Alalaho offers a holistic psycho-spiritual approach to personal development which integrates the use of psychedelics and other transformational practices.
Our psilocybin-assisted retreats offer a safe, legal and supportive environment to experience a psychedelic journey, which can help you experience greater freedom, wholeness and creative flow. The psychedelic used at the retreats is the psilocybin-containing truffle, and the retreats take place in the Netherlands, where psilocybin truffles are legal.
We take great care to optimise the two key factors determining a psychedelic journey: set and setting. Our retreats are designed to prepare you to let go into a receptive, trusting state of mind (set), in an environment in which you can feel completely safe and supported (setting).
We include exercises and approaches from the Western clinical model, somatic and transpersonal psychology, as well as from ancient wisdom traditions across different cultures and times such as Buddhism and the shamanic lineages of the Americas.
You will:
Receive 1:1 guidance and support before and after the ceremony from our expert facilitators
Engage in preparation and integration activities before, during and after the retreat
Become part of a community by sharing the journey together with a group of like minded individuals
Be nurtured and nourished in a beautiful retreat venue, in nature, eating healthy, exquisite food
Our Approach: Opening and Deepening
The word Alalaho comes from the Tibetan Buddhist lineage and encapsulates the joy and wonder that arises when opening to what is, when embracing and celebrating all aspects of reality. It acknowledges the great Mystery, the immensity… and the simplicity of it all.
Alalaho is about cultivating this all-embracing attitude as a way of life, which happens through a continuous interplay of opening and deepening. Peak states, such as those experienced on psychedelics, can open us to what is important in life, and steer our course, but they alone aren’t enough to transform insights into lasting change. Our conditioning quickly lures us back into entrenched behaviours. To deepen the insights gained during a peak state into a new way of life, we must address what is blocking us from experiencing our full freedom, wholeness and potential.
We do so by attending to the various dimensions of our human experience: the relationship with ourselves, with others, with the natural world and the mystery of life. This is the underlying principle woven into all our work and every one of our retreats.
Retreat Types
Our retreats offer an accessible entrypoint into psychedelic and other forms of inner exploration and personal growth work. These retreats introduce you to the foundational pillars of our approach: relationship with self, relationship with others, relationship with nature, relationship with the Mystery.
They are available to all sufficiently mentally and physically healthy individuals, regardless of prior experience of psychedelic substances.
4 DAYS & 5 DAYS
Whether for our 4-day or 5-day retreat, we always begin the first full day with a late afternoon ceremony, meaning you will have had nearly 24 hours to properly land and feel safe, settled and connected to the place and the group. It also gives you space to prepare internally, to come into deeper contact with what is blocking you in your lives, and distil your intention for the ceremony.
On our 4-day retreat, you have an entire day after the psychedelic ceremony dedicated to integration. All our retreats have at least one full integration day, honouring the precious window of time when one is still open and bathing in the ‘afterglow’ of the experience. This is a crucial time to harvest the insights and start weaving them into our way of being.
On our 5 day retreats, we dedicate two full days to integration, because we believe that integration is really one of the most important keys and we want to support you to make the most of the window of opportunity in the ‘afterglow’ time. This format allows more space for the stillness and quiet that is actually so necessary for integration but that is often lacking in the hectic pace of modern life. It also gives you more time to further unpack and deepen any insights gained from the ceremony, through facilitator support and the various integration exercises on offer, the design of which is informed by the very best of personal and spiritual growth modalities.
What’s included?
PREPARATION SUPPORT
Giving due energy to preparation before the psychedelic journey not only reduces the possibility of anxiety and tension blocking the flow of the experience, it also enhances the probability of an enriched, deeper experience.
Ahead of each retreat, you will receive reading material and suggested exercises to support your preparation for the retreat.
One week before the retreat you will also have the opportunity to meet your lead facilitator and fellow participants via video call, allowing you to get to know each other and feel safe in the group, as well as ask any burning questions you might have.
On the retreat itself, we offer one-on-one sessions with the facilitators, and individual and group activities to help you feel well prepared and supported, as well as safe and bonded with the group before stepping into the unknown.
INTEGRATION SUPPORT
In many ways, the journey only really begins when the psychedelic effect subsides.
In the days after the ceremony, we incorporate solo and group integration activities, and individual one-on-one sessions with the facilitators to give you the opportunity to explore the deeper nuances of your journey.
We also offer 3 weeks of integration support following the retreat – through group video calls as well as suggested exercises – to help you weave the insights from the retreat back into your everyday life.
GROUP EXERCISES & GROUP SUPPORT
On the retreat we can safely explore relating to one another in a held and loving space. Tremendous healing comes from being witnessed and accepted as who we are. The group is also a major resource in the integration process. In a society that hasn’t yet incorporated the use of psychedelics and other peak experiences into its fabric, the community of fellow retreat participants plays a central role as allies and companions on this extraordinary journey.
