Life Consultant Ceremonial Guide
The Wildheart Men's Retreat is crafted with the intention to support men in remembering their wild and empowered self.
Together we'll return to the rhythms of Nature in this immersive, off-grid, camping experience in the pristine mountains of British Columbia.
We'll call upon the power of ritual and ceremony as we connect with the land and explore a more primal way of being.
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We'll drop into our body with daily movement and martial arts practices, designed for all levels of fitness and experience.
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Together we'll build a Sweat Lodge for our communion with Spirit.
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We'll practice Nature Connection through skills and teachings to bring us closer to the Natural World.
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We'll progressively open, connect and deepen, to arrive in a Peyote Ceremony as one of the culminating moments.
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We'll consider collective, societal, and transpersonal challenges to acknowledge that personal evolution requires service to the whole.
FACILITATORS
AGDER SANCHEZ PALACIOS
Agder is an ancestral ceremony facilitator with over 20 years experience working with the Mazatec mushroom tradition as well as the Lakota peyote sweat lodge.
His father was a medicine man before him and he was introduced to the medicine path at the age of 8. Agder trained in First Nations traditions and is certified by the Native American Church to run peyote and sweat lodge ceremonies.
He’s a Sundancer and Chanoopa carrier and his work has taken him all over the world from India to Canada and many countries in Europe.
KYLE KOCH
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Kyle quit his 9-5 office job in 2011 to enroll in the Wilderness Awareness Schools 9-month Immersion program in Duvall, WA. He spent the following 8 years both studying and working with WAS, before setting off on his own.
Kyle evolved his existing movement practice after meeting Rafe Kelly and joining the team at Evolve Move Play, helping others reconnect with the natural world and their gifts through exploration, play and curiosity.
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He has been facilitating transformative experience in nature for over a decade: using the combination of nature skills, movement practice and community practices can help us create a more meaningful life.
KYLE DOW
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Kyle has devoted his life to the pursuit of passion, opting out of societal blueprints for the road less traveled. Mountain sports and extended time in Nature became his pedigree and foundation of Spirituality.
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Kyle recognizes the necessity of Connection for a fulfilling and meaningful life, and seeks to support others in deepening that connection; he does this through supporting Indigenous Ceremonies and offering Nature Connection experiences.
LOCATION
Anderson Lake, BC
3.5hr drive north of Vancouver
160 Acres of Private Land
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This land has been put into a trust that focuses on conservation and the stewards take pride in honoring and serving the Natural World.
It truly is a special place.
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We'll be staying in personal tents during our time on land to more deeply connect with Nature.
Retreat Features
Sweat Lodge - We’ll work together to first build the sweat lodge on the land, which is a ceremony in itself. Agder, who has been given the rights to facilitate Sweat Lodge ceremonies, will guide us through the process and teachings. Upon completion, we’ll celebrate with a purification ceremony in the lodge. (More Info)
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Medicine Lodge (Peyote) - This is a unique ceremony that has been gifted to Agder by Spirit via his Uncle (traditional teacher). It combines the Peyote Medicine with a Sweat Lodge Ceremony. The medicine, which generally has a gentle heart opening effect and can inspire connection, insight and healing, is consumed before and throughout a Sweat Lodge Ceremony. (More Info)
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Nature Connection - Kyle Koch will take us through various exercises to connect with the land and the Natural World. In honoring the ecofield around us, we remember our intended place in the web of life.
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Movement and Martial Arts - Kyle Koch will help us drop into our body as we recall our primal instinct of movement and rough and tumble play. This will be a conscious and controlled process where we seek to compliment each other's strengths.
Contemplation - Kyle Dow will lead us through meditations and introspection for what it means to be a man in this modern era. We’ll explore how to expand beyond limitations imposed by both self and society.
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The Sweat Lodge
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The Sweat Lodge is one of the 7 sacred ceremonies that were gifted to the Lakota from White Buffalo Calf Woman. Though there are many different variations between the different First Nations and other traditions who practice this ceremony, the primary tenets remain the same.
A Sweat Lodge is a domed structure that symbolizes Mother Nature’s womb and is constructed from inter-woven branches of designated saplings; the construction itself is a ceremony consisting of offerings and prayers. Specific rocks are heated in a ceremonial fire for hours beforehand to get them red hot. During the ceremony, the Fire Keeper transfers the rocks, known as "grandmothers and grandfathers”, from the fire to the center of the lodge; water is poured on the rocks to fill the space with steam. There are typically 4 rounds in the lodge, each consisting of songs, prayers and teachings from the facilitator of the ceremony. During each round, the door is closed to envelop the participants in darkness.
When you enter the lodge you are seeking the help of the Creator, Elements and Spirits. It’s a place of purification to let go of and transmute emotions and energies that are no longer serving you. You get to cleanse your mind, body, heart and Soul. You also get to pray for the health and wellness of others, the Earth, and anything else that you are calling in. You can also ask for guidance for any particular challenges in life.
The Sweat Lodge is a sacred place designed to deepen connection to All My Relations, remembering ourselves as a part of Nature and creation itself.
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Peyote
Peyote is a small spineless cactus that grows in the Mexican desert as well as in the south west of the United States. The cactus is often known as Peyote Buttons because of their small, squash like shape, and contains the psychoactive substance mescaline. It is typically consumed raw or as a tea in a dried and pulverized form mixed with water. Some native traditions mix the powder with chocolate and/or consume the powder directly.
Peyote is known as the Grand Father Spirit and is associated with the spirit of the Deer. It's primary alkaloid is mescaline and is typically a gentle heart opening medicine. Peyote doesn't have the same intensity or visuals that are often associated with modern psychedelics.
Native traditions have used peyote for thousands of years for healing of physical and emotional ailments as well as connecting with the world of the spirits for guidance and support. After ceremonies, people report healings, letting go of stuck emotions, greater sense of direction and purpose amongst others.