Animas Valley Institute
📍 USA · Durango, CO
Overview
Animas Valley Institute, founded in 1980 by depth psychologist Bill Plotkin and based in Durango, Colorado, is a pioneer of nature-based soul initiation. Over four decades it has guided thousands of people into the wild as a path to psychological and spiritual maturation.
Its programmes — including vision fasts and soulcraft intensives, some designed specifically for men — combine wilderness solitude, depth psychology, and ceremony to help participants discover a deeper sense of purpose Plotkin calls "soul." The work is rigorous and immersive, often set in remote canyon and mountain country.
Plotkin's influential books have made Animas a touchstone for the wider men's and rites-of-passage movements, even as its offerings welcome people of all genders.
Focus
Nature-based soul initiation (Bill Plotkin)