We do Shamanism differently...
At The Meehl Foundation Spiritual Retreat Center, we embrace the universality and intercultural value of shamanism as an omnipresent global practice while advocating deep respect and honour for the disitinct cultural rituals which have been shared with us.
Our approach is gentle and inclusive, encouraging a foundational and deeply personal journey that is both impactful and accessible.
Respectful
We work with a range of vetted practitioners and elders to sustainably source our medicines directly from the tribes that guard and create them, as well as to ensure the fidelity and spirit of our ceremonies.
Inclusive
Shamanism is for everyone, regardless of race, faith, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or ancestry. Barring legitimate health concerns, we welcome adults from all walks of life.
Immersive
From the moment you arrive, you are actively involved in your own healing. Each step of the way, we share the valuable principles and practies that put you in charge of your journey when you return home.
Accessible
Our approach is gentle and encouraging, allowing each person to engage with as much or as little healing as they feel ready for in the moment... putting you in control of your healing process.
Empowering
Because you're with us - hands on - every step, our unique approach empowers you to make LASTING change, and gives you the techniques you need to maintain that change for a LIFETIME.
If you feel drawn to Shamanism, it's because you are being called to HEAL!
You are being called to reclaim the lost and missing pieces of yourself. You are being called to re-enliven the ancient healing ways and reawaken the medicine of spirit in a way so vibrant, concentrated, so powerful, and so profound that it radiates out into the world around you long after your healing has begun.
We can help you answer that call!
While we're not going to teach you how to "brew", or encourage you to do anything illegal, dangerous or beyond your level of knowledge/comfort, we ARE going to teach you all of the techniques you need to take control of your own healing. There is NOTHING we do that we don't teach. And by the end of your intensive retreat, you will KNOW:
✔ The history, mythology, science, and relevance of shamanic healing as it applies to our modern lives.
✔ Ancient wisdom teachings and practical modern practices to heal, restore, and revitalize yourself naturally.
✔ The secret to shamanic journey and trancework that will and accelerate healing on every level.
✔ Elemental healing ceremonies and rituals to connect intimately with Mother Earth and align deeply with the natural universe.
✔ Powerful, wholistic methods to connect more fully with your totem animals, spirit guides, and innate intuition
✔ The ancient art of Soul Retrieval – the sacred shamanic approach to HEALING ON A SOUL LEVEL.
✔ How to heal yourself, stay healed, and heal others with these and other traditional shamanic techniques!
Shamanism is DEEP soul work that is emotionally charged and intensive...
For millennia, the shamans around the world have understood what Western culture ignores: true healing is awakening to a vision of our healed nature and the experience of infinity.
'Experience' is the key, and shammanism acheives this experiential awakening by immersing you in an reciprocal relationship with the universe around you, so that all life becomes a two-way conversation between the seen and the unseen that makes the unseen knowable, tangible, and familiar.
Shamanism will heal your soul, and THAT will transform your life...
Shamanism heals the CORE issue rather than addressing the symptoms...
The Shamanic worldview asserts that ALL illness - mental, emotional, or physical - begins in the Spirit first. Like a fever, what we know as physical or mental illnesses are simply external sympotms of a deeper spiritual sickness.
Soul retrieval, plant medicines, ritual, and ceremony all work in different ways to heal the spiritual ROOT and thereby alleviate the outter symptoms we recognize as dis-ease.
Imagine Healing As Natural As Breathing
Imagine intuitively knowing when something is out of balance AND how to correct it immediately.
Imagine keeping your mind, body, and subtle energies in a state of renewed wellness ALL THE TIME.
Imagine manifesting your desires effortlessly and living the kind of life you've always dreamed of.
Imagine helping the people you love live this level of wellness and connection.
Imagine having a profound connection with every organ and cell in your body... with every plant, tree, rock, and animal on Earth... with every star in the universe.
These are the kinds of outcomes you can expect when you learn how to work directly with Spirit. This is the aim of Shamanism, and the reason we teach the way we do. You CAN be your own shaman, more easily and joyfully than you ever dreamed... starting RIGHT NOW.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can learn Shamanism?
Literally anyone.
Some specific ceremonies - particularly plant medicines - have contraindications for certain conditions or medications. But these are only a small part of Shamanism... meaning there is plenty that you CAN do despite any health concerns. And most Shamanic healing techniques are extremely accessible.
Shamanism is a global phenomena, with cultural variants developing in EVERY early civilization we've yet discovered before the evolution of organized religion. And many modern religions still contain and maintain the influence of early shamanic practices.
