Winter Solstice Sadhana

Information for Program Participants Winter Solstice Sadhana 2006

General

Welcome!

We are all looking forward to our 34th year of Winter Solstice Sadhana, and what better time to share this great experience together! Congratulations for taking time during this holiday season to re-connect with others, to nurture your self, and to gain more Kundalini Yoga tools! We hope your travels to camp are smooth and here's some information to help make it so.

Environment:

The Circle F Dude Ranch is a peaceful, rustic campsite located in central Florida. Please be prepared for outdoor life with warm, layered clothing since temperatures may drop below freezing at night and in the early morning hours. The weather is generally humid, with a tendency towards light showers and torrential downpours.

Also even though it is not excessively hot, please remember to drink water since it helps flush the body of emotional and physical changes you will be experiencing.

Medical Information:

We have basic first aid facilities to serve you at Circle F Ranch. An emergency hospital is approximately 10 minutes away in Lake Wales. The First Aid staff will arrange emergency medical care.

Medical doctors, chiropractors, and other health professionals are available onsite to provide first aid for acute medical conditions. If you have any special health needs or are taking any medications, please notify the first aid staff when you arrive and they will help you make the necessary arrangements.

Please be certain to bring your proof of proper Medical Insurance or money in case of major medical emergency.

If you have any specific concerns regarding how this activity may affect your health please consult your physician before your program begins.  If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact our office. 

Please Note : Kundalini Yoga is a powerful ancient tradition, but should not be used as a substitute for regular or necessary medical care or prescribed medications.

Accommodations:

Accommodations are simple, in keeping with the yogic spirit of the camp. Most attendees bring their own tents and camping gear.

Tenting:
Please set up your tent in the designated tenting area and note that tenting is free of charge.

Cabins:
The Ranch has a limited number of bunks available, so reserve your space as soon as possible! Please note that tenting campers also use the restroom facilities in each cabin, so due to the noise factor please bring earplugs if you are a light sleeper.

Weekly Cost: $100 per adult, $50 per child (ages 4-17), Age 3 & under are free.

•  Each cabin has 12 bunks, shower and toilet facilities, and space for personal items.
•  Each cabin is equipped with heaters should they be necessary.
•  For a reduced cabin fee , you can serve as a cabin representative. For more information please email Suraj Kaur <surajk@3ho.org>.

Cabin Reservations: Please either register online or call the 3HO office. Please state your name, daytime contact number, how many people in your party including ages (adult or child), and whether there are other specified campers that you wish to share your space. Cabin assignments are not guaranteed, but requests will be taken into consideration.

Hotel:
If you would like to stay off site at a hotel, we recommend the following location:

Green Gables Inn
21380 US 27, Lake Wales, FL 33859
Telephone: #(863) 676-2511
www.GreenGablesFL.com

All Rooms are Non-Smoking, Continental Breakfast included.

•  Single Queen - $56.70
•  Double Queen - $65.70
•  Single King - $65.70

* For the night of December 18 th , fifteen (15) rooms have been reserved for "3HO Solstice." They will hold these rooms until Dec 5th.

Directions from Green Gables to Circle F Ranch:
•  Travel south on Highway US-27 heading towards East Mountain Lake Cutoff Road (go 1.8 miles)
•  Take ramp towards Vero Beach (go 0.2 miles)
•  Turn left onto FL-60 (go 6.4 miles)
•  Turn right on Dude Ranch Rd (go 0.5 miles)
•  Arrive at Circle "F" Dude Ranch.

** Please be sure to read the "What to Bring" section to be certain you come prepared with what you will need for the duration of your stay.

3HO Code of Conduct:

Registration

To help facilitate your attendance at Winter Solstice, pre-registration is available online at www.3ho.org . On site registration will be available from 9am until 9pm starting December 19th . On Tantric days registration will only be open in the mornings. Early arrival at the Ranch must be approved via the 3HO office in advance.

•  Final payment is due prior to attending camp.
•  No refunds will be given to participants once they have entered the Winter Solstice site.

Cancellation Policy:

All requests for refunds, due to non-attendance, must be made in writing and received by 5pm on December 9th. A $75 processing fee will be deducted from all refund payments. A check will be mailed to you; however, this process can take as long as 6-8 weeks.

Please send requests to:

3HO Solstice
ATTN: Events Department
6 Narayan Court
Espanola, NM 87532
Fax: #(505) 753-1999Email: YogaInfo@3HO.org

Teen Policy:
Teenagers that are 17 years or under must be accompanied by a parent, or someone who will act as their guardian who is over 25 years old. In the event a guardian accompanies the teen, parents must sign and have notarized a "Child Care Authorization Form." This form can be obtained by telephoning the 3HO Events Department at #(888) 346-2420 in the Continental USA, or #(505) 753-4988 outside the Continental USA, or E-mail YogaInfo@3HO.org .

