Preparation and safety.
Read this whole page before you apply. Most of what makes a retreat safe happens before you leave home.
The medicine is not for everyone.
Ayahuasca is a strong psychoactive medicine. It raises blood pressure and heart rate for several hours, it interacts dangerously with some medicines, and it can be destabilising for people with certain psychiatric histories. Every application is read carefully before a place is offered. We will say no when we have to, and we will tell you why.
- You take an antidepressant (SSRI, SNRI, MAOI, tricyclic), lithium, an antipsychotic, or tramadol
- You have a history of psychosis, schizophrenia, or bipolar I disorder, in yourself or a close relative
- You have a serious heart condition, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or have had a stroke
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding
- You have had surgery in the last two months
Some medicines can be stopped safely before a retreat, but only with your own doctor's agreement and a written plan. Never stop a psychiatric medicine on your own to come to a retreat. Tell us everything you take in the application, including supplements.
This list follows the screening used by established centres. It is not medical advice; your own doctor knows you.
Also tell us about
- Epilepsy or seizures
- Diabetes
- Asthma
- Glaucoma
- Any recent hospital stay for mental health
- Current heavy use of alcohol, cannabis or other drugs
- Any medicine, supplement or herb you take
If you are in crisis
A retreat is not emergency care. If you are in danger of harming yourself, please contact your local emergency services or crisis line first. We will still be here afterward.
How to prepare.
The dieta begins before you arrive. The cleaner you come, the gentler and clearer the work.
- Two weeks beforeNo pork, red meat, alcohol, cannabis or other recreational drugs, fermented or aged foods, and no sex. Cut down on salt, sugar, oil and spice. Begin to eat simply.
- One week beforeLittle or no caffeine. Less screen time, less news. Write down what you are bringing to the medicine and what you hope to leave behind.
- Travel daysRest. Drink water. Arrive in Iquitos the day before pickup if you can.
- Ceremony daysA light meal before 2 pm, then nothing but water until the ceremony. No perfume, deodorant or scented soap in the ceremony room.
Pack light, pack right.
- Headlamp or small torch with spare batteries
- Loose, light clothes in dark colours; one warm layer for ceremony nights
- Rain jacket and closed shoes or boots; sandals
- Insect repellent (no DEET on ceremony days), sunscreen, hat
- Your own water bottle, a notebook, ear plugs
- Any medicine you have been cleared to continue, in its original packaging
- Travel insurance that covers medical evacuation
- Cash in soles, taken out in Iquitos before pickup
And what not to.
- Alcohol, cannabis, and any recreational drug
- Expectations about what the medicine "should" show you
- Work. Phone signal may be weak, and you will not want it.
Nobody is ever alone.
- Maestro Miguel and at least one family member stay awake and present through every ceremony
- The elder decides each person's dose and may serve a smaller cup on the first night
- Water, buckets and a light at every place; a clear path to the bathroom; no one walks out alone
- A first-aid kit and a plan for reaching hospital care in Iquitos (about 45 km by road) are in place before any retreat opens
- You can say no to any ceremony, at any time, for any reason
Before you write to us.
Will I be sick?
Probably, at least once. Purging (vomiting, sometimes diarrhoea) is a normal part of the night and the Shipibo understand it as part of the cleaning. It passes, and most people feel lighter afterward.
Do I have to drink every night?
No. You can sit out any ceremony. Tell the family before dusk and you are welcome to stay in the ceremony room without drinking, or rest where you sleep.
I do not speak Spanish. Will I understand anything?
A family member who speaks English helps you talk with Miguel, and a translation app fills the gaps. The icaros are in Shipibo; nobody translates those, and nobody needs to.
Can I come alone?
Most guests do. Groups are small and people tend to look after each other by the second day.
What happens after I go home?
You can write to us any time, and we are glad to hear how you are. The first weeks are when most of the change settles; sleep, simple food and time outside help more than anything.
Is ayahuasca legal?
In Peru, yes: traditional use is recognised as national cultural heritage. It is not legal in most other countries, and we never ship or carry the medicine anywhere.