ESSENTIYA Retreats

WELCOME TO ESSENTIYA

The ESSENTIYA team creates a safe, homely and non-judgemental space for groups of up to 12 people to do psycho-spiritual healing work with the assistance of psilocybin truffles during 3- and 4-day retreats. Psilocybin truffles are legal in The Netherlands. Our retreats are primarily German-language, however we do also run some international (English-language) retreats. The cost for a 3-day retreat is €2,500 all-inclusive, including pre- and post-retreat therapeutic support. Please visit the ESSENTIYA website for more information and dates. 

Psychedelics like psilocybin (the psychoactive compound in ‘magic mushrooms’) and DMT (the key ingredient in ayahuasca), used respectfully and intelligently, are a powerful tool for healing. As reported in the peer reviewed literature by research leaders like MAPS (the Multi-Disciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies), Johns Hopkins and Imperial College London, they can significantly improve outcomes in those struggling with treatment-resistant depression, alcohol and drug addiction, and PTSD where conventional interventions have had little success.

Even people with no significant mental illness have shown profoundly improved psychological functioning - better emotional regulation, cognition, interpersonal closeness, a sense of purpose or meaning in life, social engagement, coping - in essence, a holistic transformation in wellbeing. You can read more about the potential of psychedelics, and the safety protocols we use, in this article.

AT THE HEART OF EACH RETREAT IS A GROUP PSILOCYBIN CEREMONY

Before and after the ceremony, we hold various workshops to support the process of turning inwards. As director of ESSENTIYA’S body-breath-mind programming, I teach all our guests calming, grounding, trauma-sensitive body-breath-mind practices to help them get the best out of their experiences. 

Each guest is medically screened by our retreat psychotherapist, as there are some contra-indications to working with psilocybin, and she is on site during the retreats. We also offer significant support - including psychotherapeutic support - to our guests during the weeks and months before and after our retreats, as well as options for further integration work with our team over the longer term, at extra cost. 

  • “I wanted to thank you for everything that you have done for me. A doctor, years ago, told me that I would have asthma for the rest of my life, and it gave me a mindset that cursed me for years. I was always thinking, what if I really have a problem with my lungs? And this idea stayed in my body. But all the preparation for the retreat - finding out what meditation, yoga and breathwork can do for you - was a blessing. I realised I definitely don’t have asthma. And at some point during my journey, something in my chest popped open. I was able to release something from my body completely and I can breathe freely again. I couldn’t be happier.”

    Andreas S. Heilbronn, Germany, retreat guest in 2021.

  • "I cannot put into words how grateful I am for you, the truffles, your work, your courage and this retreat experience... For lack of a better word: THANK YOU! I am seriously thinking about suggestions for improvement, but I can't think of anything. The dramaturgy, the flow of the individual sequences, the creation of a safe space was all on point for me."

    Lena P., Ansbach, Germany, retreat guest in 2021.

  • "My expectations were exceeded and I can't really think of anything to improve. I really hope that you manage to maintain this 'quality' in the future and also this personal and intimate atmosphere, which created so much security. Because during my trip as well as in retrospect this was integral to my having a 'good' or safe trip. Key point: set and setting. I also really liked the introduction of the ceremony (with the individual 'greetings'). I never had the impression that too much was told/explained or it got a 'too spiritual' touch."

    René Freyer, Berlin, retreat guest in 2021.

  • "Everything was wonderful. The journey was really well initiated by the facilitators and the preparatory exercises - meditating, yoga, breathwork, sharing circle - were effective tools to experience the journey as well as possible. Even more striking is the fact that the participants - despite not knowing each other and having different intentions for their trip - supported each other after a very short time and could also benefit from each other's experiences. This applies to the preparation as well as to the trip itself. And that creates an incredible trust in the whole retreat and the journey."

    Stijepan Sucic, Ulm, Germany, retreat guest in 2021.