in you. Kimberly will share her insights about the places we’ll be visiting, and we will have the assistance of locals who will offer their knowledge and guidance.
Since Irish weather is so variable, some of our plans may be adjusted depending on weather, wind and tide but our general plans include trips to the Cliffs of Moher, The Aran Islands, Coole Park and a few other lesser known, but no less powerful sites.
We will spend a lot of
time outside, hiking the trails and woods, moving our bodies and entering
into the dialogue between the spirit of place and our own physicality.
How does the wind speak to you here? The sea? The moving sky? What message
lives in the slippery, cracked grey limestone of the Burren? Or in the swans
that swim in the bay just beyond your cottage?
We’ll also be treated to local music, in both ancient and modern styles, by some of Ireland’s finest musicians…a highlight!
“It is one of the perils of our so called civilized age that we do not yet acknowledge enough, or cherish enough, this connection between soul and landscape.” Mary Oliver
Itinerary: (with some flexibility for weather)
Saturday Initial group gathering. Ritual to set intentions for the week. We will come together outside to contemplate the view from our cottages, where the rocky ancient earth of the Burren meets the sea. Here we will begin our exploration of “edges” and “liminal” or between spaces. Between-ness is an integral aspect of Celtic spirituality, for it is at the edges, in the between places, that everything is shifting and un-fixed. The between-ness of the landscape invites us to find the between-ness in our own souls.
After our opening ceremony we will gather for a Welcome Feast.
Sunday Coleman’s Bed, ancient sacred site. We will hike through the Burren, one of the oldest and most unique landscapes on the planet, to reach Coleman’s Bed and Coleman’s Well. There we will explore the layers of sacredness in our own souls. A local guide will accompany us to offer entertaining and thought-provoking stories from mythology and history associated with the area.
Monday The Cliffs of Moher, on the short list for one of the modern wonders of the world! Exploring the edges of Self.
Tuesday The Aran Islands…Inis Mor (Inishmore), seat of Irish heritage. Take a ferry across Galway Bay to the island, tour Inis Mor by bike or pony cart, meet for a group luncheon feast and then visit the edge of the world at the ancient fort of Dun Aengus.
Wednesday Day of Rest & integration. Morning and lunch on your own (with suggested activities to support you), followed by a group gathering with world-class Irish musicians performing just for our group!
(Internationally
renowned vocalist Noirin Ni Riain with Moley and Eoin O’Suilleabhain of the
group Size2Shoes performed for the 2010 Dancing on the Edge group)
Thursday Hiking through the Burren to visit several sacred sites, accompanied by a local guide who will share the mysteries and stories associated with the ancient stones and hills.
Friday Coole Park. Home of the Seven Woods of Coole made famous by Yeats. A local guide will enlighten us on the history of this beautiful place where nature and literature intersect; you will also have time to wander on your own. Friday evening we will have a farewell party to celebrate Irish culture and our week of experiences and insights.
Saturday Check out of your cottage to head home and/or on to other adventures!
Who Will Be There?
A small group
of seekers interested in spiritual exploration, nature, poetry, and Irish
culture will participate. In addition, Kimberly’s own family will be there.
Her Mom, Mary Lou will assist with the program, and her husband David and
their two daughters will also be on hand (along with their babysitter, who
will be with Bridget when we’re doing adult-only activities or long hikes).
Come on your own, or, bring a partner, a friend, or your family. Couples,
singles and groups are welcome.
Where Will We Stay?
Our lodgings
are a group of rustic thatched cottages on the shores of Galway Bay in North
County Clare. Cottages are simple, charming and clean. Each cottage holds
four or five people with a living room and peat fire, and includes a
kitchen, one shared bathroom with both bathtub and shower, and laundry
facilities. Sleeping rooms are shared with one other person, with a
limited number of single rooms available for a supplement of $350 per
person. If you want a private room, you should register early and pay the
supplemental fee to assure your own space. If you are interested in a
roomier, updated cottage those are also available for an upgrade of $200 per
person (very limited number of upgraded cottages).
How Much Physical Activity Will There Be?
No part of the trip is
mandatory. (You can opt out of any of the activities).
Several of the outings will require at least some hiking. Please take this
into consideration before applying for the tour. (Some 70 year olds hiked
through the Burren with us the first time we went; needless to say, they
were quite fit and spry. We were inspired!)
We will be staying in County Clare, home to The Burren. The Burren is a
vast, ruggedly beautiful area made up of grey limestone, grass and Adriatic
flowers dropped by the glaciers that formed the rocks. Walking in the Burren
calls for complete attention and moment to moment presence as the ground is
uneven and the deep openings in the limestone, often hidden by wild grass,
can create surprises (that may be an understatement for the feeling you have
when you find yourself thigh deep in rock).
