shaman trip

What It's Really Like to Join an Ayahuasca Retreat Alongside Spiritual Experts

By Michaela Trimble

For a few twilight hours in a remote jungle of the Spanish Caribbean , I ceased to exist. On my first-ever ayahuasca retreat, a medicine journey that was facilitated by a local healing couple I met while traveling, I curled up inside a sleeping bag beneath a canvas tent structure, with a warm heap of wool blankets on top of me, and was lulled into one of the most transformative awakenings of my life. Over the course of one night, I was transported far and wide, and into a realm I never knew existed.

I didn’t go to the Caribbean seeking ayahuasca; it found me. After befriending a medicine woman who introduced me to the two experts, I ended up extending my trip by a week in order to experience the substance for the first time. Though the word ‘ayahuasca’ wasn’t part of my vocabulary before this 2016 experience, I’ve since participated in other ceremonies. I’ll always regard this initial experience as a new starting point of my life. It was the moment that set me along my spiritual path, into a life full of big adventures and endless wells of creativity—and I have the learnings of Indigenous experts with cultural and spiritual connections to ayahuasca to thank for that. The Western world’s recent scientific research on ayahuasca's benefits prove what Indigenous cultures in the Amazon Basin have always known: The plant is a highly powerful, transportive substance that can be used to treat physical and mental ailments, and experiencing it with the help of those practiced in its traditions can expand the mind in ways you might have never thought possible.

I didn’t go to the Caribbean seeking ayahuasca; it found me.

My first ayahuasca experience went something like this: After a shaman cleared my nostrils with rapé—a dried, powdered tobacco snuff that’s shot up participants’ noses with a pipe to begin a ceremony—I drank my first of three cups (the plant is brewed into a tea and ingested). Little did I know, as the bitter, mud-like brew slid its way into my system, that I was about to go on the ride of a lifetime. Over the course of about six hours, I took on a series of forms: a nameless bird; a snake in a pit of other snakes. I even lost all concept of my own appearance—what qualities my face had, from my nose to even the color of my eyes.

I mentally traveled back in time to meet the first ancestor of my entire lineage, who danced in the woods morphing between two forms—that of a wolf and a man—before being suddenly transported to a cave full of drawings I couldn’t decipher but somehow understood. Next, I was whisked away in flight, sweeping across the snowy peaks of the Andes as the mountain range broke apart below me, almost like a game of Tetris. I saw Machu Picchu spinning on an axis of geometric cubes, twisting and turning as what appeared to be Lego-like warriors jumped in and out of the structure. Then, in a moment of engulfing hilarity, I lay in a fetal position completely consumed by laughter.

A ceremonial maloca , a wooden ceremonial structure with a thatched roof, at Mama Yura Healing Art Center in Peru

Curandera Daniela Riojas during a dieta ayahuasca retreat in Pucallpa, Peru

The ayahuasca plant recently became part of a greater movement to decriminalize psychedelics in the United States, which has seen a rise in acceptance of the substance and others like it. Popular shows like Netflix’s  How to Change Your Mind (or any of  Michael Pollan ’s psychedelic-therapy books, upon which that TV series is based) question why many psychedelics were considered Schedule I drugs in the first place (as ayahuasca still is) and examine how they can be used to treat mental illnesses and expand the mind. The substance is also seen by many as a spirituality tool, and according to the  Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life , nearly 27 percent of Americans considered themselves spiritual—not religious—as of 2017. Though there are still many unknowns regarding the full effect of ayahuasca on the human experience, if my own is any indication, the mental and emotional gates this plant can open seem promising. But how does it actually work?

The Indigenous origins of ayahuasca, and how a ceremony works

It’s important to respect the use of the plant, and Indigenous people who have used it for centuries, as the cultural harbingers of its healing qualities. Ayahuasca is considered medicine, and should not be used recreationally or without the supervision of practiced healers who have studied the medicine in countries where it is legal and there is a cultural connection to the substance—such as Peru, where the plant originates. The same is true of Mexico and Colombia.

According to the  Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), ayahuasca's psychoactive properties are most commonly derived from  Banisteriopsis caapi , a vine containing monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), and the leaves of  Psychotria viridis, or other plant containing  N,N -dimethyltryptamine (DMT). It’s believed that the DMT found in ayahuasca activates the DMT naturally found in a person’s pineal gland, often considered the third eye portal amongst the spiritual set and Indigenous healers. Many healers and shamanic practitioners believe this leads to the vision quests that ensue after ingesting the brewed version of ayahuasca, and why participating in ceremony is a way to connect deeper to your truest self.

Ayahuasca journeys can range from one-night events to multi-day  dietas , which usually require a participant to refrain from any intense physical stimulants such as sex, alcohol, and rich foods for a period of time. Most ceremonies are held in a  maloca , a wooden ceremonial structure with a thatched roof, and begin at sunset and end the following morning before dawn, lasting around five to six hours. In my experience, a ceremony usually includes fewer than 20 participants and begins with some type of cleansing initiation through the use of tobacco snuff, such as  rapé , or  mapacho . After ingesting the medicinal tea, most participants will experience a purging reaction, which could include vomiting or even a bowel movement. Participants can drink three cups—each about the size of an espresso shot—throughout the night. Shamans and healing elders usually sing  icaros , or prayers through song, to facilitate a sense of calm and tranquility. While some ceremonies observe a practice known as noble silence, many rituals encourage participants to emote as necessary: crying, screaming, and purging included.

While no two ceremonies are the same, an ayahuasca retreat will typically follow a spiritually-similar thread that’s meant to evoke the utmost calm and protection of participants. If you do feel called to take part in a ceremony, it’s important to do your own research to find the right experience for you: I’ve traveled hours into the rainforest for ceremonies and walked away without participating because it didn’t feel right. Your intuition is often your best guide when deciding whether you feel safe with a certain facilitator or not. Here, a trusted selection of healers and retreat centers to consider for your ayahuasca journey.

Editor’s note: All experts below have agreed to be included in this article. All three nations included below legally permit the use of ayahuasca.

Temple of the Way of Light's Maestra Laura picks leaves for a ceremony

Iquitos, Peruvian Amazon

Located about two hours into the rainforest (by car and then boat) from downtown Iquitos, in Peru’s Amazon Basin, the  Temple of the Way of Light is a healing center offering 12-day ayahuasca retreats, with six ayahuasca ceremonies over the course of the experience. In the plant’s region of origin, local Indigenous healers lead the ceremonies at this center’s rainforest setting, many of whom travel by boat from their home communities located further up the Ucayali River—a tributary of the Amazon.

Jessica Puckett

María Casbas

CNT Editors

Operating according to Shipibo Indigenous tradition, each ceremony is held by a team of four Onanya (the Shipibo language word meaning a person who has wisdom). Each of them has studied the healing modality for a minimum of ten years to equip them to safely and responsibly deliver ayahuasca healing. During ceremony, the oni (a word that means wisdom in Shipibo, but is used as a synonym for ayahuasca), is served while Shipibo healers sing songs; together, the experience is meant to purge negative, heavy energies from the body, also known as mawa niwe .

Bacalar, Mexico

Hosting multi-day ayahuasca retreats in the lagoon-side town of Bacalar, in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, is Peruvian-American healer and curator Amalia Moscoso , who brings together medicine men and women, facilitators, and shamans of all backgrounds to create each of her experiences. The retreats also infuse additional healing elements that complement each guest’s medicine journey, from a temazcal sweat-lodge ceremony to  janzu therapies, a water-based healing meditation. Her offerings also include cognitive workshops to assist in mental, emotional, and physical integration and rewiring to create neural pathways in the brain.

Valle del Cauca, Colombia

In the verdant hills outside of Cali, in Colombia’s southwestern bounds, the Colombian healer Taita Edwin leads healing ayahuasca ceremonies at his family’s private farm. During Edwin’s spiritual ceremonies, the medicine, or ayahuasca, is treated as a sacrament, a link to the spiritual realm, with a focus on creating a safe space and allowing people to surrender to their processes with deep compassion, love, and care. Besides an opening and closing prayer, there is no strict structure to the ceremonies. However, each does include two or more sharing circles so that everyone can express themselves, find clarity, and find common ground in the shared experience. More information can be found by  reaching out directly via email .

Pucallpa, Peru

Along the Ucayali River in the town of Pucallpa in the eastern bounds of Peru’s Amazon Rainforest, Indigenous Mexican healer and facilitator  Daniela Riojas leads ayahuasca ceremonies in partnership with the Onanya of the region. After first participating in an ayahuasca ceremony in 2015, Riojas, an artist and musician by trade, began her extensive studies of the plant and its medicine during apprenticeships with master healers that included participating in multi-day  dietas . The ceremonies she facilitates include holding space through icaros , prayers that embody the healing power of the region’s plants and animals. Each experience is held during the night in a ceremonial  maloca to help facilitate each participant’s journey inward.

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A golden sun appears on a bed of molten-brown, churning thick liquid, like molé. The heat is oppressive, leaden.

A disembodied voice in my head, not mine, says, “Guatemala.” 

No, not Guatemala, I respond. 

In that moment, I have no idea what “Guatemala” means, but I know I don’t want to see it.

At night, at an altar lit by fires, stands a Mayan priestess in a headdress. She has a small knife, and she uses it to cut the heart that she will consume out of an infant in a sacrifice.

In an instant I recognize the priestess. She is me.

Disgust coils in my stomach.

I crawl to the edge of the bed and purge into the bucket. It looks red, like blood.

This is my third night of drinking ayahuasca. 

The night’s visions began with … a puppy, a terrier puppy trying to lick my face.

Aw cute. 

Wait. What the hell?

Is that my dog? Whose dog is that?

Why is the dog?

It’s not your dog. It’s not someone else’s dog.

It’s just a dog, expressing love. For you.

The Mother, or “Pachamama” as they call her, has a sense of humor.

The message — in this case, of the dog — is that you will be held in an unconditionally loving embrace, even as you “meet yourself” as a matter of course while taking the plant medicine.

Welcome to psychedelics.

I came to Costa Rica to do ayahuasca, after a friend suggested plant medicine during the collective freak-out at the beginning of the pandemic. A coach in LA suggested Rythmia as the only medically licensed place in the world to do ayahuasca. Admission requires that you pass a medical intake — if you have a heart condition or a history of psychotic disorders, you won’t be able to drink the medicine, and you have to prepare with a protocol that requires a strict diet — no alcohol or drugs for a period prior to arrival. The stay is medically supervised throughout. This setup is friendly and accessible to Westerners as it combines a therapeutic approach in a luxury resort carved out of the Costa Rican jungle where pumas and pythons roam. It’s all in aid of creating what in psychedelic circles, dating back to the 1960s, is known as the optimal (mind)set and setting necessary for a productive journey, or “trip.”

Psychedelics such as psilocybin (mushrooms) are being studied anew in clinical trials — built on research that was halted in the early 1970s with the war on drugs — for their proven benefit in a therapeutic setting for the treatment of Alzheimer’s , PTSD , anxiety and depression , addiction and eating disorders , among other health conditions. Among the entheogenic plants, ayahuasca will be a more complicated journey for approval for common use in the US given its religious ceremonial component . The hallucinogen in ayahuasca that makes it illegal in the US for common consumption is DMT (Dimethyltryptamine), classified as a Schedule I controlled substance — illegal to make, buy, possess or distribute. So seekers travel to countries such as Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Costa Rica for multi day ayahuasca retreats, costing an average of $3,500 a week at Rythmia, where participants are monitored for safety and have their psychoactive brew prepared by experienced shamans.

Ayahuasca is made from the stem of a vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) and a shrub (Psychotria viridis) found in the Amazon rainforest, a formula presided over by indigenous tribes to form a plant medicine that is a sacrament taken from a young age in these communities for purposes of healing. That’s why they call ayahuasca “Pachamama,” or Mother Earth, a goddess they worship.

The shamans at Rythmia are trained by a Colombian tribe called the Inga, descendants of the Inca, who are ethnobotanists and masters of  yagé . According to “The Medicine,” a 2019 documentary featuring the Ingas’ spiritual leader Taita Juanito, when conquistadors arrived on South American shores, their priests drank ayahuasca and then forbade its use. The natives then hid the plant medicine they had been using for hundreds of years. 

But now, the tribes feel it’s time to share.

“I loved what it did for me.” Miley Cyrus

When the DMT in the shrub combined with monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) in the vine is blended into a tea and taken orally, it blocks the brain’s default mode, allowing new connections and pathways to form, achieving an altered state of awareness.

The Hollywood community re-discovered it more than a decade ago. Ayahuasca was introduced to modern culture in 1963 with “The Yage Letters,” in which Beat generation authors William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg chronicled their journeys with the psychedelic tea in the Amazon through the 1950’s. Early adopters like Paul Simon tried ayahuasca after a failed project, releasing the song “Spirit Voices” about his experience in 1990, and Sting credited it in his 2005 autobiography as the closest thing to a religious experience he’d ever had. But more recently, many were quietly turning to the plant medicine not only for healing trauma but for creativity. Reports from ceremonies conducted privately in living rooms say the yield has included not only suppressed emotions and memories, but things like the “Game of Thrones” opening credit sequence. 

Since late 2020, celebrities as diverse as Chris Rock and Miley Cyrus have gone public about their use, with Cyrus telling Rolling Stone that, in 2013, the snakes took her to Mama Aya. “I loved what it did for me,” she said.

Most recently, Will Smith detailed eight pages in his 2021 memoir “Will” about taking the tea in more than 14 trips on a retreat in Peru after having marital problems. 

 “This was my first taste of freedom,” he wrote. “In my fifty plus years on this planet, this was the unparalleled greatest feeling I’ve ever had.” But Smith’s revelations come with a disclaimer: “I do not condone, nor do I suggest the use of ayahuasca or any substance without professional medical prescription and supervision.” He shared that of his 14 trips, Mother Ayahuasca showed up in eight, and in three of the six where she did not “were among the most hellish psychological experiences I’ve ever endured.”

Megan Fox told Jimmy Kimmel that on her second night of her ayahuasca retreat in Costa Rica she went to “hell for eternity.” People interpreted that as meaning she had a bad experience. What she explained was that ayahuasca “surpasses anything like talk therapy” and makes you surrender to “your psychological prison that you hold yourself in, your own version of hell.”

In other words, there is value in the unpleasant trip. She said she had “a real ego death.” Ayahuasca is said to be the closest thing to a near-death experience. Having to fight to survive “death” is a common experience in psychedelics and one that confronts you with fears and discomfort and forces you to push through. The reward is the calm of wisdom and gratitude on the other side.

My first “pinta,” as they call visions, after the very first cup I took, was of vines that writhed and coiled in and around one another like snakes. They were technicolor green, cartoon-like and they looped and writhed seemingly to the beat of the songs being played in the  maloca , the ceremonial space where the ayahuasca ceremonies are performed.

The retreat involves drinking the tea four nights in a row. By the seventh day, some sort of breakthrough will have occurred. Ayahuasca is like 10 years of therapy in a few hours, some say. The active ingredient breaks down your defenses to let the suppressed, repressed emotions and memories come up. It’s been proven to improve neuroplasticity of the brain, forming new pathways. The experiential nature of the “trips” makes realizations stick. People tend to make significant life choices in the days, weeks and months afterwards. Many report they were positive.

My first two days were spent easing in with orientation and preparing for the first night of drinking. Yoga in the morning, and the first of several breath work classes, a technique that can achieve the same altered state as ayahuasca. Guest speaker Ben Decker taught a class on meditation and led us through an eye-gazing exercise. The facilitators each spoke about their own experiences with ayahuasca and how they came to be involved in the retreat, and offered up lessons in the importance of preparing the mindset and intention setting before the ceremony. We received an introduction to plant medicine and what to expect, and the exact location and number of the bathrooms.

During each of the four nights of the ceremony, the group of 60 lined up outside the  maloca,  and at 5:30 pm, they were let in and free to take a spot on one of the beds lined up around the room. A bucket and toilet paper sat menacingly at the base of each one.

I took a seat between a magazine writer and a hedge fund manager.

The shaman presiding over that night’s events called the group to gather and gave a freestyle pep talk to prepare for the ceremony.

They then sat and watched as the shamans and assistants prepared the ayahuasca and performed the ritual of blessing the medicine. The shamans, facilitators and musicians all drank the medicine, too.

The drinking began after sundown. The shaman called for people to come and receive the first cup. People lined up and brought their ceramic shot glass to be filled with the sludgy brown brew. They stated their intention, drank in front of the shaman and then returned to their bed and sat upright for 30 minutes, waiting for the medicine to make them “drunk.”

And so it began.

For some, it begins earlier than others. I met someone who, as soon as they put back their first cup of medicine, threw it back up on the shaman.

The shaman’s response? “Did you get any of that?” 

The first-time drinker went on to do 68 more ceremonies over five years — at 75, you qualify to become a shaman — so that kind of mortifying reaction turns out not to be a deterrent.

Ayahuasca facilitators have seen it all. For those preoccupied with losing bodily functions in front of strangers, fact: There will be purging. We are encouraged to bring our bucket with us when we leave our bed. 

But purging looks like a lot of things: crying, peeing, vomiting, evacuating, shuddering and yawning. We will be conscious of all these reactions approaching and be able to act on them. Best piece of advice all week from Rythmia founder Gerry Powell: Do not trust a fart. Also, you’ll learn to be so glad when you do purge. Because the prevailing wisdom, as a facilitator who attended to me explained, is you’re getting rid of stuff that doesn’t serve you and making room for what saves you.

The main mantra is “Don’t think, drink.” The only real way you can screw up your experience is by not drinking. One of my neighbors spent the better part of one night arguing during his trip with the ayahuasca lady in his head about whether to drink a second cup. It was not a good experience.

Over the course of the evening, you’ll experience a tremendous amount. Or possibly just one significant thing. Or very little. The ceremony is accompanied by a soundtrack of recorded and live music that has an uncanny ability to match up with the trip. Some people have what’s called a “nada,” where they fall asleep and wake up when it’s over. They just have their realizations at a later date. 

The main piece of advice that got me through was: If it’s coming, it’s going. That means that if fear comes up, it’s being released. 

 “This was my first taste of freedom. In my 50-plus years on this planet, this was the unparalleled greatest feeling I’ve ever had.” Will Smith

The ceremony ends sometime after midnight, when the lights come up. The group then gathers again for volunteers to share their experiences. That’s a whole other journey of insight that isn’t even yours but makes a huge impression. Some of it, you may have seen, some you heard. I kept my eyes tightly closed per the protocol of minding your own business in the ceremonies, and you should drink enough medicine that you’re deeply in your own trip.

Someone could be wailing in a life-changing epiphany, and you don’t want to interrupt it by touching them and mewling, “Are you OK?” Of course they’re not OK. You’ll find out later. In the postmortem, we heard hair-raising tales from a professor about her journey boarding a spaceship that turned into a slave ship so eloquent on healing generational trauma among nations that we all wanted to ask if they were available later on Audible. 

One young man had a rather dramatic group effort by the shamans and witnessing guests and overnight shed a chronic cough that was the symptom of the cancer, as well as his fear of death.

“I know I’m going to live,” he said on the morning of the seventh day.

People’s experiences tend to be profound. Over the course of the week, you find out that they are there for a wide variety of reasons: racial trauma, sexual abuse, suicidal thoughts, sleeping pills no longer working, porn addiction, anxiety, stage 4 cancer. 

After the shaman’s post-ceremony counsel, you head to bed and try to sleep to get ready for the next night. Or you sit and talk more to your new friends about what went on. Because nothing is as bonding as a night spent barfing up a lung next to someone — let alone four nights.

My fourth night was presided over by a visiting shaman trained by the Colombian tribe who brought their proprietary brew. In his prep class, he talked about the  yagé  you’re taking as “a drop of pure consciousness.”

I had developed a cold by the third night and opted not to drink the medicine but was encouraged by the medical staff to attend the ceremony “and help other people.” 

I lined up when everyone went up to get their first cup. The shaman said, “Who told you that you couldn’t drink?” 

“No one, I just have a cold, and I’m worried I won’t be able to breathe.” 

“The medicine will clear that right up,” he said, adding that I could come up if I heard the call for the second cup.

I went back to my bed and promptly fell asleep. 

When I woke up, they were laying out pillows for the healing circles. 

A couple got married in a ceremony performed by the shaman in the early hours of the morning. After that, I was brought up for a private healing by the shaman, because I had missed joining the circle. “You didn’t come up for a second cup.” 

I said I fell asleep, and remembered that I had eaten dinner at 7 pm. You’re not supposed to drink on a full stomach, I said. He shrugged, which is Shaman for “Don’t be a pussy.”

“Let’s get to the healing. Close your eyes. Be good.” The author’s shaman

“What was your intention?” he asked, brown eyes boring right through me. Perhaps catching a glimpse of the Mayan priestess in me. I suddenly felt like a huge liar: It had been to help others, hadn’t it? He asked how the week had been for me and where I was from, and I answered nervously feeling like I was lying. 

“Let’s get to the healing. Close your eyes.”

He performed a cleansing ceremony with chants and noises and liquids sprayed and feathers with a noted physical emphasis on my heart area. Tears rolled down my cheeks.

When he was done, he looked at me, and I think he said, “Be good.”

For the next 24 hours, I went on to feel inexplicably uncomfortable and guilty, unhappy in my own skin. I watched others celebrate, swimming and dancing by the pool after dinner, giddy with joy.

The next morning I went to yoga. There in the  maloca  where the ceremony had been the day before, I sobbed through the poses. Tears not blood. A piece had fallen into place. It was forgiveness.

