About Ayahuasca
“A powerful cleansing and purifying medicine, Ayahuasca has the potential to heal a lifetime of impurities, blockages, and self-limiting beliefs. If you bring ayahuasca your dedication, courage, and respect, in return she offers you the opportunity to remove obstacles for your whole being to align to its fullest potential."
-NIWE RAO XOBO
Healing with Ayahuasca
Ayahuasca is an extremely powerful medicine for cleansing the body on every level: the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. It can cleanse the body of a lifetime’s accumulation of impurities, pain, blockages, and self-limiting beliefs and patterns.
A highly focused journey of self-discovery that leads to greater self-knowledge, deeper acceptance, and greater love is possible with Ayahuasca. She can help to realign a person to their soul’s path, guide them through deep personal transformation, and invite them on a journey of self-discovery that transforms them on every level. She allows us to see the divine that lives within us all.
A medicine that has been used within indigenous traditions for thousands of years, it is important to note that Ayahuasca is neither a recreational experience nor a quick-fix-cure; rather, it opens a portal to one’s deepest self, offering the opportunity to heal beyond what we would ever imagine. To fully benefit from its healing potential, however, working with this medicine requires commitment, courage, and respect.
Participants often admit this is the hardest thing they have ever done in their lives, yet at the same time, the most rewarding. We want to clarify that this is not an easy path to take for personal healing, but with the right approach and dedication, it can be beyond transformational.
Journeying with Ayahuasca takes commitment and dedication. Like any relationship, it requires you to take responsibility for what you bring to the journey, to open to a deeper understanding of self, and be willing to do the work.
We want to re-iterate that Ayahuasca is not just a magic brew that you drink and that it is just one part of a grander holistic journey. She may offer guidance, wisdom, and healing - but not always in the most linear or comfortable ways - so committing long-term to confront all aspects, regardless of what they reveal, is instrumental in establishing resonance with the plant, and most importantly, with yourself.
Although it is a big part of the process, the ceremony itself is only the beginning of the healing journey; the intention you set as well as the integration periods before and after are arguably more important.
Coming into acceptance that this is a gradual journey that requires a sustained effort of conscious awareness and work is key here. With a sincere and respectful approach, the results of working with this master plant can be huge, offering profound personal transformation and growth in truly remarkable ways.
History & Shipibo Tradition
Mother Ayahuasca is the Spirit of the plants of the Amazon.
Her medicine is delivered in a sacred brew that is a combination of two plants, the Ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi) vine and the leaves of the Chacruna plant (Psychotria viridis). This mixture has been used by indigenous tribes from all over the Amazon for hundreds of years.
This sacred medicine is said to have been used for centuries, or even millennia, and its usage and knowledge have been passed down through family lines for generations. Village healers traditionally used Ayahuasca to treat patients with illnesses. To address the root cause of the illness, the healers would ingest the brew to open up their vision to diagnose their patients and be guided by the spirits of the plants on how to treat them.
The Shipibo have an ancient and time-honored history of shamanism. They work directly with energy to heal all manner of illness and ailments – both physical and psycho-spiritual.
The Shipibo-Konibo people are from the Ucayali River region on the outskirts of Pucallpa, Peru. The use of Ayahuasca has been present within their tribes for hundreds of years and their vast knowledge in healing and plants has been an invaluable gift to those that have worked with them.
The Shipibo people are deeply connected to Spirit and to Mother Nature. In the past, they relied on their comprehensive medicinal plant knowledge, fishing, and hunting, for survival, and used the natural arts of embroidery, painting, and ceramics for expression. Though these are still present in Shipibo communities today, a lot of these traditions, and even their language, are being lost due to the rise of globalization and colonialism. It is our mission to do our best to preserve these cultures by supporting their traditions.
Icaros - Healing Medicine Songs
Icaros – healing medicine songs, are the main way through which healing takes place during a Shipibo ceremony with Ayahuasca.
Sound is a common form of healing across many ancient and traditional cultures, and that does not escape the Shipibo tradition. The icaros that the curanderos sing carry a vibration that is used to help heal the patients by altering their energetic frequencies to be more harmonically aligned.
