3 day Winter Solstice Mushroom Retreat near Barcelona, Spain

Carla played so many roles during the retreat with After the Rains, every one with humble talent, experience, wisdom, humour, care and great compassion. She is a wonderful cook who effortlessly produces delicious meals for a group; skilful at leading us through yoga, stretching and breathwork sessions; listens with kindness and responds with wisdom, humour and humility; and supports with great care, compassion and sensitivity. She is intuitive at somehow knowing what a person needs, both during the Ceremony and outside of it, and I will not forget her soothing presence and physical contact which quietened me during times of emotional release. She also has a beautiful voice, which can be gently sweet or raw with energy, guiding us deeper within ourselves in a way which almost felt other-worldly. Her connection with and respect for nature, and also great experience and expression of humanity, emotion and creativity make her the perfect guide on the retreat journey.

As a relative newcomer to plant medicine, I was a bit nervous of what to expect from this weekend, however something about After the Rains just felt right, and so I trusted my intuition and stepped right in. I am so happy that I did. From the start, I was able to exchange with Ollie and Carla, who were both reassuring, answering my questions openly and honestly, so I felt entirely supported and safe. I found the Nectara course preparation gifted with my purchase extremely helpful in aiding my understanding of what would happen, and with the information given in the pre-retreat video call and the 1:1 on the day, I felt individually seen and heard despite the group setting, and was prepared and excited for what was to come. I spent just a little over 48 hours in the company of eight truly remarkable people, and yet when we parted company it felt like we had known each other for far longer. Ollie and Carla skillfully and gently guided us through the weekend, subtly building our trust and connection with each other; helping us to feel safe enough to be open and vulnerable, and holding us all with compassion and care throughout the entire weekend. The beautiful peaceful setting in nature is a balm to the soul in itself, the rooms are very comfortably appointed, and the house and grounds were perfect to bring us together but also allow us time alone if we wished. Carla and Ollie provided us with delicious wholesome home-cooked meals to nurture and sustain us. The combination of breathwork, yoga, magical time in the forest, chanting, and sound therapy was a fabulous aid to relaxation and leaving behind the stresses of the day-to-day, in order to focus entirely on ourselves in the here and now. I loved the respect shown to nature, with the Equinox timing of the retreat which also happened to fall on the night of the new moon. The medicine was treated with a quiet and sincere respect, and I really appreciated the Ceremonial approach to the more formal aspects of preparation, the Ceremony itself and integration the following morning. During the actual Ceremony, I felt entirely safe and supported, at times having the quiet presence of either Ollie or Carla, and at times journeying alone through my subconscious, allowing me to release suppressed emotions, and open up new ways of being, accompanied by the rhythms, voices and music created by Ollie with Carla. I have never before felt so much love and acceptance in a room, and especially from a group of people who had been strangers, but will now forever be written into the story of my spiritual path through this life. I have emerged feeling calmer and less reactive, more positive, less stressed and anxious, and feeling blessed and grateful to have had such an amazing experience. I cannot recommend After the Rains highly enough - it has changed my life. Book right now!

It is hard to find the right words for Ollie - there are so many and yet not enough. From my first call with him he was reassuring and supportive, genuine and open. He has a very calming presence which gently and non-intrusively invites you to open up your most vulnerable places, which he holds with great compassion and care, carefully listening and delicately questioning. His wisdom and experience with plant medicine are clear and were very reassuring to me as someone relatively inexperienced in this practice. His respect for and connection with nature is plain to see and deeply inspiring. His musical talents, beautiful haunting voice and instrumental skill are mesmerising, both during and outside of the Ceremony. His humility cannot hide the empathy, wisdom and care held deeply within a shining old soul. He also gives the best hugs! I felt literally and emotionally held in complete safety and support throughout the entire experience; never judged, always heard, sometimes advised, sometimes gently challenged, but always held with the utmost care and humanity. Ollie is the beating heart of After the Rains and a rare and special human being, and it was a great privilege to have him walk alongside me during my experience. I have been forever changed by the love, guidance and respectful care shown to me by this wonderful man. Thank you 🙏🏻

Oliver and Carla were wonderful guides on this deeply spiritual journey. Oliver has this grounded sage like presence and Carla balances with free-flowing joyful flowing energy. They are both deeply caring and kind and held space for everyone.

The space was beautiful, I had all the comforts I needed and felt connected to nature with the mountains and woods surrounding us.

It was a deeply profound and intense experience and I couldn't have asked for better guides.

I highly recommend Oliver, he is very caring and made me deal safe and comfortable that set me up for a wonderful experience