Ayahuasca Retreat Reviews — Helping You Stay Safe with 5,000+ Independent Reviews
Our Program
At Arkana, we create the space for you to get in touch with your truth, opening your path for deeper meaning and greater fulfillment in your life. We work with ancestral medicines such as Ayahuasca, San Pedro, Bufo Alvarius, Rapé , using the traditional practices of the indigenous cultures of the Peruvian Amazon. We currently operate two centers in Peru, one in the Peruvian Amazon and a second one in the Sacred Valley (close to Machu Picchu), and one in Mexico, the choice is yours.
With great respect for the plants and the knowledge and healing that comes with them, our lineage of Shipibo shamans set the stage for truly deep and profound healing. Awaken your inner power through their sacred and powerful icaros (healing songs), and discover your connection to all things by exploring some of the 2.2 million hectare Pacaya Samiria National Reserve which is our backyard. Nourish your body and soul with fresh, clean, delicious meals that promote your Ayahuasca experience, and integrate healthy habits into your routine with our yoga classes and extensive selection of gym equipment for all levels. We believe the health of physical body sets the foundation for the health of the energetic body – Often ignored in this type of spiritual work, we find this to be an important part of the healing process, so you can begin implementing the healthy habits that will carry this work with you into your life back home. Finally, relax your mind and spirit with sound baths, meditations, breathwave sessions, and OM circles, or simply enjoy the tranquil views of both sunrise and sunset from our front porch on the banks of the Ucayali River, surrounded by lush biodiversity and the mesmerizing sounds of the jungle.
Arkana’s exceptional team of highly-trained Shipibo Master Shamans represent an unbroken lineage of plant medicine work. With a combined history of over 70 years of experience working closely with Ayahuasca and other master plant teachers of the jungle, our compassionate healers lovingly share their teachings, healing songs (icaros), capabilities, and knowledge with integrity and honor. We strive to maintain the traditional practices passed down through thousands of years of indigenous Amazonian culture, in order to continue to promote the true purpose and nature of plant medicine work.
Experiencing the medicines with us is a transformative personal journey, and so much more. We also work closely with our local community, the Amazonian village of Libertad, to ensure that our Center can benefit and give back to the people who have so generously let us into their homes and hearts. We create employment opportunities, teach free English classes, provide a space for the ladies to sell their handmade crafts, and assist in construction projects, among other things. Our latest endeavor is outfitting the entire village with free solar panels, so every house can have light and electricity. When you join us, you are helping the rainforest and the Amazon communities that live here.
Guests that come to our Center often say they feel like “part of the family” with us – that’s no coincidence, as we are one big family at Arkana! The people that are with you throughout your experience can simply facilitate your own healing journey or become an integral part of it. Our experienced, loving, and professional team of caregivers welcomes you to join our tribe, where we strive to make you feel at home and at ease, supported and cared for with all the love and compassion that is at the core of the plant medicines and people we work with.
Ayahuasca is a powerful medicine that offers us the opportunity to understand our true nature, by shining a light onto our darkness, and holding a mirror up to our fears, negative thought patterns, and self-limiting beliefs. We provide the environment and expertise of a team of highly skilled, warm, compassionate Shamans and facilitators to guide you through the process of awakening, of choosing differently, healing, and expanding. It is a slow but steady path towards freedom – from fear, from illusion, from self-constructed boundaries – resulting in a lighter, brighter, more authentic self, and the full experience of love. It is our honor to help you on this most fulfilling of all journeys: the journey back home.
We look forward to having you with us!
Lots of Love,
The Team
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amlang01
July 29, 2024 at 11:24 amFrom initial communication, to pick up from Iquitos, arrival welcome by staff, throughout utmost care and well organized schedule, to perfectly designed meditations, and other “get ready” events prior to the evening ceremonies. No words for the entire team. In addition we had the most incredible group of humans amongst ourselves to support and love one another through our experiences. I am ready to book again! Magical and yes there are tougher ceremonies but the teachings override the pain from the past, with love, understanding and freedom! Go for it, you will not regret anything!! Thank you Arkana team, you are the best in class!
