The Magic of Enclosure: Dark Retreats with Meghan Elfsten

In a world that never turns the lights off, what happens when you willingly choose complete, uninterrupted dark?

Joining us for today’s conversation is Meghan Elfsten. She is the Director of OMYA Dark Retreats, a California Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT), and holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. She is completing her Somatic Experiencing® training in September 2026 and facilitates immersive dark retreat experiences designed to support nervous system regulation, deep restoration, and inner reconnection. Rooted in Somatic Experiencing®, her work weaves mindfulness, relational awareness, and body-based practices to gently unwind patterns of trauma, addiction, and chronic overstimulation in a way that feels more womb-like than punishing.

Drawing from her own life-changing time in extended darkness, Meghan became deeply devoted to the question: What becomes possible when we remove all external stimulation and finally listen to the body? At OMYA Dark Retreats, she now creates highly supported, trauma-aware containers where participants can safely turn inward, meet long-buried parts of themselves, and access deeper layers of emotional and embodied healing—without plant medicine, performance, or spiritual bypass.

If you feel the pull toward the dark, Meghan is offering 20% off for our listeners at darkcaves.life with the code ROSEWOMAN at checkout.

In this episode, we cover so many topics, including:

(00:00:00) - Introduction and History Of Enclosure Across Traditions(00:08:56) - Meghan's First Dark Retreat(00:10:14) - Structure Of Dark Retreats and Omya Ranch Environment(00:13:26) - Gray Retreat Option(00:15:11) - Tomb-To-Womb Reframing by Andrew Holacek (00:17:25) - Neuroscience Tracking and Aftereffects(00:24:32) - Somatic Experiencing Practices(00:26:30) - Psychological Screening(00:28:12) - Participant Stories and Non-Local Effects(00:30:08) - Extrasensory Perception And Telepathy Training In Darkness(00:32:00) - Meghan Life Purpose Shift(00:33:40) - Building The Dark Caves and Finding Comfort In Total Darkness(00:37:42) - Omya Ranch Vision, Regenerative Ecosystem, And Practical Integration

Helpful links:

Meghan Elfsten - Director of Dark Retreats at Omya Ranch. Follow her on Instagram @meghanelfstense and @Omya.CommunityWendy Rule's album *Persephone* Andrew Holecek’s Total Eclipse of the Mind: Unleashing the Power of Darkness for Creativity, Healing, and TransformationOversized Mulberry Silk Eye Mask available at Rosebud Woman

Your host:

Courses, Retreats and Events by Christine:

Living Tantra 101 begins Sep 15, 2026Living Tantra 201 begins Sep 17, 2026Wake Down for Women: Workshop live in MexicoFall Hawai'i Immersion: November 1 to 22, 2026Easter Intensive: Mystic Heart of Easter Retreat with Christine Mason on March 25-28, 2027Upcoming Events with ChristineGood Gathering Events at Sundari Gardens

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