Our Story
Photo: surfneng (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
This story begins in 2010 when Parminder found a hawk on the side of the highway. The hawk was no longer alive, but it was untouched and completely intact, looking noble and pristine. This happened during a magical time in Parminder’s life. A few months prior, she had had a wildly spontaneous transformative kundalini awakening experience that changed the course of her life. See her blog post “How I Came to Be a Healer” to learn more.
Seeing the hawk and wanting to care for and honor it, she called the Dine/Navajo singer (medicine man) she was studying with at the time and was told to find a high place in nature to do a ceremony and lay it to rest. Parminder was guided to the Laguna Mountains where she carried out the instructions.
Feeling the immense power of the mountains, she started coming out for sunrise ceremonies, hikes, quiet contemplation, and spirit/nature connection. She fell in love with the mountains and found refuge and renewal in getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Eventually, she started bringing her shamanic studies students and her retreat participants to the mountains and the neighboring areas.
She loved the experiences in nature but did not enjoy the short term rental adventures. After a while, her frustrations with the lack of cleanliness of some of the rentals, the mismatch of energies, and not having ideal spaces for group facilitation led her to search for a property to create the type of sacred healing sanctuary she longed for.
And after quite a few years of searching and missteps, she was immensely grateful to find this beautiful 4.4 acre property with a gorgeous home and magical land. Immediately after getting the property, she began holding classes and retreats on the land in January 2020 and was struck by the powerful healing energies present here.
With the onset of the pandemic, as the world turned topsy turvy, Parminder moved to the sanctuary and lived here full time for a little over two years. During that time, she had the great and at times challenging blessing of overseeing the co-creation of a healing sanctuary on the property. Parminder was awed by the support she received from her clients, students, friends, and family. They encouraged her to hold a fundraiser and contributed generously to make the sanctuary projects possible.
Over the course of a year, Parminder oversaw several improvement projects: 1) the cutting down of 27 dead trees and careful clearing of select areas of brush to create forest bathing style walking paths and camping sites 2) the leveling of a sloped area and construction of a 30 ft ceremonial yurt 3) the construction of a medicine wheel and ceremonial fire circle 4) the construction of stairs and retaining walls to access the ceremonial space 5) the building out of two outdoor compost bathrooms.
Improvements to the property and facilities continue with the vision of enhancing guests’ stay and providing helpful support for their intentions for healing, renewal, and connection. The whole journey has and continues to be a labor of love, openness, trust, and perseverance. The sanctuary has become a sweet refuge and a kind of spiritual home for many guests.
Parminder’s hope is that it become a sacred source of support and blessings for other practitioners seeking a sanctuary to bring their clients and students. She envisions welcoming more yoga/meditation teachers, healing practitioners, spiritual seekers, and friends/family who wish to enjoy the beauty, magic, and power of the sanctuary for their retreats, classes, workshops, and reunions.
Our Vision
Red Hawk Sanctuary is a sacred healing refuge that brings together ancient healing ways with modern therapeutic approaches and diverse spiritual practices with nature wisdom to create beautiful healing ceremonies, retreats, celebrations, and rites of passage.
We serve individuals and groups seeking to heal themselves, expand their consciousness, connect to spiritual reality, realize the fullness of their power and potential, and contribute to co-creating a more just, peaceful, and loving world.
Our vision is to create a safe, protective, powerful healing container that integrates traditional ways with modern practices in service of the healing, spiritual evolution, and collective transformation of our world and its inhabitants.
We are committed to working with the utmost integrity, reverence, and compassion to provide the highest quality healing, empowering, inspiring experiences, and we approach all our endeavors from a space of deep gratitude and love.
We believe that everything has spirit and that all beings are connected in an intricate web of love and light, so we consciously set intentions that the blessings of this work spread far and wide to all beings everywhere.
May all beings everywhere be happy and free. And may our thoughts, words, and actions contribute in some way to that happiness and freedom for all.
Our Values
Simplicity ~ Sustainability ~ Social Responsibility
In March of 2020, during a scared ceremony, the three values of simplicity, sustainability, and social responsibility were revealed to Parminder. They immediately resonated with her and have been guiding principles and heartfelt aspirations for the continued enhancements and blossoming of the sanctuary’s offerings. Over time, it is our cherished vision and intention to live in greater and greater alignment with these ideals.
Simplicity - The value of simplicity can be felt all throughout the sanctuary. All the additions and changes to the land, house, and facilities have been done with great intention and for specific purposes with desire to create the least disturbance and offer the most essential and supportive amenities without the heaviness and overstimulation of excess. For example, the decor and furnishings in the house are of natural tones that will serve as sweet comforts but detract from the beauty of the nature, company, and experiences individuals come to the sanctuary to enjoy.
Sustainability - Our sanctuary is being stewarded and nurtured with deep care for the Earth and future generations. Sustainability here is not just about the materials we use, but about the relationships we foster — with the land, the water, the trees, the animals, and the energy that sustains us all. From using non-toxic, biodegradable products and minimizing waste, decisions and choices are made with reverence for the web of life. We recognize that true healing is inseparable from the healing of our planet, and we are committed to learning, adapting, and growing in ever deeper harmony with nature, and over time, incorporating more and more sustainable practices.
Social Responsibility - At the heart of the co-creation of the sanctuary is the belief that healing is both a personal and a collective act. Healing and learning in community is an essential part of our growth and evolution. Our sanctuary strives to make healing in groups and communities more accessible through collaboration with like-hearted individuals and organizations. We acknowledge the Indigenous peoples who have stewarded this land long before us and honor their wisdom and sovereignty. As we continue to evolve, we strive to be of greater service to our community and to remain devoted to walking our path with integrity, reverence, and a sense of responsibility to the wider world we are a part of.