Please Note: Teens 17 or under without a parent or guardian will not be allowed entrance into camp.

Arrival/Departure:
Below please find a procedure list for getting you settled into camp. Please plan to arrive prior to 5pm in order to better facilitate your safety and security. The section below provides details for you on departure days.

If this is your first Winter Solstice Sadhana, please inform our Hospitality Team, who will give you a tour of the camp and answer any questions you may have. Also, the program schedule will contain orientations for newcomers.

Arrival:
Upon entering the campsite please follow steps 1-8 below. Everyone is required to register prior to setting up camp or unpacking.

•  Luggage Shuttle:
Once on site, please leave your baggage in the Luggage Shuttle holding area. If you already know your lodging destination, please place items in the appropriate areas (aka. camping or cabin number), else please return after registration to complete this task.

* Cars are no longer allowed to drive on the premise, if you have special needs please contact the 3HO office.

•  Park Your Car

•  Registration
After parking your car, all camp participants must proceed to the registration area. Pre-registered participants will be directed to an express line. Children and work exchange registrants will also have their own separate lines.

Please bring the following information with you to the registration building:

•  Karma Yoga
Please sign up in the registration area for your karma yoga of choice.

•  Return to Luggage Area

•  Camp Tour
If you are new and would like a camp tour, please visit our hospitality center.

•  Set Up Camp
Now you are free to unpack and settle in. Please walk to your living area and collect your things, which will be waiting for you thanks to the luggage crew (wheelbarrows are provided for campers to reach their destination).

•  Late Arrivals (after 9pm)
After 9pm both the luggage and administration areas will be closed.

•  Security personnel at the front gate will write down your name, home city and either your driver's license or Social Security number for admittance into camp. In exchange for this information, you will receive a temporary admittance pass, a map of camp and be directed to the designated late arrival sleeping area.

•  Then please proceed to park your car and collect your things for the night.

•  In the morning, please report to registration to complete the formal registration process.

•  After registration, please bring your baggage to the luggage area for transport to your living location and proceed with settling in.

Departure:
Camp Ends with a farewell breakfast on Sunday, December 25th. Immediately proceeding breakfast, camp will begin breakdown.

Many camp participants leave the morning after the last day of Tantric to begin their homeward travels for the holidays. Shuttle service will be provided.

Be certain to leave enough time to gather and pack all of your belongings prior to your departure time. Many participants will pack the night before and leave their possessions in the luggage area overnight.

Planning Your Expenses:
Tuition and meals are all-inclusive in the registration fee, priced per person.

•  Lodging is free if you decide to tent, else the cabins cost per person Weekly Cost: $100 per adult, $50 per child (ages 4-17), Age 3 & under are free.

•  Please bring plastic washable cups, dishes and silverware for your own use at meals. These may also be purchased on site for a nominal fee.

•  Shuttle fare from the Orlando Airport to Lake Wales is $35 each way per adult, and $8 each way per child (17 & under). Please pay the driver directly, either by cash or check.

•  Bringing extra cash to spend at the Winter Solstice Bazaar is highly recommended, as items will be available for purchase that are difficult to find elsewhere.

All payments to 3HO should be made in US funds - cash, check, Visa/Mastercard, traveler's checks or money order payable on a US bank. We charge $20 for handling any checks returned unpaid. We do not accept American Express or Discover.

Work-Exchange:
If you need financial assistance, please consider enrolling in our work-exchange program. We offer a limited number of both full (minimum of 45 hours & one Tantric day) and half tuition (minimum of 22.5 hours) exchanges . Please visit our website www.3ho.org to read the requirements and to contact the area manager of choice for approval before proceeding with pre-registration, else contact us directly.

What to Bring

To make your experience at Solstice more comfortable please bring the following items:

* Please Note : Temperatures have occasionally dropped below freezing.

What Not to Bring:
To help maintain the health and long life of the Earth, we are conscious of preserving the ecological balance on-site. Please keep this in mind as you select items to bring with you for Winter Solstice.

•  Please do not bring any aerosol sprays.
•  Use items that have only a minimum of disposable packaging.
•  Bring washable eating utensils for all members of your family. Do not bring disposable plates and cups.

* Please Note : Candles and incense are not permitted, as they are a fire hazard.

Food (The Solstice Diet):

The Solstice diet is a simple and satisfying yogic vegetarian/vegan diet. Quite a few years ago Yogi Bhajan designed this diet to support the Solstice experience. The spicy soup for breakfast and spicy mung beans & rice served at dinner are part of his recommendations. A non-spicy version of the soup and dinner dish will be available to anyone who can't tolerate the spicy food, although we highly recommend the spices.

Breakfast:
For breakfast a potato, celery and onion based soup is served with bananas and oranges on the side. Many people enjoy putting bananas directly into the soup, try it you might like it.

