From Gaia for You

A deep, moving, and healing experience created with the utmost care and mindfulness in an atmosphere of love, acceptance, and support 🫶 I couldn't imagine a more thoughtfully prepared space and atmosphere to look within and face my deepest fears and pain.🫶 I am beyond grateful 🫶

I came to this retreat both as a participant and with a professional background — I work as a therapist and trained in psychedelic-assisted therapy, so I tend to watch the container as closely as I feel it.

What stayed with me most was the quality of the holding. There is a beautiful, steady and grounded energy in this space — warm, attentive, and genuinely loving, without anything performative about it. Danilo and Ilse hold the space with simple authentic presence and skill. That combination is rarer than it should be.

The live music carried much of it: South American and Colombian energies, guitar, flute and voice, supported te processes through the night. It brought te connection to te medicine and allowed to go deep. The connection to the yagé tradition was felt — lived and carried, not borrowed.

Much of it happened in a family space rather than a staged retreat setting: cooking and living together with their two little girls bringing joy and fun, bathing in the cold river, three little dogs playing around the place. Life simply went on alongside the deep work, and that made surrender and opening far easier than in many other spaces I have been in.

Because the container is so solid, deep processes become possible. I experienced and witnessed work that went well beyond a pleasant journey: demanding processes that were met with patience and care rather than managed or cut short. My impression is that there is also real experience with complex trauma here — the pacing, the attunement, and the way people were accompanied through difficult territory all pointed to that.

The medicine itself was of very high quality, clean and clear, with a good and coherent energy.

I recommend this wholeheartedly, from my own experience as a participant and from a professional perspective.

Back home, digesting and processing the insights, experiences and strong emotions that I have lived the past week.
The thorough prep-work guided by Danilo had me in the right mindset before I even got on the plane. Informed and prepared but also at ease as we had some video-calls going through things.
Upon arrival I sensed the harmony of the place, Danilo and Ilse, Gaia and Stella darting around in the back and Porcini, Luna and Ciccia, the cuddly trio that were to escort me on my solo walks during the week.
Because I had prepared so well, the fasting and cleansing and meditative part on day 1 and first half of day 2 felt like a continuation, albeit with the intensity turned up a notch.
The sessions in the dome brought me as much as I had expected, as much struggle, as much joy and as much insight as I had anticipated….
And they will continue to bring me insight and understanding today and in the coming weeks, hopefully months.
I feel cannot fully fathom the value of my visit to this wonderful place. i know it was special and I am feeling much inspired by this lovely family, oasis that is their house and transformative work I got to do under their loving guidance.

Some experiences stay with you long after they are over and this is definitely one of them.

I spent a few beautiful days with Danilo, Ilse, their lovely little family and I am leaving with so much gratitude in my heart.

There is something very special about the way they welcome people into their world. Their kindness feels genuine, their presence is warm and reassuring and there is a beautiful simplicity in sharing their space and their time with them.

The place itself is absolutely stunning: peaceful, surrounded by nature and with an atmosphere that makes it easy to slow down and reconnect with yourself.

But what I will remember most is the human experience: the conversations, the little moments, the laughter, the care and the feeling of being surrounded by people who truly put their heart into what they do.

Danilo, Ilse and Martin ... thank you for these precious days, for your generosity, your presence and everything you created for us.
And thank you to your adorable family for making the whole experience even more special 💛

I feel incredibly grateful that our paths crossed. I hope our paths will cross again someday ✨

This was my 2nd visit at Danilo & Ilses little paradise. As the first time 3 years ago I felt so welcomed immediately. I was invited to just be me with everything there was and that was the setting at all times. Danilo, Ilse and Martin handled my vulnerability with conscious care and respectful guidance throughout my processes. This allowed me to connect to my dark and light aspects of my past and now so deep that I could integrate all the pieces of my puzzle into one harmonious and strengthening big picture. I was again being reminded of the impressive healing power of unconditional love and non-judging.

Thank you from my heart. I will be back!