Special Offerings:

Guided Personalized Vacations at The Kohala Sanctuary

 

In the Aloha Spirit, The Kohala Sanctuary at Malama Ka’aina Farms vacation rental also offers an inspiring selection of unique vacation packages, as well as an amazing natural setting for weddings, family celebrations, team meetings, workshops and retreats.  Our custom designed programs are hosted by Sanctuary founders & teachers of transformation, Dr. Joel & Michelle Levey, who bring a wealth of inspiration and experience to guiding your stay at The Kohala Sanctuary and on the Big Island of Hawaii.

 

Living in Balance (as an Individual, Couple, Family, or Team)  

Drawing insights and methods from their book Living in Balance http://wisdomatwork.com/BALANCE/index.html (Foreword by the Dalai Lama, Book-of-the-Month Club main selection) Joel & Michelle offer inspirations, reflections, and experiences that will enhance your discovery of what “living more in balance” can look like for you.  Return to your life~work refreshed, with new insights, skills, and a renewed commitment to living in the flow of dynamic balance. (More info http://wisdomatwork.com/hawaii/index.html )

 

“Joel & Michelle Levey are consummate teachers because they live the teachings, humbly and compassionately laying out a roadmap that anyone motivated to lead a happier, more balanced life can follow.  The simple exercises and questions they ask were like lightbulbs that helped me see my own life more clearly.” Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., author of Minding the Body, Mending the Mind, and A Woman’s Book of Life cofounder and former director of the Mind/Body Clinic, New England Deaconess Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

 

“Never before have we so urgently needed the clear, compassionate teachings that are so lovingly described in Living in Balance… Living in Balance invites us to return to the inner source of serenity and wisdom within.”  Larry Dossey, M.D., author of Prayer is Good Medicine and Healing Words

 

“A line of Tibetan prayer flags move, then wave to the west as trade winds blow from the east.  It’s time to meditate, to watch, listen like the red cardinal who sings her presence.  I am remembering breath, the wind that blows soul into the field where the Maile sails and Joel jumps in time to see a momma humpback and her baby eye to eye.  The Maile sails and Marilyn swims in the deep blue sea, salty, and alive to the call of the moment.  Joy! The Sanctuary.  “We say a word twice or three times to emphasize the importance in the language of Hawaii,” says Fred. The Sanctuary.  Ponds reflect constant change.  Aloha! Remember to be awake.  Life sings here, is danced in the four directions, and played into the practice .  I am blessed.  Thank you Michelle and Joel for creating just the best ohana for learning how to better live in balance and love all that lives in all.

All my relations!”  Janet Smith

 

“What a magical and wonderful week.  Thank you both for the wisdom, inspiration, compassion and patience.  I feel very clear about my “endings” and confident about new beginnings.  Today my last of this workshop I was walking along the ocean and a beautiful butterfly was fluttering around a tree.  I paused to look, mindfully put my hand out, and beckoned it.  It circled me a couple times, landed on the side of my hand and walked across my palm.  I sent it love, it paused and slowly flew off.  Quite remarkable for me.”  Bill Maynard

 

 “You are both wonderful and inspiring people to be around and we feel blessed by your spirit and friendship.  There is clearly a mutual blessing between you and the land here and the rest of us are thereby able to share the blessings.  We hope and intend to continue as part of your community and to pass on your generosity and love to others as opportunities arise.  Perhaps someday this will be the norm for the human species.  In any case, it is worth striving for.  We are grateful for your presence in the world and in our lives.”   Ken Murphy and Sarita Chawla

 

“Frog and I watch

Each other contemplating

Where does her frog pond end

And mine begin?

Thank you for a lovely week at the Sanctuary at Kohala Potala.  This place is a clear reflection of what I see in you—love, tenderness, and beauty built on a strong foundation.  I’ve been nourished by the peace and bounty of the earth here and have enjoyed feeling a part of it.  This week has held so many inspiring and serendipitous moments that I will cherish for a long time.  All the living beings I’ve met here have been my teachers, and I will take them home with me in my heart.”   Helen Anderson

 

 

The Sanctuary Hawaii Adventure  

 

Hike to sacred sites & heiaus, hidden waterfalls, black sand beaches, ancient Hawaiian villages, vast volcanic calderas, rainforest valleys, and snow capped sacred mountains. Visit Mauna Kea observatories, the historic Place of Refuge, ancient temple sites, and bird sanctuaries. Watch rivers of lava flow into the ocean, snorkle, kayak, ride horseback through spectacular vistas amidst rolling hills and ancient cinder cones trails and forests, sail the dramatic Kohala coast, and perhaps even swim with dolphins, whales, and sea turtles in the wild…a myriad of wonder-full adventures await you on the Big Island. Complement your “outer adventures” with a rich blend of meditative “inner adventures” guided by your hosts, Joel & Michelle Levey.   

