This cutting-edge awareness and wilderness training designed for challenging times has been built upon decades of real-world experience and continual refinement out in the field. People from many walks of life have expressed much enthusiastic feedback about the workshops, and even highly experienced outdoors people and martial artists have been quite impressed at how much they have learned in as little as one day of awareness or wilderness thrival training. The Slide Show gives an idea of some of the beautiful and rugged terrain where these skills have been developed by Robert over the years, and where certain of his students have been trained.

Awareness Workshops teach life-altering, highly practical ancient skills. These skills greatly empower energetic perception, safety, acute observation, Oneness, and smooth movement in any environment, whether wilderness or city jungle. Escalating international tension and domestic security concerns make these skills increasingly important for daily life, especially for travelers. Awareness training can also boost artistic creativity, and the ability to more fully live in the Now and make the most of it. In summary, Awareness training will have a positive impact on just about every aspect of your life!

Some of the topics include: • Ancient Navigation Methods including Energetics • Danger Areas and Safety • Energetic Sensitivity from Qi Gong and Systema • Basic Tracking Concepts • Pulsation/Vibration Analysis • Vision Empowerment • Environmental Yin, Yang and Qi Flow • Stealth • Purification and Empowerment of Intuition • Birds as Awareness Aids • Extensive Blindfolded Exercises • Animal and Human Movement Patterns • Knowledge from a Distance • Instant Meditation and Brain Pattern Quick Shifts • Critical Distance

For many adults, some of their fondest memories are of the awe, wonder and rapture experienced in childhood exploration of Nature, and already at the age of four Robert was wandering in the desert behind his house eagerly seeking out mysteries and watching the storms over the nearby mountains. And though the attainment and polishing of wilderness and awareness skills can be very challenging and rigorous business at times, a critical and usually neglected key to success in the attainment of cutting-edge skills are certain mindset aspects more common to children. All over the world Ancient Masters of these very powerful skills retained or recaptured the child-like aspects of joyful enthusiasm, energetic sensitivity, deep curiosity and intuition, the ability to silently observe and listen without premature analysis, a capacity to flex and flow with the vagaries of life, and an open mindedness instead of forcing rigid reality views upon situations. Thus the name Laughing Waters: A mindset of flowing like water with Nature, experiencing increased awareness and great joy while pushing your limits in exploration of this awesome Universe.

Wilderness Thrival Workshops delve into the physical skills, and the physics, psychology and energetic concepts for maximizing the chances of thriving in wilderness survival, whether by chance or by choice. This is not “human against nature,” but instead the much more successful way of wisely flowing and synergizing with the energies and gifts of the natural environment. And though physical fitness and strength is important in the wilderness, and Robert works extremely hard to be in the best possible condition for his Journeys, there is no need to have a “Rambo” mindset to take this training! Along these same lines, a common question is: "Do I have to be in great shape to take this training?" The answer is that people of widely varying physical condition and age have been able to learn the foundational material.

The brilliant engineering skills and accumulated wisdom of ancient worldwide cultures are applied towards the key priorities in maintaining internal homeostasis in a survival situation, with an emphasis on Southwest biomes or the particular biomes germane to the lives of students. A solid foundation is taught regarding shelter, water, fire and food, and many other aspects of thriving in Nature. As competency with these fundamentals grows, a tremendous sense of freedom and peace of mind pushes out fears and doubts. And the skills and mindset obtained are directly applicable to both emergencies and everyday life. Practicing these skills can also be a meditation in itself, leading one towards greater awareness and Oneness.

With both Awareness and Wilderness Thrival Workshops, there are many levels of instruction available, and additional advanced topics and methods are offered from time to time, as students become ready for the Next Step. And of course, Robert also offers customized training in appropriate landscapes to individuals of various experience levels. Examples of past custom training include a day field trip which was dedicated to medicinal and edible plants, and comprehensive long journeys in deep wilderness, some of them with a special emphasis on practical skills in the worlds of energy and the spirit world. There are numerous possibilities, depending on your skill level, priorities, and passions!

As a New Mexico native and a member of the Society of Primitive Technology, Robert expands his wilderness and awareness skills each year through pushing his limits in extensive real-world application. Additionally, since 1995 he has graduated from 15 classes at Tom Brown’s Tracker School, including Advanced and Expert Awareness. This fascination with awareness was previously explored in cross-cultural awareness thesis work at MIIS under Dr. Glen Fisher, who started the Department of Area Studies for the State Department. Robert further developed cross-cultural awareness by living in martial law Poland researching Solidarity, and exploring the former USSR.

Below are the Head Instructors at Laughing Waters.

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