Rooted in Freedom: A Guide to Safe, Sacred, and Intentional Plant Medicine Journeys

What we created was special: a Black-only container (participants and facilitators) for plant medicine...

The Call to the Medicine

“Melissa, where can I go for a safe plant medicine experience?” For years, my community Reflecting Joy (formerly known as R.A.W.) has been asking me this. The question was never just about location. It was about trust, about safety, about ensuring that the space honored both the clinical and spiritual significance of the medicine. It took me over a year to agree (after going through some training for clinicians), it took me 3 months to locate the right support, it took us a year to plan.

In January, Reflecting Joy embarked on a 6 day immersion, which included 2 psilocybin journeys, in Negril Jamaica through One Retreats. What we created was special: a Black-only container (participants and facilitators) for plant medicine that honored the clinical benefits of the medicine, but also the spiritual healing properties of it as well. Now that we’re back, the curiosity, the longing, and the questions are louder than ever. It is clear that people are interested, but they need guidance—not just about where to go, but how to prepare, what to expect, and most importantly, how to integrate their experience into real, lasting transformation.

Plant medicine is powerful. It has the capacity to heal, to reveal, and to shift deeply ingrained patterns—but only when approached with intention, the right environment, and proper support. So let’s talk about what to consider before embarking on this journey.

Set, Setting, and Safety: The Pillars of a Grounded Journey

1. Set: Your Intentions, Needs, and Expectations

Before engaging with plant medicine—whether it’s psilocybin, ayahuasca, or another sacred plant—the first question to ask is: Why am I here?

Your set is your mindset. Your emotional and psychological state before the journey influences what unfolds. Are you seeking healing? Clarity? A connection to spirit? Or are you chasing a ‘breakthrough’ without knowing what’s beneath that desire?

It’s also essential to manage expectations. The medicine doesn’t give you what you want—it gives you what you need. And sometimes, what we need is not easy or comfortable. The more you release rigid expectations, the more open you are to the medicine’s wisdom.

2. Setting: Your Environment & Comfort

Where you take the medicine matters. Your surroundings should feel safe, supportive, and aligned with your healing process.

Ask yourself:

• Will I be in a place where I feel at ease?

• Will there be elements that enhance my comfort—blankets, music, nature?

• Is the energy of the space intentional, sacred, and respected?

The environment influences how the medicine unfolds within you. At Rooted Freedom, we were deeply aware of how the energy of the land, the presence of water, and even the knowledge of the plant’s life cycle—from seed to ingestion—played a role in the experience. Each day and experience within that day was intentionally crafted to support the process. Any space you’re considering should be able to articulate how they intentionally craft the experience for safety and support. 

3. Safety: Who Holds the Space?

One of the biggest gaps in the plant medicine space is finding safe, culturally attuned guides—especially for Black participants. Many have expressed concerns about feeling unseen, misunderstood, or even retraumatized in spaces that don’t honor their lived experiences. Remember, for some the plant can take you back to ancestral experiences in your DNA. Many of our community members found themselves in the middle of the transatlantic slave trade during their journey. Because you do not know where your journey will take you, safety is critical.

Safety is about more than just physical well-being. It’s about who you journey with, who facilitates, and whether they understand your needs.

Ask yourself:

• Do I trust this guide/space?

• Do I feel supported in my vulnerability?

• Does the facilitator understand both the clinical and spiritual dimensions of this work?

Pre-Integration & Post-Integration: The Often Overlooked Essentials

The journey doesn’t begin when you ingest the medicine—it begins before and continues long after.

Pre-integration is about preparing your body, mind, and spirit:

• Engaging in reflection or journaling beforehand

• Avoiding certain foods/substances that may interfere with the medicine

• Grounding practices like meditation or movement

Post-integration is where the real work happens. Psychedelics may open doors, but walking through them requires action. Without integration, insights can fade, and the experience may feel disconnected from your daily life.

This is where support is crucial—someone to help you process, reflect, and connect the dots. Therapy, coaching, or community integration circles can make the difference between a profound awakening and a fleeting moment.

The Clinical & Spiritual Intersection of Plant Medicine

I believe a ceremony should honor both the clinical and spiritual aspects of the medicine. Too often, the Western model focuses only on neuroscience—how psilocybin affects serotonin receptors, how it rewires the brain for neuroplasticity, how it treats PTSD, depression, and anxiety.

And while those studies are essential, they miss the soul of the medicine.

Plant medicine has been used by indigenous cultures for thousands of years—not just as a chemical tool, but as a spiritual practice. It’s not just about ‘fixing’ something in the brain; it’s about reconnecting to something ancient, sacred, and deeply personal.

For Black people, whose ancestral and cultural traditions around plant medicine have often been erased or demonized, reclaiming this connection is especially profound.

At Rooted Freedom, we created a container where Black participants could journey in a way that felt culturally affirming and spiritually grounded. We honored the plants, we honored the land, and we honored ourselves. That’s what’s missing from so many psychedelic spaces.

So, Where Do You Go from Here?

If plant medicine is calling you, move with intention, discernment, and support. Ask questions. Find safe spaces. Work with people who respect both the clinical and the spiritual—because healing isn’t just science, it’s soul work.

And if you’re wondering where to start, I see you. I’ve heard you. You can drop me a line to see if I am doing any experiences in the future or you can check out One Retreats Jamaica.