I stayed at Dreamglade for three weeks and it was one of the most inspiring, insightful, and impactful experiences i’ve ever had. I decided to stay for a longer stretch of time because I had a number of things I wanted to work on but many people just stayed for one week and still experienced great things. These included; accepting and making peace with grief, experiencing loss of the ego, understanding what it means to be connected with everything, physically healing injuries etc etc.
The centre is set in a beautiful part of the jungle around a small lake and Stace has almost finished building what will be a perfect space for socialising, practicing yoga or just kicking back with a book. It’s a tranquil haven for anyone wanting to do work on themselves. The facilities are great – you won’t be ‘roughing it’ as Dreamglade has proper showers and toilets, and a great chef feeding you lots of (admittedly plain) but still tasty food. Even on the dieta we never went hungry. You’ll go without dinner on ceremony nights which some people found a bit tough but that didn’t bother me. You don’t really want food in your stomach when you’re drinking ayahuasca…!
I have to say I was bitten a lot by mosquitos while I was there (May 2016) but it is the jungle after all and compared with another trip I did to the jungle, there aren’t anywhere close to the number of mozzies you get elsewhere. In terms of the ceremonies, they were well organised and safe. There’s always a member of staff not drinking the ayahuasca and Stace delivers a lengthy briefing for all newcomers which will answer any questions and alleviate any doubts you may have. Everyone’s safety is a top priority for Stace and it shows. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming – it’s a cliche but it honestly felt like a home away from home for me and I made so many great friends here.
Stace and Drew are incredible people (I think I’m supposed to mention here how good looking they both are too…you can pay me later Stace !!) They’re down to earth, like to have a laugh and I felt so well looked after. During one ceremony when I was having a bad time, Stace even stayed with me, coaching me through my difficulties, which I am eternally grateful for. It’s not a ‘hands off’ place – if you need help, you just need to ask.
Estella is a powerful curandera: with her partner Ronnie (also a curandero), they kept the ceremonial space safe, calm and supportive. Not once did I feel unsafe in their hands, they work very hard throughout the night. In summary, I cannot recommend this place highly enough – this was my second time back at Dreamglade and I know I’ll be back again soon.
Thank you so much Stace, Drew and Estella!
