by Emma Reeves | Nov 29, 2022 | Ayllu Medicina Plant Medicine Retreats
Humans have been connecting with plant medicines such as Ayahuasca for thousands of years. Now, there are different ways to meet the sacred plants, from attending plant medicine ceremonies to taking a pause and going on a retreat. But what happens on a plant medicine retreat?
There are many different spiritual and wellness retreats out there, including yoga, meditation, and plant medicine retreats. This means that while ‘to retreat’ is to go inwards, there is no one answer to what happens on a retreat. However, here are some things that Ayllu Medicina’s transformational plant medicine retreats include.
Ayahuasca Ceremonies
One of the reasons people attend a plant medicine retreat in South America is to connect with Grandma Ayahuasca, a sacred plant medicine from the Amazon that can provide healing in various ways.
One piece of advice when meeting with plant medicines such as Ayahuasca is to avoid having any expectations! Even if you have watched countless documentaries or have heard a book’s worth of stories, it is best to go in with an open mind. Every plant medicine ceremony can be different, depending on what you need to work on to return to your center.
Ayllu Medicina retreats include one or two Ayahuasca ceremonies, depending on the retreat. These Ayahuasca ceremonies are at night.
We will meet before we sit with Grandma Ayahuasca so our guides, Aime and Hwaneetah, can give more details about the ceremony and the medicine. There is also a plant medicine dieta to follow before and during the retreat, along with other preparatory steps that you will discuss with our team when you sign up for a retreat.
San Pedro Ceremonies
A plant medicine retreat with Ayllu Medicina also includes a meeting with Grandfather San Pedro, also known as Awakolla or Huachuma. The San Pedro ceremony happens after you meet with Grandma Ayahuasca. We hold different San Pedro ceremonies depending on the retreat, such as a medicine sweat lodge, a power walk, or a night ceremony.
Similar to wise grandparents, Grandfather San Pedro and Grandma Ayahuasca complement each other well. However, the two medicines native to Ecuador work in different ways to help you realign and return to your heart.
The plant medicine dieta you will be following also helps the integration of Grandfather San Pedro. Usually, you fast for at least several hours before meeting with plant medicines such as San Pedro and Ayahuasca. The meals we provide you throughout the week will ensure you are well-nourished and ready for these ceremonies.
Temazcals (Sweat Lodges)
An integral part of Ayllu Medicina plant medicine retreats are our temazcals, also known as sweat lodges. Temazcal originates from the Nahuatl word Temāzcalli, which has several different translations, including ‘house of heat.’ Temazcals are a powerful medicine that humans have used for cleansing the body, mind, and spirit since the time of Mesoamerica.
Temazcals provide an opportunity to return to the womb of Mother Earth and shed what you no longer need. Our volcanic grandmother stones are heated in the fire and are placed in the womb, the sweat lodge, with us, Mother Earth’s children, ready for rebirth. Different incenses are placed on the stones before the door closes, darkness descends, and the heat begins to rise as water is poured over the stones.
We have multiple temazcals throughout plant medicine retreats, which help integrate ceremonies, detoxify, purify, and help you let go of what no longer serves you. Sweat lodges vary in length and are done in different ways depending on where you attend a temazcal ceremony.
Sharing Circles and Support
The day after our plant medicine ceremonies, we gather around the fire in our retreat container for a sharing circle. It is optional as to what you share, though we suggest sharing the ‘pearls’ of your experience. These sharing circles also give you the opportunity to connect with medicines such as Rapéh.
It can take time to integrate what comes up in the ceremony, which is why it is important to also keep some of your experience for yourself. You will have plenty of rest time to journal, meditate, and integrate your experiences during retreats. Our Ayllu Medicina team will also be around if you have any questions or need support.
Rest and Time in Nature
It is called a ‘retreat’ for a reason, which is why what happens on a plant medicine retreat also involves stopping. To retreat is an opportunity to break your usual routine and take the time to look within without your everyday commitments or distractions. You will have plenty of space and downtime to be.
You can watch the many birds around the retreat center or spend time by the river. Some retreats also include a beach visit or a medicine power walk, where we often spot monkeys, butterflies, and other wildlife. The retreat center is tucked away in a tropical oasis and also close to the ocean, so before or after the retreat, you can take a trip to Ecuador’s coastline.
