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5 Day Trauma as Medicine Retreat

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Up to 20 in group
Date
Apr 30 - May 5, 2026

Retreat Highlights

  • Shamanic wisdom teachings
  • Land based practices/ceremony
  • 3 Plant Medicine Ceremonies
  • Fire Ceremony 
  • Processing circles
  • Development and enhancement of intuition and body focused awareness
  • Self inquiry & meditation.

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Details of this retreat

Imagine this: You are standing on top of a mountain, with your feet firmly planted on the ground and your arms stretched up toward the sky. You feel completely connected to Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Spirit. Every part of your body is in harmony with the land around you. You know that you are here for a reason, your life is filled with purpose, and all your experiences have meaning. You are actively shaping your own life and embodying your essence.
This is the intention of Trauma as Medicine.
During this retreat, you will engage in land-based teachings, circles, shamanic journeys, movement, meditation, and three plant medicine ceremonies. These activities aim to help you trust in your inherent resources for self-healing. Through hands-on practices that emphasize personal embodiment and self-inquiry, you will receive support in connecting with your sacred self. Please note that actual mountains may not be included.

Registration: Please  Fill out this registration form. It is a separate form from your registration at the Sentinel.
*Please note this includes a preparation session as well as a post ceremony integration session. The link to book will be shared with you upon registration.
Plant Medicines:

Rainbow Serpent Lodge: The Rainbow Serpent Lodge was passed down to Sarah by her Spirit guide Thoth, the God of wisdom in the Egyptian pantheon in 2007. In this lodge, Sarah shares mushroom tea in a night ceremony. Participants are supported with channeled medicine songs and music, hands-on healing, tobacco cleanse, and other shamanic practices to guide their journey. This is excellent medicine for delving into the deeper aspects of our life’s journeys so we can integrate them with the light.

 The intention of this lodge is to create a portal for the following:

Communing with Source.
Regulating the nervous system.
Illuminating one’s true nature.
Releasing old patterns.
Addressing grief & trauma.
Coming home to oneself & one’s body.
Investigating internal contracted energy.
Entering loving awareness – as referred to by Ram Dass.
Experiencing presence.

Mushroom Day Ceremony: In this experience we work with Grandmother Forest Medicine to support us in connecting with nature and opening to how we will integrate our medicine work in our day to day lives. 

Hape: Hape is a tobacco snuff from the Amazon used to clear heavy energy, open the third eye, and ground.

 Other processes:

– Self-inquiry: The practice of investigating who we are to raise our awareness, increase our understanding, and release old patterning. In our retreat, it is combined with shamanic journey & journal writing.

– Fire Ceremony: Working with the Spirit of Fire, you will learn a practice passed down through the Inca Medicine Wheel tradition for cleansing your being and asking for help.

 – Ecstatic Dance: Free-flow improvisational movement allows the body to move to the rhythm within and without for release, empowerment, and healing.

 – Shamanic Journey: The art of communing with Spirit through your own personal direct revelation – this practice enhances your intuition, increases psychic awareness, and instigates clarity in your healing experience.

 – Integration Circle: Sarah has had the joy of facilitating circles for over 20 years. The practice of bringing your visions into our circle is an integral part of awakening. This is where you learn to be seen, to listen to the collective teachings in the group, and to use your voice – be heard – as you share your heart.

 

 Sarah Salter Kelly is a Spiritual Teacher with a rich education in energy healing and hands-on practice. Her training is sourced in lived experiences – particularly healing from the homicide of her mother and learning to forgive the perpetrator – as well as thirty years of studying energy medicine, shamanism, restorative justice, and personal growth. She shares an integrated path to lay the foundation for personal transformation and empowerment.

 Since 2007, Sarah has run a private clinical practice, created a healing centre, hosted monthly moon gatherings, developed and implemented shamanic training programs, spoken at many conferences, led retreats, and brought groups to Peru to work with indigenous healers. Her primary focus is curating experiences with plant medicine for the healing of the body, mind, and spirit. Most recently, she is the author of her first self-published book – “Trauma as Medicine.”

