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4 Day Amazonian Medicine Retreat with Shipibo Rao

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Up to 20 in group
Date
August 24 - 27, 2025

Retreat Highlights

  • Nourishing and delicious meals and snacks
  • Sauna and Cedar Hot Tub
  • Two ceremonial evenings
  • Lessons and Teaching of the Shipibo Cosmology
  • Traditional individual energy work and healing
  • Traditional icaros
  • Preparation and integration support 

About this Retreat

Details of this retreat

The Sentinel Presents
Our healing retreats are guided by Shipibo Onaya healer from the Peruvian Amazon, Maestro José Lopez Sánchez. In partnership with his many plant spirit doctors and allies, Maestro José sings Icaros—the healing chants of the Amazon's master plant spirits—to reweave the energetic distortions of trauma and dis-ease he encounters in his patients into vibrant health and harmony.  Renowned among Amazonian nations and internationally as the doctors of the jungle, Shipibo Onayas are master spiritual surgeons. The Shipibo-Conibo tradition has preserved deep knowledge and a worldview rooted in the wisdom of the plant world for millennia. Healers learn through strong dietas—long periods of isolation in the Amazon to connect with teacher plant spirits, energies, and medicines. They then become channels for spirit doctors to perform healing. With the help of their
Grandmother medicine, they open a clear path of communication with the plant spirits they work with.

This retreat involves deep personal inner work in a supportive group setting. Our journey aims to bring you healing and alignment on energetic, mental, emotional, and spiritual levels. We guide you to connect and work with the earth's wisdom to create health, harmony, love, unity, and balance in your daily life.  Maestro José is accompanied by his student and experienced facilitator, Anne-Laure. She will accompany you throughout the retreat process and your post-dieta. Our experienced local
organization team will assist with your booking, preparation, and logistics, while also helping to hold a safe, simple, and comfortable space for your healing journey. Motivated by trust and love for this beautiful path of healing, we are here to serve.

The Sentinel is a stunningly beautiful lakeside retreat centre in the Kootenays near Kaslo, BC where we will gather for a weekend of deep healing and transformation, prayers and celebration for our lives and our families, communities and the planet.

This retreat includes: 

Nourishing and delicious meals and snacks
Sauna and Cedar Hot Tub
Two ceremonial evenings
Lessons and Teaching of the Shipibo Cosmology
Traditional individual energy work and healing
Traditional icaros
Preparation and integration support 

NEW TO MEDICINE WORK:

You are required to complete this Intake Form. (Please note that prescription drugs, recreational substances, and several foods can interact negatively with this work. This work is not appropriate for persons with certain medical conditions, mental health history, or for persons using certain medications ie, antidepressants/antipsychotics)



     2. Once you have completed the form, book a call here: 15 min Discovery Call


Tentative schedule:
Sunday, August 24th:

2:00-4:00pm Arrive and settle in 

4:00-6:30pm Orientation and Opening Circle

7:00-2:00am Ceremony (Fruit Plate to share)

Monday, August 25th:

10:00-11:00am Breakfast

12:00-2:00pm Integration circle

2:00-3:00pm Light Lunch

7:00-2:00am Ceremony (Fruit Plate to share)

Tuesday August 26th:

10:00-11:00am        Breakfast

11:00-2:00pm   Integration 

2:00-3:00pm Lunch

2:00-6:00pm Free time | Bodywork available

6:00-7:00pm Dinner

Wednesday, August 27th:

9:30am         All belongings out of rooms

10:00-11:00am Breakfast

11:00-1:30pm Closing Integration Circle 

The timing and sequence may be adjusted to align with the natural flow of the work and individual healing processes. Throughout the day, you'll have ample time to rest and reflect. Our team will be available to accompany and guide you whenever needed. If beneficial to your healing journey, bodywork and other complementary treatments may be offered as appropriate.

 

Important information:

Please review these documents around preparation and integration:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11b4WTejdPFeZa3g52ipk1fqbAvdhE6Gj/view?usp=sharing Read More

Getting Here

Location icon The Sentinel

Directions

We are a 50-minute drive north of Nelson, BC, just outside the charming village of Kaslo. We are 9 hours by car from Vancouver, and 8 hours from Calgary. These drives are incredibly beautiful, wending through some of North America's most spectacular mountain terrain. There are flights (approx. 1 hour) from both Vancouver & Calgary to our nearest airport, in Castlegar, which is a scenic 1.5 hours from our door.