Workshops
Our plant medicine retreats also include workshops, such as Moon Wisdom with Hwaneetah and song circles. You have the opportunity to connect to the powerful medicine of the womb, with these workshops offering invaluable wisdom for men and women. You can check our retreat schedule for specific workshop details.
As our shaman Aime says;
❝To sing is to pray twice.❞
Music is an integral part of our retreats and ceremonies. You will also have time to connect to sacred instruments, such as the hand drum, rattle, and mouth harp. You will also have the opportunity to learn medicine songs, such as those from Pajaros De Luz.
Yoga and Meditation
Yoga is an integral part of our retreats, which helps provide grounding, peace, and alignment of your energy.
As our guide Hwanteetah says;
❝Medicine and meditation are derived from the same root word. Meditation is also medicine. Through meditation, you come to know your true self. Through a plant medicine ceremony, you experience your true self through meditation.❞
Experienced yoga teachers will guide you through the retreat week and provide tools you can also use when you return home. Ayllu Medicina’s yoga includes breathwork, movement practice, and meditation techniques suitable for all levels. We also work with yoga teachers who host retreats, such as Breathe and Flow.
Inner Work
You will have the opportunity to connect with different plant medicines, gain a new community, and learn about other sacred traditions of South America. But a lot of what happens on a plant medicine retreat depends on you. The inner work is one of the most important parts of what happens on a plant medicine retreat.
The retreat container allows you to catch up with yourself and take a good look inside to remember who you are. By working on your inner world, your external world also begins to change. What comes up will be personal to your journey, but our retreats are designed to help support and guide you through the process back to your heart.
Learn What Happens on a Plant Medicine Retreat
A lot of what happens on a plant medicine retreat is deeply personal, which is why it is best to have no expectations. However, take the time to find a retreat program that sparks your interest and honors the sacred traditions it shares. San Pedro and Ayahuasca retreats have different schedules, so this post is specific to Ayllu Medicina’s transformational plant medicine retreats.
If you feel a call to connect with sacred plant medicines and experience what happens on a plant medicine retreat, it is time to take the next step; connect with us! We are happy to answer any questions you may have.
by Emma Reeves | Oct 1, 2022 | Ayllu Medicina Plant Medicine Retreats
It is a time that is a source of excitement for some and avoidance for others. Once the countdown ends and the new year begins, now what? If you’re wondering how to start the new year, then consider attending a plant medicine retreat in Ecuador.
January is often filled with talk of resolutions and new year reset plans. But beyond that, it is an opportunity for reflection and change, which makes it the perfect time to attend a retreat. Read on to learn more about why you should start the year with a detox retreat.
Detox
A common New Year’s resolution is a detox in January. When we talk about a New Year detox, we are referring to your body, mind, and spirit. After all, it is not just your body that accumulates impressions, but your mind and spirit too. Our January retreat will provide tools to help you reset for the year ahead, such as yoga and meditation.
Plus, before and during a retreat, you will be on a plant medicine dieta, which is a simple but delicious food plan to support the integration of the plant medicines Ayahuasca and San Pedro safely. The dieta also helps cleanse and protect your energy, including recommendations such as avoiding phone and social media use.
You begin to realize in ceremonies how everything makes an impression on you, so simplifying everything can bring clarity, purification, and connection a lot faster. Our January retreat will also include specific foods and drinks tailored to enhance this detoxification process.
Renewal and Renovate
Attending a plant medicine retreat is a transformational experience that helps you get closer to your true nature. But it is not about creating a ‘new’ you; it is about remembering, returning to yourself, and reconnecting to the whole.
You renew your focus, energy, and sense of self during the retreat, realigning and coming into balance once more. The inner work begins to reflect on your outer space, too, so you can return home with a renewed perspective on your life. You may also notice how your healing and renewal begin to benefit those around you.
Plus, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, January can feel more like hibernation time than renewal. Attending a plant medicine retreat in Ecuador will mean you also get to experience the coast during the high season, which usually means sunny days and beautiful sunsets.
Close Cycles and Make Space
Named after the Roman God Janus, God of new beginnings and endings, January is when many people reflect on everything that has passed and what they want to change. But it can be challenging to start your new year right without direction or a new environment.
