Celebrating a Decade of Work
Step into your Wild Nature.
Nature as Self is at the core of our work.
Sacred Warrior experiences awaken wonder and remind you that you are nature, not separate from the web of life. Founded in 2013 by author, herbalist & rewidling educator Vanessa Chakour, offerings blend healing practices such as holistic herbalism and therapeutic arts with connection to the plants, fungi and animals that share your ecosystem. Now, Sacred Warrior is evolving and will soon bloom into Solidago Sanctuary. Scroll down to see images of past experiences and find links to current offerings.
Testimonials
“I have learned so much from Vanessa and I love that she is the real deal, a deeply knowledgeable herbalist who is fully invested in her work and living by example.” —Mallory Lance, Founder and Editor, Ravenous Zine
“Working with Vanessa has awakened me to the magic of nature. It’s funny to think how long I’d gone, ignoring the fact that Mother Nature is growing things for our health and well-being. Literally, right outside, under our feet! We just need to learn how to find them.” —Liza De Guia, Host of “Food Curated” and Bravo TV’s “Going Off The Menu”
“Vanessa’s herbalism course has given me a new way of conversing with my body & the world around me. There is a sense of connection, curiosity, and abundance that is incredibly exciting.” ~ Merete M. - Writer & Filmmaker
“Vanessa’s ability to teach people to embrace their practice from their own present moment is powerful.”
– Phelicia Magnusson
“I feel like a veil was lifted from my eyes, opening them to the amazing world of plant medicines that grow all around us.”
– Jenn Ruff
“This woman’s work is so important in connecting to our eldest master teachers: Plant medicine.“
– Shine Blackhawk
“The retreat was purely magical, and a profoundly transformative experience. The members of the retreat became like family to me, and we supported one another through releasing the old and discovering the new/forgotten on our journeys.”
– Marina Buskov
“Vanessa’s retreat is the most magical trip I have ever taken. There are no words.”
– Boyuan Gao
“I returned to NYC grounded and satiated. I have become totally sidetracked walking down Brooklyn streets, entranced by plants that have always been there, though I never noticed them before.”
– Jahan Mantin
“I can only fully express my gratitude for Vanessa’s teaching and guidance by sharing it because she has changed my world and made me feel like more of the Bad Ass that was waiting to be released! *cue Eye of the Tiger please!”
– Danise Prescott
‘The retreat in Scotland was a-ma-zing!!! I’ll repeat this retreat without hesitation!” – Ayelen Chanquia
“The retreat in Scotland was a-ma-zing!!! I’ll repeat this retreat without hesitation!”
– Ayelen Chanquia
“Sacred Warrior retreats with the Wolf Conservation Center are dreamy, grounding, intuitive-building and very aligned with wolf-nature.
– Danielle Alicia
“This is the medicine my soul has been craving.”
– Roseangel Perez
“Sacred Warrior experiences are revolutionary and soul-healing.”
– Audrey Wildfire Dimola
“The retreat was purely magical, and a profoundly transformative experience. The members of the retreat became like family to me, and we supported one another through releasing the old and discovering the new/forgotten on our journeys.”
– Marina Buskov
“My work with Vanessa has brought intention and interconnectedness into all facets of my life.”
– Alison Kidd
Read the Books by Founder Vanessa Chakour
Earthly Bodies: Embracing Animal Nature
Examining the cultural belief that our animal instincts are to be corrected or corralled, nature advocate and rewilding facilitator Vanessa Chakour explores our inner and outer landscapes through the lens of wild animals.
In Earthly Bodies, Vanessa draws parallels from struggles she has weathered in her own life to those endured by twenty-three wild animals—from wolves to sea lions—exploring our unease of feeling like prey; challenging the entrapment of our limiting beliefs; contextualizing the turmoil of fractured landscapes; and affirming our primal ache to belong.
Awakening Artemis: Deepening Intimacy with the Living Earth and Reclaiming Our Wild Nature
A healing resource that blends practical plant-based knowledge with spiritual reconnection to show how respect for and communion with our natural world guides us toward healing.
Combining Vanessa's story of her own healing journey with practical plant-based knowledge, Awakening Artemis is rooted in the belief that healing happens through reclaiming an intuitive connection to ourselves, to the natural world, and to our own "inner wild."