Preparation Guide

The quality of a retreat experience is shaped not only by what happens during the retreat itself, but also by how you arrive, what you bring with you, and the environment in which you are held.

In psychedelic research and retreat settings, this is often described as set and setting. “Set” refers to your inner world: your current state of mind, emotional landscape, expectations, intentions, hopes, fears, and life circumstances. “Setting” refers to the environment around you: the physical space, the people present, the atmosphere, the values of the retreat, and the quality of care and containment.

At Syntara, we give careful attention to both. Our intention is to create a retreat space that feels safe, thoughtful, grounded, and supportive, so that each participant can meet their own experience with as much openness, trust, and care as possible.

This guide offers some gentle suggestions for preparing yourself in the weeks and days before the retreat. These are not rules or requirements, but invitations to begin entering the retreat process with awareness and intention.

Intention

Taking time to reflect on your intentions can be a meaningful part of preparation.

You may wish to ask yourself: what has brought me to this point in my life? What am I hoping for? What am I afraid of? Is there something I feel ready to understand, release, grieve, accept, or change?

It can also be helpful to notice what is already good, nourishing, or meaningful in your life. Intention does not only need to come from difficulty or longing. It can also arise from gratitude, curiosity, love, or a wish to deepen your relationship with yourself and others.

Some people find it useful to write their reflections down. Others prefer to hold them quietly, speak them with someone they trust, or simply let them take shape over time. There is no need to arrive with a perfect or fixed intention. Often, the most honest intentions are simple.

Setting

The retreat setting is an important part of the process. Our facilitators have considerable experience in creating spaces that feel safe, contained, creative, and emotionally attuned.

We pay attention to the physical environment, the rhythm of the retreat, the group atmosphere, and the relational field between participants and facilitators. Our aim is to offer enough structure for you to feel held, while leaving enough space for your own process to unfold naturally.

Developing and Recognising Your Intentions

There are different ways to come into contact with your intentions. What follows are suggestions rather than instructions. You may find some of them useful, and others may not feel relevant. Please take what supports you and leave the rest.

Cultivating Presence

If you already have a meditation, mindfulness, prayer, yoga, breathwork, or contemplative practice, you may find it helpful to return to it gently in the lead-up to the retreat.

If this is new to you, you might simply take a few minutes each day to sit quietly, notice your breath, and observe what is happening inside you. This is not about clearing your mind or doing it “properly”. It is more about becoming familiar with your own inner weather: thoughts, feelings, sensations, impulses, memories, and emotions as they come and go.

Even three to five minutes a day can be valuable. The practice is not to force calm, but to build a little more capacity to stay present with whatever arises, with less judgement and more kindness.

Reflecting on What Feels Unresolved

Before coming on retreat, it can be helpful to notice whether there are particular stresses, conflicts, or emotional concerns occupying a lot of space in your mind or heart.

This does not mean that everything needs to be solved before you arrive. Often, that would be impossible. But it may help to acknowledge what is present, consider what needs practical attention beforehand, and create a little more internal space for the retreat itself.

If there is something you are concerned may feel especially difficult, distracting, or emotionally charged during the retreat, you are welcome to speak with us about this in preparation. You will also have opportunities to check in with a facilitator during the retreat.

Self-Care Before the Retreat

In the days and weeks leading up to the retreat, we encourage you to take gentle care of your body and nervous system.

Where possible, prioritise rest, sleep, nourishing food, time outdoors, and a little more spaciousness in your schedule. You may also wish to reduce alcohol, recreational substances, caffeine, sugar, and overstimulating media.

This is not about purity, perfection, or strict discipline. It is simply a way of beginning to turn towards yourself with more care. The preparation itself can become part of the retreat process: a gradual slowing down, listening inward, and making space for what is to come.

Background Reading and Watching

Some people find it helpful to read or watch material before the retreat. This can offer language, context, and inspiration for the process.

At the same time, we suggest being mindful of taking in too much information, especially online. It is easy to become overwhelmed by other people’s experiences, theories, promises, or warnings. Your own experience will be your own, and it is important to leave room for that.

If you have questions, uncertainties, or concerns, the facilitators are available to support you in your preparation.

Suggested Watching

Jill Bolte Taylor, “My Stroke of Insight”
Brené Brown, “The Power of Vulnerability”
Dr Rosalind Watts, “What I’ve Learned in the Five Years Since My TED Talk”

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