Heart Expansion Retreat

The Heart Expansion Retreat, now run by Legacy Journeys under the name The Return, is a three-day psychedelic retreat on Bowen Island, British Columbia, about 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver. Guests work with psilocybin, MDMA or both in a co-facilitated session, with one to two weeks of preparation before and integration after.

Approach

The three days are a preparation day, a medicine day and an integration day, and the medicine session is tailored to each guest. Around it come cacao and hapé ceremonies, breathwork, sauna and cold plunge, and forest walks. The team is led by Michael Oliver, who co-founded the psychedelic community The Flying Sage in 2020 and spent three years with MAPS Canada. It includes Mehran Seyed Emami, a registered clinical counsellor who works as a trauma-informed MDMA-assisted psychotherapist, and the breathwork coach Gabrielle Bachand.

Who it is for

The retreat is aimed at people seeking mental health support that goes deeper than talk therapy, or working through past trauma. As a group experience, it does not suit people who need one-to-one work, who see psychedelics as a quick fix, or whose conditions or medications rule out the medicines. No prior psychedelic experience is needed.

Practical details

A shared room costs $2,750 per person and a private room $2,950, with partial scholarships for genuine financial hardship. Meals come from an in-house chef. A deposit, non-refundable once a guest is approved, confirms the place, and guests get free membership of The Flying Sage community afterwards.

Care and safety

Screening combines a comprehensive intake form, covering medical, psychological and substance use history, with a free discovery call to check for exclusion criteria. There is one facilitator for every two guests. Integration includes a circle the day after the medicine session and a call one to two weeks later.