Meet Tamara Herl

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamara Herl.

Tamara, before we jump into specific questions about the company, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Twenty years ago, during a sleepless night, I asked myself: “If you could do anything you wanted, if time and money were no object. What would you do?” The answer that came from deep within my heart was: “Own a retreat center.” I had no idea how this would come about. I was living in Canon City at the time. But I hadn’t felt that sure about something for a long time. As the years passed, I kept thinking about my dream. My husband and I eventually decided to look for a place near Colorado Springs. We had a beautiful cabin on one acre near Howard, Colorado but the pieces just weren’t falling into place to make living there sustainable. I told myself that if we found something better near Colorado Springs, we would buy it. But as things turned out, we had to sell that property FIRST, before realtors would even take us seriously. So, we sold the property and started looking. It was agonizing. Finding property with water in Colorado that is affordable is extremely difficult. Our realtor showed us place after place, but none of them had what we were looking for. Finally, out of desperation, she remembered that the current owners of the property where she’d grown up were wanting to sell. It wasn’t even on the market, but she called them and they let us take a look. It was love at first sight! The 8.5 acres of the long, narrow property included a sparkling creek, towering ponderosa pines, and thick willow forests. Because of the Waldo Canyon fire in 2012, the creek had jumped its banks and was flowing in several different places. Since the fire, there had been multiple floods that had left piles of limbs and debris, and the willows had grown so thick that we couldn’t even walk to the far end of the property. But we could see its potential. It was a diamond in the rough. In the two years that we have owned the property, we have worked diligently to clear out the debris. We’ve created a series of walking paths and sit spots where you can envelop yourself in the serenity of nature. Last September, I completed training to become a Certified Forest Therapy Guide, so I lead private and group Nature Immersion/Forest Therapy walks. I am also an Associate Certified Life Coach, so I help people tap into the wisdom of the More Than Human World to navigate the challenges they face. We love sharing our gem with others!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The path from purchasing the property to where we are today has been as rugged as the terrain! We excitedly began developing trails immediately after we bought the property in June, 2018. We had created a beautiful small waterfall in the creek at a spot near the house to enhance the sound of the creek. One month later, a cloudburst created a huge flood that swept through the valley, leaving a deposit of sand where our waterfall had been. I was very sad, but it taught me to respect the power of the water. In the wake of the flood. However, we discovered a blessing. The force of the water had carved out a path so that we could finally get to the far end of our property. We were delighted to discover how beautiful it was there. The creek had much taller banks and there were huge willow trees. When winter came, I thought we were out of the woods. Once the snow began to accumulate, however, the freezing water had no place to go, and then we experienced ice floods on the trails we had created. I felt despair. “How can I take people on hikes when there’s ice,” I wondered? But again, we discovered a silver lining. We began to develop trails closer to where the creek was flowing, because in some spots the ground was higher there. We were delighted to discover a place where there was a series of small waterfalls. After much back breaking work, we developed it into another beautiful sit spot.

Please tell us about your company.
My company is called Wild Divine Retreat Center. We specialize in helping people get out of their heads and into nature so they can tap into their own Inner Wisdom and the consciousness of the More Than Human World to navigate their challenges and tap into their Life Purpose. We offer private and group Forest Therapy/Nature Immersion walks, Nature-Connected sessions for groups and individuals, private and group Labyrinth Walks, Weekend Intensive Coaching sessions with overnight lodging for individuals and small groups and one day Coaching Workshops. I offer Akashic Records and Shamanic readings and Radiant Heart Activation and Clearing Sessions. We are known for facilitating deep and profound healing and life changing experiences. We are most proud of the hard work that we have put in to rehabilitate the land, and how that is a mirror for the serenity and healing people experience when they come here. What sets us apart from others is that we have a beautiful sanctuary on site where people can literally walk out the back door of our facility and into wild nature, where they can tap into their own true nature: insight, serenity, power. Nature truly is at our doorstep.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, I would have quit my corporate job sooner. For the first year, I was driving two hours every day to and from work. I didn’t have much time and energy left to devote to the property. When I finally had the courage to let that go, doors started opening. I found a part time job closer to home and continued to build my coaching practice. When the Corona Virus hit, I let go of my part time job in Colorado Springs, and now I’m working completely from home. I had to have faith that the Universe had my back, and I wish I’d been able to embrace that faith sooner. The Virus has also forced me to do more things virtually, and I wish I had done that sooner. I’m now offering Virtual Forest Therapy/Nature Immersion walks, and I’m developing an on-line Shamanic Journaling class. I’m excited about all of the possibilities!

Pricing:

• Guided Virtual Forest Therapy/Nature Immersion Walks-1.5 hrs/ $40 per person
• Akashic Records or Shamanic Arts Reading, virtual-30 minutes/$60
• Nature Connected Coaching Session, virtual-50 minutes/$125
• Radiant Heart Activation & Clearing session, virtual-30 minutes/$60
• Labyrinth Connected Coaching Session, virtual-50 minutes/$125

Contact Info:

• Website: www.becomeyourownguru.com
• Phone: 719-221-0548
• Email: mindfultamara@gmail.com

Image Credit:
Tamara Herl

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