Your ancient ancestors very likely practiced their own form of Shamanism... which is still present within you, encoded in your DNA.
What we think of as "Shamanism" today largely emerged through specific cultures who have maintained those practices in their original form. And while those culturally distinct practices have become the most 'popular' or prevalent touchstone for Shamanic healing, they represent only a small fraction of the global mechanism that comprises Shamanism as a universal whole. Thus, while these individual practices may be the easiest to encounter or experience in modernity, they are not the only way.
What About Cultural Misappropriation?
This is an interesting and sometimes complicated topic. At The Meehl Foundation, we strive to draw a clear distinction between culturally specific rituals and the animistic practice of Shamanism. "Shamanism" is not a singular entity, nor is it owned by any one particular group or culture. The culturally distinct rituals, however, DO belong to the cultures from which they arose... and from peoples who have fought long and hard to protect them. The key then, becomes recognizing, honouring, and teaching this difference... as well as how to engage with indigenous wisdom when it is shared.
We do practice and ocasionally teach some culturally specific rituals. In each instance, these practices were passed to us by someone connected to and recognized within the culture who has been given the authority to do so... and who has subsequently granted us permission to do so. This makes a BIG difference.
However, these rituals comprise a very small portion of what we do. On a larger scale, we focus far more on the CORE of Shamanic healing as it has existed around the world... as well as the ancient indo-european practices of our genetic ancestors. When you think Celts... Vikings... Druids... Avalon... Apalachain Wise Women... all of these people practiced varying forms of very similar shamanism that relies on anism, earth-based spirituality, and spirutal connection. Many of which, you will find bear a shocking resemblance to the 'shamanic' practices you may be familiar with.
Whoever your ancient ancesotrs were, they WERE Shamans and Healers. And while it takes more work to reconnect with their lost forms of shamanism, it's ALWAYS well worth the effort. Because these culturally connected practices give us a doorway to connect with Shamanism in a non-appropriative way that is deeply embedded in and connected to your DNA, your lineage, and your healing.
What Shamanic Techniques Do You Teach?
This is a layered question, as many of the techniques we teach can only truly be grasped through personal experience. But, below you can find a small list of the most common/familiar practices that we incorporate.
Shamanic Journey - We utilize shamanic trance for healing and answer seeking, as both a meditative practice and a an active relational experience, to move beyond the veil and interact with the physical world.
Elemental Magic - We recognize the elements as archetypal powers and as living spirits, calling on them in an array of forms to assist with ritual, ceremony, and day to day life. The Medicine Wheel is ONE of the ways we have been taught, but only one.
Energy Work - We recognize that the visible physical realm is only one layer of our reality. And as such, we rely on a range of energetic techniques to address healing and interacting with the subtle layers of our realms. Reiki is one technique, but there are many... some with long forgotten names.
Soul Retrieval - The reclaiming of one's self is integral to the healing journey. There are many ways in which this can happen, some of which are entirely spontaeneous. However, we teach a simple and reliable method that is applicable to our modern lives.
Plant Medicine - We utilize a range of medicines and medicine ceremonies to address the deepest and most intense areas of healing. Some of these are culturally gifted, some are ancenstrally directed, others are simply ecologically provided by the land around us. But each is powerful, special, and uniquely healing. Herbalism is a subtle magick that is suffuse through our animistic practice.
These are only a few of the most recognizable practices we utilize. There are many others which are far more subtle and difficult to put into text... and many that overlap in various ways with the broad descriptions given above. Each practice is unique and deeply sourced with divine guidance and loving devotion.
What Medicines Do You Work With?
Well, that depends on how you define medicine. I suppose, what you really want to know is if we offer Ayahuasca... which we don't. But the use of Plant Medicine goes much deeper and farther than you may realize.
Firstly, nearly everything we do is tied to Plant Medicine in some way. The herbs we use in our curated meals, the 'holy waters' we use for cleansing, the smoke blends that we apply in ceremony... all of these are their own Plant Medicine. And we are careful in our sourcing and crafting of each and every one - many of which are cultivated or wildcrafted directly from the land we live on.
But, to get more to the point, we also incorporate more traditional ceremonial medicines as part of our rituals and healings, such as:
Cacao - cacao is a ceremonial medicine derived from the coco bean in it's purest form. It is a deeply loving, heart opening, and euphoric medicine that unites you with the heart of Mother Earth; opening your heart chakra and elevating your creative consciousness with a feeling of expansive and ecstatic connection.