Lunch:
A vegetarian lunch will be provided.

Dinner:
A special dish made of mung beans, rice and veggies is served with lettuce, steamed carrots, beets and hot sauce served on the side. A very special (and different) meal is served for dinner on the night before camp ends.

Yogi Tea:
Yogi Tea with milk, soy and plain (upon request) will be served twice daily, after Sadhana and nightly at the Yogi Tea Café. There is also hot water and alternative yogi tea options provided all day long. On Tantric Days golden milk will be added to the menu.

•  If you have special dietary concerns, please contact us to help you come up with solutions. If you are in need on preparing your own food, we suggest choosing the veggie chopping or kitchen Karma Yoga, to better utilize your time.

 

Communications:

You can expect to enjoy simplicity and the space to sense your own life while at Solstice.

Phones:
If you must use a cell phone, please use discretion. There is only one pay phone on site. To maintain your meditative experience, plan carefully to avoid the necessity of having to go off-site for personal or business calls.

Mail:
Out going mail will be picked up daily from the Hospitality Area.

 

Transportation

General Transportation Information:
The 3HO Winter Solstice Celebration is located in Lake Wales, Florida. There is an independent shuttle service available to drive you from the Orlando International Airport to the Circle F Dude Ranch, where camp is located.

If you arrive in Orlando, FL before the scheduled arrival day or missed the last shuttle departure time, you will need to make arrangements either to stay in Orlando or find alternative means of transportation.   If you would like to arrive at the Circle F Dude Ranch before the scheduled arrival day, you will need to make arrangements with the 3HO office in advance. 

Please read the specific information that follows regarding how to schedule your itinerary and arrange for transportation assistance to the Ranch.

Flying:

Shuttle:

Continental USA/Canada: #(888) 346-2420
Outside USA: #(505) 753-4988
Email: YogaInfo@3HO.org

Shuttle Reservations: please leave a message including your airline, flight number, the date and time of your arrival, and your daytime phone number. After Dec 12 th , call #(310) 600-2724 for reservations.

Arriving Shuttles:

Saturday (Dec. 17): Noon & 7pm *Work Exchange Shuttle ONLY.
Sunday (Dec. 18): 1 pm & 7 pm *Must have 3HO customer service approval to arrive the 18 th
Monday (Dec. 19): 1 pm, 4 pm & 8 pm
Tuesday (Dec. 20): Noon

Departing Shuttles:

Saturday (Dec. 24): 5 am, 8 am & Noon
Sunday (Dec. 25): 5 am, 8 am & Noon

Driving:
Plan to arrive at the Circle F Dude Ranch by mid-afternoon on your arrival day so that you will have time to complete registration and settle into your accommodations before dark.

Driving Directions :

From Orlando:
Drive west on Interstate 4 for 25 miles, then go south on Route 27 for 30 miles to Lake Wales, and then go east on Highway 60 for approximately 6 miles. Follow the signs to Circle F Dude Ranch on the right.

From Miami:
Drive north on the Florida Turnpike for 163 miles and exit at Yeehaw Junction. Take Route 60 west for 40 miles and take the turn-off to Circle F Dude Ranch on the left, approximately 6 miles before reaching the town of Lake Wales.

Activities

Karma Yoga:
One of the ways we practice mindfulness and celebrate community at the 3HO Winter Solstice is through our Karma Yoga (selfless service). No matter our responsibility or position, we all take turns cleaning up after each other and ourselves. This is the grounding basis of contemplative community life, and is an important part of your practice. Karma Yoga not only serves your soul, it helps keep your Solstice tuition lower.

Karma yoga is like whistling while you work. Your personal joy in helping others will grow exponentially.

We are all a part of making the camp run. During Solstice the site is cleaned and maintained through group effort. We play together and we work together.

Your karma family is also your connection to community life. Your group members are your small family within the big family. This is your time to reach out to each other. Please be conscious of your karma family members, making certain that all their needs are being met and your needs will be met in return.

Below please find a list of our Karma Yoga opportunities:

Gurdwara:
Assist in maintaining all programs of the Gurdwara including the Akhand Path schedule, Ransubai, weddings, daily Gurdwaras and sadhana music.

Grounds:
Cleaning and maintaining all structures of the campgrounds.

Security:
Keeping the campsite secure.

Youth:
Solstice children's camp. If you are a parent(s) or guardian(s), your Karma Yoga will be to do 1 day of children's camp during the 3-days of White Tantric.

Kitchen:
All kitchen service teams allow for full participation in White Tantric Yoga.

Meal Serving :
Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. *Recommended for first timers.

Veggie Chopping:
Begins right after Sadhana's meditations are finished and ends before morning classes. On Tantric Days there may be some chopping in the evenings.

Dishwashing:
Assisting campers with washing and sanitizing personal bowls, cups and utensils after each meal.

