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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michaelgg1581
April 15, 2019 at 12:52 pmMy time at Arkana Spiritual Center in the Amazon was one of if not THE most profound experiences I have had in my life. I began researching Ayahuasca for a year before I made the decision to make my reservation and go. After looking at other retreat options and speaking with staff at a few others, I decided on Arkana after my initial conversation with Arkana’s Chief Dharma Officer. I didn’t know at the time that I first talked to Jose that he is the man who, with the help of a dedicated, loving team, led Arkana to become the amazing Spiritual Healing Center that it is today. Jose offered all the information I needed and patiently answered each of my many questions. He helped me feel confident that Arkana and the particular retreat I was researching was right for me. Arkana even helped me chosoe the airline and flight that worked best with my timeframe. I have to admit that I was a bit of a difficult customer, but without exception, each Arkana facilitator and other members of staff made me feel important, cared for, and addressed all of my concerns in a way that my worry about making a trip of this magnitude. Traveling from the United States to a place as foreign and as far from home as I’d ever been was scary to me. Each person I interacted with at Arkana during my entire trip, from planning to departing, helped me feel comfortable and I genuinely felt that my experience was important to them. Due to the way I scheduled my travel plans, I had to leave the Jungle earlier in the day than the rest of the group was scheduled to depart on our last day. Cecilia, the general manager in the Jungle retreat arranged this and made sure I was able to get transportation to the Iquitos airport with no hangups or problems.
Preparation for the ceremonies was excellent. Although I would encourage everyone to do their own research and know how to best prepare for this experience, Arkana’s staff makes sure that you’re equipped with the information you need to prepare for each state of your experience. From correspondence about your preparation diet, what to pack and bring with you and detailed itineraries to one on one counseling with the facilitators and shamans, Arkana guides you through the Ayahuasca healing process.
I would love to write about everything that happened during my time at Arkana; it’s an experience that I wish I could share with everyone. However I learned like it’s important for each person to have an experience that’s not adulterated with stories from someone else. The ceremony facilitators will remind you that it’s important to not have firm expectations, but to be open to the experience. You’ll do your research and during that time, you’ll read people who’ve written exactly what they’ve experienced. Your experience is your own – Ayahuasca does not give you what you want, but it will give you what you need. If you’re researching Ayahuasca, it’s likely that you have some part of your life that you want help with. You will have to do the work yourself, but at Arkana, you’re provided with a safe and loving environment in which you can go through your processes and ask for help when you need it.
DMB
April 15, 2019 at 12:46 pmAMAZING SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE. In a beatiful setting with comfortable facilities, the devoted staff provide several Aya ceremonies and various other experiences and tools to look at life more positively and return to “normal” life with a deeper and more compassionate approach. They give of their time freely because they are so committed to what they are doing. The dynamic among fellow attendees is also warm and supportive. I attended the Sacred Valley location.
joepalano
April 15, 2019 at 12:24 pmI’ve been to the Arkana Sacred Valley location twice now. The first time I went I picked Arkana because of internet reviews, and I was almost suspicious at how many 5 star reviews it got. After my week stay I understood, how could anyone not give a 5 star review of this place? Above all things, I felt like the people working there were there for the right reasons. This was very important to me when I was researching places for the first time, which I spent weeks doing in my free time before picking Arkana. I was so happy with my first experience I went back for another week and had another incredible time. I’ve learned new things and grown as a person both times, and I look forward to going back. I think next time I will go to the jungle location mostly because I want to try the Kambo! I hope this review helps you on your journey!
rohanb88
April 15, 2019 at 6:15 amI made the pilgrimage to the Arkana Amazon Retreat for their 2 week retreat in the jungle and it was by far the most confronting, difficult and painfully triumphant 2 weeks of my life. In saying that, I could not recommend Arkana more highly!
From the minute I arrived at the retreat there was an instant feeling of love, support, openness and calmness that carried through the entirety of my stay. The retreat itself is really quite beautiful, and it was never hard to find a space to be by yourself to journal or contemplate. The structure of the retreat was well laid out and matched everything I had read on their website. My initial sit down with the shamans and facilitators was a space were I truly felt listened to, and very quickly I knew that the ceremonial space was a space where I felt comfortable to be open and vulnerable.
The retreat was always kept exceptionally clean and the people from the nearby village that worked there were always full of smiles. The food provided was fresh, healthy and prepared daily and there was always fruit, water and tea available between meals.
The medicines given at this retreat including Ayahuasca, Kambo, Nunu & Sonoran Desert Toad are the real deal, and if you go in with an open heart and a willingness to surrender you are in for a treat. The most important thing for me throughout the 2 weeks was knowing that the ceremonial space was safe and supportive. The facilitators were always aware of what was going on and were there to help guide you, not only on your feet when walking was a little tricky but also emotionally if the night got tough.
