Awakening Alchemy Retreat Centre
Your Journey - Your Sanctuary
Sacred Allies
Walking in ceremony with legal plant medicines, gently and with care. This pathway weaves a traditional dieta with ceremonies held in a safe, grounded way, using only plants that are legal in the UK such as Bobinsana, Mapacho and Blue Lotus.
Orientation
A dieta is a focused period of walking closely with a plant, listening more than asking, simplifying food, stimulation and habits so that you can hear what moves inside and around you.
Guests who choose this pathway are often in a phase of inner alchemy: sensing that something wants to be released, completed or transformed, even if the mind cannot yet name it. There may be a pattern that repeats, a grief that has not fully moved, a sense of being called more deeply into your own path.
Throughout your stay you are held in a clear energetic field. Ceremonies may include prayer, chanting, drumming and energy or entity clearing, always with respect for your nervous system and your boundaries. The work is deep, but it is not forced.
Our plant allies
We work only with plant medicines that are legal in the UK. These allies are subtle yet profound and do not require extreme states to be effective. You remain present and able to communicate throughout.
Heart listening and gentle clearing
Often experienced as a heart centred teacher, Bobinsana can support emotional honesty, release of old grief and a softer relationship with your own sensitivity. Many guests describe a clearer sense of what truly matters for them.
Grounding and protection
Mapacho is a traditional Amazonian tobacco used for grounding, focus and protection. In small, respectful amounts it helps clarify intention, anchor the body and cleanse the energetic field during ceremony.
Dreaming and subtle vision
Blue Lotus has long been associated with dreamwork, insight and a gentle opening of the inner senses. It may deepen meditation, soften mental tension and invite a more fluid, intuitive awareness.
We do not work with ayahuasca, psilocybin or any other prohibited substances. All work is grounded in UK legal guidelines and your well-being remains central throughout.
How a dieta may unfold
Each dieta is shaped individually, but most follow a simple, steady rhythm that supports both depth and integration.
Before arrival we explore your intention, history and current support network. We agree simple dietary and lifestyle guidelines to begin softening stimulation and creating inner and outer space.
During your stay you follow a considered dieta and take part in several ceremonies. These may include working with Bobinsana, Mapacho or Blue Lotus, alongside chanting, drumming and focused healing work. Time for rest, journalling and quiet is built in.
Between and after ceremonies we support the body and nervous system to integrate through somatic work, reflective conversation and gentle frequency and crystal-light therapies. Together we create the space inside for insights and shifts to occur and settle.
Methods of support
Ceremony is one part of the work. Just as important is how your body, energy and nervous system are supported before, during and after.
Alexander Technique
Gentle guided meditative movement and healing touch supports nervous system balance, integration and embodiment of experience. It also allows muscular tension and emotional knots to unravel.
Ayurvedic Marma Therapy
Using light touch, contact with key marma (energy) points, combined with breath and awareness, supports energetic flow and helps the body let go of shock, density and old holding patterns that may surface through the dieta.
NeuroCalm Magnetic Field Support
A magnetic healing bed transmits gentle pulsed electromagnetic fields into the body's energy field. These calming, rhythmic pulses can help the nervous system come out of high alert, making it easier to rest, process and integrate insights from ceremony.
Crystal Light Integration (Theragem)
Targeted crystal-light therapy offers a soft, nurturing way to harmonise and sooth after deep work. It helps to create space for insights from the retreat to settle, so that learning can become embodied.
These elements are combined in response to your needs and sensitivity. Nothing is automatic. We listen and adjust so that your system is neither under-supported nor overwhelmed.
Safety, legality and boundaries
This pathway is not about chasing extreme states. It is about deepening relationship with yourself and with the plants in a way that is safe, grounded and respectful.
We work within UK law, with clear agreements, careful screening and ongoing consent. Your nervous system is always more important than a particular experience.
Practical details
Is this pathway suitable if I am new to plant medicine
Yes, if you feel a sincere call and are willing to follow the dieta agreements. We will explore together whether this pathway is the right starting point or whether another pathway may serve you better at this time.
How many ceremonies will there be
The number and timing of ceremonies depends on the length of your stay, your intention and how your system responds. We decide this together as we go rather than fixing a rigid schedule in advance.
How long do guests usually stay
Most dieta retreats are between five and seven days so there is time to arrive, build relationship with the plants and integrate. Shorter or longer stays can be discussed if appropriate.
Is this medical or psychiatric treatment
No. This work is not a replacement for medical or psychiatric care and we do not diagnose or treat conditions. We recommend that you continue to work with your existing healthcare providers where relevant.
What is the investment
Most guests stay between 5 and 7 days. The investment typically ranges from £1800 to £4600, depending on the length of stay and the shape of the work we hold for you. Your retreat includes accommodation, simple dieta aligned meals and all sessions, treatments and ceremonies.
Is this your next step
If you feel called to walk closely with these plant allies, to release what no longer serves and to welcome a deeper clarity of heart, we invite you to begin with a conversation.
You do not have to walk with the plants alone.
If something in you recognises this path, you are welcome here. We will walk with you, and with the plants, step by step.
Awakening Alchemy Retreat Centre is run as a Private Members' Association (AAPMA). This ensures that we can protect our members' privacy and sovereignty in all our activities. Copyright AAPMA 2025. All Rights Reserved.
Awakening Alchemy Retreat Centre: Lurg Lodge, Midmar, Inverurie, AB51 7NB
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