Ayahuasca Retreat FAQ — Most Common Questions

Ayahuasca is a medicinal plant from the Amazon. It has the power to heal physical and spiritual illnesses, cleanse and detox the nervous system, the mind and the emotions.

Yes. In Ecuador, ayahuasca is not classified as an illegal substance. It is recognized as an ancestral medicine and an important part of indigenous cultural heritage. The Ecuadorian constitution explicitly protects the rights of indigenous peoples to practice their traditional healing arts, and ayahuasca has been used ceremonially in the Amazon and Andes for thousands of years. Possession and ceremonial use by legitimate healing practitioners is accepted and practiced openly. This is different from many Western countries, where ayahuasca exists in a legal grey area or is prohibited outright. If you are traveling from a country where ayahuasca is illegal, be aware of the regulations in your home country regarding returning with any substances — though in practice, participants consume the medicine during the retreat and do not travel with it.

Yes, the ayahuasca vine grows throughout Ecuador's tropical environments, mainly the Amazonian rainforest, though it can also grow in Ecuador's cloudforest. It has been consumed for centuries by indigenous inhabitant's of Ecuador's rainforest as well as those in neighboring countries like Colombia and Peru. Due to a growing interest in the healing properties of ayahuasca, ayahuasca retreat centers now dot the country, offering locals and tourists the opportunity to participate in ayahuasca ceremonies.

We are always hesitant to make statements about how ayahuasca (and other sacred plants) can help and heal people. It varies greatly and may depend on how open they are, how they process and with what frequency they will be drinking the medicine. What we do believe wholeheartedly is that ayahuasca helps us reconnect with ourselves, nature and others. In other words, it helps us reconnect with life. It's really the simplest of exercises once you experience it for yourself (and it might take a few ceremonies before you notice the simplicity of it all), yet for most of us, in the world we live in and due to the way we live, reconnection with anything at all is nearly impossible. It really has nothing to do with rationalizing or understanding anything about what has happened to us, why it happened to us or how to "solve" situations...it has much more to do with opening ourselves up to feeling. That is, feeling the fear or anxiety and simply observing how we feel without judgment, feeling deep loneliness and darkness and then noticing the way the dawn breaks, the birds sing and nature, LIFE, continues onwards effortlessly, following the ebb and flow of a pristine river. Feeling how each and every cell in our body isn't really "ours" at all, that we are quite simply, and entirely, made up of the air, the water, the earth, the fire and all the other raw, natural elements that surround us. Ayahuasca, and other sacred plants, provide a new, loving, and much-needed perspective on life and are ultimately just another tool (a very sacred one, at that) that can help us navigate through difficulty, fear, sadness and pain. There's no such thing as a magic pill and, after a ceremony or retreat, it is still up to you to remember what you learned and felt and to return to the basic truths you might have discovered during your experience. It's up to you to continue seeking reconnection and, quite likely, help and support, which might come from drinking more medicine, going to other types of therapy, practicing self love, removing yourself from unhealthy circumstances or people etc. When we drink medicine for our own well being, we are seeking reconnection with our frustrations, fears, energy and with the perspective we receive in the process. And, perhaps most importantly, we are seeking reconnection with nature (keeping in mind that we too are nature).

During the ceremony, you are completely lucid. You can make decisions, you can see and remember everything, you can process your thoughts and emotions, and you might even be able to walk in a straight line. Ayahuasca facilitates a trance-like state, but doesn't make you lose consciousness. Physically, it does become more difficult to walk and you may feel unstable moving around, though it is still possible and many people aren't as affected in this way. The element of control is another matter. The short answer: The idea that we were ever in control is something each one of us must give up during the course of our lives, and Ayahuasca is one plant that helps you reach this realization, which will serve you for the rest of your life.

Yes, there are. One of the physical side effects include nausea during the ritual, which lasts from about 9pm to 6am. If the nausea persists the next day, the shaman will often use other plants to help with that or provide additional spiritual and energetic cleansing. But there are yet other side effects! One side effect is a deep state of fulfillment, thankfulness and happiness. This happens because, by taking Ayahuasca, your brain and emotions begin to function in a better way. You might see and approach life in a more relaxed way, letting go of fears and confusion. Another side effect of the plant is a feeling of lightness, both physically and emotionally. Physically because your digestive system has purged during the ceremony. Emotionally because, if you've been angry, stressed and anxious about a person or a situation, you're going to release that burden. Drinking Ayahuasca often helps with sleep. You'll be able to rest better because you'll remove the inner burdens you have. Following the experience, you might begin to remember your visions from the ceremony in your dreams, while you meditate or something during your daily life. You'll feel them and have them present. Finally, because Ayahuasca amplifies your senses, your taste of smell, taste and energy become more sensitive. It's quite common to eat better after an Ayahuasca retreat. You'll enjoy your food and be more aware of what you eat. Your body will begin requesting more nutritious and healthier food and you'll start avoiding specific foods that may not be benefiting your body.

