INTEGRATION OF CULTURES There are many beliefs, techniques & traditions circulating in today's world around the subject of Spirituality & the Human Soul.  Essentially, these approaches are not different from each other, but are quite the same in their central theme of unity, harmony & liberation of the soul. In other words, there is only one reality, yet many unique descriptions of it; one sky, yet many fingers pointing at it. Why look at the fingers pointing & not at the sky itself ?! All cultures & traditions are important to the process in spiritual evolution: each spiritual school fills an empty unrealized space that people of the same mind frame, karmic connection & level of inner realization can follow. Therefore it makes sense to conclude, that all cultures, traditions & all manifestations of the One Spirit have their own unique role in this inter-dimensional theatre of Higher Consciousness. The shamanic tradition generates a lot of spiritual power though chanting (icaro singing), praying (oration), monotonous and rhythmic body movement in combination with power plants, and other spontaneous mystical actions. This power can be used to transcend the internal dialogue and accept the reality of the body - a natural state of a human being, which can lead towards a union of opposites and completion of the soul, providing that a clear minded concentration is achieved and the ego is surrendered to the divine will. Unfortunately, in today's shamanic culture, many efforts are directed not towards encountering Liberation and Enlightenment, but mostly towards curing mental & physical illnesses in order to maintain one in a certain state of health, energy and stability, without evolving further than that. It has become a culture of mental and mystical powers, and not one of true wisdom & practical action towards total liberation of the Human Spirit from the foreign installation of society & material attachments. In the Orient (India, China, Tibet, Japan, etc..) the teachings and the methods for achieving a purposeful clear minded concentration and letting go of the limitations on consciousness are more direct & accurate. Yet, due to the influence of mainstream society, much of the power behind those approaches has been either lost or severely diluted though being assimilated into a progressive civilization. For example, in our day and age it is difficult to come across an enlightened teacher who would be able to create a space of heightened awareness necessary to truly understand and soak in the teaching. On the other hand, the power of the spiritual plants and mystical forces could lead one far off the path, if the practitioner lacks the clarity and inspiration of the teachings of the enlightened masters.  Without having any clue about the path one is traveling, meaning, without intimate inner connection with the techniques of meditation from any culture, no Intuitive guidance, growth or trust can be acquired for the transformation of being. And that is where the biggest block of Spiritual Energy is evident in the Orient. At the same time, in the North, South or Central America, extremely wise, powerful and healing plants are used in the sacred ceremonies, but due to obsession with the rituals and power, the conscious realization of which has been lost long ago, the divine knowledge and potential of those plants loses it's true effects. Today the shamanic culture is but an echo of the enlightened ancestors, that in their time could defy imagination. The spiritual situation of the world today seems to be a two sided coin which pays for the completion of the Universal Knowledge. Bite this coin to find out that it's made of pure spiritual gold. The essential integration of the world's cultures would be to utilize the Oriental Spiritual Disciplines (Yoga, Tai Chi - Chi Gong and etc...), Oriental philosophy (Confucius, Lao Tzu, Buddha and etc..), Alternative healing modalities and the shamanic tradition of Sacred Plants to encounter a middle way between the feeling of Mother Nature & the purpose of the Human Spirit. The SpiritPath retreats are designed to bring the deepest healing from the essential integration described above, with the help of all world cultures, transforming with the full trust in the divine Self. May all beings be liberated