Kristina Ellery grew up in Rowley, Massachusetts, where she developed a lifelong passion for the arts as a dancer, artist, gymnast, and performer. Although naturally creative and driven, she struggled with periods of profound depression throughout her youth and into early adulthood — experiences that would later shape both her personal healing journey and her life's work.
In 2006, Kristina attended Joe Blasco Make-up Artistry in Orlando, Florida, where she trained in special effects makeup. Creating monsters, creatures, and cinematic effects became an artistic outlet for emotions she had long struggled to express. Her work on independent films soon reignited her love of acting, leading her to join SAG-AFTRA and establish herself within Boston's growing film community before relocating to Los Angeles in 2011.
After years in the entertainment industry, an unexpected opportunity led Kristina deep into the Peruvian Amazon, where she was invited to sit with a traditional shaman and drink Ayahuasca. What began as a journey of curiosity became a profound spiritual awakening that expanded her understanding of self, the natural world, and Spirit. An awakening that would pull her back to the East Coast and away from the film industry for several years.
Upon returning to the East Coast, Kristina earned her certification in herbalism through The Science and Art of Herbalism, developed by Rosemary Gladstar and taught by Rochelle Baca. As her relationship with plants continued to deepen, she found herself increasingly drawn toward a life of healing, service, and spiritual exploration.
Then, in June of 2020, the sudden loss of her brother brought Kristina into one of the darkest periods of her life. While on the edge of spiraling, a close friend invited her to Sedona, Arizona. There, during an intentional experience with psilocybin mushrooms, Kristina found herself coming back to life — reconnecting with a light that she was certain had burned out. The grief was not completely erased; however, the journey became a turning point that forever changed the course of her life.
Upon returning home from Arizona, Kristina became deeply committed to understanding the psilocybin mushroom and its relationship to Spirit. Determined to learn everything she could, she devoted herself to an intensive personal healing journey, sitting with the mushroom repeatedly as both student and seeker. With each experience, layers of grief, fear, and conditioning gradually fell away, revealing an increasingly embodied relationship with the Divine — a direct knowing that Spirit is present within all things, and that the mushroom serves as a sacred bridge to that remembrance. Feeling called to share the path that had so profoundly transformed her own life, Kristina founded Sacred Earth Sanctuary in 2021. She has now guided the growth of a community of nearly 400 members while continuing to hold space for individuals seeking deeper healing, authentic connection, and a more intimate relationship with Spirit.
Today, Kristina has returned to her professional career in film and television while continuing to lead Sacred Earth Sanctuary as its Founder and Head Minister. She believes both paths are rooted in the same purpose: to tell meaningful stories, foster transformation, and reconnect with the divine nature and wisdom we all carry within ourselves.