The Hero’s Journey
French River
This is a remote wilderness setting that can be physically and emotionally challenging. That is the point of a transformational journey. But you’ll be in safe hands. Steve and Nici are experienced guides – may it be the actual wilderness or the wilderness of our hearts, spirits and minds. The camping is fully supported: canoes, medicines, meals and snacks included. You only need your sleeping bag, sleeping pad, clothing and personal items. A packing list will be provided.
Day 1: The Call to Action
You’ve felt the call to action, the call has been answered and we are venturing out into the waters of the Wemitigoj-Sibi (French River).
We gather at the Pine Cove in Wolseley Bay on Friday and begin our journey. On this first day we immerse ourselves back into nature, letting go of all the distractions of the city and our busy lives, switching from doing to being.
With every draw of our paddle our mind clears and our intentions for this journey form. After we set up camp and enjoy dinner, we end the day with a fire ceremony.
Day 2: Play Day
Saturday is all about playing in white waters of the river. Face your fears of the currents, learn not to fight, but to make small corrections to move with the flow. Just like life.
At basecamp we gather for a well deserved feast and share expectations for our medicine day.
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Day 3: Soul Exploration
On this day of rest we sit with the guidance of medicine. We transmute with the energy of the wild, go deep to discover our individual struggles, spend time alone, or share our burdens with each other.
We practice releasing the trapped energies around our struggles, memories, relationships, traumas, pains, doubts, fears and emotions with the help of the elements and our community. The unburdening ceremony can look different every time and for each of us. Nici likes to unburden with the help of the cold water. Steve likes to use energies and light and darkness imagery to free his burdens. Other common ways are fire, the breath, music and rhythm, using the rich soil of the earth, purging, speaking our truth or any other way that comes to you. There is no right or wrong. We keep an open mind and support each other in our creativity and individual needs in the moment.
Day 4: The Return
We start our last morning together with sunrise breathwork and a closing ceremony.
We pack up camp, paddle out and return to civilization. What comes after that is up to you. As we return to our lives we can easily bury all of the insights and experiences made on this journey and immerse ourselves once again in the endless distractions provided. Or, we can continue on the never ending path of mindfulness, self-discovery and doing the work…the choice is yours.
One week after our journey we offer a group integration call to share how our path continues to unfold.