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Spiritual and Shaman Tour Mongolia 2024

• View trip gallery
• Date: August 2024
• Duration: 12-days 11-nights
• Group size: 1 to 8 PAX
• Tour price: staring from 2200 USD
• Activity level: Moderate
• Accommodation: Hotel, Tented camping, Ger, Tee-pee
• Transportation: 4x4 Jeep, Domestic local flights, Mongolian horse

Embark on a life-changing spiritual journey and traverse the vast Steppe, journeying through the untamed forests of Siberia and the Northern regions of Mongolia. Delve deep into the secluded wilderness, where special tribes still maintain a profound connection with nature. Our Spiritual Shaman Tour of Mongolia will take you on a remote trail to stay with the nomadic Dukha reindeer herders and learn from the fragile culture of  Tsaatan or Dukha, while residing in their traditional teepee dwellings.

Experience the healing of your body and soul while enjoying the hospitality of a shaman’s home deep in the Darkhad depression area. Witness a shamanic ritual that will aid you on your spiritual journey and receive a special blessing from a shaman in Taiga. Find clarity through meditation and body exercises in the breathtaking nature of Mongolia.

This unique and unforgettable experience will leave you with memories to last a lifetime. Join us on this Spiritual Shaman Tour Mongolia and be a part of a journey that will transform you.

If you’re interested in learning more about our successful projects, check out “The Horse Boy” documentary released in 2009. It tells the story of the spiritual journey of an autistic boy and his family, who joined us at Nomadic Trails for a body and soul healing experience.

Create your own trails with Nomadic Trails!

E-mail us at: [email protected]

Tel: WhatsApp: +976 99040894 contact Tulga

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Meet face-to-face with a Mongolian shaman.

Heal your body and soul while enjoying the hospitality of a shaman.

Witness and be part of a traditional shamanic ritual.

Ride small Mongolian horses to the Taiga forest.

Witness the beautiful natural scenery of the southern edge of Siberia.

Be inspired and gain power while meditating in the untouched wilderness.

Visit the stunning Khuvsgul Lake, one of the most popular destinations in the Northern region of Mongolia.

Enjoy the hospitality of a local family.

Witness the everyday life of a nomad Reindeer herder Tribe.

Charge your “wind horse” that is equal to your soul!

Enjoy dishes prepared by a professional expedition cook.

Stay overnight in a tee-pee and ger, traditional dwellings.

BRIEF TOUR ITINERARY

Day-1 Ulaanbaatar City

Day-2 Ulaanbaatar – Murun Town – Ujig River Valley

Day-3 Ujig River Valley – Ulaan Uul Town

Day-4 Ulaan Uul Town – Khogorog River Valley

Day-5 Khogorog River Valley – Taiga / Reindeer Tribe Camp

Day-6 Taiga / Reindeer Tribe Camp

Day-7 Taiga / Reindeer Tribe Camp – Sharga River Valley

Day-8 Khogorog River Valley – Guniin Gol River Valley

Day-9 Guniin Gol River Valley – Ujig River Valley

Day-10 Khuvsgul Lake

Day-11 Khuvsgul Lake/ Murun- Ulaanbaatar

Day-12 Departure

DETAILED TOUR ITINERARY

Day-1 ULAANBAATAR CITY

This day is the day you will arrive by your international transport to Mongolia. After lunch, we will explore the main square of Ulaanbaatar city

An authentic folk concert is available in the evening. So after a leisurely evening of traditional arts and performances, we will welcome you to Mongolia and have a Welcome dinner. Hotel /L,D/

Note: The schedule for this day is heavily dependent on your arrival time.

Day-2 ULAANBAATAR – MURUN TOWN – UJIG RIVER VALLEY

This morning we transfer you to the airport for your one-hour domestic flight from the capital to Murun town, located north of Ulaanbaatar city.

After landing, you will be welcomed by the Nomadic Trails team. After that, you will make a short visit to the town and its supermarket for some snacks and refreshments. It is also a good time to get offerings, such as rice or milk, for the “Ovoo” we will visit during our journey the next day. On this day we will also collect border permission, as we will be very close to the Mongolian and Russian borders.

Most importantly, this day will be your first day camping out in the wilderness. Our first camp will be in the area of the Ujig river valley, depending on insects closer or away from the river itself. Tented camping /B,L,D/

Day-3 UJIG RIVER VALLEY – ULAAN UUL TOWN

After an exciting first day in the wild, we continue driving off-road northward.  These parts are endless mountainous areas and valleys, so you can drink in the stunning scenery while we pass by.

Our journey today leads you via two mountain passes and passed a local town called Ulaan Uul. At one of the passes, there are 13 “Ovoo”. At this shamanic offering place, we offer the offerings we have gotten from the previous day at Murun town and wish for a good journey.

Driving further we will be in the Darkhad Depression, rich with 300 lakes and big rivers. We set our mountain camping site for the night. Tented camping /B,L,D/

Day-4 ULAAN UUL TOWN – KHOGOROG RIVER VALLEY

Continuing through the beautiful Darkhad depression this day we will visit our shaman’s home in Hogorog River Valley a 4-5 hour drive away from our camping site. You get to meet face-to-face with the shaman and get to know him, enjoying his company and hospitality. We will be staying overnight in a ger – traditional Mongolian dwelling, built by the shaman near his own home where he lives with his family and livestock. Guest ger. /B,L,D/

Day-5 KHOGOROG RIVER VALLEY – TAIGA / REINDEER TRIBE CAMP

After having a brief instruction on riding Mongolian horses, you will get acquainted with your own horse before it is time to set off. Start riding towards Taiga, the region where parts of the Tsaachin communities live. You will be introduced to the amazing world of the reindeer-herding people (Tsaachin).

Due to the road conditions, we cannot use vehicles to reach the area. We transport luggage and food supplies by separately prepared horses. Horse riding today is approx. 4-5 hours. Shamanic Ritual. Tee-pee /B,L,D/

Day-6 TAIGA / REINDEER TRIBE CAMP

Spend the next day staying amongst the Tsaachin people and experience their everyday life. Learn of their unique traditions such as milking reindeer and processing milk products like cheese. Spend time talking with the local people and understanding their local culture and how they have managed to maintain such a traditional way of life for so long. Our shaman will take us to a special place to do a blessing for us.  Take in the beauty of the larch forest and wildflower patches. Be inspired and gain power while meditating in the untouched wilderness. Tee-pee/B,L,D/

Day-7 TAIGA / REINDEER TRIBE CAMP – SHARGA RIVER VALLEY

After breakfast, we ride through the mountains and arrive back at the big river Khogorog. Your mind will be swirling with the incredibly rare experience you have just had over the past few days. We will drive out to a beautiful tented camping spot on the bank of the river.   /B,L,D/

Day-8 SHARGA RIVER VALLEY – GUNIIN GOL RIVER VALLEY 

After early morning breakfast, we part with the shaman and start our drive through the Darkhad Depression to Tsagaan Nuur town, the most northern town of Mongolia. Then we continue driving to the Guniin gol river valley. Basically, this day is concentrated on driving and enjoying the view. Tented camping /B,L,D/

Day-9 GUNIIN GOL RIVER VALLEY/UJIG RIVER VALLEY

Slow day to reach the Ujig River Valley for our offering ceremony, according to our shaman’s advice. Tented camping.

Day10. UJIG RIVER VALLEY- KHUVSGUL LAKE

On this beautiful day, we say goodbye to our cook and crew. Then we head to Khuvsgul, blue pearl lake and transfer to ger camp. It is one of the most beautiful lakes in Mongolia called Blue Pearl by locals. Free time. Lunch and dinner at ger camp.

Ger camp/B,L,D/

Day-11 KHUVSGUL LAKE – ULAANBAATAR

Early start with breakfast and drive to Murun town to take an internal flight to Ulaanbaatar. We transfer to the hotel and free afternoon with some souvenir shopping and more. With a farewell dinner, we conclude our journey to Mongolia. Hotel/B,L,D/

Day-12 DEPARTURE

We will transfer you to your international departure.

SPIRITUAL & SHAMAN TOUR MONGOLIA GALLERY

what's included

• All meals mentioned accordingly /"B"-breakfast, "L"-lunch, "D"-dinner/
• All transportation mentioned
• Local domestic flight if mentioned
• All accommodation listed
• Professional Tour Leader/Guide - English speaking
• Airport transfers
• Staff meals, accommodation and other expenses where applicable
• Entrance fees to museums, concerts, monasteries, national parks included in the itinerary. /Road charges for tourists, staff, and vehicles are also included/

• Single rooming supplement
• International flights and cost for visas
• Inoculations and personal insurances
• Video recording or photography fees at sights
• Tips and gratuities
• Personal expenses

Tour reviews and testimonials

• Continue reading...

Very professional guiding in what you ever could want. Horse driving, driving trough landscapes, hiking, … it is organised on the most comfortable way as possible.

A Trip with Tulga is more than amazing. He knows every corner of his country and loves to share every aspect of it. He has a large contact list and is very welcome in every community. And wherever you put your tent, you will be astonished of the beauty of the scenery.

With Nomadic Trails it is easy going travelling because they take care of everything you ever could need on your trip.

So planning a trip to Mongolia? Don’t forget to contact Nomadic Trails. They will propose an itinirary on your level and expectations so it will be a once in a lifetime experience you’ll never forget.

I visited Mongolia 3 times now and planning to go next year again, offcourse with Tulga and his crew.

and caliber of care that Tulga, Naraa, and the Nomadic Trails family who supported our journeys was truly wonderful. We were quite dynamic and also very unique in our wants and needs, but this was met with great patience and support. The food was wonderful (thank you Pujee and Saruul)! And the crew and drivers worked tirelessly and often so jovially to support us and keep us safe. I think what touched me most deeply is the connection they each have to their homeland and people- we often stopped along the way to make offerings which was so important to our group… and it was a part of their lives in a beautiful, integral way that taught us so much. They also took care to pick up trash along the way and at Ovoos and shared great care and love to the land and animals. And, the true and respectful relationships Tulga has cultivated with those who hosted and held us along the way, especially in the Taiga, was very touching. They have taken great care and time in cultivating these connections and upholding sacredness and honoring, being sure that the people are supported too, and it is felt. And the sacred places they led us within their culture and nature were truly so special. I would love/be grateful for the honor to travel with them again and I couldn’t imagine being in Mongolia without them! Thank you, Nomadic Trails, so much for accommodating us, guiding us, welcoming us, and caring for us so thoroughly and so lovingly. It was such an honor to be with you all. It is a precious gift I will carry in my heart forever.

We developed such tight bonds with the staff who caravanned with us that all of us talk about going back over and over again. The food was extraordinary, which was something we definitely did not expect, given how far away from civilization we were meant to be for most of the trip, and I can still taste the wonton soup and smell the campfire from our night spent on a ridge overlooking the mountains a few hundred miles north of Murun. I recommend this group to everyone I know going to Mongolia, and when I go back, I will be definitely reaching out to Tulga and his crew to handle everything.

We had a wonderful guide Tulga fluent in English and looking after every detail as well as arranging unforgettable visits with Mongolian families to horse riding to taiga. We took a road trip without roads from Ulaanbaatar to the taiga visiting the nomadic people who lives with a reindeers. Amazing sceneries that any photos cannot fully describe! It was amazing! We really got a first hand appreciation of the nomadic way of life and a chance to see incredible Mongolian scenery as well as herds of reindeers, horses, yaks, sheep and goats. And not only about the drive to the countryside, the culture, the food and the gers, but also about the people we met. During our journey into deep countryside into a wilderness, our guides the Nomadic trails team settled beautiful lunch tables on open air, sometimes near to beautiful river, sometimes in a highlands, or woods. And food was amazing! We felt safe, happy and nourished! They was patient and helpful throughout our trip. I’m so happy and grateful to Nomadic trails for having one of the best journeys in my life!

so the logistics of traveling was already potentially more complex. Every day, Tulga and his team showed up with a smile, and was very knowledgeable and thoughtful in accommodating to our needs while showing us the most breath-taking scenery and local cultures. We’re forever grateful for the Nomadic Trails team and our life-changing journey.

is very proud of his country and he showed us very nice sceneries, he took us to families living in gers where we shared songs and snacks! Other times whe were welcomed by a family and asked to share their meal and even their ger where we could spend the night. When crossing the country, we would always stop in the evening at the most wounderful places to spend the night. It’s unbelievable how Tulga is able to find his way without Satnav!!!! So we could admire the marvellous landscapes, enjoy the absolute stillness, dream into the amazing sky covered with millions of stars. And in the morning we were welcomed by Pudge, a very good cook, whose meals are realy delicious and colorful. Nice table, nice chairs in an open air eating tent: *****. The careful drivers who took us through the country are very friendly and helpful. There was always one of them helping for the setup of my tent. I’m not fluent in Mongolian(!), but no words are needed with this friendly people! They always stay good tempered even when the roads are soaked and hard to cross. The complete team keeps joking and laughing. Thanks to the people of Nomadic Trails and their perfect organization I have had a wounderful experience and I still have enjoyable memories…. I’ll go back!

but a real intense experience of this amazing place! I want to thanks all of the Nomadic Trails Staff for the amazing experience! Thanks thanks thanks! Nomadic Trails is the best to travel in Mongolia!

The meals they prepared for us were far better than anything I ever make myself at home. We were kept warm, fed and safe.

The Mongolian outback is rugged to say the least and some of the most beautiful landscape I’ve ever seen and our drivers navigated through it all seamlessly. Of course there were setbacks like getting stuck in the mud a few times and needing to reroute due to landscape issues, but it was all part of the adventure.

Our tour leader, Khulan, was absolutely amazing and remains a friend of mine to this day. I cannot say enough good things about this company. They did such a good job of showing us their country and exposing us to their culture. It was an experience I will never forget.

made sure to help us in a way that was aligned with our intentions for the trip. i felt very cared for and supported by the whole team. their flexibility and strong guidance were in perfect balance. and it was really fun! we danced and laughed enough memories to carry me through life. Nomadic Trails feels like family to me now. their connection to the local people and lands were inspiring and completely heartfelt. the food that was prepared in the wilds was exceptionally amazing. the places we went to were extraordinarily beautiful. i would not go on a spiritual journey to Northern Mongolia with anyone else!

Tulga is truly one of a kind. We used Nomadic trails for a one month trip across Mongolia as show in the feature documentary “The Horse Boy.” I’m not exaggerating when I say that the trip, the incredible experience, the magic – none of it would have been possible without Tulga and his guides. One thing we didn’t fully show in the film is the friendship that developed between the family, the film crew, and Tulga and his son. He went out of his way to make our vision come to life and was one step ahead of us in every detail of the planning and execution. His passion for Mongolian culture is unparalleled as is his dedication to making your experience one that you will never forget!

Traveling through Mongolia with them has been an experience to last a lifetime. Both crews from Nomadic Trails were so kind and fun to travel with. We learned so much about the Mongolian people and culture as we traveled through some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. To say we had fun is an understatement. Most importantly, to see the relationships that Tulga and his group have with the different shamans, Dukha tribe and monks was really heartwarming to witness. It is clear that they treat everyone like family and that is such an unique way to travel through a foreign land. If I ever come back to Mongolia I will absolutely travel with them. Both of the groups that we traveled with through Mongolia were different and the team at Nomadic Trails were so flexible and supportive to our needs.

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS TOUR?

• TOUR DESTINATIONS

Packing tips, and horse riding equipment:

Bring good quality riding boots, rain jackets, riding gloves, and windproof jackets among others. No need to bring a saddle or bridles. Because we provide comfortable western-type saddles, horses are taken good care of by our horse guide.

You can also bring the following for your own comfort and usage:

Your own helmet (we do offer them in case our travellers do not bring theirs).

Small-sized saddle bag for a water bottle and other accessories.

Saddle pads

There are mosquitoes near rivers or lakes in the evenings in the Northern parts of Mongolia. Therefore, a mosquito spray, which is very effective, is highly advised.

Horse riding and riding time for this Spiritual Shaman tour in Mongolia:

We have successfully organized our horse riding to the Taiga with travellers who have never ridden a horse before. Don’t worry, you will have full detailed instructions from your Tour Leader on how to ride a horse, how to sit on the saddle, hold the reins, and more. All of our team members are trained in First aid, so we are capable of giving you first aid and taking you to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible. But as the ground is mossy and soft and you follow the instructions from your horse guide, there is a very small chance of you getting injured.

There are of course horse-riding time limits per day. Each day will be a bit different from another, depending on the local weather. A broad estimate for your expectation would be anything from 2-8 hours including breaks and meal stops. There will be activities where we stop at local herdsmen or sightseeing that still counted in as riding hours.

Don’t want to ride a horse but still wish to travel with your group?

A wide variety of choices will be open to you should you choose to pass on horse riding while your friends or group mates go horse riding. For example, our destinations allow activities such as fishing, photo shooting, and hiking through the mountains. You only need to contact us.

Want to travel with your children?

If you are confident that you can ride a horse well, you can ride with your child. Even if you cannot, we can hire an extra local horse guide to lead your child safely to one of our destinations at the Taiga reindeer people.

Tented trip food:

Our professional expedition chef will be preparing both Mongolian and European cuisine for you. Depending on the itinerary of the day for example with lengthy driving, we will also be eating a packed lunch. Please don’t forget to write in our passenger list about your dietary requirements and allergies. We will be providing you with mineral water, tea, and brewed coffee, but soda and juice will not be provided.

Reindeer-related information:

Reindeer produce very little milk, so you cannot purchase it. But not to worry, you can still drink reindeer milk tea made by a local reindeer family. Some families with many reindeer sell cheese, so when you meet such families you can ask them to buy some.

After we ask the owner first, we can also ride a reindeer for a short amount of time.

Domestic local flight:

The baggage allowance for a domestic flight in Mongolia is 15 kg in total: 10kg for check-in luggage and 5kg for hand luggage. For extra luggage, you pay 3000-5000 Tugriks (local currency) per extra kilogram.

Tour Guide and Leader:

Certified English-speaking experienced Tour Leaders and Tour guides will be your friend and close partner for the duration of the trip and even after your departure. All Nomadic Trails team members have been trained personally by Nomadic Trails experts and the Mongolian Professional Tour Guide Association.

Extra tips:

In the mornings, if you get up early, you can go on a walk, meditate, do some yoga or even read books. During our drives, you will see stunning landscapes and visit hospitable nomadic families who are happy to share their dairy products such as fermented milk with guests. You will get to taste extraordinary cheese made from reindeer milk at the Taiga as well as get to know reindeer families. You will witness the stunning view of mountains of unique formations, serene lakes, and lively rivers. Sipping wine near a bonfire in the evenings, sharing memorable moments from our trip, and observing the starry sky is indeed a moment one can simply enjoy.

Related blogs & articles

• Top tours and things to do in Mongolia
• March 19, 2023

• Mongolian Shaman
• February 7, 2022

• Tsaatan Reindeer Herders
• April 29, 2021

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• Neuroscience

The brutal mirror

What the psychedelic drug ayahuasca showed me about my life.

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When I finally puked on the fourth night, I felt an odd sense of pride.

Inside the loud, stuffy ceremony room, people were laughing, crying, chanting, gyrating, and, yes, vomiting, around me. When my time finally comes, I think: Just aim for the bucket and keep your ass above your head like the shaman told you.

I try to wipe my face but can’t grab the tissue paper because it melts every time I reach for it. Nearby, a man starts to scream. I can’t make out what he’s saying on account of the shaman singing beautiful Colombian songs in the other room.

I finish vomiting and start crying and laughing and smiling all at once. Something has been lifted in this “purge,” something dark and deep I was carrying around for years. Relief washes over me, and I slowly make my way back to my mattress on the floor.

For four consecutive nights, a group of 78 of us here at a retreat center in Costa Rica have been drinking a foul-tasting, molasses-like tea containing ayahuasca, a plant concoction that contains the natural hallucinogen known as DMT.

We’re part of a wave of Westerners seeking out ayahuasca as a tool for psychological healing, personal growth, or expanding consciousness.

I flew to Costa Rica hoping to explode my ego. And I was not prepared for what happened. Ayahuasca turned my life upside down, dissolving the wall between my self and the world. I also stared into what I can only describe as the world’s most honest mirror. It was a Clockwork Orange -like horror show, and it was impossible to look away. But I saw what I needed to see when I was ready to see it.

Ayahuasca exposes the gap between who you think you are and who you actually are. In my case, the gap was immense, and the pain of seeing it for the first time was practically unbearable.

An ayahuasca boom

Ayahuasca remains a fringe psychological medicine, but it’s slowly working its way into the mainstream. Until fairly recently, you had to travel to South America if you wanted to experiment with the plant, but now ayahuasca ceremonies are popping up in the United States and Europe.

Indigenous people in countries like Colombia and Peru have been brewing the concoction for thousands of years, mostly for religious or spiritual purposes. It’s considered a medicine, a way to heal internal wounds and reconnect with nature.

It wasn’t until 1908 that Western scientists acknowledged its existence; British botanist Richard Spruce was the first to study it and write about the “purging” it invokes. He was mainly interested in classifying the vines and leaves that made up the magic brew, and in understanding its role in Amazonian culture.

Ever wonder how your mind works? Watch The Mind, Explained, our 5-part miniseries on the workings of the brain. Available to stream now on Netflix.

Ayahuasca emerged again in the early 1960s with the counterculture movement. Beat writers like William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, and Jack Kerouac all described their experiences with ayahuasca, most famously in Burroughs’s book The Yag e Letters . Scientist-hippies like Terence McKenna and Timothy Leary then went to South America to research and experience the drug firsthand. All of this helped bring ayahuasca into Western culture, but it was never truly popularized.

Today, the tea is having a bit of a moment.

Celebrities like Lindsay Lohan , Sting , and Chelsea Handler have spoken about their experiences with it. “I had all these beautiful images of my childhood and me and my sister laughing on a kayak, and all these beautiful things with me and my sister,” Handler told the New York Post after her first ayahuasca trip. “It was very much about opening my mind to loving my sister, and not being so hard on her.”

