Sceletium plant spirit immersion:

Rooting in resonance

16-18 May 2025

THE INVITATION

A master in nervous system mediation, Sceletium is rapidly gaining popularity in South Africa and worldwide. The Sceletium tortuosum plant is an unassuming, tiny succulent with a highly complex and wide range of alkaloids, known to treat anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive behaviour, unsurpassed in its clinical efficacy. As a powerful empathogen, “not only does it regenerate the capacity for deep empathy and love, it also mediates the entire mind and nervous system in the direction of calm, clear centeredness and spacious feeling. Sceletium brings emotional and mental balance, provides connectedness and grounding, and allows the mind to find its natural equilibrium. And it does this with more power and consistency than any other plant” (from sceletium.com).

However, despite the increasing awareness of the vast pharmacological benefits of Sceletium, there is a great need for us modern humans to reacquaint ourselves with this ancient, sacred plant on a metaphysical level, and learn from the eternal wisdom that it offers. Known as Kanna, Channa, or Kougoed (chewing stuff), it is indigenous to the Karoo region of South Africa, and has been used in traditional fermented form by the Nama, San and Khoikhoi peoples for millennia. Once nicknamed Bushman’s ecstasy, this sacred plant has a profound effect on regulating the nervous system for mood enhancement, and is also used as an appetite suppressant, trance dance facilitator, dream herb, and psychoactive (not psychedelic).

While we honour the indigenous body of knowledge around working with this teacher plant, in this weekend immersion, Saskia and Olivia will guide you through a series of contemporary experiential activities to meet Sceletium, working together with the plant physically through an elixir (for those who can and wish to) and in essence form (an infusion of the plant's vibration, which won’t interfere with pharmaceutical anti-depressants). Interweaving with Olivia’s conscious breathwork and nervous system regulation guidance, Saskia will facilitate you in a journey to meet and be with the eternal spirit of Sceletium, to learn directly from this wise being, as well as guide somatic practices, to move with the plants and integrate their teachings in your nervous system.

Each participant will go home with a bottle of Sceletium essence, to continue working with their teachings in daily life, both personal and professional. An online follow-up call one month after the immersion will allow for sharing, questions and further integration.

Let this be a nourishing immersion with Sceletium, to regenerate your nervous system, so that you can root in resonance with Nature.

What’s included?

• Your choice of accommodation at the award-winning, eco-conscious Wild Spirit Lodge

• All meals and teas & coffees, made with mostly local ingredients, and freshly prepared on site

• Facilitation by Dr Saskia von Diest, founder of Ecofluency, and Olivia Moon, Holistic Alignment Coach

• Notes and a bottle of Sceletium essence

• A 90min online follow-up call for integration, one month after the immersion

• Access to the new Ecofluency Alumni Hub, for asking questions, practicing with different exercises, and sharing with others to keeping growing your practice

THE SETTING

The exquisite Garden Route, or Eden District, is a region along the south coast of South Africa characterised by the Outeniqua mountain range, carved by deep canyons and vibrant rivers, pristine beaches and numerous natural lakes and lagoons, protected by various South African National Parks and marine protected areas.

Situated within the Cape Floristic Region (a protected World Heritage Site), the ancient Afromontane and dune forests, with stretches of fynbos inbetween, boasts the highest biodiversity of plants and trees in the world! In this rich biosphere, wild animals roam freely, including elephants, leopards, caracal, bush pigs, monkeys, baboons, porcupines, many species of buck, and an extraordinary number of native bird species, amphibians and reptiles. Whales, dolphins, sharks and other marine life are abundant along this thriving coastline.

Recent archeological evidence from caves along this coastline shows that this region is considered to be the birthplace of modern humans, and the Pinnacle Point Caves near Mossel Bay have recently been classified  a World Heritage Site.

This richly populated landscape is the perfect setting for rekindling your ancestral birthright for communing and communicating with all of Nature.

Extending your stay in the area is highly recommended!

The venue

Wild Spirit Lodge sits on the land of Khoinania, on the western border of the Tsitsikamma National Park, near Nature’s Valley. Since its inception, Wild Spirit has been co-created with the consciousness of Nature as much as possible, towards living in harmony with life in all its forms.

With accommodation options to suit a wide range of budgets, exquisite views, a Magical Forest, waterfall, this thriving community hub has won awards for its hospitality.

