Tobacco and Tree Plant Dieta
The Sanctum · Lithuania
A plant dieta is an opportunity to learn from one of the great teachers of the plant kingdom. “Dieting” is a traditional process undertaken to learn from and deeply heal with a plant. Traditionally, the dieta is practiced in isolation, in nature, allowing the participant to enter into a profound relationship with the plant and with themselves.
At The Sanctum, we recreate this traditional process as closely as possible. Guests spend their time in solitude on the land, creating space to observe and understand the mind, deepen their connection with nature, forest, water, and animals, and allow the plant to work and teach as deeply as possible.
Below are photos from The Sanctum, which recently won the Jury Award in the category of “Design for Wellbeing Project” by the Architizer A+Awards, essentially naming it the best new architectural project in the world for retreat centers! Read more here:
The Dieta Process
Guests arrive during the day, settle into their accommodation, and have an initial consultation and diagnostic to help determine which plant may be most beneficial for their process. That evening, they begin the ceremony and dieta.
During the dieta, food is intentionally kept to a minimum. Traditionally, it is said that when the body is weakened, the spirit becomes stronger and more receptive. Guests will have a juice, smoothie, or light soup twice daily—enough to maintain physical strength and support the body through what can be an intense, powerful, and profound process.
The dieta is held in a supportive environment, with daily guidance and teachings from both Merav and Jason throughout the process.
Amazonian & Local Trees
We will be working with several Amazonian trees, as well as nine local trees inspired particularly by Celtic wisdom:
Oak · Hawthorn · Elder · Alder · Blackthorn · Birch · Apple · Willow · Rowan
Our work is conducted through the medium of tobacco—a plant traditionally regarded as the great plant teacher and one of the most powerful allies in the plant kingdom. Tobacco is used to cleanse, open, and connect us energetically with the spirit of plants.
We have found that working with local trees offers a unique opportunity to connect with the medicine and wisdom of one's own land. Developing a physical and spiritual relationship with a tree that grows close to home can create an enduring connection to the land and both the natural and spiritual worlds.
We have been deeply inspired by the relationships our guests have developed with their own indigenous trees and the ways these connections continue to unfold after the dieta.
To learn more about the local trees we will be working with—including oak, hawthorn, elder, alder, willow, and birch—click through the slideshows below:
To learn about all of our trees, click the button below:
Location & Guides
This event will take place at The Sanctum, a retreat center recently named the Best Retreat Center in the World, nestled in the countryside and forests outside of the charming capital of Vilnius, Lithuania.
The dieta will be guided by Merav Artzi and Jason Grechanik. Together, they have worked with and guided more than a thousand people through ceremonies and dietas involving a multitude of plants.
This is a special opportunity to work with both an experienced female and male guide, bringing complementary perspectives, experience, and support to the dieta process.
Dates
We are a one-week dieta, with a maximum of 16 participants:
Date: June 11–19
Reservations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Exchange
8-day dieta: €1,750
The exchange includes:
Initial consultation and plant recommendation
8-day plant dieta
Daily plant dieta ceremony
Daily breakfast and lunch (evenings are fasting as part of the dieta)
Plant/tree baths and, where appropriate, additional remedies to support the process
Accommodation in an individual room, including bed and linens
Access to the land and facilities, including bathrooms, showers, maloka, and gardens
Daily support, coaching, and teaching from Merav Artzi and Jason Sadhana Grechanik
Post-dieta integration support
Camping Option
We are also opening 3 camping spaces for those who prefer to stay in their own tent.
8-day camping dieta: €1,375
The camping exchange includes everything listed above except accommodation. Guests will provide and stay in their own tent.
Continuing the Journey: Lithuania, Portugal & the Forests of Sintra
For those who feel called to diet more than one week and continue the journey beyond the dieta in Lithuania, we are also offering the opportunity to join us in Portugal at the beautiful retreat center MadreSelva. We will be offering two additional dietas there. The dates are: May 21 - June 7.
Those who choose to participate in both experiences will receive a 10% discount on all dietas.
As part of this extended journey, we will also gather in the magical forests of Sintra, Portugal for a special guided plant walk with Merav and Jason after traveling from Lithuania.
Together, we will wander through the ancient forests, meeting the plants and trees of the landscape and learning to recognize their qualities, stories, medicines, and relationships to the land.
And, before starting the dieta in Lithuania, we will also offer a special class exploring the traditional mythology and folklore of European trees—the stories, symbols, beliefs, and ancestral traditions that have surrounded these trees for generations.
This gathering offers a bridge between the dieta and the journey that follows: an opportunity to deepen our relationship with the trees of Europe, to see them not only as botanical beings, but as characters within the living mythology of the land.
From the trees of Marvão, to the enchanted forests of Sintra, and onward to the ancient landscapes of Lithuania, we invite you to follow the thread.
To spend more time listening.
To learn the stories of the trees.
And to discover what happens when we begin to see the forests not simply as places we walk through, but as living worlds we are part of.
We look forward to sharing this time on the land, entering into relationship with these trees, and supporting each participant through their own unique dieta process.
To book, click the Book Now button below or visit the Book Now tab:
(A 10% discount is given for the Apprenticeship Program when people have completed six tree dietas. Please email us for more information at bookings@nicotianarustica.org)
Let us know if you have any questions.
We look forward to this wonderful time together.
Also see Merav’s website of more information at: TobaccoDiets.com