Plant Medicine Winter Wonderland Retreat - Banff, Alberta

Winter Wonderland Plant Medicine Retreat

Winter Wonderland Voyage

4-Day Plant Medicine Journey
Banff, Alberta - Canada
January 19 to January 22, 2024

PAST - CLOSED RETREAT

- we bridge the gap between ancient and modern teachings; mushrooms are a spiritual experience, not a clinical ego experience...

We provide the setting, guidance and expertise. Nature provides the medicine to enable you to experience the liberating power of awe and wonder, and most importantly the relief you seek.

We have known of the therapeutic and life transforming potential of psilocybin mushrooms since the 1950‘s. Now we have dozens of recent studies from diverse sources that affirm the unrivaled healing and life enhancing potential of psilocybin mushroom sessions in the right setting.

Unsure: Arrange a Call with Maia

Awaken Your Inner-Child:
Winter Wonderland Enchantments

Escape to the Winter Wonderland of Banff, Alberta where snow-draped landscapes whisper tales of enchantments. Discover a plant medicine retreat that combines the enchantment of childhood innocence with the profound healing power of nature.

Nature's Majestic Collaboration: Banff's Winter Wonderland serves as the perfect setting for profound transformation. Majestic mountains, frosted pines, and glistening lakes intertwine with the retreat's purpose, weaving a tapestry of nature's healing embrace. Within this harmonious collaboration, your spirit is free to soar and delve into the depth of self.

Transformative Practices: Explore the power of dyad communications, where intimate exchanges reveal profound insights. Participate in sharing circles, cultivating a supportive and non-judgmental space for personal growth. Experience breathwork, a practice that brings peace and clarity to the mind.

Stargazing Aurora Evening Hike: Led by a local professional guide, the stargazing hike is a moment of awe and reflection, where you discover the profound interconnectedness between the celestial realm and our own existence. It is a gentle reminder that we are but a small part of a vast, magnificent universe, urging us to relinquish our worries and immerse ourselves in the splendor that surrounds us.

Comfort Cottages: Accommodations offer the perfect balance of personal privacy and communal support. Shared cottages with private rooms, fostering an environment of connection and camaraderie among like-minded individuals. It's an opportunity to embark on this transformative journey together, supporting and inspiring one another along the way.

Nourishing Meals: Indulge in nourishing and delicious meals, specially designed to complement your journey. Each dish is thoughtfully prepared to tantalize your taste buds and support your body's natural detoxification process, enhancing the effects of the plant medicine.

Heart Opening Infusion Ceremony: Experience the benefits of ceremonial cacao. Allow the ancient wisdom of cacao to open your heart, creating a deeper connection with yourself and others, and fostering a sense of love, compassion, and unity.

Surrender to the whispers of the snowy landscapes, embrace the transformative energy that permeates the air, and join Maia on a journey that will forever leave an indelible mark on your soul. Register your place now and allow Winter Wonderland Banff to guide you towards profound self-discovery, healing, and an unveiling of your essence.

" It is not the young, rather the people in middle age who need to have an experience of numinous proportions to help negotiate the mental habits that have been cemented into their lives" - Carl G. Jung -

Banff Winter Wonderland, Alberta Plant Medicine Retreat

Revitalize the NewYear

- Making Your Decison -

When empathogens are sought out for their therapeutic or self-improvement effects, we are seeking liberation from our habituated ways of thinking and feeling that have hindered our ability to heal and evolve.

Empathogens work their power directly on our brain by allowing novel ways of communication between different parts of the brain; this allows for new ways of feeling and thinking. The setting potentiates or furthers the experience, presenting an opportunity for us to release with ease and perceive without judgement.

It is not only the plant or empathogen that opens up an individual to a wider range of experiences, but also the direction, content and overall quality of the experiences to be focused and enhanced with guidance.

The presence of knowledgeable guides greatly facilitates the probability of reaching expanded levels of consciousness, while also 'recalling and integrating' the experiences afterwards.

Many people who want to have a spiritual or an entheogenic experience using an empathogen or psychedelic, do not know how to reach and stay open to their various levels of consciousness presented to them during an experience. It is invaluable to be with experienced guides to both support you and have the ability to reunite you with clarity.

Informative 1-Hour Video >

In the stillness of a snow-covered landscape, psilocybin whispers secrets of innocence lost and found, gently guiding us back to a place of childlike curiosity and unadulterated joy.