 

 “Thank you so much more for your welcoming arms, warm hearts, for your love and the supporting nature you both give with such ease and Aloha spirit. This is truly a magical land with Joel and Michelle being the wonderful stewards. A double rainbow….dragons of the wind changing direction on the grass…a very magic place so alive with goodness. May the blessings continue to flow.”   R+JC

 

“You have created your own wonderful Xanadu that you so generously share with other beings. Thank you for your Big Love in this Beautiful uni-verse.  Much love and aloha!”   Hallie Inglehart Austen

 

“I ended my day with a wonderful bath and being taken into the stars.  I find great comfort here.  This is truly Pele’s island, young, full of life, and visions.  I’m completely humbled after sitting at her feet (at the volcano).  Her breath is inside us all.  Thank you  In-spirited life continues to touch all those you come into contact with.  Remember…Mercy Mercy Mercy.” MaryAlyce Nyquist

 

“I am so grateful to experience the passion of the wind and the earth and the sea here with the sun above and the moon so full.  Thank you for this gift to be carried with me always.”    Carol V.

 

 

Weddings at The Kohala Sanctuary

 

“From every human being there arises a light that reaches straight to heaven.

And when two souls destined to be together find each other,

their streams of light flow together

and a single, brighter light goes forth from their united being.”

The Baal Shem Tov

 

The Kohala Sanctuary is the perfect natural and nurturing setting for a Hawaiian wedding that you will remember and cherish for a lifetime.  Your hosts, the Leveys, are certified to officiate weddings in the State of Hawaii, and have performed dozens of ceremonies in the Aloha Spirit. We can work with you to design just the right wedding ceremony for you--one that will offer inspiration to celebrate your union and set sail in the direction of your highest dreams. Our facilities are equipped to host small intimate weddings, or larger affairs, as well as to host you as our guests for a most memorable honeymoon.   Let the celebration of your love begin… and continue here…knowing you can return for anniversaries in the years to come!

 

“Thank you for so generously sharing your precious place of spirit and land with us.  We came here for our honeymoon and so appreciate this nurturing space with its vibrant colors, croaking frogs, singing birds, misting rain, and stunning sunsets.  What a sacred space in which to anchor our journey as life-partners.”  Duane Elgin and Coleen Le Drew-Elgin

 

(Bear-Photos:  6Couple1-5  -- these photos can weave together w/following section for couples…)

 

Deepening As A Couple: The Gift of Renewal, Relaxation, Re-Creation

“The secret of my song though near,

none can see and none can hear,

Oh for a friend to know the sign,

And mingle all their soul with mine!”

Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi

 

The Kohala Sanctuary offers a nurturing, embracing, intimate, and private place for couples to deepen in their love, mutual discovery, and appreciation. We invite you to slow down to the speed of life together…to listen more deeply…live in harmony, wholeness and balance, explore and remember what has heart and true meaning in your life… The Sanctuary’s beauty, peace, and quiet invite the deeper reflection, deeper conversations and connections so essential in our lives and relationships.  Snuggle in the hammocks, bathe in the spa garden, sleep under the stars, meditate by the Bodhi tree, walk the paths around the farm, hike, swim, cuddle, play, renew your vows, listen…. and deepen in love together. Couples’ retreats at The Kohala Sanctuary are custom designed to provide the right blend of privacy and support to delight each couple we host.  Explore the possibilities…!

 

“Truly you are two hearts that love each other beating at the same pace.  Thank you for creating a sanctuary for hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits.”

Fred Donaldson

 

 

 

 

 

Meditation: Mindfulness, Mastery, Mystery, Deep Presence, and the Journey of Transformation

 

"The more and more you listen,

the more and more you will hear.

The more you hear,

the more and more deeply you will understand."

Kyentse Rinpoche

 

Times like these call us all to deepen the wisdom, wonder, peace, compassion, faith, & creativity that we bring to our lives and world.  The wisdom traditions of the world offer a wealth of profoundly practical methods of meditation that can help us to awaken more fully to these potentials in our lives.  Michelle and Joel have been fortunate to study intensively with many of the most respected contemplative teachers of our times. They have authored numerous classic books on these teachings, and their deeply spirited and well-grounded approach in the contemplative inner science traditions draws insights and inspiration from three decades of intensive practice, research, peak performance coaching, and professional applications of the methods of meditation that they teach.  (See www.self-guided.com for details on their published works.)