We have certainly hiked
more physically challenging trails in terms of cardio-vascular stamina.
These trails, however, call for good balance and mobility. Chronic knee
and/or hip problems, or issues with balance/vertigo may make hiking in The
Burren too difficult for some people. Activity will range from short walks
to one daylong hike at a moderate pace. Our trip to the Aran Islands
includes a tour of Inis Mor by bicycle. However, you may opt to ride in a
pony cart instead if you wish.
Are Any Meals Included?
Yes.
14 meals are included. Pantries and refrigerators will be stocked
when you arrive so you can eat breakfast in your cottage each day. In
addition to breakfast, we will also be providing 7 other meals throughout
the week including:
- A “welcome” feast for the first evening
- Dinner as part of our Wednesday evening party at the cottages
- Lunch on Inishmore on Thursday
- Dinner at our group party on the last evening.
- 3 other meals (lunch or dinner)
You will only need to buy one meal each day with your own money. 10-20 Euros per day will cover this expense; we’ve included a range because dinner is generally a little more than lunch and also to account for a range of eating preferences. You could have a huge hearty bowl of fish stew with brown bread and Irish butter that would more than fill you up for 10 euro or less.
What Should I Wear?
Choose your clothes with comfort, breathability, ease of washing and wearing in mind. Bring layers as we could experience huge temperature variability on our hikes. Also we STRONGLY SUGGEST quality hiking shoes/boots and waterproof jackets. You’ll receive a detailed packing list once you have registered for the tour. Washing machines and dryers are available in the cottages.
About Kimberly
Kimberly has studied, taught and written about Celtic spirituality for nearly twenty years.
When Kimberly and her Mom Mary Lou fulfilled a decades-old yearning to visit western Ireland., it was a cellular and soul reawakening for them both, a connection to heritage (Kimberly has Irish roots on both sides of her family) and to a way of being in the world that has all but disappeared in modern American culture.
Within weeks of returning Kimberly knew that the trip was not just a personal watershed, but also another dream coming to fruition: a dream to journey to sacred places around the world with other spiritual seekers. She wanted to offer her gifts of poetry, presentation, group facilitation, ritual and meaning-making in some of the globe’s most magical places. In Ireland, she knew she’d found the place she wanted to start.
Kimberly is popularly known as “The Manifestation Maven.” She is the author of the book Everything You Need Is Right Here: The Art of Conscious Manifestation and the AudioBook Terrible Beauty: Poems and Reflections for Precarious Times (Both titles available through Avalon Emerging Press beginning December, 2011). Kimberly is an Adjunct Professor of Communications at Washington University in St. Louis. Host of the Conscious Manifesting Radio show on WebTalkRadio.net, she is also a regular contributor to Great Day St. Louis television show and Wealth Magazine’s online newsletter. Kimberly is a poet, world traveler, lawyer, counselor, edge-seeker, transformational speaker, group facilitator, business and soul-retrieval coach, wife and mother to two extraordinary children. She empowers disenchanted dreamers to manifest magic and miracles here and now. www.KimberlySchneider.com
Getting There
Arrival:
Our first group activity will begin late afternoon on Saturday, June 23.
Plan for your flight to arrive at SHANNON airport (not all carriers fly into
Shannon, be sure to choose one that will take you there) no later than
2:00pm Saturday, June 23. For North Americans, this means departing on June
22nd.
GETTING TO the village…We suggest that you arrive a day or two early if
possible to get acclimated to the time zone difference and dip your toe into
Ireland before our experience begins (but that is up to you). We will send
you some suggestions for places to stay and things to do before and after
the tour if you want to extend your trip. Cabs are readily available at
Shannon airport and can be hired to take you anywhere you want to go. You
are welcome to rent a car if you like but you will not need one during the
week of the tour. (Please note: driving in Ireland means driving on the left
side of the road. If you aren’t an adventurous driver you may want to make
other arrangements to get to the cottages). Once you get to the village,
will have transportation for our group to all of the activities, and the
pubs, shops and eateries of the village are a 5-10 minute walk from the
cottages.
Departure:
You will need to make your own arrangements to return to the airport or
continue your trip after our tour is over. The festivities will go into the
late evening of Friday, June 29th so we suggest that you not book a flight
out of the country until later in the day on Saturday, June 30th if
possible. The Cab driver who brings you to the village may be happy to make
prior arrangements to come get you at the end of your stay; otherwise you
can contact one of the airport transfer services directly; some people make
these arrangements online prior to coming on the trip.
