Tennis Week | Marcos Landavazo and Kim Evans

Marcos Landavazo has been the full time tennis professionaol at Rancho La Puerta for 25 years. He has been certified through U.S.P.T.A, (United States Tennis Association) since 1987. Marcos has played competitive tennis in more that 100 tennis tournaments throughout Mexico and California. He is experienced with new players as well as those who are getting ready to play a professional tour. Marcos also holds a certification though the American council on exercise (ACE) that he uses in his coaching and training of tennis players.

Kim Evans, MS, MA, is a certified teaching pro through the PTR (Professional Tennis Registry). As a lifelong tennis player and enthusiast, she played competitively at Wheaton College, and continues to play adult competitive tennis through the USTA. Kim has taught for 10 years at the Midtown Tennis Club in Palatine, IL, a high-level, tennis training facility. Kim's degrees in Exercise Physiology (MS) and Clinical Psychology (MA) provide her with additional expertise in the areas of nutrition, exercise training, and sports psychology. When Kim isn't on the tennis court, she works with high-risk teenage girls and women in private practice as a psychotherapist.

Culinary Experiences at La Cocina Que Canta | Visiting Teacher Nancy Zaslavsky

Nancy Zaslavsky is not Mexican, but a blond gringa who loves Mexico, its culture, cuisine, and people. One of her greatest joys is to share this enthusiasm with those who want to learn more about a fascinating country. She is an author and home cook specializing in regional Mexican cooking. Her "A Cook’s Tour of Mexico: Authentic Recipes from the Country’s Best Open-Air Markets, City Fondas and Home Kitchens" was nominated for a James Beard Award. She has traveled extensively throughout Mexico since 1970 exploring foods of this world-class cuisine and seeking authentic dishes from extraordinary home cooks. Her second cookbook, "Meatless Mexican Home Cooking" offers a spirited collection of traditional vegetarian recipes as they are prepared every day in Mexico.

Her articles have been published in national food magazines. Nancy teaches Mexican cooking classes in the U.S.A. and in Mexico. She leads popular culinary tours to various regions in Mexico for small groups in search of dynamic tastes in spirited environments. Motivated by ongoing research into the culinary history of Mexico, she is Vice President and Program Chair of the Culinary Historians of Southern California, as well as a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the James Beard Foundation, and the International Slow Food Movement.

Nancy offers three hands-on culinary experiences, 3.5 hours each, during which you will enjoy preparing your own meal along with fellow cooks. These activities take place at La Cocina Que Canta. You also will have the opportunity to harvest produce you use from our organic garden, Tres Estrellas. Transportation will be provided.

For more information and registration, please click here.

Concert | Brice Martin and Natalie Dalschaert

Brice Martin’s formal training includes degrees from The Julliard School and the University of Southern California. He is an active studio musician, and plays for film, TV and commercial soundtracks. He has played for “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves,” the Grammy Awards Orchestra, “Star Trek: Voyager,” and the “Wonderful World of Disney.” Brice is also a composer and has written music for film and television. He specializes in his large collection of exotic woodwinds from around the world.

Natalie Dalschaert is a graduate of the Juilliard School and received her Master of Music Degree from the University of Southern California. She has appeared as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Chautauqua Festival Orchestra, and the Toulouse Orchestra in France. In addition to her solo work, Ms. Dalschaert plays chamber music, accompanies singers, has played for classical music cruises, and has performed on television for the shows “Star Trek,” “Perfect Strangers,” “JAG,” and “Wings.” She maintains an active teaching studio and has had several students win competitions and perform with orchestra.

Coyotes in Our Midst | Camilla Fox

Coyotes in Our Midst ~ Learning to Live with North America's Native "Song Dog"

Coyotes- known as North America's native Song Dog and as God's Dog by the Navajo- are the most common and persecuted native carnivore in North America. Revered by many Native American tribes as tricksters and creators for their cunning adaptable ways, coyotes have expanded their range across the continent, filling niches left where gray wolves once lived.

