01/02/2000

Dear Gail

It's hard to find the words to adequately express my gratitude for findingUniversal Remembrance University and participating in the New MillenniumCelebration.  In my short stay I discovered an amazing amount aboutmyself.... and I came away with an incredible gift.... the gift of facingmy fears and accomplishing things I never thought possible, never dreamedpossible.  That experience is opening a myriad of doors for me. I walked on fire.  I can do anything I choose!  What could bemore empowering!

I arrived looking forward to a few days in nature and participatingin the world peace meditation, unsure of what else my time in Floral Citywould bring.  I knew nothing of your work... other than that an optionalfire walk would be part of the program.  Me?  Walk on fire? Hmmmm...  I wasn't sure about that... at all.  I joined a groupof strangers on Thursday and became one with them in an atmosphere of Spirit,incredible love, acceptance, growth, learning, sharing and joy.  Eachprogram was wonderful... thoughtfully and lovingly presented.  Eachbuilt upon the preceding one.... until suddenly it was New Year's Eve andwe were building the fire.  I was truly facing my innermost fearsas I broke through illusions of my belief system that have limited whatI thought I could do.  With the help of Spirit and the energy of thegroup I literally broke through my fears as I broke a board with them writtenon it.  Then I broke a brick in half... with my hand.  I couldhardly believe it!  I jumped with joy!  My experience was beyondanything I ever thought possible.  And that was BEFORE walking thefire!

Ahh... the fire... the crackling red coals.  Beautiful.  Starswere bright in the sky.... drums filled the cool night air, warmed by thehot coals, with wonderful sound and energy.  We were getting readyto walk the fire.  I wasn't sure I could do it... would do it... orshould do it.  It called to me but more fears also called... loudly. I've always been afraid of fire... since a shed burned by my window whenI was four... and I have a strange disorder that has doctors consideringlopping off my toes.  I wondered how I could face them with feet burntto a crisp from doing something so.... hmmm.... irresponsible as tryingto walk on fire.  But then I suddenly knew in my heart of hearts...deep in my soul... that it was right ...that my body would take care ofme... that I could do it and should do it.  And I did.  I walkedacross the fire three times.  There aren't words to express my exuberanceor the joy and energy of those around me.... regardless of whether theywalked in the fire or not.  Unbelievable ...but oh so real. We were all so very connected... with love and energy and Spirit. 

Something's changed inside of me... and it's showing on the outsidetoo. Several people, unaware of my time at URU, have commented that somethingabout me seems different.  As your bumper sticker says "shift happens". I am so grateful for it.  I brought home half of the board I broke. Each time I 
look at it I see half of the fears I wrote on it.... and I know thatI truly can do anything I choose. 

Thank you both for who you are and what you do.  URU is wonderfuland so are you!

Namaste,
Barbara Avicolli

01/02/2000

THE URU RETREAT IS A REAL TREAT FOR EVERYONE WHO VISITS.  LOVEIS THE WORD THERE.  IT IS THE ONLY PLACE THIS PERSON HAS EVER BEENWHERE I CAN BE MYSELF AND KNOW I AM LOVED FOR WHO I REALLY AM.  YOUCAN NOT ATTEND A FIRE WALK (WHETHER YOU WALK OR NOT) AND NOT REALIZE THATLIFE HAS SO MUCH MORE TO OFFER THAN YOU HAVE BEEN ACCEPTING.  WHENI LEAVE URU IT IS WITH A RENEWED OUTLOOK ON LIFE, ONE THAT IS SO MUCH MOREPOSITIVE AND ENABLES ME TO TAKE ON NEW AND MORE EXCITING CHALLENGES THATLIFE HAS TO OFFER. I AM REMINDED OF HOW GREAT AND WONDERFUL  I REALLYAM AND EVEN THE BAD THINGS IN MY LIFE ARE REALLY GOOD.  I WOULD STRONGLYENCOURAGE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO FIND OUT WHAT THEIR FULL POTENTIAL INLIFE CAN BE , TO ATTEND ONE OF THE PROGRAMS AT URU..  IT WILL CHANGEYOUR LIFE FOREVER.

STEVE COCCOVIZZO

04/12/2002

Dear Faith,

I’d like to clear up some misperceptions that some people appear tohave about the Firewalk. 

