Born from an innately human need for connection and belonging, Kayla Shaw created the Sacred Sister Collective to bring women from all walks of life together in divine ceremony. Shaw is an Integrative Healing Practitioner and Women’s Guidance Facilitator based in Boulder, Colorado. She holds monthly retreats, women’s circles and guided medicine journeys for women to share their stories, heal and connect through love and vulnerability. Throughout these experiences, she provides a sacred space for authentic expression guided by everyone’s real, loving connection.

“Each woman that shows up and bravely shares her story brings something to the space that no one else can — her truth,” Shaw says. “We move with the understanding that each woman is the woman who knows best how to walk her path.”

Sacred Sister Collective started from Shaw’s desire to connect with more women authentically through honest sharing, deep belly laughter, family-style meals and immersion in nature. Her first retreat started by booking an Airbnb for 20 women and advertising it on social media. She invited women to share her vision and intention, and within three days, all 20 spaces filled up.

“It was a beautiful reminder for me that there are many women out there who are longing for the same things as me,” she shares.

In a digitally connected world, many communities are found through social media. Sacred Sister Collective has over 7,600 followers on Instagram, a platform where they advertise their gatherings. Through a space that can feel so isolating, Sacred Sister Collective creates real life experiences for building bonds founded on recognizing the beautiful gifts within each other.

Shaw says she wants attendees to be able to lay down some of those stories that keep them small and for women to feel a sense of peace and honor for who they are and who they’ve grown to be. The retreats feature family-style dinners, sacred partner work, plant medicine offerings, discussion topics on shame resiliency, forgiveness and self-love, plus an ecstatic dance.

The Sacred Sister Collective retreats are growing in demand enough to be hosted monthly in Nederland, Colorado. They are held in a large log house on 23 private acres of pristine Rocky Mountain forest at approximately 9,000 feet, where wildlife encounters are frequent. Prices of the three-day, two-night weekend vary depending on the room and include all meals and plant medicine offerings.

Upcoming Retreats

• December 15-18, 2022
• January 5-8, 2023
• February 16-19, 2023
• March 23-26, 2023

For more information about their events visit sacredsistercollective.com or @sacredsistercollective.

Photos by Kalyja Rain and Angela Perna.

Originally published in Winter + Spring 2022-23 issue.

Kaitlin Emig seeks adventure through mindful travel and outdoor pursuits. She never clicked her heels to return home to Kansas and has lived in western North America and overseas for the past 10 years. Currently residing in the Vail Valley, she is an outdoor educator, yogi and writer. Follow her adventures on IG @sunflower_lion and mywildwomandiary.com.