Ayahuasca Retreat Reviews — Helping You Stay Safe with 5,000+ Independent Reviews
The mission of Yosi Ocha, The Peruvian Institute of Shamanism and Natural Medicine, since its foundation in 2014, has been to establish a brand of excellence in the preservation of authentic Shipibo shamanic practices. Maestro Heberto García, who is today one of the most recognized shamans among the Shipibo descendants, preserves this indigenous tradition with great rigor. The centre was named after his grandfather and mentor, Yosi Ocha, known as the last Meraya, a title granted to curanderos that attained the highest level of shamanism.
Today we pride ourselves on offering the most complete combination of original Shipibo shamanic treatments available. The centre is the ideal refuge for those who seek deep healing and transformation through a personalised program, or wish to be trained in the fascinating art of shamanism following the ancient Shipibo tradition. Maestro Heberto makes a holistic diagnosis of each guest and designs a tailor-made program taking into account his or her individual objectives.
The passengers are free to choose the starting date and duration of their stay. Many centres offer retreats with fixed start and end dates for cost savings reasons, but in Yosi Ocha we believe that such rigidity does not favour the personalised treatment approach and goes against the central shamanic spirit that values the healing and promotion of integral well-being above any consideration of personal benefit.
Yosi Ocha is located in the depths of the Amazon rainforest, about 20 km southeast of Iquitos, in the Allpahuayo Mishana National Park. The diverse ecosystem in this magnificent part of the jungle includes majestic trees of impressive sizes, streams of reddish water and distinctive white sands that contribute even more to the enchanting beauty of the place.
Once a year, Maestro Heberto travels to Europe (Holland, Spain, etc.) to conduct intensive 3-days healing retreats. These retreats are an excellent opportunity to carry out deep personal work in a safe and loving environment, while discovering his unique approach to the medicine and healing.
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silviovale
March 7, 2023 at 11:51 amWe went together as a couple, this was our first experience with Ayhauasca and the world of alternative medicine using psychedelics so we were pretty nervous. Needless to say as you may have understood from other reviews that Yosi Ocha is a little slice of paradise on Earth. We were treated like family by the whole team since the beginning with Barbara managing our early communication till after the end of our retreat cheking on us. The team really went the extra mile to see that all our needs were met. The cerimonies were all very beautiful, meaningful and Maestro Heberto masterfully guides them with his beautiful icaros. We will come back 100% and bring relatives and friends since this is something everyone really should have the luck of experiencing. We really want to thank you all for your work in keeping the Shibipo traditions alive, taking care of the forest and spreading the love to newcomers. You guys are the best, gracias!
Nyponbuskar
January 24, 2023 at 3:46 pmFor me Yosi Ocha was the perfect place for a first-time experience with Ayahuasca! I highly recommend the center and are already planning for my next visit.
Everything worked perfect, from the first contact and payment to pick up at the hotel in Iquitos, Barbara who manages most of the communication before you arrive at the center is very accommodating, helpful, and lovely in every way!
The center is located far away from Iquitos in the jungle, about 45 minutes to an hour by car and the last part of the road is a newly constructed sand road. The surrounding area of the center is dense Amazonian jungle, there is a route into the jungle leading you to the teacher trees. On the property you can visit cows and sheep and there is a variety of wild animals to be spotted. The feeling at the center is that of profound calm and peacefulness, no stress, or bad energies, just a wonderful place to be and disconnect from the regular world for a while. There is a natural pool of water on the property where you will take your daily aura cleansing flower baths, this is also a very relaxing place to sit and meditate or read.
The Maloca is big and roomy, it has adjoined toilets and a simple shower. Here you can spend your free time during the day, it is a nice place to meditate or just sit on your assigned mattress or in the sofas, you can even take a nap here or spend the night. The bungalows are exactly what you need, no more, no less, a bed with mosquito nets, toilet, shower, a cabinet for your belongings, a table with a water tank and a porch with a chair, table, and hammock. The dining area and other buildings are nice and a good place to chat with other passengers and the staff.
Maestro Heberto is a man of great energy, spirituality, and knowledge. Ines, Hebertos apprentice and helper, was wonderful, skilled, and really made me feel taken care of at the center. Hebertos family runs the center and are very helpful and hardworking. Ruben, the chef, made us food every day and it was delicious, simple but sufficient, mostly root vegetables, rice, veggies and fish or chicken.
The medicine is potent and healing, no one experienced any violent sessions or had “bad trips” during my stay. Maestro Heberto let us know what brew we were given and if it was a different one, he told us what to expect from that specific brew, since they can be different depending on how it is brewed. The center offers a variety of plant medicines apart from Ayahuasca, such as San Perdo, Rapé, liquid tobacco and toé.
All together Yosi Ocha is a wonderful place, and it is under development and will just become better in the future. Looking forward to my next visit to see how far along they have come.
durga
January 11, 2023 at 1:02 pmMaestro Heberto is a master healer. Make an intention to heal self, and trust the Maestro to let the process unfold!
Other reviews posted here for Yosi Ocha capture very well the details around structure, facilities, organization, co-ordination of the booking & program. All I would add is if you encounter any hiccups, they safely hold your hands to clear them up for you. And everything on the website is very well captured representing the authenticity of this Centre and Maestro’s background, personality, practice, dedication to this art & science powered by sincerity and integrity.
Just as reaching any place of goodness such as a pilgrimage, it’s not an easiest of the journey to reach Yosi Ocha, but once you are there soak in the natural beauty & energy in this space and lose the sense of time. I believe Maestro & his team at Yosi Ocha, the nature in all its forms here have a loving energy with the potential to heal one and all. My best experience in life, till date… and I am grateful for it.
