FAQs

 About Ayahuasca and Ceremony 

Why should I drink Ayahuasca?
Ayahuasca is a Medicine that encourages healing on all levels, and its effects are unique to each individual. Every person’s experience is completely individual and it is not possible to describe exactly how yours will be. Therefore, it is important to follow your intuition as it is guiding you to the Medicine for a reason. We recommend going in with a clear intention on what you need to work on, with an open mind, heart, and body.

Ayahuasca opens perspectives on life by inducing a visionary state of mind. It is used to enrich the mind by bringing visionary messages, often allowing you to face and overcome blockages or fears, and connect to the inner-workings of the Universe for a deeper understanding and greater perspective. Ayahuasca allows you to reflect within by expelling any fears, insecurities, or self-judgements which society has installed.
Medicine provide a visionary means of working through specific ailments, while also allowing you to purge out negativity on a deep physical, psychological, and spiritual level.

About the Ayahuasca Ceremony:

When you come to the Ayahuasca ceremony, be ready for an eye opening experience. Ayahuasca takes you to the Universe within you and shows you many things about yourself, your life, and the world. If you can focus on your intention and purpose for the ceremony, Ayahuasca always responds. Sometimes, the plant medicine of Ayahuasca has something different to show you than what you had originally intended to work on, as Ayahuasca knows what you need to focus on first in your life in order to clear the way for the other things you want to address.

It is important to come to ceremony ready to truly surrender to the Ayahuasca experience, let down ego defenses, and walk away from your fears, because they will block your entry into the worlds of Ayahuasca. It is important to be open to whatever is going to happen.

What about Ayahuasca Ceremony and Ego Death?

It is not unusual for people to feel like they are going to die when they are in an Ayahuasca experience. No one has ever died from Ayahuasca itself. So trust the process and let it happen. This way you can get the most out of your experience.
When you feel like you might be dying, it is really the ego death you are experiencing. It does not happen to everyone, as some are able to get their egos out of the way of the experience. If you do experience this, there is a part of you that is trying to hold on and afraid to go into the places where you are egoless, eternal, and where the divine lives in you.

Take a deep breath, and just let go. You are fine! Where you are going the mind cannot follow, so you must let go of feeling like you need to be in control. Let Ayahuasca take you for the ride and show you the wonders of the Universe within you! The price for entry into your multidimensional nature is that you have to surrender and let go.

Will be there be a time that I feel fear or anxiety?

Experiencing fear and anxiety during ceremony is normal. Drinking Ayahuasca for the first time can be a  foreign experience for people. It is energy moving within the body. Our Shaman and team are there with much experience to lend a helping hand and guide you through this experience with love and support.

Breathing, meditating, yoga, and other grounding techniques such as affirmations can be used to lessen fear and anxiety. If this is a concern for you, please communicate this to the staff during the interview process and/or upon arrival so we can offer suggestions for working through challenging patches. Always ask for help when you need it!

Will I purge? What is the purging like?

Purges may occur in several ways on physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels. When it occurs, it is the processing and movement of negative energy out of the body. Purging is the Medicine’s method for eradicating the body of harmful, toxic, suppressed energies or elements due to physical ailments, or past trauma. On a physical level, the most common forms being vomiting and defecation. Almost everyone has the ability and time and to reach the bucket (for vomiting) and the bathroom (for defecation). Shaking, racing thoughts, yawning, burping, crying, laughing and hot/cold sweats are other forms of purging. The apprentices or helpers are always available to assist you with going to the bathroom and any other needs that may arise. Again, do not hesitate to ask for help!

Is Ayahuasca safe?

The safety of our participants is the most important factor in ceremony and throughout the retreat. All the healers and facilitators who work at Ayllu Medicina have many years of experience holding Ayahuasca ceremonies and overseeing the responsible use of this medicine in it’s traditional context. We provide a caring, contained, and protected environment to work with this medicine and ensure your wellbeing at all times.
Ayahuasca is generally extremely safe when worked with responsibly. It can counteract with certain medications, which is why we ask for detailed information about your history and current health in the application form. The information below is a guide, and specific cases should be discussed with the Ayllu Medicina team before the retreat begins. This is a guideline to help ensure your safety.

Medications that can be unsafe with Ayahuasca;

Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs)
Central Nervous System (CNS) Depressants (and sleeping pills)
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)
Anti-hypertensives (blood pressure medications)
Other Anti-Depressants
Antibiotics

If you suffer from any of the following psychological conditions, please discuss this with the team before the retreat begins:

Borderline disorders
Bipolar disorders
Psychosis
Schizophrenia
Family history of mental health problems

Physiological conditions that should be discussed with the team:

Chronic high blood pressure
Heart conditions
Diabetes

How do I prepare for ceremony?

In addition to the diet and other restrictions, the best way to prepare for ceremony is to focus on your intentions, your questions for the medicine, and your reasons for seeking her out. This will guide your experience so you can receive profound results. You can have several questions or reasons for your ceremony, focusing on one specific intention each night.

Commencing the diet as early as possible ahead of the ceremony is also a way of focusing your mind towards the ceremony itself. This in itself is mental preparation, as well as physical.