Our plant medicine retreat in Ecuador gives you the space to let go of what doesn’t serve you anymore and make room for the year ahead. All the activities are tailored to help you with this. For example, there are several sweat lodges (temazcals) throughout the week, which are a chance for purification and rebirth, the perfect new year reset.
You will also get the opportunity to learn ways to close cycles throughout the year, such as with our moon wisdom workshops. After all, 365 days is a long time, so learning ways to close cycles throughout the year is invaluable.
Set Intentions
At Ayllu Medicina, we have the main intention of peace, love, dignity, and joy. You will also have the opportunity to set your own intention for the week and learn more about how you can integrate intentions into your life.
Giving yourself the time to go inwards opens space for what your heart truly wants. During plant medicine ceremonies, such as with Grandmother Ayahuasca, you will move from your head to your heart, so your intentions may simplify or change. With these intentions in mind, you can then direct your arrows for the year ahead and your life.
As our guide Hwaneetah says;
❝To find our purpose in life without finding our true selves first can be very challenging, almost impossible. When you find yourself, you automatically find your purpose.❞
Reflect and Give Thanks
The new year is the perfect time to pause, give thanks for everything that has passed, and be ready to receive what is to come. What better way to do this than at a new year’s retreat, in a tropical oasis without distractions?
Plant medicine retreats offer you the space to pause, let yourself catch up, and be present. You have the time to reflect on your year and everything that has passed without rushing, avoiding, or leaving anything for later. All the activities will aid this reflection and integration, including the plant medicine ceremonies, temazcals, yoga, and art time.
Gain a New Community
One of the benefits of attending a San Pedro and Ayahuasca retreat in Ecuador is the retreat container and the community you gain. You are in a supportive space catered to help you process, heal, and integrate, even once you leave the space.
Many retreat attendees stay in touch, share their adventures, and ask questions that come up once they return home. Some even return one, two, or multiple times for another one of our plant medicine retreats!
So, if you are wondering how to start your new year, start by gaining a new community. ‘Ayllu’ is Kichwa for family, and everyone who attends sweat lodges, plant medicine ceremonies, and retreats with us becomes part of our supportive Ayllu community.
Learn New Wellbeing Tools
Around 64% of people abandon their New Year’s resolutions within a month. There are many reasons for this, including not having the tools to implement lasting change. At our detox retreat, you will have the time to pause, return to your center, and gain tools to help you continue your journey.
You will start the year with a detox retreat, but you can use what you learn throughout the year. Tools include meditation techniques, yoga, breathwork, moon wisdom, and healthy eating. This way, you can learn how to maintain alignment and wellbeing, even when you return home.
Why You Should Start the Year With a Detox Retreat
There are many reasons why you should start the year with a detox retreat. You may be interested in connecting to plant medicines, feel stuck as this year comes to a close, or want to start the new year intentionally. Whatever the reason, if you feel the call, then it is time to consider a plant medicine retreat.
We have an Ayllu Transformational Plant Medicine Retreat in January 2023, focused on detox and renewal. Here is the link for the details. It will include two Ayahuasca ceremonies, a San Pedro ceremony, temazcals, and other tools to help you start your year in your heart’s center. We also have plant medicine retreats in April, May, and June.
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions!
by Emma Reeves | Jul 5, 2022 | Ayllu Medicina Retreats
The word ‘retreat’ gets used a lot nowadays, but what is a retreat? If you search for spiritual retreats in South America, a range of options will come up. But essentially, to retreat means withdrawing from your everyday routine to rest, go inwards, and heal.
You can retreat in many ways, but one of the best ways is to attend a retreat designed to support your transformational healing process. Do you want time to go inwards and connect with plant medicines such as Ayahuasca? A plant medicine retreat could be the best option for you.
Read on for five reasons to attend a plant medicine retreat in Ecuador with Ayllu Medicina.
1. Take a Pause
How often do you give yourself the chance to stop? One of the main reasons why retreats are important is because they help you pull the brake, slow down, and catch up with yourself.
It is no secret that spending time in nature and slowing down can promote healing. A retreat offers a chance to simplify and focus on yourself without your everyday commitments. A break from your usual environment will allow you to pause, strip back distractions, and gain new insights.
