The initiation process, day by day.

Your journey begins the moment you land in Libreville. Ebando sits only fifteen minutes from the airport, in a picturesque spot along the beach, in the capital of Gabon.

You are expected. The drive happens in silence or in simple words. On arrival, you discover the place, your accommodation (a private room or a comfortable tent on the upper terrace, within earshot of the waves), and you take the time to set down your bags.

Remember: from here on, time changes its rhythm.

This day is devoted to two things, simple and fundamental.

First, acclimatising to your surroundings. You let your body get used to the climate, the light, the sounds, the sea so close by. You take the time to breathe.

Then, the connection with the other participants and with the team. You meet those who will share this stay with you, and the people who will care for you: Tatayo, Pemba, Bokaye, Maviango, Mambweté, Tata.

No effort. No pressure. You are simply present.

You are strongly encouraged to give yourself time and space to rest and sleep, listening to the needs of your body.

This is a day not to overlook. The flight, the jet lag, the heat, the newness: all of this asks to be absorbed. The more rested you reach the next stage, the more available your body will be for what is to come.

Reading, walking along the beach, dozing in a hammock, eating slowly the fresh, local meals prepared on site: this is what the day asks of you.

This is where initiatory time truly begins.

In the morning, you go into the forest to receive the blessing. It is a moment of welcome by the tradition, by the place, by the ancestors. You go there with open hands, without precise expectation.

On your return, a plant bath is prepared for you. A plant bath is not a wellness treatment. It is a ritual act of purification, handed down over a long time by the Fang (Dissumba) and Akèlè Simba (Misoko-Ngondé) traditions. You receive this care. Your body receives it too.

The rhythm intensifies, gently.

You receive a plant bath three times during the day, and two purification ceremonies accompany you.

This sequence is not an accumulation: each bath prepares the next, each purification opens a space for the one to come. You are gradually brought to the threshold of the main ceremony.

It is also the moment to listen to what rises. Emotions, memories, intuitions: all of it has the right to be there.

The day after the main ceremony, your body gives itself slowly over to moments of sleep.

The process begins with short intervals of rest — ten minutes, then thirty minutes — and, after several hours of sleep, you will begin to feel more rested.

The recovery process continues beyond this first day. Patience and kindness towards yourself are essential.