Ancient Medicines & Sacred Space: A Guide for Conscious Retreat Leaders
Ancient plant and earth medicines have been used across cultures for thousands of years for deep healing, visioning, and transformation. Today, many modern retreats are embracing these medicines as tools for awakening, but only when facilitated with integrity, skill, and deep respect.
Some of the more commonly used plant and earth medicines include:
- Psilocybin Mushrooms - known for dissolving ego structures and offering insight when used ceremonially.
- Ayahuasca - a potent jungle brew offering emotional purging, ancestral healing, and spiritual messages.
- Ibogaine - often used for addiction treatment and known for its deep, long-lasting visionary states.
- Sassafras - a heart-opening plant medicine that supports connection, joy, and release.
- Bufo Toad (5-MeO-DMT) - one of the most intense and fast-acting experiences of ego dissolution.
- Mescaline (from Peyote or San Pedro)- revered for its heart-centered, visionary clarity and healing potential.
These experiences must be held with extreme care and training. It is crucial that unless you have gone through proper, formal facilitation training, you do not attempt to lead medicine ceremonies. Even if you have deep personal experience, being a participant is not the same as being a safe space holder.
In fact, Colorado is now opening up formal training pathways for those who want to legally and ethically facilitate psychedelic-assisted healing. Read more here.
That said, not all medicine retreats are psychedelic or intense. Many incorporate gentler plant allies like:
- PRapé (pronounced ha-PAY) - a sacred tobacco snuff used to ground and clear energy.
- Mapacho & ceremonial tobacco -used for protection, clarity, and prayer.
- Sage, mugwort, or herbal baths - cleansing rituals for the body and aura.
- Cacao - a gentle heart-opener that fosters emotional connection, warmth, and presence.
Regardless of the medicine, location, legal context, and energetic safety are key. You should only practice in countries or states where the medicine is legally permitted, and in spaces that energetically support the work being done.
This is where Sacred Ohms comes in. All of our venues are personally vetted for energetic alignment, privacy, and safety, making them ideal for sacred, transformative work. Whether you're leading a psilocybin ceremony in a forest lodge or a gentle rapé ritual in a desert yurt, we help you find a space that honors the medicine and supports your group.
Retreat leaders can explore medicine-friendly venues on our platform, confident that they are choosing a location that aligns with both the spirit and responsibility of the work.
Sacred work deserves sacred space. Let us help you find it.