For some reason, this is one of the main concerns for all of our visitors. There is much more that goes on during an Ayahuasca ceremony than vomiting! But to respond to this common inquiry: Maybe. Not everyone feels the need to throw up during a ceremony, but Ayahuasca does tend to cause nausea and some discomfort in the belly, so it is quite common to purge either through vomiting or by going #2. Throwing up is often an alleviating and cathartic experience, not to mention a way for the body to detox. It shouldn't be a deterrent to coming and drinking Ayahuasca, by any means.

The hard truth is YES. The same way you might die if an anesthesiologist administers too much, or too little, anesthesia. Like an anesthesiologist, the maimas and taitas that guide you during the ceremony are professionals. Over the course of decades, they have been learning from and administering this medicine. To someone that is not familiar with the spiritual world, it can be a difficult place to navigate through. Maimas and taitas, your spiritual guides, are completely familiar with this territory; it is their home. And if you were to get frightened during a ceremony, they know how to guide and help you so that you don't get lost along the way. Drinking Ayahuasca, or any powerful plant medicine, is to be taken seriously and should be done with the utmost respect. We strongly discourage buying Ayahuasca off the street or internet and drinking it without proper guidance, (spiritual) protection and supervision.

Ayahuasca is not addictive. It's one of the least addictive plants you'll find in nature. Once you've decided to drink for the first time, though you may be nervous, it isn't actually that difficult to take the cup and drink, simply because you don't know what's going to happen. However, to drink for the second time, one truly needs to have the courage and will to transcend and heal themselves. That said, there are some people that will drink once and that will be enough; with that they have enough to learn from. There are 4 reasons why Ayahuaska isn't addictive: 1. It doesn't taste like honey. Ayahuaska has a VERY strong flavor. After drinking and purging it during a ceremony, all you have to do is think about its taste and your stomach turns upside down. 2. In kindergarten, if you stole something from your classmate, you're going to remember it. During a ceremony, you'll remember all the things you did wrong in your life, and that's incredibly difficult. It isn't easy to realize the kind of person you really are. 3. Your entire digestive system will purge. Things you didn't even think you had in your digestive system will come out, and not just for 10 seconds, throughout the night and morning. 🙂 4. The next day, you're expected to pay for the experience.

The strongest effects from drinking Ayahuasca, including the ultra-visionary and purgative effects, occur during the 12-hour ceremony itself. Some individuals may feel nauseated in the days that follow, though the majority feel lighter and more clear headed. The plant's active ingredient remains in the body for around 40 days, during which you will continue to feel, understand and learn from the plant and the ceremony, oftentimes through dreams. The life principles you obtain during the ceremony will last a lifetime. That is, ultimately, the effect of drinking Ayahuasca. In fact, there are visions or feelings you may experience during a ceremony that will resurface years later and that you will only begin to finally understand with time. This is very common among those that choose this medicine.

Most antidepressants work by blocking the liver's MAO enzyme so that the brain assimilates serotonin and dopamine. In the ayahuasca vine, this substance, which inhibits the MAO enzyme, is natural and is called MAOI. When a person takes antidepressants, they should inform the taita, especially because sometimes some taitas prepare ayahuasca with other plants, such as chiricaspi, which has an active ingredient datura and scopolamine. These don't interact well with synthetic MAO, and can cause the patient to experience a traumatic journey. However, when the taita already knows that the person is taking antidepressants, he knows that their body is more receptive to DMT, and he knows that his dose and the type of ayahuasca medicine he is going to serve is different because, and this is key, he has prepared this specific medicine. He knows perfectly well how to administer it. Many supposed taitas in Europe and even in Latin America buy ayahuasca by the liter and have had unfortunate accidents with patients taking antidepressants because the taitas themselves do not know they are serving. So, the person who wants to take ayahuasca and also takes antidepressants should: - suspend use of the medication a few days before (or at least one day before) the session/retreat and should be constantly hydrating. - if you have the time and access, you should start taking three Omega 3+6+9 tablets a day (one tablet usually includes the 3 omegas; you take one tablet with every meal of the day) from one week before the session. This raises the levels of serotonin and dopamine in the brain and helps clear the liver of synthetic MAO. - during retreats/ceremonies DO NOT take medication - after the retreat, you should continue with the Omega treatment If you can't access the Omega tablets, or don't have time, the most important thing is to hydrate and drink water from plants, like dandelion root.

