Shamanism in Times of Death and Rebirth:
An Introduction to Shamanic Journeying
& Sacred Circle Ways
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An immersive retreat in beautiful Mancos, Colorado,
October 23-25, 2026
Facilitated by S. Kris Abrams, with support from Dawn Robertson
Discover the power of receiving direct spiritual guidance
and living in reverence and sacred reciprocity with the living Earth
Every day, we see our systems collapsing around us, and the most vulnerable among us suffer unspeakable harm. This can fill us with fear, grief, anger, depression, anxiety, and a sense that the ground is being torn from beneath us even as we walk. Many of us long for something vastly different, a new (old) world rooted in sacred reciprocity with each other and the living Earth.
What if we can find our ground and personal power in these times, not in the constancy of systems that have long failed us, but in spiritual practices that empower us to receive guidance directly from Spirit and the spirits of Nature? What if we can experience the radical worthiness of all beings and our belonging to the sacred circle of life, and make choices rooted in that knowing?
What if we can help birth the new (old) world?
In this retreat, you will:
Learn and practice the ancient art of shamanic journeying;
Experience the Sacred Circle: the great, interconnected web of life and your unconditional belonging within it;
Journey on the most important questions of our times: What might the new (old) world — a world in which our communities embody reverence and care for all life — look like? How can we birth it? What is your unique role to play?
“I'm awestruck by the impact my spirit animals have already had on me personally. It’s like I have new soul mates who are eager and willing to help me on my path.”
- Traci S., Grand Junction, Colorado (participant in 2025 retreat)
What is Shamanic Journeying?
Shamanic journeying is one of humanity's oldest spiritual practices, present on every continent where indigenous peoples have lived, from Asia to the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Australia. It is a practice of direct revelation: a way of receiving guidance, healing, and wisdom directly from Helping Spirits and the spirits of Nature, with no authority, no intermediary, and no doctrine standing between you, the divine, and your sou’s wisdom.
You can think of shamanic journeying as akin to prayer — but, in contrast to many of our experiences with prayer — you actually receive a response, in the form of visions, guidance, support and healing.
In order to receive these responses, shamanic journeyers enter a state of consciousness where our analytical minds take a back seat. In some lineages, plant medicines such as ayahuasca are used; in my lineage, we use nothing more than a steady, monotonous drumbeat, and the power of our intention and our focused awareness. I have found that the drumbeat method improves focus and makes direct revelation more accessible in daily life.
What are Sacred Circle Ways?
Sacred Circle Ways are the words my Helping Spirits gave me to describe the practices and lifeways of living in reverence and sacred reciprocity with the living Earth and all the beings we share Her with. While shamanic journeying takes us inward to receive guidance, Sacred Circle Ways remind us to bring that guidance back into right relationship with the world.
In shamanic or nature-based cultures, these two halves were never separate. However, in the way shamanism has been brought back to the modern West, the second half often gets lost. Many white, Western practitioners of shamanism focus almost solely on the practice of shamanic journeying, at the expense of right relationship with all beings.
Not so in this retreat. We will practice living in sacred reciprocity with the Earth: we will stop asking what we can extract for ourselves, and start asking what we can offer. We will practice gratitude and making offerings, connecting with the spirits of the Land, and taking an honest look at changes we need to make in our daily lives.
“I left feeling filled with power and energy, which, after a season of deep burnout, felt incredible. I feel the next steps of my personal practice and vocation unfolding.” - Participant in 2025 retreat
Who is this retreat for?
This retreat is ideal for:
People who feel called to explore a nature-based spiritual practice. Perhaps you feel closest to God/Goddess/Creator/something bigger than yourself, in the natural world. Perhaps you sense that the trees are alive and can communicate with you. Perhaps you have had a deep experience of the interconnectedness of all life while sitting on a mountaintop, or digging your hands into lush garden soil. Perhaps you have noticed that you feel most alive and truly yourself in the wilderness, and want to figure out how to integrate that well-being into your daily life.
People who have been severed from their own indigenous traditions, and yearn for a way back home.
People who have never journeyed before, and wish to learn this powerful practice of direct revelation.