OPENING & DEEPENING
Peak states, such as those experiences on psychedelics, can open us to what is important in life, and steer our course, but they alone aren’t enough to transform insights into lasting change. Our conditioning quickly lures us back into entrenched behaviours. To deepen insights gained during a peak state into a new way of life, we must address what is blocking us from experiencing our free freedom, wholeness and potential.
To help you do so, we incorporate a variety of transformational practices aimed to equip you with the essential tools needed to navigate your ongoing journey:
Meditation and contemplative exercises
Movement and embodiment practices
Nature connection
Creative expression
Ritual and ceremony
Testimonials
The attention to integration was amazing, extremely impactful, and probably the main reason I’d recommend these retreats.
— Li, 32 years old
Every single thing was perfectly thought out and flowed beautifully. The facilitators were the most beautiful, intelligent, loving, compassionate people. The vegan food was delightful, nourishing, beautiful, every bite tasted like the most special food ever. I could not have dreamed that this retreat would be wonderful from the moment we arrived to the moment we left. It will stay with me for a very long time. I will do all I can do to keep it alive in my body and soul forever. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
— Jennifer, 52 years old
The retreat exceeded my expectations. It was life-changing. Very enjoyable, eye-opening and impactful. Full of love, connection, and good vibes. Extremely well organised and executed. A beautiful and brilliant experience.
— Frankie, 34 years old
A much needed break(through). Perfect to get me out of my head and into feeling and connection. I felt held and supported as well as challenged and the effects of this are rippling through my life as I’m writing this. Still many things to reflect upon and think through. Wish that everyone had the chance to do this once/year.
Submit an application to the Alalaho retreat programme. This information is essential in helping us support your safety and well-being.
EXPLORATION CALL
Schedule a complimentary call with us to explore whether a psychedelic journey is the right decision for you at this point in your life.
BOOK YOUR RETREAT
Choose your preferred retreat type and date.
BEGIN THE PREPARATION PROCESS
You will receive material and suggested exercises to support your preparation for the retreat. One week before the retreat there will be a video call for you to meet your lead facilitator and fellow participants.
ATTEND THE RETREAT
Let go of your usual duties and obligations and be held and supported as you set sail onto new shores, discovering yourself and the world in a whole new way!
EMBARK ON YOUR INTEGRATION JOURNEY
You will be supported for 3 weeks through a weekly group video call with your fellow participants and a senior facilitator as well as suggested exercises – to help you weave the insights from the retreat back into your everyday life.
I attended a four day retreat here. Everything is carefully considered and it feels very safe. The facilitators were so thoughtful and have tremendous compassion, knowledge and experience in a range of therapies and exercises. For instance, I don’t really think there is a natural energy one can pull up from the ground, pass though ones body and connect with sky energy – but when I did the exercises I felt it and I feel so much more connected to life and nature. The staff and the cooks put real love into their work. The vegan food was truly amazing, has to be mentioned and always served with beaming smiles. Indeed it was an integral part of the experience. I’ve had psychedelics previously but in this environment its a wholly different experience. The work of reflecting on ones life, hopes, fears, vulnerabilities and relationships lays the ground for a profound emotional experience. I feel that so many layers have been opened up to reveal emotions and energies within. Its opened my mind and freed my heart. Though everyone’s trip was different of course. Even without psychedelics the retreat would have been excellent. Before the retreat there is an on online group chat and after the retreat we are all in touch and message one another for support and to just share how we are integrating the experience back at home. So the learnings and joy continues. I hope you find this review useful.
Angelica Bottaro is a medical writer and researcher with a rich background in psychology and journalism. She holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Trent University and an Advanced Diploma in Journalism from Centennial College. Angelica has been a freelance writer since 2014, amassing bylines in various platforms like Very Well Health, The Good Men Project, MakeWell, and LymeTime among others. Although primarily a freelance writer, her educational background and career trajectory have positioned her as a voice in mental health discourse, highlighting systemic issues in mental health care through her writing.
John Wade
May 2, 2024 at 9:03 pmI attended a four day retreat here. Everything is carefully considered and it feels very safe. The facilitators were so thoughtful and have tremendous compassion, knowledge and experience in a range of therapies and exercises. For instance, I don’t really think there is a natural energy one can pull up from the ground, pass though ones body and connect with sky energy – but when I did the exercises I felt it and I feel so much more connected to life and nature. The staff and the cooks put real love into their work. The vegan food was truly amazing, has to be mentioned and always served with beaming smiles. Indeed it was an integral part of the experience. I’ve had psychedelics previously but in this environment its a wholly different experience. The work of reflecting on ones life, hopes, fears, vulnerabilities and relationships lays the ground for a profound emotional experience. I feel that so many layers have been opened up to reveal emotions and energies within. Its opened my mind and freed my heart. Though everyone’s trip was different of course. Even without psychedelics the retreat would have been excellent. Before the retreat there is an on online group chat and after the retreat we are all in touch and message one another for support and to just share how we are integrating the experience back at home. So the learnings and joy continues. I hope you find this review useful.
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