Kambo - Kambo is a traditional healing ritual that calls on the medicine of giant monkey tree frog to induce a multi-level purification process that detoxifies and reboots the immune system, releases stagnant emotions, and eradicates negative energy held within your body.
Hapè - Hapè is a medicinal snuff used widely in the amazon for a range of physical, mental, and spiritual ailments. Different varieties have different uses... from openning the heart, to reducing migraines, to making you invisible to dark energy.
Yopo - Yopo is a specific type of Hapè with visionary qualities that is particularly powerful when taken in ceremony. (It's also legal in every state except for Louisiana... don't ask me why.)
Los Niños - Niños are a wild-growing fungus native to all of the Americas, with potent curative properties for the mind, body, and spirit. When taken medicinally, Los Niños induce a deeply introspective healing process that effects every level of your being.
Sananga - Sananga is a unique and powerful healing ally that is applied as eye drops. Shaman's in the amazon insist that Sanaga will heal any and all ocular disorders, as well as increase night-vision, cleanse negative energy, increase good luck, and awaken a person's spiritual insight and vision.
Osha - Also called Lovage or Bear Medicine, Osha is an amazing American medicine that calls on the light and elevations of our sacred moutnains for blessing and protection both physically and energetically. By activating our higher heart, Osha allows us to connect deeply, with out attachment or codependence. It is a beautiful, lifting, and loving medicine that is amazing in or out of ceremony.
Mapacho - Mapacho is a wild sacred tobacco that is used for it's cleansing and grounding properties. Used to 'blow away' heavy or stagnant energies as well as carry out prayers to the ears of Spirit. As a grandfather medicine, Mapacho brings a uniquely compassionate and balancing masculine energy into ceremony.
These represent a small fraction of the medicines we use, but are an integral part of our ceremonies.
Who Are Your Elders?
We have been abundantly blessed to work with a number of Wise Women, Medicine Men, and Wisdom Keepers from a range of tribes, backgrounds, and practices... each of whom has provided a small piece of what has become our core approach and teachings. We give direct thanks and recognition to: Joe Turner (Ojibwe medicine man), Gwilda Wiyaka (Shaman), Bendis Quarry (Bandrui Priestess), Victor Escobar (Kambo shaman and guide), Neal Henegar (Kambo Practitioner), Sangeet Khalsa (Reiki Master), Ted Silverhand (Tuscarora Sagarissa Seer)... with notable gratitude to Alberto Villoldo, Sandra Ingerman, Ted Andrews, Terrence Mckenna, and Michael Harner for their work and contributions to the movement of global shamanism at large.
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WE ARE NON-PROFIT
The Meehl Foundation is a non-profit 501(c )(3). 100% of all sales and proceeds are applied to program funding and development. Mark & Debra Meehl receive NO compensation from tuition, purchases, or donations. These services provided are a labor of love.
Spokane, WA
Nestled in the verdant heart of the Pacific Northwest, The Meehl Foundation Spiritual Retreat Center comprises 45 sprawling acres seated on a vortex of intense healing energy. The campgrounds are safe and secure, with plenty of sleeping accommodations, comfortable indoor and outdoor meeting spaces, and a host of beautifully natural scenic areas to rest and feed your soul. The grounds freature two small hiking trails, an elevated ridgeline, a natural creek, and a pond... all brimming with native wildlife, including a plethora of medicinal plants waiting to be discovered for your wild-crafting pleasure.
Rail Canyon Creek
Spokane, Washington, USA
Accommodations
Two large bell tents are provided for luxury "glamping". While our co-ed cabin sleeps 8.
Both are air-conditioned in the summer and heated with wood stoves in the winter. Furnished with sturdy air mattresses, quality 600 thread-count sheets and down-alternative hypoallergenic pillows for a comfortable and stylish stay.
The main house also provides one private room that has a queen bed, for an additional fee.
We have a bath house (with continuous hot water shower, toilet, and sink), two full indoor bathrooms, and an outdoor shower.
There is also a small library with space for quiet reflection, a firepit, a garden, a stream and pond, various light hiking trails, an earthen lodge for meditation, and a camp-style hot tub for relaxation.
The central Geo-Dome is our ceremony space - again heated in the winter and cooled in the summer.
And in 2024 we added a luxury geo-dome that sleeps two - which is bookable for an additional fee (couples will find this forest-facing setup particularly romantic).
Nutrition and Life Style
Nourishing the body/soul by sharing a meal is an essential part of any gathering at the Center, with food thoughtfully prepared with healing ingredients for the mind, body, and spirit.