It is a workshop in and of itself and one of the most powerful experiencesthat I, personally, have ever had. Firewalking is a cellular Shapeshift,I believe that is the reason that John was enthusiastic about having theU.R.U. team at the intensive. In meeting with them to plan their involvementat the Arutam Intensive, I was impressed with their dedication and professionalism.

A Firewalk ceremony is carefully crafted to raise the participant’senergy and connect them to their higher self/inner guidance. It is nota spectator event. If you have an agenda that you have to walk across thecoals, you will not be allowed to participate. When one gets a clear messageto walk there is no difficulty and for some the most empowering thing isto listen to the guidance that says no. There is also the knoweldge, forthose that do walk, that anything is possible, a very empowering knowledgeindeed.

I hope that this helps

Shungo

David Lowell
The Heart of Healing

   I can’t even begin to imagine what is going to happen in2009 but this much I know; the end result is going to be amazing! I don’tthink that it won’t be hard work or that it is going to go perfectly smoothly,but what does? All I KNOW is that somehow life is going to get back ontrack and I am going to take responsibility for MY life and start makingit the life I want it to be, start figuring out who I am! 

    What brings about this change? This sudden positivetyand KNOWING that ANYTHING is possible? I had the most positive, spiritual,empowering life-changing New Years ever. I’m still floating on a cloud,still emotional (in a good way) beyond anything I have ever felt. It’slike I’ve been blind for so long but now suddenly I can see with greatclarity all the endless possibility life holds if only you can see it andBELIEVE it! Don’t just talk the talk but walk the walk! I spent New YearsEve at my second firewalk and it was even better then my first. WOW thethoughts are still swirling but I feel more alive then I’ve felt in months!There is a saying on the wall in the lodge where the firewalks are heldthat says “Shift Happens” and it does because that is what is happeningto me/in me right now, I can FEEL it! 

    On New Years Eve I did the so called “impossible”I broke a board with my hand (and figuratively broke through my fears becausewe wrote them on the board to symbolize breaking through, and I feel likeI am), I broke an arrow w/ my throat, I walked on glass and I walked onfire, not once but three times. The last time I walked was with my Aunt,just as we were getting ready to walk together it officially became 2009.How amazing to walk into the New Year doing the “impossible!!!” 

    The energy that night was amazing, I felt empoweredand revitalized! I still feel as if I am floating on a cloud where I canSEE everything this world has to offer, if we just let it. Abundance, prosperity,peace, love, happiness all these things are possible, and EVERY livingbeing deserves them, if only we open ourselves up to them! 

    On New Years day we had a closing ceremony, whileI am sworn to secrecy about parts of it I can talk about the first hourof it. There was a very famous psychic at the firewalk and she went aroundthe room doing brief readings. While I am always a bit skeptical aboutpsychics, not that I don’t believe that some people possesses this giftbut because there are so many people who pretend that just don’t, thislady was so dead on it was scary! She knew some of the people in the roombut had never met me before & knew nothing about me. To summarize whatshe said: she asked if I took care of children I said yes & she toldme that while I was caring and did a wonderful job it wasn’t what I wasmeant to do right now, that I needed to pursue my true talents. She toldme I was stuck, that I needed to take responsibility for my life and makingit my own. 

    This hit home in a major way. For the past few yearsI have been stuck, stuck in a life I didn’t want to be living, stuck inthe past unable to imagine the future held anything but more misery, stuckin a self-destructive spiral. BUT most of all stuck in FEAR; but fear issimply “False Evidence Appearing Real”. I won’t be able to move throughthis fear over-night but I now KNOW that I can, that it is possible becauseI am capable of doing anything I put my mind to. For the first time ina long time, perhaps ever, I can say & believe that life is GOOD, maybenot perfect, rough at times but it is GOOD. Because life is filled withpossibilities to do anything you want to do, to be anyone you want to be!! 

    For so long I’ve allowed myself to be trapped insidethis bubble of fear. Fear of failure, fear of disappointment, fear thatI must be perfect to be loved, that I must care for others more then myself,and fear that I was unworthy of life, love, and happiness. However I amNOT I’m not unworthy, I am NOT a horrible person. I need to break out ofmy shell, out of this bubble of fear and truly be the kind, loving loyal,trustworthy, caring person others see me as! And that means caring about/forME!

