JUNE 23 - 25
Oakland hills, ca
DAVA 2023
ABOUT
This two day weekend retreat will feature a host of artists, facilitators, and musicians taking place in a magical location with a small curated group of people.
The facilitators and artists represent different sacred lineages from India, Peru, and the Brazilian Amazon. The ceremonies will be a journey through different music styles and histories that work with sacred plant medicines.
The very best facilitators will act as guides throughout your journey. A key piece to maximizing your experience will be integration that happens before and after the event. You’ll have the opportunity to speak with our facilitators to help talk through obstacles you are facing to help create an intention for the event. Speaking with the same facilitator after the weekend can help process your experience.
WHAT TO EXPECT
• Dietary and behavioral focus, called a dieta, in preparation for the weekend
• A beautiful weekend with a small curated group of people
• 2 Nights of ceremonies lead by an expert with over 27 years of experience in a sacred plant medicine lineage
• Amazing live musicians performing throughout the ceremonies
• Integration with a facilitator before and after the weekend
• Use of all the facilities including pool, hot tub, grounds, hikes and more
• Healing and working in community with an Integration circle to close out the weekend
SCHEDULE
FRIDAY
Friday arrival + check in begins at 6pm
Get settled and explore the grounds
Alam Khan performance 8pm
Ceremony Friday Night
Musicians and Healing throughout the evening into early morning
SATURDAY
Light Breakfast
Morning Meditation
Movement Training
Relax and enjoy the pool, hot tub, and grounds
Ceremony Saturday Night
Musicians and Healing throughout the evening into early morning
SUNDAY
Light Breakfast
Closing Integration Circle
Depart by 1pm
ALAM KHAN
Classical Indian Sarod Concert
Alam Khan, son of the legendary late Sarod maestro, Swara Samrat Ali Akbar Khan, isa Sarodist, Composer, and Producer based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Since his initial training into the Maihar Seni Gharana (a classical tradition from India dating back to the 16t century) at the age of seven, Alam was blessed to learn and live under his esteemed father's careful crafting and guidance. Since accompanying his father from 1996 to 2006, Alam has established himself internationally as the face of a new generation of Sarod players of the Maihar Gharana, and has performed alongside many of the finest Indian musicians of our time.
His collaborations with both traditional and contemporary artists of varying genres has set him apart as a visionary and progressive artist. Alam was the personal assistant to his father during his final years of life, helping aid him in teaching at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California-a mecca for students and lovers of Indian classical music.
For the past 13 years, Alam has assumed the role of teacher of advanced instrumental studies at the Ali Akbar College of Music and has dedicated his life to preserving, performing, and teaching this music to the world."It is my life's mission to keep my lineages music alive and well, while expressing my unique identity. I am here to bridge centuries and create a space both timeless and accessible for the present, into the future.'" I feel that my work is now a combination of maintaining my tradition and lineage, while at times going beyond it into the world of contemporary, and in the process leaving my stamp on the evolution of Sarod and it's music.
NAI KAYA
Over a decade of leading ceremonies to connect with plant spirits, community, and yourself
Nai Kaya has been cosmotroping the realms for 26 years with her primary focus on her own personal healing through the Shipibo tradition for the past 15 years. She has had the privilege of experientially studying Amazonian traditions in depth with the Lopez/Mahua family in the Amazon while integrating other modalities of energy and sound healing into her work. She also chants in Quechua, Lakota, and weaves sound healing into her ceremonies.
Her focus is connecting people to the presence of plant teachers to receive the magic of natural medicines for healing ailments in the body, spirit, and soul. Nai is inspired by and has dieted extensively and sings from the energies of the trees and birds. Her deepest relationship and bond while studying vegetalismo is with the sacred bioluminescent medical tree of the Shipibo people. Her healing songs come directly from this rare and sacred tree. Nai has been leading and holding space in this tradition for 10 years and has apprenticed with plants and fungi for 26 years.
Nai is also a certified sound healing therapist, is trauma informed, and holds space with laughter and humility. When she is not busy with clients, she spends her time making potions of heart and magic, recording music, finding new hot springs, dancing with the spirits, studying new healing modalities, gardening, and flirting with the divine.
TXANA WUKONG &
WINTER JENDAYI
Rhapé & Medicine Music
Winter and Txana Wukong share traditional earth-based wisdom which we can apply to our life and self. When we have an understanding of the symbolism within the Earth’s cycles, we can work with it to support our life and path. Within this sacred space, we will move through a process which supports us in integrating wisdom with our personal intentions. Winter and Txana Wukong will open the space for sharing the medicine of rhapé (pronounced ha-pay).
Rhapé is a medicine made from jungle tobacco (mapacho) from the Brazilian Amazon and George and Winter source it from the Indigenous relatives whom they work with. Rapé is a powerful plant medicine ally that comes in the form of a powder and is delivered up each nostril by a blow and is utilized to facilitate healing, grounding, intention setting and focusing, and prayer.
During this offering both Txana Wukong and Winter will be sharing live medicine music to help guide the energy of working with the rhapé. For folks who are new to this medicine there will be an orientation during the offering on how to receive and work with this medicine in a good way. Receiving the medicine of rhapé is optional and participants are welcome to come and still receive the rest of this ceremonial offering.