Programs

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San Francisco Retreat: Awaken Your Jaguar! Oct. 19-21, 2018.

Jeff is partnering with colleague Anna Dorian to bring this powerful 3-day weekend of soul transformation, shamanic visioning, and life way-finding skills to the Bay area! Anna is the founder and director of Vibrant Reiki, a wide range of reiki courses and shamanic healing programs, and she’s hosting Jeff for these two day-long programs designed to clarify and activate your unique medicine for the world. We’ll first learn the art and skill of fire talks (shamanic counseling sessions), and then venture into deep nature for a day of vision questing in the heart-opening Marin headlands. The weekend will benefit newcomers to shamanism, as well as experienced practitioners, with innovative teachings and actual outdoor nature-based experiences that you will not find in conventional ‘hotel shamanism’ programs. Full information and registration link here.

Relax, You’re Not Going Crazy: It’s a Soul Initiation.

(Sat. Nov. 10th, 2018. Ronora Lodge, Watervliet, MI. 9a-5p)

What if your struggles, stress, and anxiety didn’t mean there was something wrong with you? What if you were experiencing an initiation, the labor pains of a spiritual birthing process calling you to a new level of aliveness, wholeness, and peace? Would you want the tools to understand what was happening, and then learn how to safely navigate that new life?

This day-long retreat at the beautiful Ronora Lodge will help you do just that. We will introduce you to the lost art spiritual initiation, the ancient wisdom of allowing yourself to come apart so that new space, vision, energy, and power can come into your life.

We’ve all learned to master the “survival dance” of modern life: getting through school, buying a home, finding a career, a partner, raising our families, participating in social and religious groups. But there’s another dance. At a certain point in our lives we must move beyond our survival dance and discover our sacred dance: our unique gifts and “medicine”, and bring that into the world.

But what is your sacred dance? Many people have a sense there must be “more to life,” but no idea how to find it. Others may be quite successful (and content) in their jobs, and lifestyles, and know nothing about this dance. But our hearts will not let us rest until we discover and begin to live our higher, soul-purpose. The stirrings of change and deep initiation often occur around mid-life, or after a big loss, change, illness, or crisis. If we don’t know what is happening, we may start to feel crazy, like there is something wrong with us, and try to resist the most important development of our soul and adult lives!

Fortunately, there’s help. In this day long retreat you will learn:

The wisdom of your ancestors, the earth-honoring cultures worldwide, that were well-acquainted with spiritual initiation, and who give us a safe and time-tested roadmap for navigating this big transformation, in modern life.
An exercise to get clear on your unique spiritual Center, your heart, or “soul”.
A reflective process for visioning forward from your heart; the kind of life your heart really wants to be living.
A practice to identify your key barriers to moving forward on that vision: your particular “dragons” guarding the treasure of your heart’s desire.
A shamanic journey and a personal method to safely engage with the spirit of those dragons for gaining wisdom and power to break old patterns, fears, and the negative stories about self that keep you stuck.

Benefits of this retreat:

A revitalized spiritual life. You’ll learn to connect directly with Source for more dynamic, in-the-moment vitality and spiritual support regardless of your personal faith or religious background (all are welcome!).
Discovering your authentic self. The joy and power that comes from not being confused about Who You Are, and What You Need.
Navigational skills- You will get a reliable compass heading for your life, and can steer a more forward-directed course with less fear, self doubt, or reacting to the criticisms of others.
Work/Life Balance – Learn to nurture and protect your authentic self, allowing new energy for your career, family, partner, and social life.
Relationships – When you are not confused about Who You Are, you can be more calm, generous, and nonreactive. You can say “no” to the negativity and endless psychological needs of others without confusion, guilt, or shame.
Finding Peace – the deep and abiding calm that comes from being rooted in Who You Are, rather than What People Expect of you. We’ll learn new nature-based tools for quieting the mind, and developing a moving-meditation practice.

Location: Ronora Lodge/Retreat Center, Watervliet, MI. Early Bird Fee $65. Pre-registration + deposit required. More info and directions to Ronora Lodge provided on registration. Lunch is brown-bag. Full kitchen available. Email Jeff at greatplainsguide@gmail.com to register today!

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The Artist’s Abbey. Sunday, Nov. 11th.

(Sun. Nov. 11th, 2018. Ronora Lodge, Watervliet, MI. 9a-5p.)

A supportive, contemplative day-long retreat for creative people of all persuasions: actors, artists, dancers, designers, musicians, photographers, writers, and more. For anyone who longs to more actively engage with (or deepen) their creative work beyond the demands of traditional careers, social roles, financial expectations, and our busy lives.

Do you long to spend more time exploring and enjoying creative work, yet find yourself distracted by work and family demands, lack of time, finances? Do you believe (or just allow) everything else that arises in your day to be more urgent, or important, than expressing your creativity? Perhaps you know what creative work you ‘d like to engage in but feel overwhelmed by what it would take to pursue that (time, money, skills, school/training). Or perhaps you have no idea what you’d like to create, or doubt that your efforts would have any commercial value, or would be too difficult (writing a book), or would be criticized by others?

This relaxing, supportive day in a beautiful nature setting is for you.

At this relaxing, supportive retreat at the beautiful Ronora Lodge you will find:

A safe group of like-minded, open-hearted, creative people seeking similar support and encouragement
Time-tested spiritual practices for helping you reconnect directly with your creative spirit, your muse, and Source of inspiration. All from the ancient, earth-honoring wisdom traditions of our ancestors, around the world.
A simple experience of shamanic journeying to meet with the spirit of your creative muse directly, and ask it for wisdom moving forward.
Practical steps for clarifying, visioning, and planning what steps you can take next toward following your creative dream. Jeff’s book, The Lost Art of Heart Navigation (Bear & Co.) will be referenced and available for purchase.
Important wisdom on how to protect your creative work from intrusions by other life demands, negative inner beliefs, and criticism from others.
Ample open time to walk, reflect, and vision along the trails and lake shore at Ronora Lodge.

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Fire Talk Counseling Sessions

See Fire Talk page. Jeff offers five fire talk options:

Individual fire talk sessions
Full-day intensives at the Hermitage
Weekend/ multi-day intensives at the Hermitage
Couples fire talk sessions
Long-distance fire talks (by Skype or phone)

Solo Urban Retreats – at the Hermitage

You can schedule a private full-day or multi-day overnight guided retreat at Jeff’s backyard Hermitage. For more information and fees see Fire Talk menu.

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Jeff’s Writings: Urban-Shamanism.org

Urban-Shamanism.org is Jeff’s companion website of archived public radio commentaries, short stories, video, poetry, images and aspects of shamanic healing all woven together to inspire and open the heart of the urban sojourner. Visit now and leave a comment!

Great Plains Shamanic Programs

Spiritual Outfitter for Life's Adventure

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