Liberty Advance

Sometime in early January 2010, I was having a conversation with a friend named Firefly. It was Mara Harris' birthday party, and many of us sat casually with beverages in our hands listening to the low murmur of each others voices, the ambiance of conscious conversation. Firefly mentioned that a good friend of hers was looking to start her own studio. She was an aerialist, but wanted yoga to be a main component of the new studio. I explained how I would love to one day shift the loft into a "ninja training" camp, where the exploration of our physical, spiritual, and mental abilities could be explored through many disciplines, where I could be surrounded by like minded practitioners.

A full on adventure retreat with the Yogaslackers.  Build awareness of your body, focus your thoughts, cultivate playfulness in your life, and learn new skill while refining others.

A trip down the socio-spiritual consciousness... On my last visit to San Francisco, I had two experiences that continue to help me define the spiritual movement in America. The first was an invitation to see Lama Anam Thubten speak at his center in Richmond Point, the second was an email I received from a former employee of Yoga Journal. I saw the lama speak on a Sunday morning, a perfect sun-lit morning on the east bay, cool and quiet. Upon entering the meditation center I was filled with the immediate calm of the Lama and his students. The community was gathering for the talk. Lama Thubten sat quietly at the front of the chapel in meditation as we gathered. Time passed and I realized that instead of waiting, I too should be meditating. I took a few breaths and opened my eyes to gaze upon him, to connect with his essence, to attune myself to his vibration. He was utterly still and serene and even in meditation I found myself thinking about him, as he sat, clearly content with his own body, his own posture. The chimes rang and we read the heart sutra and chanted. It was followed by a short break, and then the Lama gave a Dharma Talk on pure awareness. At the end we were invited to sit before him and greet him and while in line I watched my mind conjure up a hundred different things I might say or not say, and ultimately realized that I simply just had to open my heart and be still. As I watched others kneel before him, particularly an elderly woman who needed assistance placing herself before him, I felt a short wave of love surge over me. My heart opened, tears welled in my eyes, and then it passed. When my turn came, I knelt before him and had no words for him, only short answers to his few questions. He gave me a blessing, forehead to forehead, heart to heart. And I left with what he would probably call a feeling of being "blissed out."

My vision in my heart of hearts to actualize my socio-spiritual conscience is to transform Liberty Advance into a sustainable project is freedom: political, social and spiritual. This property, nestled just 60 miles east of San Diego, is where I received most of my yoga training, and what motivated me to move to Southern California. I am working toward helping Liberty become a place where everyone would want to live. Most human beings, at one time or another have dreamt of a world where there is abundance for everyone, or at least themselves. Through alternative energy technologies and progressive agriculture / permaculture methods, we can create a micro-economy that removes the economic pressures inherent to our society by reducing our reliance on industrial systems. We can create a renewable system of food and energy production that provides our basic needs so that we may focus more on personal growth.

Tell me if you share this problem.

A friend calls you up, "Hey, there's this great show on Saturday! You have to come check it out!" You look on your calendar and realize that you have fourteen other events to attend. Puppet Shows, Acrobatics Workshops, strange and rare buskers in Balboa Park, ski trip weekends, yogaslackers, Tai Chi Masters in the park, adams avenue this or that, farmer's markets... you get the idea? Okay, so I live in a strange world where people stand on each other's feet and life sized puppets are common place, and I love it, but I'm starting to get spread a little thin.

Our retreat center is nestled at the southern end of the property, surrounded by mountains. The center boasts a 1000 square foot practice space and dormitory that houses 25 - 30 participants comfortably, as well as four private guest rooms. The quaint residential kitchen is complemented by an outdoor kitchen shed with a commercial refrigerator and freezer. The house has three bathrooms and a comfortable living room for dining, watching movies, and  We have a bathing deck with a hot tub, cold plunge, steam sauna, and outdoor shower as well as a 25 foot pool with a surrounding sun deck. Surrounding the house are meditation huts, caves, streams, and dozens of quiet places to meditate or practice yoga.

Coming soon! Pictures of the facilities and detailed descriptions of each amenity.

The world is full of partnerships. Much of our lives is about finding the right partners to enjoy and explore life. I've always felt, often, that the most beautiful moments, the sunsets on the pier, the blankets of stars on moonless nights, graduations, birthdays, are so amazing because we share the experience with others. Partnerships can also be the one of the most stressful aspects of our lives when they are not well. Our partners in life are not only our lovers, they are our bosses, our parents, our teachers, our friends. When we aren't getting along with someone we have to spend time with, it can really bring us down and make lose our center. I've experienced this too many times to count, but in the last five years, have worked hard to keep my relationships, my partnerships, healthy and happy.

In stark contrast to the beach landscape to the west, Liberty Advance is one of the most diverse areas in San Diego County. The 165 acre property boasts a beauty of its own with breath-taking mountains, sparkling ponds, caves and spring streams that course through the land.

Meditate in one of our mysterious caves, practice za-zen walking meditations in our labyrinth, or practice yoga under one of our majestic coast live oak trees. The land sits on an aquifer and gifts us with fresh tasting water. We share the land with a highly diverse ecology of flora and fauna.

"Liberty Advance is a special place because of the amazing high desert geography and the facilities themselves. There are many beautiful vistas to been seen; the rocky outcroppings seen from the yoga room,  the spacious decks around the retreat center, and the pool and hillside hot tub / sauna. One can spend time in a quiet corner reading , sitting out by the pool, soaking in the hot tub, or meandering along the trails. One can feel the spiritual tradition held by this retreat center.

The meals were both hearty and healthy, and the cook educated us about our meals as well. The staff was attentive, and also stayed in the background enough for us to have our own experience."

Paul Tucci, Yoga Instructor, Retreat Leader

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"Before selecting Liberty Advance for my retreat, I researched several facilities. But, ultimately I choose Liberty Advance because it offered over 100 acres of land available for exploration along with hot/cold tubs and a steam room, the ability to have food provided, an affordable option to pay per participant, yoga mats and other props and the privacy of being the only group on site. Their set-up took care of a lot of the logistical elements, so I could focus on teaching.

After experiencing the weekend with my participants, Liberty Advance not only offered the physical benefits, but unexpected wonders that emerge when people put so much love into the land and center.

Not only did they provide food, but raw vegan, organic gourmet meals that were charged with crystals and aligned with each activity we did.

They provided a support team that was constantly responsive and delivered whatever we needed. Their team became a valuable part of the experience for the guests as they shared their personal journeys which enhanced the teachings in which we were immersed.

Not only was there 100 plus acres of land, but the land was supercharged with powerful transformational energy that accelerated the advancement of each participant. I would definitely go back to Liberty Advance and would recommend it to anyone considering leading a retreat."

-Jeanie Barat, Spiritual Teacher, Life Coach and Creator of The Fitness Jeanie

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"TranscenDANCE Youth Arts Project has had the pleasure of using Liberty Advance as our annual youth retreat location for the past 3 years!  Each year we take our group of inner city youth from the hustle and bustle of the city and immerse them in a 4 day experience surrounded by nature.  We keep coming back to Liberty Advance because it is such a great space!

Everything from the unique style of the retreat center to the beauty of desert surrounding us is incredible.  The staff is incredible helpful with whatever we need, no matter how big or small and you can't beat the feeling of sitting in a hot tub watching the sun set over the mountains!  We highly recommend this retreat to any group!"

-Teresa Trout, Development Coordinator, TranscenDANCE Youth Arts Project