April Retreat | Ancestra — Psilocybin Immersion in Jamaica

What participants often carry home

We make no promises about outcomes — each person's experience is their own. But here is what participants often describe in the weeks and months that follow.

A deeper connection to your body and nervous system

Not just as an insight, but as a lived, felt sense you can return to.

Greater clarity and self-trust

Many participants describe a quieting of the inner noise that had been obscuring what makes people feel the most like themselves.

A grounded understanding of psilocybin and integration

Not a one-time experience, but an introduction to psilocybin as a teacher that can be engaged with over a lifetime.

A sense of belonging

A feeling of deep community and finally coming home.

Tools to continue the work long after the retreat ends

The retreat is just the beginning, not a conclusion. You leave with a practical framework for carrying what surfaced into your actual life.

"Above all, Ancestra invites you to move through the world differently: gently, consciously, and in right relationship."

"Working with Maria was truly one of the most magical and deeply impactful experiences of my life. From the moment I met her I felt safe, seen, and gently held in a way that allowed me to fully surrender to the journey. Her presence is grounded, intuitive, and incredibly compassionate. During my medicine journey, I was able to access parts of myself that had felt stuck and grieving for years. Maria helped me meet those parts with tenderness and I experienced a level of healing and release that I hadn't been able to reach through other modalities. The experience wasn't just powerful in the moment — it has continued to unfold and integrate in meaningful ways months after. I am profoundly grateful for her heart and her light."

— Hillary

What the Science Says

Many healthy participants described their psilocybin experience as one of the most meaningful events of their lives, with lasting positive changes

Over 60% rated the experience among the top 5 most meaningful of their lives. At 14 months, 58% continued to rate it among the top 5.
64% said it increased their sense of well-being or life satisfaction.
The majority reported positive changes in attitudes and behavior, sustained well beyond the acute period.

Griffiths et al. (2006). Psychopharmacology, 187(3), 268–283.

Psilocybin therapy worked as well as — and in some ways slightly better than — a common antidepressant for people with major depression

70% of participants in the psilocybin group responded to treatment at 6 weeks.
57% of the psilocybin group were in remission at 6 weeks.
Psilocybin showed greater improvement on several secondary depression measures.

Carhart-Harris et al. (2021). New England Journal of Medicine, 384(15), 1402–1411.

Most people with major depression who received psilocybin therapy felt significantly better within a month

About 71% showed a clinically significant response at 4 weeks.
About 54% were in remission at 4 weeks.
The antidepressant effect size was large (Cohen's d ≈ 2.5).

Davis et al. (2021). JAMA Psychiatry, 78(5), 481–489.

Most people treated with psilocybin for depression were still feeling significantly better one year later

75% maintained a treatment response at 12 months.
58% remained in remission at 12 months.
No serious adverse events were reported related to psilocybin.

Gukasyan et al. (2022). Journal of Psychopharmacology, 36(2), 151–158.

People facing life-threatening cancer experienced major relief from anxiety and depression after psilocybin treatment, and the benefits lasted for months

67% rated the experience among the most meaningful of their lives.
Approximately 80% showed significant reductions in depression and anxiety at 6 months.
About 60–80% met criteria for sustained clinical response at follow-up.

Griffiths et al. (2016). Journal of Psychopharmacology, 30(12), 1181–1197.

A peek into the retreat

We intentionally structure the week to support the neuroplastic window that opens during and after psilocybin journeys, using that time wisely to anchor insight into embodied change. Instead of chasing peak states, Ancestra supports you in cultivating positive, durable baseline traits. This process is at the same time ceremonial, relational, and educational.

Three psilocybin ceremonies, tiered in dose — microdose, low dose, full dose — with full participant autonomy around dosage and participation at every stage

Daily integration circles to process and ground what arises

Somatic practices and nervous system education

Reflection frameworks drawing from PCT, Liberation Psychology, and Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Daily movement, meditation, yoga, and breathwork

Live and curated ceremonial music throughout ceremonies

Collaborative workshops and teachings

Land-based learning and cultural education rooted in place and lineage

You are not passive here. You are participating in a living process of remembering.

