Cultivating Joy: A Ketamine-Assisted Mindfulness Retreat | October 2024

October
24
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October
27
2024
at
Menla

Welcome to Cultivating Joy ~ A Ketamine Assisted Mindfulness Retreat for Inspired Individuals looking to Cultivate Joy in everyday life.

This is a safe, structured retreat led by a staff of licensed and highly experienced therapists and physicians in the beautiful Catskill Mountains at MENLA Retreat and Spa.

~Meet at the intersection of science and spirituality~

This retreat is for individuals. If you are committed to the practice of sharing the fullness of your being, locating your best self, your enthusiasm & vitality, your spirit, your trust, your openness, above all, your presence~ this may be a weekend experience for you. Join this retreat if you have a deep desire to share yourself in this way, with yourself, with fellow retreat members, with your family, friends, and with the world.

We invite you to break old patterns and habits and cultivate space for joy and well being, even in the midst of all the ongoing stresses and distractions of everyday life.   Ketamine assisted sessions may be helpful in opening  the doors of the mind and heart to what lies within,  however lost or disengaged you may feel from this part of yourself. Ketamine is a powerful medicine that can assist you in seeing things in a new, clearer way,  often in non-defensive and insightful ways. Mindfulness and meditation practices, taught and practiced throughout this retreat, are skills we need for improved self regulation of emotions and thoughts, and can support the ability to meet each moment with equanimity and grace.

The structure of the retreat  is designed for individuals who are ready to step into realms of  deep connection and personal development within a group setting. Participants who have skillful means to navigate non-ordinary states of consciousness and the capacity for depth work in a group setting are invited to apply for this retreat. No experience with psychedelic medicines, or Ketamine,  is necessary for admission. All applicants will be interviewed to determine if this retreat is a good fit.

Combining Ketamine with mindfulness and meditation practices can be a jump start to a more conscious and purposeful life. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a world renowned author, speaker, and mindfulness teacher, likes to say “there is more right with you, than wrong with you”.  At our retreats we use guided practices to bring individuals home to their inner intelligence. Regardless of what is unfolding  moment to moment, we each have the innate capacity and inner wisdom to choose to be present and to practice compassion and kindness with ourselves and with each other.

We take great care in the enrollment process. Safety is our top priority while making sure every individual that will attend has the capacity to be in a group setting and to experience Ketamine in a safe and constructive manner. This retreat is not a residential treatment setting and is not meant for people suffering from an acute mental health crises, and it is not for those with chronic and persistent psychiatric conditions.

Steps to join:

Step 1: Fill out the initial application to attend this retreat. After we receive that, the next step will be to conduct a screening call over Zoom with our Co-Founder and Lead Facilitator, Jayne Gumpel, LCSW (the confirmation email will include instructions on how to book this). 

Step 2: If the phone or Zoom screening results in a sense that there is a good fit (mutually decided, of course) you will be asked to make a deposit of 50% of the retreat fee (please note, this does not include the cost of housing).

Step 3: After paying the deposit to confirm your enrollment, you will receive an email with detailed instructions for all your next steps, including scheduling a medical screening appointment, booking housing at Menla Retreat Center, and choosing your Pre-Retreat Preparation Group Video Call with other retreat participants. You’ll also receive a login to our Customer Portal, where you’ll find all this information and more in one place, to help you prepare for the retreat. 

Retreat Schedule

Retreat Schedule

Thursday

  • Optional early arrival to schedule spa treatment
  • 4:00 PM Check-in starts
  • 6:00 PM Dinner
  • 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM Evening Program

Friday

  • 7:15 AM Meditation and Yoga (optional)
  • 8:00  Check-in & Opening program *no breakfast
  • 9:30 AM Meeting the medicine
  • 10:00 AM Ketamine Session
  • 12:30 PM Lunch.
  • BREAK (book a massage or spa treatment!).
  • 3:30 - 5:30 PM Afternoon program
  • 6:00 PM Dinner.
  • 7:00 PM Evening Workshop
  • 9:00 PM Bonfire (weather permitting)

Saturday

  • 7:15 AM Meditation and Yoga (optional).
  • 8:30 AM Morning Program - *no breakfast.
  • 10:00 AM Ketamine Session  
  • 12:30 PM Lunch.
  • BREAK (book a massage or spa treatment!).
  • 3:30 - 5:30 PM Afternoon program
  • 6:00 PM Dinner
  • 7:00 PM Evening workshop
  • 9:00 PM Night activity

Sunday

  • 7:15 AM Meditation and Yoga (optional).
  • 8:00 AM Check out of rooms
  • 9:00 AM Ketamine Session (optional)
  • 11:00 AM Group Process
  • 12:30 PM Lunch
  • 2:00 PM Group Activity
  • 3:00 PM End of program (optional stay Sunday night)

Monday

  • 11:00 AM checkout
  • Menla Spa Day

Costs

Relationship Resources Cost: $2150 per person (plus choice of housing), 50% deposit upon enrollment. 50% balance due to confirm registration. 

PLEASE NOTE: This cost does not include the cost of housing or the medical screening, which are paid separately (see details below)

Housing & Meals Cost

The above fee does NOT include housing. Individual or shared (on request) accommodations available.

Prices range from $250 to $380 a night including delicious vegetarian meals. After being accepted, housing costs will be paid directly to Menla with instructions provided. 

Medical Intake Costs

Medical Intake: Fee to be paid to medical provider $400 (this includes the prescription for the Ketamine lozenges). A payment link will be provided to pay your assigned medical provider. 

Organizer/faculty contact details

Jayne Gumpel, LCSW

jayne@relationshipresources.info

914.924.1509 (cell)

Relationship Resources LLC

Menla Retreat Center Contact Information

Front Desk at Menla:

frontdesk@menla.org

Or call 845-688-6897 (Extension 101)

www.menla.org

Apply Now
Jayne Gumpel, LCSW
David Gumpel, MA
Eva Dillon, LCSW, CST
Irina Linetskaya, MD
Daniel J. Zimmerman, M.D.
Saundra Jain, MA, PsyD, LPC