Healing Plants in Today's World
Psychoactive plants such as mushrooms (psilocybin), ayahuasca (DMT) and cacti (mescaline) have been used by humans for millenia. They are still an integral part of many native cultures for traditional healing and well-being. Some native American tribes are exempt from the ban on the use of the peyote cactus and in the state of Texas it is legal to sell peyote. Ayahuasca has been fully legal in Brazil since 1992. Several states in the United States have decriminalised and legalised the supervised use of psilocybin over the past few years.
At universities across the globe research is currently being conducted on the therapeutic use of psychedelics, and more and more countries are opening up for the use of powerful teacher plants in therapeutic settings. Please see below for further reading.
Darkness
Retreating into darkness is another option that is well suited for people who don't want to or who can't because of medical reasons use teacher plants, or for people who wish to go one step further in their personal development. Darkess is a really interesting approach to mental and physical health and healing in that it requires a certain amount of self discipline and inner strength. In my personal experience, it is challenging, yet wonderful, and it opens your heart and eyes in a way I hadn't thought possible. See the page Darkness for more information.
Our Approach
Our aim is to provide a safe setting where you can let go fully and lean into extraordinary experiences with expanded counsiousness or darkness. I believe deeply in each person’s innate ability to self-heal given the right environment, and I don't see my role as that of a healer. Rather I wish to hold space for you, so you can find your own way.
Facilitators are often called "guides", but in the words of Wolfson and Mithoefer (A Manual for MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy in the Treatment of Anxiety Associated with a Life-Threatening Illness, 2015) the facilitator's role is often to follow rather than to guide - that is to say that wherever the participant is going on their journey, the facilitator will follow, often doing nothing other than providing the safe space, maybe holding a hand when necessary. If things do get challenging during a journey with teacher plants, which they sometimes do because we hold a lot of trauma and unprocessed feelings inside, an experienced guide will be there by your side at all times to gently guide you in a more productive and healing direction.
My team and I provide individual sessions and group retreats (darkness is always done alone), as I find that each approach has its place when it comes to personal healing and growth.
Retreats for Healing and Personal Growth in Spain
Individual Sessions Vs. Group Retreats
(Darkness is discussed on its own page).
An individual session lets you focus on you and just you. Whatever brings you to teacher plants and breathwork, an individual session will allow you to make the most of your journey, and you will be able to connect deeply with your inner self.
Group retreats allow you to go inwards too, but the focus is also on connection with the group and with nature.
Couple/friends/family retreats make it possible for you to share this with someone(s) you love and wish to share this path with. We can organise a group retreat or 2-to-1 retreat depending on your wishes. Add the luxury of a couple's massage / massage for 2 to make the most of this experience.
On the FAQ page you can see an overview of all the services we offer, from sessions without an overnight stay to luxurious 4 day retreats for two with a relaxing massage included. There is something for every budget.
Set and Setting
Set and setting refer to your mindset when you do a session or ceremony with altered states of consciousness and the setting in which it takes place, and it may be the most important aspect of a productive journey with a positive outcome. A New Day Retreats can help you prepare emotionally for the experience and we provide a safe setting where you can let go fully.
Screening
There are screening protocols in place in form of an online questionnaire to make sure this will be a safe, enriching and overall positive experience for you. People with certain health conditions such as bipolar disorder or a history of psychosis, or people with heart conditions are not advised to partake in this type of activity. If you wish to discuss your circumstances, don't hesitate to be in touch. You can also read more about safety in the FAQ section.
Risks
Please note that there are inherent short-term and long-term risks involved when taking this type of plants (as there are when you engage with prescription drugs or legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco). Some risks involved when taking teacher plants include physical reactions like elevated blood pressure and heart rate, as well as psychological ones such as hallucinations, sensory distortions, psychosis and suicidality.
According to Marc B. Aixalá in the book Psychedelic Integration (2022, p. 40), adverse reactions and psychotic experiences were rare in healthy volunteers, at 0.8 per 1000 perticipants and 1.8 per 1000 for psychiatric patients (citing Cohen's study from 1960). He also mentions that the further away a person is from an ideal physical and psychological health, the more support they wil need (p. 42).
You can read more and inform yourself about risks, as well as the myriad of benefits, in the Further Reading section below.
Small, independent, female run busines
You will find lots of choice when it comes to this type of retreat in Spain. Some are large, international businesses that have hundreds of people coming through every month. With A New Day Retreats you are not just a number, and you will feel that from the moment you arrive. Everything about your retreat will be tailored to your needs and preferences in a way that can only be done when you choose a small, independently run business.
Futher Reading:
John Hopkins University
https://hopkinspsychedelic.org/
Imperial College London
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/psychedelic-research-centre/
Stanford
https://med.stanford.edu/spsg.html
MAPS
https://maps.org/our-research/
Watch:
The series ”How to Change Your Mind” on Netflix is also an interesting introduction to the topic.