It isn’t easy putting down in words how remarkable and life changing this experience was. It completely surpassed any preconceptions I had, and this is down to the setting and the people.
From the moment you arrive at Dreamglade to when you leave there is a very calm and comfortable vibe.
The place is absolutely stunning and you feel instantly at peace; you are totally surrounded by nature and it’s an incredibly liberating feeling.
The ceremonies felt very secure and something that I appreciated was that although everything is done in a responsible way, it was not taken too seriously, in the way that you felt comfortable enough to laugh at yourself if needed. The ceremonies were conducted with a lot of love and care.
The days off are not always easy because you have all these new thoughts and feelings to think over and process, but it helps to have such a wonderful place to be at; the maloka was beautiful and it’s great fun to play with the staff’s children in the lake. The meetings with the team are very helpful as you can explain your experience and Stace and Drew give their advice and help you understand it. There are loads of hammocks to chill on where you can either read books from their interesting library selection, or write and go over thoughts from the previous night. The off days were just as enriching but in a totally different way.
Stace is a really cool guy who really believes in what he does and it’s very humbling to be around someone so dedicated to ayahuasca. Stace is very grounded and his vast experience of ayahuasca allows him to provide you with so much useful advice, he really puts you at ease. I also really appreciated his honesty and being upfront about the whole experience – nothing was sugar coated and you knew exactly what to do in any given circumstance.
Drew was another brilliant energy to have; he was great to have in the ceremonies and when he would come over to check up on you I always felt a very peaceful presence and he always seemed to know exactly what to say.
I was so pleased that we had Estella as our Shaman, her and her partner had such a powerful yet reassuring presence, and I had full faith and trust in her during all the ceremonies. I was not initially able to let go at the start of the first ceremony, but her Icaro’s really feel like they enter you and help you to connect and embrace the experience.
You can really tell that the passion and devotion that both Stace and Drew have for Dreamglade is deep and very real, and this adds to the whole experience as you can feel that you are in good hands. They are both such interesting characters and great to talk to outside of ceremonies as well.
Doing ayahuasca is an incredibly intimate experience where you are stripped bare of any walls and are left feeling vulnerable, and yet I never felt uncomfortable or awkward at any point, I had full trust and respect in the staff and the place and it helped to really let go and allow the experience to happen.
I couldn’t be happier in my decision to come to Dreamglade and I recommend it to anyone who is contemplating going.
The only thing I would have changed is being able to stay there for another week!
