Ayahuasca Calling? 8 Steps to Finding Your Ideal Retreat

Not all ayahuasca retreats are created equal… here are 8 tips to help you choose your ideal retreat.

Tripsitter

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Mags Tanev

Oct 16, 2024

You feel the call deep within. Yes, there are nerves, but you know the time has arrived.

You want to drink ayahuasca.

But it’s not as simple as a quick Google search and securing your spot. Many factors go into choosing an ayahuasca retreat, and it’s important to do your research so you find a center that’s not only safe but also aligned with the kind of experience you envision for yourself.

From choosing the tradition you want to sit with balancing location with accessibility, retreat programming, and facilitator training — there's a whole host of aspects to consider that will help you make the right decision.

We’ve compiled our top 8 steps to help you in this process…

1. Traditional or Modernized Approach?

When you picture yourself in an ayahuasca retreat, what feels more aligned: Being surrounded by thick forest and the screeching sounds of the jungle in a traditional maloka? Or a more familiar setting with a modern feel and Western facilitators? Or maybe something in the middle?

Considering the kind of setting you’d feel safest in is the first step to choosing a retreat. While some will be ready to dive straight into a more rustic rainforest context, others will feel more comfortable in an environment that feels closer to their own culture.

If you're eager to sit with an Indigenous healer, do some research into the different traditions and feel into which one calls you. There are approximately 160 indigenous tribes using ayahuasca, with some more famous than others among Western tourists. Are you eager to sit with the Shipibo-Conibo and be guided by their mesmerizing Icaros?

Maybe you want to experience the high-energy ceremonies of the Brazilian Huni Kuin or Yawanawá tribes?

Or do you feel called to try the powerful Colombian yagé brew with the Inga or Cofán and be accompanied by grandfather fire and medicine music throughout the night?

Outside of South America, you’ll also find many centers and ayahuasca churches that don’t follow one single tradition. Many of them mix ancestral ceremonial tools with neo-shamanic or new-age healing modalities, with some of them not taking from any specific tradition at all and following a more Westernized psychotherapeutic model.

Whatever you choose, it’s important to recognize that we have access to ayahuasca today purely because of the indigenous guardians of this medicine. Anyone leading ayahuasca ceremonies and taking from these cultures is responsible for being in reciprocity, using the medicine with respect, and should have the permission of an Indigenous or traditionally trained elder to serve the medicine.

2. In South America or Closer to Home?

If you're seeking a more authentic experience (with the knowledge that any ayahuasca ceremony you attend that is open to foreigners will likely not be 100% authentic), then going to South America will make this more of a possibility for you.

Drinking ayahuasca in the Amazon jungle is an amazing experience, but it’s not for the faint of heart — especially in places where access is difficult or where there may not be electricity.

However, for me, visiting the indigenous reservations and drinking medicine with the members of the communities is medicine in itself — just as much as the actual yagé. Going to the Amazon is a cultural immersion, and allows you to connect to the mystery and spirituality of the forest and learn directly from indigenous wisdom keepers.

You may also go to countries like Peru, Colombia, Brazil, and Ecuador and find ayahuasca retreats that are closer to bigger urban centers and tourist hotspots. The Sacred Valley in the Peruvian Andes, for example, is host to countless healing centers that allow participants to connect with those ancestral lands without delving deep into the Amazon jungle.

In Colombia, you can find several centers based in the mountains outside of Bogotá and Medellín. Ceremonies at these centers are led by indigenous healers who either travel regularly from their community in the Amazon or have their own maloka closer to the city, so as to be able to reach more people. This kind of experience is a happy medium if you’re looking for something still authentic, but more comfortable and accessible.

On the flip side, if you're unable to travel inter-continentally to experience ayahuasca, this will likely mean locating an underground facilitator or attending an ayahuasca church.

In the US, the UDV (União do Vegetal), Santo Daime, and the Church of the Eagle and Condor are the only churches that have the full legal right to serve ayahuasca as a sacrament — so while others might boast religious protection, they are not acting fully within the confines of the law.

From a Retreat Center in Yunguillo, Putumayo

3. Facilities & Comfort Level

You’ll also want to consider the kind of facilities available at the ayahuasca retreat. Is it important to you to have privacy, or would you mind sharing a room or cabin with another person?

If you’re in the jungle, are you cool with sleeping in a hammock or do you need a bed?

Consider the kind of food served at the center — is it basic jungle food if you’re in the Amazon (plantain, cassava, rice, fish, etc.), or will they cater to Western tastebuds?

In addition to the ceremony space and where you’ll sleep, you might also want to ask about other social areas and places where you can relax and integrate between ceremonies.

And if you’re heading to South America but don’t speak Spanish or Portuguese, check if there’ll be someone to translate between you and the healers or facilitators who don’t speak English.