Handler’s experience appears to be common. The scientific evidence on ayahuasca is limited, but it is known to activate repressed memories in ways that allow people to come to a new understanding of their past. In some cases, it helps people work through memories of traumatic events, which is why neuroscientists are beginning to study ayahuasca as a treatment for depression and PTSD. (There are physical and psychological risks to taking it as well — it can interfere with medication and exacerbate existing psychiatric conditions.)

What I was looking for

My interest in ayahuasca was specific: I wanted to cut through the illusion of selfhood. Psychedelics have a way of tearing down our emotional barriers. You feel plugged into something bigger than yourself, and — for a moment, at least — the sensation of separation melts away.

Buddhists, cognitive scientists, and philosophers have all made persuasive arguments that there is nothing like a “fixed self,” no thinker behind our thoughts, no doer behind our deeds. There is only consciousness and immediate experience; everything else is the result of the mind projecting into the past or the future.

But this is a difficult truth to grasp in everyday life. Because you’re conscious, because it’s like something to be you, it’s very easy to believe that a wall exists between your mind and the world. If you’re experiencing something, then there must be a “you” doing the experiencing. But the “you” in this case is just an abstraction; it’s in your mind, not out there in the world.

I spent about five years as a philosophy graduate student and another few as a teacher. I understood these arguments in intellectual terms but not in experiential terms. I’ve tried meditating, and I’m terrible at it. My mind is a parade of discordant thoughts, and as a result, I’m rarely present — in conversations, during meditation, in daily life.

One way to escape this trap, I hope, is to get the hell out of my head.

There are many ways to reach the truth of non-selfhood. Think of it as a mountain peak, with meditators and certain spiritual traditions ascending different sides. Psychedelic drugs offer a kind of shortcut; you get a glimpse of this higher truth without all those years of serious, disciplined practice.

That shortcut is what I was after.

Night 1: dread

The approach at this retreat center, called Rythmia, is all-encompassing. During the day they pamper you with all the luxuries of a wellness retreat — massages, volcanic mud baths, organic food, yoga classes, colonic cleanses. Then at night, you drink ayahuasca and put yourself through emotional and physical hell.

One of the first things I was told is that I had to enter the ayahuasca ceremony with a clear goal or question in mind: What do you want to learn about yourself?

The trained facilitators who led the ceremonies recommend that you begin with a simple request: Show me who I’ve become.

The question implies that at some point you lost yourself, that when you were a child, your soul was pure, open, uncorrupted by culture. As you enter society, you lose that childlike love for the world. You start to judge yourself by external standards. You compare yourself to friends, neighbors, and peers. You develop an ego, an identity, and your well-being becomes bound up with these constructs.

There’s nothing new about these ideas, but they strike me as true all the same. So I decide to focus on self-discovery.

It’s now 5:15 pm, and the first ceremony starts in 15 minutes. I’m terrified. “Do I really want to see what I’ve become?” I keep asking. I’m pretty sure I won’t like the answer — almost no one does, it seems.

The doors open, and all 78 of us here for this week-long session pour into the ceremony room, called the “flight deck.” The room is big, divided into three sections, and there are two bathrooms on each side. It’s dimly lit, and mattresses are lined up on the floor against the walls. The beds are only a few inches apart. At the foot of each mattress is a roll of toilet paper and a blue or red bucket.

I pounce on the first mattress I see; it’s near the door and just a few feet from the bathroom. I feel safe here. To my right is Chad, a photographer from Ontario who looks as nervous as I am but somehow seems more prepared for this. To my left is a giant window that opens to a view of the courtyard.

There’s a nervous collective energy. Almost everyone here is doing ayahuasca for the first time, and we’re all scared shitless. They announce the first call to drink, and I make my way to the front of the line. One by one, we take our cups, silently reflect on the intention for the evening, and then drink.

It’s my turn to drink. The stuff is nasty, like a cup of motor oil diluted with a splash of water. I throw it back like a shot of cheap bourbon.

We’re instructed to sit up and lean against the wall after the first cup. The tea takes at least 30 minutes to work its way through the body. I sit quietly for 45 minutes, maybe an hour, and then I lie down on my mattress and wait.

Nothing happens. I feel a little dizzy but nothing overwhelming. I go outside, walk around a bit, feel my feet in the grass. Then they announce a call for the second drink. I remember the mantra here: “Drink, don’t think.” If you can hear the call, if you can move your body, you drink. So I awkwardly drag myself out of bed and head to the front for a second cup.

About 30 minutes pass, and I start to feel ... strange. I can see colors, shapes, and shifting shadows on the wall. I’m nervous that something is about to happen, so I go outside and gather myself. I settle in one of the hammocks and stare at the stars.

Suddenly the stars start to spin in a clockwise direction. Then a little faster. Then, for reasons that escape me, I start yelling at the moon. So it goes, for what feels like an hour or two. I keep hurling those two questions at the heavens but get no answers, no insights, just silence and spinning.

I walk back inside and collapse in my bed. For the rest of the night, I see sporadic visions of geometric figures, a few flashes of light, but that’s about it. Then one of the assistants starts to ring a gentle bell.

It’s 2 am, and it’s time to close the ceremony.

Night 2: “Don’t fight the medicine”

The next day I realize why I had no great revelations on the first night. I couldn’t let go. I thought I was prepared for the trip, but anxiety got the better of me. As soon as I thought something — anything — was about to happen, I tried to think myself out of the experience.

Tonight will be different. I’m going to stay in the moment, stay with my breath, and see what happens.

The facilitator is Brad, a kind, aggressively tanned guy from Indianapolis who was trained in ayahuasca by a tribe in Peru. The facilitators play an important role each night, even though there isn’t much one-on-one interaction. They set the tone, guide the ceremony, explain where the medicine came from and how it works, and they assist the people who need it throughout the night.

Brad tells us to let go and give in. “Don’t fight the medicine,” he says. “Just listen.”

It’s cooler tonight, but there’s a warm breeze rolling through the room. Most of the people around me are scribbling last-minute notes in their journals; others are sitting stoically waiting for the first call.

I take my first drink around 7:30 pm, though I can’t know for sure because phones and electronics are shut down as soon as you enter the flight deck. My intention is the same as it was the first night: Show me who I’ve become.

I can tell quickly that this will be different. It’s 30 or 40 minutes after the first drink, and already my senses are overwhelmed. Every time I open my eyes, the space around me starts to fold, kind of like what Einstein describes in his theory of relativity. But it also looks like a tightly woven spider web, and when I move my hand it starts to bend.

Before I know it, they make the call for a second drink. “Don’t think, drink,” I keep telling myself. So I stumble to the front and drink another cup. Then things get weird.

I roll onto my right side and see Andrea, a woman from Toronto, struggling to vomit. Brad, the facilitator, had said the Peruvian and Columbian tribes that use ayahuasca see purging — vomiting, diarrhea, crying, laughing, and yawning — as a vital part of the healing the drug brings. When you purge, you’re expelling all the nastiness — the stress, the anxieties, the fears, the regrets, the hatred, the self-loathing.

All of a sudden, Andrea has 40 or 50 yellow snakes gushing out of her mouth and into mine. And then I’m immediately racked with the worst nausea I’ve ever experienced. First I curl up in the fetal position and then I spring onto all fours and try to puke. But I can’t get it out. I stay on my knees for another five or 10 minutes waiting for something to happen. Nothing.

Then I lie back down, roll onto my left shoulder, and am flooded with a resounding message for the rest of the night: It’s not about you! Andrea’s pain and suffering — the snakes — had passed into me, and that was the whole point.

For the rest of the night, maybe another three hours or so, I lie there thinking about how selfish I often am, and about the symbolism of the snakes. The feeling was so powerful that I started to cry. (Side note: people cry a lot on ayahuasca.)

The next day, Andrea tells me that she never managed to purge but that her nausea suddenly disappeared, after which she drifted into a peaceful half-sleep. I don’t know if that occurred around the time I saw those snakes, but the thought of it kept me up that night.

I’m not bothered by the thought of taking on her pain; it’s the whole wild scene — the snakes, the nausea, the visions. I can’t explain any of it and yet it was unshakably authentic.

Night 3: m aking love to my wife for the first time — again

I’m halfway through this thing, and so far it’s not at all what I expected. I still haven’t had to confront my past in the way I anticipated I would.

The third ceremony is led by two women. The facilitator is Abby, a young, quietly authoritative woman from Cincinnati who’s assisted by Kat from Montana. Both trained in Peru.

Abby begins by telling us that tonight is about the feminine spirit. “It’s a celebration of creation,” she says, “of birth and renewal.” The idea is calming.

I strike up a conversation with the guy next to me. His name is Brad and he’s another Canadian, a publisher from Toronto. This is his second trip to Rythmia, and he tells me that he plans to sell his business after this. “My whole identity is tied up in that,” he says, and “I don’t want that anymore.”

Before I can respond, there’s the first call to drink. The brew is thicker tonight, and it tastes like wax and vinegar. It hits hard and fast. I am hallucinating within 20 or 30 minutes.

I see myself floating in my mother’s womb, suspended in fluids and flesh. And then I see her life — it’s not quite like a movie; it’s more like a series of flashing visions that are just clear enough to resonate. I see her pain, her confusion. I see how hard it was for her to have me at 20 years old, and how little I’d thought about that.

I see her and my father, in a college apartment, wondering what the hell they’re going to do next. I realize how fucking terrified I would have been in that spot at that age. A wave of compassion washes over me; whatever resentments I was holding on to drop away.

Then the call for a second drink comes. I drink, walk outside, and then go right back to bed.

The scene shifts and I’m floating in what I assume is a kind of primordial soup. I think I’m a vibrating particle now, and string theory suddenly makes sense in a way I could never explain (I suck at math).

Abby starts to sing songs called icaros, which are performed in ayahuasca ceremonies throughout the Amazon. I sink deeper into a trance. My mind is speeding, and my body is frozen stiff. But a calm takes over me, and I start to smile and laugh.

I roll back onto my right side, and suddenly I see my wife’s face. I relive the first time we made love. We’re in college near a lake on campus. I can see our bikes behind us, the water in front of us, the blanket beneath us, and the grass all around us. I can smell the air. I relive this moment, understanding finally what made it so special.

There was no ego. I wasn’t an isolated “I,” a separate person with a separate consciousness. The feeling, I imagine, isn’t much different from what advanced meditators experience when their sense of self disappears. You simply have no awareness of anything but your body and the moment.

But then the vision turns dark.

I start to see every moment of our relationship in which she reached out to me and I missed it. I see her asking me to go to a meditation class, and I decline. I see her pause to ask me to connect at the peak of a mountain after a long hike in Boulder, Colorado, and I shrug it off. I see her ask me to go dancing at a show near our apartment, and I watch myself mindlessly decline.

I see myself stuck in my own head, my own thoughts, my own impulses. And I see the disappointment on her face. I see her see me miss an opportunity to reconnect.

Then I relive all those moments again, and this time I see myself do or say what I should have done or said. And I see the joy on her face. I see it so clearly that it hurts. I see how much time I wasted, how much love I withheld.

I’m crying again, this time even louder, and the smile on my face is so big that my jaw hurt the next day. And I think about how I’m going to look at my wife when I get back home, and how she’ll know I’m seeing her — really seeing her — for the first time all over again.

Then the bells start to ring, and it’s time to close the ceremony.

Night 4: t he most honest mirror you’ll ever see

I knew the fourth night would be rough when I saw the ayahuasca brew (each night it’s a slightly different recipe from a different tribe or region or tradition). It was so thick and oily that you couldn’t drink it. Instead, you had to force it down like paste.

The shaman, an Israeli man named Mitra, tells us that it was a 5,000-year-old recipe taken from one of the oldest Amazonian tribes in Colombia, where Mitra was trained. He’s tall, with a shaved head and an assured demeanor. He looks like he could demystify the cosmos and dunk a basketball at the same time.

This final ceremony is longer than the rest. Normally, we gather around 5:30 pm and finish by 1 or 2 am. This time we meet around 7:30 pm and don’t finish until sunrise the next day.

Mitra hands me my first cup, and I fall back to my mattress. I think it’s maybe half an hour before I slip into what I can only describe as the most vivid lucid dream.

I watch my entire life unfold as though it were projected on a movie screen. But it wasn’t my whole life; it was every lie, every counterfeit pose, every missed opportunity to say or do something true, every false act and ingratiating gesture, every pathetic attempt to be seen in a certain light.

The highlight reel is way longer than I imagined.

I see myself as a child groveling for attention from the “popular kids.” I see my 12-year-old self throwing a tantrum in the mall because my dad wouldn’t buy me the Nautica shirt that all those popular kids were wearing. I see myself in high school pretending to be something I was not, and I see all the doubts piling up inside me. I see all the times I self-censored purely out of fear of judgment.

I see myself building my identity based on what I thought would impress other people. On it went — one trivial act after another building up an edifice of falsehood.

I should note how unpleasant it is to see yourself from outside yourself. Most of us aren’t honest with ourselves about who we are and why we do what we do. To see it so clearly for the first time is painful.

The movie rages on into college and adult life, with my self-consciousness expanding. I see myself not looking into the eyes of the person I’m talking to because I’m playing out all the ways they might be judging me. I see myself pretending like my hair wasn’t thinning years ago and all the times I tried to hide it. And every time, the reason for posing was the same: I cared too much about what other people thought.

The experience made me aware of how often we all do this. We do it at home, at work, at the grocery store, at the gym. Most interactions are either transactional or performative. No one wants to make eye contact, and most of the time people freak out if you really try. We’re too self-conscious to listen. We’re thinking about what we’ll say next or how we’re being perceived.

All the posturing destroys any chance for a genuine connection.

The movie ends, and I’m exhausted. The meaning of the previous two nights is clearer now. I needed to feel small and connected before I could appreciate the absurdity of self-involvement. I had to relive those fleeting moments of union to see what made them so transcendent. And I had to go straight through my shame and regret to get beyond it.

When the ceremony finally ended, I sat up in my bed and starting scribbling notes to myself. Before I could finish, Mitra walked up to me and asked how I was doing. I tried to explain what happened, but I couldn’t.

He just kneeled, put his hand on my head, and said, “Happy birthday.”

The day after

I leave the retreat center around 11 am on Saturday to board a shuttle to the airport. With me are three people from my group.

One of them is Alex, a garrulous guy from London. I think he’s in his mid-30s, though I can’t recall. He’s got this dazed look on this face, like he just saw God. His eyes are on fire with excitement, and he’s already planning his next visit.

“When are you coming back?” he asks me. “I don’t know,” I say. He doesn’t quite believe me. Everyone, he assumes, is coming back, either here or to some other place like this. I’m still processing what happened; the thought of the next “trip” hasn’t even occurred to me yet.

We reach the airport, say our goodbyes, and then part ways. I’m standing in line waiting to go through customs, and I’m surprised at how relaxed I am. The line is long and slow, and everyone around me is annoyed. But I’m moving along, passport in hand, smiling for no particular reason.

Typically, I am one inconvenience removed from rage. Today is different, though. When a loud man rolls his heavy suitcase over my open toe, I shrug it off. Brief encounters with strangers like that are pleasant; the awkwardness is gone.

I’m not in my head, and so things aren’t happening to me; they’re just happening. It’s probably too much to say that my ego was gone — I don’t think it works like that. But seeing myself from a different perspective offered a chance to reassert control over it.

People say that a single ayahuasca trip is like a decade of therapy packed into a night. That’s probably an overstatement, but it’s not altogether wrong. In four nights, I feel like I let go of a lifetime’s worth of anger and bitterness.

At the time of this writing, I’ve been home three weeks. The ecstasy I felt in the days immediately after the trip has worn off as I’ve slipped back into my regular life. A tension has emerged that I still don’t quite understand.

I’m happier and less irritable than I was when I left. The tedium of everyday life feels less oppressive. Part of the reason is that I’m less anxious, less solipsistic. I really do find it easier to see what’s in front of me.

But there’s something gnawing at me. I want to go back to Costa Rica, and not for the reasons you might expect. Forget about the ayahuasca, forget about the tropical vistas, forget about all that. This experience was possible because a group of people came together with a shared intention. That creates an emotional intensity that’s hard to find elsewhere. Every person looks right at you, and you look right back.

But real life isn’t like that. I ride the Metro to work every day, and lately I’ve tried talking to random people. It’s a lot harder than you think.

A man sat across from me the other day wearing a Tulane hat (from the university in New Orleans). I used to live in the area, so I looked at him until he looked back, assuming I’d strike up a conversation. But once we locked eyes, I could sense his agitation and we both turned our heads. Nothing weird or hostile — just clumsy.

I’ve spent years making an heroic effort to avoid awkward exchanges, so I get it. But I’m honestly worried that in a few weeks or months, I’ll be that guy again. And in retrospect, this whole journey will feel like a brief holiday of awareness.

I asked my wife the other day if I seem different to her after the trip. She said that she always felt like she had to force me to offer my attention, especially in those quiet, simple moments, and that now I give it freely. I do find it easier to listen since I returned, and it’s amazing what a difference that can make.

I keep thinking about this idea that a night of ayahuasca is like a decade of therapy. Do you pay a price for taking this kind of shortcut? Are the effects short-lived? Maybe.

I know it’s hard to be in the world without being of the world. And the world is a lonely place full of lonely people. You can’t change that, but you can change your orientation to it. In my case, psychedelics made that a little easier.

And what of the self and the ego? I believed these things to be illusions before I took ayahuasca, and now I’m certain that they are. But what does that actually mean in day-to-day life? Not as much as it should. The ego might be a fiction or a construct or whatever you want to call it, but the sensation of it is near impossible to shake.

Even after taking what is arguably the most powerful ego-dissolving medicine on the planet, I still live in a world that reinforces the story of me all the time. There’s no easy way around all that.

I don’t know what life will be like in six months or a year, but I think ayahuasca was the greatest thing that has happened to my marriage. It wasn’t about becoming a better person; it was about appreciating the role my wife — and other relationships — play in my life. I had to escape my head to see that.

Now that I’ve had some time to think about it, I’d say ayahuasca is the best and worst thing I’ve ever done. I spent a week staring down all my bullshit and all my insecurities and it was totally liberating. But it was also terrifying and not something I want — or need — to see again.

A question worth asking: If you looked into the world’s most honest mirror, what would you see?

Editor’s note: this story was originally published on February 19, 2018.

Editor: Eliza Barclay Photos: Kainaz Amaria Photo illustrations: Javier Zarracina Copy editor: Tim Ryan Williams

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Shaman Retreats

You’re searching for a one-of-a-kind experience to reconnect with yourself and embrace spiritual growth. Look no further than Shaman Retreats. Delve into the ancient practice of shamanism, where experienced shamans guide you on a transformative journey within magnificent natural surroundings. Leave behind the hustle and bustle of everyday life as you embark on a profound adventure of self-discovery and healing. Immerse yourself in ancient rituals, connect with the spiritual realm, and unlock the wisdom of the shamans. Get ready to embark on a life-changing retreat with Shaman Retreats.

Table of Contents

What are Shaman Retreats?

Shaman retreats are immersive experiences designed to provide individuals with an opportunity to connect with their inner selves, nature, and a spiritual realm. Rooted in ancient practices, these retreats combine rituals, ceremonies, and activities that aim to promote physical healing, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth. By creating a safe and supportive environment, shaman retreats offer participants a chance to explore their own consciousness, deepen their connection with the natural world, and embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery.

The purpose of shaman retreats is multifaceted. They offer a space for individuals to step away from the demands and distractions of everyday life and embark on a profound journey of self-exploration. Shaman retreats provide an opportunity to heal physical ailments, address emotional and mental blocks, and connect with a higher power or spiritual realm. These retreats also facilitate a deeper connection with the natural world, allowing participants to tap into the wisdom of plants, animals, and the Earth itself. Ultimately, the purpose of shaman retreats is to help individuals find balance, harmony, and a sense of purpose in their lives.

Types of Shaman Retreats

Traditional shaman retreats.

Traditional shaman retreats draw from indigenous practices and rituals that have been passed down through generations. These retreats often take place in remote locations, such as the Amazon rainforest or the mountains of Peru, where participants can connect with the ancestral wisdom of indigenous cultures. Traditional shaman retreats typically involve ceremonies that utilize medicinal plants, such as ayahuasca or peyote, to induce altered states of consciousness and facilitate spiritual exploration. These retreats adhere to time-honored rituals and practices guided by experienced shamans, who serve as the bridge between the physical and spiritual realms.

Modern Shaman Retreats

In contrast to traditional shaman retreats, modern shaman retreats take a more contemporary approach to spiritual growth. These retreats may combine elements of traditional shamanism with other practices such as meditation, breathwork, and energy healing. Modern shaman retreats often emphasize personal growth, self-reflection, and psychological healing. They may be held in various locations, including retreat centers, wellness resorts, or even online platforms, making them more accessible to a wider audience. Modern shaman retreats are usually facilitated by trained practitioners who integrate a blend of ancient wisdom and modern therapeutic techniques to guide participants on their journey of self-discovery.

Benefits of Shaman Retreats

Physical healing.

Shaman retreats have been known to offer profound physical healing benefits. Through the use of medicinal plants, energy healing, and mindful movement practices, these retreats aim to harmonize the body and promote overall well-being. Participants often report relief from chronic pain, increased energy levels, improved digestion, and strengthened immune systems. Shamanic ceremonies and rituals, combined with the power of nature, can support deep physical healing processes that may not be possible through conventional means alone.

Emotional and Mental Well-being

In addition to physical healing, shaman retreats cater to emotional and mental well-being. The safe and supportive environment provided by these retreats offers individuals the opportunity to address and heal emotional wounds, trauma, and blockages. Shamanic rituals and practices can help participants release negative emotions, break free from limiting beliefs, and gain a sense of inner peace and serenity. The integration of breathwork, meditation, and psychological techniques in modern shaman retreats further enhances emotional and mental well-being, allowing participants to cultivate mindfulness, reduce anxiety and stress, and foster a greater sense of emotional balance.

