Psychedelic Healing Retreat in Sedona, Arizona
Surrounded by Sedona, Arizona's scenic red rocks, which many believe have therapeutic powers, a group of people from across the United States recently gathered for a psychedelic experience.
Ocean Eagle, a facilitator with a distinctive cowboy hat and tattoos, led participants on a journey of the mind aimed at harnessing the transformative power of breathing.
"I am here to open up a container of love and safety for you guys," he told retreat participants, setting the stage for a deep dive into emotional healing.
The goal, according to Ocean Eagle, was for participants to connect with — and, if necessary, try to heal — their inner child.
His own journey stems from a childhood marked by alcoholic parents and a brother's early death. Back then, Ocean Eagle was Marty Daniel, and later coped with his trauma by also turning to alcohol.
Overcoming Addiction and Finding Success
"I drank a lot...ultimately alcohol was my master," he said.
Despite his addiction, he played college baseball on a scholarship and went on to have a family and a successful real estate business.
"But I was miserable on the inside," he said. "I've had the million-dollar homes....I've had all the cars I've ever wanted, had it all. And none of it filled that hole inside me."
He said his life changed when he went on a retreat and met a woman doing shamanic breathwork.
"I lay down and had a spiritual awakening of biblical proportions," he said. "I turned into an Eagle....and flew over all over Earth. And that moment of oneness, you hear about, I had it in an instant...I'm everything. Everything's me. I'm feminine, masculine, male, female. It just hit me like that."
After that, he trained in holotropic breathwork and developed a unique method: activation breathwork.
The technique, as Ocean Eagle says, aims to activate the body on a cellular level, balancing oxygen and carbon dioxide levels "properly." This releases DMT in the brain, he claims, allowing participants to enter a psychedelic state naturally. DMT is found in some plants and psychedelics, and can produce hallucinations.
Participants, like Nafsheen Luhar, testified to the power of the approach. Luhar, grappling with childhood trauma and uterine cancer, credited the breathwork with helping her release decades of pain.
"Breathwork has been a transformative experience for me, helping me release 25 years of trauma that I didn't even know I was holding onto. It's amazing to realize that everything I've needed to heal has been inside me all along," shared Luhar.
During a recent session led by Ocean Eagle, participants were guided through affirmations and a carefully selected playlist. After 90 minutes, the music slowed down and everyone began to return to the present moment, their minds reengaging with their surroundings.
Ocean Eagle then gathered the group to discuss their personal journeys and reflections.
"Today's session allowed me to connect deeply with my children," shared one participant. "I had beautiful visions and felt like I was transported to a different world."
Another participant expressed, "I felt a profound connection with myself and reached out to many members of my family. I felt a sense of joy and aliveness."
On the second day of the retreat, I made the decision to join the session. I was initially nervous, as I have always struggled with letting go of control. However, I was determined to surrender and give it my all.
As the session began, I found myself feeling anger towards the world and the history of wars that have plagued humanity. There was a moment where I felt overwhelming grief for the mothers affected by the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, on both sides, who have lost their children.
My body started shaking profusely. Ocean Eagle laid his hands on me, but I told him I needed a woman. Jimene, another facilitator, came, and I felt her energy, as though her hands were burning my back.
I later felt like I was holding the Earth and almost wrapping my hands around it, to heal it.
Anonymous contributor
