A 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2020 — bringing culturally rooted, trauma-informed wellness to youth, young adults, and the communities that hold them.
The Warrior Sanctuary began in 2020 with a simple conviction: wellness belongs to every community — not only to those who can afford it.
What started as gatherings in Brooklyn grew into a sanctuary that now spans two countries — youth programs, school partnerships, family circles, and flagship retreats at Amaroo, our home in the Ecuadorian cloud forest.
Chris and Paige carry the work personally: Kanyini Transformational Healing, Zai’Ra Sonic Reclamation, and The Saltuary are the one-to-one practices at the heart of the sanctuary.
Healing. Culture. Reciprocity.
Over six years, Warrior Sanctuary has grown from intimate community gatherings into a trusted nonprofit partnering with schools, organizations, and communities to make holistic wellness more accessible. Every chapter has strengthened our ability to serve with greater reach, deeper relationships, and lasting impact.
We started by creating spaces where people could slow down, reconnect, and heal together through community gatherings in Brooklyn.
We transformed those experiences into intentional programs rooted in meditation, breathwork, movement, coaching, sound, and ancestral wellness.
We began collaborating with schools, nonprofits, retreat centers, and community organizations to bring these practices where they were needed most.
Today, we are building long-term pathways that increase access to holistic wellness for youth, young adults, and underserved communities through trusted partnerships.
Paige and Chris are cultivators of this space. They are guided by their studies, their purpose, and their desire to aid others in their journeys for self-discovery and unconditional love. You will find modalities like breathwork, reiki, soul sound baths, plant medicine among many other shamanic traditions — rooted in the cultures from which they came. There is honor here.
Very personalized first breathwork session, and I appreciated the journey that Kanyini took me on. I've done other somatic breathwork, and he adds elements that are unique and more impactful.
I'm very grateful for the week spent and to the loving staff and especially Paige and Chris for offering their joyous selves in our process of spiritual expansion.
Our board is made up of engaged leaders who have been part of The Warrior Sanctuary’s journey, many since its earliest days. They are more than advisors; they are participants, culture carriers, and active stewards of the values that shape our work. Each member brings lived experience, trusted relationships, and a deep commitment to serving their own communities. Together, they help ensure our growth remains grounded, accountable, and connected to the people we serve.
With 25+ years in a dental specialty practice in New York City and 15 years as a surgical professor at NYU, alongside chairmanships and presidencies across several professional organizations, Rumi has shifted his focus from Western medicine to expanding spiritual consciousness. Building on his shamanic practice, he works to bridge “the Eagle and the Condor” — contemporary and indigenous communities across North and South America.
The Warrior Sanctuary was founded with the support of Angel donors who not only saw the need for our existence, but also believed in our ability to embody our grand mission of creating wholeness on Earth.
In Sacred reciprocity, we have created the Founders Circle, with perks and benefits as a way to say thank you for the dedicated support. Depending on the level of support provided, benefits range from a one time, to an annual trip to Amaroo, our sanctuary in Ecuador.
The Warrior Sanctuary has been blessed to have the support of Galvan founders T. Eric Galloway and the late Henry van Ameringen from our inception. In fact, they were our seed supporter, the water that allowed our vision to materialize into a reality. Our mission and hearts are aligned with their long standing mission to support non-profit organizations and advocacy groups, fighting for equal rights, opportunities, and access for all.
Learn about Galvan’s mission →
Itzhak is our dear friend and internationally recognized shamanic healing practitioner and teacher of ours. He was instrumental in our first trip to Ecuador for our Sacred Union, and has been an active bridge and connector to the indigenous shamans of the Andes for over 20 years. It was also his inspiration for the design of the maloca and made a commitment to support TWS, Amaroo, and the mission to support the tribes of the Amazon.
Get to know Papa Itzhak →
From the moment we met in Ecuador on a shamanic intensive training journey, we remembered our connection throughout lifetimes. Our big brother, Pete has supported TWS and Amaroo from day one, and accepted our offer to join our board, bringing his dedication of 25+ years in dentistry to spiritual consciousness. His mission is also to create a bridge for others to connect with indigenous wisdom, providing abundance for it to flourish.
Ben, CEO of cityHUNT, an organization focused on harnessing the power of mindfulness and positive psychology to support team building, joined the Circle and the board the winter of 2022. Ben has now shifted his focus on facilitating transformational experiences by bringing individuals to the jungle and Amaroo, in doing so supporting the indigenous tribes and wisdom of South America.
Mother of Zai’Ra, Shelley has been an instrumental and gracious supporter of TWS as a lending source to ensure that the Maloca construction was possible in 2022 to accelerate our growth and ability to hold space for indigenous retreats in 2023. An example of sacred economics, her generosity has only been magnified by her own transformational journey to Amaroo in September 2022.
Long time friend and colleague of Kanyini, Nelson has been a supporter of the mission of TWS from the inception of our vision of creating paradise on Earth, one breath at a time. Nelson recently joined the Founders Circle the end of 2022, while also taking a leap of faith into the jungle to meet the Siekopai and learn their traditions with Ecuadorian Shaman and Amaroo advisor, Jose Zambrano.
If you are interested in becoming a part of this intimate family of Earth’s warriors, email us directly to inquire on next steps.
Six years of programs, retreats, trainings, and partnerships — thousands of people reached across two countries and beyond. See the proof on our impact page, or start a conversation.
