Ayahuasca Retreat Reviews — Helping You Stay Safe with 5,000+ Independent Reviews
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Sapan Inka: Small groups (7 people) and integration sessions
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At Sapan Inka, we believe participating in an Ayahuasca retreat is a powerful opportunity for profound energetic and spiritual cleansing and healing. An Ayahuasca experience can be immensely favorable for those embarking on a journey of transformation and spiritual development. Our unique model is a conscious synthesis of the millenary wisdom of Amazonian medicine and the principles of depth and transpersonal psychology. We are not a center for spiritual tourism or mere Ayahuasca experiences; we are a dedicated space for exploring the deep psyche, practicing ancestral Amazonian medicine, and supporting transformative processes.
We distinguish ourselves through our philosophy of minimal interference and the unwavering shamanic and spiritual support provided in our ceremonies. Our commitment to ethics and professionalism is paramount. We believe an Ayahuasca ceremony is an opening to the reality of the soul and a world of sacred images. For this reason, we practice minimal interference during your experience of expanded states of consciousness, allowing the healing intelligence of Ayahuasca and your own inner being to guide the process. This is not abandonment or a lack of warmth; it is a conscious act of respect and trust in your innate capacity to heal and in the divine power of the medicine itself.
The transformative power of Ayahuasca is fully realized through a structured integration process. At Sapan Inka, our psychotherapeutic integration is more than a simple conversation; it is a rigorous process designed to help you assimilate, process, and effectively integrate your experiences. We provide a space for you to understand the intricate symbolic language of your visions, converting profound insights into tangible and lasting change. This is how the spiritual revelations from the ceremonies are bridged with your daily life, ensuring the journey leads to genuine personal growth.
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To navigate this journey, rigorous preparation is essential. An Ayahuasca experience can be incredibly challenging, and its potency demands thorough mental, emotional, and spiritual readiness. It is crucial for participants to understand that this is not a shortcut, but a deep and profound inner work that requires commitment and maturity.
Given the serious nature of our work, we are aware that our approach may not satisfy everyone’s expectations. Those who seek a more superficial, less confrontational experience or group activities may find other centers more suitable. Our model is designed for individuals committed to holistic healing and willing to embark on a serious psychospiritual path. This is why our groups are intentionally small, to ensure the personalized and ethical attention that is the cornerstone of our years of experience and dedication.
At Sapan Inka, our commitment is to support you on your journey, respecting the authenticity of your process and providing a safe and professional environment for a genuine transformation.
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TristanMcGillivray
January 14, 2020 at 7:47 pmIf you are looking for a very safe and welcoming place to undergo healing, Sapan Inka is a great choice. The house is beautiful and the food they make is so so good. I was very comfortable with Erik and Nilda as our shamans, they are very good at what they do! My life was changed after working with this medicine, I would recommend anybody to visit this place. Thank you for everything Erik & Nilda!
aubrey.solomon
January 14, 2020 at 12:08 pmI was facing a quarter life crisis. I had just quit my previous two jobs, could not pursue my passion due to an injury, and was depressed because of my addictions. I had been studying yoga and meditation for years, with some progress but I knew I needed help to change my life around and more importantly, understand more about myself and why I am here. I had been researching about ayahuasca, and have been interested for years.
I knew I had to ask for help because I was not finding the answer for myself after years of inquiry. I chose Erik & Nilda to perform the ayahuasca ceremony mostly because of the detailed questionnaire, which showed me they only wanted participants who were ready for the experience. I also liked that they included a recommended diet and psychoanalysis to help digest the experience and bring something home.
As for the ceremony itself, all 3 I can consider some of the most profound experiences of my life. Erik & Nilda were extremely professional, and they had my confidence the whole time that they knew what they were doing. I experienced sorrow, terror, anger, joy and ecstasy during the ceremonies. I saw images that didn’t make much since at the time, but Erik helped me understand better by describing symbolism that explained what I saw. I learned more about myself in 5 days at this retreat than I have my whole life, and for that this experience was priceless.
On top of being professional, Erik & Nilda are both very kind people and it is easy to see they have the purest intention of helping the participants as much as possible with the sacred knowledge they have. I plan on doing another ceremony in the future, and Sapan Inka retreat is the only one I will go to because I can’t see it being done any better.
Nevinzki
January 14, 2020 at 3:54 amErik and Nilda are amazing people. They took so well care of each and everyone of the group. I did an ayahuasca retreat for the first time and I couldn’t imagine something better even if I tried.
I am from Switzerland, female, 29 years old and I was traveling alone. I felt at home with the group and with Erik and Nilda (+Negra). I always asked myself why they dont consider themselves as shamans because the calm, warmth and love they are radiating in combination with the years of experience and knowledge they have in this field, as well as the healing and guidance they give to each and everyone that is coming to their house, is for me the definition of the qualities a shaman has. I read more about Shamans after the retreat and I’ve read that real shamans do not consider themself as shamans and from there on I knew that I was really at the best place I could have imagined to take ayahuasca. I was with a lovely group (7 ppl.) and with two true healers for one week and I am soooooooo thankful to the group and to Erik, Nilda for accepting me to come to their retreat. I really really wish all people in the world could go to them and learn from them and benefit from Erik and Nilda’s existence.
