These days more and more Americans are ditching their pharmaceuticals in favor of more holistic approaches to healing everything from the winter blues to drug and alcohol addictions.  One holistic modality gaining in popularity is the use of plant medicines. According to Gerard “Gerry” Powell, founder of Rythmia Life Advancement Center in Costa Rica, “Western science is now realizing that plant medicine has the capacity to heal physical ailments and disease, restore mental functionality, enhance spirituality, purpose and lasting happiness.”

         Chief Operating Officer of Rythmia Group LLC, Dr. Jeff McNairy, PsyD, MPH, has worked in the health care field for over 25 years in a variety of medical environments.  As former director of Passages Malibu, a world-renowned drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, McNairy was always seeking newer and better ways to help his patients achieve true, lasting recovery from their addictions. “I spent years struggling to heal my patients with a Western medicine model. It was frustrating because so many of them were stuck in a constantly revolving system that just didn’t work. They’d be in and out of rehab, overdosing, committing suicide. We were starving for more tools to help our patients, but we just didn’t have them,” says this practitioner who had yet to discover the modality that would change the course of his career. 
         When Powell checked into Passages almost a decade ago, McNairy says he could best be described as a “otal mess.” “I worked with Gerry for several years in an outpatient program after our initial visit. While he was determined to get well, he still struggled immensely. Then, a friend introduced him to plant medicine and his life changed overnight. When he introduced it to me, I knew we’d found the missing tools,” shares McNairy. “Plant medicine is a beneficial medicinal therapy that helps you gain insight into your life. It helps balance your neurochemistry so you can heal physically, spiritually, emotionally. It’s truly amazing stuff!”

         Powell had such a transformative experience that he wanted to share the benefits of plant medicine with as many people as he could. He opened up Rythmia, a life-transforming, all-inclusive luxury health and wellness center located in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, out of a genuine desire to help people “get happy and stay happy.” “Our goal is to continually provide the best healing practices anywhere for a complete mind, body and spirit renewal for each and every person,” he says.
         Rythmia’s plant medicine program, headed by Dr. McNairy along with Dr. Natalia Rodriguez and several plant medicine healers, is one of five core programs included in every guest’s stay while at Rythmia. “Our groundbreaking plant medicine program is conducted in a safe, medically supervised environment. Plant medicines like Ayahuasca and San Pedro have been used for thousands of years in indigenous cultures to heal emotional, physical and spiritual ailments,” says McNairy. “Through the intelligence of these plants, you can find the root cause of your issues, resolve them, and find your way back to peace. One plant medicine session can be as effective as 10 years of psychotherapy.”

“Our intention is for our guests to experience healing and awakening, while ultimately raising the consciousness of the world,” adds Powell.

Rythmia is an all-inclusive resort offering a wide variety of holistic modalities in a safe, nurturing environment. For more information, call 844-346-8072 or visit Rythmia.com/awakening2.