Reset Your Mind. Reignite Your Purpose. Luxury Psychedelic Retreats Designed for High-Performing Leaders
Our private, guided Luxury Psychedelic Retreats for Executives combine modern neuroscience, ancient ceremony, and five-star hospitality to create a truly transformational experience. Designed specifically for high-performing leaders, each journey is a rare opportunity to step away from constant demands, release built-up stress, and reconnect with your inner clarity. Through expert facilitation, somatic healing, and evidence-informed psychedelic work, we help executives recover their creativity, focus, and sense of purpose — not just for their careers, but for their whole lives.
Rooted in neuroscience and somatic healing, this retreat gives you a clear path to emotional release, nervous system balance, and lasting change.
If you’re done managing stress at the surface level and ready to do the deeper work — supported, guided, and held — you’ve found the right place.
Speak privately with our retreat director to explore whether this experience is right for you. No pressure — just clarity, safety, and next steps.
Amanda Schendel is a psychedelic guide and somatic facilitator who has supported more than 1,700 individuals through profound emotional, spiritual, and nervous system healing.
Over the past decade, she has worked closely with C-suite leaders, founders, and multi-seven-figure business owners, helping them move from burnout and disconnection to clarity, creativity, and grounded purpose.
Amanda is the founder of The Buena Vida Retreats and Sanctuary Church, organizations recognized internationally for their excellence in safety, integrity, and trauma-informed facilitation. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Cut, Condé Nast Traveler, Thrillist, and other leading publications.
Her approach blends sacred ceremony with scientific grounding, weaving deep compassion and practical integration to create transformative, lasting change for high-performing individuals seeking more meaning and balance in their lives.
Psilocybin isn’t about escaping your life. It’s about reconnecting with it in a deeper, more meaningful way. Rooted in both ancient wisdom and modern neuroscience, psilocybin has been shown to reduce stress, restore perspective, and help dissolve long-held patterns of burnout and disconnection. Executives often describe it as a complete mental reset — a return to clarity, creativity, and authentic leadership.
Promotes neuroplasticity, helping your brain form new, healthy patterns
Reduces rumination and obsessive thinking
Improves focus, mental clarity, and creative thinking
Helps regulate your nervous system
Reduces physical tension and stress
Increases your ability to feel calm, safe, and grounded
Supports emotional processing without re-traumatization
Creates space between reaction and response
Gently brings buried emotions to the surface for healing and release
This is not a shortcut
It is a tool for deeper self-awareness, long-term change, and emotional freedom
And when paired with somatic work and guidance, it becomes one of the most powerful healing paths available
Group Retreats: November 19-23rd& November 28th-Dec. 2nd
In January 2026, The Buena Vida will launch a new series of private, psilocybin-assisted retreats created exclusively for executives, founders, and high-impact leaders.
These intimate, confidential gatherings are designed to help you step away from constant pressure, reset your nervous system, and reconnect with clarity, purpose, and creativity — in a truly world-class setting.
Join the early Waitlist to receive first access to program dates, locations, and private enrollment opportunities.
Words cannot convey the depth and beauty of my transformational journey led by Amanda! Amanda is deeply wise and powerful yet vulnerable. I felt safe to also be vulnerable and still stand in my own power. The ceremonies were sacred and ancient and carefully designed. I highly recommend this to anyone
The Buena Vida retreat I attended was hands down the best experience I have invested and participated in throughout my entire life. I made lifelong friends there, worked through so many emotional hurdles and learned so much about myself and others all while feeling incredibly safe and well cared for. I would
I attended the 7 day retreat in Nov 2024. I chose to attend because I have struggled with Depression and Anxiety from a young age, and have tried many different treatments with little success. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to walk a new path with Buena Vida. This was a new experience for me, and I felt completely safe and supported.
If you're reading reviews you're already considering a psilocybin retreat. If you are truly ready to heal, if you are looking for meaning and understanding about your life and existence, if you are truly ready to take a leap, choose this one. The mushrooms are indeed the magic, but the leader and facilitators at Buena Vida create an environment ...
Review TextThe ceremonies were the safest ceremonies I’ve ever attended, which definitely helped the anxiety I had before each one. I felt truly cared for and supported by the staff, who were always readily available and extremely helpful. Through her words, song, drumming, and amazing presence, Amanda leads each ceremony with humor, power, wisdom, compassion, and connection to a Higher Consciousness within all of us, and is an amazing Shamanic healer.
These retreats are designed exclusively for executives and founders who operate at the highest levels of performance. Each program combines neuroscience, somatic healing, and sacred ceremony in a safe, luxury environment. Our team specializes in helping high-impact leaders move through burnout, stress, and emotional fatigue to rediscover purpose and clarity.
Yes! Many people in the program are brand new to this work. You do not need any previous experience with psychedelics. We walk you through everything and hold a safe space for you to explore this with care and guidance. Amanda is an expert with psilocybin medicine and knows exactly how to guide its use and prepare you for the work.
Safety is our highest priority. The Buena Vida team has facilitated thousands of successful ceremonies with rigorous screening, medical oversight, and trauma-informed support. Every retreat includes preparation, guided facilitation, and post-retreat integration to ensure a grounded, supportive experience.
All programs are led by Amanda Schendel, Sarah Howatt, Nikki Graves (RN) and Autumn Flory. Amadna’s team of experienced facilitators, therapists, and somatic practitioners rivals any psychedelic retreat in the world. Amanda has guided more than 1,700 individuals — including C-suite leaders and entrepreneurs — through psilocybin-assisted transformation with compassion, skill, and discretion. She has personally trained all other leaders.
Absolutely. Every aspect of your participation is handled with complete discretion. We work privately with executives, founders, and public figures who value confidentiality. Your identity, responses, and personal information are never shared.
Our executive retreats are hosted at The Buena Vida Ranch in Joshua Tree, California — a private desert sanctuary surrounded by wide-open sky and serene natural beauty. The property features luxury accommodations, chef-prepared meals, and tranquil gathering spaces designed for reflection and renewal. It’s a discreet, world-class setting that allows leaders to fully unplug, reset, and reconnect.
If you’re feeling burned out, disconnected, or seeking deeper meaning beyond professional success, this retreat may be a powerful reset. We recommend starting with a confidential discovery call to discuss your goals and ensure the program aligns with your readiness and intentions.
Our exclusive executive series begins in January 2026. Space is extremely limited, and priority will be given to those on our private waitlist. You can join the list now to receive early access to dates, pricing, and invitations.
This is not a fit for someone in active crisis or untreated mental illness without outside support. It is also not designed for people looking to bypass emotion through performance or productivity.
You do not have to keep holding it all alone
You do not have to stay stuck in your head
You can feel again
You can come back to yourself
Whether you are ready to dive in or still have questions, this is your invitation to take the next step
