Why a Psilocybin Wellness Retreat May Be Right for You Jeroslyn JoVonn - Black Enterprise
go to original August 22, 2023

Wellness is a natural part of travel. It helps to relax and recenter yourself while giving you a much-needed break from everyday life and responsibilities. But when was the last time you embarked on a travel adventure that was solely focused on your personal journey?

I went on my first wellness retreat this summer and walked away transformed and with more clarity and a better understanding of the healing on the other side of a mushroom trip. Yes, that’s right, I took part in a plant medicine experience courtesy of Sayulita Wellness Retreat, which included a guided psilocybin therapy session that was very intense but cathartic in all the right ways.

The thought of a mushroom trip might scare most people. But have you ever thought about the healing that’s on the other side of a guided plant medicine experience?

Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic produced by more than 200 species of fungi, according to the Alcohol and Drug Foundation in Australia. Also known as magic mushrooms or shrooms, the psychedelic drug is naturally occurring and consumed for hallucinogenic effects.

Views and uses for psilocybin have evolved in the 50-plus years since the United Nation’s 1971 convention ruling claiming it had no medicinal purpose. On July 1, Australia made a big step toward recognizing the medicinal elements of psilocybin by allowing authorized psychiatrists to prescribe medicines containing psilocybin to people experiencing treatment-resistant depression, ADF.org reports.

Psilocybin has been around for centuries, with links to many Indigenous communities around the world for over 1,000 years. Scientists in the 1950s and 1960s were in the process of researching how psychedelics could possibly treat anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and alcohol dependence. Despite promising findings, by the late 1960s, the U.S. banned all psychedelics. Most of the world followed suit.

Now, we’re seeing a re-emergence of interest in the use of psychedelics, particularly those of psilocybin or magic mushrooms. Recent studies have found psilocybin to contain anti-depressant and anti-anxiety properties that can last for several months.

It can also be helpful in the treatment of nicotine and alcohol addictions and is considered to give patients a new perspective on life, leaving them with new emotional and information pathways.

Like most psychedelics, there are risks, as noted by the New York Times. Psilocybin can cause changes in mood, perception, and thoughts. It can also worsen symptoms of certain mental conditions like personality disorders and schizophrenia.

Research also shows that psychedelics might increase the chance of negative side effects for some physical health conditions, like heart and liver disease.

But that’s where a psilocybin retreat comes in since psychedelic therapy should always take place under professional supervision to reduce risks. After my experience at Sayulita Wellness Retreat in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, I gained a better understanding of just how transformative a guided mushroom trip could be for those who qualify. Because again... it’s not for everybody.

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Related: Reset, Restore and Find Presence With the Power of Mushroom Therapy (Sayulita Wellness Retreat)