 

Describing Joel & Michelle Levey’s work and teachings, the Dalai Lama once wrote:  “You are presently engaged in work that has great prospects for bringing the inner sciences to a very wide section of people who may not under ordinary circumstances come into contact with the inner sciences. I am very pleased about the work that you are doing and send you blessings and prayers for your success.”

 

“Dr. Joel & Michelle Levey clearly have a great deal of experience teaching in a wide range of different settings and this is reflected in the precision and vividness of their instructions in and commentary on the various techniques.” Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D. Founder of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society (CFM) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.   http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/

 

 

“Joel & Michelle free meditation from the commonly held notions of rigidity and cultism, and set it soaring -- fresh and joyful-- into the heart and mind of the modern-day spiritual explorer.  It's meditation demystified. Pure and simple. Direct and inviting."  Peg Jordon, R.N. Editor in Chief,  American Fitness Magazine

 

“Joel and Michelle Levey provide expert guidance in three types of practices that have generally disappeared from our busy lives.  We are guided from dynamic relaxation, to concentration, to meditation. When I do any one of these practices, I’m startled to realize what I’ve been missing—silence, breathing, reflection, calmness, centeredness. I’ve also come to realize that if I don’t care for myself, if I don’t focus on cultivating my peace, that no one else will do it for me.  But having tasted peace, I now notice what it feels like to be pulled off balance.  I know another way of being in my life is possible, if I’m willing to exercise discipline and carve out the time for practice. I hope you will give yourself the gift of time, experiment with a few of these practices, and discover how much more capable you become to deal with life once you know what inner peace feels like.  This world certainly needs more peaceful people.  May you contribute to that and so benefit many.” Margaret Wheatley, Author of Leadership & the New Science in her foreword to the Leveys’ book Ancient Skills for Modern Minds

 

“Meditation opens the mind to the greatest mystery

that takes place daily and hourly;

it widens the heart so that it may feel the eternity of time

and infinity of space in every throb;

it gives us a life within the world as if we were moving about in

paradise; and all these spiritual deeds take place

without any refuge into a doctrine,

but by the simple and direct holding fast to the truth

which dwells in our innermost beings.”

Suzuki Roshi

 

 

 

 

 

Healing Journey

 

“ If a living system is suffering from ill health,

the remedy is to connect it with more of itself.”

Francisco Varella

 

Let us help you design a truly life-affirming blend of experiences to support you in your Healing Journey. The Big Island of Hawaii is renowned as “the Healing Island.”  This unique vacation opportunity offers guidance in exploring healing experiences in nature, meditations, tai chi & chi kung, yoga, visualizations, Hawaiian lomi lomi massage, energy medicine, oriental medicine, and integral medicine, healthy regenerative & cleansing diet, biofeedback & neurofeedback training, and other life-affirming approaches that promote greater health, vitality, and resilience. The healing energies of the ocean, the fresh trade winds, the hot pools, and the deeply attuned practitioners of this land create a powerful synergy to bring healing, balance and renewal for body, mind, and spirit.

 

 

"Joel & Michelle offer a skilful blend of time proven antidotes to the stress of modern life."  Dan Goleman, Ph.D. Author of Emotional Intelligence, Science Editor, NY TIMES

 

“May the beauty you’ve created be a source of everlasting health and joy.”

Bruce Pavitt

 

 “You are being perfect models of your magic, providing me a view of the enchanting harmony of all ideas operating from the principle of love,.  Thank you for the spaciousness and ease and art for my healing.  Thank you for including me in your generosity.  I will continue forever unfolding the treasures of your gifts.”  Heronemo

 

“Sometimes I go about pitying myself

and all the time I am being carried

on great wings

across the sky.”

From the Ojibway people

 

“The winds of grace are always blowing,

but it is you that must raise your sails.”

Tagore

 

 “Strength of heart comes from knowing that the pain that we each must bear is part of the greater pain shared by all that lives.  It is not just ‘our’ pain but ‘the’ pain, and realizing this awakens our universal compassion.”

Jack Kornfield

 

• Living (and Working) on Purpose

For many people this is a time for radical re-definition and re-creation as we pause and reflect more deeply on the purpose, meaning, priorities, and directions of our lives. This personal vacation experience offers inspiration and support to help you find clear direction, inspiration, and passion for the next stages of your life~work~relationships. Come and clarify your personal values. Identify, question, or redefine the “stories” that weave your identity. Recognize options and discover new dimensions of freedom & possibility. Deepen your intuitive intelligence, build your resilience, and clarify a life purpose that affirms your highest, noblest potentials for how you choose to live. Ideal for individuals, couples, or teams.

