Inside the Healing Power of Psilocybin | Amanda Schendel x Dr. Rayyan Zafar

Join Amanda Schendel, founder of The Buena Vida Psilocybin Retreats, and Dr. Rayyan Zafar, lead neuropsychopharmacologist researcher at Imperial College London, for a profound conversation about the science and spirit of psychedelic healing.

In this powerful episode, Dr. Zafar shares his firsthand experience attending a Buena Vida Retreat — and how stepping into ceremony personally shifted his understanding of psilocybin beyond the laboratory. Together, Amanda and Dr. Zafar explore:

🌿 What actually happens to the brain under psilocybin

🌿 Breakthrough insights from decades of clinical research

🌿 The emotional, psychological, and spiritual layers of healing

🌿 How personal experiences at ceremony are reshaping academic research

🌿 Why safe, professional retreat settings are critical for true transformation.

This is a rare and intimate conversation between the worlds of clinical science and lived experience — showing not just how psilocybin changes the brain, but how it changes lives. If you're curious about the future of psychedelic medicine, personal healing, and the sacred role of ceremony, this is an episode you do not want to miss.

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#PsychedelicTherapy #PsilocybinHealing #Neuroscience #TheBuenaVida #SacredMedicine

We are back with part 2 of Paige’s amazing journey! In the last episode we touched on her Psilocybin journeys and a few other really cool aspects of her story - this episode is going to focus on her journey with  the very strong and consuming mother ayahuasca.

Check out episode 1 here or wherever your listen to podcasts. 

Our new host Shandi Littlefield, works as the Operations Director here at The Buena Vida Psilocybin Retreats. Over the next several weeks, she will be sitting down with guests from all walks of life who have taken the deep dives into using plant medicine to aid in their healing journeys, stay connected, and continue on their roads to ultimate expansion. 

Apply for an upcoming Retreat or find out more about what we do here at The Buena Vida at: https://www.thebuenavida.net

Upcoming Retreat Schedule: 

October 2-8, 2023

October 31 - November 6, 2023

MORE DATES TBA!

Follow our Mushroom Journey on Instagram @the_buena_vida

Follow our guest Paige Grant on Instagram @paige962

Key Takeaways

00.00 - Introduction

01.15 - Ayahuasca journey

07.58 - Deciding between Ayahuasca and Psilocybin

13.47 - The power of the medicine

26.33 - There's such a fine line 

30.25 - I never had this narrative

37.04 - Holding Space at work, with friends, and with the medicine

43.30 - Vision Quest

47.02 - Wrapping Up 

We are back with our second season of "What a Trip" podcast! 

Our new host Shandi Littlefield, works as the Operations Director here at The Buena Vida Psilocybin Retreats. Over the next several weeks, she will be sitting down with guests from all walks of life who have taken the deep dives into using plant medicine to aid in their healing journeys, stay connected, and continue on their roads to ultimate expansion. 

Our first Season 2 guest Paige Grant, is a Buena Vida regular. Paige started by joining us on a retreat in December 2022, which organically sent her on a trajectory of a full exploration into healing with plant medicines such as psilocybin, bufo, ayahuasca and peyote. She has every intention of continuing to follow the call, pursuing facilitation opportunities, and being a huge part of the conversation around the healing properties of the medicine. 

Check out episode 1 here or wherever your listen to podcasts.

Apply for an upcoming Retreat or find out more about what we do here at The Buena Vida at: https://www.thebuenavida.net

Upcoming Retreat Schedule: 

October 2-8, 2023

October 31 - November 6, 2023

MORE DATES TBA!

Follow our Mushroom Journey on Instagram @the_buena_vida

Follow our guest Paige Grant on Instagram @paige962

Key Takeaways

00.00 - Introduction 

02.50 - Season 2 first guest 

05.30 - Paige introduction

13.00 - Healing with plant medicine

18.38 - First Buena Vida ceremony recap 

25.02 - Using the power we all have and hold 

27.20 - Tips and tricks for integrating big journeys

41.42 - 'Shakti' energy

55.31 - Wrapping Up

SEASON 2 COMING SOON!

**Join us for a LIVE Q&A every Tuesday 3pm CT here: https://thebuenavida.net/weekly-live-qa/

Apply for an upcoming Retreat or find out more about what we do here at The Buena Vida at: https://www.thebuenavida.net

Follow our Mushroom Journey on Instagram @the_buena_vida

We’re sitting down with Rohini Elyse, a fellow Fit for Service Member to discuss the TRIP of being an influencer in today's social media world. Rohini takes us to the vulnerable space of her inner world as we see the impact on her self-worth, how being “canceled” can be a moment of universe shaking freedom, and how one decision can change the trajectory of your whole life in just a matter of months. 

In this episode:

Who is Rohini, right now, in this moment? 

