OUR STORY

Mick and Debora live in Guatemala with their two dogs, Bella and Panchito. 
To read more about their work, please see The Integral Heart Foundation.

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Debora and Mick met, quite by accident, in a Spanish border town in Western
Europe on a chilly spring night in 2004. Since our paths merged we have been
inseparable in an adventure of growth, learning, and evolution that has driven 
us to this moment in which we work, travel, and teach together on the many 
ways to live in joy beyond conditioning and to experience intimate 
relationships that are free from all personal conflict. Here is our story:

After many years spent living and working in New York City, and following 
Mick's first awakening in 2001, intuitively he knew was finished there, at least 
for the time being. A new path was calling, one that meant much change. 

Those first years in the United States were fruitful years, full of learning and
challenges, spiritual journeys, many great teachings, and direct contact with 
living teachers, in the United States, in Europe and India. A deep inner request 
was now calling for the expression of what had been learned and realized 
during those times.

A brief search revealed a turn of the century restored watermill for sale in a
remote area of northern Portugal. This seemed like the perfect place, not so 
much to begin a new life, but to assimilate, contemplate, introspect, meditate
and write. It was as if Mick was drawn to this hidden corner of the world. This
move, however, would be more fruitful than ever imaginable.

The journey towards God, ultimate truth, freedom, liberation, enlightenment,
true nature, big mind, one taste, is what we call 'home'. There are people who
want to visit such a place so fast that they forget to enjoy the ride and to
appreciate the beauty and opportunities they can find along the way. There 
are others we have met, who do not wish to know about this place, which is 
fine, but entirely unfathomable to us. 

When we met, we instantly knew we wanted to go 'home' together. Our 
promise to each other was of walking this fantastic journey as one in the 
wonders of human potential, without any idea or guarantee of the outcome,
without any expectations, and without even knowing we if we would share
 this path as we now do with so many others.

Along the way, we visited Andrew Cohen and his teachings of Evolutionary
Enlightenment, we attended a Phowa (conscious death) course with Lama 
Ole Nydahl, and we were blessed to discover the great teachings of Ken 
Wilber. This helped us piece together a map of the steps we were going 
through in this eternal journey. Then, together, we found the Big Mind/
Big Heart Process of Dennis Genpo Merzel. Together, we read, studied, 
wrote, meditated, worked out, laughed and loved as one.

What we learned is that 'home' is not out there, but it's right here, in the 
heart of the individual, in the spirit of the relationship, and in the joy of 
sharing. Together we reveal that the expression of potential requires only 
three things: Responsibility, humility and resilience. 

Witnessing our evolution together, we listened to our hearts, trusted our 
inner guidance, and learned to follow the process of life. Thus far this has
produced two books and over one hundred teaching events in three 
countries. We are now being drawn, once again, to the United States to 
make a new home in continuing our work.

We continue learning and growing together, we say that being one with 
you is the greatest discovery of an awakened relationship.  And being 
beautiful individual manifestations of that Oneness is a gift given by 
ourselves as One, so that we may express our greatness in all its richness 
and bright manifestations that consciousness, I, we, and you can ever be. 

Rewardingly, this has left us, and those who have come to study with us,
incredibly nourished, enlivened, and at ease with our own potential.