All our meals are carefully curated to be spiritually medicinal, as well as gluten free, sugar free, and brain-healhty with vegetarian and vegan options available upon request.
Additionally, we encourage our participants to honour their bodies with a lifestyle that is both heathily active, meditative, peaceful, restful when necessary, and personally fulfilling. To that end we offer plenty of resources for personal exploration and mindful meditation, as well as yoga, massage, and other healing services for the physical vessel of your being.
What other activities are available?
About Debra Meehl
I believe that nothing happens by accident. So when I was born into a family where my mother was an only child and I was an only child. I would discover why I was, “to walk alone” as a Native American Seer told me. My DNA confirms that half of my ancestors traveled on the Mayflower and half crossed the Barring Straight from Russia. The only reason this matters is the confirmation of the dreams and visions I have always had. It also helps those who need to tell me that I, “don’t look like a Shaman or Native American.”
When I met and married my husband – Mark – In 1999 , my life was changed in the blink of an eye. He was diagnosed a year after we were married with Bipolar Disorder and PTSD. I went from being a Paramedic trained in Psychological Emergencies to an Ordained Minister trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). Several years after, I would be trained as a Clinical Hypnotherapist and many years later as a Shaman.
Leading those willing to Soul retrieval, totem animals and the removal of dark energy (negative entities) was my where the God/Divine of my understanding has always called me. For years I had no label for what I did. How I “stood in the gap” for people and called in healing for them or how I could lead them to “find the missing pieces of their soul” that they had lost during trauma or fear. At the time there was no manual, God/Goddess led me every step of the way. With few teachers I was dependent on tapping into Divine mind and living with “God is my source and supply”. To say that my third eye is open and that I have Clair-cognition is an understatement, when I am dealing with my clients.
Allowing yourself to be a vessel for others healing is an honor, but not an easy path. My unwillingness and attachment to the outcomes of situations has made it very difficult at times. There are life skills that can be taught to help with this, many are Zen-like principles that have been taught for thousands of years in the tribes that we no longer belong to. These are the principles along with Soul level healing that change people’s lives, as they have changed mine. There is no person or group of “elders” or tribe that can “confirm” your Shamanism no matter what others tell you. The Spirit calls you to this way of life, and believe me when I tell you. It is a way of life!
Additional Bio for Debra Meehl
Debra Meehl, is a plant shaman, specializing in entheogenic medicines and is an international conference speaker for soul-deep, whole-person healing. This includes soul loss and soul retrieval due to childhood and adult trauma and PTSD.
As the president and founder of the Meehl Foundation Spiritual Retreat Center, Debra has been intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), critical incident debriefing, brain SPECT imaging, and is a clinical hypnotherapist. In her quest to bridge the gap between clinical and spiritual healing, she has also received a Doctor of Divinity, she is a Kambo practitioner, and has studied with Shamans and indigenous teachers from across the globe. In addition, she was trained as a paramedic and was a lead instructor in Emergency Medicine
In total, she has over 20 years of hands of Western clinical and Indigenous spiritual experience in the trenches of trauma and addiction and has witnessed first-hand the unprecedented and unparalleled ability of soul retrieval and other traditional shamanic practices to heal the heart and soul of our most pressing personal and social issues.
Micheal Meehl
Four years ago Micheal began the “hero’s decent” the “warriors Journey “to healing and transformation. Alcohol was the first to go, followed by several years of celibacy. He gave it all to the Goddess of his understanding and laid bare his heart and soul. It took months of reading, Echeart tolle; Allen Watts, Sadgrure, for him to form a clear understanding of giving up his “wants” and “needs” and to release his pain and expectations to the Devine. He dug deep but was still angry…everyday…. until the death of his ego…some 3 years later.
It was only after a GOD dose of Mushroom followed by a GOD dose of LSD and a week of mico-dosing, that he woke up to the most beautiful peace in his heart, that has never left him. Love, Peace and Joy was all he felt. All he wanted was to feel “unconditional love” the Goddess provided that and more, with profound healing of his heart and mind.
Micheal had spent years partying with mushrooms and LSD, with well over 200 experience with both, but nothing had prepared him for this transformation. He had read about it, meditated on it, and was on a quest for it, but never quite understood what was possible until it happened.
This, transformation is remarkable since he comes from a childhood filled with Trauma, Abuse and neglect. Beatings, head injuries, ICU stays for illness and trauma were common place. Having multiple near death experience, in his childhood and adult life. Neurodivergent, PSTD and Dylexia has been close companions to this warrior with a poets heart all his life.