4. Facilitator Training & Background

It’s essential for anyone serving ayahuasca to go through a rigorous training process with medicine under the guidance of a recognized elder. If the ceremony leader(s) are Indigenous, find out which tribe they’re from and which tradition they practice. For non-indigenous ceremony leaders, ask them which tradition they trained with, for how long, and who gave them the blessing to serve ayahuasca (many don't have this blessing and serve the medicine anyway).

In both instances, you may also want to ask how long they have been serving the medicine.

If they are trained in the Shipibo-Conibo or Vegetalista traditions from Peru, they should have done multiple Master Plant dietas to be able to serve ayahuasca. However, in other places such as Colombia, there isn’t as much of a culture of doing strict dietas with specific jungle Master Plants.

You may also want to inquire about the rest of the facilitation team who’ll be running the retreat and supporting the ceremonies. How long have they been working with the medicine? Do they have trauma-informed or integration training in addition to any shamanic training? Does the center have medical staff on-premises, or do they have these contacts at their disposal should they be required?

If you're coming to ayahuasca with a specific intention around healing a specific condition such as PTSD, depression, or addiction, for example, it may be a good idea to seek out a center that has practitioners who are trained to work with these specific types of cases from a psychotherapeutic standpoint.

5. Intake, Preparation, & Integration

The first step of signing up for an ayahuasca retreat should be the intake process, during which you are asked about your intentions, your current mental and physical health, your lifestyle habits, and any medications you’re taking.

This is a crucial initial stage to ensure that it’s safe for you to drink the medicine, both physically and psychologically. If a center allows you to sign up for a retreat without asking you these questions, that’s a huge red flag that indicates they're more concerned about receiving your money than ensuring the safety of their participants.

Next up, any good and safe retreat center should guide you through the different aspects of preparation and why it’s important to follow these recommendations.

If you need additional support to feel more equipped going into the ceremonies, they should be able to provide that support or refer you to an integration specialist who can help. Many centers include a 1:1 preparation call or group meeting as part of their retreat.

Post-retreat, some kind of integration protocol should also be in place. Many centers run integration circles for their community and have integration specialists on staff should participants require more in-depth, personalized support. They should also provide guidance on how to softly land back into life and practices that will help you concretize everything you received during the retreat.

If a center doesn’t offer any kind of integration support or ongoing community connection, you might want to consider looking elsewhere or at least securing that kind of support before you enter into a retreat with them.

6. Retreat Design

You'll also want to consider the design of the retreat and the other activities that are part of the programming. Many retreats include supportive activities such as sharing circles, gentle yoga classes, calming breathwork sessions, plant baths, or nature walks, which help with group bonding and the processing of the information received in the ceremony.

They may also introduce other medicines that can support the ayahuasca process, such as sacred tobacco/mapacho and rapéh, mambe and ambil, or sananga.

Be aware of too many psychedelic medicines in one retreat, though, as some combinations can be dangerous — Bufo and ayahuasca, or Iboga and ayahuasca, for example, should never be combined in the same retreat.

Some centers tack on as many psychedelics as they can for marketing purposes — but these practices are unethical and ineffective. Stick to centers that focus on one or the other and supplement only with other healing plants and practices.

Whatever the retreat design, there should be sufficient time to rest between ceremonies and activities. Drinking ayahuasca is tiring work and requires a lot of energy, so it’s important to have at least a few hours per day for you to rest and recharge ahead of the next ceremony.

7. Check Out Reviews & Recommendations

Once you find a retreat you like the sound of, search online and find reviews and testimonials of the center. See if they have any Google reviews or are listed on other retreat sites, such as Retreat Guru or AyaAdvisors.

You may also want to ask in forums like Reddit or Facebook groups if anyone has attended a retreat there and whether they would recommend it.

Even if one person has recommended a retreat center to you, it’s still a good idea to get at least a couple of other positive reviews from reputable sources.

Different people have different experiences, so it’s important to hear several perspectives on the experience.

8. Check In With Your Intuition

Ultimately, the most important factor in determining whether a retreat is right for you is how you feel when interacting with the team and picturing yourself there.

When you speak to the facilitators, how does it feel in your body? Are they warm, welcoming, and non-judgmental? Do they willingly answer your questions and help you feel safe?

Even if everything looks good on paper, if your intuition tells you that something is off, listen to that feeling. It’s important to be able to relax and let go in ayahuasca spaces, and this will only happen if you feel fully safe with the team that’s taking care of you.

Choosing an ayahuasca retreat is not a simple book-online-and-show-up process — it requires proper due diligence, just as the decision to drink the medicine should, too.

We hope this guide has been helpful in guiding your process, and we wish you a beautiful retreat should you decide to commune with the powerful medicine of ayahuasca!

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