Ricardo rehearses the three teenagers before recording.
Back in Brasilia we focused our attention on getting some songs recorded in Portuguese before heading out to our annual retreat. Ricardo gathered a group of young teenage girls with Maya and Maira’s young sons to put some vocals to the chorus in Tara Tames the 8 Fears.
Songbirds Aradna and Ivana
Just before the retreat Ivana arrived from Argentina to record some of our dance music in Spanish. It is so exciting to have these dance pieces available in Portuguese and Spanish on the Tara Dhatu South America Web Site.
Our Annual Tara Dance Retreat in Paraiso na Terra (Paradise on Earth) was a powerful experience. Half of the group were very new and half of the group were very experienced. We had women from all over Brazil, a group from Chile, and a couple of Taras from Argentina.
Everyone bonded together the way Tara’s do.
The retreat center is on the cerrado, the high plateau. With rolling hills in the distance, the retreat area is on a flat plain covered with brush and wild flowers. The land is carved with a rushing river creating 
numerous waterfalls and pools of crystal water. The center is on a large tract of land, owned by the Theosophical Society. Wild life abounds. Last year we were blessed by the appearance of a wolf, a rare sighting in the area. This year we were visited by two snakes and an owl. Our host, Oswaldo, informs us when something is present and handles each situation with great respect for the local wild life.
These are carrots Oswaldo carved into goldfish to adorn our lunch buffet table.
He also carves vegetables into enchanting characters to surprise us when we go into the dining room for one of the luscious vegetarian meals
Red Dakini Day we had a ritual fire to burn our attachments and increase our power to love.
Every day we celebrated a Buddha family by wearing the color of the element. We started with white Space Dakini day, the next day was devoted to gold Earth Dakini, then red Fire Dakini, Blue Water and Green Air. The wisdom wove about us as we formed our mandalas of Tara’s Praises. Introducing the new ladies to the dances, guiding the Student Teachers, Tara’s Pure Realm pulsed within and around us.
Every day a group went off to the waterfalls.
Every late afternoon we entered the marble pillared temple, resonant with sound, and meditated as sun set behind the rolling hills.
The last day we dressed in saris and danced for a small group of guests, and for the staff that had served us through the week.
We felt the power of the blessings of Beloved Tara pulse through us into the world.
And with all our hearts we prayed,
May All Beings Be Happy
May All Beings Be Free
Next year’s retreat in Brasilia is scheduled for
May 21-28th 2016
Hope you can join us!!!!
