The Day of the Dead

An Exploration of Consciousness

The man who dies before he dies does not die when he dies.

Abraham a Sancta Clara, 17th century German Augustinian monk

Death is not extinguishing the light; it is putting out the lamp because dawn has come.

Rabindranath Tagore

What is soundless, touchless, formless, imperishable, likewise tasteless, constant, odorless, without beginning, without end, higher than the great, stable. By discerning That, one is liberated from the mouth of death.

Katha Upanishad

A Grof Medicine & Breathwork Journey

Thursday evening, October 29 – Sunday evening, November 1, 2026

Wildsong Gaian Sanctuary

75 Matt Smith Rd., Cochecton, NY 12726

As we prepare for this retreat, we will spend time together exploring the cartography of consciousness and the mysteries of birth and death. We’ll probe our mortality and examine the preconceptions and emotions that we carry around it.

Stan Grof has spent 70 years exploring and mapping the boundless domains of consciousness. Since he began these explorations in 1956, he has facilitated tens of thousands of journeys into non-ordinary states of consciousness with both psychedelic medicines and holotropic breathwork (a modality pioneered by him and his late wife, Christina Grof).

This retreat is structured using protocols developed by Stan over decades to provide the optimal set and setting for the inward journey and to maximize the opportunity for healing and spiritual evolution made available through these modalities.

During this retreat you will work in dyads utilizing Grof’s protocols, taking turns journeying and sitting for each other with both medicine and holotropic breathwork. You will be guided by facilitators who have spent years learning from Stan and his mentees through Grof® Legacy Training. 

A Word About Breathwork

Breathwork following a medicine journey is the most powerful integration tool we have encountered. Breath is medicine in its own right, with its own unique qualities and power. It capitalizes on the openness and the neuroplasticity gifted by the medicine and will carry you further, revealing new layers of meaning, uncovering pathways for integration, and completing any unfinished business.

A Word About Sitting

Sitting is a gift for both the journeyer and the sitter. We’ve worked with many people who, after sitting for the first time, share that the experience was as transformative as their journey. Sitting does not require any special training, as there are highly skilled facilitators in the room to provide any needed support. A sitter’s job is not to intervene, but rather to hold space energetically and take care of the physical needs of the journeyer. Held in this way, no part of the journeyer’s psyche needs to be held back for self protection. Set and setting are elevated to new heights.

Schedule

  • 1st Preparatory Zoom – TBD
  • 2nd Preparatory Zoom – TBD
  • 3rd Preparatory Zoom – TBD
  • Thursday, October 29th – Dinner & Opening Circle
  • Friday, October 30th – 1st Medicine Journey
  • Saturday, October 31st – 2nd Medicine Journey
  • Sunday, November 1st – Grof® (holotropic) Breathwork & Closing
  • 1st Integration Zoom – TBD
  • 2nd Integration Zoom – TBD

Cost

Pay what you can and a little bit more.

  • $1,650 – cost for tuition, room, and board. (This is our level cost per participant)
  • $1,750-$2,300 – I can afford to pay a bit more to help support others
  • Financial assistance available for those who need it. We never want cost to be the obstacle to your growth. Contact info@jivanmukta.life
  • Space is limited. A $550 deposit is required with registration to reserve your participation.

Register Here

Have questions? Reach out to us at:

info@jivanmukta.life or on Signal @benotbe.01

Meet the Facilitators

Sandy Wiggins is a Psycho-Spiritual Facilitator certified as a Breathwork Practitioner by the Global Professional Breathwork Alliance and by Grof® Legacy Training for Grof® (holotropic) Breathwork. He has also completed GLT’s training for Psychedelic Assisted Therapy and is a certified meditation teacher. He facilitates workshops, communities of practice and retreats around the globe. Learn more about Sandy.

Cira Canelas is a psychotherapist with 30 years of experience, specializing in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Her work is grounded in a rich foundation of professional trainings, including EMDR, PSIP, and mindfulness, alongside transformative journeys to the Amazon. She has completed the curriculum for Grof® Breathwork and Psychedelic Therapy through Grof Legacy Training®. Learn more about Cira.