The immersion includes your choice of accommodation, ranging from comfortable, en-suite rooms to BYO camping. All meals are also included and are served on the main deck of the lodge. Breakfast is a buffet, lunches and dinners are a choice of meat or vegetarian options.

You will also have time to relax and integrate at the pool during the day, in the forest, or around the fire in the evenings.

Participants are recommended to bring both warm and cool clothing, as temperatures can vary greatly, ranging from 10 to 35 degrees Celsius between day and night, even in May.

Please arrive by Thursday 15 May if you’re taking the shuttle from Cape Town, to avoid arriving late on the first day (accommodation for Thurs night is not included in the immersion rate). Check in is 15:00-16:30 on 15 May, and we start the immersion at 17:00 on that day. Check out is by 10:00 on 18 May, and we close our weekend programme at 16:00.

WHAT IS ECOFLUENCY?

This immersive tree spirit initiation is the first of its kind to be offered by Ecofluency, and will give you a different, more experiential taste of Ecofluency - the science, art, and magic of two-way communication with Nature using a wider range of senses and awareness.

It is for anybody interested in communing and communicating with Nature, including those who practise it already, although no previous experience is required. While we won’t cover Ecofluency theory, or step-by-step guidelines for Nature communication (please see other events for these workshops), this event is focused on the deep, embodied, magical experience of being immersed in the wisdom and spirit of the Yellowwood trees. It is designed to help you explore a unique way of connecting with trees that is still practical and relevant for everyday life, and can be applied with other tree and plant species.

All humans are born with the capacity to commune and communicate with any aspect of Nature, because we are Nature. This way of being exists beyond all languages, and has been known and practised by indigenous peoples worldwide for millennia. Although many have forgotten how to use this ancient ability, this immersion offers an opportunity to reclaim the power of this birth-right, allowing access to the deeper knowledge, wisdom and divinity of Nature that is not often available to our everyday human minds, to benefit all life.

Ecofluency is a critical skill for empowering physical, mental and emotional vitality, to grow beyond resilience into a dynamic state of thriving. It offers a key to unlocking greater joy and harmony in our relationships with ourselves, other humans, and the rest of Nature, and can be used within any faith or belief system.

On a practical level, communicating with Nature helps us make more holistic and efficient decisions in all aspects of our lives: growing food, choosing a place to live, understanding the behaviour of wild or domestic animals, creating rituals and ceremonies for inspiration and abundance, expanding your professional work in ecological alignment, or healing traumas to become whole and to spiritually evolve.

Human existence with other species depends on dialogue with them, as they call on us to co-evolve and create our future in alignment with all of Nature.

The world is waiting – join the conversation!

YOUR HOSTS

DR SASKIA VON DIEST

Saskia is the founder of Ecofluency, as well as consultant, educator, activist, and occasional researcher in the field of Nature communication.

Her first experience of this work was attending an animal communication workshop, during her PhD in Plant Pathology in 2012, which sparked her interest in how farmers use intuitive communication with nature to inform practical management decisions. From 2014-2020, she held two postdoctoral fellowships, at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and at Coventry University, UK, to investigate intuitive farming as part of a wider new field of subtle agroecology.

Throughout her postdoctoral years, she further developed her own understanding and practice in communicating with trees, animals, land, nature spirits and ancestors. She’s also trained as a Family Constellations facilitator, in Jikiden (Usui) Reiki, and in the Way of the Warrior Healer for energy field clearings and psychic surgery.

In 2021, she founded Ecofluency, to offer consulting, facilitation, teaching and coaching in Nature communication, and promote other human voices in this field. With 15 years of experience in teaching and facilitating through various forms and in many countries, her passion is creating opportunities for others to have their own experience of communicating with non-human Nature, and develop that for individual and the collective transformation.

OLIVIA MOON

Olivia is dedicated to living a life in alignment, and that she is committed to helping others step into their fullest potential, connect to their purpose, break through self limiting beliefs, and align with their highest self.
She works with people as a Holistic Alignment Coach, Conscious Breathwork facilitator, Somatic Practitioner and Yoga Teacher. Her unique approach combines these skills with neuroscientific and other somatic tools, and practical spirituality.

Olivia guides women to reconnect with their authentic self, starting with coming back back home to their bodies through regulation of the nervous system. As a long-time retreat facilitator at Bodhi Khaya, she has a deep relationship with the land, and loves to bring people into wild nature to experience the profound healing it holds.