Note: An external link was removed from this review, but it has otherwise been left in it’s original form.
Thomaskvick
December 18, 2022 at 11:10 pmI wholeheartedly recommend this center. I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience with Ayahuasca and the other plant medicines.
Maestro Heberto is nothing short of a holy man. Full of heavy vibrations and deeply connected to Mother Nature, the spirits and the teacher trees. But he is still a fun, loving man and he gladly shares from his wisdom and his own experiences. He runs his center the way he sees fit and is very hands on with the whole organization.
Ines is a great helper and translator. Compassionate, knowledgeable and always willing to help. I am really grateful for her and the part she played in my stay.
Barbara was extremely helpful before the retreat. Answering all the questions I had and assisted me through the payment methods (as my bank was being a little difficult).
The location is perfect. It’s out in the jungle but not too far out. It’s very nicely kept by the workers and they continue working and building on the property. A path has been made to be able to see and connect to the teacher trees and you will also go there to give thanks and praises to them, the jungle and Mother nature.
It’s possible to get some internet but the connection is very spotty and only fitting to maybe send an email or two. I think this is great though, since I believe being connected with the outside world will only impair your healing. There is no reception on your phone, even if you have a Peruvian SIM-card. You can however go into Iquitos during the day if you need to fix something (book a plane ticket, make a call or whatever). The staff will help you.
One great thing is the food. Reuben cooks delicious meals everyday! Another great thing is that you can do laundry in a river on the property. This made it possible for me to only bring a backpack and skip the checked bagage.
There are animals running around (dogs, cats, chickens, ducks etc.) and many beautiful birds, interesting amphibians and insects. There are of course mosquitoes but I didn’t find them too annoying.
The bungalows are just what you need. A bed, a cabinet to put your stuff in, a table, a jug of water, a toilet and a shower. On the porch you have a hammock and a table with a chair.
The group sizes are small (which I really liked). When the center was full we were nine visitors. The medicine is potent and it worked very well all the ceremonies I was a part of. I won’t go into details on my personal experiences in this review and only focus on the center itself. But in short I learned alot about gratitude, detachment, patience and I had the opourtunity to work on my anger and anxiety.
I really enjoyed the San Pedro as a compliment to the Ayahuasca ceremonies. It helped me to contemplate and vocalize all the visions and insights Ayahuasca had given me. And also all the other medicines; rapé, liquid tobacco, toé, plant baths etc.
I (as a scandinavian ginger with sensitive skin) had some problems with the showering and bathing, as it itched alot afterwards. But that has nothing to do with the center, I just want to inform people that are in the same boat. I managed with some lotion though, so it wasn’t a major issue.
The schedule found on the website is only a reference. Heberto very much goes with the flow and does what feels right, not what has been previously determined. During my two week stay I had seven ayahuasca ceremonies (could’ve had eight but chose another medicine on the last ceremony) and two San Pedro-days, rapé and liquid tobacco a handful times, one 12 hour-long silent diet and I’m propably forgetting something.
So you will have your hands full your whole stay and always someone to help you, guide you and give you tips along the way.
If you visit with your significant other and both of you feel ready for it, I highly recommend the spiritual union ceremony. Heberto made a beautiful wedding for me and my wife and it touched both of our hearts deeply.
Me, my wife and a friend who joined us at the retreat are already planning to go back.
Geoffcito
December 18, 2022 at 6:02 pmThere is a wonderful integrity about Yosi Ocha. It is a family-run operation, and free of the corporate interest that infests many other retreats. Every pasajero has their own private bungalow, which is really great – when doing deep work with plant medicine it’s a real blessing to have your own space. It’s typically rustic jungle accommodation, but you have everything you need. Each bungalow has a bed, desk, cupboard, toilet and shower. Ruben pushes big, tasty meals at you three times a day and takes care of your washing.
A typical day includes a plant bath, meditation, time spent in the jungle, a meeting with Maestro Heberto, as well as a ceremony. But most of this happens in your own time – it’s a very relaxed atmosphere. Some days also include a ritual, perhaps with mapacho or toe.
A great thing about Yosi Ocha is that there is only a maximum of seven participants (the first week I was there, there was only one other pasajero). This gives the experience a real intensity, and means you can work with Maestro Heberto on a one-on-one basis every day. This ongoing contact with the shaman is one of many things that sets this retreat apart from the rest.
Then there is Heberto himself, who is not just a remarkable shaman, but equally accomplished as a curandero – rare indeed. This humble, quietly-spoken man has extraordinary abilities as a healer of mental and physical trauma. After years of health issues, I was dealing with terrible pain by the time I finally got to Yosi Ocha. Heberto diagnosed some severe energetic issues in my body, and over the course of my three week stay managed to correct these and bring an end to my physical agony with the use of ayahuasca and various other master plants. It was a profound healing experience.
The maloca is spacious and the ayahuasca ceremonies are intense and introspective. Very different from other ceremonies I have experienced which can be very noisy and at times, brutal. This does not mean the medicine is not strong – it is! – but Heberto always maintains a tight control on the proceedings and keeps the atmosphere low-key. For gringos like me with no Spanish skills, one of Heberto’s assistants is always at hand to translate.
There is no power in the bungalows, so candlelight is the go; better still, bring a battery-powered light. For juicing your gadgets, a USB recharging device is really useful. Internet is patchy at best, but this is a blessing, and an important part of the dieta. For those desperate to read emails, one of the family is always happy to drive you down the road to where the reception is better.
Before and after your retreat communication is handled with Barbara, who is always readily available to address your questions. Yosi Ocha is best appreciated with a longer stay. Do yourself a favour and stay for at least three weeks – it takes some time for the healing magic to fully unfold. This is a place for deep, transformative work, and I will be back soon.