I want to offer up a very sincere Xin loi (I am sorry) to everyone who endured my reference to Axl and Slash, but it’s simply a November tradition. That said, speaking of Tradition, we held our monthly Ceremonial Purification Ceremony this past weekend and are currently abiding in its afterglow. It helps that it’s 16 degrees outside, with the Winter fires officially lit. We’ll hold our Annual Holiday Aho Ho Ho Down, now oh-so-spiritually evolved into our Silent Night/Holy Night, this Friday night, December 12th, with the annual Heyoka prayer that the weather will suck and absolutely no one will come. Then we’re gone daddy gone and will see all you chumps in April. Happy, Happy Christmas and a very Merry New Year. We’ll miss you all terribly, and so will be posting killer blog updates regularly. Here’s my beloved new student Laken — who also graced September’s Lodge — on what went down Saturday night. ““What begins on the floor of the Inipi — strangers gathered in prayer and vulnerability — transforms by evening into friends at the long table, sharing laughter & feast with each moment weaving us closer. I hold the belief that wherever you go to seek your Soul, you will find your Soul mates and Guides waiting there. The people that I’ve met proves it: the prayer-filled, hope-renewing vulnerability we share together is the very alchemy that turns strangers into kin. Paul’s wisdom, Tyler’s tending of the Sacred fire, RoZie’s playful presence, & the delicious feast all remind me that healing is not solitary — it is communal, embodied, and joyfully alive. This place, The Higher Haven, is now a compass point in my year, a Sanctuary I will return to often, knowing each visit renews both Spirit and Connection.”Aho Matakuye O’yasin Toksha
ON FLYING TO (THH)
Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) in Grand Rapids, MI, USA is your best route. You can also book through Kalamazoo/Battle Creek Int. Airport (AZO) or South Bend, Indiana, Int. Airport (SBN), all three air fields averaging 44 country miles from our 494 63rd. St. South Haven, MI 49090 address. From there, an Uber or cab can assist in completing the final leg of your journey. For those up for more of a Midwest adventure, fly to Chicago’s O’Hare (ORD) or Midway (MDW) Int. airport, then rent a car to make the breezy, 94-mile, two-hour cruise up the Lake Michigan shore. Remember to turn your watch back, saving an hour as you go from Central to Eastern Standard Time at the Illinois-Michigan border. We wish you safe travails, much joy in the journey, and promise you a warm welcome to South Haven, Michigan, Midwest USA, one of the most serenely healing spots on planet Earth, across the Universe & entire Milky Way.
RE: RENTING THH
We are officially not a For-Rent Retreat Center. The Higher Haven does not host groups, organize meals, or have other teachers we don’t know, whose teachings we’re unfamiliar with, lead our retreats. That said, if you uphold a teaching you’re certain would behoove your students and ours, and wish to host an event, workshop, or weekend at one of the most pristine places around for personal practice, transformation and psychological healing, we encourage you to contact us. We’re open to working with other reputable healers and yoga teachers with whom we feel in energetic accord. Holding an open-hearted, open-minded approach to all people and paths, we invite you to experience one of our classes or retreats rooted in our very special form of mindfulness, by way of ancient ceremonial purification. We’re receptive to and respectful of other ways to wellness, worship, and spiritual work, and so look forward to connecting with you.
“I’m a committed yogi practitioner and have dreamt about attending a retreat longer than I’d like to admit. My friend, God Bless her, found a hidden gem in South Haven, Michigan. I had some initial reservations, but once I arrived and scoped out the house and property, I was completely at ease. The home and its surroundings had such a peaceful and mystical energy about it, that I felt safe and comfortable immediately. What I then experienced will be locked in my memory as one of my fondest memories, and on the list of one of the most pivotal moments of my life. I had NO expectations coming in, but when I left, I was a different person.
Now, I feel loved, connected, I want to express love, I appreciate everything and everyone, I forgive those that have wronged me, I feel rooted, strong, focused, grounded, and excited to start my day. The list goes on and on… I went in needing the noise to quiet the silence and came out needing the silence to quiet the noise. What I received from one weekend; most people will never experience in a lifetime. Thank you, Paul, RoZie and The Higher Haven. I can’t wait to return and continue my practice.” Namaste, Shannon
Our Return Policy is very straightforward and generous. If we cancel a retreat, class, or workshop for any reason on our end, we return your payment in full. If you cancel or need to reschedule your visit for any reason on your end within one week of a retreat or class — note that this would be the Friday night one week prior to the start of a retreat or the Saturday Noon one week prior — you have the option to (1) receive a credit to the same retreat in the future or receive a credit in the amount equal to the program fee to apply to another retreat, or (2) for orders less than $500, we return your payment minus minimal internet transaction and administrative fees of $50.00. For orders over $500, we return your fee minus minimal internet transaction and administrative fees of $100.00. If you cancel after the seven-day cut-off, there’s an administrative fee of $150 subtracted from your payment Any cancellations within 72-hours of a retreat, class or workshop — note that this would be Wednesday at Noon for a Saturday overnight or Tuesday at midnight for Friday evening start — The Higher Haven has no obligation to issue any credit or refund due to the inability to fill your reserved spot. Thanks for your interest and help in upholding mutually healthy, respectful business parameters ~ we look forward to seeing you soon. Toksha