The arc of the week

Here is what each day holds. The structure is intentional, preparing you for what follows. Nothing here is rushed.

Day 1

Arrival

You arrive and settle in. The day is restorative by design, with gentle breathwork, mindfulness, and meditation to help you land fully in your body and in this place. There is no agenda beyond presence. This is the beginning of slowing down.

Evening: Welcome gathering and orientation

Day 2

Land + Microdose Ceremony

Our first ceremony begins, as you meet the medicine in a gentle manner with a microdose. This will help you build a relationship with the medicine before diving too deep. A 15-minute walk from the retreat center brings you to a bat cave with a natural cold spring pool beneath it, and the ocean just beyond. Today is for connection: with the land, with local culture and community, and with the medicine.

Full day: Land walk, cold spring, microdose ceremony, workshops

Day 3

Ceremony 2: A Deepening

Morning begins with mindfulness yoga and intention-setting. Then a full-dose psilocybin ceremony (with dosage always guided by your own readiness and choice), held by your facilitators with live ceremonial music. The afternoon and evening are yours to rest, move, and be with whatever has arisen, plus individual time receiving support from your facilitators.

Morning: Yoga + intention · Afternoon: Full ceremony

Day 4

Integration

Today is for harvesting what surfaced yesterday. Somatic work, movement, and facilitated workshops focus on the practical: how do you bring what you encountered back into your actual life?

Full day: Somatic work, movement, workshops, integration circle

Day 5

Ceremony 3: Full Immersion

The final full-dose ceremony, with the option to go deeper than ever before. For many participants, this is where the journey's insights advance, or where something entirely unexpected emerges. The container is the same; you are not.

Morning: Preparation · Afternoon: Full ceremony

Day 6

Closing

A half day. Breakfast together, a final sharing circle, and closing workshops to distill and name what you're taking with you. Not an abrupt ending, but a conscious one.

Morning only · Departure by 12pm

Little Bay, Jamaica

The retreat center sits on the breathtaking Jamaican coast at Little Bay. Here, you can feel the ocean's rhythmic presence. The pace of life is slower living on the beachfront. Fifteen minutes on foot brings you to a bat cave with a natural cold spring pool beneath it, fed by the earth and shaded by rock and jungle. These are not amenities. They are the living medicine of the land itself.

Accommodations are private or shared, all-inclusive, and set within the natural surroundings of the coast.

You will be held by both the community and the land.

The retreat is one part of a larger arc

Prepare

→

Retreat

→

Integrate

Before You Arrive

The preparation period begins when you register. This is where we begin building the foundation of the work we will be doing together over the coming weeks.

Guided educational preparation module
Suggested readings and reflection prompts
Live group preparation calls with your cohort and facilitators
Access to a private group chat for community connection before you arrive

The length of your preparation period depends on when you register. Everyone receives the full preparation curriculum.

After You Leave

Integration is where the retreat unfolds into the rest of your life.

6 live integration sessions over 8 weeks
Continued facilitator and group support
Additional educational materials to support the transition back into your life
Optional extended integration support available as well as 1:1 coaching

"We believe integration is itself a sacred ceremony."

How we hold our relationship with this land

We work on Jamaican land, in partnership with Jamaican communities, within a country shaped by its own history, culture, and unique relationship to plant medicine. The setting is not scenery; it is context that entails responsibility, reciprocity, and stewardship.

Our retreats include education on the cultural context of sitting with medicine on this land. We collaborate with local Jamaican staff and professionals. As a nonprofit, we center BIPOC and lineage-informed facilitators, provide paid apprenticeships for historically marginalized practitioners-in-training, offer scholarships to those who could not otherwise access this work, and actively work to rebalance the inequities that have shaped the psychedelic space.

We are not here to extract from this land or its traditions. We are here to be in relationship with them and those who have carried them forward.

"Our intention is not extraction. It is right relationship."

The people who will hold this with you

Your retreat is guided by facilitators who bring both rigorous training and lived experience with this work. You will meet them before you arrive.

