“Ayahuasca loves to take prideful people and rub their nose in it. I mean it can make you beg for mercy like nothing. You have to really approach it humbly.” In this famous quote, ethnobotanist and mystic Terence McKenna is talking about a psychedelic brew made from the leaves of the DMT-rich Psychotria viridis shrub and the stalks of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine. It’s been used for thousands of years for sacred ceremonies by ancient Amazonian tribes, but in recent years drinking ayahuasca has gained notoriety as the ultimate healing and spiritually transformational experience away from its jungle roots. Thanks to groundbreaking research (and celebrity anecdotes), it’s now being tried by people all around the world.
If you’re considering diving into an ayahuasca retreat, it may be the best gift you’ve ever given yourself – but you’d be wise to heed these words spoken by McKenna. This is not a detox, it’s not a wellness break, and – although it has become one – it shouldn’t be viewed as a trend. An ayahuasca ceremony is a journey that breaks you through the illusion of reality to meet your truest self. If you’re to do this right, you need to have total dedication to the process of healing and wholeness (with a side of understandable and justifiable fear). Below, we break down exactly what ayahuasca is and how it works.
How does ayahuasca work?
Shamans would say that ‘Mother Ayahuasca’ does her healing by moving energy and connecting people with plant spirits. But thanks to new emerging research exploring the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, we now know some of the extremely complex science behind this, too. This includes the drugs action on serotonin receptors, the high content of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (an extremely strong class of antidepressants) and, multiple compounds which trigger loads of neuroplasticity and synaptic growth in the brain, making it prime for rewiring negative or traumatic thought patterns, and potentially your perception of reality as a whole.
Although a number of retreats around the world have set this up as a luxury affair, making the experience more comfortable than it might be in a traditional rustic jungle setting, hopefully the above description makes it clear that no one should choose to go on an ayahuasca retreat to be pampered. This is deep soul work that is very likely to change your life.
What should you expect on an ayahuasca retreat?
Lucyne Pearson, a certified integrative psychotherapist and shamanic practitioner, facilitates some of the world’s best psychedelic retreats. She says ayahuasca will definitely bring up a lot of discomfort on different levels – but that’s a good thing.
“Physically, there might be purging, nausea, there might be discomfort with emotional pain. But this all helps you to grow the muscle of resilience and is part of the alchemy and transformation.” Pearson explains that there’s huge potential within this for shifting and clearing very, very deep stuck blockages or wounds that have been held in system for many years. But you have to be prepared (and able) to face this discomfort and stay with it.
“If you feel a calling towards deepening into your true self, or feel you have something in your life that you haven’t been able to break free from – like troublesome relationships, grief or addictions – or if you’re feeling stuck or are struggling to finding your purpose, an ayahuasca retreat might be right for you,” says Pearson. “Plants are really helpful for aiding us in getting into places that conventional therapy can't quite reach, because it goes deep into our inner psyche and beyond to the very nature of consciousness, to help make fundamental shifts around how we're perceiving life and how we can change that perception.”
Of course, all this reality rocking means having a place to go where facilitators are trustworthy and where integration of your journey is made a priority is absolutely vital to ensure your safety. If you head out to places like Peru, where ayahuasca is an indigenous plant medicine, you’ll see many handmade posters in shop windows offering the trip of a lifetime. But heading somewhere you haven’t vetted in advance (run by people who haven’t vetted you for contraindications, too) is a terrible idea.
Is ayahuasca safe?
Psychiatrist and ayahuasca PhD research psychologist, Simon Ruffell, has dedicated his life to understanding how this indigenous medicine works. In his opinion, that’s a complex question to answer. “That’s like asking is it safe to climb mountains? To drive a car? With any decision, especially in medicine, there is always context and a balance of risk versus reward. I don’t think it’s helpful to call it ‘safe’ or ‘unsafe’.”
Ruffell explains that there are many risks to consider, including medical contraindications (like being on antidepressants) that create physical dangers. “There have been rare deaths reported, although none that can be attributed to ayahuasca alone” Ruffell says. “People can definitely be destabilised in a bad way, though, especially if predisposed to certain conditions like psychosis. There are also problems with charlatans who use ayahuasca to abuse or manipulate ayahuasca tourists, or who don’t know what to do if things go wrong. And, of course, the risk faced by Indigenous groups of having their traditions extracted and being colonised by Westerners, too”.
But don’t be scared off entirely – Ruffell stresses that a lot of these risks can be minimised with the right “set and setting”, where participants are screened and given adequate preparation and integration, and you can ascertain that the practitioners are ethical and true experts in their craft.
“It’s worth finding out what the protocols are for medical emergencies, and most importantly, what opportunity is there for the participants to integrate psychological challenges into their lives after the experience?” says Ruffell. “For many people, living each day with chronic disease or mental illness isn’t exactly ‘safe’ and initial research on ayahuasca use in certain settings is extremely positive. There’s also the collective, spiritual perspective and the fact that humanity doesn’t seem to be on a particularly safe trajectory right now. So, if approached in the right way, ayahuasca can be relatively safe and, potentially, very rewarding.”