Once you enter the retreat space with Ayllu Medicina, everything is included, such as nutritious meals that follow the plant medicine diets, so you can relax, receive, and enjoy the jungle location. You can even hand your phone in if you want some time away from technology.
2. Center and Connect With Your Heart
One of the main benefits of a retreat is that it is an opportunity to go inwards. Attending a plant medicine retreat in Ecuador allows you to root back into your true nature and remember. It is a transformational week to get to know yourself and, as a result, feel more connected to the whole.
As our guide Hwaneetah says;
❝When we lose touch with our inner self, we naturally become unhappy. To sustain happiness in life, we must sustain a good connection with the inner self so our inner destiny can be revealed.❞
You are in a space catered for healing, with an Ayahuasca and San Pedro retreat also offering plant medicine ceremonies to aid your inner work. During a plant medicine retreat with Ayllu Medicina, you will be given different tools to help you stay centred in your heart space, which allows you to integrate all the lessons from the plant medicine ceremonies into your everyday life. Activities include breath work, meditation, yoga, womb wisdom workshops, music circles, and art time.
3. The Plant Medicine Retreat Container
People often search for Ayahuasca ceremonies in South America, which can be life-changing. However, with any master plant, preparation and integration are key to a positive experience that you can carry with you throughout your life.
When you attend a plant medicine ceremony, the healing does not stop when the ceremony ends; it is only the beginning. One of the top reasons to attend a plant medicine retreat is the retreat container, which allows you to integrate what comes up in a comfortable, tranquil, and trusted space. It allows you time to process and prepare to return to the ceremony of your everyday life.
The retreat container we create can provide the community, support, and space to go deeper into your own healing. You are surrounded by nature, with the same group of people who quickly become family, and plenty of time to yourself. You will also have access to Ayllu Medicina staff to help support you through your transformational healing process.
4. Learn Ancient Practices
One of the benefits of a retreat is that it gives you the opportunity to learn more about the ancient traditions and cultures of the country you visit. When looking for the best retreat place in South America for your needs, consider a retreat that honors the ancient traditions and plants it works with.
After all, a plant medicine retreat is not just about the Ayahuasca and San Pedro ceremonies. You will encounter many different medicines during a plant medicine retreat in Ecuador. Everything from the retreat location, the elements, and the food, to the ceremonies, prayers, and music are medicine.
At Ayllu Medicina plant medicine retreats, you also participate in temazcals (sweat lodges) to aid transformation and rebirth. Agnihotra and yoga are examples of other ancient practices you can experience.
You also have the opportunity to learn from our guides, Aime and Hwaneetah. They have been working with plant medicines for over twenty years and have plenty of wisdom to share from their own journeys.
5. Travel With Intention
Attending a plant medicine retreat in Ecuador allows you to discover a new country and yourself. So, why not give yourself this opportunity to travel with intention?
During Ayllu Medicina’s transformational plant medicine retreats, we have the main intention of peace, love, dignity, and joy. You will also have the opportunity to set an intention for your week, which may change and simplify as the week progresses.
Sometimes people have many different reasons to attend a plant medicine retreat, but what everyone has in common is that it is a call from their heart to put themselves first and, as a result, also benefit those around them. The plant medicines, retreat space, and week of transformation may also reveal reasons why it is time for you to go inward.
There Are Many Reasons To Attend a Plant Medicine Retreat
If you feel the call to sit with plant medicine, a plant medicine retreat could be for you. These are some top reasons to attend a plant medicine retreat in Ecuador, but there are many.
It is important to research your options if you want to attend an Ayahuasca and San Pedro retreat in South America. Not all retreats will have the same offerings or experienced guides. Take the time to find one that suits your needs, respects the plants, and provides a comfortable retreat setting for your experience.
Ayllu Medicina offers transformational plant medicine retreats tucked away in the jungle on the coast of Ecuador. We have designed our retreats to help support your journey of connecting, healing, and ordering your inner universe.
Feel free to contact us to learn more. We would love to help answer any questions you have and hear the reasons why you want to come to a plant medicine retreat in Ecuador!
by Emma Reeves | Jun 5, 2022 | Plant medicines
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.
