SALVIA DIVINORUM RETREATS


Salvia divinorum, diviner's sage, is a powerful entheogen with a rich tradition of indigenous usage by the Oaxacan Mazatec people, more commonly known in Western psychedelic historical accounts for their work with psilocybin mushrooms. The active ingredient in the leaf, salvinorin-A, is the most potent naturally occurring psychedelic by weight. In the United States, salvia has developed an unsavory reputation due to a handful of online viral videos in the early 2000s of recreational misuse that led to a moral panic among conservative pundits and legislators. Because it is legal and easily available at smoke shops in many states, including Oregon, it's common for young people to try it without proper set & setting, and to have dysphoric experiences. For this reason, salvia is often inaccurately pigeon-holed, even sometimes within psychedelic circles, as an inherently dysphoric hallucinogen with minimal healing potential. However, this dismissal of salvia's medicinal power overwrites the story of its sacred indigenous roots with modern misuse. Within a healing and supportive setting, and when dosed appropriately, salvia can be a profound catalyst for transformation and insight. I offer salvia in a fast-acting vaporized format and also in an extended-release buccal route of administration.

VAPORIZED SALVIA

I’m excited to offer a novel way of vaporizing this beautiful molecule. Most of the time in the United States, salvia is smoked; however, I find smoking to be a very harsh and unpleasant way to receive the medicine. A brilliant colleague of mine has developed a clean, lung-friendly protocol using e-mesh, which is a method of vaporizing materials by running electrical current from a battery into a tiny metal screen containing the material. I take pure white extracted salvinorin-A and dissolve it in acetone such that each drop contains approximately 125 micrograms, which is a safe threshold dose for a beginner. I then place the appropriate number of drops on the e-mesh and allow the acetone to fully evaporate without leaving any trace, leaving behind pure salvinorin-A. When the battery is activated, the salvinorin-A turns to vapor in a matter of seconds, which can be inhaled. The amount of material is so small that for most people, it feels indistinguishable from inhaling air. The peak experience is brief, lasting 2 to 10 minutes, but the effects may be felt for up to 30 minutes afterward.

BUCCAL SALVIA

As with many psychedelic medicines, there are multiple routes of administration for salvia. The traditional Mazatec method involves chewing the leaves (quidding) such that the salvinorin-A is released into the mucous membranes between the gums and the cheeks. This is known as the buccal route. Chewing a mouthful of leaves can be pretty challenging, so instead my same brilliant colleague I mentioned above offers a full-spectrum green extract of salvia that he mixes with cornstarch powder to maximize surface area. This green powder, which looks like matcha, can be held easily in the mouth for 20 minutes, which is sufficient for buccal absorption. The effects, which I’ll describe in more detail below, are similar to vaping but with a much slower come-up and extended duration. Peak buccal salvia can last for an hour or more, and light effects can be felt up to 90 minutes after the come down.

THE EXPERIENCE

Most psychedelics activate serotonin receptors, but salvia activates the kappa-opioid receptors. (Note: These are not the same as the mu-opioid receptors associated with opioid pharmaceuticals; salvia has no addictive properties whatsoever.) Because of its unique mechanism of action, salvia offers a spectrum of experiences distinct from other psychedelics. You may experience bodily distortion, fusion with inanimate objects, spontaneous laughter, frozen time, a vortex of swirling energy, and intensified gravity. You may launch into different worlds and dimensions, or commune with cosmic entities, cartoonish characters, or mysterious groups of revelers

When approached mindfully and meditatively in the spirit of unjourneying, salvia can reveal how your mind constructs your reality—including time, space, self, and the sense of agency—and can invite surrender to the spontaneous unfolding of experience and the vivid saliency of this moment. Because of its unusual and slippery character, I personally consider salvia the most advanced psychedelic, so I highly recommend having previous experience with 5-MeO-DMT and N,N-DMT before trying it. I always dose salvia clients very slowly and carefully so that you can ease into your relationship with it.

IS SALVIA RIGHT FOR YOU?

Given its unique nature, you may wonder if salvia is a good fit. In my experience, salvia seems to be helpful for the following:

  • Transforming your relationship with chronic pain

  • Grasping nonduality in a direct, tactile way

  • Enhancing meditation practice and your ability to stay present

  • Gaining insight into the deepest workings of how your mind creates your experience

  • Releasing the stress of dilemmas and letting go of a sense of rigid control

PRICING

After the free Consultation, each 50-minute integration session is $200, and full-day individual retreats (most popular) are $1800 each. I am an out-of-network provider for all insurance plans in the state of Oregon. The pricing for different retreat formats is summarized below:

  • Full-Day Individual Retreat (most popular): $1800

  • Half-Day Individual Retreat: $900

  • Full-Day Couples Retreat: $2200

  • Group Retreat Options Available Upon Request

I offer a 25% discount on all services for BIPOC, LGBTQ, and low-income clients, as well as clients with disabilities.

CURIOUS TO LEARN MORE?

Click the button below to request your free 50-Min Consultation so I can help answer any questions you have about salvia divinorum.