Byambadorj led a dozen participants in a 5-day retreat in the Berkshires where they took part in a variety of shamanic rituals and learned about the various tengger, or minor dieties, within the pantheon of heavenly beings in Tengrism, or Mongolian shamanism. Participants had daily meditation sessions, played jaw harps, and received spiritually energized alcohol to help with cleansing and healing. Byambadorj consecrated a sacred Mother Tree on the grounds, and participants took part in various ceremonies that attuned them to nature and the nature spirits. Many participants also had powerful healing and divination sessions in which Byambadorj entered a trance state and communicated with the spirit-guides to offer insights and advice to participants.

Our inaugural Mongolia Sun Ceremony trip was a life-changing experience, and something that most participants can’t wait to do again. We witnessed the sacred Fire Ceremony, usually closed to foreigners, watched the sun rise over the steppes on the summer soltice, slept in gers (yurts), rode camels, held hawks, mingled with locals, explored ancient ruins from the time of Genghis Khan, and had healing and divination sessions with Mongolia’s preeminent shaman, Byambadorj. And did we mention the excellent food and hospitality?

We held a 3-day retreat at Jiminy Peak Resort in the Berkshires, featuring three shamans who gave workshops discussing shamanic practices and who conducted healing sessions for the participants. Wulaanmuuren came from Inner Mongolia and Ujim Solonggod came from Germany to conduct the retreat. On the first day we had a wonderful workshop on herbs and healing from herbalist Cathi Duffy. On the second night of the retreat, we held a fire ceremony, where a shaman drummed and entered a trance state as we prayed and chanted during the ceremony. At the end of the final day, we had a closing ceremony at the top of the mountain at the resort as we prayed for earth healing with Dr. Norman SuHu and enjoyed spectacular fall views of the valley below and the Taconic range across the valley.