Take this short quiz to assess your mental and spiritual readiness for a psychedelic retreat.
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For deeper insights into what makes up a safe and quality plant medicine retreat, check out the results from our recent plant medicine retreats survey.
1. If you’d like a holistic understanding of your opportunities to improve your quality of life, take this self-diagnostic.
2. If this is your first time with Ayahuasca, this short quiz will help you assess your level of mental, emotional, and spiritual readiness for this powerful and sensitive work.
3. If you’d like to understand more about the nature of psychedelic healing work, human potential, and who and what you really are, watch the video below.
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Like most things in life, there are a broad variety of Ayahuasca retreat options, and a number of factors that effect the safety, quality, and cost of an ayahuasca retreat:
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After nearly 6 decades of prohibition, psychedelics are coming back in a big way, with institutions such as the Imperial College in London, Johns Hopkins University, and Harvard studying, the antidepressant effects of psychedelics such as psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and the trauma healing power of Ayahuasca. These studies have shown the potential of psychedelics to help with a variety of mental health concerns such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, addiction, depression, and recurrent negative behaviors.
Ayahuasca is a South American ancestral medicine from the Amazon, revered as one of the most precious gifts from Mother Earth. The healing that can be found during a plant medicine ceremony on one of the many Peru ayahuasca retreats available can be positively life-changing, and as the psychedelic movement grows in popularity, the range of options available when it comes to choosing a retreat can make the process a bit overwhelming. This abundance of options can lead to "analysis paralysis", causing us to either give up, or choose a retreat impulsively. Choosing a place to have your experience may be one the most important decisions you'll ever make, and it's important to choose your retreat with diligence and care.
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Before committing to a retreat, we highly recommend you do your research and come well prepared.
Ayahuasca is not a party drug. It is an incredibly strong psychedelic substance with hallucinogenic properties that will send you on an all-night journey into the depths of your consciousness.
Disclaimer! It is important that those on prescription medications are monitored by doctors or similar professionals before any ayahuasca ingestion, for safety purposes. There are many drugs and medications that are contraindicated with ayahuasca and can be very dangerous. Always seek medical advice before undertaking any healing modality.
Ayahuasca, which contains the powerful psychedelic DMT the “spirit molecule”s),was first formulated by Iindigenous South Americans of the Amazon basin, and is now used in many parts of the world along with other psychedelics such as San Pedro and Peyote. This psychedelic brew is made by brewing leaves from the Chacruna plant (psychotria viridis) and banisteriopsis caapi vine, and is used in Indigenous communities for ceremonies led by a shamanic guide.
Ayahuasca is legally used in Peru, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Brazil, where ayahuasca shamanism finds its roots.
In the USA, and most of the world, ayahuasca is not legal, although there have been religious exceptions to use ayahuasca as a sacred sacrament in Brazilian ayahuasca churches such as Santo Daime.
Andean shamans typically guide the ayahuasca sessions in spiritual retreats in sacred places in Peru.
Cusco (Cuzco) is a town in the Sacred Valley of the Andes Mountains, South America, and is a popular destination for ayahuasca tourists seeking a more spiritual travel experience in Peru, well known for ayahuasca ceremonies and retreats.
As ayahuasca has gained much popularity in the West, ayahuasca tourism is booming and there are many people taking advantage of this business opportunity without your safety and well-being in mind, claiming to be an 'ayahuasca shaman' with no proper experience.
If you're ready for a big shift in your life, want to be guided by experts, you're coachable, and you're committed to doing the necessary mental and emotional work, apply for a free consultation here.
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While not in Peru itself, Behold Retreats hosts world-class ayahuasca retreats in nearby Costa Rica. Behold Retreats will facilitate a bespoke healing ayahuasca journey for you, tailoring to your personal needs and preferences.
Behold also works with 5-Meo-DMT (Bufo) in Mexico and Portugal, and Psilocybin (magic mushrooms) in the Netherlands.
Their expert staff will help you determine if you would like to have traditional ayahuasca ceremonies led by an indigenous shaman or Shipibo maestro, or if you would rather experience a modern, Western approach. Additionally, you will be able to request various healing modalities, such as yoga, breathwork, meditation, energy work, a flower bath and body work, as well as a special plant diet based on your needs.
With a core group of high-quality healers and facilitators, all of whom have been leading ayahuasca ceremonies for decades, and world-class medical protocols and screening processes adopted from expert advisors and research institutions, you are sure to be in the best hands possible.
What makes Behold Retreats stand out further is their one-of-a-kind, 7-week Ayahuasca retreat program designed to elevate your consciousness. The program entails 3 weeks of remote coaching before your ceremony and 3 weeks post-retreat for integration, and will help you to release lower-level emotions and energy blockages, free yourself from limiting beliefs, enhance your meta-cognition and mindfulness, and embody your future self. Apply for a consultation here.