Spiritual Growth

One of the core purposes of shaman retreats is to foster spiritual growth. These retreats provide a sacred space for individuals to connect with their spirituality, explore their beliefs, and deepen their connection to a higher power or universal consciousness. Through shamanic practices, participants may experience spiritual insights, receive guidance from spiritual allies or ancestors, and gain a greater understanding of their life purpose. Shaman retreats often cultivate a sense of interconnectedness and oneness with the universe, allowing individuals to tap into their own divinity and spiritual potential.

Connection with Nature

Shaman retreats offer a unique opportunity to reconnect with nature and experience its transformative power. By immersing themselves in natural environments, participants can attune themselves to the rhythms of the Earth, the wisdom of plants, and the energy of the elements. Nature walks, excursions, and ceremonies held in breathtaking landscapes provide a deep sense of connection and inspiration, reminding individuals of their inherent relationship with the natural world. This reconnection with nature can bring about profound healing, stress reduction, and a renewed sense of awe and wonder.

Self-Discovery and Self-Reflection

Shaman retreats provide a container for deep self-discovery and self-reflection. Participants are encouraged to explore their own inner landscapes, uncover hidden aspects of themselves, and gain clarity on their values, desires, and life path. The combination of introspective practices, group dialogue, and individual healing sessions creates a safe space for individuals to explore their past, present, and future selves. Through this process, participants may gain insight into patterns and behaviors that no longer serve them, paving the way for personal growth, transformation, and the cultivation of authentic self-expression.

Choosing the Right Shaman Retreat

When choosing a shaman retreat, consider the location and its significance. Traditional shaman retreats in specific regions may offer a deeper connection to the indigenous traditions and the wisdom of the land. If you prefer a natural setting, look for retreats in serene environments with abundant natural beauty. Urban retreats may offer a different experience, focusing more on the integration of shamanic practices into a modern lifestyle. Reflect on what speaks to you and aligns with your intentions for the retreat.

Consider the duration of the retreat that suits your needs. Shaman retreats can range from a few days to several weeks. A shorter retreat may provide a condensed immersive experience, while a longer retreat allows for a more gradual and in-depth exploration. Take into account your work and personal commitments, as well as your level of comfort with extended periods away from your daily routines.

Shaman retreat costs can vary greatly. Evaluate your budget and consider what is included in the retreat package. Some retreats may offer accommodation, meals, and transportation, while others may require you to make separate arrangements. Keep in mind that the cost of a retreat is an investment in your well-being and personal growth.

Safety and Accreditation

When selecting a shaman retreat, prioritize safety and accreditation. Research the retreat organizers, facilitators, and shamans leading the retreat. Look for testimonials, reviews, and references from previous participants. Ensure that the retreat center or organization adheres to ethical guidelines and has a strong reputation within the shamanic community. Trust your intuition and choose a retreat that feels authentic and aligned with your values.

Preparing for a Shaman Retreat

Research and education.

Before embarking on a shaman retreat, take the time to research and educate yourself about shamanism and the specific practices offered in the retreat. Familiarize yourself with different shamanic traditions, the use of medicinal plants, and the potential effects of certain ceremonies or rituals. Understanding the cultural context and spiritual significance of these practices will enhance your experience and ensure respectful participation.

Physical and Mental Preparation

Preparing yourself physically and mentally for a shaman retreat is essential. Engage in activities that support physical health and well-being, such as regular exercise, proper nutrition, and adequate sleep. Consider incorporating mindfulness and meditation practices into your daily routine to cultivate mental clarity and emotional balance. It is also beneficial to set intentions and reflect on your goals and expectations for the retreat, allowing yourself to be open to the transformative journey ahead.

Packing Essentials

When packing for a shaman retreat, consider the requirements of the specific retreat and the location. Essential items typically include comfortable clothing suitable for ceremonies and activities, as well as layers to adapt to different weather conditions. It is advisable to bring a journal for reflection and note-taking, as well as any personal items that provide a sense of comfort or grounding. Additionally, pack any medications or personal care products you may need during the retreat.

What to Expect at a Shaman Retreat

Ceremonies and rituals.

Shaman retreats often include various ceremonies and rituals that form the cornerstone of the transformative experience. These may include shamanic drumming, chanting, smudging, or the use of sacred plant medicine. Ceremonies are typically held in a sacred space and guided by experienced shamans or facilitators who create a safe and supportive environment for participants to explore their inner realms and access higher states of consciousness.

Meditation and Breathwork

Meditation and breathwork are common practices in shaman retreats, enabling participants to deepen their connection with their own breath, the present moment, and the spiritual realm. Guided meditations may be used to facilitate inner exploration, emotional healing, and spiritual connection. Breathwork techniques, such as Holotropic Breathwork or Shamanic Breathwork, can induce altered states of consciousness, release energetic blockages, and promote profound healing on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels.

Nature Walks and Excursions

Shaman retreats often incorporate nature walks and excursions as a means to connect with the natural world and its healing energies. These activities may take place in serene forests, near ancient sacred sites, or in breathtaking landscapes. Participants are encouraged to observe, listen, and attune themselves to the wisdom of nature, allowing the Earth to guide and support their healing and spiritual growth.

Community and Group Activities

Shaman retreats foster a sense of community and offer group activities to encourage connection, support, and shared experiences. Participants have the opportunity to engage in group discussions, share insights, and support one another on their journeys. Group activities may include sacred circles, fire ceremonies, or creative expression workshops. These activities cultivate a supportive and nurturing environment, amplifying the transformative power of the retreat experience.

Individual Healing Sessions

Some shaman retreats may offer individual healing sessions with the retreat facilitators or shamans. These sessions provide personalized attention and guidance, allowing participants to address specific concerns, receive energetic healing, or deepen their understanding of their personal journey. Individual healing sessions may include energy work, sound healing, or one-on-one counseling, providing a unique opportunity for focused healing and introspection.

Integration and Follow-up after a Shaman Retreat

Processing and reflecting.

After completing a shaman retreat, it is important to allocate time for processing and reflecting on the experiences and insights gained during the retreat. Journaling, meditation, and engaging in self-reflection practices can help integrate the lessons learned and allow for deeper understanding and transformation. Consider discussing your experiences with trusted friends or seeking the support of a therapist or coach who can assist in unpacking your journey and integrating the newfound wisdom into your daily life.

Incorporating New Practices into Daily Life

A key aspect of integrating the teachings and practices from a shaman retreat is to incorporate them into your daily life. This may involve creating sacred rituals, engaging in regular meditation or breathwork, or spending time in nature on a consistent basis. Cultivating mindfulness, awareness, and gratitude can help maintain the connection to the transformative experiences and continue the growth and healing process beyond the retreat.

Seeking Continued Support and Guidance

Following a shaman retreat, it can be helpful to seek continued support and guidance from practitioners, mentors, or like-minded communities. This may involve participating in ongoing workshops, attending shamanic circles or ceremonies, or seeking guidance from experienced shamans or spiritual teachers. Continued support ensures that you have the resources and community necessary to sustain and deepen your spiritual growth and personal development.

Potential Risks and Precautions

Physical health risks.

Shaman retreats that involve the use of sacred plant medicine carry potential physical health risks. Some individuals may have underlying medical conditions that contraindicate the use of certain plants or ceremonies. It is vital to disclose any health concerns or medications you are taking to the retreat facilitators or shamans prior to participation. Additionally, it is advisable to research the retreat center’s medical facilities, emergency protocols, and personnel qualifications to ensure that your well-being is prioritized during the retreat.

Mental and Emotional Challenges

Shaman retreats can bring forth intense emotional and mental challenges. Participants may experience emotional releases, face unresolved traumas, or encounter aspects of themselves that they find difficult to confront. It is essential to approach these challenges with proper support and guidance. Select retreats that have trained facilitators, therapists, or shamans who can hold space and assist with the emotional and psychological aspects of the journey. Engaging in self-care practices and having a support network in place before, during, and after the retreat is crucial for navigating these challenges.

Misuse and Exploitation

In the realm of shamanism, there is a risk of encountering individuals who may misuse or exploit the sacred practices and vulnerable participants. It is important to thoroughly research and vet the retreat organizers, facilitators, and shamans to ensure their integrity, training, and ethical standards. Seek recommendations from trusted sources, read testimonials, and inquire about their backgrounds and experiences. Trust your intuition and avoid any retreat that raises red flags or feels disingenuous.

Finding Reputable Retreats and Shamans

To ensure a safe and transformative retreat experience, it is important to find reputable retreats and shamans. Seek recommendations from individuals who have had positive experiences or consult trustworthy online platforms that provide reviews and ratings. Look for retreats and shamans who are authentic, transparent, and have a strong reputation within the shamanic community. Consider their training, experience, and adherence to ethical guidelines. Remember that your well-being and spiritual journey are paramount, so choose wisely.

Testimonials and Experiences

Personal stories.

Many individuals who have participated in shaman retreats have shared deeply personal stories of transformation and healing. These stories often highlight the profound impact that the retreat experience had on their lives, enabling them to overcome personal challenges, heal from trauma, and find purpose and meaning. Personal stories serve as powerful reminders of the potential for growth and self-discovery that shaman retreats offer to those who embark on this transformative journey.

Transformation and Growth

The transformative nature of shaman retreats is a common theme in the testimonials and experiences shared by participants. These retreats provide a catalyst for personal growth, facilitating profound shifts in perception, belief systems, and behaviors. Participants often report increased self-confidence, clarity of purpose, and a deepened connection to themselves, others, and the world around them. The transformative effects extend beyond the retreat itself, influencing various aspects of their lives and inspiring positive change.

Connection with Spirituality

Shaman retreats often foster a profound connection with spirituality that transcends religious or cultural boundaries. Participants frequently report experiences of connection to a higher power, spiritual entities, or the divine intelligence of the universe. This connection allows for a deep understanding of oneself as an integral part of a greater whole, fostering a sense of unity, love, and compassion. The experiences shared by participants highlight the transformative power of shaman retreats in reconnecting individuals with their spiritual essence.

Shaman retreats offer individuals a unique opportunity to embark on a transformative journey of self-discovery, physical healing, emotional well-being, and spiritual growth. With their roots in ancient practices, these retreats provide a safe and supportive space for individuals to explore their inner realms, connect with the natural world, and tap into spiritual wisdom. Whether choosing a traditional or modern shaman retreat, it is important to consider location, duration, cost, and safety when making a selection. Preparing oneself physically and mentally, as well as integrating the retreat experience into daily life, enhances the transformative potential. While shaman retreats come with potential risks and require precautions, they can be a profound and life-changing experience when approached with proper guidance and support. The testimonials and experiences shared by participants underscore the potential for personal transformation, growth, and connection to spirituality that shaman retreats offer. With respect, research, and a discerning eye, shaman retreats can be a powerful tool for self-exploration and spiritual evolution.

Call to Action

If you are seeking a transformative experience that connects you with your inner self, improves your well-being, and deepens your connection to spirituality, consider embarking on a shaman retreat. Take the time to research reputable retreats and shamans, evaluate their credentials, and read testimonials from past participants. Reflect on your intentions and what you hope to gain from the experience. With proper preparation, an open mind, and a willingness to embark on a journey of self-discovery and growth, a shaman retreat can be the catalyst for profound transformation in your life.

Peru Shamans

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The Rise of Psychedelic Retreats

Even with cause for concern, retreats in countries like Costa Rica and Jamaica, as well as in the United States, have been popping up for more than a decade.

By Debra Kamin

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One night in 2019, while strangers vomited around her, Lynn Cohen had a vision.

After being tipped off by a friend, Ms. Cohen, 62, traveled from her home in Milwaukee to Chicago to drink ayahuasca — a sludgy, psychoactive brew from the Amazon that ignites hallucinations while also inducing nausea. She arrived, carrying her own pillow and blanket, at a private house, where she was greeted by a shaman. In the living room, she curled up on a sleeping mat, and over the course of that one very intense night, went on a journey that mostly involved lying still.

“I was shown why I’m not happy, and it became clear I was carrying around the pain of my ancestors,” said Ms. Cohen, a deep-tissue manual therapist who has struggled with depression for 20 years. After that night, she said she found clarity, and has since sought out two other psychedelic retreats, traveling to Costa Rica and California for guided, extended experiences with hallucinogens.

Psychedelic retreats — in countries like Costa Rica and Jamaica, where many psychedelic substances are allowed, as well as among a shadow network of shamans in the United States who share drugs and details over social networks — are experiencing widespread growth. Their rise overlaps with an increasing popularity of cannabis tourism during the pandemic.

Psychedelic drugs are quietly gaining steam, thanks to growing interest among some mental health professionals who see them as a novel therapeutic for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder . That interest is now being wrapped into the global wellness industry, which — spurred by the coronavirus pandemic and the increased mental fragility that has come with it — is set to reach $1.2 trillion by 2027, according to a report by Global Industry Analysts.

There is extraordinary cause for caution: Psychedelics can cause psychosis or long-term mental health issues, particularly in patients with a predisposition to mental illness. This can create a tricky scenario for health care providers to navigate because many people turn to psychedelics after struggling with at least some form of depression or anxiety. And in retreat centers, when guests are not properly monitored, the potential for long-term transformation could have deadly consequences.

“There’s a paradigm shift with psychedelics, which makes them exciting. But we need to go slowly,” said Dr. Collin Reiff, an assistant professor of psychiatry at New York University who has co-authored numerous publications on psychedelic compounds. “The danger is becoming a true believer, and not being mindful of the dangers with them.”

Last year, a 29-year-old British woman went to Peru for an ayahuasca retreat and developed mental health issues upon returning home. She died by suicide shortly after. In 2015, a Canadian tourist said he stabbed to death a fellow practitioner at a psychedelic retreat in the Amazon who had attacked him under the influence of ayahuasca. Three years later, a shaman and another tourist were killed in a double murder at a different retreat nearby. Robberies have also been reported in psychedelic retreat settings, as have sexual assaults. Psychedelic experiences produce immense physical and emotional vulnerability, and some women have said they were molested by shamans while under the influence .

Even with such cause for concern, retreats have been popping up for more than a decade. Today they exist along palm-tree-fringed beaches in Jamaica, where psilocybin mushrooms are openly sold, as well as in the Netherlands, where psychedelic mushrooms are illegal but a legal loophole has kept psychedelic truffles above board. In Mexico, where exceptions are made for sacramental use of psychedelics, travelers can find retreats offering psilocybin as well as ibogaine, a powerful psychoactive that may help combat drug addiction; and in U.S. cities including Santa Cruz, Calif., and Denver, where psilocybin has been decriminalized, plant-medicine ceremonies are regular fixtures. Prices vary, but most run between $5,000 and $10,000 for seven days.

“The entire cultural conversation around psychedelics has changed,” said Roland Griffiths, a professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and founding director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research . “And that’s a concern to me, because I think we’re underestimating the risks involved,” he said. “The retreat center question is, buyer beware.”

Proponents of psychedelic retreats describe them as places of life-changing transformations, where the drugs are incorporated into day- or weeklong programs that involve preparation, the psychedelic experience itself, and then an integration process that can be applied for weeks and months after. Some retreat attendees recall moments of terror, pain and searing clarity. But for many, there is a common refrain: the drugs, for whatever reason, can kick-start real change in behavior or mental outlook after months or years of stagnation.

Channa Bromley, a relationship expert from Nova Scotia, traveled to OM Jungle Medicine in Costa Rica to participate in an ayahuasca ceremony in December 2020 in hopes of reconciling childhood traumas. At first, she was underwhelmed.

“I didn’t experience much. But what I did get out of it was a feeling of community. I’d always felt like a black sheep in Canada. It’s not a normal conversation to want to explore the depth of your consciousness,” she said.

That sense of community was so stirring that Ms. Bromley is now living in Costa Rica as a digital nomad and attending multiple psychedelic ceremonies a month, where she takes a variety of substances, including psilocybin and kambo, a toxin secreted by tropical frogs.

“There is a lot of blurriness right now between the recreational party scene and the ceremonial plant-medicine scene,” she said. “The mind-set has to be about going into it for healing.”

In the United States, retreat organizers connect with participants via Signal, Telegram and WhatsApp, said Craig Gross, an entrepreneur and former Christian evangelist who has run a number of psychedelic retreats in Northern California. Organizers then rent an Airbnb in a city where drug use is decriminalized. “Someone tells a friend and someone else brings their loved one, and it’s a domino effect,” he said. “You don’t need to advertise.”

Throughout the worst months of the pandemic, Mr. Gross and his family lived at Rainbow Ridge, a psychedelic retreat center near Santa Cruz, offering 30 psilocybin retreats for a handful of people at time. He never charged participants. He has since sold his home, worth $1.3 million, and cashed out his retirement fund.

“The money will come back in different ways,” Mr. Gross said. “We gave this away to over 300 people and the life change that came out of it, it was an evangelistic thing that didn’t need a church or a Bible or a religion.”

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“All this stuff that was underground is starting to become above ground,” Mr. Gross said.

Many attendees of psychedelic retreats say that reading Michael Pollan’s 2018 book, “How to Change Your Mind,” which explores the science of psychedelics in treating mental illness, was a turning point. Scott Ropp, 49, a health care executive, is one of them. He attended a psychedelic retreat with his wife, Lena, after reading that book, an event the couple say changed their life, so much so they are now building a resort in Costa Rica.

They hope to open their sustainable rainforest resort, Wilder, in 2023, on the Pacific Coast. Ms. Ropp, a raw foods chef, will run courses on plant-based eating; the retreat will also include a permaculture farm, surfing, mindfulness training and shaman-led psychedelic experiences.

“It’s not just providing fun experiences for people, it’s providing healing experiences,” Ms. Ropp said. “It’s very hard to help your head with just fresh-squeezed juice.”

During the pandemic, some retreat owners said the demand for their services was so high that they continued to offer programs because they felt the benefit outweighed the risk.

Amanda Schendel, 39, opened The Buena Vida Psilocybin Retreats, a collective of roving five- and seven-day psychedelic retreats run from within luxury resorts in Mexico, in January 2019. The retreats include breath work, hypnosis and gourmet food; attendees are screened for cardiovascular and mental health fitness before attending. They shut down in March 2020, but by June were back up.

“The amount of lives that I feel this has saved, and changed in a drastic, meaningful way, made me feel able to take that risk,” Ms. Schendel said. “The people who came in 2020 all felt like, ‘Yes, I know there’s a pandemic and I’m risking my life, but what I have been suffering from is so severe that I’m willing to take that chance.’”

Ms. Schendel works with local tribal medicine healers, who help source the psychedelics as well as dose them for her participants. She requires participants to fill out a medical intake form that screens for mental and physical fitness, then flags any applications that might present a risk and passes them to an on-staff medical doctor. About 10 percent of applicants for her retreats are ultimately not admitted. The entire psychedelics industry needs to be vigilant, she said.

There haven’t been any health emergencies or psychological crises at her resort, she said. “The minute one thing goes wrong or a mistake is made, it could crumble the whole house of cards a lot of us have spent many years building,” she said.

At OM Jungle Medicine in Costa Rica, the managing partner Angel Twedt — a former nurse who believes psychedelics cured her multiple sclerosis — handles logistics and runs the physical space. For dosing the psychedelics at her resort, she, too relies on local shamans, and says she trusts their tribal knowledge.

“There’s something very special about sitting with the tribe that has done this work for many generations,” she said. “Their knowledge comes from a place that is magical, pure and authentic. It makes you feel really safe.”

Dr. Griffiths, of Johns Hopkins, said that while he welcomes the erasure of decades-old stigma around psychedelics, he also urges travelers to ensure that any psychedelic experience is done under the care of a vetted medical team, with proper screening and oversight.

The American Psychiatric Association, said Dr. Reiff, is at work on a policy statement that notes the research on psychedelics is promising but does not yet recommend anyone take them outside of a clinical trial. “By all means, I support psychedelics,” he said. “I think they’re fascinating. But these are medicines, not recreational drugs.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places list for 2021 .

An earlier version of this article misstated the given name of a professor from Johns Hopkins University. He is Roland Griffiths, not Ronald.

How we handle corrections

Advances in Psychedelic Therapy

Psychedelics — though mostly still illegal — have surged in popularity in recent years as alternative treatments for mental health..

After decades of demonization and criminalization, psychedelic drugs are on the cusp of entering mainstream psychiatry , with U.S. combat veterans leading the lobbying effort .

Psychoactive mushrooms, legal in Oregon  but still illegal under federal law, are gaining popularity as therapy tools .

As psychedelics move from the underground to mainstream medicine, clinicians aspiring to work in the field are inducing altered states with deep breathing .

MDMA-assisted therapy , which seems to be effective in reducing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, is inching closer to approval in the United States .

Ketamine has become increasingly popular as a therapy for treatment-resistant depression . But the misuse of the anesthetic drug has spurred F.D.A. warnings .

Many drugs known for mind-altering trips are being studied to treat depression, substance use and other disorders. This is what researchers have learned so far .

While psychedelics are showing real promise for therapeutic use, they can be dangerous for some. Here’s what to know about who should be cautious .

Mongolian Shamanism

Introduction.

Mongolian Shamanism is an ancient ethnic religion, tradition and moreover, a way of life. It is a way to connect with nature and all of creation. As all ancient spiritual practices are rooted in nature, shamanism is the method by which we can strengthen that natural connection. It is also centered on the worship of the Tenger (Heaven, God of Heaven, God) Shamanism is the universal spiritual wisdom inherent to all tribes and it is memory of tribes and nations, preserving the traditions through-out the centuries. Mongolian shamanism is an all-encompassing system of belief that includes medicine, religion, a reverence of nature, and ancestor worship. It is a practice that involves a practitioner reaching altered states of consciousness in order to perceive and interact with spiritual world. A shaman is someone who is regarded as having access to the world of spirits and enters into a trance state during a ritual and connects with spirits of their ancestors. Shamans perform a variety of functions depending upon their respective cultures; healing, leading a sacrifice, preserving the tradition by storytelling and songs, fortune-telling, and acting as a psychopomp (literal meaning, “guide of souls”). A single Shaman may fulfill several of these functions. In this way the Shaman helps to maintain balance and harmony on both a personal and planetary level.