Mária Osero, LNMF

Lead Facilitator & Founder of Ancestra

State-licensed psychedelic facilitator
PhD student in Clinical Psychology — liberation psychology & psychedelic-assisted therapy
Trauma-informed, somatic & person-centered practice

Mária's work lives at the intersection of clinical precision and ancestral reverence, bridging the gap between Eastern, Western, and Indigenous ways of knowing.

Rooted in her diasporic lineage and shaped by years working in mental and medical healthcare, she creates trauma-informed spaces that honor both the intelligence of the medicine and the innate wisdom of the body. She is especially committed to cultivating containers that feel safe, inclusive, and affirming for members of diverse or historically marginalized communities.

Grounded in somatic and person-centered practice, Mária approaches facilitation as both personal healing and collective liberation, ensuring that each journey is held with integrity, cultural humility, and deep reciprocity.

Ethan Babbage, NBC-HWC

Lead Facilitator & Director of Education

National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach
6+ years supporting hundreds of participants in plant medicine spaces
Trained in IFS, herbalism & somatic healing

After four years of training within a contemporary Mahayana contemplative lineage, Ethan's work is deeply informed by his commitment to the Bodhisattva path — a dedication to awakening in service of collective liberation.

He has completed additional training in herbalism, Internal Family Systems, and somatic healing, weaving these modalities into a grounded, compassionate approach. At the heart of Ethan's work is a devotion to restoring right relationship between people and themselves, one another, and the living Earth.

Sharon Whitefawn, MA

Facilitator & Holistic Counselor

MA in Counseling Psychology · 30+ years in transformational healing
Certified in Meditation & Psychotherapy, addiction counseling & Reiki
Trauma-informed yoga instructor & ordained interfaith minister

Sharon's approach weaves together psychology, physiology, neuroscience, and spirituality, creating innovative and embodied pathways for lasting change.

In recent years, she has focused her work on expanded states of consciousness and therapeutic integration, supporting individuals in navigating profound experiences with clarity, safety, and compassion.

She is proud to identify as a grandmother, an elder, and a teacher to many. At the heart of Sharon's work is a commitment to healing in sacred reciprocity between self, community, and the living Earth.

Eddyson

Apprentice Facilitator & Therapist

Therapist trained in person-centered and somatic approaches
Former educator and spiritual care provider in schools and hospitals
Lived experience across Haitian, Canadian, and American cultural contexts

Eddyson is a therapist and former educator whose work is rooted in curiosity, compassion, and deep respect for each person's story. Born in Haiti and shaped by life across Canada and the United States, he brings a lived understanding of immigrant, diaspora, and bicultural identities — and how culture, history, and belonging shape our inner worlds.

He approaches the therapeutic space as a companion in the healing process, walking alongside others with empathy and authenticity as they reconnect with what matters most.

Dr. Marion Lee Johnson, DNP, RN

Journey Nurse & Psychedelic-Informed Practitioner

Doctor of Nursing Practice · 20+ years in mental health & trauma-informed care
Certificate in Integrative Psychedelic Studies as a Psychedelic-Informed Practitioner
Certified in Crisis Prevention & Intervention, Wilderness First Aid, CPR & BLS

Dr. Marion Lee Johnson is a Doctor of Nursing Practice–prepared Registered Nurse with over two decades of experience in mental health, trauma-informed care, and integrative wellness. As a Journey Nurse and psychedelic-informed practitioner, she brings a calm, grounded clinical presence to participants navigating transformative experiences.

Her facilitation is rooted in safety, harm reduction, and deep respect for each individual's path — holding space where people feel secure, cared for, and fully supported throughout their journey.

You may feel at home here if you...

Want to build an intentional, respectful relationship with psilocybin as a living teacher, not consume it as a product
Value both the rigor of science and the depth of spirituality
Are seeking a container rooted in ethics, professionalism, and genuine reverence
Are ready to take responsibility for their own healing instead of outsourcing it
Long to reconnect with ancestry, culture, and the Earth in a real and grounded way
Are willing to listen inward as deeply as they listen outward

You are welcome here. We strive to cultivate an inclusive space where people of diverse cultures, identities, and lived experiences can unite in shared values.

