AMERICA may represent a modern consumer heaven for most of us but for Patricia and Mike Bell, it's the land of spiritual awakening and tribal enlightenment.

So strong was the couple's urge to immerse themselves in everything American - American Indian, that is, - they took off to California to live in a commune run by EHAMA, which stands for Earth Wisdom Teachings to people, communities and organisations.

Patricia and Mike decided 'today was the first day of the rest of their lives' after getting interested in American Indian philosophy back home in Ponteland, around five years ago.

The EHAMA Institute were holding 'ceremonies' around England in 1996 and Patrick went along to a weekend workshop after a recommendation. He'd always been interested in broadening his horizons but what he experienced at the two-day camp blew his mind.

"There was lots of storytelling around the camp fire under the stars. We had quiet time to reflect on our lives by writing journals and camping in the open helped us feel a connection with the earth and nature," says Patrick, 48, who was working as an organisational consultant at the time.

"We were surrounded by beautiful scenery and camped by an old stone circle. All the teachings were given inside the stone circle by part native Americans Rainbow-Hawk and his wife Wind-Eagle.

"It opened up a whole new way of learning which had nothing to do with intellect but engaged the whole of the mind, body and spirit."

So they chucked in their promising jobs in 1999 and took off for the States to spend two years learning ancient wisdom with their then 12-year-old daughter Madeline.

Admittedly, the pair say there is an irony in learning ancient wisdom in the land that created modern living, but Patrick says there's a lot of wisdom to be learnt from cultures predating modern America.

"What we found enthralling about the wisdom was its emphasis on our connection with all things in the big system, our link with nature, the universe and beyond. The teachings have been passed down orally over the years and they really transformed our lives. We came back from California as two different people.

"People assume we all get wiser as we get older, but it's not always that way with everyone. A lot of people have an image of the wise person as being old and grey-haired but younger people can learn to be wise too."

Patricia and Mike lived in the commune with 18 other, mucking in with the cooking and cleaning as well as growing vegetables and doing administrative duties to earn their keep - and loved every minute of it.

They lived among stunning scenery surrounded by rich foliage and jutting pines, humming birds and eagles.

"We didn't miss home at all. We found we had made a really exciting decision at that stage of our lives," says Patricia, 49. "We saw those two years as a way forward and part of our growth, a wonderful adventure, and as neither of us lay a lot of value on careers, we were satisfied to leave ours behind in England," she adds.

"For me personally, the time there helped me lose a lot of my anxieties and my need to be in control of things all the time. There's a flow of things in life and we can learn from everything that happens to us, whether it be good or bad."

Patricia only got interested in native-American wisdom originally after she saw the effect it had on Mike. "I wasn't particularly in to it until I saw Mike. He was really beginning to shine as a human being and he was so much more open to things and happier within himself.

"He was displaying all these qualities that I was curious about so I thought, why not try it out myself? Once I got involved, I was hooked."

More than five years on, the pair have decided to pass their wisdom on to anyone who's interested, whether it be businesses or couples looking for greater enlightenment. They are both directors of their company, Wisdom Meme, which injects a dose of the wisdom that's touched their own lives so profoundly into those in search of inner fulfilment.

"I hope the teachings help others to make good insightful decisions at home and at work, like they've helped us do," says Mike. "It can enliven relationships so that couples begin to appreciate each other afresh. I know it's certainly changed our lives, so hopefully it can do the same for others."

For more information, ring Patricia or Mike on (01661) 821111 County Durham