Ayahuasca $100 - $2,000

Aya Madre Healing Center

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Aya Madre is a shamanic healing center outside of Iquitos, Peru. It is owned and operated by master Shipibo shaman Estela Pangoza and her family. Maestra Estela is a renowned healer who works with the power of ayahuasca and mother nature as part of an ancient system of holistic treatment. Come heal your physical, emotional and/or spiritual illnesses, and connect more deeply to nature, yourself and higher states of well-being.

Maestra Estela has owned this property and been hosting a wide range of guests, clients and patients for over 5 years. In 2018 the center was officially founded as “Aya Madre.” Maestra Estela’s vision is to open a space deep in the heart of the jungle for people from the around the world to experience the deep and profound healing of mother nature.

While “ayahuasca tourism” has boomed in the Amazon jungle, with tourists seeking the sometimes thrilling visions ayahuasca can offer, Maestra Estela practices a traditional form of Shipibo plant medicine. This tradition sees ayahuasca as one of many master plants which along with a range of other plant treatments, can act as a powerful diagnostic tool, purgative, and ultimately, help us connect more deeply with the healing power within ourselves and all around us. This form of Shipibo plant medicine has been practiced for thousands of years, and at Aya Madre guests will be immersed in the full system of healing under Maestra Estela’s care and guidance.

As far as we know, this center is unique in being 100% owned and operated by a female, indigenous shaman. This is no small task in a world of shamanism dominated by men. Maestra Estela provides a safe, nurturing, empowering environment where you can experience the deep healing of the jungle, Ayahuasca, and the Shipibo plant tradition.

Reviews (36)

4.3 out of 5

Overall 4.3

Ali
May 3, 2021 at 4:16 pm

In visiting Aya Madre, my intentions were to stay a month or two. I wanted to heal and go back home to move on with my life. Instead, I got so much more than what I expected!
Anyone that is in the healing path knows that the healing never stops. It is an endless progress of self discovery and evolution, which I discovered at the center.
Maestra Estela has created not only a healing center but also a learning center. It is a learning center that empowers you to continue the work with the medicine on your own, once you go back into civilization.
As for Maestra Estela, there are not enough words to describe what she did for me and what I’ve seen her do for others. She is a mother to many in her community and pasajeros alike. She holds herself true to who she is and what her mission is here on earth.
During my stay in Aya Madre I also had the privilege to work with maestro Guillermo, her nephew. It was very evident to me that her and her family hold a lot of love and compassion towards anyone they come in contact with.
When it comes to plant medicine, I can tell you from personal experience that I’ve learned that it is a journey that is not for everyone. I’ve worked with many healers from different countries. Maestra Estela was the only one that was able to help and guide me in the right direction.
When looking for a center, my suggestion to you is to ask yourself some questions about what you are looking for in a center.
What do I want to get out of my experience?
What are my intentions in taking plant medicine?
Am I willing to let go of old mindsets and evolve?
Movingmetaphor
May 2, 2021 at 2:51 pm

Hi, I am a former admin of Aya Madre, volunteering as facilitator, translator, communications contact as well as dieting the plants from March-December 2018. During my time at Aya Madre working closely with Maestra Estela, I can genuinely say that that was the most life changing periods of my life. The amount of healing and centering that occurred inside my body and soul was unlike anything I had ever experienced and I am pretty sure I will never experience anything on this planet close to that ever again.

Maestra Estela works in a way that caters to those who have individual passion and want to experience the dieta tradition as it was intended to. She is very hands-off when it comes to your day to day life at the center, and for those who value the individual growth that can occur without a lot of handholding, this can be extremely valuable. Expect to spend long hours in your hut alone, meditating with your plants and having minimal interaction with others. This is how dietas can be performed most effectively. For those that find this kind of practice difficult, you may have some trouble here. Yes, there are usually some guests who choose to socialize during the day which is perfectly fine and allowed, but the schedule is made such that if you are not comfortable growing individually you will likely get bored or feel isolated. Again this is the purpose of the dieta so it’s actually a good thing!

Maestra Estela is known for her tremendous icaros and her skill at navigating the world of ayahuasca with you is unlike anything you will find anywhere else. During ceremony she uses her powerful, deliberate icaros to search out and cleanse any unwanted energies from the space and from each guest’s body. Those who have worked with other Shipibo shamans will likely note how effective she is. Don’t take her icaros for granted! She works tirelessly each ceremony and it’s hard work. She also works closely with the light and never performs any act that could be misconstrued for darkness. She simply has no connection with darkness so if you’re looking for that, go somewhere else. Maestra Estela also is not a guru nor is she a therapist. So do not come to her expecting to receive long winded lessons or thought provoking statements. She is a cleaner of bodies and souls and that is it. The Shipibo way is one of simplicity and directness. They do not have time to rant or pontificate. That being said, the value she brings as a healer and guide during ceremony is invaluable and cannot be put down into words. It’s simply something you have to experience yourself.

I do know some things have changed since I was there, the COVID pandemic was very very hard on the center. So do allow for some time as Estela and her family regroup. Maestra Estela has no foreign investment or financial aid so when business slows down her family goes hungry. This is part of the risk that she takes being a 100% business owner. However, it is that purity which makes this center stand out from others in its authenticity and its ability to allow guests to experience the plants so fully and so richly. I highly recommend Aya Madre to anyone looking for a life changing experience.
Pietje
May 2, 2021 at 5:36 am

The best decision I ever made, was to go here. My partner and I have travelled together for 1,5 years and we literally speak of ‘the travel before Aya Madre’ and ‘the travel after Aya Madre’. Before we were more restless, having habits we did not want but did anyway. After Aya Madre we stopped these habits, came more to ourselves and now we both feel we are on our right path. For me, having a chronic disease, I always saw myself as a victim. Only here I deeply realised I am a creator. I am healing myself now and it is a beautiful process. My personal plant diet during my time in the centre helped me realize this as well.

