Tobacco & Tree Dieta
May 21–June 7, 2027
MadreSelva · Marvão, Portugal
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 and in nature, allowing the participant to enter into a profound relationship with the plant and with themselves.
At MadreSelva, 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.
MadreSelva
The dieta will take place at MadreSelva in Marvão, Portugal, surrounded by nature and designed to provide a setting for solitude, contemplation, and connection with the land.
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 a great plant teacher and powerful ally in the plant kingdom.
Tobacco is used to cleanse, open, and connect energetically with the spirit of plants.
Working with the Trees of the Land
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 to both the natural and spiritual worlds.
We have been deeply inspired by the relationships our guests have developed with their own indigenous trees, and by the ways these connections continue to unfold after the dieta has ended.
Event Details
Dates: May 21–June 7, 2027
Location: MadreSelva, Marvão, Portugal
District: Portalegre District, Portugal
Dieta: Tobacco & Tree Plant Dieta
The process combines solitude, ceremony, daily guidance, tobacco work, and relationship with both Amazonian and local trees, creating space for participants to deepen their relationship with a plant and with the land around them.
