What is Shiloh Sanctary?
Shiloh Sanctuary is a peaceful, nature-infused retreat space where individuals and community members gather to reconnect with their essence, and grow spiritually. It offers a nurturing environment for deep transformation, inspired by the shared vision of the WEvolution and the Six Global Agreements, creating a haven for both personal and collective renewal.
Larisa Stow Founder, Visionary, and Heart of Shiloh
Larisa Stow is here in this world to wake, shake, and create a vibration-raising WEvolution. A modern-day mystic, sacred sounds gypsy, and teacher of heart-centered living, she has dedicated her life to helping others live from the soul. Through her Embloomment™ coaching, transformational retreats, and her music with Shakti Tribe, Larisa invites people into deeper love, presence, and connection.
The vision for Shiloh Sanctuary has been with Larisa for over 20 years, a dream of a conscious, self-sustaining community where people live in harmony with the earth and one another. Its roots go even deeper, back to her childhood visit to a spiritual community called Ananda, where she first experienced the magic of true connection, belonging, and daily spiritual practice.
Our Core Values at Shiloh Sanctuary
Compassionate
Creative
Conscious
Collaboration
At Shiloh Sanctuary, we are deeply committed to embodying the principles of conscious, creative, and compassionate collaboration. These values are at the heart of everything we do, and we invite you to join us on this path of heart-centered living.
Compassionate Communication
Compassion and Kindness are the foundation of our interactions, especially when challenges arise. Living in a community brings inevitable challenges. At Shiloh, we practice compassion and kindness towards ourselves and each other. We believe in speaking our truths with kindness, understanding that everyone has different values and perspectives. Through compassion, we create a safe and nurturing environment where everyone can thrive.
Creative Expression
Creativity is the lifeblood of Shiloh. We are passionate about not just getting things done, but doing so with beauty and artistry. Like Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and art, we strive to transmute the raw energy and challenges of life into beautiful outward expressions that enrich our surroundings. Our creative endeavors are not just projects; they are reflections of our collective spirit.
Conscious Living
We believe in the importance of self-awareness and personal responsibility. At Shiloh, conscious living means actively working on ourselves, fostering a culture where everyone takes ownership of their actions. We work to move beyond simply pointing fingers and instead focus on how we treat one another and ourselves, with intention and care.
Collaboration
Collaboration is the essence of life at Shiloh. We celebrate the contributions of each member. Whether it’s Pamela pouring her love into the garden, Jen, Tony, and Doug working to clear the land, Weston building a new barn door, or Jeffree creating a beautiful walkway.. At Shiloh, every individual’s wisdom and efforts are valued, and together, Shiloh casts an even greater light unto the world.
The WE Space: A New Earth Vision
Shiloh Sanctuary is a "WE Space," a place where we embody the spirit of collaboration and The Six Global Agreements.
We believe that the New Earth calls us to work together with more kindness and collective responsibility.
Join us in this WEvolution, as we create a world where community, creativity, and compassion thrive together.
LEGEND OF SHILOH
A Journey of Vision and Spirit
An Inspired Leap of Faith
The calling to bring Shiloh to life became undeniable during the pandemic.
After multiple symbolic encounters with grasshoppers, I was inspired to take a bold leap of faith. My husband, Doug, first found the listing of Shiloh on Zillow. It was love at first sight.
Coincidentally my band, Shakti Tribe, had a show in Sedona a few weeks after seeing the listing so we were able to see the property before heading back to our home in Long Beach, California.
When Bethany, my violinist, and Melissa, backup singer for Shakti Tribe, and I first set foot on Shiloh's 12.6-acre land, we were met and introduced to Shiloh by a monk named Hari, it was clear that this was where the vision would manifest.
Shiloh, located near Sedona’s energy vortexes, rests alongside the flowing waters of Oak Creek, adding a magical quality to the land.
Divine Alignment
Despite financial uncertainties, the land called to us.
After writing a heartfelt letter to the head of the Ashram, Swami Sankarananda, I was given a divine opportunity:
"If you want it, it's yours," he said, with one condition - You must take care of Durga and the temple.”
It felt like divine guidance, and Shiloh became a sacred space to nurture spiritual growth, love, and conscious community.
At Shiloh Sanctuary, crossing the creek has felt like an initiation - a symbolic passage into the deeper connection with the land.
While the creek doesn’t typically rise too high, there was a time when it became impassable, and we had to take the longer back road to reach Shiloh.
It’s been one of the many tests Shiloh has offered us, each serving as a lesson in resilience.
Crossing the Creek: An Initiation
After the creek crossing, the Grandmother Guardian Tree stands tall, welcoming us to the sanctuary.
We’ve honored the previous energy of Shiloh’s land by continuing the legacy of the name "Shambhala," which the former owner used for his LLC. We’ve named our gathering space Shambhala Hall. This sacred hall is where we come together for yoga, kirtan, ecstatic dance, and our embloomment circles, all to deepen our connection to one another and ourselves.
In keeping with this beautiful tradition, every time we drive to Shiloh, we play “Shambala” by Three Dog Night. The lyrics, “the road to Shambala,” resonate deeply with us as we travel toward Shiloh. Another line, “I can tell my sister by the flowers in her eyes,” feels like a perfect metaphor for embloomment (embodied enlightenment). It’s a symbol of the blossoming love, light, and consciousness we aim to cultivate here at Shiloh.
The Challenges We Overcame
From navigating contractor issues to the challenges of crossing the creek, facing financial uncertainties, and navigating setbacks when things didn’t go as planned, Shiloh’s journey has been far from easy.
But it’s in the hardest moments that we grow. We learned to focus our energy on what we want rather than fear, and it made all the difference.
Honoring the Land's Spirit
Shiloh carries the energy of those who came before, including the Yavapai people who honored the land with rituals, and the sacred lineage of Sivananda Ashram. Their presence is felt strongly in the mountains and in the sanctuary itself. I dreamed of building a medicine wheel on the land to continue honoring these ancestral energies and was overcome with emotion when my dear friends Erika, Linda and Cloud 9 Yogis recently gifted the land, building a medicine wheel for Shiloh and future generations to enjoy.
Wildlife At Shiloh
We share Shiloh with other beautiful creatures - bees, butterflies, dragonflies, hawks, ravens, red cardinals, hummingbirds, rabbits, javelina, skunks, gophers, raccoons, road runners, quails, deer, ants, snakes, scorpions, eagles, and on rare occasions, even a mountain lion has been spotted.
Shiloh's wild spirit is alive in every corner, with life pulsing through her veins.
This land is undeniably wild and rich, offering a sanctuary not only for us but also for the vibrant wildlife.
Transformation of Shiloh
From Dream to Reality
Shiloh Sanctuary was born from a dream, but it took incredible amounts of love, work, and dedication to bring that dream into reality. When we first arrived, the land and buildings were full of potential but needed care, attention, and an infusion of new energy. What you’ll see in these images are the phases of that transformation - a physical and spiritual journey of restoration.
