“The Golden Bridge”
...It occurred to me in early 2017 to name our organization that had yet to be formed ‘The Golden Bridge’. I asked a friend who was fluent in Spanish, ‘how do you say “The Golden Bridge” in Spanish’. She replied “El Puente Dorado”. And it was sealed; the name of this company would be El Puente Dorado.
Having traveled extensively throughout Mexico for the last several years, I was struck by too many things to be named here. But among them, chiefly, were the people of Mexico. Regardless of where I found myself and in what circumstances, it became evident to me that the people of Mexico were beautiful, caring and always accommodating to me. And while different regions, towns and so forth all had their unique and distinctive character, what stood out most was the kindness, authenticity, and genuine humility of the people I came across.
I realized that I had developed a fond attachment with Mexico. I kept coming back, again and again. I also knew that there was something deeply therapeutic about these various settings for me. I felt complete, whole, relaxed, and truly full of joy while I was there. In fact, each time I left it was always with a tinge of sadness and longing I knew I wanted to bridge people from other areas of the world to this culture. I also knew that the environments, themselves, were healing me. It became obvious to me that I wanted to bridge cultures, not just for others, but to develop deeper bridges between myself and the people of Mexico.
The varieties of aquaeous spaces immediately drew me in; in the Yucatan, in Southern Baja, and in Valle de Bravo. Perhaps it is because my zodiac sign is a water sign (I have always had a connection to astrology). Or maybe it is due to the fact that my whole life I have always loved to swim. In any case, I wanted to explore the waterways. It became very evident to me that people needed to experience these bodies of water, as well; another puente.
Finally, I took a look in the mirror and with the guidance of others, the realization that my particular affinity for the space—and how it had begun to heal me—coupled with my skill sets as a long-time Tibetan meditation practitioner and psychotherapist, made me capable of helping others heal in these environments. After all, I had taught Tibetan meditation for 13 years, already, at that point.
In January of 2018, having just directed a meditation retreat with my spiritual mentor and several students in the small pueblo of Uayma in the state of Yucatan, experiencing such connection and joy there, I knew I wanted to launch the first program in that region. But what would be the emphasis? It was simple: to help others who are experiencing difficult life transitions to heal and re-discover wholeness with the support of spiritually-minded, grounded, kind and caring people. And we would do so using various spiritual practices, including Tibetan meditation and restorative yoga.
Our team addressed the desire to have locally-grown and prepared meals with first-class chefs, the need for massage work--as people who are experiencing difficult transitions need to have their bodies cared for in this way, as well. Finally, having explored the region we determined the cenotes, lagoons, and the Sian Ka’an biosphere, as well as local ruins, would give people a chance to relax, restore, feel held and have fun while alternating with spiritual and psychological work to help integrate their beings. This is the birth of our program from November 2-11, 2018 in Akumal, Q.R. and this is the essential model we will be utilizing as we explore South and Central America in years to come.
Love, Nikolas Maslow
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