Day 3 & 4 at Medicine Festival 2024 — the final round before the festival disappears until 2026.The cold’s gone, I’m slightly more alive, and this one’s got everything: spontaneous connections, failed attempts at ceremony, a very sweaty walk, and a surprise long-form chat with someone I met at ISTA about unlocking joy, inner babies, survival mode, and calling on your spirit guide crew like it’s WhatsApp.I nearly joined a men’s workshop but bailed as soon as the music started. Tried to get something out of Daniel Pinchbeck’s talk on AI and consciousness — got Steiner, McKenna, and a bunch of backstory instead. Bumped into Richard Rudd and briefly considered starting a beef (I didn’t). My camera battery was dying. My brain was halfway out the tent flap. I had a great time.This isn’t a guide or a testimonial — it’s just what it’s like to be there, weird edges and all.Includes:Hanging out with someone for 6+ hours by accidentApproaching a workshop and ghosting it immediatelyAn AI talk with very little AI thoughtOne of the more grounded chats I’ve had all year (ISTA shoutout)Final thoughts before Medicine goes quiet for a whileThere’s no Medicine Festival in 2025. If you’re wondering what actually happens — beyond the marketing and mysticism — here’s a very human, very rambling look at it all.#medicinefestival2024 #medicinefestival #healingjourney #alternativeliving #istaexperience #festivalweirdness #innerbabyunlocked #danielpinchbeck #AIandconsciousness #spiritguidesoncall #ceremonyvlog #realfestivallife #notbackuntil2026 #mensworkdodged #andyjoinscults

My experience at Medicine Festival 2024 — a plant medicine, ceremony, and healing-focused gathering in the UK. This is a first-person, unfiltered look at what it’s actually like to be there.Medicine Festival isn’t happening in 2025, so I wanted to put this out for anyone curious about what it felt like to attend in previous years. There’s no big spiritual climax here — just me showing up low-energy, observing, wandering through ceremonies, and sitting with the general weirdness and wonder of it all. Whether you're researching psychedelic spaces, preparing for a future gathering, or just curious what medicine work looks like in real life — this is my raw take on Days 1 & 2.

Taking time to integrate after ISTA Level 1 in an Airbnb with two others instead of rushing back to London. These days gave me space to practice what I learned - mostly about presence, connection, and shadow work rather than the sexuality everyone assumes these trainings focus on. Looking back, I couldn't have done this three years ago. The temple arts practices and conscious sexuality work needed a foundation - My own path lead me to heart-based tantra, meditation (particularly Osho's active meditations), and breath work like holotropic or rebirthing, which contributed significantly to my own understanding of reality. ISTA workshops bring up intense emotions and patterns you might not know you have. Nothing is mandatory, but everything pushes edges. Found kinship with 30-40 people who get it, while accepting others might find this work triggering or weird. That's fine. Special acknowledgment to the ISTA training facilitators. #ISTA #PersonalDevelopment #ConsciousLiving #Documentary 00:00 Post-retreat settling into Airbnb 02:15 Unexpected connection and healing after the program 04:30 Reflections on massage and non-sexual intimacy 06:20 "Everybody should be able to experience this" 08:45 Recommendations before considering ISTA 10:30 "Could I have done this 3 years ago? No." 12:15 Final group share experience and healing 14:30 Finding your people vs others' reactions 16:20 "Nothing was mandatory" - thoughts on intensity 18:45 My Own Preparation recommendations: 22:30 Gratitude to facilitators: 24:00 Final goodbye ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦ Want more? Get access to extended versions of these videos by becoming a member! Click 'Join' to unlock exclusive content and dive deeper into the journey. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andyjoinscults Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0KSE7Qxzw2USiRZw84Qhfe?si=93916bdb9628426f 🝗∇☭🝈Ɏ✞ዘ!ⵍᏳ !Ֆ Ⲁ ☾ⵡ𐌋✞ https://ista.life/

