This episode is a deep dive into the benefits of meditation with psilocybin. Steve is a retired US Forest Service Chief Branch for Risk Management. During his career there was a tragedy that lost 14 firefighters, because of that event new practices were taught to firefighters, one of those was meditation.  Steve took to meditation and has made this wonderful practice a huge part of his own life. He was inspired to take the leap and attended his first retreat with Eleusinia to see if the hype was true about psychedelics and meditation. 

Tawnya tells her own story of how her career as an RN shifted into a specialty of psychedelic therapy. Her journey as a young mother to having  a successful career in health care that led to reaching for that glass of wine every evening. In sobriety she found depression and it was in her search for transformation that her to psychedelics as a catalyst for chnage.

This is a personal story coming from a Eleusinia retreat guest. Nina dives into what brought her to the retreat and how her experience unfolded. Her story is a unique one.  Grief and loss show up for at unexpected times and in a wide spectrum of emotions. This episode gives a window into how the psychedelic experience can shift our perspective in a way that keeps us resilient and growing and whole.

Andrew the Mind Body coordinator of Eleusinia retreat shares his personal story of navigating the challenges of body dysmorphia. He details how psilocybin and meditation helped him find joy, and purpose in being in his body again. Today he spends his time helping others to do the same.

 Eleusinia is a science based retreat. However, we would not be complete without embracing the traditional culture around mushrooms in Mexico, and completing the balance of the mind, body and soul.  Our Curandera Josefina tells her own life story and that of her heritage. Josefina shares how she moved through challenging times after her mother passed away and how her own healing process returned her to her roots of healing with mushrooms.

Episode 3 

Jessica and Tawnya go in to the details of what a Science based Psychedelic retreat is and how it differs from traditional retreats. Tawnya details her experience in an Ayahuasca ceremony and Jessica describes how important it is to meet the guest where they are at.

Episode 2 was recorded with A very special guest after the close of a retreat it was recorded in San Pancho in the evening so you can hear some birds, crickets, and wildlife  Scott was given 90 days to live in December from a terminal cancer diagnosis this retreat ended in April.

While there is currently no evidence to suggest that psilocybin has any curative properties related to cancer several studies do indicate that the experience it offers can help with the existential distress related to a serious diagnosis like this one. It is also our policy to never record anyone on a day where they have had mind altering substances. The purpose of this episode is to share the significant humanity in the depth of this story.

Scott shares how psilocybin brought him to a realization that we cannot negotiate the terms of our lives. In his unique, inspiring style, he tells us about his retreat experience, and how ultimate surrender and acceptance gave him courage and strength to change his own perception of his life and his diagnosis.

Tawnya the Medical Director of Eleusinia and the Retreat Founder share their stories of how they found each other and how Eleusinia was born.  Tawnya and Jessica are a dynamic duo who break down the latest research in an easy to digest educational way. Jessica shares bits of her story how her life changed with a debilitating illness that left her in constant pain for a year. No available medication would relieve her constant suffering. Today she shares her story of how she fumbled into Psilocybin the psychoactive component in magic mushrooms, with no previous experience in psychedelics, and as a huge skeptic. Jessica Progressively Regained her quality of life. Then taught herself how to cultivate mushrooms. Jessica's experience in transformation led her to create Eleusinia Psilo Retreat a science based retreat designed for people like her that would have failed in treating their own debilitating illnesses. Eleusinia promotes a practice of autonomy and agency so you can learn how to manage your own psychedelic experiences to regain your quality of life and also learn to cultivate mushrooms in a simple sustainable way.

Tawnya the Medical Director, Is a RN CCRN, Nurse Empowerment Coach, and Host of Brave to the Bone podcast, a show focused on Personal Transformation with non ordinary/ Psychedelic states as a catalyst for lasting change .

Tawnya began her studies as a Psychedelic Integration Guide with Fluence in 2021 after moving through personal transformation with the use of entheogenic modalities. She is a yoga teacher and a community cheerleader working with Santa Cruz Psychedelic Society, by weaving the collective strengths of our community. She is the creator and facilitator of the women's facebook group, The Psychedelic Women of Santa Cruz, she works with the Sacred Feminine, educating and empowering our local community.

She communicates daily with over 40k followers on her immensely popular TikTok @bonesofanurse, where she pushes the boundaries of non ordinary states in medicine. Check out her website at

https//www.Tawnyagilbert.com and her

instagram @NurseBravetotheBone

https://www.eleusiniaretreat.com/