Olivia believes that our breath is our connection to the universe, that it is the bridge between the spiritual and physical. When we cross this bridge using the breath, we are able to access our true essence, waiting to be expressed. This then inspires our everyday decisions, often leading to life-changing results in alignment with our highest self.

SCELETIUM / KANNA

The programme is co-designed with, and will be energetically held, by the eternal consciousness of the Sceletium plant spirit.

Special guest

LIESL HAASBROEK

Liesl’s education as Elementor started on the West Coast, from a father with green fingers and a mother from the Namakwaland who was very respectful of water. From 2009-2016, she worked for the Biodynamic Agricultural Association of Southern Africa, which introduced her to a deeper perspective on working with the consciousness of the elements. Now, Liesl works professionally with water through creating flowform installations in various contexts, from household to agricultural set-ups. She is the secretary of the International Flowform Association and the editor of its newsletter, Interfluencer.

Ritual and ceremony forms part of her friendship with the elements, and her apprenticeship with fire started when she learned how to make fire with friction. As her calling, it gives her enormous pleasure to see something ignite in a person when they breathe life into growing their first ember into a flame.

BOOKINGS

The immersion rate is inclusive of accommodation, all meals, teas & coffee for the weekend (Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon), as well as facilitation by Saskia and Olivia, and an online integration call.

Package rates depends on choice of accommodation, and except for camping, the number of rooms and safari tents are limited:

• Camping: R3900 pp

• Safari tent sharing (2 singles OR 1 double): R4100 pp

• Safari tent single occupancy: R4600 pp

• Dorm (8 single, non-bunk beds per room): R4200 pp

• Double room en-suite, 2 people sharing: R4300 pp

• Double room en-suite, single occupancy: R5000 pp

• Family room en-suite, 3 people sharing 1 dbl bed & 1 single: R4450 pp

• Family room en-suite, 2 people sharing 1 dbl bed: R4450 pp

• Family room en-suite, single occupancy in a dbl bed: R5300 pp

Please book directly with Saskia: saskia(at)ecofluency.org.

A 30% deposit is required to secure your booking and choice of accommodation.

The rate excludes travel to and from Wild Spirit (although affordable shuttle services to the area like Gecko and Baz Bus are available from Cape Town), comprehensive medical and travel insurance, gratuities, laundry, items of a personal nature, items not specified under Inclusions.

Please note: You can still join this immersion if you are taking SSRIs, and you would simply avoid taking the Sceletium elixir which contains the alkaloids. The vibrational essence of Sceletium doesn’t include any physical aspect of the plant, and so it isn’t contra-indicated for psychiatric medication. The meditation, breathwork, guided journey and ceremony, plus post-retreat integration support, are all offered to help you embody the insights received in a manner that is gentle and nourishing for your nervous system.

Any questions can be sent to Saskia at saskia(at)ecofluency.org.

Service policy

Cancellation and refund:

• If I cancel or postpone the event for any reason, ticket(s) will be refunded in full.

• Bookings are made on a first come, first served basis. A 30% deposit is required to secure your booking, and is only refundable until 25 April 2025. The remainder is due by 2 May 2025.

• If you wish to cancel your booking, I offer a partial refund or a ticket transfer:

  • A valid medical reason within a week before the event, with proof of hospitalisation, entitles you to a refund of your ticket amount minus the 30% deposit.

  • You may transfer your ticket(s) to a friend. To do this, please contact me to provide contact details of the new ticket holder(s) at least 3 working days before the event so that I can give them any necessary details about the workshop.

  • No-shows are not entitled to refunds, exchanges or transfers.

• Any travel, or other arrangements, made for your participation are entirely made at your own risk.

• We reserve the right to limit bookings, or reject a booking, without explanation.

• Indemnity forms will be signed by all participants.

• Our duty is to the highest and deepest well-being of the group attending the event. We will do our best to facilitate and/or mediate any difficulty that may arise, but reserve the right to require a participant to leave during the event if their continuing attendance is not in the best interests of the other participants, without a refund.

• Printed notes will be provided during the workshop. These are strictly for your own use, and may not be copied, edited or distributed in any form. All workshop content are copyright of Saskia von Diest and the other facilitators, all rights reserved.

• We respect your privacy. We do not, and will never, sell your personal information. We will only collect, store and use your personal information for defined purposes. We use your information to support and enhance our working relationship with you, to process your booking, provide services and support, and share workshop, product, service, news and offerings with you. Please see more under the Ecofluency privacy policy.