Greetings Dear Friends!  I hope you enoyed a lovely 4th of July weekend celebration and your summer is blossoming in full swing.  I recently had the sincere honor of training over 30 Psychedelic Coaches as a co-facilitator for the Psychedelic Coaching Institute intensive in Costa Rica.  After six months of remote learning, Students from Bali, Dubai, Cypress, the UK, South Africa, Spain, Portugal, Australia and all four corners of the United States joined together at BraveEarth for a week of learning, sharing, ceremony and initiation. It was a sincere honor to support the evolutionary growth of the next generation of Psychedelic leaders.  I’m thrilled to be a part of this powerful movement honoring the safe, ethical and integrated use of psychedelic medicines and coaching. If you have interest in being a part of the next cohort for the Psychedelic Coaching Institute, registration is currently open until July 12th.  Please send me a message stating your intention to take part and let them know that Ehren sent you!  It would be my honor to be your sponsor an ally as you take a courageous step into this powerful field of work. 

As for my own journey, this year has been all about rebuilding, reforging and rebirthing into the heart.  What does it mean to live from the essential self?  To move beyond the rationalizing mind that plans, strategizes, controls and constructs the pathway forward.  How does one truly let go in trust and live from their center?  Not having to know.  Not having to make sense and understand.  Feeling into the path ahead and saying yes to that resonance that rings true to a present and clear mind.  My process has taken through the depths of shadow to heal that which truly no longer serves. It has been intense and deep, but essential to clear up the way for the deeper listening required to navigate from an open heart.  Moving through this process has also proven essential to more deeply understand my clients who so often stand at a crossroads in their life path.  At the threshold of relationship transition, at the crux of a major vocational turning point, dealing with grief, guilt and pain of hard decisions made, trying to learn a new way to see and perceive life itself. To live in wonder, innocence and awe.. to let go of the intense baggage of yesterday to free the mind from limitations of what can change right now.  An order to open the door to entirely new possibilities, its critical to first let go of attachments, expectations and ideals of how things should be.. thus allowing the universe to support a new way.  That is the path of the heart.  In today’s newsletter I will offer a few powerful recommendations to support this new orientation including my newly remodeled Inner Compass Coaching Track. 

The SpArc Inner Compass transformational coaching supports client evolutionary growth from a survival-based life orientation to a thriving self-actualized lifestyle.  Inner compass coaching includes (12) 60 minute coaching sessions alongside (2) vision quest challenges over a three to six month program. (Client’s will have the option to engage in weekly or bi-weekly sessions per their discretion which culminates into the 3-6 month engagement).  Vision quest challenges are full day experiences designed to test physical, mental and spiritual resolve toward the integration of clearly defined goals. The Inner Compass path requires a willingness to fearlessly explore both the light and shadow within the self to find harmony & balance. I ask for your vulnerability, openness, and commitment as we navigate and refine your inner waters of potential to distill down your true alchemical gold. You are the navigator of your own destiny. This coaching path is about empowering and embracing your highest creative nature, so you can embody the change you wish to see in the world.

Now to explore what’s happening in the world of psychedelics! I hope you enjoy this newsletter filled news, resources and offerings fresh from the psychedelic frontier! And as always, thank you for joining me for this exciting Ride into deeper transformation, personal growth and lasting healing. 

Many families are presented with exceedingly limited options to support their teenage and young adult children healing through trauma, depression and lack of meaning. Many parents have also experienced limited success through SSRI’s and talk therapy, and are courageously exploring new avenues of healing including psychedelic medicine. I recently had the sincere honor of sharing insights with Psychedelics Today on my experiences coaching youth and young adults exploring plant & fungi medicine to heal and support their individuation journey.

Thank you Elena Schmidt for chance to contribute to such an important topic! I hope approaching this conversation with such sensitivity, thoughtfulness and care may better inform us how to navigate the intense psychedelic taboos of our culture – expanding a key dialog on the intentional use of plant medicines for our families in desperate need of support.

Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Tracy Masiello for a new podcast on exploring the frontiers of new mental health treatments. Together we dove into exploring the use of psychedelics as a catalyst for healing, growth and personal development.  We dove into its potential applications in the therapeutic and ceremonial setting as well as many ethical considerations.  We briefly reviewed its history, contemporary challenges in the psychedelic ecosystem, and the ongoing research highlighting its potential in mental health treatment.  Learn about the science, the stories, and the soul behind the sessions. 
Drugs with psychedelic effects, like psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, and cannabis, may help protect the brain from some aspects of aging.

A recent survey of 3,294 US adults, aged between 42 and 92, has found that those who reported using a hallucinogen of any kind in the past year show fewer depressive symptoms and more favorable changes to their higher-order brain functions.

Compared to those who did not use psychedelics, those who did scored higher on tests conducted over the phone which assessed inductive reasoning, verbal fluency, working memory, processing speed, attention switching, and inhibitory control.

Psychedelic users did not, however, score better on episodic memory, which stores and retrieves everyday events and is often impacted by dementia…
A recent study published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging has revealed that psilocybin can induce a state of hyperconnectivity in the brain. This heightened brain connectivity is linked to profound changes in perception and a sense of unity with the universe, which many users describe as mystical experiences.

Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in certain species of mushrooms, commonly referred to as “magic mushrooms.” When ingested, psilocybin is metabolized into psilocin, which interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain, particularly the serotonin 2A receptor.

This interaction leads to altered perception, mood, and cognition, often resulting in profound changes in consciousness. Users report experiences ranging from enhanced sensory perception and visual hallucinations to feelings of unity with the universe and deep personal insight. These effects have made psilocybin a subject of interest not only for recreational use but also for its potential therapeutic benefits.
A recent study has revealed that psilocybin, the active psychedelic compound in “magic mushrooms,” induces a state of hyperconnectivity in the brain, linked to the ego-dissolving experiences and feelings of oceanic boundlessness. 

These findings, published in the journal Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, offer insights into the mystical experiences reported during psychedelic use and their potential therapeutic benefits for psychiatric disorders like depression.
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If you love the song by John Hopkins and Eastforest featuring Ram Dass called Sitting Around the Fire, then you may have been curious as to where the samples came from. Here is the original discussion. In this powerful dharma talk from 1975, Ram Dass speaks of the still small voice within that serves as a constant reminder of our true nature and relationship with Source.


Interested in a getaway to the beautiful mountains of Asheville?  Would you like to stay in a sanctuary filled with beauty and wonder?  Many of you have stayed in our Journey’s End suite while experiencing an immersive SpArc program.  Recently, we renovated the beautiful suite to include (2) more rooms supporting up to (6) per group.  Explore the lovely Blue Ridge Mountains in our Sanctuary retreat at the link below.  Please mention this newsletter before booking and we will be happy to provide 10% off! 

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