OUR RETREATS
SMALL GROUPS - WORD OF MOUTH ONLY
If you’ve done this before, you are already aware of just how important group size and composition are. Working with ayahuasca is intensely personal and puts us into a challenging state of vulnerability. It is of the utmost importance to feel at home with those whom we share these experiences with ― the retreats become something like a team effort where every person’s attitude and commitment can affect the whole.
In order to maintain an intimate and secure space, our groups are always ten people or less and composed only from a word–of–mouth network. We do not accept bookings directly through our website, which ensures that each intake process is a personal connection with us and that each group is composed with care and attention to detail. We also welcome private groups.
RETREAT LOCATION
The center is located within the protected area of Cordillera Escalera Conservation Park, surrounded by stunning tropical mountain forest and the banks of the Cumbaza River – and yet, less than an hour away from the Tarapoto airport.
The bedrooms are spacious and comfortable with private or semi-private bathrooms, hot showers, and balconies. Our maloca and expansive common areas are nestled within the jungle and built as an open air environment, giving us the feeling that we are in one big tree house with plenty of space to be alone, to be together and to be with nature.
For more pictures and information on prices for shared and private rooms, see our Dates and Details page.
AYAHUASCA CEREMONIES
In recent years, Ayahuasca has rapidly spread around the globe. Ceremonies are held in all kinds of locations by all kinds of practitioners. Some traditions have indigenous roots, others don’t. Some methods are highly effective, others less so. There is no one way. There is no right way.
At our retreats, we run ceremonies in the Shipibo tradition — meaning ceremonies take place in almost complete darkness and are led by one or more maestros, or as they are traditionally understood in their own language, onayas. We began to work exclusively with Shipibos after many years of experiencing different types of ceremonies. We found that drinking ayahuasca with a genuine Shipibo maestro (or maestra) is like nothing else. Their icaros and their methodology of working with the plants are virtually beyond description ― but the effects on your medicine journey are absolutely undeniable once you have experienced it for yourself.
For more in-depth information on icaros, onayas, Shipibos, and how ceremonies actually work in practice, see our Informational Video Series.
SMALL TEAM
Our team is small, which means that you know exactly who you will be working with in your retreat.
Our maestro, Nete Besó (Richard), loves his work and takes a personal responsibility for the path of each ceremony that is inspiring to feel. He is proud of his lineage, his culture, his path with the medicine, and his work with Amakaya.
Facilitation is the other major component of any ayahuasca retreat. Kajsa and Jonathan are not just the founders of Amakaya, but also the facilitators for each and every retreat. They work with a passion and professionalism that make all the difference.
Together, our team guides you and assists you in a way that allows you to let go and focus on the mysterious and magnificent process at hand. For full team bios, see our About Us page.
“The first half of life
is devoted to forming a healthy ego,
the second half is going inward
and letting go of it.”
―C.G.Jung
FASTING & SILENCE
The ceremonies are when we experience our most direct and exhilarating forms of learning and healing. However, the hours and days that pass in between the ceremonies are vital to the overall outcome of the process.
Experienced ayahuasqueros know that the medicine is continuously working during this time and that too much food, chit chat, or distraction strongly limits that process. All too often, other centers encourage just such diversion to keep everyone comfortable. To us, this is poor guidance and the waste of a powerful opportunity.
We have no swimming pool, list of amenities, or constant flow of activities to keep you preoccupied. Rather, we choose to lean into the catalyzing discomfort that comes with stillness, silence, and intermittent fasting. What you find and feel during these special, difficult hours will open new levels of depth and clarity in your ayahuasca ceremonies and new doors in your life.
As in many cultures around the world, the Shipibos have a deep respect for the transformational power of fasting and silence. Fasting helps us clear out our physical and mental systems, and reset our taste buds and relationship to food and satisfaction. Silence gives us a distraction–free space to clear out noise, see what is coming up to the surface of our minds and, eventually, find out what is going on underneath that.
Through conversation or written materials, Kajsa and Jonathan will encourage you to ask yourself certain questions, peel back layers, and find roots. In this guided introspection, we analyze our relationships ― to others, food, substances, work, and purpose. This nuanced process allows us to get to know ourselves in a radically new way ― which, we believe, is the key to profound growth and lasting change.
To learn about drinking ayahuasca with longer, more intense periods of fasting and isolation, read about how we conduct our Master Plant Dietas here.
SWEAT LODGE
While this is originally a tradition from North America (Temazcal), it is one of our favorite indigenous healing modalities and something we have worked with for many years. It is a surprisingly powerful medicine that perfectly complements the work with ayahuasca.
The basic idea is that fire-heated stones and water are used to create a primitive steam room inside of a structure usually made of flexible saplings and covered with blankets (originally animal hides).
Inside this steam lodge, we will meditate in silence, sway to the beating of the drum, and surrender to the heat. We will
sweat out toxins and wonder if we have the strength to go on. After the climax of effect, we will plunge into the cool mountain stream only a few steps away. It is hard to believe just how rejuvenating and strengthening these experiences
can be.
Participation will always be optional and the length of time and level of heat are variables that we will adjust for every person and group as needed.
DIGITAL DETOX
These days, phones, the internet and constant connection affect us more strongly than ever. Disconnecting and resetting our systems is beautifully aligned with the work at hand – and we consistently hear from people how impactful this has been for them.
So, during your retreat, we will strongly encourage you to put your phone in our safe and leave it there until the last day. We will give you an old fashioned alarm clock and recommend that you bring a disposable camera to use for photographs.
Certainly, exceptions can be made or hybrid solutions created. However, we will ask that you take this idea seriously and generally embrace it as fun and worthwhile.
“Find out what a person fears most
and that is where he will
develop next.”
- C. G Jung
You will be coming to a particularly awe-inspiring example of Mother Nature, the place where the rainforest runs up and out of the Amazon basin into the Andes mountains. It's known here as the high jungle, as opposed to the low jungle.
This is one of the single most biologically dense and diverse places on earth – and is exceptionally beautiful. Expect to see insects, frogs and birds with colors and features that boggle the mind. Expect to drift off to sleep at night and wake up in the morning to a symphony of sound. Expect to feel inspired and exhilarated by unexpected things.
Come ready to take your shoes off, get a few mosquito bites, sweat in the sun and shower in the rain. And, yes, for those of you who have been with us before, you will be pleased to know that our little Brown-Mantled Tamarin, Louie, is still with us and goes everywhere we go.