A retreat is time for solitude or communing, introspection and reconnection, revealing and healing, long walks and magical moments... in a special place that quiets the mind, stirs the heart and nourishes the soul. An Animá Wilderness Retreat includes a lovely, primitive riverside cabin or camping spot, and wonderful woodstove-cooked feasts in the enchanted Sweet Medicine Canyon of Southwest New Mexico, a stunningly beautiful sanctuary and ancient place of power.

Coming here for our group events and workshops offers one a chance to interact and learn from other like-hearted people. On the other hand a solo or couple's retreat is often preferable for deep personal work, or for self-nourishing and earth-healing. And one not be interested in studying Anima in order to benefit, but only willing to quite their minds and assumptions and open their hearts to what this special place has to offer. Optional teaching, personal or couple’s Counsel, and Healing Consultations are available, by request. There is a suggested donation per night, and you can donate here.

Incredible dinners are prepared and severed by Codirector Loba, and a breakfast kitchen is available for your use.

Also, while we are sorry, this is a wildlife refuge and we have to ask you to leave your animal companions with friends, at a compassionate kennel, or at home.

Minimum 2 nights and days. Please choose between:

Solitude, Self-Exploration & Self-Nourishment

For individuals looking for and wanting to benefit from time is solitude and seclusion, close to nature as well as close to one’s own process and needs. One hot meal per day will be served at the retreat lodge, and arrangements can be made to have it dropped off wordlessly and unobtrusively for those wishing protracted silent time. With or without preparatory counsel and suggestions.

Redefining & Re-Empowering Intimate Relationships

For couples (male/female or female/female) seeking intimate, revealing and potentially healing time with one another in a place of beauty and power. Relationships evolve or are affirmed, under the influence of the canyon energies and thanks to the intention and focus of the participants. Couples counseling is available for an additional donation, with suggestions for discussion and practice.

Quality Time Together

For couples or single mothers with children, a quality period of getting to know and enjoy each other on new levels... without restrictive schedules, old habits, or the distractions of electronic games, telephones and television, and in the arms of Nature. Family counseling with Wolf and Kiva optional.

Heightening Awareness, Understanding & Purpose

A retreat focused on learning as well as deeply experiencing, involving not only solo walks, contemplation, reading, studies and practices... but also one or more counsel/study sessions or educational walks with your Animá guides.

For Apprentices & Students Enrolled In Animá Courses

Students of Animá and The Medicine Woman Tradition are encouraged to come for 1 to 2 week study retreats, working first hand with the teachers/guides in the special place where this practice was developed. Animá apprentices are expected to schedule 1 or 2 study retreats per year.

Taking Time To Heal

Special 3 day to 3 week long retreats, for those wishing to become more influential participants in their personal healing process... whether physical, emotional or spiritual. Includes a consultation and personal counsel by donation, with Kiva Rose – resident Medicine Woman, herbalist, healer and Animá guide. Healing is redefined as the return to wholeness, and we together start the processes that will help with that.

Connection, Preparation & Celebration

A 3 day or longer experience revolving around learning to gather wild foods, prepare wondrous and nutritional meals on both gas and wood stoves, initiate a guilt-free and healthy relationship with our bodies and what we choose to eat, and consciously and deeply notice and savor the meals we artfully, ceremoniously and joyously partake of. Hosted by esteemed Animá whole foods chef and cookbook author Loba.

Envisioning & Creating – Developing & Improving Our Crafts

Writers and artists are invited to consider two week or longer retreats, for the purpose of inspiring, focusing and deepening their work. The natural lighting in the Gifting Lodge is ideal for painting, and both provide the perfect mix of solitude, quiet, ambience, scenery and energy for awakening and informing the creative process. While there is no internet access, guest’s laptops can be charged by us for composing on. Those wishing, can request advice and guidance from the Center’s resident professional artists and published authors.

• Your openness and engagement with this place

• A willingness to slow the mind chatter, increase presence and hear through your heart

• Your intention to make use of your healing, regained energy, experience and realizations here to improve your life and the world around you

• A suggested sliding scale donation... either upon arrival, or pledged to be sent in installments later as you are able

Please dowload, fill out, and return the completed Registration Doc.

Donate Here

Gorgeous tent camping spots are located both along the river and in the pine forest. There are also two simple but charming and heartful cabins available for retreat guests:

THE GIFTING LODGE is a two story structure, provided by the goodness of supporter of Ron Sutcliffe. It is built right next to the river, near an active beaver dam where you are likely to hear the slaps of beaver tails on your nighttime walks. The bottom floor contains a wood stove and antique propane cookstove, as well as dining table and kitchen with sink. The top floor features one huge bed, and one single, plus floor space and sleeping mats, and picture window overlooking the cottonwoods and cliffs.

THE GAIA LODGE is a wonderful little cabin set back in the woods, on a game trail used by javalina, deer and many other wild neighbors. It features a kitchen and sink, sitting area, sleeping loft with double futon, wood stove, and a covered porch ideal for sitting and enjoying a sunny canyon morning. In the Spring, the otherwise dry wash is often running with sweet snowmelt, making a sound like tinkling bells. Owls nest only yards away, and the giant hundred foot ponderosa pines glint in the day’s last light.

While lovely and comfortable, the lodges should be considered primitive. They have only minimal artificial lights, with LED bulbs powered by solar panels. While we can charge your laptops as necessary, there is no power outlet of consequence in the lodges, and you will not have internet access while here except in emergencies. There is no phone service except in the village of Reserve 8 miles away, and no Cell reception... though this can be a great aid to peace and healing! Rain water is heated up for washing bodies and dishes, and an outdoor wood-fired hot tub also sits nearby for those who care to go to the effort of filling it and monitoring the fire. There is certainly something special about sitting in the steaming water, watching the myriad sparkling stars while elk whistle in the distance.

What we call counsel sessions are one on one transformative exchanges with Jesse Wolf Hardin or Kiva Rose at the Sanctuary, lasting an hour or more– life changing, deep dialogue and sharing. Life affirming insights from the living earth and inclusive spirit, through the aperture of our feeling hearts. Clarity that can contribute to decisive action and purposeful direction. Empowerment to face our fears, dissolve our illusions, and intensely live our hopes, visions and dreams.

Jesse and Kiva inspire a depth of clarity that affirms authentic needs, qualities and strengths while making illusion and avoidance unacceptable. A core goal of psychotherapy is to return someone to “functionality,” providing conceptual tools for coping with dispiriting or unfulfilling situations. To the contrary, they suggest we listen to our hearts, our intuition and instincts, hungers and visions, and change what needs to be changed, lessen compromise, transform our lives to nourish our hearts and spirits... that we work to consciously cocreate this magical world we’re a part of: “gladly paying any cost to tend our true selves, to better the world, live our dreams, and fulfill our most meaningful purpose.” “Every moment is a decisive moment,” and “the more aware and in tune we are the more effective and rewarding choices we can make.”

Rather than telling us how to think, both insist we learn to discern, trust and act on our feelings.... to connect to our own true natures as well as to the informative natural world, to respond to our spirit’s calling.

A counsel session can additionally serve to orient a new Visitor/Seeker to the Center & Sanctuary, and to what the land itself offers, as well as to help one decide on which Project programs and opportunities to take advantage of. Most folks do one or two sessions per visit, usually in the midst of a weekend or longer retreat, and then come back as often as they can to continue the work and further their dream, purpose and path. Send you letter of introduction and intentions along with preferred dates, and one of us interns will get right back to you with details and confirmation.

Also available is long distance counsel via email and occassional phone conversations, by special arrangement. By donation. Inquire.