Driving from Nelson, follow highway 3A north to Balfour (Kootenay Lake ferry landing), and proceed another 20-25 minutes on Highway 31 north. There is a "Sentinel Retreat" blue road sign on the highway (approx. 60 km from Nelson). Slow down and prepare to take a sharp right turn onto Amundsen Road. The Sentinel is located at bottom of the hill. Please observe signs. Read More

Accommodation

All our King and shared Twin rooms have stunning views of the lake and mountains. Whether you opt for a luxurious private King or a shared Twin, all our rooms are clean and modern. Ensuite bathrooms have heated floors, a rain shower, and amenities for your comfort. Fluffy white towels and crisp linens are found in every room — our goal is to ensure can relax and refresh during your stay with us.

King Room with Lake View

Accommodation
Our king rooms are elegant, lake and mountain facing boasting ensuite bathrooms with heated tile floors. All rooms were intentionally designed to enhance a reflective and serene stay away from home. Read More

Twin shared room (per person)

Accommodation
Our twin shared rooms are elegant, lake and mountain facing boasting ensuite bathrooms with heated tile floors. All rooms were intentionally designed to enhance a reflective and serene stay away from home. Read More

Queen Room

Accommodation
Room 7 is a cozy queen room on the lower level of the Lodge. It's favoured by guests who love containment, a dark sleeping space, and appreciate the savings offered by using a shared bathroom, steps away. This room does not have a direct lake view, but is adjacent to our beautiful sunroom which offers plenty of sunlight and beautiful views of the lake. Read More

Room 11 Maloca - Double

Accommodation
This Queen Bed room, located at the end of the hall in our Maloca Temple building provides a tranquil escape with a serene view of Kootenay Lake.  The bathroom is adjacent to the room and features both a bathtub and a shower wand. Read More

Sunroom Nest

Accommodation
The Sunroom Nest is a glamorous word for shared accommodation in our Sunroom with up to three other people. Each person gets a fully made twin bed with a high density foam topper, 1 pillow, sheets and a full set of towels.  The bathroom is adjacent to the sunroom nest, shared and you are steps away from the lower lobby tea/coffee station. Read More

Venue & Amenities

Venue & Amenities
Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms icon A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi icon Free Wifi
Spa icon Spa
Sauna icon Sauna
Pool icon Pool
Towels icon Towels
Free Parking icon Free Parking
Kitchen icon Kitchen
Tour Assistance icon Tour Assistance
Hot Tub icon Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea icon Coffee/Tea
Cafe icon Cafe
Restaurant icon Restaurant
Fitness Center icon Fitness Center
Yoga Studio icon Yoga Studio
Housekeeping icon Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent icon Bicycles For Rent
Overlooking spectacular Kootenay Lake, the Lodge, with its massive windows and expansive deck affords breathtaking lake & mountain views. The Maloca, a magnificent round, timbered ceremonial and activity space, seems to float above the lake. A short stroll from the Lodge, the Sentinel's spa deck, with its unique wood-fired sauna and cedar-lined hot tub is a favourite gathering spot for guests, year-'round. 700' of lakefront, with deck, firepit and yoga area is a tranquil spring/summer area. Read More

Meals

Menu
Menu

Menu Types

Guests rave about our food! Sentinel meals are prepared with ingredients sourced whenever possible from our organic, on-property garden. We can accommodate virtually any dietary requirement. Read More

What's Included

  • Accommodation
  • Meals
  • Cedar hot tub
  • Sauna
  • Maloca
  • Lakefront
  • Nature

What's Not Included

  • Bodywork
  • Airfare
  • Travel
  • Gratuity
  • Taxes
Read More

Customer Reviews

4.96 out of 5.0 average rating

5.0
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Full Potential of Love
We had the most incredible love ceremony one could ever imagine. The Maloca is like a spaceship, and we went on a live journey through the Cosmos! That you Janet all the helper and of coure Richard and Gillian for the tireless efforts that allow this place to thrive!
Highly recommend this type of ceremony for anyone newly in love or wishing to go deeper into relationship with full community support.
Love warriors unite! Read More

5.0
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Amazing getaway
Our stay here was phenomenal! Very relaxing and beautiful setting. We look forward to our next stay here! Read More

5.0
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Amazingly restorative
The staff are so extremely kind, helpful, and relaxed. Our large grouo of ladies had a lovely stay and left after only a day feeling recharged and content. Thank you for sharing your incredible space with us! Read More

5.0
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amazing retreat
I spent a day and evening at the Sentinel for a womens friends birthday retreat and it was perfect to connect and unwind. Read More

4.0
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Great views
Everything was great except we were on the bottom floor and you could hear the people above you and the walls are paper thin. Other than that, great location and service and amenities. The hot tub was nice and warm. Wish we tried the sauna but got there late and we were tired. Would go back for sure. Read More

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