Ayahuasca (pronounced ‘eye-ah-WAH-ska’) is a plant medicine that originates from the Amazon rainforest in South America. Shamans from this region have used it for centuries, and now people are seeking this medicine from all corners of the world. So, what are the reasons why people take Ayahuasca?

Everyone has their own story about how they first came to sit with Ayahuasca. While there is no right or wrong reason to seek out Ayahuasca, finding a trusted setting that honors the ancient traditions of this plant will help shape your experience. Considering your intention for why you want to sit with Ayahuasca can also help you prepare.  

If you are wondering why people attend Ayahuasca ceremonies or an Ayahuasca retreat, read on. Here are seven reasons we have gathered why people feel the call to sit with this sacred plant medicine from the Amazon jungle.

1. Improve Physical Ailments

Ayahuasca is a medicine. One of the main reasons people historically drank Ayahuasca is for physical issues. Ayahuasca can be used as a purging and diagnostic tool.

It is still used this way in many indigenous communities in the Amazonian rainforest where it originates and is a reason why people take Ayahuasca. While the plant works in its own mysterious ways, it is believed that physical ailments begin as trapped energy. The Ayahuasca brew can help release some of these trapped emotions in the body.

However, there is also more than one technique for how to brew Ayahuasca and how to drink Ayahuasca. In a ceremony, it is common for the Ayahuasca brew ingredients to include both the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and the leaves of the chacruna shrub (Psychotria Viridis). The mix of the vine and leaves can cause the psychoactive effects of Ayahuasca, such as visions.  

2. Curiosity

Sometimes curiosity is the main reason people decide to sit in a ceremony. Some people hear whispers of Ayahuasca while traveling through South America, while others come to the continent explicitly seeking an experience with this plant medicine. Some people are curious about Ayahuasca after hearing about friends’ experiences, whereas others may be curious about the subconscious mind or other great unknowns.

A common question Ayllu Medicina receives is if everyone has experience with plant medicine or psychedelics. Usually, there is a mix of experiences and reasons why people are curious about Ayahuasca. Some people have sat in ceremonies or know other plants and psychedelics, while for others, it is their first experience.

3. Emotional Healing

For most humans, there are a lot of situations we go through and emotions we experience that we save for later. A plant medicine retreat is that later week; it is time to let go of the many impressions we accumulate over time to continue on your path. 

In the words of our Shaman Aime,

❝We begin to carry these impressions like weights on our backs, like a backpack full of big heavy stones that we are going to deal with, later, someday. We say that an Ayahuasca ceremony and a plant medicine retreat is the time to deal with this ‘later’.❞

Some people seek Ayahuasca ceremonies for emotional healing. While emotional healing is possible, It is essential to talk to your Shaman about any mental health difficulties, medications, and other issues beforehand.

4. Seeking Answers

The spirit of Ayahuasca is said to be a Grandmother, often referred to as Grandmother Ayahuasca or Abuela Ayahuasca in Spanish. We often view our elders as wise, and Grandma Ayahuasca is no exception. This Grandma is ancient, growing in the Amazon for centuries, so often, people seek Ayahuasca for answers or to help resolve something in their lives.

Some people may be at a crossroads in their lives or want to dive deeper into their spiritual journey. Ayahuasca can open the way to the answers inside you, or she can give you more questions! In a trusted space with experienced guides, a retreat or Ayahuasca ceremony is one way to explore answers to some of your questions to continue on your path.

5. A Retreat

One of the reasons why people take Ayahuasca is when they retreat from their everyday life for a week or longer plant medicine retreat. A retreat offers the space to go inward without daily distractions, and plant medicine ceremonies such as Ayahuasca can aid this experience. 

The retreat may specifically be a seven-day Ayahuasca retreat in the Amazon or another location in South America. Or, it may be a yoga or plant medicine retreat that includes different plant medicines and activities. For example, during an Ayllu Medicina transformational plant medicine retreat, there are also sweat lodges, sharing circles, breathwork, yoga, workshops, and other activities for an integrative healing experience. 

Sometimes, people are drawn to a plant medicine retreat because of other medicine included, such as the San Pedro cactus plant medicine. Or, they may want to join a retreat because of factors like knowing and trusting the yoga instructors partaking or co-leading the retreat. 

6. Reconnect to Self

Another reason why people take Ayahuasca is to re-center their mind, body, and spirit. With so many distractions and commitments in everyday life, it can be hard to find the time to stop. It is time to connect to your true essence.

The process of what happens to participants during Ayahuasca ceremonies is sometimes described as an onion. Our guide Hwaneetah says,

❝The plant can help you peel away many of your layers that no longer serve you, to help get to the core of who you truly are.❞

This process is not always beautiful, as there can be a lot of tears, purging, and other forms of release. However, it can be an insightful process that helps you let go of many parts of yourself that do not serve you anymore. You can then feel centered in your heart once more.

7. Hearing Your Heart’s Call

Sometimes people think they know why they are sitting in the ceremony, but Grandma Ayahuasca may show them there is another reason or four for being there. And other people may realize years later why they decided to attend an Ayahuasca retreat. But what connects the many reasons people sit with Ayahuasca is that they have heard a call from the heart.

There Are Many Reasons Why People Take Ayahuasca

It is a deeply personal decision to sit in a plant medicine ceremony, meaning there are many reasons why people take Ayahuasca.

This plant medicine will not always answer your questions, and the reasons for sitting in a ceremony do not just go away after Ayahuasca. Integration is key to embodying all the work during ceremonies. However, communing with this wise Grandma has the potential to bring healing to your life so you can continue on your path.

Are you interested in Ayahuasca ceremonies or attending a plant medicine retreat? Reach out to us at Ayllu Medicina to learn more about our offerings. We would love to help answer any of your questions and hear your reasons for wanting to connect to this powerful plant medicine.