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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reneejean2020
February 24, 2020 at 11:17 amArkana changed my life.
It’s now been eight months since my visit and I’m still learning and growing from my experience at there each and every day. I’ve been able to overcome a lot of personal issues I was dealing with for many years and have a new found love for myself, for others and for life. I am now deeply connected to nature.
As a female solo traveler and it being my first time to South America, I did a ton of research online and ended up booking the 14 day Amazon to Machu Picchu Ayauasca Expedition. I chose Arkana because I was really interested in visiting both the Amazon and the Sacred Valley (the only retreat center in Peru I could find that offered this package) and I was very intrigued that Arkana offered several other sacred medicines in addition to Ayauasca, such as San Pedro, Bufo, Rapé, and Kambo (the most options offered by a retreat center I was able to find). This was such a big investment for me (and the best investment I’ve ever made for myself), I figured I might as well get as much out of the experience as possible regardless of how scary and unknown it seemed at the time.
Both facilities are extremely well-maintained and surrounded by the most beautiful nature. The food was delicious and the group activities were very well thought out and fun. During one of the activities, a monkey jumped out of a tree and onto our boat and decided to sit right next to me while allowing me to pet it for several minutes. I fell in love with the sloths we were able to hold during another group activity. They were adorable.
I’m so grateful for my experience at Arkana and for all of the wonderful facilitators, shamans and staff members who helped me along my healing journey. Their love, compassion and genuine care for my experience made me feel so safe and comforted throughout my time at Arkana. The icaros and other music played and sung was simply breathtaking.
If you are looking to make positive changes in your life with unlimited personal and spiritual growth, consider Arkana. It’s an experience that changed my life and one that I will never forget.
Leonluiz
February 24, 2020 at 9:32 amMy 3 weeks at Arkana Spiritual Center in the Sacred Valley around 4 months ago were among the best of my life. All staff members – shamans, facilitators, chefs, cleaning personnel – are amazing and very dedicated to their jobs. They made me feel safe at all times, even during very difficult trips. Also, the facilities are great, with very nice housing, ceremony room, hammocks and meditation tent. Like many other people, I underestimated the amount of work that is needed to integrate the experiences into my regular life after the retreat. I had a very difficult time afterwards, but managed to reconnect to (most of) the clarity and strength found at Arkana a bit later. Integration is discussed at Arkana, but there could be more concrete pointers for everyday life, or more comprehensive aftercare. Except for that, everything was top notch, and I’d come back to this wonderful place without any hesitation!
Coryd
February 23, 2020 at 8:33 pmOutstanding
I have done ayahuasca before but never with actual shamans (people who have undergone plant dietas). The power of the shamanic icaros cannot be overstated. It was like he reached inside of me and pulled out years of pain with his song. It is hard to believe until you experience it. Also they made visiting Machu Picchu painless.
ejwtravels93
February 23, 2020 at 4:58 pmAdmittedly I was nervous about going to Peru for my first Ayahuasca experience because I didn’t know what to expect. But, Arkana gave me a truly beautiful experience that helped me heal and grow alongside some wonderful, likeminded spirits. If you are contemplating traveling to Arkana Spiritual Center, I assure you there is no better choice! Everything about this place is exactly what you could want from an experience like this. It is safe, clean, beautiful, and tranquil. The staff is all incredibly kind and loving, and the other travelers will quickly become your tribe. Deciding to go on an Ayahuasca retreat is a big decision, but choosing Arkana should be the easiest part!
EeeZee
February 22, 2020 at 6:02 pmI went to Arkana Sacred Valley for a one-week ayahuasca retreat with my husband and it was the most transformational experience I ever had. I hadn’t even heard about ayahuasca when my husband and I first decided to take a trip to Peru. He knew a little about it from a friend twenty years ago and it has been on his radar since then. So, we did a whole lot of research about ayahuasca and the numerous retreats in Peru and decided on Arkana. They had a lot of clear details on their website which gave me a sense of security and I am so grateful that we chose Arkana. We had a Skype meeting with an Arkana facilitator before going which they do with all their participants, and he answered everything that was still in question.
We were greeted at Arkana with traditional music. The grounds are cozy with hammocks, a yurt and comfortable chairs to sit and meditate in or to hang out and chat with the other retreaters. There is a bounty of fruit and tea is always available. I was also pleasantly surprised at the rooms which were comfortable and had a private bathroom with shower. The meals were fresh and tasty although I did miss my spices, which are not a part of the ayahuasca diet.
I loved all the activities and workshops that were planned: the morning yoga, the temazcal (sweat lodge), the sound healing and breath work; it was all well organized and supported the other work we were doing. Which leads me to the ayahuasca ceremonies.
I admit that I arrived with some hesitation, but I have never had such an informative and transformational experience in my life. The shamans were sensitive and made me feel safe and each ceremony was unique and extremely powerful. I learned so much about myself; my past, my present, my emotions and thoughts and it allowed a powerful clarity that continues informing me every day. The supporting facilitators were also fabulous; so giving, loving, kind and present. I felt safe and well taken care of in their hands. You are given a personal arkana (chant/song) by the shaman in your last ceremony that they record and send to you. I listen to mine often so that I can connect, be supported and reminded of my time. It has proved to be extremely useful.
I also tried Sapo and San Pedro which they offered. I had an incredible Sapo experience which connected me to a Universal Love that filled me completely. I felt completely safe and cared for in this ritual. I had the best massage while I was there too. Overall, my time at Arkana is a time I will never forget.