Mia
August 13, 2019 at 11:13 pmIt was my good friend of mine that had been to Sapan Inka Retreat in Peru, with Eric and Nilda twice. I trust her implicitly. When we discussed where she went for her Ayauasca Plant Medicine Journey and what it was like for her, it sounded amazing and I knew it would be a safe place to go and that I could go by myself as a single woman. She used words like kind, compassionate, supportive, safe, thorough and beautiful to describe Eric and Nilda and the 5 day retreat she went on.
I went, for my 50th birthday in 2018, to do ayausca for a number of reasons, healing, self discovery, opening of my mind and heart and any other body and mind shifts I was able find my way to. To say I was excited and nervous would be an understatement. It was extremely beneficial knowing first and foremost that as a woman and lone soul on this journey that I would be completely safe as can be. I knew my body would be safe and that my mind would be protected in the most sacred way.
It is impossible to go to the Sapan Inka retreat without first filling out a very thorough questionnaire. To be frank about this, it would only be to a persons detriment to be anything but brutally honest. Filling out this questionnaire with integrity and honesty ensures a few things. One, that you are prepared for the aya; two that Eric and Nilda can ensure you have no indications that demonstrate you should not do ayausca; three that Eric and Nilda our aware of where you are in mind, body and spirit and what you are looking for or why you are doing the aya. Although, I am not the pro, I believe this again helps them to know what to potentially expect and to support you in the best way. Create a safe container for you as it were. I have to admit, I was nervous I would be turned down.
I was overjoyed that I was allowed to attend the Sapan Inka Retreat for 5 days.
The accommodations were amazing. Shared room with one other, private shower, super healthy yummy, yummy, yummy food. Vegetarian of course. Quiet and very safe at night and in the day. Beautiful yard to sit in and ponder, write and integrate.
Eric was very thorough in that he also had what I like to call the pre and post aya interviews to help each of us prepare and integrate after. The interviews are very personal and very appropriate and one should be honest and prepared to answer such questions.There was a maximum of 6 of us in each ceremony, which I have since learned is really really good. Easier to support and keep each of us safe. It is quite clear from the questions asked and suggestions that Eric gives he is extremely knowledgable about aya, the mind, psychology, mindfulness and the history of these things.
My personal experience was one of complete terror the first night. It did not start this way. Yet ultimately I began resisting where I was being taken by the plant medicine and I believe this is what started my slippery slope into terror. Eric was respectful of my journey and let me try to find my way through my terror. When it was clear I was stuck or maybe lost somewhere and could not find my way on my own, he used music, his voice and gentle words to help guide to “trust the medicine” and “find my light”. I will never forget these words. They have been woven into my very soul now. Ultimately I found my way back and had some amazing visions, awakenings and realizations.
Yes, I did go back and do the ceremony the next day and took more aya. Most of my friends and family can’t believe I did the second night after my absolutely terror filled first night. But I did, and it was nothing like the first night. The post interview with Eric after my first night of aya was extremely important and helpful for me in the integration of my journey the first night. I believe this combined with the knowledge of being safe and trusting Eric and Nilda so much allowed me to do the second ceremony. They never pushed me to do it; it was completely my choice. I do not think that any of us should decide to do aya because we have flown a long way or paid a lot of money, it should be because you are ready and prepared. Always be ready to walk away if it does not feel correct for you. I was ready to not do the ceremony at one point. I had a great deal of time to think and process. As I spoke with Eric and listened to his words, introspections and guidance I decided I very much wanted to do the second aya journey and was completely prepared to in the hopes of allowing the plant medicine to show me. To be very clear, it was always my choice and I never felt pushed.
I was so glad I did the second night. Completely different, as everyone will tell you, each journey is always different from the last.
I can’t tell any of you how absolutely important, especially but not only as a single woman or female friends together, it is to trust where you are, who you are with as far as Shamans and/or guides and those that will keep you safe; your mind, body and soul during ayausca ceremonies. It is a very serious medicine and not to be taken lightly. The Sapan Inka Retreat absolutely checked all the boxes for me. I hope to go back someday when the medicine again calls me and I would only go back to Eric and Nilda and the Sapan Inka Retreat. I hope this helps anyone trying to find a safe, healthy and peaceful place to take some journeys.
Much Love, Mia
Annib
July 25, 2019 at 5:20 amI think I had a fairly atypical experience here. I approach plant medicine from a purely chemical perspective, and am interested in how the medicine can treat ptsd and depression. I’m not at all interested in the spiritual or ritualistic elements of the ceremony. But as a first timer, I didn’t want to be in a clinic setting. This was actually a great fit, as the group was small and Erik approaches the work with a psychology background, just what I wanted. However, I have a lot of gastric issues, specifically acid reflux. You are told to stop all medications before the retreat, so they don’t interfere. However I did a lot of reading after the retreat and learned that hydrochloric acid kills the DMT. So, the medicine didn’t have much of an effect on me. It was still extremely valuable, and I look forward to trying again, but next time I will continue my regular stomach medication and hopefully will be able to feel the medicine more fully.