The best ayahuasca retreats
The below ayahuasca retreats all include comprehensive preparation, integration, vetting and indigenous reciprocity.
Temple of the Way of Light
Famed for being Gabor Mate’s personal choice, this intensive retreat offers a stellar combination of deeply respectful, traditional Shipibo shamanic practices and rigorous Western medical and psychological screening, integration and support. As one of the longest standing ayahuasca retreats open to the public, 12,000 guests have visited since 2007, but it’s not just people they’re set on healing. Temple of the Way of Light is also passionate about giving back to the local environment and communities through a multitude of regenerative projects. There are many retreat options to choose from, including women only, extended integration, doctors only and even 3-month residencies, all with private accommodation and meals. Brace yourself for at least 6 ayahuasca ceremonies with up to 23 other attendees.
Length: 12 days – 3 months
Price: from $4,440 (£3,557)
Website: templeofthewayoflight.org
Behold Retreat (Portugal, Mexico and Costa Rica)
If you’re after ayahuasca ceremonies in a luxury setting, this retreat is the one for you. With small groups (maximum 11, or book a private retreat from $25,000), poolside yoga, spa treatments and three sittings with the psychedelic brew, you’re bound to return home feeling like a whole new you! Venues in Portugal makes this a really accessible choice for people in Europe who feel that South America is out of reach. Here you’ll experience 3 Ayahuasca ceremonies, 1:1 consultations, integration workshops (plus 3 weeks of remote support post-retreat), chef-prepared meals, massage and additional mindful classes. All bedrooms are private and ensuite, and despite not being an indigenous medicine of Portugal, ceremonies are still held by highly experienced shamanic practitioners.
Length: 6 nights all inclusive
Price: from $2,950 (£2,363)
Website: behold-retreats.com
La Medicina
This retreat is used by Heroic Hearts, an organisation set up to take veterans and front-line emergency service workers suffering from PTSD to drink ayahuasca and transform their lives. It’s totally secure (guarded, in fact), and much closer to a town than other jungle-based options, which means closer to a hospital, too, if that’s something that will ease your mind. Accommodation is on the outskirts of the beautiful Cordillera Escalera nature reserve in the heart of the Amazon and available as single or shared occupancy, or in an eco-tambo (a traditional Amazonian hut) for an even more authentic experience. While on the simple side, it’s well-equipped will all mod cons and is fully sustainable, featuring solar powered lightings, spring sourced water. Ceremonies are held by Indigenous Shipibo healers.
Length: 6-10 day retreats all inclusive
Price: from $1,860 (£1,491)
Website: la-medicina.com
Ayahuasca Foundation
Simon Ruffell and his team at Onaya Science regularly use this retreat to research ayahuasca’s effects in its native environment. This venue offers women-only retreats as well as mixed gender, and a special 18-day option created specifically for therapists who want to delve deep into the psychedelic realm. Five ceremonies are held over the course of 10 days by an Indigenous shaman or curandero and five assistant healers, and a wide range of additional plant medicine treatments and therapies are offered throughout to further enhance your healing. Rooms can be private ensuite or shared, and at least two meals a day are provided.
Length: 10 – 18 days all inclusive
Price: from $3,450 (£2,767)
Website: ayahuascafoundation.org
Arudha
Some describe the energy of working with ayahuasca in a traditional jungle way as being quite harsh, so Lucyne Pearson has worked with Arudha, in Costa Rica, to develop a retreat combining the medicine of ayahuasca with yogic and Buddhist traditions, and psilocybin mushrooms. Here, you can expect the same plant healing experience with four ceremonies, but with Western healers and a restorative sanctuary vibe. Accommodation is luxury-rustic in either private or shared casitas. Optional extras include horse riding, surf lessons and massage as well as group trips to nearby Dominical waterfalls and beaches.
Length: 10 days all inclusive
Price: from $3,220 (£2,582)
Website: arudha.love
Earth Wisdom Healing Retreat
Ayahuasca is not the only plant medicine indigenous to Peru that can send you off into the stratosphere… with Earth Healing Wisdom you’ll not only get to work with ayahuasca in three ceremonies, but the San Pedro cactus too, with high priests of the Q’ero nation. Along with 10 days in Peru’s Sacred Valley, this option includes a pilgrimage to Ancient Incan ‘Power Portals’ during your trip and group integration calls pre- and post-retreat. Indigenous reciprocity is at the heart of Earth Wisdom Healing (which stems from the Native Wisdom Hub initiative), with native collaboration and support utilised throughout, financial contributions towards initiatives for indigenous sovereignty and advocacy and much more. The retreat is held in the serene settings of the Raiceinkas Centre, with shared and private rooms available.
Length: 10-day retreat
Price: from £3,800
Website: nativewisdomhub.com