Psychedelic Healing for the Queer Community with Resurgence Retreats
Modern medicine is catching up to human history now that Colorado has opened the door to medicinal psilocybin. A decade after cannabis was legalized for recreational usage, the people have spoken, and Proposition 122 decriminalized the personal use and possession of select hallucinogenic plants and fungi in pursuit of better tools to improve mental health.
Psychedelic mushrooms, along with other psychoactive substances, have been used throughout history as a means to pursue enlightenment, inner truth, and spiritual healing, but government restrictions have kept these methods relegated to esoteric circles. While still considered a Schedule 1 substance by the federal government, psychedelic therapy is no longer the sole purview of overly enthusiastic hippies or other flawed media stereotypes.
Felicia Mendes, founder of Colorado’s Resurgence Retreats, readily admits to exploring psychedelics for recreational purposes long before Prop 122 came to pass. It wasn’t until a couple years ago after getting divorced and entering a new chapter of self-discovery, that Mendes had a properly guided psilocybin experience. Hoping for some clarity and to make space for new things in her life, she found more than she expected.
“We like to say that the medicine gives you what you need, not necessarily what you want,” Mendes explains.
Her own personal retreat was guided by Bodhi Calagna, a sound alchemist, hypnotherapist, and life coach who has since joined the curated staff of caregivers, yogis, psychedelic guides, and coaches at Resurgence. Working with life coaches and learning to be with herself as a newly-single mother, Mendes realized that more women could benefit from the resources she’d sought out, particularly if they could be consolidated into a holistic experience.
“I wanted to package all of these tools for women going on their own journeys of self-discovery and reclamation,” she says.
One doesn’t simply park yourself in a yurt and eat a handful of dried-out caps to start the process, though. The psychedelic experience is complicated and personal, and Resurgence Retreats encourage participants to enter the experience with the right intentions.
“Preparation and setting are key, and we integrate coursework ahead of time that helps ready the mind,” Mendes says.
A four-week online program can help with pattern recognition, connection, and developing relationships. After a retreat, Resurgence caregivers follow up with support and engagement as well to ensure the experience continues to be a healthy and therapeutic one. But what should someone expect during the retreat itself?
Located in a beautiful valley a couple hours west of Denver, the retreats are three-night excursions that include lodging and all meals. Breathwork and sound healing, yoga sessions and empowerment workshops, are just as crucial to the self-healing journey as the psychedelic experience, perhaps even more so. To keep within the restrictions set out by Prop 122, the mushroom journey is both optional and free of charge within the retreat. Harm reduction services and compassionate facilitators provide a safe and mindful environment so that the medicine can do its work.
For those curious about the experience but not ready to commit to a full weekend away, Mendes and her team also offer monthly microdosing events. Typically held at a private lake near Denver, these ticketed events host sound therapy or yoga sessions accompanied by appropriately dosed capsules or gummies of psilocybin. Mendes encourages folks to come along, meet the team and build some trust within themselves and the experience.
“We want to be able to provide access and help people explore their curiosities in a way that’s accessible and less intimidating,” Mendes says.
Accessibility can be an issue, as a full weekend retreat can be costly. Early bird tickets start at $2,800, while a full priced ticket is a $3,300 investment, and day ceremonies typically cost $600. The monthly microdosing events are much more approachable for the average person, only $40, but with less intimacy and intensity in the healing experience.
The entry point can be daunting—Other retreats start around $5,000 and go up from there. Mendes has offered scholarships specifically for women of color when able, but advocating for better access is crucial moving forward. She hopes once the state establishes better regulations and the initial “gold rush” mentality wears off from aspiring psychedelic entrepreneurs, the mental health benefits can be experienced by more people in need.
Mendes also encourages anyone with questions about psychedelics and other substances to look into Colorado’s free psychedelic info hotline, unlimitedsciences.org/psychedelic-info-line/, or call 1-888-210-3553. With access to peer-reviewed studies, evidence-based data, and an extensive research library, the hotline provides compassionate one-on-one conversations with real live human beings.
Those looking to take a psychedelic journey can visit Resurgence Retreats online at resurgenceretreats.com to peruse resources, schedule consults, or even book a custom retreat that can suit specific needs.
Photo courtesy of social media
