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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Sherry
April 20, 2017 at 7:37 pmThis is my first Ayahuasca experience and I have to say I absolutely loved it! It felt like home as soon as I arrived at this center. I can attest to all of the points they have stated in their overview and more. Pulse tours have thought of everything to ensure that your healing experience is as comfortable as possible considering you are in the middle of the jungle. It is super clean, food is tasty even though barely any salt is used, several comfortable spots to hang out in during the day, great day outings and the Shamans and facilitators were just awesome! In this Spiritual adventure, the Pulse team provides you with full support in every way possible to ensure that you get the most out of this incredible medicine. I could go on and on about how impressed I was on how Pulse has organized this retreat. In this particular tour, the travelers that came together really meshed well and were all there to heal parts of themselves. It was really special to meet and share this experience with such amazing people. We will be bonded forever – at the end we were all discussing when we could all get back together and experience this again with Pulse. I am looking forward to coming back to this amazing sacred place! This inner self work is incredible and I highly recommend to do it with Pulse.
Things I wished I would of known;
– Bring comfortable ceremony outfits, loose light clothing. My preference was a loose pair of drawstring shorts and tank top.
– You are in the middle of the jungle with no where to go – no need to bring fancy clothes – all about breathable comforts. You can wash your clothes by hand if need be.
– Show up one day in advance to settle in and leave 1 day after you come back to hang out with your new found family members. In my opinion, you only need these 2 extra days in Iquitos.
– For light packing, you only need 1 pair of flip flops – I did not wear shoes ever at the center.
– Bring some spending money, convert to Sol currency before going to retreat, you will want to tip the staff and support the neighboring families as they have beautiful jewelry and souvenirs.
BobEbunz
April 19, 2017 at 11:27 pmThis review is more than overdue…
I attended a 7 day retreat in November of 2015..
What can I say? I came to ayaadvisors simply playing with the idea. As the calling felt greater within me, I knew it was time to make it happen. I came very close to booking with another, cheaper, center… but landed on Pulse.
And I couldn’t be more grateful for that…
I had felt so stuck in my life… Working the same job for years, feeling as though I was squandering my life’s potential.. I went to Peru with the intention of unearthing my true path.
Arriving in Lima, my flight had gotten delayed and my luggage misplaced. I was alone in a new place with only the clothes on my back and my carry on bag.. And I’d forgot to get my phone activated for use in Peru (*facepalm*). I was sleep deprived, lonely, and scared I wouldn’t make it to Iquitos before the group departed to the center… I was able to somehow buy 10 minutes of internet use at the airport, and contacted Melissa. She was so compassionate and revitalized my hope.
After about 7 hours at the Lima airport, and a flight to Iquitos, I had arrived. I pulled up in a moto-taxi as fellow retreat members were boarding the vans for the center. I met a facilitator named Ian, who immediately helped me feel welcome and took me to buy a pair of shorts… Man, that was so kind… The perfect introduction to the amazing crew I’d be working with.
Arriving by boat at the center (after having some great conversation with the other guests), I knew this was where I needed to be. Communication by the staff was excellent, briefing us on all of the amenities and what we might expect in the days to come.
Speaking to the amenities and provisions: The food was wonderful. I don’t eat meat, wheat, or dairy, and I found all the meals to be fresh and nourishing. You have two beds you may choose to sleep in (one located in a cabin with an insect net, or your mat in the maloca). Showers you are free to use at your leisure, and flushing toilets… Not to mention the “Jungle Gym” for all your body maintenance needs.
As for the ceremonies….. Wow.
The shamans have a wisdom that is beyond anything I might portray in writing. I worked with Wiler and Angelina during my stay. Extraordinary experience with these wonderful humans.. Speaking to this point, the facilitators were all incredible… Each and every one brought their own energy to the ceremonies, energies that helped me through the difficult moments. Dan “the man” Cleland himself drank 2 of the nights with us, and I couldn’t be more grateful of that.. To experience the medicine with such professionals.. the perfect experience.
I’m not going to go into exactly what happened to me during the ceremonies for a couple of reasons. 1.) It’s going to be different for everyone… every time 2.) You can surely read plenty of other accounts of people’s specific experiences with the medicine.
What I garnered from Ayahausca… There is so much more to our existence than we know (especially what Western teaching tells us). A gratitude for things so vast and encompassing. A new lease on life, a renewed freshness and joy I haven’t felt in so long.
