Zen Week at Paya Bay Resort - Roatan, Honduras

Zen Week - a week dedicated to physical challenges, spiritual awakening, self-discovery, and personal empowerment

~ NAMASTE ~

Why Zen Week?
The Zen Week concept had its origins in a desire to provide a new kind of vacation experience. An alternative vacation choice designed to soothe the Mind, Body, and Spirit. A vacation for people who are aware of their spiritual journey and would like to take time away from their hectic lives to reconnect with self, nurture their spirit, learn from fellow journeymen, undertake and complete physical challenges to re-awaken their bodies, enjoy the splendor of our natural world, eat healthy, do yoga, meditate, expand their horizons by connecting with like-minded people from around the world, have fun, laugh, and, best of all, dance "like nobody's watching." Paya Bay provides the opportunity for aware people to come together in a beautiful island resort setting and have a one-week adventure focused on having fun, feeling good, being happy, and growing spiritually.

“A human being is part of a whole, called by us the 'Universe', a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
~Albert Einstein

Who is Zen Week designed for?
Zen Week is designed for people who consider themselves to be intermediate to advanced in their spiritual growth. People who understand concepts like the oneness of Universal energy and the importance of having a positive outlook and approach to Life. People who are seeking and making their own paths in Life. People who have already experienced or want to experience the spiritual bliss that comes from trance dancing. People who are kind, caring, and live their lives from the heart center. People who practice, have practiced, or want to practice yoga or similar disciplines. People who cherish and care for their body temples. People who are open-minded and appreciate the opportunity to learn lessons from others who are traveling a different Life path from their own. People who are sources of positive energy and enjoy being surrounded by the glowing warmth and happiness of collective positive energy.

"A human being is just that: energy, waves, patterns, rhythms... Nothing more. Nothing Less " ~ Gabrielle Roth

What will Zen Week consist of?
Note that events and activities listed below are options. You can take things at your own pace and do as much or as little as you wish.

Every day of Zen Week will begin with an ocean swim on Paya Bay's beautiful Big Beach to wake up and energize the body. A healthy breakfast will be served after the morning swim, followed by a coffee, tea and/or meditation time (Paya Bay has many cliff-side meditation stations that are perfect for meditation and quiet contemplation). Most mornings, meditation time will be followed by a 30 to 45 minute session of Yoga Trance Dance ("a high movement meditation to liberate your creative life force"). YTD will be followed by Talks/Discussions on various different spiritual journey concepts (examples: "Practicing Awareness," "Speaking the Language of Empowerment," "Recognizing and Releasing Victim Mentality," "Uprooting Yourself from Comfort Zones and Re-Energizing Your Life"). These informal talks will be led by Zen Week's facilitator but, unlike a seminar, are really meant to be interactive sessions allowing participants to learn from each other's stories and experiences. Talk/Discussion time will include or be followed by a healthy lunch and then after-lunch coffee/tea/nap/or meditation time.

Afternoons will be consist of a physical activity or an adventurous excursion: Snorkeling on the Barrier Reef, hiking up the tallest mountain on the island - the 235m Picacho, a boat trip to Pigeon Cays (two beautiful remote uninhabited cays surrounded by crystal clear water and amazing snorkeling), a dolphin encounter excursion). Most early evenings will consist of Sunset Cocktail hour (alcohol is fine as long as it is consumed in way that won't impair your ability to be active the following day) followed by an amazing, healthy dinner. During dinner the first few nights of the week we will watch and discuss some of the most eye-opening metaphysical DVDs currently available: "What the Bleep?/Down the Rabbit Hole" (Parts 1 and 2) and "The Secret." Later in the evenings we will also introduce you to trance dance traditions practiced by various cultures around the world. Thursday is the beginning of party time! The Garinagu Beach Party with the Garifunas (Roatan's unique and splendid African people who have conserved many of their ancient African music and dance customs).

Friday is about service to Mother Earth. Mid-morning Friday we'll go to the local primary school, and teach the kids (most of whom speak English) about the environment and wildlife preservation. The goal is to help the new generation of Roatanians understand the importance of taking care of their island if it is to have a sustainable future in tourism. Topics will include "How plastics damage sealife," "Why it's important to plant trees," etc. (No worries, we'll provide you with talking points for these talks). Friday night (the last night of Zen Week) will be the Zen Week White Party, a festive celebration of good energy. The dress will be all white, the entertainment will be thrilling, and the music will be pulsing rhythms with the spirit dance being facilitated by Gabrielle Roth via video projected on an outside screen, followed by the latest house tunes the Internet can provide.

View Full Schedule for the Week

"To trance is move beyond yourself, your ego, your personality and to listen to the rhythm of life that is within all of us." ~ Andree Smith

What's the size of the Zen Week group?
The group will consist of no more than twenty people. Rooms at Paya Bay are double-occupancy, so you may prefer to sign up a significant other or friend with you. The cost is slightly higher for single participants.

Can I sign up a group of my friends to do Zen Week?
Absolutely! Zen Week will give you time to "catch up" and re-bond, as well as be one of the most active and fun vacations you've experienced as a group. The energy of a group of friends at Paya Bay can be amazing!

What are the dates for Zen Week?
Zen Week will be held

August 9-16, 2008
September 20-27, 2008

Could you tell me more about Paya Bay Resort?
Paya Bay is a boutique beach and dive resort located on the eastern end of the island of Roatan. The resort sits of 22 acres of incredibly beautiful property that includes two natural half-moon beaches. One of our beaches, Lil' Bay Beach, is private and was recently voted one of the world's nicest private beaches by a European magazine. The barrier reef is 100 yards away from the beach and there is snorkeling available right from the shore. To learn more about the resort, please visit the resort's Web site: http://www.payabay.com/

"In the state of rapture the dancing, the dancer and danced become one thing ." ~ Jean Houston

What's the cost?
The cost for the week is US$1375 per person double occupancy. For single participants requiring their own room, the cost is $1499. (You may request to share a room with another same-sex participant to get the double occupancy rate. We'll do our best to match you with another single participant open to the idea). This includes accommodations, all meals, all natural beverages (alcoholic beverages are extra), airport/resort transportation, excursions fees, and government taxes.

How do I get to Roatan?
Continental Airlines offers non-stop Saturday and Sunday B737 service to Roatan (airport code: RTB) from Houston's Intercontinental (IAH) and connections. Delta offers non-stop Saturday B737 service to the island from Atlanta (ATL) and connections. TACA (the Central American airline) offers non-stop service on Sundays from Miami and on Saturdays from Houston (IAH). TACA also has flights from the U.S. West Coast via San Salvador. We suggest you do a flight search on Orbitz or similar Web site to find the best fare to the island.

How Do I Sign Up for Zen Week?
Please join our mailing list. We will contact you when we are ready to begin making bookings in the Spring of 2008.

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"No one else can dance your dance."

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