Meet Anais & Sebastiaan
Choosing the people who will guide you through a psilocybin retreat is a deeply personal decision.
Before deciding whether Mushroom Awakening Private Retreats feels right for you, we invite you to get to know us, learn how we guide, and what you can expect when spending these days together.
We take our time.
We listen.
We notice.
We ask the questions that help you look deeper.
And then we listen again.
Our work begins by creating a space where you can be honest and safe about what is present, with openness, curiosity and care.
A space where you can explore yourself without needing to perform, explain or become someone else.
How We Guide
Every retreat begins with understanding what brought you here.
Together, we explore what feels important to you, what you would like to understand more deeply, and what you hope to be different when you return home.
From these conversations, we formulate an intention that becomes a quiet thread throughout the retreat, from preparation, through the journey itself, and into integration afterwards.
During the retreat, we stay close to your experience.
We observe.
We listen.
We explore.
Sometimes this means asking a question that opens a new perspective. Sometimes it means simply being present in silence with what is arising.
Our approach is based on a simple understanding:
What remains unseen, such as old experiences, protective patterns and deeply held beliefs, can continue to influence the way we think, feel and experience life.
When something that has been operating beneath the surface becomes visible, we gain the possibility to relate to it differently.
Through this awareness, we can reconnect, come home to ourselves and find peace, clarity and freedom again. More about our approach: Mushroom Awakening Philosophy
What It Feels Like To Be With Us
A private retreat creates space to step away from everyday demands and reconnect with yourself.
There is time for deep conversations, quiet moments, reflection, laughter and whatever naturally unfolds.
We bring a calm and grounded presence to the process. When emotions or difficult experiences arise, we stay present with them and support you in exploring them at your own pace.
Your boundaries are respected.
Your experience remains your own.
Meet Sebastiaan
Founder & Lead Facilitator
Sebastiaan is the founder and lead facilitator of Mushroom Awakening.
After nearly two decades as a Business Consultant, a personal turning point led him into a deeper exploration of the body, emotions, consciousness and the patterns that shape our lives.
Over the past 15+ years, this path has brought together professional bodywork, meditation, self-inquiry, personal development, spirituality and psychedelic work.
He completed a three-year professional training in Rebalancing® bodywork in the Netherlands and has practiced Rebalancing since 2013. His experience also includes Voice Dialogue, meditation, self-inquiry, group work, crisis support and retreat leadership.
His exploration of consciousness has included extensive retreat and plant-medicine work, including six months in Peru in 2018 and multiple ayahuasca retreats in the Netherlands. He has been guiding people through intentional psilocybin experiences since 2018.
Today, Sebastiaan brings these different strands together through Guided Self-Inquiry, Rebalancing® bodywork, Voice Dialogue, meditation, coaching and psychedelic-assisted retreat work.
His role is simple: to create a safe and grounded space where people can meet themselves honestly and discover what becomes possible when old patterns no longer run the show.
Experience & Training
Embodied & Emotional Work
- Professional Rebalancing Training – Rebalancing Foundation, Netherlands | 2010–2013
- Rebalancing Practitioner | 2013–Present
- Zen & Fitness Facilitator Training | 2016
- Voice Dialogue – Practical Training 10-session training | 2019
Psilocybin Guidance
Guiding people through intentional psilocybin experiences | 2018–Present
Meditation, Self-Inquiry & Personal Development
- Art of Living – One-Year Training | 2014
- Living with Soul – Two-Year Experiential Group Program | 2014–2016
- Satori Group Work – 8-Day Intensive | 2009
- Satori – 5-Day Intensive | 2011
- Satori: The Nothingness – 5-Day Intensive | 2011
- Meditation Retreat: Passion, Expression & Silence | 2009
- Rebirth Workshop | 2009
- Assisted with various Osho Active Meditation retreats
Plant Medicine & Spiritual Exploration
- Peru – Plant Medicine & Shamanic Exploration | 2018
Six months of participation in ayahuasca and San Pedro ceremonies, plant-medicine dietas and retreats exploring traditional shamanic practices. - Ayahuasca Retreats – Casa Da Luz, Netherlands | 2017–2019 Participated in multiple retreats.
Crisis Support & Retreat Work
- Volunteer Crisis Counselor – 113 Suicide Prevention, Amsterdam | 2019–2020
- Retreat Center Manager – HOME Farm, Costa Rica | 2023–2025
Meet Anais
Integration & Retreat Host
Anais brings warmth, openness and care to every retreat.
With her natural ability to make people feel welcomed and at ease, she helps create the loving and grounded atmosphere that supports deep inner work.
Her own journey through challenges, healing and transformation has given her a heartfelt understanding of the human experience.
“I’ve experienced moments of darkness, pain and challenges in my life, both in body and soul. Through this journey, I discovered that within me there has always existed a greater strength: the ability to heal, transform and begin again with love.
Today I know that every fall taught me to rise with more light. I hope to remind others that this same strength exists within them, and that no difficulty is greater than the essence of who they truly are.”
Anaïs guides creative integration exercises and prepares the nourishing meals during the retreat. Through her presence, creativity and care, she helps create an environment where people can relax, reconnect and feel supported.
Why Costa Rica
Stepping away from everyday life creates space.
Surrounded by rainforest, rivers and mountains, Costa Rica offers the quiet, beauty and simplicity that support this work.
Nature becomes part of the experience, inviting you to slow down, reconnect and listen more deeply.
Let’s Meet
The best way to know whether we are the right fit is simply to meet.
Our online introduction gives us the opportunity to get to know each other, answer your questions and experience how we guide.
If it feels right for both of us, we will explore the next step together..