Friday:

✹

5 p.m

Arrival to Lodge

Room Assignment

Get Cozy

5:30 to 6:30 p.m

Orientation

Meet Your Facilitators

Educational History

6:30 p.m

Cacao Heart Opening

Dyad Communication

8 p.m Dinner

Scrumptious Vegetarian

9 p.m to 10 p.m

Sharing Circle

Campfire w/Mushroom Teas

Saturday:

✹

9 a.m

Conscious Breathing

Intention Setting

Open-Mind Preparation

10 a.m to 4 p.m

Begin Session Journey

Blind-Fold Experience

Nature Appreciation Play

{approximately 6 hours}

5 p.m to 6 p.m

Individual Time

Conscious Communication

6:30 p.m Dinner

Delicious Pescaterian

8 p.m to 10 p.m

Sharing Circle

Game Night

Sunday:

✹

9 a.m

Conscious Breathing

Intention Setting

Open-Mind Preparation

10 a.m to 4 p.m

Begin Session Journey

Blind-Fold Experience

Nature Appreciation Play

(approximately 6 hours)

5 p.m to 6 p.m

Individual Time

Conscious Communication

6:30 p.m Dinner

Resto Dining In Banff

8 p.m to 11 p.m

Star Gazing Rockies

Professional Guide

Monday:

✹

9 a.m

Energy Flow

Wake-up Central Nervous System

10 a.m

Breakfast of Champions

- Integration Coaching

- Maintaining Peace

- Maintaining Spiritual Maturity

Embodying and Understanding

- Psychedelic Experience

- Daily Practices

- Micro-dosing

What Extra to Bring:

Backpack w/water bladder

Winter Hiking Boots - Winter Attire - Layers - Pants (no jeans)

Choose a retreat with guides who can navigate their own altered states, because only then, can they know how to assist navigating your own.

Connect to Wholeness

We do indeed live in a wondrous and enchanting world, but for many of us the wonder and enchantment has faded or even, disappeared entirely. When this happens we lose our deeper connection to spirit and our sense of wholeness to life and the world.

This can happen due to emotional and physical trauma, anxiety, depression, personal loss, a dysfunctional cultural environment, relationship changes, perpetual suffering or unrelenting stress. We also live in a world that is desensitising and changing at a breakneck pace.

As a result of any combination of the foregoing, we lose our connection to the deeper aspects of our being; our spirit wanes and we feel fragmented and often times, can even feel lost.

In a state of wholeness we:

are confident in our life path.
have an enhanced ability to concentrate.
feel exuberant about life in general.
experience a deep and fulfilling gratitude.
have more compassion and empathy.
feel a profound connection to the universe.
feel a deeper connection to spirit.
are no longer hobbled by tragedies of our personal history or conceptual hang-ups.

Find the relief to restore your sense of wholeness, reinvigorate life and renew your vision of yourself and the world - returning home with a long-lasting, permanent shift. We are confident in our method and approach we offer and, we look forward to being the journey with you to Reclaim Your Life.

Psilocybin, like a soft snowflake on our consciousness, opens up new pathways of perception - allowing us to rediscover the beauty and purity of innocence that lays within us, often neglected and unseen.

Inner Healing Intelligence

Our aim is to connect you with your inherent capacity for healing and personal growth, empowering you to take charge of your own journey towards well-being. By tapping into our Inner Healing Intelligence, we can navigate through turbulent and challenging emotional processes with greater ease and find resolutions.

The human body displays a remarkable ability to heal itself, evidenced by how cuts and bruises naturally mend over time. Similarly, our psyche possesses its own innate healing intelligence and potential, which can be revealed through the use of psychedelic medicine.

Plant Medicine offers a glimpse into the profound capabilities of our mind to heal and evolve, providing incomparable insights. By expanding consciousness and tapping into these plant allies, we can cultivate a deep appreciation for the profound interplay between ourselves, others and the environment leading to a greater desire for a harmonious coexistence.

Set and Setting

The "set" encompasses various aspects of an individual's life, including their current life circumstances, personal beliefs, thought patterns, and overall internal makeup. The "setting" refers to the external factors, such as the people one is with, the physical location, and the overall environment in which the psychedelic medicines are consumed.

Recognizing the importance of both set and setting, we understand that they play a crucial role in optimizing the overall experience for the journeyed voyager. By carefully curating the set and setting, we aim to create an environment that enhances self-awareness and facilitates a deep exploration of the uncharted corridors within oneself.

We strive to create an enriching and transformative journey that guides individuals towards aspects of themselves that may have otherwise been overlooked or neglected.

Transformation Support

Open communication is strongly encouraged when addressing any intense emotions, fears, or concerns that may arise during your psychedelic experience. The concepts encountered during a visionary voyage can be intricate and may require skilled guidance for proper interpretation and understanding.

The process of psychedelic guiding unfolds in three stages: preparation, experience, and integration. Each of these stages deserves thoughtful attention in order to enhance the potential for a positive and transformative outcome.

To ensure your well-being and support your journey, we provide a platform for open dialogue and encourage you to ask questions both before, during, and after your psychedelic spirit journey. It is our goal to create a safe space where you can freely express your thoughts and experiences, enabling us to provide the assistance and guidance you need throughout the entire process.

Personality is a strategy devised by a child. Our true, original self lays under our personality, in the trans-personal ground of our being, at our core.

Release Old Behaviors

Empathogenic experiences enabled by plant medicines such as psilocybin mushrooms have unequivocally demonstrated unrivaled efficacy in the treatment of these conditions.

Freedom from PTSD
Unshackle Trauma
Overcome Alcoholism
Alleviate Depression
Narcotic Addictions
Suicidal Idealization
Relationship Issues

Ease Anxiety
Obsessive Compulsions
Mitigate Eating Disorders
Anti-social Behavior
Loosen Grip of Terminal Illness
Address Mortality Fears
Undesirable Habits in General

Our method of guidance is based on the principle of inner healing intelligence. As a result, we adopt a non-directive approach allowing for organic guidance to unfold. Over the years psychedelic guides have discovered, like the body, the mind possesses an innate ability to heal. However, for mental-emotional conditions an external catalyst is often needed to initiate this transformational process.