We also recommend beginning or continuing even a simple/short meditation practice, as this is also supportive for your experience. We will learn meditation, yoga, and breath work techniques as well during the retreat. 

What should I expect when I return to the outside world?

Ayahuasca is a transformative medicine and great care is crucial as you transition back to your life at home. You will likely be highly sensitive to food, people, noise, distraction, and general imbalance. Most of the time, after the inner work with the medicine, some changes in our daily routine need to be made. Remaining grounded, participating in healthy physical and spiritual activities with positive people and situations will greatly support you to integrate the lessons and healings that you received during the medicine ceremonies.  Ayahuasca allows one to experience a great feeling of bliss and love for themselves and the planet, and proper integration and changes to your life is crucial to maintaining this .

Can Ayahuasca get rid of my depression?
Ayahuasca has significantly helped many people with their depression. It is common to experience powerful cleansing and healing from this medicine, in addition to receiving life changing lessons during ceremony. This enables many to look deep within and release what causes their depression. HOWEVER – Ayahuasca is not a magic pill!. She shows us, teaches us, and gives us tools to deal with imbalances in life, but committed spiritual and physical work beyond ceremony is necessary to maintain the benefits of the Medicine.

 Can you recommend any videos or readings?
We recommend that once you decide to attend this retreat, or an Ayahuasca ceremony, that you stop reading or watching things about this medicine. You need to come to ceremony with an open heart and mind. When you watch and read about other peoples’ experiences, you will inevitably create many expectations for your own ceremony. You want this to be your experience, and not miss out on what the medicine wants to show YOU.

Can you help me integrate my experience after the ceremony?
We often say that the real ceremony begins after the actual experiences with the medicine. And sometimes the experiences can be difficult to understand, or—even if experienced with clarity—challenging to integrate into your daily life and being. For this, we do integration circles within the retreat after each ceremony to process and understand together. Our guides are also available to talk throughout the retreat at any point.

Also, we are committed to providing many tools during the retreat that you can take back with you so that you can make long-lasting improvements to your life and continue working towards your purpose and connection. We work with a yoga and meditation routine during the retreat so you can take these very useful practices with you on your journey. We have seen this be incredibly supportive to integration. We also will check in with you a few weeks after the retreat. In addition, our facilitators offer sessions for deeper integration and guidance including topics relating to nutrition and health, life coaching and counseling, moon and womb healing, reiki, communication and authentic relating, and more. 

What if I will be on my period during the retreat?

This is certainly not a problem. We recommend this retreat during the moon (period) cycle, because during your moon cycle your sensitivity and your perception are expanded. The retreat can be a time to observe and adapt your relationship to you and your cycle. To go deep within your being and get in touch with this sacred time. 

If you are on your moon during the retreat, we will make special accommodations for you to be sure you are comfortable. For the ceremonies, we will show you how to make protection belts.  We will teach you about the special nutritional needs you have during the moon time and provide you with special teas from the area which promote womb health.  

Hwaneetah has done several studies throughout her life on the moon cycle and is dedicated to sharing the knowledge of womb wisdom. She will share this with you and including specific advice on how to manage your cycles and your energy. We say that Moon time is the Medicine of the woman.

Travel and Retreat Logistics

Where do I fly into? 

We recommend flying into Guayaquil Airport (GYE), which is located three hours from our retreat space. From there, we can help arrange private transportation or direct you for taking the bus. 

What if I want to arrive early or stay later?

Please talk to us in advance about your travel desires and needs. We are happy to give you recommendations and help you make arrangements. The retreat ceneter is often undergoing a deep cleaning before the retreat, however, there are beautiful places to stay in cute towns right on the beach which is a great way to get ready for a retreat!

What to bring?

We want you to be as comfortable as possible throughout the retreat and especially during the ceremony. Here is a list of items to bring with you. We will also send you a complete Preparation Packet once you sign up. 

Flashlight or headlamp

Yoga clothing

Bathing suit (ideally 2)

Walking or hiking shoes

Sandals or flip flops

Beach or quick dry towel

Warm layers for chilly evenings and light layers for daytime

Loose-fitting long dresses or sarong for women during sweat lodge (at least 2)

Nicer (yet comfortable) outfits for ceremony (1-2, long dress or skirt for women, nice shirt for men)

Sacred items for the alter (Crystals, important small objects, sage, incense, etc.)

Water bottle

Reusable shopping bag

Natural sunscreen and bug repellent

What meals are included in the retreat? 

We offer three fresh and nourishing meals per day, except on ceremony days, when we will enjoy breakfast and a light lunch. Also, we will have fresh fruit, snacks, smoothies, and juices available throughout the day. Please be sure to note any food preferences or  allergies on your forms. All food provided will be aligned with our Shaman’s recommendations for clean eating (no meat, dairy, alcohol, hot sauce, low spices and salt).

What currency is used in Ecuador? 

The currency used in Ecuador is USD. Credit cards are not widely accepted around town, so please plan accordingly and bring cash in a variety of small denominations. There is an ATM in Montañita which is 5 minutes away.