Difficult experiences - what are sometimes called "challenging journeys" - are a normal part of deep ceremonial work. They are not emergencies, and they are not to be avoided at all costs. Often, the most difficult part of a ceremony contains the most important material. Paulina and her assistant(s) are trained and experienced in accompanying difficult experiences. This includes specific musical interventions, physical presence (sitting beside someone, offering a hand if wanted), verbal guidance, and the administration of other medicines if appropriate. Nobody is left alone during a difficult passage. What we ask of participants is to trust the process - and to trust us. The desire to escape or stop the experience is common and understandable. With guidance, most people are able to work through it rather than around it, and the other side is usually one of the most significant moments of the retreat.

Every country has specific laws and restrictions about the use of plants like Ayahuasca and, in some countries (like the USA and European countries), Ayahuasca IS illegal. However, in Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and Colombia, Ayahuasca is legal, and considered an important part of national heritage. It is, in fact, a valuable heritage for all of humankind. At the scientific level, Ayahuasca is an entheogenic ("becoming divine within") plant and at the cultural level, it is a sacred component to age-old traditions.

We understand that plans change. Our policy is as follows: Cancellations received 60 days (or more) of retreat date (from day 1) will incur a penalty of 30% per person. Cancellations received 31 - 60 days of retreat date (from day 1) will incur a penalty of 50% per person. Cancellations received within 30 days of retreat date (from day 1) are non-refundable, though we will do our best to transfer your place to another date if possible. If Alma Healing Center cancels or significantly changes a retreat, you will receive a full refund or the option to transfer to another date.

We understand that a retreat represents a significant investment. For participants who need flexibility, we are happy to arrange a payment plan with a deposit to confirm your place and the balance paid in installments before the retreat date. Get in touch to discuss what works for you.

Yes, and we welcome it. Many people attend with a partner, a close friend, or a family member. One note: in ceremony, each person's experience is their own, and we find that the most powerful group containers are ones in which each individual is fully present with their own process rather than monitoring or managing their companion's. We gently ask that couples or friends give each other space to have their own experience during ceremony - there will be plenty of time to connect and share between sessions.

Depression and trauma are among the most common reasons people come to us, and many participants with these backgrounds have had deeply meaningful and helpful experiences. However, this question requires an honest, individual conversation rather than a blanket yes. For depression: ayahuasca has shown genuine promise in clinical research settings for treatment-resistant depression. In ceremonial contexts, many people report shifts in perspective, emotional processing, and a reduction in the heaviness of depressive states. That said, active suicidal ideation is a contraindication, and certain medications for depression are not compatible with ayahuasca (see medication interactions). We will discuss your specific situation before confirming your place. For trauma and PTSD: plant medicine can access and surface traumatic material with intensity. This can be profoundly healing when held correctly - and our container is specifically designed for this kind of work. Paulina's therapeutic training means she can accompany trauma responses in ceremony in ways that purely traditional facilitators may not be equipped to do. That said, we may recommend that someone with severe, unprocessed trauma do some preparatory work with a therapist before attending. Please reach out directly to have this conversation. It is one we take seriously.

The retreat space in Mindo is off-grid. Bathrooms are dry composting toilets — there is no running water in the toilets. There is running water for washing hands, bathing, and cooking, sourced from the river and filtered. Showering is done with cold water (though the air temperature is warm enough that this is fine for most people, and the river is available for swimming). We mention this explicitly because people deserve to know what they're signing up for. This is not a luxury wellness resort — it is a forest compound, and part of its power comes from exactly that simplicity. Most guests adapt quickly and many come to appreciate the absence of modern conveniences as part of the experience itself.

This happens, and it is more common than people expect. Several factors can reduce sensitivity: a particularly strong constitution, recent use of cannabis or other substances, diet in the days before ceremony, or simply being in a state of high cognitive resistance. If you feel little or nothing after the initial dose, you will be offered additional medicine at designated moments in the ceremony. We encourage you to be honest with Paulina about your experience - she will adjust accordingly. What we ask is that you resist the urge to evaluate or force the experience. Many people who report "feeling nothing" during a ceremony describe significant insights and shifts in the days and weeks that follow, as the plant continues to work. If after two ceremonies you consistently felt nothing, we would have a direct conversation about whether a different approach might serve you better.

Absolutely. The majority of our participants come alone. Our retreats are designed to create genuine group connection — by the end of four days in the cloudforest with shared ceremonies and meals, the people in your group will feel like old friends. Many participants stay in touch long after the retreat ends. Coming alone can actually deepen the experience, as there is no social dynamic from your existing life to navigate. You are simply present, as yourself, with a group of people who are there for the same reason.