With stress, depression and health issues nearly becoming the norm in our 21st century contemporary society - ‘there is fortunately another way out.’ This is by taking a sacred journey into the very being of nature, where it begins with stepping out of our daily routines, strict plans, work and ‘to do’ lists, allowing space for the great mystery to be our guide.
Osher River Oriyah is an intuitive healer, author, storyteller, performing artist, and early childhood specialist based on Waiheke Island. Michael Fleck is co-founder of Good Company Pacific Cultural Journeys.Why do people go on retreats, pilgrimages, hikoi, and sacred journeys? What is it that calls them and beckons them to step onto the sacredness of this path of the natural world and into places for deep healing and inner peace. A safe place, where we recover our essential joy and purpose, and at the same time, activate the healing of our mother planet? Yet more so, that behind the filmiest of screens awaits yet another world, and the question - who are our ‘hidden’ companions?
Osher who originally comes from Israel in many ways a desert country, went to the US and there met with Native American women who changed her perception about life – from the standpoint of recognising the natural world – where nature was alive! And where nature held a key to her wellbeing, happiness and joy.
That also inside her she became aware of a great teacher that connected with her spiritual unfoldment within the new paradigm of love and unity. This being based on moving away from fear and into love whilst living in a day to day existence.
Michael – originally from the US, previously had taken Hawaiian elders and kahunas to Rarotonga for a Pacifica festival – and that it shaped his wanting to do the same through Aotearoa, by taking people out of the ordinary – beyond our everyday perceptions and intuitively tune into the vastness of natures process. To make a connection to this country and to see the natural beauty as being sacred. In particular, working with the group dynamics of everyone in that group ‘having an intention’ to want to ‘be together’ and be in a mindful state - to see and experience the sacred in everything. Thus lifting one’s state of being and allow one to ‘feel’ the subtle energies that most of us miss, that yet have always been embedded in nature’s beauty.
That the participants over time during these journeys, in melting into nature, become inevitably transformed in mysterious ways and shifts their awareness to realise a spiritual connection especially to the land and mother earth. Hence they are called sacred journeys. Nurturing us in a supportive group setting – all intent in growing their inner capacity to love and express newly realised joy.
Michael - In setting the field states; there are both man made energy fields and natural fields that surround us and a sacred journey is one where we step into the natural field of energies and for a small window in time, bathe our being in bird songs, insects sound, whispering waters and fragrant blossom scents.
He mentions insect sounds like crickets chirping when slowed down to the same correlation of a human life to a cricket’s life - time wise – the sounds of those crickets sound like angelic music. Gary Cook’s ‘soft wired’ up trees, emit much melodic like sound, too.
That we are totally surrounded by information 360 degrees and are inundated by the information age too, but we are missing out on the elemental kingdom.
Osher - Talks of her sacred journey into the unseen, that when she removed herself from the day to day basics of ordinary life and stepped over the threshold into the realm of the elemental world. Her journey was one of healing post traumatic stress from her mind to finally enter the heart and it open up a connection to become more at one to nature via the sacredness of this journey. Dropping out of the mundane – all her beliefs that she had - created fell away.
Osher tells of her connection to the elemental kingdom and what the Aotearoan maori call the Patupaiarehe or Tūrehu the fairy folk – listen
Of karakia - prayer, is very important to do when – visiting sacred trees, rivers, power points, situations, views, beaches, portals, and intuitively breaking out into singing spontaneous song.
In the shade of a giant kauri and having reverence for the forest giant Osher said she was told that the reason why the kauri’s were dying is because ‘the humans species vision is dying’ – due to disconnection from the grandeur and magnificence of nature and her exquisite beauty.
Michael - “We can empty ourselves of all that contemporary culture pours into us, and in that emptiness, we recognise the everpresent subtle rhythms and songs of the natural world, bathing us in refreshing innocence and delight.”
This is exceptionally important to acknowledge, as we need to soften and allow a warm and curious innocence to take place.
Osher - yes! And open to more play and playfulness – having been born in Israel, with its conflicts – Osher’s journey – finally into nature here in NZ softened and healed her heart and it softened to where she is now engaging with natures unfoldment and sharing this awareness with journeys into the natural realm of the forests, rivers and sacred places throughout NZ.
Seriousness has fallen away to be replaced with joy and laughter
Osher tells story of her contact with the elementals in Coromandel and that they save two songs with her - Listen
In today’s world intuition has been replaced by thinking – the so called left brain – that is very linear and focused on detail such as measuring and quantifying, where as the intuitive opens us wider to a greater vision plus poetic inspiration …
Osher talks about the healing virtues of nature, of Gaia (Mother Earth) and from her previous challenges coming out of war torn Israel – that if she can through nature and song, heal her being - she openly states - that anyone can – all they need to do is take that journey into the natural realm, into the garden again. We just have to have faith that we can heal our being and once again find our heart and that when caressed by nature’s symphony of outrageous beauty – healing can take place for joy to burst forth – we … just need to take that leap!
She mentions her up and coming sacred journey through the Coromandel that people can join. Plus the wisdom from the plant kingdom and plant medicine, that can be learnt along the way.
A Sacred Journey into Native Plant and Song Medicine
November 7-11, 2018
5 different gifted people, giving 5 half day workshops over 5 days
Come and step out into the unknown ...
Contact: Michael : netweavernz@yahoo.co.nz
Osher - FB - Inner Spring Or Healing Quest Coromandel