People who have extensive experience with shamanic journeying and wish to deepen their skills, build community, and experience a whole shamanism, a shamanism that gives back, and is engaged with the real problems of our times.
People who feel out of balance with the Earth and each other, and want to find practices and a community to support coming into sacred reciprocity.
People who wish to find and build nature-based spiritual community.
People who are sick and tired of the culture of domination, extractive greed, and power-over - and wish to engage in a spiritual practice that views all life as equally worthy of reverence and respect.
People who are sick of their own critical minds and wish to cultivate intuition, inner knowing, creativity, seeing through our loving hearts, and the voice of our loving souls.
People who are looking for a spiritual practice that will empower them to meet these challenging times with creativity, love, and soul power.
People who wish to explore and develop the ability to journey on behalf of others. This training meets the requirements for an Introduction to Shamanic Journeying training in Sandra Ingerman's lineage, and will prepare you to take more advanced trainings in shamanic healing methods such as Soul Retrieval or Extraction.
People who want a spiritual practice that is playful and fun — and not so darn serious!
“This practice blew me away: it's a synthesis of all the ways I’ve sought wisdom and joy!”
- D.R., Mancos, CO, 2025
What Will I Come Away With?
In this retreat, you will…
Learn the practice of shamanic journeying;
Reclaim your ability to live from a place of personal power and joy - even within an over-culture of domination;
Learn how to ask the most effective questions for shamanic journeys, and how to interpret and integrate the guidance you receive;
Learn about mental and physical illness from a shamanic perspective;
Meet one of your spirit helpers, such as a Power Animal, a Guardian (such as a tree, lake, or mountain), or an ancestral human Teacher;
Journey to receive spiritual support and wisdom for your life;
Journey to receive guidance on behalf of another person;
Explore shamanic worldviews and practices of interconnectedness, reverence, and radical equality in the natural world;
Journey to receive guidance on how to show up in these challenging times in your full personal power;
And, last but by no means least: meet and build community with like-minded people, and have a chance to rest, relax, and play!
“I arrived full of stress, frustration, and heavy heartedness.
I left feeling full of love, light, and companionship.”
- 2025 Participant
Logistics
Location: This retreat will take place at Deer Hill Expeditions, which is located on a stunningly beautiful parcel of land two miles south of the small town of Mancos in rural, southwest Colorado.
The land boasts gorgeous views of Mesa Verde, is populated with cottonwood, pinon and juniper trees, and also has plenty of wide open, grassy spaces. During break times, you can explore trails, swim in the pond, or lie down under a cottonwood tree. The dark skies are perfect for stargazing.
Camping, lodging, and commuter options are all available.
Retreat Schedule
The retreat begins with check-in at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, October 23, and ends after lunch on Sunday, October 25, for two and a half full days of instruction and facilitated experiences. Here is the tentative full-day schedule:
8-9 a.m. Breakfast (for lodgers)
9:30-12:30 Morning session
12:30-1:30 Lunch
1:30-3:15 Break for rest and play! (Hiking, resting, journaling, socializing…)
3:15-5:45: Afternoon session
5:45-6:45: Dinner
7-8:30 Evening session
Meals
Every participant will be served a soup and salad lunch, and a hot dinner. People who choose to stay at Deer Hill will also receive hot breakfast. Meals will be prepared by Deer Hill’s chef, and will feature proteins, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. The chef is excellent at honoring people’s dietary restrictions, and provides meals that are safe for celiacs.
Cost (not including lodging)
To accommodate a range of financial resources, we are offering three primary payment levels for this retreat. These fees includes facility rental, meals, and tuition. If you choose to lodge at Deer Hill, see below for pricing.
Base fee per person: Sustainer Level, $525. This level covers the basic costs of offering this event. If you’re usually able to meet your needs for basic living expenses with ease, afford non-essential classes and retreats with budgeting, and can eat out occasionally, please consider paying at this level.
Supporter Level: $675. This level allows us to offer a reduced price level for those on limited incomes. If you navigate life with financial ease and have the ability to fulfill many wants and needs (you can afford to dine out and travel when you like, can easily meet your needs through your work or can comfortably not work, you own property, have access to family wealth, etc.) please consider paying at this level. (For those who have the resources and desire to provide a full scholarship for another participant, please see the Gold Sponsor Level below.) Thank you for your generosity!
