The complete story
Thierry arrives with strong expectations. He hopes for an experience that might help him and prepares to discover what the ceremonies will bring. At the beginning, he would like the retreat to answer what he has come looking for. What follows will lead him to describe something different from the experience he imagined.
After the first ceremony, Thierry describes how much space his mind took up. He wanted to remain open and relaxed, but found himself focused on what was happening in his body. In the first sharing circle, he is still trying to put into words an evening that did not resemble the journey he expected.
The second ceremony does not bring the journey he imagined either. He describes cold, physical effects and great difficulty putting his experience into words. In the second sharing circle, other people’s emotions move him and make his own sharing harder. He describes himself as lost on a road. The group’s encouragement does not replace what he can say about his experience himself.
On this ayahuasca retreat, reflecting after the third ceremony, Thierry does not receive the experience he expected. He had hoped for a great deal and says he did not really journey. In the final sharing circle, however, he recognises another important moment: an exchange of giving and receiving that opened his emotions. For him, the gift of the stay is found in that encounter rather than in the effects he had imagined.
In his final account, he returns to giving and receiving. He names it as the greatest moment of his retreat. He also speaks of the harmony of the final evening, the songs, and each person's presence. Tiredness and pain limited him in some activities, but he can recognise what did him good.
On this ayahuasca retreat, reflecting after the third ceremony, Thierry does not claim to be completely at peace. He says he leaves full of hope and glad he took part. He thanks the group for an evening he found harmonious and for the moment when his emotions opened. Not all his expectations were met. Yet he can name what he received and what he wants to keep.
The difference between what he expected and what he experienced does not become a success declared on his behalf. Thierry gives it his own words: receiving life as it comes, with its surprises, and staying open to what it can offer.
He ends by thanking the team and the participants. His story remains that of a man who did not find exactly what he came seeking, but who encountered a moment of emotion and a reason to continue with hope.
