I want to start off by thanking Chris aka Spirit Bear for his little hidden gem in the woods and having the opportunity to experience such a powerful tradition. The entire time I was in awe of how precise the set is. From the laying of the wood and rocks, to maintaining the fire, carrying the rocks into the lodge, the medicine used and the drum singing. Once I entered into the lodge I felt completely in my element. It was the very first time in my life I saw spirits. I felt so many different emotions during the ceremony. A complete purge from the heat and darkness!!! I left out of the lodge feeling POWERFUL and ready to handle anything coming my way!!! Left feeling open and clear minded. Super excited to experience this again.
Another great addition to the sweat lodge that I experienced with Spirit Bear was a healing called wandering healing. So I started off by walking out into the woods and wandered until I found an amazing open space full of light and then laid down on a buffalo rug. When I laid down I closed my eyes and then spirit bear rested his hands on me. Immediately I could feel my connection to the earth, like a conduit. I felt so relaxed and open. Once I came out of the experience I raised up and immediately started to cry and release. I felt so many emotions that I had suppressed.
Lisa W.
I’ve had the honor of joining Chris several times in the ínipi/sweat lodge. Over the years, he has been as solid as they come in so many ways; whether it’s as a friend, a father, a confidant, a medicine man, a healer, or a teacher, his energy and presence is one that I find irreplaceable and very rare to come across.
There’s no long-story-short about it. He does the work, he moves the medicine, he holds the spaces, he plants the seeds of hope and healing, from setting the intentions, sitting with the pain, the fear, or the uncertainty, he sings the songs and drums them, too. Beautiful ceremonies have taken place within Bear’s lodge and hoop. It’s easy to see why he does what he does and I adore him for it! He lives and breathes purpose and understanding for the community of spiritual wanderers and seekers of truth and repartition, in its many variations and the teachings of his reverent Lakota traditions, the old ways, the sacred rites of passage of which I’m certain were once passed down to him, are such a blessing to witness and behold. I’m grateful to know him and call him kindred. He has allowed me the safety and controlled space to process so much trauma and so much spiritual/relational/energetic and physical healing.
I highly recommend Wanagi and his expertise to anyone interested in anything above that I’ve mentioned. Spiritual guidance, healing technique, Lakota teaching, purification and Inipi rites, medicine stories, shamanic studies. He’s an amazing and intuitive man, an inspiring story-teller, the list really goes on and on, I trust him and I believe in the genuine vision that he commits to sharing as a Spirit in a human body having quite an experience on this strange and beautiful place we call Earth. A’ho! Mitakuye Oyasin.
- Maggie D.
Working with this powerful masculine and dear friend helped me through a dark night of the soul. There is a profound gentleness through the work offered I hadn't experienced before and somehow felt so familiar and safe and peaceful to help me navigate through my spiritual blocks. In turn this allowed me the focus and grounding required to focus on my inner work and finally come out with the motivation to finish my first book on psychic abilities and psychic defense.
I'm very grateful to have come to him as a wounded warrior and trust in his healing shamanic abilities. I'm forever grateful for this beautiful gift of inner awareness and gentle guidance!
- Jessica D.