The shamans breathe life and wisdom into the experience and their Icaro’s are like nothing else I’ve ever heard. It was great to be able to not only have the ceremonies as the main event but also extra opportunities for healing like sound baths, breathwork and yoga.
If you do your research you’ll know that the real work starts when you got home. Integration is definitely the part that has been the hardest for me, but it’s nice to be a part of the retreat Facebook page where you don’t feel alone in the journey.
All in all I give Arkana 5 stars. If you look around you will see why Arkana is one of the best retreats in Peru! It delivered 100% and was a big part of my life changing forever.
rainbowbaby13
April 15, 2019 at 4:53 amI stayed with Arkana in Jan 2019 for the 14 day Amazon and Sacred Valley retreat.
Being a single solo traveller travelling across the world from Australia, I was very nervous. I spent a long time picking the retreat, after years of researching ayahuasca and retreats and at a time in my life when I felt ready, I saw a post from an old high school friend who spoke about his life changing journey at Arkana. It just all aligned it was at a point I couldn’t keep carrying on how I had been. He spoke about the facilities, facilitators and how the set and setting were the perfect backdrop for deep healing. I googled straight away and had all my questions prepared.
I immediately felt well informed with Liliana answering each and every question to put my mind at ease. I was well informed about the dieta and had a medical intake. I felt like it was a professional but authentic experience., importantly I felt safe. Prior to leaving I also connected with other Australians that had been on the retreat through the ‘Friends of Arkana’ facebook community.
The nerves I felt prior to the first ceremony subsided by feeling home at ease. I have difficulty sleeping but felt like the rooms/accommodation allowed me to have a good sleep after going through some difficult self -realisations.
The days offered opportunities to go to a local village, meet sloths, jungle walk and visit markets. If you preferred deep self-reflection, exercising and immersing yourself on a hammock that was also available. It catered for what you needed. Some days I felt like being social and others I felt like journaling.
The transition from the jungle to the valley was easy – well organised and I felt safe going from one environment to another. I spent the first week in the Amazon which was an amazing setting to immerse yourself in the spirit of Ayahuasca. Coming to the valley was a different and varied experience.
The valley energy was different – a soft echo. A beautiful river backdrop. It has a gentle flow and a peace that allows for the plant to work at such a deep profound level. It was within this retreat that it got extremely deep, it really worked deep within the core and showed me the hidden parts that prevent me from moving forward. The pattern stoppers. It was confronting and real and at times scary and raw. I was so blessed to be around such supportive facilitators that could help me make sense and be there for me in what were some challenging and deep ceremonies.
The room was large and the bed massive and cosy. The range of activities including Machu Picchu day trip allowed for a once in a lifetime experience. My group was perfect and I met my soul sister who will forever hold a place in my heart and thanks to the beautiful gifting ceremonies is with me each and every day.
The room for the ceremonies was cosy and allowed for a deep experience. I felt myself connect on a very deep level with the medicine. The sweat lodge Temazcal showed me a perseverance within myself, when I truly didn’t believe I could last to the end.
San Pedro was a perfect ending allowing for a light ending with such a sacred plant immersed in nature. Having the two experiences really allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of myself and a side of myself I have been longing to meet.
The facilitators at Sacred Valley are second to none and I highly recommend a massage with Paco. Angel and his music is amazing – the songs take me back as well as the beautiful harp played by Tutis. If you go – ask for the story of the harp.
Arkana cares about integration – which after such a profound, deep cleansing experience is a must. Integration hasn’t always been easy for me – but knowing I can contact or message means I feel supported even when I feel vunerable from the truths it has allowed me to see.
I feel like I am still integrating but I have a level of self -awareness that I am working hard toward and for. I understand more layers of a complex onion then I did before which was just murky, muddy confusion. I have memories in my heart that I can call upon in the tough times as the memories of are able to be called upon in times I feel myself slipping back into old patterns. I have added resilience, independence and connections with beautiful humans which will last a lifetime. More importantly I am finally learning to love myself.
The Ayahuasca ceremonies were facilitated both by experienced shamans that genuinely cared about healing . We spoke along with facilitators about anything that may come up so we were deeply guided on our journey. The icaros assisted in grounding the experience and the setting of the maloca felt safe with enough personal space and not too many other people. I felt cared for when I felt vulnerable and supported when I had any questions that arose for the experience. I never felt alone through the healing process, the deep care and consideration of the facilitators made me feel safe at a time that a lot of deep healing and processing was coming to light. Group share provided an opportunity to have differing perspectives and allowed for easier transitions. What other group members said to me will remain with me forever in a time I wasn’t quite sure what messages meant.
I couldn’t recommend Arkana more – it isn’t a retreat it is a place of a deep healing immersion journey with family. It is a place you go to find the side of yourself that was always hidden inside. I couldn’t recommend more highly.