    As if all the amazing things this NY Eve made merealize wasn’t enough this morning my aunt and I were talking about howemotional and overwhelming it all was. How positive we felt about the future.Then we had a heart to heart. 

    How am I going to do all of this? I don’t know, butwhat I do know is that I am going to! 2009 is going to be the year thatI start taking care of me, following MY dreams and finding out exactlyWHO I AM!
 

Thank you again for the perfect way to bring in the new year. It's hard
to believe that we've been with you since 2003 walking the fire and
beginning the new year on such a positive note. As we said, we couldnot
have imagined a more ideal place to be than with your group. Each year
our lives have become more filled with love, prosperity and wonderand
we know that you and the firewalk gathering are a big part of it. How
empowering and life-changing your event is and we are thrilled to see
hearts open and consciousness shift in the attendees.
Thanks again for all you do for the planet.

Armand and Angelina/International Classical Crossover Recording Artists
and Performers.

http://www.armandandangelina.com
http://www.myspace.com/armandandangelina
 

Hi Gail. 

Thank you so much for such a wonderful experience Saturday night. The people and the energy of the group were amazing.  I had neverbeen exposed to board breaking or walking on broken glass before, and whileboth prospects were frightening and unnerving to me, that inner voice askedme to give both a try.  Even the arrow breaking - I've seen it done,but I never tried it before and ended up trying it Saturday night as well. The atmosphere of the workshop was inspiring and enlivening, but also nurturingand encouraging.  While I had doubts about my ability to succeed inmy attempt at each of the exercises, I also somehow had a certainty (touse Cliff's word) that whatever the outcome, the three instructors andthe rest of the participants would have helped me through it and not allowedit to be seen as a "failure."  That made all the difference. Normally I'm very reserved and uncomfortable in a room full of people Idon't know.  While I was still nervous, there was a part of me thatalso felt at ease.  We did, as a group, bond as a family. 

I forgot to mention the angel walk as I filled out the questionnaireabout the parts of the evening I enjoyed the most - that was a powerfullymoving experience and reinforced the strong sense of one-ness already present. 

The firewalk itself was everything I had hoped.  It was especiallytouching for me that my friend was also moved to walk the fire becausehe was so certain that it was not for him even as we walked down to thefire that night.  Which is perfectly fine, of course.  But hisinner voice told him otherwise at fireside, and he listened. 

Please, please keep me on your mailing list for future events - firewalksand other workshops, too. 

Last but not least, my friend took enough pictures that it might beeasier to mail you a CD than try to email them all - I know when peopleemail me a bunch of pictures it tends to bog down my system and becomesmore of a pain than anything else.  So if you don't mind a disk, I'llget one in the mail to you this week.  There were orbs in his firesideshots, too!  And one of the photos from the board breaking exerciseshowed an orb as well. 

Thank you again for everything.  I look forward to seeing you againsoon! 

Namaste, 

Jane 
 

Hi Gail. 

I am soon to post the pictures we took at the firewalk. Just got my computer back from the computer hospital and I have to buy and install a new photo program but, girl, the pics are good.  I got one of Doris that is just stunning and some others that are pretty good. 

About the firewalk.  I can't thank you enough.  I burned the dozens of samsonite suitcases that I have been lugging around for years filled with self imposed emotional baggage.  I have released the attachment to the outcome of things that I have no control over anyway.  Wow, is my mind ever clear!  I am getting things DONE that I have been fiddling with for years.  Done.  Totally.  I am sleeping better, teaching better, working better.  Nothing like a good firewalk!  The biggie for me, though, was Pete walking that fire.  I thought I knew him well, was I ever wrong.  I still am amazed that he walked that fire.  Nice to know he has some surprises left after all of these years.  I thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship of all of the people who attended.  I loved Armand and Angelina.  Bought two CDs and just enjoy them so much.  I have a couple of friends at work who are interested in walking a fire with you at some point.  They have asked me to let them know when you will be having the next one.  These are real good spiritual people who will fit right in.  I don't know if you would like to meet them first, they live down here so that won't be hard, but I am sure you will really love them.  Just good people, the kind you meet and know you have known them in past lives and it was goooood. 

Well, I must replenish my cocoa supply and see about a new photo program.  Keep warm.

Blessings! 

Mandy