TracyG
July 26, 2024 at 4:44 pmI have recently returned from a 3 week retreat with Arkana (2 weeks at the Jungle Retreat and 1 week at the Sacred Valley Retreat) with my son and daughter. I had no idea what to expect and was thinking of myself being there in more of a supportive capacity for my daughter rather than needing actual healing for myself. How wrong was I!
Arkana wrapped me up in her loving arms and cradled me through, ceremony after beautiful ceremony, letting me see and feel the emotions I had been stuck in for so long and then building me up slowly but surely, knowing exactly what I needed. Arkana is the only retreat I could go to as it is so well run, safe and you are looked after every step of the way. It has built an amazing platform for incredible spiritual intervention and healing to take place, unlike no other, and in the most beautiful setting possible. I have never felt more supported with genuine care and understanding in all my life, they do amazing work and their methods and teachings are just perfect. The Maestros are thee best of the best! Their sacrifice and absolute dedication to their work is truly admirable and I will forever be in awe of them all! Both retreats are very different and both have fantastic features and I just cannot separate them. Both are amazing! Jose and his team of facilitators and staff must also be commended on their achievements and hospitality as you are all very special humans and we love and miss you all dearly. Can’t wait to return to our Arkana family in the future….thank you for everything, Tracy Chloe and Andrew (Andy) XXX
Chloemallowey13
July 24, 2024 at 3:51 amMy experience at Arkana was incredibly transformative, dark, challenging and so special and profound. The meastris have helped me heal and incredible amount and the medicine showed me things I didn’t know existed and what I need to focus on to heal and grow. The facilitators were so wonderful, kind, extremely supportive and gentle in times of need. I cannot thank them enough along with an external thanks to the maestros for their incredible healing abilities along side the work of the medicine. The staff were like little fairies and did their jobs to an impeccable degree. I also want to give an eternal thank you to Jose for making this all possible and giving me the opportunity to have the gift of living again instead of just existing.
This whole experience saved my life in more ways than one.
Thank you thank you thank you
All my love from Chloé
Madara
July 14, 2024 at 7:04 pmI spent the week in Arkana jungle last week and it was the best decision I’ve made. I had a strong calling to work with plant medicine and I was researching retreats near Amazonian jungle. Arkana caught my attention by its strong positive feedback online, by its multiple offerings e.g. 1 up to 3 week options in different locations, variety of medicines provided and the overall schedule of the retreat. Everything was really well organised starting from transportation and logistics up to daily activities during the retreat. It all had smartly designed sequence offering people exactly what they need each day. Staff and facilitators were extremely welcoming, friendly and warm, you feel like you are part of a close family when there. The owner Jose was present during our retreat week as well and he makes each guest feel seen, cared for, looked after, included, welcomed in the family and offering his guidance to each individual based on their needs. Food was so delicious too and decorated beautifully, our rooms had cleaning service each day and it felt like a 5 star hotel because of the quality of service. We were able to learn about plant medicine directly from shamans, ask our questions directly to them, it is such a unique opportunity. During ceremony nights shamans and facilitators closely look after each individual and help without even asking – they see what you need when you need it, you’re never alone. Our integration conversations were thorough, each guest could express freely in a safe space and was guided if needed to understand their experience better. Our group became very close friends during the 1 week, almost like a soul family and each of us got out a lot from the entire week. This was my first time working with these plant medicines and if you’re considering it too, I highly recommend Arkana as it’ll give you more than you could ever expect or imagine in a sacred, welcoming, family like environment.