Finished up ISTA Level 1 with closing ceremonies and a final sharing circle where I learned my "huge energy" had triggered some people - turns out doing energy work daily has effects I hadn't considered. The temple arts training brought up things I never expected, especially about how we impact each other in these spaces. Through all the sacred spot rituals, temple nights, and group practices, I discovered something important: you can't tiptoe around trying to avoid triggering people. The biggest lesson from this ISTA workshop wasn't about sexuality or tantra - it was about owning your presence while letting others have their reactions. These conscious sexuality trainings aren't for everyone, and that's fine. What matters is that spaces like this exist for those who want them. Met some seriously intelligent people here - doctors, engineers, therapists - all choosing to explore what most of society dismisses. If you're curious about what happens at ISTA workshops or temple arts training, start with Episode 1. Everything that shifted over these seven days surprised me. #ISTA #ConsciousnessDevelopment #PersonalGrowth00:00 Morning logistics and flight booking concerns 02:15 Final pod meeting reflections 04:30 Last dance and reveal circle - feedback about triggering others 06:45 Processing feedback about my "big energy" 08:20 Meaningful interactions during final sharing 10:15 Addressing avoidance and seeking closure 12:30 Closing ceremony and attempted conversations 14:45 Reflections on different types of connections made 16:20 Thoughts on temple spaces and personal choices 18:40 Gratitude for the whole experience 20:15 Final thoughts on personal growth and future paths 22:00 Closing words and goodbye to ISTA ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦ Want more? Get access to extended versions of these videos by becoming a member! Click 'Join' to unlock exclusive content and dive deeper into the journey. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andyjoinscults Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0KSE7Qxzw2USiRZw84Qhfe?si=93916bdb9628426f 🝗∇☭🝈Ɏ✞ዘ!ⵍᏳ !Ֆ Ⲁ ☾ⵡ𐌋✞ https://ista.life/

Final day at the ISTA conscious sexuality workshop - from morning ecstatic dance to an unexpectedly beautiful sacred spot ritual. Started with mixed feelings about temple ceremonies and group sharing circles, but ended up having one of the most profound experiences of my life (though don't expect me to share the details - some things you just have to experience yourself). Honest look at navigating boundaries, BDSM conversations, and integration circles in conscious sexuality spaces. The day wrapped with temple ceremony featuring cuddle puddles, shadow play, and different zones for expression. Not your typical tantra workshop - this is ISTA's unique approach to sacred sexuality work. Includes: Morning meditation, group sharing dynamics, sacred spot ritual insights, temple ceremony breakdown, and final integration. Perfect for anyone curious about ISTA retreats or sacred sexuality workshops but wanting the unfiltered experience. Timestamps: 00:00 Morning meditation & dance 03:45 Group sharing circle dynamics 07:30 Sacred spot ritual experience 12:15 Integration & letter writing 15:30 Evening temple ceremony structure 19:45 Final reflections & integration #ISTA #ConsciousSexuality #TantraWorkshop #SacredSexuality #TempleCeremony ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦ Want more? Get access to extended versions of these videos by becoming a member! Click 'Join' to unlock exclusive content and dive deeper into the journey. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andyjoinscults Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0KSE7Qxzw2USiRZw84Qhfe?si=93916bdb9628426f 🝗∇☭🝈Ɏ✞ዘ!ⵍᏳ !Ֆ Ⲁ ☾ⵡ𐌋✞ https://ista.life/

My first temple experience at ISTA left me with mixed feelings. After matching flowers with partners and sensing disappointment on their faces, I found myself drained rather than enlightened. I'd been told today would be more intense, but honestly? I was just exhausted. I showed up for the evening temple ritual, determined to participate in the "gods and goddesses" ceremony. Ended up sitting in meditation pose while the guy next to me creatively dangled candles from his toes. When they kept asking "are you where you need to be?" my answer was clear - I wanted to be in bed with my audiobook. Yes, I could've stayed longer, danced, connected with others. But sometimes the most honest choice is admitting you don't have the capacity for it. Being curious about conscious sexuality is one thing - forcing connection when you're depleted is another. I'm glad tomorrow's the last day. I'm even happier I'm leaving early on Monday. Not because I'm desperate to escape, but because constant intensity needs a counterbalance. 00:00 Morning reflection on first temple night 02:15 Addressing misconceptions about sacred sexuality 04:30 Social dynamics and rejection in conscious spaces 06:45 Raw talk about temple space guidelines 08:20 Morning sharing circle conflict 10:45 Intense ritual demonstration & preparation 12:30 Nature object ritual setup 14:20 Partner work experience - honest reflections 16:40 Second temple night - choosing boundaries 19:15 Final thoughts on workshop intensity ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦ Want more? Get access to extended versions of these videos by becoming a member! Click 'Join' to unlock exclusive content and dive deeper into the journey. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andyjoinscults Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0KSE7Qxzw2USiRZw84Qhfe?si=93916bdb9628426f 🝗∇☭🝈Ɏ✞ዘ!ⵍᏳ !Ֆ Ⲁ ☾ⵡ𐌋✞