Trip Details

• Practicalities

Practicalities:

Our Shaman is member of “Tenger Bekhi Urguu” clan. Tenger Bekhi Urguu clan was founded back in 2013, with shaman members whom worships the Tengerism. Now this clan has over 30 shaman members. There are several kinds of Shaman’s ritual of worshiping mother nature and Heaven Gods. On this excursion our Shaman will perform one of rituals on his/her choice depending on the day, as it is an extensive but magical event. You may ask also to tell your for-tune if you wish.

This tour is supported by a jeep or minibus de-pending on the number of travelers. Short drive outside of Ulaanbaatar to the sacred Shaman spot

Mongolian An English speaking guide will accompany you at all times. Other language guides such as Russian, French, German, Italian, Korea etc. available at additional cost, upon request.

The lunch will be provided as a picnic.

Additional:

We can organize 2n/3d tour with more Shaman rituals such as worshiping 99 heavens, the fire ritual, the sun and the moon ritual on request.

Guide, picnic lunch, transport and entrance fees.

Beverages. Transfers and accommodation in Ulaanbaatar. Air or train tickets in and out Mongolia.

Dates 2023 ex Ulaanbaatar :

Price 2024 ex ulaanbaatar:.

2 – 8 members:     USD 490 p er person

What our guests say

We appreciate your feedback about our tours and services.

Living the mongolian way

Great place to stay and experience mongolian way of living, no tv, wifi, phone. Just nature and great company of the staff and livestocks of mongolia. The toilet is a hole in the ground covered by a shed. It is clean, but can be smelly to those used to city life. Not hot water supply, inform the staff that you like to hot water half an hour earlier so that they can boil it over camel dung 🙂

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For 25 years Nomadic Journeys has been a leading tour operator in Mongolia, focusing on low impact sustainable tourism. We work with numerous community groups and conservation initiatives around Mongolia. Our philosophy is to offer a low impact travel experience, visiting different places on horse back, yak cart, and camel cart over long difficult journeys on a vehicle. Read more

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Best Shamanic Ayahuasca Healing Peru

Best shamanic ayahuasca healing in peru.

Best shamanic ayahuasca healing by a group of shamans, healers and spiritual guides, we offer personalized one on one Ayahuasca retreats, San Pedro and energy ceremonies with the main purpose of healing and also Shamanic journeys in Cusco Peru, for spiritual transformation honoring the ancient healing techniques from our ancestors, we are the wisdom keepers from the Andes and the Jungle of Peru, We honor the Shamanic healing tecniques working with the locals Shipibo – Konibo shamans from the Jungle communities of Peru and the Qero Andean Tribes, the last Inca Ayllu (tribe) in Peru. Our programs are 100% social responsible, contributing developing the Andean and Jungle families.

AYAHUASCA RETREATS

CHOOSE FROM THE MOST TRANSFORMATIVE AYAHUASCA RETREATS

We offer small and private personalized Ayahuasca retreats in Cusco Peru, with affordable prices caring for the wealth and health of our guests, you will be guided by Local experience Shamans coming from the Shipibo tribe of Peru. who will work one by one healing for a deeper journey where you will experience the positive effects of this sacred plant clearing energy blockages, emotional liberation, healing different health problems, sadness, depression, the awakening of spirituality and the opening of paths to give you a different perspective of life. All our retreat are supervised by a medical staff to minimize the risks during and after retreat.

The ceremonies are set in our retreat center located on the way of the Sacred Valley.

SAN PEDRO & SOUND HEALING

1 Day ceremony, This is a sacred plant that can be a very powerfull medicine and calm, it is not a visionary plant it connects you with the energy of the Sun that is why you have to do it…

5 Days Ayahuasca Machupicchu

5 Days Retreat, where you will inmerse yourself in the Ayahuasca medicine sacred plant guided by Authentic Ayahuasca local shamans who will guide through this spiritual journey for body, mind and spiritual healing, and complete the healing with the Visit…

4 DAYS AYAHUASCA

4 Days Ayahuasca Retreat, offers a deep healing with Ayahuasca plant medicine and it complement the healing with the San Pedro medicine plant, a perfect combination for a those who are looking to have a deep Spiritual Journey, the first…

3 DAYS AYAHUASCA

A 3 Days Ayahuasca retreat, well recommend by the Shamans because it includes 2 Ayahuasca sessions in a row that gives you a better way to work mentally, spiritually and physically, it includes Inca massages, meditations, and preparation for this…

2 DAYS AYAHUASCA

Embark on a transformative journey of healing and spiritual growth with our immersive 2-Day Ayahuasca Retreat. Through the synergistic power of Ayahuasca and San Pedro medicine, we offer a profound opportunity for deep healing and self-discovery.

1 DAY AYAHUASCA

One day retreat it is a perfect choice for those who would like to immerse in the spiritual world of Peru and experience the meeting with this sacred plant, The one day Ayahuasca ceremony allows you to have a very…

WHY WE ARE WELL RECOMMENDED

RETREAT HEALING CENTER

Tour257683 This is my second ceremony with Peru Shaman and both times, the experiences have been profound. I went solo this time and I my guide/translator ensured that I understood in English what the Shaman was saying. Read More

TravelBugGal1 I have been traveling to Peru every year for the past 11 years doing volunteer work and I have been seeking an opportunity to learn directly from the Q'ero. Serendipity led me to Peru Shamans and I have found a… Read More

Alethea R I was in a really bad spot in life where I had, had some really bad experiences with past shamans. I had a hard time trusting shamans due to those experiences. These shamans changed my mind. I was not able… Read More

INCA HEALING

The Energy ceremonies are ceremonies of connection and reconnection of your own energy and the whole living energy or Kausay Pacha, the Shamans and you will go through the Pachamama ( Mother Earth ) path and align your spirit with the Cosmos so then you can awake your Power or Star so you can walk without fears and avoid negativities in your daily life, also you will empower your energy working with the Power of the APUS or Sacred Mountains.

All the Andean Qero Shamans work with the Power of the mountains Apus and Ñustas, they said is where their power resides none can practices the Shamanism practices without having the permission of the Pachamama (Mother earth) and that’s is how the Andean Qero Shamans can help and heal others the follow programs are ceremonies with healing purposes where the Andean Shamans will release negativities or heavy energy from your body and also from your 5 energetic centers, they can also help ones problems in their daily life like bud luck, union, marriage, job, studies etc.

LEAF ORACLE READING

The Coca Leaves divination session is a spiritual practice since Inca times, when people needed to make important decisions related to their family, planting season, predict the weather or even the wars, etc. They asked to the “MAMA KUKA” or…

ANDEAN WEDDING CEREMONY

This wedding is a unique experience where the couple will join not just physically but spiritually they will married as the Incas did or as we do here in the Andes, The Shamans will presents your spirits to the APUS…

7 ÑUSTA HEALING

The Kuychi or Rainbow where also know by the Incas, they said that the Kuychi where very special energy and very powerful, the Kuychi or rainbow usually appears when the raining is coming in a sunny day.

CHUMPY HEALING CEREMONY

This ceremony is one of the ancients healing techniques practiced by the Qero Shamans and they are the only ones carried this knowledge. This is the most complete ceremony for healing, cleansing and empower.

WATER HEALING CEREMONY

The YAKU means water, this was a sacred element was and is very important not just for Inca culture but for many others, the water has being used in order to clean in a magic way our physic bodies and…

MOUNTAIN HEALING

The mountains for the Andean Shamans are sacred spirits and protectors we called them Apus, they are sacred beings with full energy light energy connected to the whole world and they provide power to the new Shamans in the Andes,…

TOURS & SPIRITUAL

Peru Shamans has created unforgetable programs where we will explore the Andes as never before, we will visit magical places, participate in powerful healings and energy work,

Lets start your spiritual path with the hands of the Authentic Andean Shamans and spiritual guides from Peru,

These journeys combine the essence of the Andean local people and the heart of the Andean Culture,  explore the beautiful insights like Machupicchu the cristal temple and at the same time inmerse yourself in the Shamanic way of healing of the Andes carried by the Earth Keepers the Qero Pampamesayoqs Shamans.

Come with your open heart the Spirits of the Andes awaits for you!

SAN PEDRO & MACHUPICCHU DEEP HEALING

Embark on a profound 2-day deep healing journey with the transformative medicine of San Pedro, where the ancient mysteries of Machu Picchu and the majestic Andes Mountains converge to illuminate your spiritual path.

CACAO CEREMONY

1 Day Tour, If you want to immerse in the heart of the Andean people and the heart of Mountains we recommend this day tour trip where you will explore the Andes and live the vivid culture in a nice…

SPIRITUAL AWAKENNING JOURNEY

5 days Tour, In this Journey we will explore the Andes and we will be connected with her and find ourselves connected with the cosmos, we will let our spirit flying along with the Apus or mountains God that will…

Peru Shamans   has prepared individual and group workshops where you will learn the thruth meaning of Pachamama (mother earth), the Andean cosmovision a knowledge kept by the Andean Shamans know as Qeros.

We will learn about the Andean healing Techniques and protection rites. The most important ceremonies such us the Karpay Ayni (initiation ceremony) one of the 9 level in the Andean energetical field and the importance of the coca leaves with the Kintu Ceremony.

THE SHAMANS

WE ARE IN TIME

OF A GREAT CHANGE

Not only the world changes but the entire cosmos, we are entering the era of counciousness of love and peace for which we encourage unconditional love for ourselves to reconnect with your essence, the love of our Mother Earth Pachamama that gives life. We revalue the laws that were left by our ancestors MUNAY (Love), YACHAY (wisdom) and LLANKAY (giving), so we can live in balance, harmony and avoid chaos in our body, mind and spirit.

AGUSTIN – PAMPA MESAYOQ SHAMAN

Peru shamans proud partners of:.

Shamanic Programs to empower your life

Join us at one of our unforgettable events and retreats and learn to harmoniously connect ancient traditions and way of life to the modern world. Gain a lasting new perspective on the world and self.

Your Shamanic Journey

Our various programs strive to harmoniously connect ancient traditions with life in the modern world. What we offer through each of our programs is a lasting new perspective on the world and self.

From community events to weekend workshops, and once-in-a-lifetime retreats, we bring ways to connect and foster personal growth at a pace that is right for you. With engaging lectures and participation in traditional ceremonies, you will be able to immerse yourself in true shamanic wisdom.

Learn to live in the present and embrace all of life with long lasting healing and strength. Embrace the circle of life and experience the power of community.

Explore the beauty of simplicity by immersing yourself in the art, history, and culture that has remained true for thousands of years.

Brant Secunda

Shaman • Healer • Ceremonial Leader

For over 35 years, world-renowned shaman, healer, and traditional ceremonial leader  Brant Secunda  has been leading programs around the globe. His teachings have helped thousands of people to connect with their inherent power and to walk a path of harmony, unifying soul and body.

Join one of our programs to inherit the ancient wisdom teachings shared with Brant and to explore the practices of pilgrimage, ceremony, and healing.

“Each of us is a miniature universe, a mirror of the natural world outside of ourselves, and also a mirror of the spiritual world. All the knowledge and the secrets of those two worlds are inside of us, and everything is in perfect arrangement”

~ Brant Secunda

Connect With Nature

Shamanic teachings guide us on a path to sustainable harmony with not only all humans, but with each and every plant, animal, and spiritual entity that is a part of our world.

Uplift Your Soul

Our programs guide you through the process of uplifting your soul with daily practices and ceremonial experiences. Allow your soul to merge with the universe.

Unify Your Life

Harmony is inherent to nature and thus intrinsic to shamanism. Part of our life’s journey is to unify the 3 aspects of  Body, Heart & Spirit . This unity allows us to function naturally.

Heal the World

Transform your actions in order to bring healing to yourself, your community and all that lives on Earth. In this way, each step you take on the path of life becomes a healing process.

DISCOVER YOUR TRUE NATURE

What is Shamanism?

Shamanism is an ancient healing tradition and moreover, a way of life. It is a way to connect with nature and all of creation. The word  shaman  originates from the Tungus tribe in Siberia. Anthropologists coined this term and have used it to refer to the spiritual and ceremonial leaders among indigenous cultures worldwide. The word  shamanism  can be used to describe the ancient spiritual practices of these indigenous cultures. Clearly the countless similarities between various ancient traditions played a role in the continual generalization of the word.

Over the past few decades the term “ shamanism ” has been popularized throughout the western world, especially in new-age circles. Today, it can be difficult to distinguish between traditional forms of shamanism and modernized, often esoteric practices that utilize the term.

One could view shamanism as the universal spiritual wisdom inherent to all indigenous tribes. As all ancient spiritual practices are rooted in nature, shamanism is the method by which we as human beings can strengthen that natural connection.

Who is Brant Secunda?

Brant Secunda  is a shaman, healer and traditional ceremonial leader who completed a 12-year apprenticeship with Don José Matsuwa, the renowned Huichol shaman who passed away in 1990 at the age of 110.

For over 30 years, Brant has been leading conferences, workshops and retreats around the globe. He is a co-founder of the American Herbalist Guild, the Peace University, and the  Huichol Foundation.  He is also the co-author of the award-winning book  Fit Soul Fit Body, 9 Keys to a Healthier, Happier You .

How did Brant Secunda become a shaman?

When he was 18 years old, Brant Secunda traveled from his native New York to the remote Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico to find the Huichol people. He was adopted by the revered Huichol shaman Don José Matsuwa and underwent a rigorous 12-year apprenticeship with him.  Brant was initiated into the Huichol Indian tribe through a five day vision quest, a period of isolation in the wilderness without food and water, in a sacred cave in the Huichol Sierras known to the Huichols as the Cave of Grandmother Growth.

Other rites of passage included capturing and releasing a wild rattle snake with his bare hands to face his fear of death, enduring a fourteen month fruit fast to enhance his sensitivity to the natural world, and surviving a nine day vision quest so that he may, according to Huichol cosmology, learn the language of the gods. The nine-day vision quest, considered lengthy by Huichol standards, along with several other five-day vision quests, helped to establish him as a respected initiate within the Huichol nation.

Who are the Huichol people?

The Huichol Indians are a small tribe of approximately 35,000 living in central western Mexico near Ixtlan in the Sierra Madre Mountains. They are said to be the last tribe in North America to have maintained their pre-Columbian traditions. Their shamans and healers practice today as they have for generations. In part, their survival is due to the focus of their traditions, as well as their remote mountainous territory.  The Huichol way of life continues today much as it has for thousands of years. Still without electricity or running water, the Huichol people rely on their relationship with nature to sustain their communities.

Huichol is a term given by the Spanish. In their own language, they refer to themselves as  VIRARICA , which translates as “The Healing People.” The Huichol were once considered a Nation of Shamans. Today, there are still many shamans who continue to perform ceremonies and heal the people.

What is shamanic healing and how does it work?

Ancient shamanic healing techniques have been passed down for thousands of years. Today, shamans continue to heal through shamanic methods and practices that work with an individuals spiritual and physical energy; realigning a patient’s energy.

What does Dance of the Deer Foundation do?

The Dance of the Deer Foundation is dedicated to the continued survival of the ancient indigenous way of the Huichol. Brant Secunda and Don José Matsuwa founded our organization with this vision and today, we continue to support the Huichol people and their culture.

Don José emphasized to Brant that the cultural survival of the Huichol people depended upon external awareness of the Huichol way of life. In 1979, Brant Secunda established the Dance of the Deer Foundation Center for Shamanic Studies to disseminate and preserve Huichol culture, practices, and traditions, and to provide direct assistance with the goal of promoting self-sufficiency and economic independence.

As executive director of the Dance of the Deer Foundation, Brant Secunda instituted and maintains the functions of the foundation and conducts seminars, pilgrimages, and retreats on Huichol shamanism worldwide.

What is the Huichol Foundation?

The Huichol Foundation was started in order to expand the long-standing project for the Huichol Indians and to garner greater international support for their culture.

What is the book Fit Soul, Fit Body about?

Together with 6-time Hawaii Ironman World Champion Mark Allen, Brant founded Fit Soul Fit Body to help bring together the worlds of fitness and spirituality.

What is Shaman Chocolates?

Brant founded SHAMAN Organic Chocolates to help create direct support for the Huichol people. 100% of their profits go back to help Huichol villages.

How can I get involved?

Seminars, pilgrimages, and retreats on Huichol shamanism are offered worldwide through the Dance of the Deer Foundation. The website offers a wealth of information including the Shamanism Journal , with new articles uploaded monthly. You may also sign up for the monthly e-newsletter.

Types of Programs

Seminars are a wonderful 1-day experience to connect with shamanism. You will gain a grounded understanding of what shamanism is and learn ancient tools to include in your daily life. These shorter events are also a wonderful way for those already on the shamanic path to reconnect with Brant Secunda and his teachings of Huichol culture.

During each seminar, Brant will present useful tools to embrace the spirit of nature and your inherent power as a human being. These teachings of Huichol Shamanism can provide you with a deeper understanding of the interwoven power of nature and can lead to a more fulfilling life. Seminars provide an opportunity to explore shamanism and Huichol culture in an easy-to-follow format integrated into a single day. Though seminars are shorter than many of our programs, they are a great way to take part in the shamanic circle.

Seminars Offer:

• 1-day to explore Huichol Shamanism, as taught by a world renowned teacher
• Specific teachings and tools to integrate into daily life
• Teachings of shamanic health and healing
• Spiritual exercises to rejuvenate the mind and awaken the soul
• Sacred Dance of the Deer ceremony to honor all of creation

Our workshops range from 2–3 days and provide valuable shamanic tools to deepen your relationship with yourself, others and the environment. Each day is rich with informative lectures, providing detailed teachings about shamanic practice and direction on how to integrate shamanism into a modern lifestyle.

Workshops are another wonderful way to begin your shamanic journey and equally beneficial for those seeking to take another step forward on the shamanic path. Learn practical ways to deal with stress and negativity. Better understand your connection to nature and how you can strengthen that connection. Through this experience, you will expand your awareness of the spiritual essence of life and further awaken yourself to sacred indigenous knowledge.

Our Workshops Offer:

• An opportunity to learn spiritual tools to create inner balance and harmony
• Time to dedicate to personal spiritual growth
• An overview of various shamanic concepts and specific in-depth teachings
• Exhibitions of beautiful and authentic Huichol visionary artwork
• Insight into the Huichol culture through storytelling, dance, and slideshows

Immerse yourself in the teachings and daily spiritual practices of shamanism. Our retreats range from 2 nights to 2 weeks and are the best way to gain a deeper connection to nature through daily shamanic practice. Each day is interwoven with spiritual practice, sacred ceremony, traditional pilgrimage, and lectures on the ancient teachings of healing and Huichol cosmology.

Join us for a retreat to learn how to create a life of natural health and harmony. Ancient indigenous wisdom guides the retreat experience, manifesting a unique mix of village lifestyle and powerful pilgrimages and ceremonies. The retreat experience provides a template for shamanic practice in your daily life. By the end of a retreat, you will gain an understanding of how to integrate shamanism into all that is you. Each retreat location is carefully chosen for its unique natural environment and  kakuyari —  places of power.

Our Retreats Offer:

• In-depth experience of shamanism and a routine for daily shamanic life
• A way to deepen your understanding of shamanic wisdom
• Opportunities to visit spectacular places in nature and to connect with these places in a spiritual way
• Ceremonies, including the Dance of the Deer ceremony, to empower yourself, your community and Mother Earth
• An escape from the hectic and often disconnected modern world

Each year we offer journeys through some of the most spectacular places around the globe. We have journeyed through amazing places — Guatemala, Japan and New Zealand — with each location offering an opportunity to explore the amazing beauty of Mother Earth like never before. Join Brant Secunda to explore nature and revered sacred places in a way unlike any other.

In Japan, we traveled through Kyoto, Nara, Tokyo, Mount Fuji and Wakayama. At each place we visited sacred sites revered for thousands of years and wandered to countless remote lakes, mountains, waterfalls and hot springs. In New Zealand, we journeyed throughout the North Island, to Auckland, the Coromandel Peninsula, Lake Rotorua, Lake Taupo, Mount Taranaki and the Waitomo Caves region. There we soaked in hot spring rivers and hot water beaches. We went on pilgrimage to the sacred lakes and mountains and performed ceremonies to honor and connect with the spirit of the Pacific Ocean and this wonderful land.

Each location is hand selected by Brant Secunda for each Journey. These are rare events so space is extremely limited. Keep an eye out for our next journey and join us for an experience that you will keep with you for the rest of your life.

Our Journeys Offer:

• Unforgettable experiences in some of the most beautiful places on Earth
• Opportunities to journey with a small community in a very spiritual way
• A unique vacation experience for the mind and body like no other
• Pilgrimages to numerous places of power to empower your life
• Conversations with Brant and other participants, ranging from deep spiritual teachings to simple personal connections and openness

For those looking to intensify their study of shamanism, we offer advanced study groups in the United States and Europe. Our East Coast, West Coast, and European study groups each meet 2–4 times each year in various locations. We have met in places such as Alaska, Sedona, Cape Cod, Florida, Hawaii, Mt. Shasta, Allgäu, Crete, Zion National Park and more.

The Advanced Study Groups are for those wanting to commit to the shamanic path and embrace the ancient Huichol culture as their own. Many members have been a part of this community for over 30 years, while others are constantly joining. It is recommended to first participate in a number of workshops and seminars before exploring options within our Advanced Study community.