An Invitation to Give What You Can

Understanding Your Investment

Ancestra operates on a sliding scale model rooted in reciprocity. Each tier reflects a different relationship to access and means — not a different quality of experience. Every participant, regardless of rate, receives the same depth of care, the same facilitation team, and the same transformational container. Choosing your tier honestly is itself an act of integrity.

Investor Rate

$5,495

This rate covers the full cost of your retreat and contributes meaningfully to the scholarship fund — making it possible for others to access this work who could not otherwise afford it. If you have financial abundance and are called to this work, choosing this tier is an act of generosity that extends your healing outward.

Choose this if: you have financial stability and capacity to give beyond your own participation.

Standard Rate

2 spots remaining

$4,745

This rate reflects the true cost of delivering a retreat of this depth — the facilitation, preparation, venue, meals, integration support, and the years of training and lived experience that make this container possible. It is the rate for those who can meet the full cost of their own participation.

Choose this if: you can comfortably meet this investment without financial strain.

Supported Rate

~~$3,995~~ Sold Out

This rate is made possible by those choosing the Investor Rate. It is offered to those who are called to this work and are navigating genuine financial limitation — not as a lesser option, but as a reflection of our commitment to access. Choosing this tier honestly, when it reflects your reality, is exactly what it is here for.

Choose this if: this investment represents a real stretch, and the Investor or Standard rate is not currently accessible to you.

Scholarship Rate

3 spots remaining

$3,495

The Scholarship Rate exists because we believe healing should not be exclusively available to those with wealth. It is funded entirely by the generosity of those who choose the Investor Rate. This tier is not a discount — it is a commitment. Applicants are asked to reflect honestly on their financial situation and their readiness for this work. A short application is required, followed by a call with Mária to ensure right fit and readiness.

Choose this if: financial hardship is a genuine barrier, and you are deeply committed to this work.

April 2026 pricing reflects our founding retreat — a one-time offering at this investment level, in recognition of the trust and courage it takes to step into something new. July 2026 pricing will reflect the full ongoing rate. Both retreats offer the same depth, care, and transformation.

From people who've made this journey

"Working with Maria was truly one of the most magical and deeply impactful experiences of my life. From the moment I met her I felt safe, seen, and gently held in a way that allowed me to fully surrender to the journey. I experienced a level of healing and release that I hadn't been able to reach through other modalities."

— Hillary

"I am forever thankful for everything Maria has done for me. She was able to meet me where I was at mentally and spiritually and was able to open doors for me I didn't think were possible. She helped me find the adventurer in me that had been lost for so long."

— Christian

"When my life was upended by a chronic illness, I at first felt really lost navigating new themes like ableism and exclusion, accessibility, deep grief. Working with Maria helped me to metabolize a lot of these experiences and find my way through it."

— Nicole

"I was very grateful to have Sharon Whitefawn as a facilitator recently. Clearly, she has the qualifications, training, vision, and experience to provide an energetic container during journeys and for integration."

— Tara S.

"I learned how to love myself first… Sharon helped me emotionally & spiritually… I learned to become more aware of triggers, and working with her helped me learn to reach out."

— Sheree T.

"Sharon takes you under her wing and teaches you things to make you more balanced, centered and grounded. She makes you see things in a different way & be more present."

— Dawn C.

"Ethan's presence during the ceremony felt steady and deeply attuned, which made it possible to stay with intense and challenging emotions. There were hard moments, but there were also moments of real joy and laughter that reminded me healing can be light and even fun too. I'm learning to listen to my inner knowing more deeply, to move at the pace of curiosity instead of control, to feel what's in my body instead of analyzing it, and to let this work be something I embody rather than something I perform."

— Nico

"Ethan and the other facilitators were terrific at helping me feel comfortable, prepared, and safe. Then, after the ceremony, helping to reflect on what I had experienced, and how I could make it positively impact my life. The facilitators are key to transitioning this from an ungrounded recreational experience to something meaningful and profound — and Ethan was a terrific guide."

— Andrew

Ancestra: A Psilocybin Immersion in Coastal Jamaica

What participants often carry home

What the Science Says

A peek into the retreat

The arc of the week

Little Bay, Jamaica