 

For those interested in reading her book prior to attending – it is available here: Trauma as Medicine | Sarah Salter Kelly

For more information please visit Sarah's website here: https://sarahsalterkelly.com/retreats/

Please watch Sarah's interview with Marianne Williamson here: https://youtu.be/8WDFQOcNrho

Schedule

September 18th:

4-5:30pm Arrive – check in 

5:30 - 6:30pm Supper 

7:00 – 9:00pm Opening Ceremony & Circle Maloca 

September 19th:

7:00 – 8:00am Somatic Movement Maloca 

8 :00-9:30 am Breakfast 

9:30 – 12:30pm Workshop – Starlight ritual & Hape Ceremony 

12:30 – 1:30pm Lunch 

1:30 – 3:30pm Reflection time 

3:30 – 4:00pm snack 

4:00 – 6:30pm Ecstatic dance & Sound bath  

6:30 – 7pm Break – get ready for ceremony 

7:00 – 11:00pm – Rainbow Serpent Lodge (Forest Medicine) 

September 20th:

8:00 – 9:30am Breakfast 

9:30 – 10:30 Kundalini Yoga 

10:30 – 12:30 Integration Circle 

12:30 – 1:30 lunch 

1:30 – 3:30 Reflection time 

3:30 – 6:00 Fire Ceremony & Hucha stone cleanse 

6:00 – 7:00pm Supper 

September 21st:

No breakfast  

9:00 – 6:00 pm  – Heart medicine ceremony – Medicine songs, Despacho ceremony, circle and time outside on the land.  

6:00 – 7:00pm Supper 

September 22nd:

8:00 – 9:30am Breakfast 

9:30 – 12:00 Integration circle & closing ceremony  

Depart
Note: Schedule is approximate and may change

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sentinel Camping

Accommodation
Camp on The Sentinel grounds! Bring your own tent and bedding and we will set you up with a lovely place to camp. Shared bathroom facilities. Summer Only. $50/person/night

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.

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.

What's Included

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

What's Not Included

  • Bodywork
  • Airfare
  • Travel
  • Gratuity
  • Taxes

Customer Reviews

4.95 out of 5.0 average rating

5.0
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A hidden gem of a resort
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at this establishment. I will try to break this down into three sections: staff, amenities, and location.

Staff - First off, the staff was amazing. They reached out several times to make sure all the details of our stay were correct ahead of time (since I had scheduled my partner and myself the “Love Couple’s Retreat” package. Janet, the general manager, was super welcoming, understanding, and helpful, working with us through small issues with pet fees, and enabling us to relax as well as possible while at our stay. They also have a live-in chef who prepares the food and every meal was so delicious and fresh! Every other staff member we encountered was also very friendly as they went about their tasks around the property.

Amenities - They are pet friendly and welcomed our pets as much as they did us, even adding them to the guest board with our names. As far as the rooms, I think you would get a slightly different experience depending in what actual room you are staying in. Regardless, there are no electronics (tv, radio, clock, etc.) in the rooms. The 5 more modern rooms attached to the main house (where we stayed) all have a great lake view, comfortable (though very firm) beds, adjustable heating, and adjustable heated tile flooring in the bathrooms. There was wifi access, though the wifi wasn’t really usable from the room we stayed in, as the signal was too weak. The main house does have great signal throughout and plenty of space to relax in any of the common areas and use it if you need to, however. I didn’t mind, as I was trying to disconnect from the world while I was there. There are a few tea stations (with an amazing selection of tea bags, loose teas, and sweeteners) and a coffee station with an automated espresso machine. All guests have access to the other building on the location as well, which include a big and beautiful yurt, and a large circular activity building with large glass windows facing the lake. Perfect for yoga, calisthenics, or any other group activity while enjoying the lake view. There is also a woodfire-powered sauna next to a cold plunge tub and a hot tub which are all also accessible to guests. These are outside and uncovered, but look to be well maintained, just remember to bring a light after hours as there didn’t appear to be any built in illumination that we could find. There is also a stone path that leads directly to a large dock area with seating by the Kootenay lake, if you fancy a swim. There are many great options to just relax while you stay.

Location - It feels really secluded and peaceful. Being right by the lake is great for just listening to the waters splash and slosh. The pines create a sort of natural insulation from the rest of the world. You can’t hear any traffic and it feels very peaceful. There is interesting artwork and sculptures everywhere you look as well, which makes the place interesting to explore or just exist in. There are also several pets (at least one dog and two cats) that live on the property who were all very friendly as well. The property also has many group seating areas to hang out and relax together. We really enjoyed our walks around the property.