For more information on the Advanced Study program, contact us at (888) 455-3337

Advanced Study Programs Offer:

• A global community of people following the path of Huichol Shamanism
• Ways to deepen your study of the shamanic practices of health and healing
• Direct contact with Brant Secunda to help guide your daily life
• Intensive journeys through amazing Places of Power
• A path that can provide profound change in body, heart, and spirit

Testimonials

“Why do I need to be in a workshop with a group of people to connect with nature and the earth around me? I don’t – but the group offers me the opening to learn, to be with a teacher who sends us out into nature with lessons on how to connect in a powerful way…

My journey continues and within it I share my experiences with a group of individuals who are on their own path, all of us connecting and learning who we are, who we have been, and who we will always be.”

“Brant has shown me the power of balance. He has brought hope to my life and trust in all of life to my heart. But the scope of his work goes well beyond just the person.

Brant gives us all a chance to pray for the earth and all who live on her. And there is perhaps no more important time to do just that than right now!”

“We came to Alaska from the hustle and bustle of our life in Argentina. As soon as we put our feet on this beautiful land our anxiety and everything else faded away. The ceremonies opened our heart and soul like a flower blooming with the unstoppable force of nature.

The eagles, the ocean, the glacier, the wisdom from Brant and his teachings and the great feeling of love between everyone…I cannot be more grateful for this amazing time and it will forever be engraved in my heart.”

“Crete is paradise on earth. The land is so alive, filled with wildflowers and herbs growing in mass profusion. Golden eagles soar overhead. The Dance of the Deer Center and ceremonial area overlook the turquoise waters of the Cove of the Sacred Healing Waters and the Mediterranean Sea.

Brant Secunda’s ceremonies here are especially powerful, with the energy of all the groups he has led here over the years. I fell in love with the extraordinary beauty and feminine power of this land. An outrageous journey!”

Spiritual Practices

Purge yourself of negativity and learn to absorb positive energy from the natural world around you.

View Nature in a Whole New Light

Be able to not just be in nature, but to connect with nature in a way that will allow you to be more aware and conscious of life.

Ancient Traditions

Walk paths and experience ceremonies that have remained unchanged for thousands of years.

Shamanic Wisdom

Gain the ancient wisdom teachings that have been passed on for thousands of years.

Art & Culture

Take in the beauty of authentic Huichol artwork, history, and dance. Listen to stories of indigenous cosmology, passed down through generations.

Get in Touch

Call: (831) 475-9560 E-mail: [email protected] Hours: Mon.–Fri., 9am–5pm PDT

Send us your questions. Call about our programs. Schedule a healing. We would love to hear from you.

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Epicenter Ayahuasca

Authentic Ayahuasca Retreat in Pucallpa Peru

The authentic ayahuasca retreat in the heart of the Amazon outside Pucallpa Peru. Run by Shipibo shamans we invite you to embark on your healing journey using our ancient practices with teacher plants.

Words can´t describe the time I´ve had here. I wanted to experience Ayahuasca with a traditional Shipibo family, and that is what you get here.

James Webb - UK

Shipibo Shamans

Maestra Olinda

Shipibo Shaman

Maestra Olinda (59) grew up in the remote Amazon. She was introduced to medicinal plants early, with her mother being the Curandera of their community.

From age 16, Olinda worked jointly with her mother, holding ayahuasca ceremonies, and learning ancient healing methods with plant medicine.

When her mom passed, Olinda decided to continue her ancestor's path and has ever since been the official Curandera of her community.

Facilitator

Gladys (29) was born in the Amazon. A woman dedicated to ancestral medicine and is a daughter of Olinda. She began her training in medicine at the age of 20.

Today she works alongside her mother in ayahuasca ceremonies and assists with medicinal plants with a primary focus on supporting our female guests.

Maestro Esteban

Maestro Esteban (62( grew up in a remote community in the Amazon.

He was initiated at 17 to conduct ayahuasca ceremonies jointly with his grandfather. His grandfather passed on centuries of the wisdom of plant medicine he had gathered from his ancestors.

At age 24, his grandfather died. Esteban has ever since been the official Curandero of his community.

Urban (32) was born in Sweden. After a few encounters with death at the age of 26, he was called to explore ways of medicine outside the western scope and eventually crossed paths with padre Esteban and mama Olinda.

Today he works as a coach and co-leads the retreat with the family, facilitating and connecting the western world to the ancient medicine of ayahuasca and the master plant dietas.

Maestro Robert

Maestro Robert (35) was born in the Shipibo village of Pahoyan. He started practicing the medicine of ayahuasca at the age of 12. To this day, working with traditional medicine and is one of the healers in the Shipibo village.

Young and strong, he has one of the most potent Icaros you will ever hear.

Jilmer (27) was born in Pahoyan and is the last son of Olinda, whom he works alongside, acquiring knowledge and ways of ancestral medicine.

Jilmer is responsible for assisting men during ayahuasca ceremonies and during their dieta with the master plants.

Ayahuasca Retreat in Pucallpa Peru

Epicenter Ayahusca was founded by Mama Olinda, Padre Esteban and Urban in 2022 and is run by their family. The retreat is just outside Pahoyan, A Shibibo village up the Amazonian river from Pucallpa, Peru. The family carries centuries of experience, with tradition and practice of using Ayahuasca and master plant dietas as healing methods going back to their great ancestors.  ​ If you are looking for a safe and authentic way to use the medicine of Ayahuasca and master plant dietas - You have come to the right place.

Maestro Esteban and Maestra Olinda started as healers in their respective communities early in life. However, they wanted to go beyond their community and use their practice for a larger audience.

For the last 15 years, they worked jointly at different retreats in Iquitos and Pucallpa, but something was lacking. They found that the "westernized" resorts didn't follow the Shipibo way but had difficulty getting their voices heard. During a 1 month dieta in 2020, they crossed paths with Urban, a Swedish man exploring alternative healing practices to bring to the west.

Maestro Esteban and Maestra Olinda shared their vision - an affordable ayahuasca retreat, in its epicenter, just outside their home village, to be run by their family, following the ancient traditions and healing arts of the Shipibos. Together they spent months in the jungle, doing dietas, ceremonies, and building. In 2022, the retreat opened.

A Retreat in the heart of the Amazon

After a 3-hour ride on the speedboat from Pucallpa to Pahoyan, another 15-minute trip by the amazon awaits. In the picture, you see Jilmer at the front of our little fishing boat going through a bird migration as we are heading to the retreat

Our Ayahuasca Retreat

You have been introduced to our ayahuasca retreat in the heart of the Amazon outside Pucallpa, Peru. We have introduced you to our family of Shipibos and given you a share of our story.

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How To Go On Your First Shamanic Journey Into The Spirit World

As days go by, the way of the shaman is becoming more and more axiomatic. if you feel that one day your path might include a shamanic journey, consider these steps..

The most important thing one needs to take into consideration before attempting any shamanic venture is this: preparation. Because of the potential benefits it could offer, a spiritual quest is not something you should take lightly. Take your time to carefully plan out your experience. Get into a mindset that makes you receptive to the knowledge that will be imparted to you. Set and setting matter.

Find a place you feel comfortable. Get acquainted to your surroundings. Understand your place in nature and understand nature’s place in you. If you become more connected with the world that generates the spirit world, your shamanic journey will have a greater chance of becoming a revelatory experience.

If you can, try and establish a peaceful place where you can start your journey. If you have pets, it would be best if you could isolate yourself for a few hours. As cute and lovable as they are, pets can become disturbing and ultimately prevent you from reaching the state you’re after.

Another important aspect when aiming for an authentic shamanic journey is food, or better said, its absence. Shaman practitioners agree that you should only consume a frugal meal before starting your trip. A full stomach won’t necessarily hinder your experience, but shamans always travel empty. They know best. Please note that different diets produce different results, so it is best to experiment and discover what works best for yourself.

Alcohol and tobacco are disruptive to most novices attempting shamanic practices. If you’re looking for a clearer, more rounded experience, you should avoid them for at least 24 hours prior to initiating the journey. And you should know that certain medications can prevent the trip from happening at all.

Physical activity or meditation are great catalysts for the shamanic trip and could certainly be used to start the experience. Any activity that shifts your attention towards your own body can help you settle down, calm your thoughts, focus your mental energy and ultimately open your heart.

The next important (although not required) step is the drumming. You will need a very monotonous rhythm, bland enough not to arouse your senses yet deep enough to engage your subconscious mind. Your conscious, rational mind needs to become bored while the profoundly-rooted, largely untameable subconsciousness roams free and explores the spiritual realm. The drumming lights the path to the spirit world.

The time of the day when you decide to start your journey can impact the outcome of your spiritual expedition. Most journeys are attempted early in the morning but some shamans prefer the evening. As always, experimenting with different options is recommended.

Many shamans favor light visualization as a great way to enter the state. You can visualize yourself and a ball of light that you nurture and grow until it inundates your surroundings and you end up breathing light in and out.

For your first shamanic journey, you will need to find a comfortable position that you can maintain for at least fifteen minutes. Although uncommon, you could do it lying down but most practitioners choose a seated position that is slightly reclined. Ritualistic dancing can also be used as a launchpad for your extracorporeal pilgrimage.

It helps to be in a proper mindset when you start. Focus your thoughts on revealing your intention if you have one. Is your journey a quest to find something or is the journey its own purpose? Are you looking to discover something about yourself or do you simply need to relax? If you have questions that need meaningful answers, be sure to prepare those questions in advance. Answers can come even without asking questions first but usually, one generates the other.

For their first shamanic trip, many beginners choose to go searching for their power animal. Acting as a spiritual guide and mentor, a power animal is an influential ally and a source of inner strength. Don’t be picky or impatient; the spirit animal chooses you and not the other way around.

Arrival into the spirit world can happen fast or it can take a while. Be mindful that your shamanic quest is your own and the uniqueness of your trip is what gives it meaning. You are purposefully sending your consciousness into the spirit world and you might not always get to choose the road it takes.

The shamanic trip unfolds as it does, for reasons that might remain undisclosed to your curiosity. But no matter the outcome, the catalyst of your trip is said curiosity. Let your mind wander and inspect the forms that are revealed. The shamanic odyssey is a crossing between worlds when your mind is simultaneously aware of both the spiritual and the physical realm. Experienced shamans can go on journeys that last for days on end. Your first trip will most likely take around ten to twenty minutes but that’s more than enough for a premier attempt.

The end of the journey draws near when the drumming intensifies. This signals the sightseer that it’s time to return to the physical world. Toward the end of your trip, take a moment to prepare your return and remember to show gratitude to the spirits that acted as your guides. Shift your focus toward the road back. It is good to retrace your steps and exit the way you came in but again, that’s not a requirement.

Returning from a shamanic journey is similar to waking up from a dream; you might feel a bit disoriented. This is completely normal so you should take your time to readjust to the reality you briefly left. Gently open your eyes while wiggling your fingers or toes. Some even choose to say their own name out loud a couple of times.

Just as with dreams, the memory of the event is fresh in your mind so it would be a good idea if you wrote down what you recall seeing. Try and include all facets of the experience in a journal: smells, colors, sounds, overwhelming feelings or realizations. Drawing maps or painting your experience are also good ways to cement what you have absorbed.

Your first shamanic journey has the potential to open up a whole new world to your senses and consciousness. It may offer immediate answers and realizations or it might take a while. That is why it’s important to keep paying attention to the signs you encounter, especially if synchronicity is involved. Learn the right lessons and they will stay with you for the rest of your life.

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Epicure & Culture

Food, wine & culture for the ethical traveler

Encounters With An Amazonian Shaman

Stretching across nine countries and over three million square miles of land, the Amazon is not only the world’s largest rain forest, it is also one of the most biologically diverse regions on the planet. It’s home to over 300,000 plant breeds, 2,500 species of butterflies and 400 mammals. Even with these numbers, it’s estimated that only 40% of the total species in the Amazon have been discovered. Even with all of the diverse wildlife, what really drew me to the Amazon was its human population.

Table of Contents

History Of Indigenous Populations In The Amazon

People have been calling the Amazon rainforest home for thousands of years, gathering and cultivating forest plants, hunting native animals and living beneath the dense tree cover. While life in the rain forest was radically different from anywhere else on the globe, it proved to be a prosperous place for many South Americans and, before Christopher Columbus discovered the continent in 1498, countless native tribes called the forest their home, leaving the area densely populated.

However, things began to change once Europeans began arriving. In addition to recruiting locals as soldiers and slaves in their conquests, the Spanish and Portuguese also brought diseases such as small pox which, while usually not a life-or-death concern for those of European descent, proved to be fatal for large numbers of South Americans who had not grown up developing immunities to such maladies.

Role Of The Shaman

The high rates of fatality among smallpox victims did not reflect the levels of medical knowledge across the Amazon jungle, however. Even now, over 25% of modern pharmaceuticals are plant based, and the majority of these plants are native to the Amazon. In more than just a few cases, modern scientists have recruited the help of indigenous populations and their resident shaman to lead them to discover these plants.

While shamans and shamanism have played vital roles in communities for thousands of years all over the world, the term has still yet to receive a set definition. In essence, shamanism deals with reaching the spirit world by altering your state of consciousness, either through dreams or with the use of stimulating plants. Shamans are the tribesmen and women who are capable of reaching this state. With this, shamans are most often placed into their role after experiencing a spiritual event and are henceforth responsible for performing spiritual rituals in order to perform healings and divination.

In the Amazon, shamans perform rituals to induce physical and psychological healing for locals and medical tourists alike. The unique nature of their healing techniques has become increasingly popular worldwide and people from across the globe will fly and trek through the rainforest for various types of medicinal treatments.

Finding Spirits In The Jungle

While visiting a shaman — or even just the Amazon rainforest in general — can be unique, exotic and even enlightening, one thing that it is definitely not is easily accessible. After over 48 hours spent on international and domestic flights, in shuttle buses, jeeps and river boats and trekking up steep hills through thick jungles while enduring swarms of flies and red ants, I had finally reached the home of three men living along the Tambopata River in Peru’s Amazonian Madre de Dios region.

While the long journey seemed to have taken me back in time to an undeveloped land, the men I encountered appeared ordinary enough. With a working grasp of English and attire of casual t-shirts and jean pants, they could have been regular tour guides for our group of explorers; however, I knew these men had more to them than met the eye. After briefly explaining their workings and history under a thin, thatched roof, one of the Shamans turned to me and grinned mysteriously before slinking off down a narrow, winding trail through the jungle. At that moment, a breeze picked up over the unbearably humid day and a shiver ran across my neck. With a jump, I followed step and took off deeper into the jungle.

Taste-Testing The Amazon

After an immeasurable time spent walking through the dense Amazonian jungle, listening to distant cries of howler monkeys and gaping at not-so-distant giant insects, I was taken off guard when the Shamans stopped suddenly in front of a seemingly ordinary grouping of plants. However, the men soon moved aside to reveal signs with the words Chuchuhuasi and Uña de Gato printed on them. Once the group had assembled in a circle of curiosity, one of the shamans began explaining that Chuchuhuasi was used to cure illness caused by the body being overly energetic. This turned out to include everything from diarrhea to menstrual cramps by calming the over-activity. Even more curiously, he moved on to claim that he had seen Uña de Gato, or “cat’s claw”, as translated from Spanish, cure cases of AIDS and tumors before flashing that same proud but mysterious smile and bounding off once more into the jungle.

This time, I was prepared for the sudden stop in front of a plant labeled Sacha Bufeo . What I was not prepared for, however, was to have a piece of said plant suddenly thrust in my hand with the instruction to chew it. Feeling like I had already tumbled down the rabbit hole coming into the jungle, I decided I might as well give it a try. After a few bites, I felt a striking sensation in the roof of my mouth, followed by a contrasting numbness. Snickering at my sudden shocked expression, one of the shamans then revealed Sacha Bufeo was a natural anesthetic before vaulting off into the jungle once more.

The Ayahuasqueros

The shamans arrived at the final stop on our tour at a conversely slow saunter, casually mentioning that the plant that stood before us could not only perform “simple” healings like curing cancer, it could also transport its user across time and space, helping them relocate lost objects and memories and lift longstanding psychological shackles. The “vine of souls” plant, Ayahuasca , they explained, can only be consumed in liquid form after a period of fasting and bodily cleansing and a visit to several sacred sites to ensure the prospective user is fully prepared for the spiritual journey. Once the drink is finally consumed, the user experiences a series of visions, taking them to a high level of spiritual enlightenment.

The process of preparing the Ayahuasca drink and guiding others through the ritual is highly specialized, and shamans who are capable of performing it are known as Ayahuasqueros. It’s often this drink in particular that bring people halfway across the world, a voyage our ayahuasqueros assured me was well worth the trip as they recounted a tale of a depressed and cancer-stricken traveler, who, after partaking in the ritualistic Ayahuasca drinking, experienced visions that lifted her out her negativity. Upon returning to Europe and consulting her doctor, the woman was told she had a clean, cancer-free bill of health.

Despite tales such as this one, Ayahuasca has no proven medical benefits, and research is currently being done into the possible negative effects the hallucinogenic properties of the plant may have. As research is still in primary stages, the use of the plant remains controversial and only accessible in the remote jungles of the Amazon.

Making The Trek

If the Amazon is calling your name, there are several ways you can go about getting a tour set up with a Shaman. First, as most international flights into Peru arrive in Lima, you’ll need to book an additional flight from Lima to Puerto Maldonado. Taca Airlines provides reliable and friendly service to Padre Aldamiz International Airport and from there, if you book a 4-day Holistic / Ayahuasca Posada Amazonas trip from Amazon Adventures, they will have a guide pick you up from the airport and provide transportation directly to the Amazon.

Website: http://www.amazonadventures.com/ Email: [email protected]

About The Author

Currently working in a museum, Judi Zienchuk has lived everywhere from Southeast Asia to Northwestern Canada. She loves travel, longboarding and coffee flavoured ice cream. To get more personal, check out her blog, Travvel Sized .

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Judi Zienchuk has lived everywhere from Southeast Asia to Northwestern Canada. When she's not galavanting the globe, you can usually either find her on a bike or consuming large amounts of caffeine (maybe even both at the same time). To get more personal, check out her blog, Travvel Sized .

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Is Your Soul Ready?

Take this short quiz to assess your mental and spiritual readiness for a psychedelic retreat.

10 Best Ayahuasca Retreat Mexico, Updated 2023

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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:

• Safety First: Unfortunately, many small retreat centers are not in a position to make meaningful investments into screening and safety. Even if you're fine, someone else on retreat might not be, which can affect the overall experience. Our recommendation is to choose a retreat provider that does in-depth conversational, medical, and psychological screening to protect your safety and well-being .
• Legality: Experienced practitioners who have dedicated their lives to plant medicine typically live in locations where the work is legal, so they don't have to live in a state of uncertainty about their work Our recommendation is to travel to legal locations where you can benefit from legitimate healers who operate above the radar, so you can truly relax on retreat.
• Size of the group: It's common for retreats to have 20, 50, even 100 people in ceremony, which can be chaotic to say the least. In such large groups you are less likely to receive a sufficient level of attention from the facilitators. Our recommendation is to choose a retreat with an intimate group, in the range of 8-15 people.
• Length of the retreat: Shorter retreats feel rushed, do not support the cultivation of meaningful relationships, and can limit what can be achieved in time available. We recommend you spend at least a week for an ayahuasca retreat to give your mind, body, heart, and soul the attention it deserves.
• ‍‍Comfort: We recommend you choose a retreat where you are confident that you will be physically comfortable and have your own private bedroom to decompress and integrate, especially if this is your first time. Go for the full jungle mosquito immersion another time, your future self will thank you later.
• Alignment: Select a retreat that feels aligned with your values and allows your own subjective experience to unfold naturally. There are many different worldviews out there and having a different worldview pushed on you through the retreat may not be in your highest healing interests. This is also particularly relevant for first-timers.
• Holistic approach: Work with an organization that takes a holistic approach to working with plant medicine, and has options to support and guide your mental and emotional evolution alongside a retreat. If a provider implies that "medicine will solve all your problems", proceed with caution.
• ‍ Service: Select a retreat that you believe can meet your individual needs. Are you being treated as a human, or as participant #22 in their fourth retreat this month? Consider whether or not they've taken the time to get to know you and understand you, or it's more of a take it or leave it retreat center.
• Booking process: Take the time to speak with the provider before finalizing your booking. If the provider does not have a screening process in place during the booking process anyone could be sitting next to you in ceremony. Some people are not in the right place to work with this powerful plant medicine, and it is the responsibility of the organizers to ensure that only people who can handle ayahuasca are accepted onto the retreat.
• Expertise : Find an organization that emphasizes healing, and you believe has the breadth and depth of expertise to guide your transformation. Look for facilitators and healers who have a lightness of being and a sparkle in their eyes. Healing work is all about the transmutation of energy, so you are looking for people who have the energy you aspire to. If they aren't able to keep their energy right, that tells you quite a bit about either where they are at and their capabilities.
• Reputation: At a minimum, Google the provider, you may be surprised by what you find. If there's not much information, that is also information. A reputable retreat center will have a professional online presence with testimonials from previous retreat attendees. This is essential for you to see that they are a legitimate organization who you can trust to contain this powerful experience.
• Volunteers: Please support ethical plant medicine work by selecting an organization that pay their team. Unfortunately, it is common practice for retreat centers to cycle through young, eager, and worn out volunteers and/or not pay healers fairly. If the people supporting your retreat aren't living their best lives , they're not going to be able to lead you to yours. Don't be shy to ask this question directly when you speak to prospective centers.

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Looking for a little more guidance for one of the most important decisions of your life? Watch this video.

Are you seeking a journey with ayahuasca you’re not alone..

Seekers from around the world looking for spiritual healing and inner peace have chosen grandmother Ayahuasca to guide them into the realms of their subconscious minds. 