Continuing this ISTA training documentation as we dive into day 4, where things get complicated with divine parent archetypes, gender exploration, and my brutally honest take on men's circles. For those researching what happens at ISTA workshops - today challenged my preconceptions about how these trainings approach gender and sexuality. The day moved through several temple arts exercises: working with mother/father archetypes (which gets awkward when you're attracted to your scene partners), exploring divine sisterhood (yes, as a man), and a men's circle that actually surprised me. If you're wondering about ISTA boundaries work, today pushed some interesting edges around gender roles and conditioning. This ISTA Level 1 experience continues to mirror some Tantra workshops I've done before, but with its own specific approach. For those researching tantra workshop experiences - while there's overlap, ISTA has distinct differences in how they handle these topics. One thing that stands out in this training: The contrast between societal conditioning ("go to school, get a job, die") and exploring new ways of relating. This isn't your typical personal development workshop - it's raw, sometimes uncomfortable, and definitely not for everyone. Watch Days 1-3 first for context on this ISTA journey. As always, this is just my direct experience - neither marketing nor warning, just what actually happened. #ISTA #TantraWorkshop #ConsciousnessWork #personaldevelopment 00:00 Intro & cult reflections - "Hope I haven't joined another cult" 01:13 Morning meditation and manifesting breakfast with blueberries 02:45 Wheel of Consent dating exercise & exploring non-monogamy 04:30 Breaking down societal conditioning ("go to school, get a job, die") 05:58 Divine Parent archetypes intro - Mother/Father exercises 07:20 Creating familial relationships (awkward with attraction) 08:45 Divine Sisterhood exploration begins 09:30 Women's experiences & perspectives - powerful sharing 11:15 Emotional response to women's stories 12:40 Men's circle critique begins 13:55 Actual men's circle experience vs expectations 15:20 BDSM conversation & boundaries 16:45 Final reflections on intensity & group dynamics ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦ Want more? Get access to extended versions of these videos by becoming a member! Click 'Join' to unlock exclusive content and dive deeper into the journey. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andyjoinscults Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0KSE7Qxzw2USiRZw84Qhfe?si=93916bdb9628426f 🝗∇☭🝈Ɏ✞ዘ!ⵍᏳ !Ֆ Ⲁ ☾ⵡ𐌋✞

Continuing my ISTA training review and documentation of what actually happens at these workshops. Day 3 dives into shadow work, the Wheel of Consent practice, and ends with a self-pleasure temple night. For those researching ISTA Level 1 experiences or wondering about tantra workshop boundaries - this one gets personal. Starting with early morning OSHO No-Dimension meditation (which involves some Sufi-style spinning), we moved through shadow exploration exercises and into the Wheel of Consent - a framework for understanding giving and receiving touch. The day culminated in a temple arts ritual that I'm choosing to keep private out of respect for the process and the people involved. For those curious about the ISTA boundaries work and guidelines: There are clear rules about participant-facilitator interactions, which sparked some interesting reflections on power dynamics in these spaces. While I don't necessarily agree with all the structures, I understand why they exist. As someone who's explored various consciousness practices, from plant medicine to alternative philosophy, this training offers a unique perspective on personal development - though it's definitely not for everyone. If you're researching tantra workshop experiences, remember that your journey will be unique to you. Like previous days, this is just my direct experience - neither a glowing endorsement nor a warning, just what actually happened. For context, check out Days 1 and 2 first. #ISTA #TantraWorkshop #ConsciousnessWork #PersonalDevelopment ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦ Want more? Get access to extended versions of these videos by becoming a member! Click 'Join' to unlock exclusive content and dive deeper into the journey. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@andyjoinscults Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0KSE7Qxzw2USiRZw84Qhfe?si=93916bdb9628426f 🝗∇☭🝈Ɏ✞ዘ!ⵍᏳ !Ֆ Ⲁ ☾ⵡ𐌋✞