Our non-directive setting creates a space where advice-giving is set aside and the participant's own insights take center stage. Our goal is to empower the 'explorer' to uncover profound discoveries about themselves, with minimal interference or influence from our end.

We feel the true integration of the explorer's experience occurs after their journey. allowing them the freedom to fully process and internalize the insights gained. This is where us, as your guide, will actively engage in the integration process by facilitating open discussions, providing guidance and encouraging reflection.

Our suggestions at the right moment, may help you make a pivotal discovery or retain and important insight.

You Want a Retreat to: Revolutionize Your Story!

Maia's Message to You:
"Sacred mushrooms are the most promising safe entheogens to re-enter our culture."

Plant medicines are and can be the direct source needed to renew and restore an individual's connection to wholeness, while also inspiring their own health of being. Empathogens can and do relax the mind chatter to enhance our ability to approach and respond to life without egoistic patterns or misguided unconscious mental states of blame, shame, guilt, embarrassment, avoidance or judgement.

As a voyager, you are not having a drug experience, but rather, learning how to become open to your own inner worlds, reunite with one's self and make use of a vast range of experiences prior, during and after your journey.

As your guides, we offer our unique complimenting skills to know the terrain, sense where you are in your journey and be able to advise or caution you where it is deemed appropriate. We serve as a steady and supportive presence; we understand our authenticity and awareness are an integral part of creating a warm and inviting set and setting and is, instrumental in having you feel safe and secure to transcend deeper heights of consciousness.

We recognize we are doing sacred work and the importance of establishing a sincere relationship. We honor the trust you've placed in us to ensure you do have a transcendent experience based in compassion, healing, kindness and love.

Like freshly fallen snow, psilocybin gently blankets our minds, melting away the layers of cynicism and reconnecting us with the innocence and wonder of the world.

What makes Vita Retreats unique?

Embark on a remarkable journey of self-exploration and growth led by Maia, a seasoned guide and facilitator with over 30 years of experience in organized self-guided, intimate and group psychedelic exploration retreats. Together, you will venture into the realms of healing and evolution, guided by Maia's expertise as a hermetic initiate, holistic cognitive therapist, psychedelic facilitator, and spiritual mentor.

Empowering Personal Journey: With Maia's complementary attributes and wealth of knowledge, her retreats offer a unique opportunity for renewal, refreshment, healing, and evolutionary growth. Through her guidance, you can experience powerful shifts in perceptions and develop healthier relationships that align with your true self.

Unlocking Transformation: Maia's extensive experience with various altering substances and emotional receptors, such as psilocybin (mushrooms), LSD, Ayahuasca, Changa, MDMA, Shamanic Rapé, DMT, and Salvia Divinorum, has revealed the potential of psychedelics to release cultural conditioning, trauma, addiction, and mental setbacks. Discover the potential for new neural imprints and behaviors that can lead to enhanced clarity and empowered decision-making in your life.

Witnessing Healing and Release: Maia has witnessed the benefits of empathogens in releasing deeply embedded emotional addictions and challenging societal programming. She has also been witness to the healing and release of oppressed trauma, substance abuse, and various emotional and mental states, including depression, eating disorders, Tourette Syndrome, post-traumatic stress, and anxiety.

Expert Guidance and Support: With Maia as your guide and mentor, you can trust in her extensive experience and wisdom gained from 30 years of personal explorations. She is dedicated to creating a safe and nurturing environment for your inner journey, offering a resource of knowledge, inspiration, and support throughout your retreat experience.

Childhood Innocence Awakens: In Banff's embrace, the retreat channels the spirit of innocence from days gone by. This special place resonates with Maia's heart, creating an atmosphere that effortlessly brings out the wonder and curiosity of childhood – a magical energy that permeates every aspect of the experience.

Journey of Synergy: The dance between nature and plant medicine creates a remarkable synergy. Banff's pristine landscapes, untouched by time, harmonize effortlessly with the profound healing potential of the plant medicine experience. This harmonious fusion amplifies the transformative effects, allowing you to surrender, heal, and rediscover your true essence.

Experience the power of psychedelics as tools for self-discovery and liberation, under the guidance of a trusted facilitator who is committed to your well-being and evolution. life has been that of a scholar, with a drive for information, deeper understanding and deeper connections, while freeing the minds of humanity from bondage and suffering.

Maia, a seasoned and esteemed guide, has personally guided thousands of individuals, just like you, in transforming their lives and altering their perspectives and relationships with themselves and the world. In addition, she collaborates with a team of experienced co-hosts and facilitators who bring their expertise and support to the transformational process. Together, they will assist you in unlearning, acquiring, remembering, and developing the skill-set needed to fully embrace the life that's waiting for you.

For our sanity to be strong and flexible, we must be willing to allow for occasional expressions of spontaneous movement and action.