Supported Level: $350. For those on limited incomes. If you find it challenging to cover your basic needs and have limited access to resources, or if you would not be able to access this retreat without a discounted option, we invite you to choose this level. We value your presence and do not want economic circumstances to be a barrier for you.
For Native/Indigenous individuals: If you identify as Native American/Indigenous and wish to take this training, we will gladly waive the tuition and facility rental fee, not in the spirit of charity, but in solidarity and acknowledgment of historical atrocities, continuing occupation, and as an expression of gratitude for the preservation of indigenous knowledge that we all so sorely need in these times. We ask that you pay for your meals ($95 for the weekend) and, should you choose to stay at Deer Hill, your lodging costs.
Scholarship Sponsor Level: This option is available to people who would like to pay for their own place, as well as provide a full scholarship for another participant. Thank you for your generosity!
Lodging Options
Bunkhouse & Camping: The most affordable lodging option, you may choose to camp under the stars, and/or sleep in the heated bunkhouse (think of a children’s summer camp - bring all your own gear, toiletries, towels and bedding). Campers and bunkers will have access to a spacious and clean bathhouse (which involves a bit of a walk). Hot breakfast will be provided on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Total price for camping/bunking, hot breakfasts, and cleaning fee per person for two nights = $116.
Private Rooms: If you prefer a private room, we’ve got you covered. There are several options onsite at Deer Hill, and all are clean and beautifully maintained. A hot breakfast at Deer Hill on Saturday and Sunday mornings is included in the price. Total price for a private room for two nights, which includes cleaning fees and breakfast is $350.
Commuter: You are also welcome to stay at your own home, or book your own lodging, and commute. In this case, your total retreat fee is the base price. This option does not include breakfast at Deer Hill.
Air Travel
I recommend using United Airlines to fly into the Durango airport (55 minutes away), and renting a car there. Only two airlines service the Durango airport. United has been reliable; American has not. You may also wish to fly in a day or two early to see Mesa Verde National Park, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Park, and other sites! If you are feeling adventurous, you can also fly into the Cortez airport (30 minutes away) via United Airlines (on a 9-seater!).
“I am standing firmly in my power and intuition.” Lydia D., 38, Cortez, 2025
“I found assurance that I am enough.” - Anonymous
Who We Are - Your Facilitators
S. Kris Abrams, your retreat facilitator, is a shamanic practitioner, teacher, and licensed psychotherapist with 14 years in private practice and a first career in radical movement work, including as Senior Producer at Democracy Now!. A Rhodes Scholar, Kris did not arrive at this work through any sanctioned curriculum. She arrived through being broken open, and through learning, when human community failed her, that the wilderness speaks.
Her shamanic practice walks in the footsteps of world-renowned teacher Sandra Ingerman, standing on those shoulders to answer the call of a world on fire. She brings shamanic healing into direct contact with the work of transforming our communities and world, because she refuses to believe we have to choose between them. Learn more about Kris here.
Dawn Robertson, your retreat logistics coordinator, is a communications professional, community engagement leader, and lifelong wisdom seeker with more than two decades of experience managing communications for nationally recognized organizations while also leading grassroots efforts focused on dialogue, bridge-building, and community care. She has dedicated years to meditation practice and personal healing, including over a year in silent vipassana practice. She’s proud to meet life at the root via singing, dancing, cooking, meditation, camping, traveling, art, and shamanic journeying. She aspires to create a positive impact with courage, joy, innovation, strength, and compassion. She brings a mix of strategic thinking, grounded presence, creativity, and heart to everything she does.
“No matter your beliefs, this is a beautiful and exciting way to connect with your inner wisdom and gain a more clear-eyed view of your unfolding path.” - 2025 Participant
More questions, including about lineage and cultural appropriation? Click here for FAQ’s.
If something deep within you has been stirred by what you have just read and you feel called to this retreat —but you need to make sure that I am someone you can entrust with this sacred work — reach out and contact me. I am happy to answer your questions personally, and/or schedule a call.
