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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Tammie
December 8, 2018 at 4:48 pmErik & Nilda are lovely and knowledgeable. Great experience. I would recommend highly to anyone interested in a vegan retreat.
alison_w
December 7, 2018 at 5:18 pmThis experience was life-changing for me and I can’t imagine having done it anywhere besides Sapan Inka. I stayed for a 5 day retreat in September 2017 with a friend.
I remember from the beginning Erik and Nilda were very good with email communication, ensuring I had the information I needed. When I arrived in Cusco, they picked me and my friend up at our hotel and drove us to the Retreat Center. A very beautiful hour or so drive in a comfortable SUV.
I appreciate how they always gave us time to settle in and have alone time. They would hold meetings with the other people in the group so we were informed about what to expect for the ceremonies and gave you time to answer questions (i.e. what to wear). I also appreciated the 1:1 time Erik does with you the day after the ceremony to debrief on how it went. There’s also a good focus on journaling and disconnecting so you get a really nice integrated, off-the-grid experience.
The ceremonies you will see for yourself and I don’t want to spoil anything but I will say they were beautiful, organized, and give you the clarity you need. I have friends who have done Ayahausca in other environments (i.e. outside, with a bunch of people, where you’re open to the elements, etc). While I’m sure that’s all well and good, for me, someone who is prone to anxiety — I liked being in the safety of the beautiful retreat center, in the ceremony room. I felt very safe and it was intimate with such a small group. It’s like you’re ‘there’ for each other while going through such an intense internal (and physical) process.
My friend and I had a room with twin beds which was great because we had access to a shower and our private room to go back to after the ceremonies. The house is very comfortable and safe (large wall gate) so you don’t have to worry about that at all.
The food is delicious and healthy. The staff is amazing, very warm. And we really enjoyed getting to know the other two members of our group. We had dinner with them we we all returned to Cusco and are still friends on Facebook.
Be sure you take Erik and Nilda’s advice to cut out meat, dairy, alcohol, etc. for a good amount of time before the retreat. It will make the experience better and you’ll feel more ‘clean’ going into the retreat. We had just come from Argentina where we had been eating red meat and should’ve taken the advice more seriously …
I would love to do Ayahausca again at some point (San Pedro also, but I got more out of the Mother Plant) and the three main points that I took away from the ceremony still stay with me.
This was a wonderful opportunity and you won’t regret it.
Thanks Erik and Nilda. Miss you guys!
Jamesp
December 7, 2018 at 12:42 pmThis was my first experience of Ayahuasca which I undertook after several years of research and internal questioning. Erik and Nilda came highly recommended and the entire experience gave so much more than I could have dreamed of.
I have read another review on this site suggesting that Sapan Inka was austere and dry. My own view is that what Erik and Nilda do is create an environment where anything which could distract from the medicine and the process is minimised, and this creates the most effective way to enter the spiritual world. That being said the house itself and its setting is absolutely beautiful by the way, in case anyone was worrying, and the food delicious and sustaining.
I will minimise any description my own experience with the medicine because that will be different for everyone, but I can say that my life has been profoundly changed and I do believe that Erik and Nilda’s guidance was a significant part of that. Erik’s knowledge, wisdom and honesty cannot be questioned by anyone who has been through the process with him. If and when the calling comes to me to engage with the medicine again, Sapan Inka is the place I shall go to do it.
Main tips: be firm in your intention, stick to the diet, be honest and open yourself up.
roymundo
December 4, 2018 at 12:48 amFour of us stayed for two nights with Erik and Nilda in 2018. It was the first time doing ayahuasca for all four of us.
Erik and Nilda were very kind and clear, with a lot of experience, which we greatly appreciated. Erik speaks better English, so he prepped us and screened us to decide how much to give us. We did ayahuasca two nights in a row.
In short, the first night was one of the most difficult of my life. I probably did not do the diet perfectly, which is advised. I also got to face and see my demons and shadows right in my face, terrifying but all good.
The second night was one of the best experiences of my life, super profound. The veil lifted, and I felt like I was hanging out with God and the angels all night!
Food was fine. Overall, a great experience. One difference between this and other experiences I have had is that Erik and Nilda find that keeping the group experience short (2-3 hours) and then sending people to their room (when ready) is more powerful for personal process time. Other experiences I have had where there was longer group time and group processing, and also more individual attention from the leaders. Both ways work well.
Oh, the music was awesome as well! I would recommend Sapan Inka to anyone! Blessings.
Desiree
December 2, 2018 at 6:38 pmSapan Inka, Erik and Nilda, an experience which changed my life, without possibility to go back to what was before.
The best way to describe it: imagine someone puts you in a washing machine, full power, and then squeezes out all the negative/bad things you have inside and around you. After that, it’s your job to fill yourself up again with something new, more meaningful, more positive.
The experience can be quite dark at some points, blissful at others.
Erik and Nilda are there to help, support you, just the way you need, gently guiding you about the best way to approach the ceremonies according to your personal story.
I’d recommend Erik and Nilda, because they are professional, serious. Safety is extremely important in such a context.
What in the very beginning made me choose them is the smaller groups they host, with the lower price: it gave me security they were not “just looking for money”.
Again, thank you so much.