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If you’re looking to have the ultimate spiritual healing journey, you might want to consider attending a private ayahuasca retreat. The deepest and most profound healing can be achieved working one on one with a healer.
You can find an ayahuasca shaman or facilitators who are experts in not only ayahuasca medicine, but also the master plant dieta to enrich your experience further, or even combine it with a yoga retreat.
We recommend enlisting guidance from a company such as Behold Retreats for your ayahuasca session, who curates private retreats with top-quality facilitators, healers, coaches and therapists to assist you in elevating your consciousness.
Gaia Tree Center is a trusted Ayahuasca center located near the city of Iquitos in Peru, offering traditional shamanic healing with plant medicine during immersive retreats with native shaman. At the same time they are supported by Western therapeutics and Eastern psycho-spiritual modalities with a focus on integration.
Their retreats include either a 7 or 10 day journey with special meditations, an optional Kambo ceremony, and guided jungle excursions. For your benefits, they keep their ceremonies with ayahuasca limited to a maximum of 12 people. Their healing retreats are led by several indigenous Shipibo healer, with a reputation as masters of Ayahuasca. Enjoy the beautiful ritual of Icaro (medicine song) and dive deep into your journey.
If you’re up for an adventure, they have a 3-week journey that will take you deep into the jungle and to the heights of the Andes mountains in Peru. Get ready for a spiritual awakening and deep healing with this sacred plant medicine, as this ayahuasca retreat program will help you experience a deeper connection with the native land and shamanic traditions of Peru.
This spiritual healing retreat works with both Ayahuasca and San Pedro, guided by authentic shamans with over 100 years of extensive shamanic healing knowledge. You will receive personal shamanic treatments during your ayahuasca ceremony as well as two healing plant baths to remove heavy energies and a Pulsario treatment.
Their ayahuasca brew is unique as they include the heart-opening medical plant Bobinsana. Their program is a 15 day journey, one you only find at intensive ayahuasca healing retreats, and is designed for you to go into deep healing.
Your room will overlook the jungle, and you will have the opportunity to visit the Belen Market, Monkey Island, the village of the Yagua Indians, the Lupuna tree, take a boat trip to the Amazon river, and visit local Peruvian jungle villages.
If you're looking for a holistic, modern approach to plant medicine with world-class guidance and facilitation, and you're ready to do the mental and emotional work required to get the benefits, apply for a free consultation here.
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At this Traditional Ayahuasca Healing Center, located in Pucallpa, Peru, you will be lead by an experienced team who work with the traditional plants of the Amazon Rainforest to bring healing and happiness, on either a 7 or 12 day ayahuasca retreat.
In the Pachamama Temple, they run their ayahuasca ceremonies in a slightly unconventional way, as the maestros have the freedom to conduct the ceremonies and adjust their Icaros according to the needs of the group or individual. In addition to the Shaman, there are facilitators trained in psychotherapy to help guide you during your healing ceremony and during integration circles.
Their ayahuasca brew is made the traditional way, from only the Ayahuasca vine and the Chacruna plant. While the attraction of the deep jungle nature is not fully present at this retreat center, you will have the opportunity to explore Pucallpa and surrounding villages and to learn about the Shipibo culture through classes on arts, crafts, language, and history.
Located in the Amazon Rainforest, in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, you will find this ayahuasca retreat center right on the river. Their ceremonies are led by Shipibo Maestros with over 30 years of experience, and include a San Pedro ceremony. They also work with a Kokáma curandero (native healer) and tabaquero who will provide plant remedies as needed and do work helping clear people with the Master plant Tobacco.
You will spend 8 days in their Ecolodge in either a cottage with a private bathroom or shared dormitory style accommodation. Your retreat will include 4 ayahuasca ceremonies, daily floral baths, 1 steam bath with medicinal plants, and boat ride and swim with pink dolphins.
They are also very focused on dietary health, with green juices and superfoods provided, catering to vegan and vegetarian diets. A portion of their earnings help support native communities of Peru, including the Shipibo and Kokama communities, and projects in the Amazon Jungle.
This retreat center is located on 25 acres of land in the lowland jungles of the Amazon, about an hour flight away from the city of Lima, Peru, offering 8-9 day ayahuasca retreats guided by Shipibo Healers, known as Curanderos.
Their ayahuasca tea is made on-site with no admixtures, just the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and chacruna leaves, and guests even have the opportunity to to assist in the brewing process, and to drink the medicine they helped to brew.
Their ceremony space is situated in the midst of beautiful native plants and trees to help you connect with Mother Earth, with maximum of 16 retreat participants. With your safety in mind, they always have a minimum of five staff members in addition to the Shipibo healers during ceremonies.
After every ceremony you will have a chance to share your experience with other guests during their integration circles as well as one on one support from staff members. Accommodations range from shared tambos, to private suites with balconies or patio decks for those looking for more intimate spaces.
