The deep responsibility of facilitating real transformation

We want to add an individual question for you:

What actually does “safe enough” mean ?

… as we believe a space is only as safe as the individual participant perceives it and not how safe a facilitator claims it to be.

We’ve seen what happens when sacred work meets containers that are not supportive: people leave more fragmented, not more whole. That’s why we approach shadow work with reverence, structure, and a high level of curation. These spaces are not for everyone - and they’re not meant to be.

Let us explain why…

Shadow work isn’t a trend. It’s a threshold.

Shadow work asks us to face the parts of ourselves we’ve pushed into hiding. Not conceptually, but viscerally.

Through the body. Through grief. Through rage. Through vulnerability so raw it can feel like standing naked in the fire.

And it’s not always gentle.

Shadow work can stir up intense emotional reactions, memories we’ve buried, or shame we didn’t know we still carried. Without preparation, experience, and strong facilitation, this can feel destabilizing or even harmful.

That’s why not everyone is ready to enter these spaces. And that’s not judgment. It’s discernment. It’s care.

We don’t “gatekeep” - we safeguard

Every Malachit retreat begins with an application, even the more beginner-friendly ones. For deeper spaces, we ask for more: video messages, intake calls, deeper screening questions.

Why?

Because depth requires inner safety and safety requires alignment. We’re not looking for perfect people. We’re looking for people who are ready and who can take self-responsibility when the work gets hard.

We want to know:

Do you have experience holding your own process?
Do you understand the basics of (self-) awareness?
Are you willing to face discomfort without blaming others?
Can you stay in connection when things get messy?
If the answer is no it’s not a “no forever.” It just means: not yet.

Core wounds we often meet in shadow work

While we explore different themes in different retreats, some patterns show up again and again in shadow work:

“I’m not enough.”
“If I show who I really am, I’ll be abandoned.”
“My anger makes me bad.”
“Desire is dangerous.”
“I need to be in control to be safe.”

These wounds live in the body and they often formed in childhood or through trauma. Shadow work invites them to rise to the surface - but they need to be held, not just exposed.

That’s why our deeper spaces aren’t for the curious tourist or the spiritual ego. They’re for those ready to commit to real work

A real example: when the work goes deep …

One of our most advanced retreats - Black Butterfly - is an immersive shadow work journey that includes grief rituals, shame work, somatic integration, and consciously used eros energy. It's intense. It's beautiful. And it’s not for everyone.

As one participant, Omer, put it:

“I do not recommend this container for most people. If your priority is to satisfy sexual desires, meet people on a social level, or give your ego a story to tell your woke community, I believe you will be disappointed.
If you are seriously curious and devoted to meeting your shame, fears, and shadows - and owning your shit - this container will give you the opportunities and support to do so.”

Another participant, Uma, shared:

“If you’re looking for something that scratches nicely on the surface of your ego - this is not your workshop. I feel initiated onto my soul’s path. I feel reborn.”

We share these voices not to intimidate, but to clarify: This kind of depth isn’t a marketing promise. It’s a responsibility.

You may not be ready - yet. An that’s ok

We deeply believe in people’s capacity to heal, evolve, and reclaim their truth. But none of us can force readiness. That’s why we curate our spaces with great care.

Our promise:
We won’t offer you something we don’t believe you’re ready for.
We won’t throw you into a ritual and call it transformation.
We won’t dilute the sacred for the sake of accessibility.

When we say “yes” to someone, it’s because we believe we can serve them well.
When we say “not now,” it’s not a rejection. It’s protection - for you and for the group.

If You’re Ready, You’ll Know.

You’ll feel a stirring in your belly.
A trembling in your truth.
A longing to go beyond performance and into presence.

If that’s you, we welcome your application.
And if you’re not there yet, that’s okay too. Growth isn’t a race.

Some doors are sacred. And they’re meant to open slowly.

Read more about ouir approach on shadow work HERE on the Blog.

Why shadow work spaces must be held, not just offered