News
Blossom in Gratitude
Spring is in full bloom here in Santa Cruz, and we’ve been grateful for the misty mornings, which have offered small morsels of precipitation to the land. The bird songs start earlier each day, and the spring light is enhanced as it shines through the fresh foliage of the forests.
This time is one of rebirth, of awakening. Everything comes into focus, and we are able to see the path ahead more clearly. Our goals and dreams of the future are within reach, and we find ourselves propelled forward by the innate power of growth. That power that allows a small blade of grass to split concrete on its journey to the light. The invisible force that manifests in all the amazing visible changes we are witnessing in nature during this season.
As we instinctively strive to grow during the spring, tapping into the life force of nature can allow us to reach our full potential. Remembering to breathe in the smell of fresh flowers can remind us to appreciate our senses. Enjoying the flavors of fresh seasonal foods prompts our appreciation for Mother Earth. And the natural blossoming of our tutu (flower of the heart) causes us to connect with one another in gratitude.
We are able to both give and receive more fully during this season and so it is a natural time for us to reach out to our friends and accept new opportunities. Remembering to do so in gratitude allows us to grow without overextending ourselves. Much like a tree, we must always make sure our trunk can support any new growth. Our ability to grow stably provides us with the foundation for longevity.
As the midpoint between spring and summer approaches, we are provided with an intuitive opportunity to retool and shift our growth pattern. With more light and an increase in energy from the fire of growth, our pace of development quickens. Our focus intensifies and our projects mature faster. It is easy to get lost in this rapid process of maturation. Once again, we can utilize the power of gratitude to maintain strong yet grounded progress in the development of ourselves and the projects to which we dedicate our lives. Staying humble in the realization of newfound progress fortifies our trunk of longevity.
So let us blossom forth in this spring season and remember to be grateful and remain humble.
With Humility & Gratitude,
Nico Secunda
March 2015 Update
Hope you’re enjoying the transition from winter to spring. Winter is drawing to a close rapidly here in Santa Cruz and the trees are blossoming as Mother Earth wakes up from her slumber. My father (Brant Secunda) and I just returned from a beautiful gathering in New Zealand at the Voices of Sacred Earth Festival. We had a wonderful time reconnecting with our Kiwi friends and sharing the ancient wisdom and ceremonies of the Huichol. Thank you for all those who came to this inspirational gathering. We’re already looking forward to next year!
Our office is full of new faces and we’ve welcomed three new members to our team in the last few months. Julia Cunningham has stepped up as our Event Coordinator and has been getting all our programs into gear, while also working on setting up a new retreat for later this year! Mara Milam has joined us as Media Coordinator, organizing our massive photo and media library in order to make our images more accessible to everyone. Her and Julia are also helping to guide our social media presence, so make sure to follow us on Facebook + twitter! You may have already spoken with Angela Chambers, who is our new Administrative Assistant. She’s been busy responding to all of your emails and calls each day and can’t wait to speak with you when you call us next!
We’ve still got a busy month ahead of us. If you’re on the east coast, you can catch us in Cherry Hill, NJ next week. We’ll also be heading to Mexico for the spring ceremony with the Huichol later this month and then onto to Germany for our annual spring retreat at ZIST (and then onto Crete, Greece from there in April).
I hope to see you somewhere along the way and look forward to staying in touch!
All the Best,
Nico Secunda
May Update
Hope you’ve had a beautiful month. In April my father (Brant Secunda) was in Germany, where he lead a beautiful retreat and pilgrimage to the Zugspitze and also taught in the beautiful city of Munich. From there, he journeyed onward to the island of Crete, Greece for our annual retreat in the Mediterranean. The rejuvenating power of that sacred place indeed touched all who attended and I hope everyone is still feeling the healing energy of the waters and the kupuri (life force) from Mt. Kastri.
Since my father returned from Europe, we’ve been staying busy. The very same weekend, we visited the New Living Expo to perform a closing ceremony and this past weekend we had our annual spring workshop at the Pacific Ocean. It is always wonderful to welcome people from near and far to our local coastline. We had warm spring weather, perfect for enjoying the beauty of Tate-Harama (Grandmother Ocean).
Now we’re preparing for our West Coast OnGoing Group meeting in Montana. We’ll be gathering at a beautiful lodge directly on the Yellowstone River and visiting Yellowstone National Park, as well as various hot springs and other nearby places of power. Can’t wait to share some photos with you all upon our return.
I hope you’ve been connecting with the spirit of springtime and actively blossoming the flower of your heart. The fragrant flowers here in Santa Cruz have been a great reminder to “slow down and smell the roses.”
Sending you all positive thoughts and prayers from Santa Cruz!
Best Wishes,
Nico Secunda