A curandero undergoes strict diets from various plant teachers in the jungle when he/she first begins training – that is, they consume the plant they're working with (typically in tea form), go into isolation, and follow a strict diet to receive its healing abilities. A curandero channels the energetic healing patterns of each plant through song. The curandero then accesses these healing patterns of energy during the ceremony and transforms them into icaros which act as conduits for potential healing.
A balanced union between mind, body, and spirit is considered by the Shipibo to be the source of good health. An imbalance of this, in turn, can negatively impact the health of a patient, such as through emotions of fear, hatred, or anger, or external factors that have influenced the patient. It is then the curandero's role to restore balance by chanting icaros into the body of the person, bringing mind, body, and spirit back into harmony.
Oftentimes, a guest will experience a powerful purge after being sung to directly by the curandero, or it may guide them into a deeper journey with the medicine. During the ceremony, it is common to see the patterns of the icaros, consisting of distinct geometrical shapes which are also seen throughout the artwork of the traditional Shipibo culture. Most participants report that the icaros sung during the ceremony had a profound effect on their experience; their melody is said to have a wondrous healing power that may touch those who are willing to listen.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The medicine we work with is made with only two ingredients: the Ayahuasca vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) and the Chacruna leaves (Psychotria viridis). No other admixtures are used. We source our medicine sustainably & directly from our Shipibo Maestras, where they make their own medicine with their families in Contamana, Ucayali.
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The “Ayahuasca Diet” is an essential component that should be adhered to in order to receive the deeper healing benefits from the ceremonial experience. Throughout time, indigenous healers have acquired the necessary knowledge regarding this practice in order to experience a safe and effective journey with sacred plant. Participants will be able to cleanse the physical body and expand their states of consciousness with more ease by following the dieta requirements. Although the guidelines of the dieta may differ according to various lineages of shamanism, it is best to follow the basic diet requirements to ensure ones health and safety with Ayahuasca. It is recommended to fast during the day, only eating a light breakfast and optional light lunch. This will allow the entrance into the medicine realms to be reached with more ease.
In addition to a food dieta, setting an intention can be an important aspect of working with Ayahuasca. Intention is different from expectation; an intention is an openness and willingness to ask for help in moving towards a certain direction without being anticipatory. Every ceremony is unique to each individual, so it is recommended not to have any expectations but rather being open to receive whatever the medicine brings.
We encourage our guests to take advantage of the time leading up to the ceremony to delve deeper into the retreat preparation process by engaging in any/all of the following: exercise, yoga, journaling, meditation, intention setting, spending time in nature, expression through art, inspirational reading, and doing a “technology” dieta.
*A detailed document outlining the specifics of preparation and pre-retreat dieta will be provided once you are accepted into the retreat.
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There are several types of medications that conflict with Ayahuasca. Please directly inquire with us regarding any medications you are taking so we can let you know if they will need to be eliminated before the retreat and we will give you an appropriate protocol to come off safely.
All anti-depressant medications (SSRIs) must be eliminated at least 4-6 weeks before the retreat begins. Anti-depressants conflict with the Ayahuasca medicine and mixing the two can cause serious ill side effects and be extremely dangerous.
Please be sure to notify us of any changes of medication use that may be different that was is stated in your application.
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We are open to accepting people with previous psychological conditions as we believe most conditions are treatable, but we would first need to speak with you to get clarity on your medical background, your current situation, and your intentions.
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The ceremonies begin at 8pm and last until approximately 1-2am (approx. 5 - 6 hours). You can stay in the Maloka (ceremony space) until the next morning if you wish. A facilitator will stay in the Maloka with guests as long as is needed if you need support once ceremony closes.
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You can wear anything which you feel comfortable. We recommend bringing a set of extra warm clothes as it can get chilly at night.
*Information was largely sourced and inspired by Nimea Kaya & Niwe Rao Xobo’s websites, two renowned Ayahuasca retreat centers located in the Ucayali region of Peru whom we deeply trust as a team. They have excellent resources if you are looking for more information. You can also ask us directly for more helpful resources. We would be happy to provide you with additional reading material. We always encourage guests to do their own unbiased research in addition to what we are providing.