A good preparation is 1/3 of the work. People who take care for a decent preparation have better chances of having a life-changing experience. If you follow these 7 steps you have a head start already.
Prepare yourself for your psilocybin retreat
The extent to which you take your personal preparation seriously is of great influence on the whole experience. From our 20 years of experience doing our retreats in the Nature Temple, we've noticed time and time again that people who take their preparation seriously have often a more easy inner journey and they benefit from long-lasting changes. Over the years we have talked to many participants of our retreats and discussed with them which self-care tools are most helpful to prepare for a retreat. With these 7 steps we help you to make the most of the experience.
Step 1: Take care for practical things
So you are going on a retreat, great! First arrange all the practical details like travel and transportation, parking or pick-up, time schedules and so on. This is also the time to think about your special diet and communicate it with the organization. Ask about the accommodation and make a list of things to bring.
Step 2: Set an intention
We always say 'the ceremony has started on the moment you signed in for it'. Take time to feel and explore attentively where you stand and wonder what this retreat can mean for you. Step back and take a look at your current lifestyle. Where are there pockets of negativity that you can reduce or stimulate in preparation for your journey? Your own attention is what activates the transformation. Make time to tune into your intention, it helps to be in nature and find stillness inside. You might find that your intention might shift in the months before the retreat starts, that's okay.
Step 3: Clean your house
Most likely you aim to mark some kind of new beginning by coming to this retreat, that's wonderful. It helps if you prepare things well and tidy at home before you leave. Returning to a clean and welcome home after the retreat will support your fresh start. What also can be helpful is use the time to finish (work) projects so that your head is free from your endless things to do list.
Step 4: Relax
The retreat is coming near, so you intensify your self-care. Relaxation is of great importance. The more you can make space (in your mind and in your body) the better you are prepared. So make sure you've had enough sleep in the weeks before your ceremony starts. Do stuff that makes you feel relaxed and gives you a clear mind. Do things that make you feel uncluttered. Some might do yoga, listen to nice music, others enjoy a walk through nature to achieve this state of being or practice mind-fullness. Just go with what works for you.
Step 5: Eat healthy
When it comes to food stay with the healthy stuff. Depending on the kind of psychedelic retreat you are attending the diet will be different. Ask the organization for the food suggestions. If you attend a psilocybin retreat the diet is not very strict but it is still important to make concious food choices. At least 1 week before attending the ceremony it's advised to avoid the following; alcohol, drugs, meat, very sweet or fat foods.
Step 6: No sex
What?!? Why?? We advise you to have less/no sexual interaction the week before and after the retreat. This helps you to stay centred in yourself. The point of a psychedelic preparation is that you get as close as possible to your core being. That you peel off all the layers you possibly can peel off yourself before your retreat starts. This way you make the road free for the sacred plants to bring you deeper into your core being. Sex is farout the most intertwining experience you can have, which brings you closer to the other.
Step 7: Don't let the doubts take control
Having doubts when the date starts to come nearer? This is a very common feeling almost everyone to a greater or lesser extent will experience. In most cases it's a sign that the ceremony is already starting to work, and you're getting out of your comfort zone. A journey with the use of mind expanding substances is like a jump in the unknown, no one can predict what you will experience. This can cause a natural sense of tension and calls us to practice trust. It’s only when you realize you don’t know, that real learning begins, possibilities open up, and wisdom can come in. Especially if it's your first time or you are the kind of person who has the habit to be guided by fear and doubts, a psychedelic coach can be very helpful.
The last thing you can do to prepare for your psilocybin retreat
Is letting it all go.... When the ceremony starts you say one last time what your intention is, speak it out loud, bring it into this dimention, make other people your withness in the transformation you aim to make. If the facilitators do not offer you the opportunity to do so, do it in silence within yourself. And than,... let it all go! Let go of all your intentions, expectations, memories of testimonials of other people, information from documentaries and podcasts, let it all go. Just be in the moment, open for whatever the plant medicines want to show you. Surrender and enjoy!
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