A year and a half later after my experience…
I’ve found a career path in manual therapy (Rolfing), that I would have never imagined myself going into before experiencing Ayahausca. The hardships of daily life (although they still do get me down at times) seem less tumultuous.. As though I’ve undergone a mental boot camp of sorts.
Ok ok, I’ll bring this review to a close.
I am so grateful for my experience at Pulse, to all that I’ve met, and those I will in future journeys. I wish you (the reader) a bold heart, and wisdom in the steps you take.
Much love, and thank you for reading this lofty review!!
Irina Telegina
April 16, 2017 at 8:28 pmExcellent!:) Thank you SO much for such an incredible experience! It has been my third time at the centre and this time I came back with my husband, Oleg. We both received exactly what we needed out of the medicine and so much more. My husband, especially, as a first timer, has had a life changing experience. Everyone was so helpful, they always are, the ceremonies were wonderful, full of light, full of love. The shamans and staff who work there are all very pure beings, and me and my husband are beyond grateful to them and to the facilities for such a beautiful and meaningful experience.
Both of us were on the Ayahuasca diet (where you actually open up a diet with it, not only do ceremonies, it’s a bit of a different level and I suggest you ask the staff down there if you can do the same!) and this had certainly made our connection with the medicine much deeper. Yet, the food which was provided for us, no salt, no oil, no sugar, stuff like that, was so delicious, even though it was so simple!
Great facility. I love it and will certainly be back again soon and next time I want to go back for a longer period of time, probably three weeks, because I want to start another diet maybe with a bark of a tree. You can learn so much from those diets, I highly, highly suggest for you to look into dieting with a plant! It’s a game changer!
All my Love,
Trenchcoat Kittie
April 8, 2017 at 11:11 amSpent a week at the center end of March.
The process to get to Iquitos and then to the center is a “pilgrimage” and makes this journey sacred from the start.
Could not imagine these ceremonies anywhere but in the heart of the jungle which gives life to these plants.
Not easy to attach words to these experiences without sounding affected. I can attach words to the center, Dolan, Val, Craig, Tamara and staff that nurture, entertain us and lend wisdom and love to our ceremonies.
If you’re feeling scared you will feel safe and reassured.
The Shamen’s ( we had four ) were so connected to us and committed to our process.
There is no reason to look further, Pulse will meet all your needs and some you are unaware of.
My only recommendation would be to find alternate accommodations
(other than La Casona). This is my second trip and I will never stay at La Casona. The hotel is convenient, noisy, very uncomfortable beds and a hoard of unsavory and aggressive characters in front of the hotel. There are other choices within walking distance of La Casona.
Briansillypants
April 6, 2017 at 5:59 pmFacility 10/10
Beautiful, well built and well taken care of.
Facilators 11/10
Some of the most caring and beautiful people I have had the pleasure to meet:) Craig help me with many great word of wisdom & Dolan seemed like he was made for it:)
Organization 9/10
Show up and everything is taken care of.
Activities during the day 7/10
Could have had some more organized activities like one on one sharing with shamans.
Most importantly were the people I met on the trip. Ever retreat can’t be this good but some of the most open and beautiful people I’ve met. Strangers day one to best friends day 7:) love them all!
My suggestion would be to have more of a direct way of tipping the Peruvian staff. They were awesome and friendly but don’t think they get paid nearly enough considering how much the retreat brings in and how hard they work. Sharing is caring.
Pulse Tours
April 7, 2017 at 12:55 pmHi Brian – thanks very much for your feedback, I’m so glad you had a good experience! Regarding activities during the day, we have one-on-one consultations with the head Shaman and translator on the first day, with “group share” conversations the morning after each ceremony. However, additional individual consultations with the Shaman are always available upon request after that first one – facilitators should be making that clear upon arrival, I will make sure they are doing so! We do offer jungle expeditions in the afternoons each day, so there are plenty of activities to do if you would like to explore the surrounding Pacaya Simiria National Reserve, with our local jungle guide.
As well, while we certainly ensure we our Peruvian staff is well taken care of (we have a great relationship with the local village Libertad, where we employ most of the village on a rotating basis, and help out with major projects such as installing free solar panels for every home to have electricity and light – check out lightupthevillage.org if you would like to help out with this latest project!), we also have tipping jars right next to the maloca for the staff – I will check with my team on this as well, to ensure people are aware if they would like to donate anything extra – that’s very kind of you to say and desire this, so we really appreciate the feedback! Every little bit helps, and we want to make sure people have the chance to give back if it resonates with them.
Thank you again for this Brian, and best of luck integrating into life back home – you know you always have a home with us!
Love,
The Pulse Team