Mantra & Medicine weekend retreat~ Spirit of the Earth

As the leaves turn golden and the air grows crisp, autumn invites us to slow down and reflect. In this weekend retreat, we gather to embrace the season of transformation and harvest in one of the most beautiful retreat centres of Brabant, surrounded by forest. A place to reconnect with the wisdom and spirit within, where you can breathe deeply and just be.

In our Mantra & Medicine retreat we want to reconnect you to the mystical aspect of life and help you discover your deeper spiritual essence. Each retreat offers a full program of guided practices and rituals, such as Chanting, Soundhealing, Breathwork and Bodywork, designed to align with the unique energies of different seasons and cultures. As musicians, we infuse our retreats with the power of music and the music we incorporate aligns with these seasonal themes, allowing us to dive deeply into specific parts of ourselves.

⏀ Sweatlodge
As you arrive at our Mantra & Medicine weekend, we start our journey with a sweatlodge ceremony as the first part of our program. A sweatlodge is an ancient ritual practiced by many indigenous cultures worldwide. This powerful purification process symbolizes rebirth and a deeper connection to Mother Earth. It takes place in a small, enclosed space. The hut is built from willow branches and covered with blankets or hides to create a dark, enclosed environment. Before the ceremony begins, a ritual takes place in which a fire is lit outside the hut. Stones are then placed into the fire and they are heated until they are glowing hot.
After the ritual you will have some time to prepare yourself. When the ceremony starts you enter the hut (usually naked, but you are free to wear something if you feel more comfortable that way. In the hut it’s completely dark) Once inside, you sit in a circle around a shallow pit in the center, where the hot stones are placed. During the ceremony there will be multiple moments where water is poured over the stones, creating steam and intense heat.

During the ceremony, prayers are spoken, songs are sung, and there are moments of silence and meditation. This is a ritual of purification and serves as a way to cleanse the body and spirit of negative energies and toxins.

⎑ Silent sitting
In this collective morning meditation, we join together as one, creating a powerful and harmonious energy field. The shared stillness invites us to hear the language spoken by our soul as we allow ourselves to be fully present.

⍙ Movement practice
This Saturday morning movement session focuses on energising the body and cultivating a heightened awareness of the subtle energies that flow within. We will explore gentle and intentional movement to open up our system in preparation for the evening ceremony.

⏁ Ceremonial singing circle ~ Cacao & Microdosing 
On Saturday evening we come together for the highlight of this weekend: The ceremonial singing circle. On this night we combine three beautiful tools for transformation: Cacao, Mantras and Magic Truffles. The micro/ minidose that will be offered to you during the ceremony contains between 1 and 2 grams of fresh truffles with a possible second serving. You will be free to choose in the moment the amount that calls you most. We choose to serve a micro/mini dose because our goal here is to cultivate a collective energy, opening up to the music and connecting deeply with oneself and others. In this way we can still be fully present.
The fusion of singing and altered states of consciousness is a tale as old as human history. Indigenous cultures and ancient civilisations understood that the voice could carry intentions and prayers, to the divine realms. It can tap into the depths of one’s feelings, revealing layers of suppressed emotions or unspoken truths and explore our innermost sensations.

In this ‘Spirit of the Earth’ retreat we will connect with the musical and spiritual traditions of Central and South America, and we sing songs in Spanish, Portuguese, Native American and English. Medicine songs hold boundless healing power, they are prayers and invocations that carry the wisdom and healing energies of their cultures. Some of these songs have been a part of ancient cultures for as long as we know, and have been used to bring balance, healing and restoration. They celebrate the cycles of life, the beauty of creation, and the interconnectedness of all beings. They honour the elements—earth, water, fire, and air—and the spirits that inhabit them and they serve as reminders of our intrinsic relationship with the natural world and the divine forces that guide us.

You can read more about our ‘Spirit of the Earth’ theme, listen to our music and get a feel for it here ⇣
Spirit of the Earth thema

⏄ Breathwork
Breath is the essence of life, an involuntary action that sustains us from the moment we are born. In each of our events, we invite different experts in Wim Hof, Conscious connected breathing or Psychedelic Breath. Breathwork is a practice that harnesses the power of conscious, controlled breathing to influence our mental, emotional, and physical states. It encourages the release of suppressed emotions, offering a cathartic experience. This can aid in addressing unresolved issues and fostering emotional well-being. It also improves your immune system, eliminates toxins from the body and enhances your lung capacity.

The experiences and insights gained on the previous day can stir up emotions and feelings. The Sunday morning Breathwork session provides a safe and supportive environment for releasing any residual emotional blockages and helps you leave with a sense of emotional clarity.

⏀ About Cacao
Cacao ceremonies originate all the way back to Mayan and Aztec traditions in central and south America. Cacao opens the heart and allows for a deeper, authentic love based connection with yourself, others, the earth and all of life.
Read everything about ceremonial Cacao here ↓
More info

⏃ About Magic Truffles
The micro/minidose we serve in the ceremony is between 1/20 and 1/5 of a full ‘journey’ dose, depending of course on the dose you decide to take. This range is carefully chosen to support a subtle, yet profound experience. It helps you to fully feel everything that is alive in you with a more heightened state of awareness. This allows you to attune to the communal energy and the power of the songs.
Feel free to contact us in case you have no experience with plant medicine, or in case you have any questions!

Read everything about psychedelics, and magic truffles here ↓
More info

⏁ About Mantra Chanting
A mantra is a sound or a vibration that becomes very powerful when you repeat it. Singing the ancient words with subtle intentions help you to reach a deep state of meditation. By simply repeating the mantras, you can disconnect from your thoughts. The mantra becomes more abstract so it can lead you into a place of pure consciousness. Each mantra with its different sound has another effect on the human psyche. The sound vibrations penetrate every cell of the body. When we sing these mantras together in a group, a profound sense of unity and connection arises. The harmonious sounds created by everyone, are felt deeply within and help you raise your vibration. When we sing with others, blending our voices, we start listening more attentively, feeling the energy of the group trying to find harmony. As everyone synchronises their breathing, and thereby the beating of their hearts, singing in unison, a bond forms and feeling of completeness surrounds us.