Crows Nest Wilderness Retreat center is the home base of operations for Mikkal, secluded at the edge of a 500 acre Southwestern Michigan woodland, it is a beautiful place to come for sacred ceremony, wilderness retreats, and shamanic workshops. It is the base camp for the first 2 days of the week long Annual Wounded Healer Workshop and Workshop Experience before trekking 5 hours north, and boating to South Manitou Island. Crows Nest is surrounded by woodland lakes and marshes, great for canoing, fishing, and it's guest cabin deep in the woods is a beautiful spot for retreating, writing, or staying while doing apprenticeship or healing work with Mikkal. The cabin is also available for writers such as doctoral dissertation students working with Mikkal during a critical phase of the research and writing process (normally on a topic relating shamanism , Jungian, or depth psychology.

Sunset over the lakes in the area are spectacular, and some workshops have taken place at night, on the waters, under full moon or milky way. The heart naturally opens amidst such naturally beauty, unhampered by the little devils of everyday city life.   Crows Nest has a number of hiking trails, camp sites, a meadow, and the deep woods for workshop attendees, retreaters, and guests to enjoy.   Crows Nest also houses two substantial research libraries with extensive shamanic and depth psychological literature, as well as major works in medical anthropology, history of religions, philosophy, mysticism, and the expressive and fine arts.

Located about 25 miles from Lake Michigan, and near the small town of Dowagiac, Michigan, and next to the Pokagan Band of Potowatami Indians, Crows Nest has its own Guardian Spirits which must be respected on this land which for centuries was  inhabited by local Potowatami ancestors. Tom Topash, former Tribal President and former teacher of Mikkal blessed Crows Nest in 2007. For information regarding Crows Nest Retreats, or use of the deep woods guest cabin, or for soul recovery work or apprenticeship work with Mikkal at Crows Nest ,see the Calendar of Events. For information regarding Bed and Breakfast, airports, and motels in the area, contact Mikkal. ShamanicAR@aol.com (269) 687-9364