What Does a Retreat
Really Cost?

Christianity + shamanism. Rapé as a daily ritual. And why $3,500 to $7,995 for a luxury retreat in Egypt, Thailand, or Costa Rica is a fair price.

J
Jonas Alexander Grodhues
Relationship Transformation Coach · Hypnotist · Retreat Leader
The Unchained Queen Podcast · Episode 3
What Does a Retreat Really Cost? Religion, Rapé, and the Honest Price Answer
approx. 35 min · July 29, 2025

Today it gets controversial. Today it gets honest. I'm answering the question I get asked most: "Jonas, what does your retreat really cost, and is it worth it?"

But let me start at the beginning. With the poncho.

The White Poncho from Cusco

🦙
Personal Story
Hand-woven from llama wool. $50 to $120. Cusco, Peru.

Yes, I'm wearing it again. The white poncho from Cusco. Hand-woven from llama wool, bought directly from the indigenous people on a small farm, where the llamas still graze in the meadow.

And yes, I wear it here in Germany too. Despite the stares. Despite the questions: "Isn't that too warm in summer? Too cold in winter?"

No. This poncho protects against everything. Against heat. Against cold. Against rain. And, if you believe the natives, against evil spirits.

To me it's more than fabric. It's a symbol of everything I experienced and understood in Peru.

Christianity + Shamanism:
Not a Contradiction

This is a hard question. Because the answer isn't simple.

I wasn't baptized in the traditional sense. But I was raised very Christian. I believe in Jesus Christ. In God. In the Almighty. At the same time, I believe in reincarnation, karma, energy work, shamanic rituals, and the power of plant medicine.

Over the past few years, I've studied the Bible closely. Different versions. Sacred texts. My favorite: the 1599 Geneva Bible.

Christian Tradition
What it gives me
Love as the highest principle
Forgiveness, including toward yourself
Humility before something greater
A clear moral structure
Connects
Shamanic Tradition
What it gives me
Energy work and intuition
Connection to nature
Direct experience instead of dogma
Healing on every level
There are many paths to the divine. Many paths to truth. For me, Christianity and shamanism aren't opposites, they complete each other.

Rapé:
The Shamanic Tool

Now it gets controversial. I use rapé almost daily. And I'll explain exactly what it is, and what it isn't.

🌿
Shamanic Tool
Rapé (say: ha-PEH) · Amazonian tradition
Not a drug · No high
What it is & how it works
Composition: Mapacho tobacco + ash from sacred Amazonian plants
Active ingredient: Nicotine, the same as in cigarettes, in a different form and with a different intention
Absorption: Directly into the bloodstream through the nasal membranes
Antibacterial & antiviral: Clears the sinuses
Releases blocks: Emotional and energetic
Creates clarity: Brings you from the head into the heart
Kuripe · Self-application
Fill the tobacco into the longer end. Using a specific breathing technique, blow it into your own nose, left side first, then right.
Tepi · Applied by a shaman
The shaman fills the tobacco. You breathe in deep and hold. He blows the tobacco into your nose, left side first, then right.
Side effect: vomiting. That's intentional, that's the clearing. After 10 to 15 minutes: clarity. Calm. Focus. Cleared out and relieved.

When I use it: when I notice I'm stressed, foggy in the head, spinning in circles, or feeling blocked. It's not a recreational thing. It's a spiritual tool, the same way breathing exercises or meditation are a tool.

🌎
First Ceremony · Panama, 2022
With a Peruvian shaman

Preparation: drinking liters of lemongrass tea, until the stomach was so full that the vomiting came. Why? To fully cleanse the stomach before the ceremony begins.

Rapé was meant for those who had trouble purging. The shaman blew the tobacco into their nose. It helped. Instantly.

Then: the ceremony itself. Hours of deep trance, visions, healing. It was my first time. And it changed my life.

Why Retreats Are So Powerful:
the 5 Factors

01
✈️
Distance

Thousands of miles away from daily life. No stress, no distraction, no social media.

02
🌙
Space

Time to finish your thoughts. To reflect, to meditate, to heal.

03
Energy

Peru, Egypt, Costa Rica: energetic power spots. Meditation goes measurably deeper.

04
🤝
Community

A small group (10 to 15). Like-minded people working on similar themes. You're not alone.

05
🔥
Intensity

Hot seats, workshops, kundalini, breathwork, hypnosis. All of it together = a turning point.

Hot Seats:
the Most Powerful Exercise

🔥
Group Format
What is a hot seat?
1
You take the "hot seat"

3 minutes. Describe your situation, as short and to the point as possible.

2
The group gives feedback

One by one: 60 to 90 seconds each. Their best knowledge, their personal life experience.

3
The surprise: it clicks

Sometimes someone says exactly what you need. Not me, but someone in the group.

4
Integration

What did you take away? What's your next step now?

I can tell you the same thing 10 times, and it doesn't land. Then someone from the group says the exact same thing, and suddenly it clicks. That's the magic of the group.

What a Retreat Really Costs,
and Why It's Fair

Extended · 14 Days
Longer Retreats · Bali / Costa Rica
$7,995
  • Everything included, just like Egypt
  • Twice the program length
  • Deeper individual work possible
  • Optional plant medicine (Costa Rica only, legal)
  • Smaller group (max. 10 people)
Not included
  • Round-trip flights (you book your own)
  • Personal spending at local markets
  • Optional alcohol
Package tour to Egypt
$1,500 to $2,500

7 days, all-inclusive. But: no workshops, no transformation, no secret-chamber access.

A vacation, not a turning point.
Jonas' Egypt Retreat
$3,500 Early Bird

Exclusive pyramid access, daily sessions, personal support, 11 to 12 elite like-minded people.

US mastermind (for comparison)
$20,000 / weekend

I've been in US masterminds myself for $60,000 a year. One weekend: $20,000.

Our retreat: far more fair.
Payment plans available. It never comes down to the price. It comes down to the will.
Klarna PayPal 2 to 36 installments

Who a Retreat Makes Sense For,
and Who It Doesn't

Honest answer: not everyone needs a retreat.

You don't need a retreat if:

  • You just want a vacation (book a package tour)
  • You're not ready to really work on yourself
  • You're only looking for quick fixes without taking responsibility

You need a retreat if:

  • You notice you're stuck, at work, in love, in life
  • You feel like you're no longer fully yourself
  • You keep repeating the same patterns
  • You have blocks you can't clear on your own
  • You're looking for a week where you can truly unplug and arrive

"80% of people are unhappy in their jobs. 70% are just going through the motions. The fire is missing, and that shows up everywhere: in the relationship, in your health, in your life. A retreat isn't a solution for everything. But it is a turning point."

The Retreat Self-Assessment:
Is It Right for You?

Self-assessment · Free · 5 minutes

Find out whether a retreat
is right for you

This isn't a sales call. It's a chance to get to know each other. We'll look at: is this a fit between us? Does your situation match our retreat? Are you ready for real transformation?

1
Fill out a short form (link below)
2
Answer a few questions over WhatsApp
3
We'll tell you honestly whether a retreat makes sense
4
If yes: a free discovery call
Start the self-assessment →
Next step

Ready for Your
Turning Point?