Sacred Spirit Retreat Day 2: Deep Roots and Sacred Water
All photos taken by Reannan Shay (unless otherwise noted.)
Day 2 of the Sacred Spirit Retreat began a beautiful exploration of the chakra system, starting with the root and sacral chakras. Danielle infused her teachings with personal stories, highlighting the transformative power of reconnecting with her Indigenous culture and wisdom.
Danielle shared a touching story of receiving a medicine pouch as a thank-you during her work with the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA). This hand-sewn pouch, filled with healing items like sage bundles, palo santo, a bell, and a feather, became a symbol of gratitude and spiritual connection. For our retreat, Danielle commissioned custom Spirit School fabric and had a local Squamish seamstress create similar pouches for each guest.
Each participant had the opportunity to fill their personal bundles with the medicine that resonated with them, choosing from ethically sourced sage, sweetgrass, and palo santo, among many other options. Danielle also provided small red pouches of tobacco for each guest to use as a land offering. This tobacco was particularly meaningful for returning guests, as it was personally grown by Danielle and interacted with during the previous year's retreat.
Our focus on the root chakra honoured our connection to each other, plant medicine, and the community we are building.
After a delicious lunch and some time to integrate the morning's teachings amidst the stunning natural surroundings, we shifted our attention to the sacral chakra.
Danielle shared insights from her early mediumship work, where she created aura cleansing and grounding sprays. She described her process of creating an altar, charging water with intention, and adding essential oils. For our sacral chakra practice, guests were invited to spend time outdoors, collecting natural items for an altar in the middle of the room. Each person offered a word or prayer for the collective and placed their items around the altar, charging the water with the group's powerful intentions.
With the charged water, everyone created their own sprays using Bear Essential Oils, an Indigenous wellness brand honouring cultural knowledge, community spirit, and self-care. These oils are 100% pure, organic, ethically sourced, and wildcrafted, connecting us deeply to the element of water and activating our sacral chakras through the creativity of crafting our own sprays.
The rest of the afternoon was spent enjoying activities like hiking, canoeing, paddleboarding, painting, cold dipping, and resting, all capped off by another nourishing dinner.
In the evening, Michelle Lindsay joined us for a sound bowl healing session. Sound bowl therapy, a holistic practice that uses vibrations from singing bowls, promotes healing in the body and mind. Michelle's gentle playing released different frequencies, creating soothing tones that induced deep relaxation and spiritual harmony for the group.
Our first full day together at Loon Lake Lodge and Retreat Centre was filled with learning, self-exploration, connections, and creation, setting a strong foundation for the days to come.