If you’re looking for a more luxury ayahuasca retreat experience, this place is for you. Located in the heart of 120,000 acres of pristine rainforest in the Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve, on the bank of the Nanay river, you will find this ayahuasca retreat center and research center. Accommodations include comfortable private rooms with full electricity and ensuite bathrooms, personal fans, river-view balcony and hammock deck, as well as a massage room, yoga studio, and activity rooms.
Programs are either 8 days, 2, 3, or 4 weeks long, and are facilitated by bi-lingual apprentices who can offer complimentary treatments such as yoga, mediation, breathwork, massage, and counseling. The ceremonies are intimate, with a maximum of 12 participants, and lead by Shipibo Curanderos who are also experts in master plant dietas.
Additional healing treatments include plant baths, vapor baths, smoke baths, inhalants, purgatives, the plant dieta, and internal or topical medicinal plant treatments with sacred medicine such as the coca leaf . There are also many recreational options for explorers, such as hiking, swimming, fishing, and ethno-botanical walks.
Caya Shoco offers intensive ayahuasca healing retreats in accordance with the traditional Shipibo healing method at their beautiful Amazon rainforest sanctuary near Iquitos, Peru.
This special ayahuasca diet retreat is hosted by the founders Miguel and Becky, and attended by Shipibo maestros as well as other experienced facilitators from the Caya Shobo community. In addition to the 8 ayahuasca ceremonies you will attend on this retreat, you will also have a personally prescribed plant dieta treatment.
The Shipibo Tribal Council has officially endorsed this retreat center for the authenticity and expertise of their master Onayna healers (maestra Onanya, maestro Onanya) and for the quality of their in-house ayahuasca brew. You can rest assured that you will be in good hands, not only with the maestros but with their team of western facilitators who carry extensive knowledge of Amazonian shamanic plant medicine.
Retreats are limited to a maximum of 20 participants and accommodation consists of personal tamobos or shared double rooms. Integration support is available during the retreat, as well as after, to help you harness the continuous healing benefits of the sacred plants.
Unique to this retreat center, they offer a sacred plant medicine for women healing retreat, guided by Shipibo Maestras and female facilitators, creating a space for powerful transformation through women supporting women.
The Blue Morpho Jungle Lodge is located near the Itaya River in the Peruvian Amazon, surrounded by lush, vibrant rainforest on 180 acres of private reserve. Their staff have been guiding plant medicine and healing ceremonies for over 45 years with Mother ayahuasca..
This private and personalized experience is guided by one of the most powerful healers in the Ucayali River region. As a Master shaman, Alberto has led over 5000 scared plant ceremonies, and specialise in ayahuasca, sanango, and amazonian trees.
The modern lodge has a massive network of hiking trails, isolated meditation bungalows, beautiful gardens, a large deck and swimming pool, private lake and lake house, ceremonial house, library, private guest bungalows and villas.
Common areas with wifi give space for recreation, discussions, art, yoga, and relaxation, and you will be treated to meals prepared by specially trained chefs. You will also have the chance to experience san pedro, sanango, and the ayahuasca plant dieta.
Want to know the right questions to ask to help you select a great retreat? Check out our free guide here.
If you are looking to combine ayahuasca ceremony with a tour of Machu Pichu, there are some retreat centers who might offer a guided tour or trek through part of the Inca trail such as Arkana Spiritual Center.
Immerse yourself in a mystical tour through sacred sites of the Inca, including the mountain Huayna Picchu and explore the towns of Ollantaytambo, Aguas Caliente, Pisac, Iquitos, Urubamba, and Puerto Maldonado. Get to know the indigenous people and culture of the region while you're on this incredible pilgrimage.
Good to know! Many people experience altitude sickness while climbing the Inca Trail or visiting Machu Picchu because of the high altitude. You may even feel the effects when arriving at Cusco. It is recommended to spend a few days resting in Cusco to get acclimatized before trekking or going on an intensive ayahuasca retreat. Coca leaves are also known to help with relieving symptoms of altitude sickness.
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You can also find Ayahuasca retreats in the country's capital,Lima. Although we don't recommend combining an evening out in the Barranco district enjoying spicy food and a pisco sour with ayahuasca consumption - in fact that would be possibly quite dangerous.
If you are hoping to stay near Lima, or a commercial city, you may be able to find indigenous groups in the nearby jungle city Tarapoto for your ayahuasca ceremony. The cloud forest provides a bit more space for quiet contemplation and meditation outside the big city.
We would be honored to guide you in choosing the best ayahuasca retreat for your needs. Whether you decide to undergo your shamanic retreat with us, or with another leading retreat center such as soltara healing center or gaia sagrada, we are here for a consultation to help you on your way. Behold Retreats coordinates expertly guided retreats with ayahuasca, psilocybin, and 5-MeO-DMT (Bufo Alvarius) with highly experienced facilitators. Reach out to us to set up a complimentary discovery call and we can point you in the right direction.
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