Come learn from Camilla Fox- one of the foremost experts on coyotes and the founder and Executive Director of Project Coyote- about the remarkable adaptability and resiliency of this successful predator and the challenges and opportunities coyotes provide to both urban and rural communities. Entertaining and informative, this presentation reveals the fascinating and complex world of Canis latrans— their keen intelligence, amazing resourcefulness, and importance as keystone carnivores.

Camilla Fox is the Founding Director of Project Coyote, a national non-profit organization that promotes coexistence between people and coyotes and advocates on behalf of all native carnivores. She is also a wildlife consultant with the Animal Welfare Institute and holds a Masters degree in Wildlife Ecology, Policy, and Conservation from Prescott College. With 20 years of experience working on behalf of wildlife and wildlands, Camilla is a recognized leader in her field with expertise in native carnivore conservation and human-wildlife conflict mitigation. A frequent speaker on these issues, Camilla has authored more than 70 publications and is co-author of "Coyotes in Our Midst: Coexisting with an Adaptable and Resilient Carnivore" and co-editor and lead author of the book, "Cull of the Wild: A Contemporary Analysis of Trapping in the United States." She’s also co-producer of the award-winning documentary, Cull of the Wild.

Her work on behalf of wildlife has been featured in several national and international media outlets including the German documentary, Coyote: The Hunted Hunter, two North American documentaries: American Coyote- Still Wild at Heart, and On Nature’s Terms, as well as the New York Times, the BBC, NPR, Orion, USA Today magazine, and Bay Nature magazine. Camilla has served as an appointed member on the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture's National Wildlife Services Advisory Committee and currently serves on the steering committee of the international Human Wildlife Conflict Collaboration and on several non-profit advisory boards. She was awarded the Humanitarian of the Year by the Marin Humane Society and the Christine Stevens Wildlife Award in 2006.

Mindful Sleep, Mindful Dreams | Rubin Naiman, Ph.D.

The purpose of this special series of sleep programs is to provide guests with a deeper, richer, more meaningful and, most importantly, more practical exposure to sleep issues and their resolutions.

THE TRUTH ABOUT SLEEP. Sleep problems are the most prevalent health concern in America today. Chronic sleep and dream loss have been linked to weight concerns, illness, and depression. This presentation takes a truly fresh look at sleep and dreams from a perspective that blends science with spirituality. Beyond promoting health, sleep and dreams open a sacred portal to a deeper understanding of ourselves. This presentation will also offer practical guidance to achieving more peaceful nights.

THE TRUTH ABOUT DREAMING. It has been said that a dream unexamined is like a letter unopened. Dreams offer daily opportunities for a deeper understanding of our unconscious selves and our lives. Dreams remind us of the greater order behind all things and can offer invaluable insight into all aspects of healing and personal growth. Dr. Naiman offers an informal and delightful discussion of dreaming, dreams and meaning. We will also venture beyond the night dream to look at the impact of dreaming on our waking lives.

SNORING AND APNEA. Snoring disrupts the sleep of millions of us nightly. Once thought to be inconsequential, it is now believed that snoring may be an early sign of underlying chronic inflammation. Snoring is also a major factor that forces couples to sleep apart. For many individuals, snoring is a symptom of a serious condition, obstructive sleep apnea, which can significantly compromise sleep and general health. This presentation will also provide an overview of snoring and apnea as well as a discussion of conventional and integrative medicine approaches to better manage these conditions.

THE UNITED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS: WHAT SLEEP & DREAMS TEACH US ABOUT WAKING. Although sleep and dreams profoundly influence our lives, they have been relegated to the world of the unconscious. Drawing from a wide range of sources including neuroscience, dreamwork, meditation, psychotherapy and shamanism, this presentation reconsiders the critical functions and influences of sleep and dreams on waking life and the healing process.

MORNING DREAM CIRCLES during breakfast.

One evening of BEDTIME STORIES.

Dr. Rubin Naiman is a psychologist, sleep specialist and clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Arizona’s Center for Integrative Medicine, directed by Dr. Andrew Weil. He is an internationally recognized expert in integrative approaches to sleep and dreams.  His publications include “Healing Night,”  “The Sleep Advisor” and, with Dr. Weil, “Healthy Sleep.”