How Rohini and Amanda crossed paths

Rohini's 2-week silent master plant dieta & Ayahuasca journey in Peri

The rise of exploring consciousness at a younger age 

How social media has affected the idea of spiritual awareness throughout generations 

Rohini on “getting canceled” 

“You can’t only be just one” 

Regaining oversight of where your validation comes from 

Rohini’s journey with Plant Medicine and using her gifts to learn, watch and listen

“Shaman” and “Healer” are not interchangeable

What 2022 looks like for Rohini? 

LINKS:

**“Acting My Age” podcast link https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/acting-my-age-with-rohini-elyse/id1509371259

**Aubrey Marcus podcast link: https://www.aubreymarcus.com/blogs/aubrey-marcus-podcast

SEASON 2 COMING SOON!

**Join us for a LIVE Q&A every Tuesday 3pm CT here: https://thebuenavida.net/weekly-live-qa/

Apply for an upcoming Retreat or find out more about what we do here at The Buena Vida at: https://www.thebuenavida.net

Follow our Mushroom Journey on Instagram @the_buena_vida

How do you cope with a difficult diagnosis? You have all the symptoms of an underlying issue, but still, the doctors don’t know what’s wrong. They prescribe many painkillers and different surgeries, but you’re only getting worse. How do you stay positive, love yourself and still have faith that it will all work out in the end?

In today’s episode, Paul Johnson shares his healing journey from having different regional pains, frequent sharp electrical pains, paralysis, three shoulder surgeries to finally finding healing. He also expounds on his challenging journey to finding the right diagnosis, testing positive for Lyme disease, finding healing in the Iboga tree plant in Africa, as well as getting through the different visions while undergoing treatment. 

Paul explains how acknowledging your healing, using self-compassion and belief that it will work out have positively impacted his healing journey. If you are in despair about your condition and don’t know whether you’re going to make it, this episode is for you!

Timestamps (Please note these begin after the intro)

[00:28] About Paul Johnson.

[03:04] Having symptoms and doctors not having to know what’s wrong

[13:55] Effects of chronically taking painkillers

[15:45] What it was like for Paul’s  mental health, not knowing whether he will ever recover

[19:01] Paul’s journey seeking treatment in Mexico

[26:33] The Iboga tree- plant medicine

[29:40] Visions and hallucinations while undergoing treatment

[30:52] Testing positive for Lyme disease

[36:07] How Lyme disease multiples in the system

[41:27] Effects of the pandemic on Paul as he was still undergoing treatment

[46:37] Paul’s financial crisis

[51:10] When everything shifted for Paul and staying positive through it

[58:39] Having faith and belief that it can work

[1:01:10] Paul’s feeling in his 14 days of medicine

[1:06:14] Doing it for yourself and having enough compassion for yourself

[1:08:37] Paul’s second Iboga experience and getting his healing

[1:22:44] Acknowledging and claiming the healing

[1:31:51] Not showing cruelty to yourself

[1:40:04] Having grace and compassion for yourself

[1:42:58] Paul’s lessons from his disease and pain

Notable Quotes

• There is a condition many people don’t know with painkillers. When you take them chronically, they can start to degenerate their own pain signals.
• Anybody can go on top of the mountain. What are you going to bring back? Have faith and the belief that you can do it.
• Having clarity and congruence is such an important part of healing.
• If there is an opportunity to be the most fully realized true self, move past the fear, take the chance, and something good will come out of it.
• You are really good at doing things for other people. So, have compassion for yourself and do it for yourself.
• If you are offered the opportunity to crossover, don’t take it because you will die.
• When I do my breathwork, it reminds me like there is a divine breath in this physical body that I have the opportunity to connect and activate every day.
• When your body breaks down over and over, you lose trust, and there’s a deep self-hatred for yourself and your body.
• We are all going to have reactions to things, but what’s next? Surrender, let it pass through and come back to that state of peace.
• Self-love allows shame to be there and anger to be there. It doesn’t turn that away.
• Congratulate yourself even for the smallest pieces.
• You invented the good soldier to your traumas as a child and the sensitivity you had as a person. You created these things to protect yourself. But there is a point in life where you can thank the good soldier for their service and let it go.

Resources

Mentioned Book- Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell

SEASON 2 COMING SOON!

**Join us for a LIVE Q&A every Tuesday 3pm CT here: https://thebuenavida.net/weekly-live-qa/

Apply for an upcoming Retreat or find out more about what we do here at The Buena Vida at: https://www.thebuenavida.net

Follow our Mushroom Journey on Instagram @the_buena_vida

In this episode, we’re sitting down with previous The Buena Vida Retreat Guest, Kiana McCourt. Kiana leads an eclectic life and is a self-proclaimed “free-flowing spirit” who has developed a deep intimacy with the deep facets of life since her Buena Vida experience.  We’re going to dive into how different the ceremonial approach was for Kiana’s experience, how her setting intentions beforehand were so helpful and how the group dynamic was the most surprisingly positive part of her experience with The Buena Vida Retreats. 