Ayahuasca is a naturally occurring psychoactive plant containing the compound DMT which is activated by combining the ayahuasca vine and Chacruna plant leaves. It can produce a powerfully introspective experience and is being studied for its powerful healing abilities for conditions such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and addiction. 

Traditionally, Ayahuasca has been used for thousands of years by the indigenous cultures of the Amazon Basin. During a traditional ayahuasca ceremony, an ayahuasca shaman administers the medicine and helps to guide the journeyer.

But you don’t need to travel all the way to Peru or Ecuador for this experience as there are many Costa Rica retreat and Mexico retreats that facilitate ayahuasca ceremonies.

What we love about Mexico is the ability to combine comfortable, modern accommodations with traditional, powerful healing work. 

Check out our list of Mexico retreats to find your perfect location to experience ayahuasca. 

For more information on how to chose your ayahuasca retreat check out our COMPLETE GUIDE.

Now, on to the retreat options!

10 Best Ayahuasca retreat Mexico and nearby

Ayahuasca retreats have been gaining traction in the past decade, with thousands of plant seekers traveling to the South American rainforest searching for these sacred hallucinogenic brews. 

Ayahuasca is increasing in popularity, and while some of the ayahuasca retreats follow strict schedules, others provide a more relaxed experience (with an emphasis on solo or couples-only services). 

With so many ayahuasca retreat Mexico for you to discover, we're sure that this list will prove a valuable resource for those seeking a professional-quality ayahuasca medicine ceremony.

1. Behold Retreats, Mexico Retreats

Behold Retreats hosts their ayahuasca retreats in and around the vibrant town of Tulum, which offers both a range of wellness activities and connection to the ancient Mexican cultures and Mayan heritage.  Locations are chosen based on your personal preference, so you can rest assured that the space will be perfectly suited for your energy and intentions - whether that is a hidden jungle oasis or luxurious beach front villa. 

Every retreat comes with natural, fresh, plant-based meals created by expert chefs, daily house-keeping, and a private facilitator working with local shamans and medicine people with many years of experience. You can expect to enjoy healing modalities such as daily yoga classes, massage, meditation, and spare time to rest, reflect, and relax. 

If you would like to engage in some adventure, they offer snorkelling tours with turtles and manatees and kayaking tours through mangroves with crocodiles.  You’re guaranteed to connect with the diverse and rich nature and wildlife of the Yucatan, as well as historical sites that are unknown to many tourists. 

During your journey you can opt for a traditional Mayan Temazcal (sweat lodge) ceremony to detoxify your body and clear your mind at the start of the healing process. Behold Mexican retreats also offer the choice of not only traditional Ayahuasca,but also plant medicine such as Psilocybin, San Pedro or Bufo Alvarius (5-Meo-DMT). You can end your spiritual awakening journey with a traditional heart-opening cacao ceremony, which helps the body heal, detoxify, and boosts the immune system. 

2. Behold Retreats Costa Rica Retreat

Behold Retreats facilitates small groups (6-8 people) for healing ayahuasca journeys in its luxury Costa Rica retreat center .

If you’re hoping to experience a modern, high quality retreat with breathtaking views of the jungle, spacious rooms, modern comforts, and great food, look no further.

Behold prides itself on highly-experienced healers and facilitators and ensuring best-in-class medical screening to ensure your safety and that you will get the most out of your experience.  You will have access to a beautiful wellness center and healing modalities including yoga and meditation.

Behold Retreats also offer high quality preparation and integration around the retreat, to help you get clear on your future self, identify mental and emotional blind spots, for deeper breakthroughs and more sustained benefits. If you're interested in a retreat and/or coaching you can apply for a free consultation .

3. One Breath of Yoga 

If you are interested in combining your healing journey with a yoga retreat, One Breath of Yoga may be the ideal place for you. Offering a permanent Ashtanga Mysore Yoga Program, you can leave One Breathe feeling strong, stretched, and relaxed before or after you experience their deep healing work with plant medicine. In addition, they are also a Yoga Alliance certified teacher training school for ashtanga vinyasa yoga sessions.

During your medicine retreat, enjoy their Temazcal (sweat lodge) and other healing therapies (including of course daily yoga classes) to help go deeper into your process - all while enjoying raw/vegan food. In a beautiful, intimate setting you will either be sleeping in a private cabana or room inside the main house, with full access to a shared living room, kitchen space, and communal bathroom. 

One Breath offers sacred plant ceremonies with ayahuasca, bufo and kambo facilitated by experienced shamans and master plant teachers. Their lead medicinal practitioner Pamela is certified in biomagnetism and breath work therapies who began her journey with the sacred medicines in 2006 with the church of Santo Daime. She then continued to study with different indigenous cultures including the Shipibo tradition. 

4. APL Journeys - Ayahuasca Retreat Mexico

APL journeys host ayahuasca retreats internationally, including a location in the stunning Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Your 3 traditional ayahuasca ceremony will be guided by a Shipibo shaman from Peru or Ecuador, and there will be additional support from facilitators certified by the Red Cross. 

During your 6-day ayahuasca retreat you will enjoy a gorgeous suite with an outdoor pool nestled in the jungle and will be able to rise off under the stars in their luxurious outdoor shower. On your days off they offer temazcal herbal saunas, kambo ceremonies, medicinal flower baths, yoga classes, breathwork, and shamanic rituals with liquid mapacho and sananga. 

APL journeys hosts seminars on Amazonian Curanderismo and ayahuasca shamanism so you can dive deeper into the culture and traditions of the indigenous peoples and medicine. What’s great about your purchase is that 15% of the profits will be donated to local communities in Peru - where ayahuasca is native to.

5. Aya De La Vid 

On the Caribbean coast, La Riviera Maya, Cancun you will find Aya De La Vid ayahuasca retreat center whose mission is “ to heal people, to heal the planet.” They offer 2 ayahuasca ceremonies, 2 temazcal sessions in their natural sweat lodge, and 3 optional kambo sessions as part of their retreat package. 

Feel comfortable during your retreat in air conditioned accommodation, enjoy their outdoor pool and hammocks, and relax about logistics as they offer an airport pickup service. In between ceremonies, they will take you for a swim in a beautiful natural cenote or to lava rocks with natural mineral water. 

During the sacred ceremony you can expect incredible Icaros, the sacred music of the medicine. To help integrate your experience they provide daily morning yoga sessions and fire integration circles. The retreat center was founded by Tony Westbrook and ceremonies are facilitated by Maestros Ramsees and Xochipilli Moloca. 

6. Andea Experience 

Hidden in the Yucatan Peninsula, your retreat will be found in a beautiful place nestled in the rainforest with high-end facilities. Enjoy stunning open hot showers, an outdoor jungle pool, places for yoga and meditation, a temazcal lodge, and a rainforest sauna. Accommodations include shared double suites, private single suites, or private double suites. 

Andea will provide you with 2 seminars about the fundamentals of Amazonian Shamanism led by their andean shaman and facilitators who will share their knowledge of ancient tradition cuanderism and answer any questions you may have. You can feel good about attending this retreat as 15% of their proceeds are donated to local people in Peru. 

Their sacred traditional ayahuasca ceremony is facilitated by experienced shamans from the amazon region. One of their shamas, Anael Rojas, a peruvian shaman-curandero, has 23 years of experience with the master plants, after devoting many years to studying the curative properties of the plants growing in the amazon basin. He is one of the most notable shamans of the Loreto district. 

During your stay, you will have the incredible opportunity to not only partake in sacred ayahuasca ceremonies, but also kambo sessions and ancient traditional herbal saunas. Enjoy morning yoga sessions, local vegetarian food, and the opportunity to enjoy the master plant dieta to deepen your healing.

7. Bluestone 

Blue Stone Ayahuasca retreat center’s intention is to  “change your perception, change your world,” by creating a space where you can do so privately and safely. Their location, Cas de la Tortuga, is in a beautiful setting surrounded by mother nature, in an oceanfront villa located north of Cancun. Your room will face the water and have an en-suite bathroom, air-conditioning, and a nearby pool and gym, 

Their ayahuasquera has trained with the Shipibo tradition in the Peruvian Amazon and they hold their ayahuasca brew with the highest integrity, collecting it personally from Shipibo medicine men in Peru and hand-carrying it back to Mexico. During ceremonies they also bring in guest therapists trained in a number of healing modalities to help you deepen your work. 

The founder of Bluestone is an American who has lived in Latin America for over 40 years working with ayahuasca (banisteriopsis caapi) for the last 12 years in both Peru and Mexico. Their co-founder, and medicine woman, is from Mexico and is a gifted healer with years of experience. Along with their Man of Fire, they head back to Peru periodically  to reconnect and learn more about traditional ayahuasca with the Shipibo tradition.

8. Inner Circle 

Located in Nuevo Vallarta, Inner Circle provides luxury accommodations in their stunning modern beachfront rooms. Join a small international group of up to 6 people for your retreat, or bring your own guests for a more private experience during your ayahuasca retreat Mexico.

Surrounded by lush nature you will be immersed in opportunities to connect with local wildlife -like watching baby turtles make their way to the sea, or witnessing the magnificent beauty of humpback whales swimming in the horizon.  On your rest days, you can cool down in their infinity pool, meditate as you watch the sunset from your terrace, or take a bike to explore the nearby town. 

While you enjoy the modern comforts of your retreat you will be met with traditional ayahuasca healing, guided by an indigenous shaman who will facilitate the 6 day ayahuasca retreat. 

9. Arkana International  

Sacred Machu Picchu in Peru. Akrana is a well-known international ayahuasca retreat center with their newest venue in the Yucatan Peninsula. In the heart of the jungle you will find a magical 16th Century Ecological Hacienda, just driving distance from Cancun, with luxury accommodations. 

Their Maestro Juan is one of the most notable healers in the Wirraika ancient tradition and is recognized by Unecso as one of the few medicine men authorised to transport fresh Hikuri (Peyote) wherever he goes. After appreciating for years under guidance of his family, he began to facilitate his own ceremonies at the age of 16. 

Arkana offers an intensive ayahuasca healing retreat with a Master Plant Dieta for 3 months with Amazonian healers, as well as private retreats, retreats in the Sacred Valley of Peru, and in the Amazon jungle of South America. If you’re looking to combine your ayahuasca healing experience with an adventure or cultural expedition, you might want to consider their retreat with a combined trip to the the Sacred Machu Picchu in Peru. 

10. The Holistic Sanctuary 

The Holistic Sanctuary is a unique experience tailored to each retreat participant to facilitate profound healing for those suffering from PTSD, depression, and addiction. Programs are 4-12 weeks long and involve 30 hours of 1-1 time every week, resembling a rehab center. 

Their trademark method, the Pouyan Method, combines sacred plant medicine work with ayahuasca and additional modalities to promote complete detoxification and  access to neural healing. Some examples of treatment might include oxygen infusions, IV drips, stem cell therapy, liver cleanses, herbal medicine, and more. 

With 5-star accommodation and services located in Baja California, this might be the most intensive and luxurious retreat center in Mexico. They promise deep healing and spiritual awakening for a pretty penny, operating outside of the traditional shamanic context. If you want to experience traditional ceremonies with medicinal plants from a traditional amazonian shaman, this might not be the place for you. 

This list of ayahuasca retreat Mexico is meant to be both informative and encouraging. A number of factors are considered when creating a list of this nature, including cost, location, duration, and support. We hope that those looking for a comfortable ayahuasca retreat in Mexico will find their new home among the top ten here.

If you found this valuable, please share this article with people who are interested in ayahuasca (banisteriopsis caapi), ancient tradition and Mexico retreats and nearby (like a Costa Rica retreat), in the hopes that they'll be able to find an experience that's right for them (after all, everyone starts out with a completely different experience). 

Still need some help choosing a retreat?

We would be honored to guide you in choosing the best retreat for your needs. 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.

Read further:

5-MeO-DMT in Tepoztlan, Mexico

Ayahuasca in Costa Rica

Psilocybin in the Netherlands

5-MeO-DMT in Portugal

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My Shaman Ritual at Iximche

by Bambi Wineland | Mar 18, 2016 | Adoptive Family Travel , Birth Country Travel , Guatemala , Heritage Journey , Travel | 2 comments

The Shaman ritual I experienced at Iximché (pronounced, EEE shim ché) was one of the most moving experiences of my life. When I arrived at this famed archaeological site, I didn’t quite know what to expect. I was anxious, but very excited! The parking lot was almost empty so I knew I had the place nearly to myself – I could enjoy this experience my way.

The sky was the bluest I had seen in Guatemala this trip – hardly a cloud in sight. There was a slight breeze and the air was crisp and clean on this beautiful fall day in the western highlands. I could smell the rain from the night before but today was pure magic. It was the kind of day that makes me want to take off my shoes, sit in the grass and read for hours. The ruins were not particularly grand (like Tikal) but they were considered extremely important. Iximche had been the last capitol of the Maya – consequently, the first Spanish colonial city, founded in July1524. That year is often recognized as the end of Maya history.

As my guide and I were exploring the ruins I could feel the energy of the complex – it was palpable. I had to touch the huge carved rocks that had once been walls. I touched the sacrificial altars and could sense the significance of the stones. While walking through the ball courts I tried to imagine the faces of the people in the crowds and the sounds of them cheering their team to victory. As I strode up the tall narrow stairs sideways I learned that their construction was a way to keep all that ascended from turning their back to the sun. I could feel my son’s ancestor’s presence.

Slowly, we made our way back to the area where the Shaman holds his ceremony. Amongst the trees, were four altars, all of which are still used today by the locals in this area and others, like me, that are seeking answers, healing or just to experience something profound. After brief introductions, the Shaman began telling us what he would be doing step by step and giving us some historical information about the area. He also explained what the different items on the altar represented.

The Shaman picked up each type of candle that was laid before me on his beautiful hand woven blanket and even those that he had laid symmetrically atop the altar. He explained what each color represented. Yellow candles symbolize peace, red symbolizes love, green is for the Earth (nature), white is purity (also spirits or visions), baby blue is for travel, pink is for heart, royal blue is the sky (purpose in life), purple is for the ancestors and black is for the offering (and can represent illness or sickness). The largest colored candles represented the four directions and ancestors. There were herbs on the altar – some of which attract certain spirits and some that repulse others. There were several cigars (which the ancestors seemed to enjoy) and the way they burned symbolized my life. There were glass jars that told the Shaman many things about my nature and how receptive I was to the universe and it’s teachings. The Shaman also used holy water and liquor on the fire as it burned – to purify and to entice the spirits to attend to my needs. The Shaman used a long, thick stick to stir the ashes as it burned and to mark north, south, east and west often. I took my time and smelled each item on the altar, touched every candle and internalized the energy of everything before me. As the ceremony began, the Shaman covered his head with a scarf to keep the spirits from entering him – so they would be present for me.

The Shaman began by lighting the altar on fire then invoking the spirits of Maximón (an important character in Guatemalan history who is revered by the Maya) and all the ancient powerful teachers and guides. He chanted and invoked the energy of all the important Maya temples – Tikal, Uaxactun, Yaxha, El Mirador, Naachtun, Quiriquá and more. He called upon the four directions (north, south, east and west), mother earth, the ancestors, as well as living Maya clans, places in nature, the elements and every conceivable spirit guide in the universe — regardless of faith, culture or location. It was powerful – VERY. The energy was exhilarating; I could smell the richness and intricacy of the fire as it burned – the wax, the herbs, the cigars, all-melting together to create a kaleidoscope of color and smell. I watched the smoke dance into the heavens and beckon the spirit’s presence as the fire intensified.

Next, the Shaman asked me to throw in a handful of white candles (white represented my spirit) into the fire. He said a prayer and asked me to toss them into the fire. When they landed, he read them (the way they burned, the direction in which they landed, the piles or shapes they made, etc.). He then told me what it all meant. Not what he saw but what the spirits saw in me. The things he said were shocking and it felt very surreal. He told me things that he would not know (that I was starting a company, that I had children, that there were important things in my life that were unfinished, etc.). The most significant thing he said to me was that I had a huge fate – an important one. I still don’t know exactly what that means – but I can’t wait to find out. Lastly, he said that I was filled with peace, calm and positivity – which I will embrace and cultivate.

The Shaman asked if I had any questions that I wanted to ask the ancestors. I knew immediately what I needed to know . . .

I asked if my son (who is Guatemalan) would find peace with his heritage, his birth mother and his adoptive family? The Shaman gave me nine pink candles and asked me to toss them into the fire. They landed in a clump all pointing in one direction, except for two that bounced up and turned toward me in the shape of a V. The shaman was so animated when he spoke. He explained that the V represented my name (B and V are the same in the Spanish language) but it also represented outstretched arms. He said my son needed me and was stronger when I was with him. He said my son is scared and sad when I travel – but he understands that I need to and more importantly, that my son was proud of me. The shaman told me that my son will find healing and peace as long as I am by his side – that he needed me in order to complete this process. He said (in Spanish), “you are Jac’s mother and you are an essential part of his life”. This was music to my ears! His words made me feel more secure about the potential for a birth mother search someday.

With each question I asked about business, family, friends, relationships, the Shaman repeated the steps. He would chant and invoke the spirits then he would pray for an answer and healing for me. He asked me to direct my question to the ancestors (either out loud or in my mind) and toss my candles into the fire. It was surprising how many times the candles fell in the shape of a V — which always excited him. He said, “the candles even speak your name.” EVERY time he explained the meaning of the candles and the direction in which they fell he said things that shocked me – things about myself, my family, my friends, relationships, business, etc. that he did not know – only I knew. He told me how I would walk through these things and handle them in my life. Every time he told me what the candles said, he would ask me if the answer was what I was looking for – if it held meaning for me. Every single time, he was dead on. It was unbelievable. I’m certain I cried at least 5 or 6 times. The answers he gave were so meaningful. The words he spoke sang to my heart. It was a truly mesmerizing experience.

When I finished asking questions, after we had thrown at least one stack of every color of candle available, the Shaman read the fire itself. One of the things that the shaman noticed was the way the fire burned. He said that when the cigars turn very black it represents negativity. My fire was bright and serene. None of the cigars were overly charred – they all had a tip of brown remaining on them, or they turned ashen rather than black. He pointed out that the glass jars burned in the shape of a vessel or cup. That meant I was ready to receive and would be filled up. The shaman said it is often difficult to tell clients what the spirits say because it can be negative and people don’t want to hear that. Fortunately, he told me that I had very positive influences at work in my life. I was honored and am grateful.

The ceremony lasted nearly two and a half hours but I never would have guessed it! I was mesmerized, totally engrossed the entire time. I was also touched beyond words — deeply, deeply moved. It is still difficult to explain the experience fully but it was something I will never forget. The energy of the time spent in the Shaman’s presence, the intensity of the fire, the brightly colored candles melting on the altar, the scent of the herbs as they wafted into the sky creating links to the ancestors – it was pure magic!

Although I did not know what to expect when I arrived, I left feeling enlightened and enriched. As we were leaving, with renewed energy and my spirit awakened, I glanced back at the Mayan altar, set amidst the powerful backdrop of Iximché, it’s ancestral energy ablaze, and considered the legendary Mayan intelligence that built this place and keeps it alive today. Although there is great sadness in seeing the ruins, the vitality of Iximché and it’s Mayan heritage runs deep. This Shaman ritual was the perfect segue to my next adventure.

What an experience, what a day!

Bambi Wineland is a wife, mother of two internationally adopted children, a traveler and the Executive Director of Motherland Travel. Motherland Travel designs Heritage Journeys for families with children adopted from Guatemala, Colombia and SE Asia. The emphasis of these Heritage Journeys is on family bonding, building self-esteem and cultivating pride in a family’s multi-cultural heritage.

Very beautiful description and so glad about your experience! I’m in Guatemala and interested in taking part to an authentic shamanic ritual, could you provide the information to join the ceremony you described? Thanks!

Hi Emanuela,

I’m so sorry I missed your comment. My notifications must be turned off – yikes! If you are interested in seeing a shaman while you are in Guatemala, I’m happy to help you but please contact me via email at [email protected] . Traditionally we do not do day trips, I book packages for families or individuals that want to explore the country. If you are simply looking to experience a shaman ceremony, it would likely be less expensive to book a day trip in Antigua or Panajachel through a local tour company.

Please email me if you’d like more information!

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Ketamine bros are giving psychedelics a bad rap. That's a problem for those who need them.

These drugs could transform how we treat depression and other mental health ailments. let's not let the behavior of a small set of irresponsible users take that away from them..

In my work as a shaman, I once had the opportunity to help a woman who, barely into her 50s, was facing a painful death from bone cancer. Emaciated, her body wracked with pain, she told me she could not lie down in bed for fear of never getting back up. I accompanied her as she took a dose of psilocybin , a psychedelic compound found in magic mushrooms .

Over the next five hours, she went on a profound journey, one that allowed her to accept the fact of her imminent death and locate meaning in her experience. Afterward, she found that all the physical pain she had been experiencing had left her. “Now I believe in magic,” her husband told me. She lived her final few days in peace.

Years later, at a Miami dinner party hosted by a friend, I sat next to a woman who, after a short trip to the bathroom, returned and began laughing for no reason. She couldn’t string two sentences together. When I asked if anything was wrong, she said, “I’m so high on K ( ketamine ) right now, I can’t even think straight.”

Such is the confused state of psychedelics today.

I’ve seen firsthand both the transformative effects of psychedelics in treating mental health disorders as well as their casual abuse by people who think of them as a party drug.

I’ve become unnerved by this ketamine bro culture, which threatens to halt the exciting progress in psychedelic research over the past few decades.

Psychedelics are finally being taken seriously in medicine and therapy

Psychedelics herald a paradigm shift in the treatment of mood disorders. I’ve witnessed this as a trained and practicing shaman, providing personal guidance to hundreds of people – from cancer patients to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder to people experiencing depression – as they come to terms with past instances of trauma or imminent death. 

