Tour Director: Yana Womack, Ph.D. received her doctorate degree from California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco where she concentrated on Eastern religious studies, Consciousness studies and healing methods. She holds a Master's degree in Women's Spirituality and a B.A. in Archaeomythology. Yana has been offering spiritual pilgrimages to Nepal since 1996. Along with leading tours, Yana maintains a private practice in the East Bay and Marin as a Certified Clincial Hypnotherapist www.repatterninghypnosis.com. She is also the author of Guardians of the Gate: An Investigation of Numinous Presence, 'Visions of the Divine,' in Dreams (Lambert Academic Publishers, 2009) and has recently been featured on CBS, Channel 5 "Eye on the Bay."

My passion for Nepal, particularly Kathmandu Valley, began in 1996 when I traveled to Nepal and India on fieldwork for my Master's thesis on Hindu female deities. The sights, sounds, flavors, customs and people left an indelible imprint on my psyche. The breadth of the vast cultural differences evident in the East and West was riveting! Since then, I have traveled to the East frequently bringing tour groups, offering unique itineraries, introducing many of the participants to their first-time journeys to Asia.

My pilgrimage tours are designed for those curious about the spiritual and ritualistic practices, art, architecture and folklore of Nepal, as well as for participants seeking to embark on a spiritual path and for those with intentions of deepening their practices. My contacts include: holy women and men (sadhus and sadhvis), Lamas of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, village shamans, living manifestations of the goddess (including Kusali Devi of Kathmandu and the Kumari of Bhaktapur), a world-renowned master dancer and teacher of traditional Newari dance, a master sound healer, Ayurvedic body workers, art gallery curators of the art and crafts of Kathmandu Valley, university professors and tour operators who offer exciting excursions for those who want to extend their stay.

It gives me the greatest pleasure to share with participants this amazing, exotic culture and beautiful Himalayan mountainous atmosophere. One cannot help but feel transported. Many comment they feel like they are walking in a numinous, mythic dream-like realm. I hope you will join us on this very special tour this spring, a journey of a lifetime!–Yana Womack, Ph.D., Tour Leader

Tour includes:

• Deluxe accommodations. Our secluded hotel, designed by a contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright, is like no other with beautiful grounds and gardens, an art gallery, a theater where Nepali dance performances are offered, rooftop restaurants overlooking Swayambunath, considered the most holy locale in all of Kathmandu Valley, a large dining room, a library and massage room (Ayurvedic massage treatments available).

• Full breakfasts (large sumptuous buffet, all you can eat).

• All teachings and lectures by tour leader and on-site guides and teachers.

• Entrance fees to sites.

• Ground transportation.

• Farewell feast.

Space is limited to 12 participants. Cost: $2,400. For more information and registration form, contact: Yana at 510 809-6575.

Guardians of the Gate: An Investigation of Numinous Presence, 'Visions of the Divine,' in Dreams (Lambert Academic Publishers, 2009). Available on Amazon.com.

Experiences of the numinous, 'visions of the divine,' in dreams offer glimpses into a vast well of teachings available to us beyond the boundaries of our waking consciousness. In this investigation, numena are understood as harbingers that awaken deep ways of knowing and perceiving; they enliven and inspire appreciation for the sublime wonders and textures of life. This work represents one woman's account of her dreams drawn from over ten years of journal entries. The numena for discussion include: the "Spirit of Sound," the "Mother," and the "Skywoman." These mythologems are examined through the portals of Clarity dreams, Personal Mythology dreams and Initiation dreams. The author's objective is not to present an interpretation of the dreams but to examine the mytho- religious symbolic content and mystical qualities of the dream experience in order to understand them as guiding forces for furthering spiritual development and human potential. This book is a rare account of primary research on this topic and will appeal to those interested in dreamwork, spirituality, women's studies, psychology, shamanism and consciousness studies.

http://amzn.com/3838304985