Micheal comes with a life-time of skills and aptitudes for holding ceremony. With his healing came a “frequency change” that allowed him to fully step into his god-given gifts, personal power and find his own path to help others. He holds that frequency for the healing of all our clients, especially the men with PTSD and Trauma. He understands “holding space” for our clients. He is the divine masculine, which allows him to hold space for other men without needing his ego. This allows men to let go, be vulnerable, drop their shield and receive the healing that they need without judgement.
Micheál proclamation:
I am Micheal Anthony Meehl vessel of the Wonderer, embodiment of the Wise One.
He who sacrifices, ego, and Self for the Wisdom of the Well, Son of ValKyrie.
Guide to the Underworld. Consort of Hella. Warrior Poet. Passionate Lover of Life. Balancer, wielding the Blade of Death with Wisdom and Responsibility.
I am carrier of the Crown of Horn and the Cloak of Roots, carrying the Blessings of the Horned God to the Queen of all Magic.
I am nurturer and Shield to the Divine Feminine, Beloved Queen of the Forest and my Shaman
I am Protector, Keeper of the Old Ways, Watcher of Time and Space.
What Others Say
“I was empowered to save myself.”
All I knew when I decided to come to the Meehl Foundation was that I was tired of being depressed and I was looking for someone to save me. Little did I know, I would instead be empowered to save myself.
"Kristin is inspiring!"
I really love her beautiful positivity and awesome amazing words.
- Rose Oliverez
"Wonderful service, wonderful people."
It was very profound and transformative experience. if you are interested in healing, you will not be disappointed!
- Galina Thomas
"Deb and Kristen explained every step of the way and made me feel very comfortable."
What I experienced was something I have never felt before and honestly don’t know how to put in words. For lack of words, it’s was euphoric!! After being told that I was supposedly “bipolar” I felt like a person again!
I enjoyed the kambo so much, that a few days later I had a second session and a reiki done!
- Sierra Harris
"The endearing people behind this foundation are saving lives. Literally."
They have helped me into light. I found my soul pieces and am totally feeling the new vibrations of warmth like a hug of divine white light.
If you are feeling called to go, just do it. ALL of the members of the Meehl Foundation Family are truly each unique and so special. And everyone there is very precious. To be in an environment with such people can only be of great value to your life. Just go in with an open heart and an open mind and go all in. It's safe and you are guided on a journey that you won't forget.
What would I recommend about the Meehl Foundation? Everything...
- Karen Meyer
"Thank you."
I’m so grateful for the Soul Retreaval Retreat I was able to attend recently. I truly learned a lot about myself and I was blessed to meet new friends who genuinely care about the good of all. So much love, it felt like family.
- Anita Kief
“Deb is wise, insightful.”
Deb is wise, insightful, and straightforward. She cuts through the nonsense and gets straight to the core of you and the problem.
"Looking forward to my next session!"
Had an amazing Past Life Regression session with Debra today. Excited for more expansion and growth. Debra was gentle, caring and experienced. I highly recommend her services.
- Tammy Winnerstrom
"I feel human again."
For the first time since my diagnosis, I don't have to brace for the pain when I wake up. It's just GONE... and I'm beyond words.
- S.C.
"As the phoenix rises from the ashes, so have I..."
I was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in December 2015. And after attending the Shamanic Sisterhood Retreat, I experienced one of the most amazing events of my 64 years on this earth plane. I have succeeded and am now in REMISSION!
The Meehl Foundation Spiritual Retreat Center is a beautiful place. Magnificent grounds, safe, secure with plenty of sleeping accommodations, rest room facilities, covered patio… even a labyrinth and medicine wheel! Every meal served by an amazing cook! Debra Meehl and her family provided such an amazing event and met all the needs of those who attended.
I departed with a new appreciation for all the wisdom shared. My journey as a healer will now be enlightened by all the love and knowledge I gained from this retreat. I may have entered as a stranger, but, I left with a whole new “tribe” of Shamanic Sisters and a greater appreciation for what we can achieve when we step into healing.
Thank you, Universe! And thank you, Meehl Foundation!!
~ Marilyn Dunlap
"For the first time in a long time I can live a fully happy life!"
Kambo eases my R.A. better than anything else I've experienced. It's been three months, and I'm still pain free!
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Not quite sure? It's okay, let's talk:
(979)248-0840
Meehlfou@meehlfoundation.org
facebook.com/MeehlFoundation