All in all, we had a great time relaxing at the property and visiting the nearby town and hot springs. It was just a 2 night stay for us, but we enjoyed every second of it. We are interested in visiting during the summer months to see how the environment feels when it’s not so cold and rainy (November is when we stayed for this review). I would say that if you are looking for a place of peaceful seclusion to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of the fast-paced world, you should check this place out, slow down for a bit, and relax.

5.0
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Absolute perfection
My stay at the Sentinel has been in the making for a number of years and it was everything I had dreamed of. The space pulses with Sacred energy and the staff is grounded in kindness. We were spoiled with nourishing and delicious food and my room was the perfect blend of central and private.
Thank you for the wonderful weekend, I can't wait for my next visit.

5.0
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Dancing the Dragon
From the moment I arrived, I felt welcomed and safe. I was greated upon arrival by Janet, an angel in form, followed by another pillar of support, Lara, who is Kaslo's version of Starhawk. Marylynn in the kitchen nourished every single cell in my body with her food mastery. The Maloca was the perfect container for the process our group went through, supporting the alchemization of the process we were in together. The land...well...you will have to see for your self...STUNNING.

4.0
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One of the most amazing places and experiences ever!!!
A Life-Enriching, Soul-Nourishing Experience at The Sentinel – Kaslo, BC

Words can hardly capture the beauty and energy of The Sentinel Retreat in Kaslo, BC. From the moment you arrive, you feel enveloped in peace, serenity, and natural splendor that seems to dissolve the noise of daily life. The setting is absolutely breathtaking — perched above Kootenay Lake with a panoramic view of the water and the surrounding mountains that truly feels otherworldly. The sunsets, the mist over the lake in the morning, the crisp air — it’s a living postcard of tranquility.

The staff deserve the highest praise. Every person I encountered was warm, genuine, and sincerely dedicated to creating an environment of calm and connection. There’s a grace to how they interact with guests — kind, attentive, but never intrusive. You can tell they truly care about the experience each person has here, and that sincerity makes all the difference.

And the food — absolutely phenomenal. Fresh, nourishing, beautifully presented, and infused with love. Every meal felt like an act of care. Whether it was breakfast with fresh fruit and hearty options or dinner that felt like a celebration of flavor and community, the cuisine was consistently thoughtful, balanced, and deeply satisfying.

The grounds and atmosphere are simply divine. Every corner of the property radiates peace — from the meditation areas to the gardens to the lakefront spaces. It’s impossible not to feel your body and mind slow down and align with the rhythm of nature here. There’s a sense that The Sentinel itself is alive with calm, inviting you to breathe deeper, reflect, and reconnect with yourself.

If you have the opportunity to visit The Sentinel, take it — without hesitation. It’s not just a getaway; it’s a gift you give yourself. Whether you come for a retreat, reflection, or simply rest, this space has a way of amplifying well-being and gratitude. You’ll leave feeling lighter, grounded, and more in tune with life. It’s a truly transformative place that continues to ripple benefits long after you depart.

A few small notes for improvement, offered with care:
Shoes: Guests are asked to remove their shoes indoors, which is lovely and aligns with the peaceful, mindful environment. It would be wonderful if staff also mirrored this practice consistently by having dedicated indoor shoes or slippers — it reinforces the shared sense of respect for the space. As a storm blew through, pine needles were scattered all over the place due to the movement of people and the wear of shoes. This could have been tidied up a little more regularly.
Bathroom Maintenance: My sink didn’t drain properly, but as I have the same style at home, I easily corrected it. Regular monthly cleaning, especially during busy periods, would prevent this minor issue.
Bed Description: The king bed in my room was actually two twin beds pushed together. While it was still comfortable, it’s worth clarifying this detail in room descriptions for transparency.

These are truly minor details in what was otherwise an incredible, heart-opening, rejuvenating experience. The Sentinel is a sanctuary — a place where time slows down, nature heals, and the heart expands. If you’re considering going, go. You’ll be so grateful you did. It’s one of those rare destinations that nourishes body, mind, and spirit in equal measure.

5.0
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Life changing, empowering and profound
I just completed the Awaken program at the Sentinel and it was profound and life changing! Not only did I get clarity about my purpose in life, but the transformation, revelations, and the rememberance I experienced left me with an empowering, optimistic and powerful outlook on life and my spiritual evolution.

The growth and spiritual development I got was nothing that I could’ve gotten on my own and I am forever grateful for this.

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