 

“I came here with my soul in pain, confused, lost and my body screaming for help.  While here, I found calm, physical healing, time to think and explore.  It was clear that “a path with heart” was missing in my life.  In 11 days here, I feel that I have taken more control and accountability for who I am and where I am going.  Thanks for the help, support, and friendship.”   F.W.

 

“There comes a time in the spiritual journey when you start making choices from a very different place. . . And if a choice lines up so that it supports truth, health, happiness, wisdom, and love, it’s the right choice.”

Angeles Arrien

 

“And in all of my experience,

I’ve never seen lasting solutions to problems,

lasting happiness and success,

that came from the outside in.”

Stephen Covey

 

“I will not die an unlived life.

I will not live in fear of falling or catching fire.

I choose to inhabit my days, to allow my living to open me,

to make me less afraid, more accessible, to loosen my heart

until it becomes a wing, a torch, a promise.

I choose to risk my significance;

to live

so that which came to me as seed

goes to the next as blossom

and that which came to me as blossom,

goes on as fruit.”

Dawna Markova

 

“The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell - don’t go back to sleep.

You have to ask for what you really want - don’t go back to sleep.

You know, there are those who go back and forth

over the threshold where the two worlds meet,

and the door, it’s always open, and it’s round - don’t go back to sleep.”

Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi

 

 

 

 

Tapping Our Collective Intelligence & Wisdom

 

“A problem cannot be solved

at the same level of thinking that created it...

We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking

if humankind is to survive.”

Albert Einstein

 

The Kohala Sanctuary offers a perfect setting for research groups and project teams to engage in the deep reflection and generative dialogue necessary to “source” clear direction and inspiration for breakthroughs in creativity and design.  Our research and work give us confidence that our collective wisdom and intelligence holds the greatest promise for individually and collectively tapping the wellsprings of wisdom, inspiration, and clear direction necessary to bring forth the highest potentials in our world, and help us respond more wisely to the myriad of challenges of our modern times.  Let us host you in the Aloha Spirit and facilitate a special session to support your circle of friends & colleagues in discovering the breakthrough next steps, new products, or inspired works that affirm the highest potentials for all.  Our guidance is inspired by over 25 years as consultants and facilitators of collective wisdom research projects for organizations & communities around the globe.

 

“Without a global revolution in the sphere of human consciousness, nothing will change for the better in the sphere of our being as humans, and the catastrophe towards which this world is headed - be it ecological, social, demographic or a general breakdown of civilization - will be unavoidable. . . The salvation of this human world lies nowhere else than in the human heart, in the human power to reflect, in human meekness and in human responsibility.”

Vaclav Havel, President of Czech Republic in his address to the U.S. Congress

 

“The need to relinquish our certainty lies at the heart both of modern science and ancient spirituality.  From the science of Complexity, Illya Priogogine tells us that ‘The future is uncertain…but such uncertainty lies at the heart of human creativity.  It is uncertainty that creates the space for invention.  We must let go, clear the space and leap into the void of not knowing, if we want to discover anything new.’”

Margaret Wheatley

 

 

 

Guided Adventures to Maui (Haleakala Crater, Hana, Seven Sacred Pools, Red Sands Beach, Kipahulu, etc.) and Kauai (North Shore Hanalei, Kalalau Valley, ancient hula temple, etc. ) are also offered.  Please contact us if you would like to expand your vacation to explore the wonders of the other neighbor Islands.

 

 

Each of our unique vacation packages are custom designed to offer a magical blend of experiences that will nourish, revitalize, and inspire you.   We also travel to communities and organizations around the globe to lead similar workshops and retreats and welcome your invitation to explore possibilities & creative collaborations.

 

Rates for these personalized vacation packages at The Kohala Sanctuary begin at:

-       $3000/week/individual

-       $5000/week/couple

-       $1200/week/additional person

-       Group rates available upon request.

Price includes airport pick-up and transportation to and from the Kohala Sanctuary, most meals, lodging, instruction, and an autographed copy of the Leveys’ book Living in Balance.

 

Cancellation Policy

Full payment is due upon registration and confirmation of your dates.

If you cancel up to 30 days prior to your scheduled visit to the Sanctuary, a 50% refund will be offered.  No refunds for cancellation of reservations within 30 days of your visit.

 

For Information & Registration

Contact: The Kohala Sanctuary

(206)632-3551 –or- (808)889-0056

balance@wisdomatwork.com

http://wisdomatwork.com/sanctuary