New School & Intentional Community in Ecuador

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

My partner, Norie Huddle, and I are forming a new South American
school for Structural Integration and a small intentional community
in south-central Ecuador. Located in the ancient Andes mountains
nearby a beautiful valley known colloquially as "The Valley of
Longevity", our one-mile high temperate (not tropical) climate is a
blend of Mediterranean-Santa Barbara that hovers between 60-80
degrees all year 'round.

We are located on 350 acres that includes a good deal of beautiful
organic farmland that runs alongside over a mile of river front.
From the river and farmland, the land rises up (through some higher
meadows) over 1000 feet to mountain ridges with stunning views in
every direction. We are less than one hour away from Ecuador's
cultural capitol, Loja, and we are adjacent to one of the world's
richest, most bio-diverse ecological preserves, the Podocarpus
National Park, that has an incredible variety of species of birds,
butterflies and orchids.

Our Structural Integration facilities will include teaching and
practice spaces with access to modern, computer imaging, video
feedback and advanced practitioner tools such as curved surface
treatment tables, hand-grips & wrist-straps. [Teachers, students and
clients will all have access to our spa with hot tub, sauna and
flotation / sensory isolation tank. ]

Our Structural Integration school is embedded in a larger community
vision that involves creation of a small, intentional community for
healing, social transformation and the positive optimization of human
potential. We are modeling our community after the Esalen Institute,
Omega Point & Hollyhock. We will be sponsoring retreats for artists,
writers, teachers and many other cultural creatives. Our facilities
for workshops, seminars and trainings will include art and music
studios, wood and metal shop and video / film post-production with
high-speed internet access. We are also creating a variety of local
"micro-enterprises" to help provide jobs and entreprenurial training
to local residents (Norie was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Colombia,
1966-68).

This is an announcement of incipient formation and a call for
participants and potential community members. We have space for
25-30 full or part-time residents, all of whom will have access to
our full facility and its 350 acres of gardens, fields, trails and
mountains. Come play with us!

At this time we are:

—completing our first house and meeting center, and a meditation
center / music recording studio.

—constructing an internet cafe/art gallery with 2-3 apartment-style
rental / residential spaces. Spa and flotation facilities are in the
planning stages.

—re-integrating and activating our property's two original farms. By
the time we start classes, our farm will be able to provide our
community and visitors with a wide variety of fresh, organic fruits
and vegetables, as well as meat, poultry and eggs.

—building good relations with the surrounding local community.

—doing site development and planning. Our longer range vision
includes going off-grid, probably with micro-hydro and/or solar power.

We hope to be able to offer a first workshop in Structural
Integration this September (2008) and will post more specific details
as they become available.

Who are we? Richard studied with Dr. Rolf and has been practicing,
researching, teaching & contributing for 37 years. Richard is also
trained in the visual arts, music and paleontology. Richard's
partner, Norie, is an published author, public speaker, professional
interviewer and workshop presenter, and social innovator. Norie
started being rolfed in 1978 and found it "life changing". Norie is
also an advanced practitioner of the Voice Dialog Process and the
Personal Totem Pole Process.

For more detailed information, including a current newsletter, look
on our website as listed below.

We look forward to hearing from those of you who may be interested as
potential residents, full or part-time, as well as those interested
in teaching or taking workshops and retreats.

Sincerely,

Richard Wheeler & Norie Huddle

Website: web.mac.com/tarpitboss
Click on the link "Ecuador" in the menu at the top of the page. Those
of you familiar with our Ecuadorian activities will find our latest
newsletter here: http://tinyurl.com/6y9sjy



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