Passport:
Each participant needs a valid passport. If you already have a passport,
please check the expiration date, since passports need to be renewed
periodically. Also ensure that there are enough blank pages for exit and
entry stamps. Blank pages can be added to a still valid passport at the
places where passports are obtained. For United States residents, there is
always a significant back-log of passport applications, so you should apply
immediately.
Visa:
No visa is at present needed for entry of U.S. citizens into Ireland.
Tuition:
Total cost for the tour is $3,300. You can pay by check, credit card or
money order: If ALL payments are made via check or money order, you will
receive a $100 discount, reducing tuition to $3,200.
Limited number of private rooms and upgraded cottages are available for a
supplement of $350 for private room and/or $200 for upgraded cottage.
Payment
Schedule:
Deposit due with application: $ 700 (add $350 for private room and/or $200
for upgraded cottage if requesting those enhancements)
1st payment due February 1, 2012: $ 1,300
Final payment due April 1, 2012: $ 1,300
[final payment is only $1,000 if all payments are made by check or money
order]
What the trip
price includes:
- Kimberly’s services as seminar leader, speaker and group facilitator.
- Accommodations for seven nights, June 23-29th (leave on June 30).
- Admission to all sites.
- Bicycle or pony cart ride on Dun Aengus.
- Ferry Ride to Aran Islands.
- 14 meals.
- Entertainment by world class musicians.
- All transport to destinations on the tour.
- Local guides.
Not included:
Airfare, 1 meal per day and transportation to/from the village.
Cancellation Policy:
If, after you are accepted on the tour, should you need to withdraw your
application prior to February 1st, we retain 10% of the trip cost, or $330.
After February 1st, because planning for this program requires a
significant outlay of funds by the facilitator, any refund depends upon our
ability to find someone to fill your place. If there is a waiting list and
we have someone to take your spot, you will receive a refund minus the $330
administrative fee. Otherwise, you remain obligated for the entire cost of
the program. Therefore, we strongly suggest that you obtain trip insurance
to cover your investment. This is a minor expense relative to the trip and
can provide you with peace of mind.
Currency/Spending Money:
Plan $45 US Dollars per day for a meal, drinks etc. - more if you wish to
buy local crafts, wool sweaters, gifts, jewelry and the like, or if you plan
to dine at higher end restaurants. Also include money for transportation to
and from the village.
The currency in Ireland is the Euro. You can change money or traveler's
checks at Shannon Airport, which also has an ATM. There is only a traveling
bank in Ballyvaughan, with rather unpredictable days and hours. Even when
you can find ATMs in rural Ireland, they sometimes run out of money—it is
best to have some cash on hand. Many, but not all, of the restaurants and
shops in the village accept credit cards.
Important:
Please obtain insurance to cover baggage loss/damage, accidents and trip cancellation in case of last minute illness or injury. As discussed in the cancellation policy, your trip fee is not refundable after February 1, 2012.
CSA Travel Protection is a well-known company. Their toll free number is 800 348 9505, email info@csatravelprotection.com. If you are an American Express Card holder, they also offer trip insurance, or, ask your travel agency whom they recommend.
Applying for the Experience:
I have traveled to many parts of the world, including Hawaii, the Caribbean, western Europe, Brazil and all over the U.S. No experience has captivated my soul as much as my visits to this magical part of the world. I am absolutely thrilled to be bringing a group back with me again. I look forward to opening a door to the Otherworld for you on the wild western coast of Ireland!
To apply for the tour, please:
1. choose a payment method below
2. send your deposit via your preferred method
3. immediately Download the application and return it to us.
Questions about reserving your spot? Email us at support@kimberlyschneider.com. Space in this program is limited due to the number of available cottages and the small group elements of the workshop.
Reserve Your Spot on
this Magical Journey Today!
Option #1: Pay deposit by Credit Card
Click here to continue
To make arrangements to pay on 2 different credit cards, please contact us via email at support@kimberlyschneider.com
Option #2: Payments by check
or money order-Save $100
please mail your deposit of $700 (plus supplement of $350 for
private room and/or $200 for upgraded cottage, if you are requesting those
enhancements) to:
Kimberly
Schneider Communications
1324 Clarkson/Clayton Center, Suite 177
Ellisville, MO 63011
AND
contact
support@kimberlyschneider.com to obtain application and secure your
space in the program
For payment by check, please email support@kimberlyschneider.com to let us know you'll be sending a check and then Click Here to download the application.
Slainte!
Photography by Maddie Willis, Lynn Merves, Jose Avila & Kimberly Schneider