If you want a centre for true healing, where they work with deep respect for all life, where you will learn more about energy and different types of plants, you should most definitely go here. What I loved most is that Maestra Estella works with the light, so the ceremonies are during the day. I have had some ceremonies at night in different places, but it is such a beautiful pure experience in the morning. And Maestra is a very powerful women, who sings your personal healing icarus with a lot of ‘fuerza’.

You have your own Tambo (hut) so your own space, you follow your own personal plant diet that you prepare yourself so you can really connect to every plant and feel how this is for me. And everything else you need is taken care of. If you want to invest in yourself, do it here. I wish you the very best <3
he473r
May 1, 2021 at 1:26 pm

This is not just an ayahuasca retreat, it is a complete immersion into pacha mama and the magic within her bounty. My expectations were met and exceeded with an experience above and beyond anything I had previously experienced.
Through the divine guidance of maestra, I was tasked with cultivating a relationship with a multitude of plant medicines. I worked with these plants everyday, listening and learning. I would take notes and meditate on ideas that were presented. Vapor was my favorite. A big pot was boiled over fire with a blend of plants and oils specific to the time and season. Placed in front of a stool, I would sit and be wrapped in three blankets over the pot. “Listo.” Rolli would say and I would lift the lid. Flooded with a rush of hot, fragrant steam, I would begin to breathe it in. I would continue breathing deep until my whole body was vibrating and alive with the jungle spirit.
When the time came for ceremony, the plants that I had been working with teamed up with shamburi, ayahuasca, mushrooms and huachuma along with maestra and mastro’s iquiros to connect the dots of healing that my spirit needed. The experience was truly priceless and life changing. I struggle with using such ordinary words to describe this extraordinary event. If I had one wish for whomever is reading this, take the opportunity to feel the love of Ayamadre.
FormerAdminAYAMADRE
April 27, 2021 at 4:44 pm

Hello everyone. I am the former business administrator at Aya Madre. This Is in response to user “TheTruth” 1 star review. I was here during this time period and I feel his response needs to be clarified and debunked. Starting at his first problem with the medicine of Shamburi that we serve. Shamburi is the first medicine that we give our guests in their first ceremony with us. This is clearly stated on the website. Afterwards, the guest has total freedom in choosing what medicines they would like to take in the next ceremony (Shamburi or Ayahuasca or San Pedro on Friday ceremonies). In the case of this specific guest, every time he came out of an Ayahuasca ceremony, he was left more confused and anxious. His visions confused him and made him feel like the energy he was dealing with was trying to attack him. When guests come out of Ayahuasca and they feel more confused from their experiences, if they do not have a strong meditation practice and focusing is difficult, we often recommend Shamburi. Shamburi is totally different from Ayahuasca. If Ayahuasca is a Doctor who comes in and does the job where he or she sees fit, Shamburi is the gentle, motherly nurse. When you say, “Shamburi, there is something wrong with my head.”, Shamburi is going to rock you gently and take care of every part of your head. She is soft medicine, pure light. She doesn’t give a rollercoaster of a lightshow every time but she is certainly capable of it and has done so for many of our guests. When this specific individual took Shamburi, he came out of ceremony feeling lighter and softer. He said he felt more clear in his thoughts and balanced. He would then go back and forth taking Ayahuasca one day, feel confused, then take Shamburi and feel more grounded. We never forced Shamburi upon him but we did recommend it to him and he was seeing his own growth and how it made him feel better. In regards to him saying he had a lack of trips… If a guest would like to take more medicine because they feel that they are not connected to the medicine well or it hasn’t opened, we instruct our guests to ask the Maestro or Maestra for more medicine (This isn’t taboo, it is a part of the process but our guests must speak up and ask). This is shared and made clear to all of our guests. The brew that we make is very strong but sometimes it doesn’t open to guests depending on how blocked they are. We are a center that does not give medicine to get blasted off into a light show and lose control. We take this sacred medicine with respect and for the purpose of cleaning and healing our body, mind and spirit. This guest was so focused on getting a trip that he once asked to take Shamburi, Ayahuasca, and San Pedro all in the same ceremony.

This guest did lose his phone on the way to our center. His phone fell out of the motor taxi. The road that we use to get to our center is a public road that runs through a well populated town. This road is not “our” road. He lost his phone on a public road and not on our property. A worker did not steal it. A local found the phone and wiped the data to then use for his own personal use or sell. But the reward that this guest offered did bring back his phone, although the data was wiped. The important part is that the phone was not stolen on our property or by our workers.

There was truly an accident for one of the workers. His motor taxi crashed and he hurt his leg. Maestra was asking all the guests at that time period for anything extra they could give to help. Maestra Estella never asks guests for extra money. In all my time here, this was the only time period I ever saw it.

There was also a period where bank data on the recent guests that had arrived could not be found. We couldn’t locate if they had completed their bank or PayPal transfers. At no point did we ask for more money, we simply asked if they could find us confirmation on their end that they had completed the transfer. We eventually resolved the problem. We never received or asked for more money, just confirmation.

When this guest left, he left in a good state. He was happy and loved by all the guests and staff here at Aya Madre. We all tried finding him after he left but all of the contact information that he gave us didn’t connect us to him. We were concerned that he needed friends to help him integrate and we wish we could of maintained contact. We wish for him nothing but love.

I felt called to respond because this is not how this time period transpired and this is not how I know this loving family of Aya Madre, Estella, Guillermo and everyone involved treat their guests. Each guest receives care directly to their needs. No guest is the same and treating each guest requires their own plan of nurturing. I hope that this helps to clear up any confusion.