iamajm
July 1, 2024 at 11:20 amWords will fall short of how incredible this place, the medicine, the shamans and the staff are – but I will try! First off, there’s no safer Aya retreat for your healing or personal growth. The love and holistic support from all the staff was palpable from the moment I arrived to the moment I left. The medicine, ceremonies and shamans are all 100% authentic and traditional. It was SUCH an honor – an experience I never expected to witness or be a part of. So many mind boggling things happened and my spirituality grew a thousand-fold. Every day was profound. There’s nothing that the medicine and the shamans cannot do. My life is now on track, I’m no longer lost. I learned who I truly am and who I am to become. All the reasons I had to come here and the discipline and sacrifices I made for this trip were paid back in absolutely priceless ways that I will cherish forever. The reward is there for anyone willing to embark upon this journey with their true will and intentions aligned and in tact.
The group: Extraordinary things happen when extraordinary people tune into their intuition and follow it into the unknown. These are the types of people you can expect to be in your group. I didn’t know I needed more friendship, nor did I want them per se at the time of booking – but I needed it. I needed each and every person in my group (even the ones my personality clashed with in the beginning). I’m so happy to have found them all. I have a new family of brothers and sisters that I cherish. So expect that!
The shamans (maestros): Maestra Justina, Maetros Samuel, Herminio, Eligio, and Luis worked together as a spiritual all-star team in our ceremonies. I was not expecting 5 POWERFUL maestros working in unison. It was as if each one of their incredible abilities as energy healers on the physical, emotional, and spiritual planes were each multiplied by 5x through working in tandem with each other. Their icaros are otherworldly and breathtaking. Their totally selfless commitment to healing whoever needs their help makes me well up inside with a gratitude I’ve never felt before. Their unbroken lineage of thousands of years of Shipibo plant knowledge and masterful prowess of working with and through the medicine is hard to put into words. As they told our group multiple times, “when one heals, we all heal.” The healing I witnessed was straight out of a fairy tale, yet it was as real as the keyboard I’m typing on right now.
The accommodations: Just wow. Engulfed in the Amazon jungle, the retreat center is alive with its exotic beauty, magic and blissful tranquility. Sloths sleepily climbing trees, monkeys joyfully celebrating sunset every night, bird calls that will melt your soul… Yeah, just wow. There are many options for what type of privacy you want. I was in a shared room with 3 beds (the most inexpensive option) and I have zero regrets. The beds and pillows were SO comfortable. The entire retreat center, including the rooms, bathrooms, showers, etc. were cleaned daily, just like a hotel. The food was INCREDIBLE. I’d go back just for the food . 10/10 for accommodations.
Giving back: At first, I didn’t know how to feel about paying +$2k for plant medicine, which traditionally shouldn’t cost anything. The maestros heal anyone who asks. But after seeing the massive amounts of opportunity Arkana creates for the local tribespeople and even civilians and businesses in the surrounding areas, I’m once more in awe of the beauty this place. Arkana sends endless, boundless ripples of goodness to everyone and everything related to it. I was very fortunate that Jose (the owner) was there during my visit. His love, beauty, humor and vision are amazing to see materialize. The goodness this place is doing for everyone is miraculous.
The staff: As I mentioned, the love and holistic support from all the staff was palpable from the moment I arrived to the moment I left. Now that I am gone, their help and assistance is still here for me throughout the integration process. They stay connected through WhatsApp support groups and just personally. World class humans full of love work here. They take care of EVERYTHING and are just as selfless as the shamans. I’m so thankful for them.
My growth: Without getting too personal, I came here because I felt like I had gotten off-track. My life’s compass was spinning and I didn’t know which direction to go in. All I can say, is that I’ve been totally recalibrated. My compass is pointing north and I know where to go. I learned who I am on such a deeper level than I could have ever imagined. My relationship with God and capacity to love Him, myself and others expanded to a boundless ocean. Oh, and the arthritis in my separated shoulder is gone!
My advice: if the medicine is calling you, go to Arkana. I wouldn’t go anywhere else. If and when the medicine calls me again, I will be going back to Arkana.