Becoming a shaman was the culmination of a circuitous journey to discover who I was and where I belonged. Raised in a confusing mixture of Judaism and Catholicism, I explored by apprenticing with teachers in a wide variety of faiths and traditions. I eventually found a home in the Santo Daime tradition, under the tutelage of Baixinha in Brazil, which is known for its syncretic religion that utilizes ayahuasca . 

Through my training there, I saw the transformative effects of psychedelics when taken in a safe, controlled, therapeutic setting. (Ayahuasca is legal in Brazil .)

Countless studies over the past decade have highlighted the positive impact of substances like ketamine, psilocybin and other psychedelics.

Psilocybin, for instance, has demonstrated efficacy in treating conditions such as depression and anxiety. A 2016 study found that just a dose of psilocybin led to substantial, sustained reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms among cancer patients. Ketamine, traditionally used in medical settings as a short-term anesthetic, was suggested to have a “ robust and rapid effect on depression ” by a 2019 study.

These clinical and empirical data have been so encouraging that research is being conducted on psychedelics’ ability to alleviate symptoms of PTSD ,  anorexia and  alcoholism . 

It’s no secret the medical community has reached a tipping point: While we are tantalizingly close to a series of breakthroughs that together could revolutionize behavioral health treatment, we’re also a couple of bad trips away from stopping this research in its tracks.

The unique value psychedelics offer to behavioral health treatments is that they induce deeper states of consciousness, which allows for the accelerated healing of trauma. They also may promote neuroplasticity, the process by which the neural networks in the brain evolve and change. 

Is it dangerous to smoke weed? What you need to know about using marijuana.

Rise of ketamine bro culture in Silicon Valley

Of course, rewiring the brain is a delicate process. It requires humility, trust, a controlled environment and an experienced guide. That’s why psychedelics’ newfound popularity as a party drug among the Silicon Valley elite is cause for concern. 

The rise of ketamine bro culture not only trivializes the incredible therapeutic potential of psychedelics, it also could lead to a public backlash that jeopardizes the medical community’s freedom to further explore the lifesaving potential of these drugs.

Perhaps the poster child for this movement has been Elon Musk. His recreational use of LSD and mushrooms, among other illicit drugs,  has been reported on in The Wall Street Journal, and he has publicly endorsed the benefits of ketamine, both in microdoses for his depression and full doses for fun.

Because Musk epitomizes the tech alpha male, it sends a concerning message about what psychedelics are all about. Silicon Valley leaders trumpet ketamine, shrooms and LSD as nonaddictive drugs that can disrupt one’s own habitual thinking, leading to new heights of inspiration both in the boardroom and after hours. Almost certainly, they’re taking them without the guidance of a professional. 

What is ketamine? Elon Musk discusses using the drug in interview with Don Lemon

It’s certainly true that psychedelics can help achieve these altered mental states. But they can also lead to severe consequences if used in this haphazard way.

Just look around Silicon Valley and you can quickly see the consequences of psychedelic abuse. Zappos founder Tony Hsieh struggled with a ketamine addiction  in the years before his drug-related death in 2020. Cash App founder Bob Lee  died of stab wounds  in 2023; his autopsy revealed evidence of alcohol, cocaine and ketamine consumption.

"Saturday Night Live" alum Pete Davidson entered rehab last year after taking ketamine daily for four years, not long before "Friends" star Matthew Perry died of “ acute effects of ketamine .”

Psychedelics stigma starting to wane. Misuse shouldn't stop progress.

It’s difficult to find reliable population-wide data on psychedelic abuse. That’s because they haven’t been widely used until recently and aren’t generally regarded as having potential for addiction. 

One indicator, though, comes from a recent study finding that hallucinogen-associated visits to the emergency room in California  jumped 54% between 2016 and 2022, from just more than 2,200 visits to nearly 3,500 visits. Ketamine is of particular concern, given the rise in its use  in recent years. 

The history of MDMA in the United States serves as a warning. Lauded in the 1970s for its therapeutic benefits – psychiatrists believed it enhanced communication during patient sessions – MDMA, or ecstasy, as it has come to be known, was quickly absorbed into rave culture.

This led to the Drug Enforcement Administration declaring in 1985 an “emergency ban” on MDMA, placing it on its list of Schedule I drugs: substances with no currently accepted medical use. (After far too long, MDMA is under priority review by the FDA Food and Drug Administration  for use in treating PTSD. A decision is expected in August.)

So while we must be mindful of the hazards of psychedelic abuse, we also must be careful not to only regard them as a public health threat – lest we lose sight of their promising benefits.

To remedy this, recreational users must acknowledge their responsibility to society. Being visibly zonked out in social situations only adds to the narrative that psychedelics are simply a fun toy. And if you’re in a position of power, the responsibility is even greater. Trivializing the effects of these drugs could encourage people to take them outside of therapeutic settings.

As for the news media, it’s important that reporting is not overly focused on misuse. Journalists must take a balanced approach, remembering to highlight psychedelics’ therapeutic applications as much as their harmful ones. Failing to provide adequate context perpetuates misconceptions that we can’t afford.

The good news is that the stigma around psychedelics has begun to diminish with each new study. As their potential to revolutionize behavioral health therapy becomes increasingly evident, countless people grappling with debilitating physical, mental and spiritual pain are feeling hope.

Let’s not let the behavior of a small set of irresponsible users take that away from them.

Sylvia Benito  is a family office portfolio manager and practicing shaman, and serves on the board of Beckley Retreats, one of the world’s first legal psychedelic retreat companies. She works with clients in jurisdictions where psilocybin is legal.

More From Forbes

Mother’s day gift guide 2024: the most impressive getaways.

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Grand Hotel Victoria, Lake Como, Italy

With all that moms do for us, it can be hard to find a gift that adequately expresses our gratitude. Instead of generic gifts like flowers and chocolate, experiential gifts are a more thoughtful gesture. Whether mom is burnt out and in need of a break from the family or retired and ready to travel, the gift of a vacation is one that keeps giving years after memories are made on her trip. The below list offers something for whatever mom is seeking—from elephant encounters in Thailand to truffle-hunting in Tuscany to forest bathing in the California Redwoods.

For the beach-lover: Rosewood Mayakoba , Riviera Maya, Mexico

Rosewood Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, Mexico

With the crowds of winter dissipating come Spring, Mother’s Day is the ideal time for a quick beach getaway. Upon arriving at this lush 620-acre resort where many of the rooms are accessed by taking a boat through winding mangrove-sheltered canals, it becomes apparent this is not your typical Mexican beach resort. All 129 suites feature oversized terraces, soothing earth materials and furnishings by Mexican artisans, creating a sense of calm. Moms will want to linger at Sense, A Rosewood Spa , which has its own hydrotherapy pool, sauna, steam room and hot-cold pool circuit, in addition to offering unique wellness experiences like a shaman-led ceremony in the temezcal (sweat lodge) and treatments inspired by the rituals of the ancient Aztecs. With eight dining concepts—each reflecting the cuisine of a different region of Mexico—and plenty of activities offered by Mayakoba—the gated community in which the Rosewood is set, like golfing, diving and hiking—mom could easily spend a week here and never get bored.

For the animal-lover: Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort, Chiang Rai, Thailand

Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort

In a country where it can be hard to ethically participate in elephant tourism, moms can rest easy knowing this elephant camp supports the rehabilitation of their 20 onsite elephants. Located on the lush Mekong River at the intersection of Myanmar and Laos, an hour north of Chiang Rai, mom could easily fill her days taking in the views of the lush valley from the pool or her own balcony in one of the property’s spacious 15 suites. But with sidecar adventures, cooking classes, a jungle spa and the opportunity to sleep amidst the elephants in a luxury pod , it’ll be hard to resist partaking in all this resort has to offer.

For the five-star adventurer: Micato Safari , India

Micato Safari

As the most populated country in the world, planning a trip to India can be a daunting task, even to the most well-travelled mom. Five-star safari outfitter Micato makes it easy with expertly crafted itineraries, a 24-hour concierge team and Indian born-and-raised travel directors who accompany guests through the entirety of their trip. From palace-hopping in Jaipur and Udaipur to witnessing royal Bengal tigers up close in Ranthambore National Park to sunset boat rides on the Ganges in Varanasi, Micato can curate a journey around whatever mom wants to see. While better known for their Africa safaris, Micato’s India safaris are their pride and joy, since the founding family lived in Goa before moving to Kenya. Their Indian ancestral roots result in bespoke itineraries that offer the chance to stay in the country’s most luxurious hotels and see a side of India inaccessible to most visitors.

For the Pacific Northwest explorer: Lotte Hotel Seattle , Washington, USA

Lotte Hotel Seattle

Located in the heart of downtown Seattle, walking distance from Seattle’s iconic Pike Place Market, this is the ideal hotel for a Mother’s Day spent exploring the Emerald City. Occupying 16 floors of the 44-floor F5 tower, the Philippe Starck-designed hotel offers some of the most luxurious accommodations in the city. The hotel’s 189 guest rooms and 32 suites provide sweeping views of Elliott Bay from floor-to-ceiling windows, which make the rooms feel while more spacious than they already are. Mom will feel like a queen in her marble bathroom, but guest room’s mid-century modern furniture adds some personality to the high-end luxury feel. On the 16 th floor, the hotel’s signature Charlotte restaurant serves up contemporary Pacific Northwest cuisine with impressive ocean views. For the special holiday, Le Spa de l’hôtel LOTTE adds a mother’s day package to their existing selection of treatments using Biologique Recherche and Bellefontaine products. She’ll want to linger to utilize the sauna, steam room and 16-head walk-in shower.

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Apple iphone 16 unique all new design promised in new report, rudy giuliani and mark meadows indicted in arizona fake electors case, for the design aficionado: intercontinental danang sun peninsula resort, da nang, vietnam.

InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort

Set high in the lush hillside of the Son Tra Peninsula nature reserve, a 30-minute drive from Da Nang airport, this other-worldly resort is one of the country’s hottest destinations for a relaxing getaway. Designed by coveted American designer Bill Bensley, the black and white color palette evokes the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang, while soaring wooden pillars and silhouettes harken to ancient temple architecture, imbuing the entire property with a sense of tranquility. Moms seeking a Zen retreat will want to book a one-bedroom spa lagoon villa. Floating on stilts above the peaceful spa lagoon, the secluded villa has its own treatment room, al fresco shower garden, two outdoor terraces, a private jacuzzi and one-of-a-kind bathtub, plus a personal butler and private chef to prepare meals in the fully equipped kitchen. For moms who like to keep busy, there are no shortage of activities on offer: from cocktail making classes to the entertainment club’s karaoke rooms to the 100-seat, banana-themed movie theatre.

For Japanese quiet luxury: The Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka , Fukuoka, Japan

The Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka

As the country’s sixth largest city, Fukuoka has all the appeals of Tokyo—with its diversity of restaurants and shops—without the crowds. Rising 24 stories high above the growing skyline is the Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka, what is arguably the city’s most luxurious hotel. Decorated with woven bamboo and Hakata-ori silks, the hotel’s 147 rooms and 20 suites are a tranquil reprieve from the bustling streets below, and beginning at 538-square-feet in size, they’re some of the most spacious in the city. While Fukuoka is known as the birthplace of Tonkotsu ramen and famed for their street food stalls (known as ‘yatais’), foodies will be just as happy dining at the hotel’s signature restaurant, Genyu, which honors Japanese culinary traditions like kaiseki, sushi and teppanyaki serving Wagyu beef from Iki Island and seafood from the Genkai Sea. At the Ritz-Carlton Spa, moms can treat themselves to unique Japanese treatments like a massage that incorporates rice-filled heated pillows and local ingredients like Ume blossoms.

For the Parisian: Mandarin Oriental, Paris , France

Mandarin Oriental, Paris

With the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympics, Mother’s Day is likely the last chance to experience Paris without the crowds. For mom’s seeking a quiet reprieve, the Mandarin Oriental, Paris offers a distinct kind of tranquility that only this luxury Asian hotel brand can provide. With silk bedspreads, soft rugs and pillow menus, the hotel’s 135 rooms and suites are a comfortable place to rest up after a busy day exploring the city. Mom will especially appreciate the Asian-influence at the spa, where treatments borrow from Traditional Chinese Medicine (think: massages that involve four therapists and work with the body’s meridian lines to restore energy). Foodies will want to take the hotel’s pastry- and cocktail-making classes, or join a complimentary tour of Marché St Honoré Food Market.

For the Gilmore Girls fan: Delamar West Hartford , Connecticut, USA

Delamar West Hartford

Fans of Gilmore Girls will want to plan a Mother’s Day getaway to this boutique hotel in Hartford, Connecticut, where the feel-good show is said to be based. Guests who book their Gilmore Girls -Inspired Package can relive the seminal show about mother-daughter relationships with special access to the art gallery at Rory’s alma matter, Yale University, or a visit to the Sterling Library. Richard Gilmore’s adoration for vintage cars and the annual Stars Hollow charity picnic basket auction are honored here with a chauffeured ride in the hotel’s 1941 Cadillac to your own private picnic curated by the hotel’s chefs in true chef Sookie-style. Sookie’s imaginative culinary wizardy is also celebrated back at the hotel’s Artisan Restaurant with a pre-fixe “Sookie” menu serving New England-inspired dishes and an afternoon tea Emily Gilmore would approve of. In addition to accommodations, the package includes a 60-minute couples massage, arrival bottle of bubbly and complimentary buffet breakfast.

For the bath queen: The American Club, Kohler, Wisconsin, USA

The American Club

You might not expect a manufacturing company to host the ideal mother’s day getaway but with 150 years of experience in plumbing, Kohler is an expert in designing for relaxation. What once were the dorms of Kohler manufacturing workers are now intimate, mahogany-rich rooms with bespoke bathroom features like chromatherapy (color light therapy) and infinity pool bathtubs. The real showcase of their manufacturing innovation is Kohler Waters Spa, which boasts hydrotherapy treatments unlike any you’ll find elsewhere in the country (think: an acoustic bath that synchronizes vibrations with the rhythms of the body). But it’s not all water wellness here, the 500-acre resort is home to two champion golf courses; river and forest terrain for hiking, fishing and hunting; as well as a spin and yoga studio, largely frequented by locals—making this the ideal Spring getaway for some R&R.

For the Anglophile: Rosewood London , England

Rosewood London

Holborn isn’t the first neighborhood to come to mind for a mother’s day getaway, but the Rosewood London—with its private courtyard giving the feel of a mini-Somerset House—is a destination in and of itself. With original Edwardian details, an impressive Grand Pavonazzo marble staircase and 262 chic guest rooms, this five-star hotel set in a Belle Époque building will make mom feel like royalty. For an extra-luxe stay, consider booking one of 44 suites or the Manor House Wing, the five-bedroom suite that is so large it has its own postal code. Downstairs, mom can treat herself to a spa treatment at Sense, A Rosewood Spa , an inventive cocktail at the coveted Scarfes Bar , or an art-themed afternoon tea , which features picturesque pastries inspired by the works of famous artists.

For the fitness fiend: Equinox Hotel New York , New York, USA

Equinox Hotel New York

If mom’s ideal Mother’s Day looks like experiencing top-notch fitness classes and the latest wellness treatments, then she’s sure to be impressed with a stay here. Referring to themselves as the “fittest hotel on Earth,” everything here is meant to optimize your health—from the in-room wellness amenities featuring over 80 products (think: nourishing snacks, supplements and recovery tools) to morning and evening rituals that guide guests through stretching and breathwork. With soundproof rooms, blackout blinds and king-sized beds with temperature-regulating natural fibers and for those who need it, an Equinox Sleep Coach, a stay here will leave mom totally rejuvenated. Further restoration is found at the spa which offers innovative circuit treatments featuring the latest wellness therapies like cryotherapy, infrared saunas and NutriDrip IV drips. No visit to a hotel from a fitness brand would be complete without experiencing the fitness club, which she’ll have access to with her stay. In addition to the state-of-the-art fitness center, she can try out one of their classes, the 25-yard indoor saltwater pool or simply relax on a daybed on the outdoor pool deck overlooking the Hudson Yards’ Vessel.

For the foodie: Castelfalfi, Tuscany, Italy

Castelfalfi

With summer being Tuscany’s busiest season, Mother’s Day is the best time to beat the rush. This 2,700-acre estate set in the rolling hills of Tuscany an hour outside Florence includes its own restored Medieval village (complete with a church and castle) that, on a quiet day, feels like a journey back in time. Olive groves, vineyards, a lake and forest surround the village, providing fertile ground for mom to experience the best culinary experiences Tuscany has to offer—from pizza-making workshops to truffle-hunting to tasting the homegrown olive oil and wine. When she’s not savoring and sipping, or partaking in one of the estate’s many activities—like horseback riding, ziplining in the adventure park or golfing the 27-hole golf course, the largest in Tuscany—she’ll be in the RAKxa spa. Here she’ll find an indoor-outdoor pool, experiential showers, several saunas and treatments featuring Thai modalities from renowned Thai wellness brand RAKxa and essential oils from the Tuscan countryside.

For stylish French-Canadian flair: Vogue Hotel Montreal Downtown , Quebec, Canada

Vogue Hotel Montreal Downtown

After receiving a makeover from Montreal architecture firm Sid Lee, Montreal’s iconic Vogue Hotel has been transformed from tired to chic. In a city known for its eclectic Quebecois culture, the Eastern influence here makes this Zen hotel a standout, with its muted color palette and minimalist décor exuding a kind of quiet luxury that’s hard to find elsewhere in the city. At the hotel’s signature restaurant Yama, mom can savor creative dishes inspired by Canadian celebrity chef Antonio Park’s South American, Canadian and Korean upbringing, and in the morning, she can enjoy authentic French pastries chef Park has made in collaboration with acclaimed pastry chef Bertrand Bazin at Café Bazin. Located in the heart of downtown Montreal, mom will be steps away from historical cathedrals and museums, as well as the most luxurious retailers such as Gucci, Prada and Holt Renfrew (which is directly across the street). While the hotel doesn’t have an onsite spa, they’ve paired up with Bota Bota Spa Sur L’Eau for a Mother’s Day package including a 3-hour water circuit experience on the St. Lawrence River.

For the Manhattanite: The Peninsula New York , New York, USA

The Peninsula New York

Upon entering the lobby from Fifth Avenue, mom will immediately be wowed by this hotel’s grand entrance with its opulent staircase, flower arrangements and sparkling chandeliers. Head upstairs and she’ll be even more impressed with the accommodations—the 239 apartment-styled rooms and suites are spacious by New York standards. With king-sized beds fitted with Fili D’Oro linens from Italy and the hotel’s Wellness Program offering sleep patches and peaceful bath rituals, she’ll rest well in the city that never sleeps. She also has a 24-hour wellness concierge and in-room mental health services like access to a meditation app. Downstairs, mom can enjoy a semi-buffet brunch and champagne bar after a bouquet-making workshop with the hotel’s Champagne Brunch & Floral Experience on Mother’s Day. The package also includes a $30 gift certificate to The Peninsula Spa , where mom can experience one of their popular Biologique Recherche facials, the aromatherapy steam room or take a dip in the indoor pool.

For the forest-bather: Canyon Ranch Woodside , California, USA

Canyon Ranch Woodside

While there are no shortage of wellness retreats across the United States, Canyon Ranch consistently remains a favorite for their unique programming and superb service. Their California property, located less than an hour outside San Francisco, is a standout for its location in the Redwoods. Rooms here look like soaring glass treehouses set high in the canopy. Nature lovers can get their fix forest bathing and hiking the many trails on property, or simply lounging on their own private balcony. Immersion in nature is the theme here as local ingredients appear in the spa and at the restaurant, which serves a daily set menu of local, vegetable-forward cuisine. Mom can take her pick of a specific expert-led retreat (think: ‘Find Your Purpose’ and ‘Journey to Empowerment’) or craft her own customized itinerary ahead of her trip with the support of Canyon Ranch’s on-staff wellness guides.

For Canadian cosmopolitanism: Shangri-La, Toronto, Canada

Shangri-La, Toronto

With summer being Canada’s high season, Spring is the perfect time to visit the country’s largest city. With so many neighborhoods to explore, the Shangri-La, Toronto is ideally situated in the heart of downtown, steps away from public transit. Located in the Entertainment District, mom will be close to some of the city’s best restaurants and theatre performances. The five-star hotel’s 202 spacious rooms feature wrap-around windows and Zen décor, providing a quiet reprieve from the bustling streets below. For further R&R, mom can take her pick of five ethically sourced soaks and bath bombs from the ensuite bath menu created in partnership with local bath brand Bathorium, the first hotel offering of its kind in the country. Downstairs, a Spring afternoon tea is served in the lobby lounge, one of the city’s hottest meeting spots. Inspired by the hotel’s bee apiary, the afternoon tea service is a celebration of the golden nectar harvested onsite with artful treats like beehive honey cake topped with apple compote and dulce whip ganache. Pair the afternoon tea with the hotel’s special Mother’s Day buffet brunch for the complete experience.

For the spa goddess: Grand Hotel Victoria , Lake Como, Italy

Grand Hotel Victoria

Home to the largest spa in Lake Como, the Grand Hotel Victoria is the ideal getaway for mom’s seeking relaxation and rejuvenation. The 12,800-square-foot spa boasts a Himalayan salt room, ice room, two wood saunas, and a series of experiential showers, jacuzzis and pools for a complete hydrotherapy circuit. The abundant natural beauty of Lake Como serves as the inspiration for both the facilities—like a silent relaxation room featuring a wall made of nutrient-rich moss—and the treatments, which incorporate local ingredients. Upstairs, the five-star hotel exudes all of its original Belle Époque grandeur with soaring ceilings, ornate columns and sparkling chandeliers. Set overlooking sparkling Lake Como against the backdrop of the majestic mountains, the Grand Hotel Victoria is a hidden gem in the quiet Northern town of Menaggio, away from the crowds of the busier towns on the lake’s southern edge.

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