Tantric Burgers:
Preparing special vegetarian burgers in the early morning for lunches on the three Tantric days.

* If you have special needs or concerns regarding Karma Yoga, please contact the 3HO solstice office.

White Tantric Yoga:

December 21 st , 22 nd , 23 rd (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday)

The White Tantric Yoga Video Course is a powerful meditation practice that clears the subconscious mind, allowing prosperity, success, and happiness to flow freely into your life. It is an ancient and unique yogic science that accelerates your psychological growth by dissolving deep-rooted subconscious blocks through the direction of a facilitator and the energy of Yogi Bhajan, the Mahan Tantric.

When Yogi Bhajan created the White Tantric Yoga video series he gave directions to create 40 seminars to be used over the years. There were 130 tapes made over 15 years. He said they were our greatest asset and gave very specific direction that they could still be used after he left his physical body. White Tantric Yoga will continue each year under the guidance of appointed facilitators.

Each time you participate in White Tantric Yoga the effect will be different, because it works on the time and space in which you participate, and you are different at every moment in time. Yogi Bhajan also stated that he would still be able to connect with the group through his subtle body, which never dies, even though his physical body is no more.

All levels of yoga students can participate in White Tantric Yoga; there are no pre-requisites. Beginners will tune into their internal strength and enjoy a deep and sometimes challenging meditative experience. More advanced meditation practitioners will deepen their experience and make new inroads into their spiritual awareness.

All participants are strongly encouraged to wear white cotton clothing. A white cotton head covering is required during the meditations of White Tantric Yoga.

For more information and to learn more about it, visit our website: www.whitetantricyoga.com .

 

Workshops and Classes:

December 19th, 20th, 24th (Monday, Tuesday, Saturday)

Workshops and classes offer opportunities for learning and personal growth, focusing on various aspects of the Kundalini Yoga Technology. Camp Ends with a farewell breakfast on Sunday, December 25 th . Immediately proceeding breakfast, camp will begin breakdown.

 

Example of Daily Schedule:

* Please note this is not the actual daily schedule. An official schedule will be distributed during on site registration.

3:45am - Japji (a Sikh morning prayer)
4:00am - Kundalini Yoga & live music.
6:00am - Gurdwara (a Sikh service)
7:00am - Yoga & Movement Classes
8:15am - Breakfast
9:00am - All Camp Karma Yoga Meetings
10:00am - Workshops & Yoga or Tantric
12:00pm - Lunch
1:00pm - Workshops & Yoga or Tantric
3:00pm - All Camp Yoga & Meditation
5:30pm - Dinner
7:00pm - Yogi Tea Café
10:00pm - Silence for restful sleep

Youth & Teen Programs (0-17 yrs):
During White Tantric days, a camp for children from infancy to 17 years of age is provided. The program consists of music, arts, crafts, nature studies and outings appropriate to each age group.

Children's Camp Karma Yoga is required of each parent or guardian during one day of White Tantric.

Teens (ages 13-17):

Teens participate in the teen program during White Tantric Yoga Days. This program consists of events such as: movies, paintball, bowling, horseback riding and other activities that are available at the time of camp. These activities are included in the youth and teen prices.

Bazaar (Winter Solstice Shopping):

We do offer a bazaar at Winter Solstice for registered participants who would like to sell yogic and health-related products and services. Body workers and healers must be licensed by the State of Florida.

Please note that all participants who would like to be a vendor in this year's bazaar must reserve their space no later than December 1st (full table cost is $126). For more pricing options and reservations, please contact Suraj Kaur via email at surajk@3ho.org .

Sadhana:
At Winter Solstice, you are invited to participate in Sadhana or "daily practice." Each morning we begin at 3:45 am with Japji (prayer reading), followed by 45 minutes of Kundalini Yoga, 62 minutes of meditation and a short Gurdwara service.

Gurdwara (Sikh Devotional Service):
One of the traditions of practicing Sikh Dharma is the Gurdwara service. Gurdwara is a spiritual practice that uses devotional songs and uplifting music called Gurbani Kirtan to connect the individual soul with the Infinite. A short Gurdwara service is held each morning at the end of sadhana. On December 24 th , you are invited to attend a special Gurdwara service at 3:30pm.

Extra-curricular Activities:
In addition to all the great workshops, Kundalini Yoga Classes, and three full days of White Tantric Yoga, you'll have a chance to take a canoe ride, go horseback riding, enjoy our evening Yogi Tea Café with live music, or take a long walk along the shore.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
3HO Solstice
6 Narayan Court
Espanola, NM 87532
Continental USA/Canada: #(888) 346-2420
Outside USA: #(505) 753-4988
Fax: #(505) 753-1999
Email: YogaInfo@3HO.org

NOTICE: The organizers of this event expressly
reserve the right to refuse admission to anyone.