(This episode was recorded in May of 2020, but Kiana’s story was so powerful and her insight so relevant that we had to share.) 

00:00 - Introduction

03:15 - Life leading up to The Buena Vida: all the things that had to happen to lead to this 

06:20 - Setting expectations and intentions before her journey 

10:35 - Psychedelics in Ceremony - “It was EVERYthing” 

16:15 - Letting the group dynamic melt the “normal” judgment you feel in your day-to-day

22:20 - So.. what does it feel like to take mushrooms, anyway? 

32:15 - How do you stay connected to the state of embodiment you feel after a powerful trip? 

36:15 - Amplifying your vibration to an intense positive flow state 

38:50 - What does it mean to integrate your psychedelic experience into your “normal” life? 

43:10 - But.. how long do the “effects” last? 

45:50 - Here’s some advice if you’re considering a psychedelic journey 

**Join us for a LIVE Q&A every Tuesday 3pm CT here: https://thebuenavida.net/weekly-live-qa/

Apply for an upcoming Retreat or find out more about what we do here at The Buena Vida at: https://www.thebuenavida.net

Follow our Mushroom Journey on Instagram @the_buena_vida

Ep103: AYAHUASCA VS. MUSHROOMS: Uncategorized Plant Medicine with Julie Dunnigan Welcome back to What a Trip! Podcast with me, Amanda Schendel, leader, and founder of The Buena Vida Psilocybin Retreats. 

 In this episode, we’re joined by Julie Dunnigan, a 3-time guest at The Buena Vida and an avid supporter of mushroom medicine work since our very first retreat in January 2019...(And 2 more between then and April 2020 when this was recorded. We do touch slightly on the experience of being in the depths of lockdown, but this conversation was so magical and inspirational that we felt called to share here!) 

 Julie and I dive into how psilocybin has helped her gain a universal perspective, how the hype behind ayahuasca led her to a broader and more expanded awareness brought on by mushrooms, and how divine timing can change your entire path in life. 

00:00 – Introduction 

02:00 – Julie’s Starting Point: An unexpected detour, turned divine timing 

04:15 – Michael Pollan’s “How to Change Your Mind” – https://www.amazon.com/Change-Your-Mind-Consciousness-Transcendence/dp/1594204225  

05:30 – “Ayahuasca was only to get you HERE” – our mission to un-categorize plant medicine 

09:00 – What you expect is rarely what you will receive 

13:05 – “It doesn’t get easier; you just get stronger” – Psilocybin and Depression 

16:45 – Gaining a broader, universal perspective

20:20 – Shadow Work: Explained 

25:15 – Shame and anxiety in varying aspects of your life, and why you’re feeling it 

28:00 – The compassionate and forgiving reward of looking your fears directly in the face 

31:20 – Plant Medicine in Ceremony vs. Recreational Use  

49:30 – What makes dosage so magical 

50:30 – Julie describes the biggest source messages that have shifted her perspective

1:06:45 -  Healing yourself by going within 

**Join us for a LIVE Q&A every Tuesday 3pm CT here: https://thebuenavida.net/weekly-live-qa/

Apply for an upcoming Retreat or find out more about what we do here at The Buena Vida at: https://www.thebuenavida.net

Follow our Mushroom Journey on Instagram @the_buena_vida

Get to know Founder & CEO of The Buena Vida Psilocybin Retreats, Amanda Schendel. This opening episodes focuses on her upbrinigng in California,  mystersious introduction to the magic of the mushrooms, how growing up religion has (and continues to) affected her ability to serve her purpose, and more. And...what is her purpose on this planet?  

**Join us for a LIVE Q&A every Tuesday 3pm CT here: https://thebuenavida.net/weekly-live-qa/

Apply for an upcoming Retreat or find out more about what we do here at The Buena Vida at: https://www.thebuenavida.net

Follow our Mushroom Journey on Instagram @the_buena_vida

Join Amanda and Stevie Wright, a self-love, breathwork and embodiment coach that just happens to be Amanda's one on one teacher. Stevie uses psychedelics in her practice, both personal and professional. In this episode we discuss: *All trauma, wounding, and stories live in the body. Stevie helps people embody the next version of themselves. She allows them feel what is feels like to heal beliefs at a nervous system level. *Taking an ethereal concept like “love” and making it so grounded in the body that you are felt by the external world as that concept. *How and why we need to re-feel the emotions that are unfelt. How do we hold space for those unprocessed emotions? *Do we revisit our traumas and programs many different times? *Stevie's psychedelic healing experiences with psilocybin, ayahuasca and LSD and how they've helper her relationships. *Intro to her "Breathwork Channel" membership site. She provides Integrative and Meditative breath work that help you tune in, let go, and breath into the moment. "Log in, breath, get connected, and go about your day."