TESTIMONIALS
“I am Anthony, Mitchell’s father and his first participant in the Vison Quest. I wanted to partake in a quest as I wished to understand my son’s field of work more. We agreed to create a shorter quest, as being in nature for prolonged periods of time was not something I was used to. The woodland we used was beautiful and he set everything up at base camp very well.
On the first day I set up my circle and spent some time becoming familiar with the space and just taking in the nature around me. Afterwards, I returned to base camp for a warm soup by the fire. In the morning we woke up and ate breakfast together. Mitchell checked in with me, and we went over my intentions again regarding what I wanted to get out of the experience, which we had previously discussed. He then gave me a blessing and walked me to my circle. After Mitchell left, it dawned on me the amount of time I had to myself without leaving the circle, which was a strange feeling as it was relaxing but also made me anxious at the same time.
I entered the circle with some specific questions and things that had been playing on my mind, which I wished to gain more clarity on. As time passed by I found myself relaxing more and more, allowing myself to drift in and out of sleep: a kind of rest that I had not experienced before. My thoughts became less erratic and more precise and gentle, which then brought the answers I was looking for. It was a beautiful feeling just to have all this time to myself, to watch the sun go down, and to hear the different sounds of the animals throughout the day.
To tell you the truth, the night time scared me a bit. I grew up in London and continued to work there in my adult life, so sleeping outside was a completely new experience for me. I’m very glad I challenged myself though! The next morning Mitchell sounded his drum and I left my circle to meet him at base camp where a delicious meal awaited me. I shared my experience and received feedback from Mitchell. I then relaxed as he packed up, and we left the camp.
All in all it was a great experience and I would definitely recommend it to my friends. My plan is to join Mitchell once a year for this experience. He was a great host and took excellent care of me throughout.”
The next testimonial is from a friend’s blog who joined the 2021 retreat:
I spent 54 hours in the woods with me, myself and I. We were allowed 1 bottle of water, 1 apple, a drum and a sleeping bag and were only allowed to move within your circle (about 2 metres of our sleeping space). No early morning woodland strolls for me.
I was really struggling with depression and anxiety at the time, dealing with a broken heart and had a particularly painful period yet somehow, I thought this would be a good idea. Turns out, it was!
I received so many lessons from it even though it was HARD and extremely painful both emotionally and physically. There was no distraction from my pain and the thoughts of being alone, hungry, cold and wet for two days was only fuelling my discomfort.
After a really tough first day and relentless intrusive thoughts, I hit a wall and the only thing I could do was surrender and be with myself in that uncomfortable place. I met and embraced my inner wild woman, banged on my drum, cried, screamed and moved my body to help me release the energy that was stuck in a negative loop.
When I let go of the past and the future, I only had to deal with the now and the overwhelming feelings started to settle. The pain didn’t go away but the resistance to it did.
It taught me that most of the struggle I experience is the resistance to what is, and releasing it frees up so much energy to actually deal with what is right in front of me, in the now. I gained more respect for myself, my body and for nature. And my capacity for dealing with tough situations has significantly stretched. I also have a new found appreciation for my bed sans slugs, a roof over my head, food and water!
To close the Vision Quest experience, we were offered the choice to join Mila of Sacred Motion to guide us through a sweat lodge ritual. Mila has a very special gift and her intuitive work is informed by the guidance of Shaman Alba Maria passed down to her through 18 years of rigorous initiations in Peru, Brazil and Europe.
The Purification Lodge, also known as a sweat lodge or Cabana, is intended as a Spiritual Reunion. A calling back of our original connection to the Earth, as well as a means for purging toxins from our physical and emotional bodies.
Every aspect of a Purification Lodge ceremony, from the construction to the intentions offered, is imbued with shamanic symbolism.
There are four main dimensions that we encounter inside the Cabana;
Physical: cleansing through sweating and releasing muscular tensions.
Mental: frees the mind of burdens, offering clarity, lightness & insights.
Emotional: expression of repressed emotions, fears, and anxiety.
Spiritual: introspection, connection to Nature, the ancestors and the intuitive world.
The experience was transformative, cleansing and insightful. It helped me to connect more deeply with myself and integrate my experience in the woods.
I want to thank In-wood Visions for holding such a beautifully safe space and highly recommend this experience. However, make sure you check in with yourself and feel ready for this kind of inner journey. Putting yourself through difficult situations in the name of healing of course has its benefits but there are also many more gentle approaches if this seems too extreme or is not the right time. Especially if you are dealing with mental and physical health issues. Listen to your body!
Link to blog: https://www.mindlikewaterwellbeing.com/post/what-is-a-vision-quest