Read what one of the participants in our August 2012 trip wrote:
I had never considered doing a safari when I heard about the Open Heart Safari. Something about the description on the web site and Tom’s passion for it made me Email Tom that I’m not seriously considering it, but it sure looked appealing. Somehow an Email exchange got me to consider it. Then Tom’s web slide presentation, his passion in describing the trip, the prospect of stunning wildlife with intentional personal and spiritual connection, the spirit of the other potential trip participants on the web call, and a desire to do something special for myself motivated me to sign up. This was a very big commitment for me in terms of time and money. But once the trip started, I never had a moment of second guessing whether I’d made a good decision. By the end of the 2 weeks, I had the feeling the entire trip had been designed and executed specifically for my personal benefit. The heart-opening activities (sharing our intentions and reactions with the group, poems, meditations, and movement) were powerfully effective in opening my heart to a deep impactful experience of the wildlife, wilderness, and local communities we visited. Now at the end of the trip I feel a major transformation in my life has been catalyzed. I had started the trip with a hope to get some clarity on my life direction. The life perspective I gained from the wildlife, community visits, and group members has inspired me to make a commitment around a major change that has me excited and terrified.And writing now (Sept 6) here’s my current (though no doubt incomplete) list of highlights of the trip for me:
Nature: The majesty of the beautiful animals, the calm, peaceful beauty of the African bush, the expansive starry night sky, and experiencing the natural order of diverse types of animals, each with its own niche in the ecosystem, co-existing and playing their role, all helped me feel part of an amazing unified tapestry.
The people: It was striking how in the rural village of Kawaza, with no plumbing or electricity and few possessions, the people seemed so full of life and joy. I saw more happy people in one morning in Kawaza than I see in a year in Philadelphia.
The close bonds and open hearted sharing among the group helped me experience the wildlife and communities we met in a deep way.
The zebra meditation: Sitting down to meditate, and after a few minutes discovering a zebra peering at me from inches away. The alternating terror and accepting calm I experienced felt symbolic of changes coming in my life that will offer me the chance to get beyond fear to experience benign beautiful opportunity.
With gratitude and love,
David