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We have been hosting ayahuasca retreats since 1996. Our center is based in the midst of the beautiful Atlantic Rainforest along the coast of Bahia in Brazil. We facilitate a safe and comfortable space for you to achieve harmony in your everyday life by aligning your mind, body, and heart with your true self.
Our 9 day and 11 day ayahuasca retreats are designed to give you a balanced experience. We have ayahuasca ceremonies every other night and in between there are activities to integrate your experiences and insights. There is also ample free time to reflect, to enjoy the beauty of the jungle, to visit the gorgeous beaches, and just to relax, let go, and enjoy the pure bliss of the moment.
Calendar and prices on our website
We have extensive experience integrating ayahuasca, psychology, shamanism, self development, modified states of consciousness, and various other modalities. We are present at all times and are dedicated in supporting you with loving care, attention, safety, and respect.The activities include workshops focused on spiritual development. The techniques covered in the workshops can be practiced even after the retreat to continue the journey of personal growth. Some of the topics include inner child integration, life progression, discovering the source of your blockages and the resources to overcome them. Another very important part of the retreat are the Yoga sessions in the morning which greatly enrich the ayahuasca experiences at night.
Spirit Vine & TheVine Center previously known as Ayahuasca-Healing have been created by Silvia Polivoy. She received her license in clinical psychology and had a private practice in Buenos Aires, Argentina for several years until she began to feel the need to make a transition from studying and healing the mind to exploring the worlds of Spirit. This took her away from the busy city streets to the more tranquil life in the jungle, moving to Brazil where in 2004 she co-founded the TheVine Center, a trans-denominational and inter-faith spiritual center located in the state of Bahia.
The nature of our nonprofit center is philosophical, religious, mystical, spiritual, educational, and cultural. All the retreats’ income’ serves to maintain the center grounds, create employment for the local community, and help preserve the jungle, having replanted thousands of native trees over the years to give but one example.
The retreats take place inside of 39 acres of lush preserved area. It is about 7 miles from Itacaré on the coast of Bahia. Our location is only minutes away from beautiful coastal beaches, which back onto the Mata Atlántica, the second largest rainforest in Brazil.
The experience of sacred tea ceremonies can be challenging for some, deeply religious for others, but profound all around. Please note that we have several programs to offer and the plant ceremonies are always optional and not required to partake in during any of our retreats. The plant ceremonies begin in the evening and go through the night. The group dynamic is very important and there will be facilitators to look after participants throughout. There will be plenty of time for group discussions and also time alone to reflect on the experiences elicited by the spirit vine tea for those that wish to partake in the plant ceremonies.
At the retreat center we grow our own ayahuasca vine and chacruna plants organically! We also have an organic garden to source vegetables for the food prepared during the retreat. We have pure spring water for drinking and also coconut water, juices, and a variety of teas.
During all our programs we follow a strict (though delicious) diet. The meals are completely vegan, gluten-free, and nutritionally balanced, prepared by our in-house chef who has specialized in vegan cuisine and has a post-graduation in functional nutrition. They include plenty of fresh vegetables cooked with delicious herbs and spices, luscious fresh tropical fruits, salads, and grains.
A note about sexual abstinence: this varies from culture to culture; some recommending as long as 30-40 days while others as little as one day or none at all like here in Brazil. For energetic purposes we recommend sexual abstinence during the retreat as well as 3 days before it begins and 3 days after the retreat concludes. As well, a drug free and no salt diet with no red meat, pork or heavy alcohol use for the same amount of time is optimal.
We fully expect you have questions about the retreats, programs and the facilities we offer. Please feel free to explore our website or watch our videos and write to us to come to one of our retreats.
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Nawroz Duhoki
August 29, 2023 at 7:19 amI read all the review, all of the 144, and they were very helpful. And I read a book called YUSA for those that are very curious about Ayahuasca and Iboga, the feminine and masculine sacred healing plant. So my experience was wow, it was way way beyond what you could ever try to realize with your own logical mind. I paid for 9 days 4 ceremonies. Those ceremonies showed me a lot of things I could never even try to find myself even if I had 100 more years or even lives to just sit and try to realize why things in my life became the way they were or how I have those traumas which even I did not know. Ayahuasca will heal you and show you things that you NEED To see, not what you want to see. I had amazing indescribable visions, insight, my feelings were amplified so much I never had there things of feelings in my entire life. I have fun a lot and do smile but I never felt completely whole, more shallow like I believed I just could not feel to 100% and that something was wrong with me, Ayahuasca made all of my feelings bloom, I felt feelings I never had in my 28 years of experience so I was so happy, blissful, eternal gratefulness for the plant, For Silvia, Noor, Miro for providing us a absolutely beautiful place to do the ayahuasca, the workers who gave us wonderful food, the environment was just perfect. I couldn’t complain even if I tried. My view of things have changed. I saw my own death, I had my ego death, saw many different realities and dimensions, so things I did that was wrong and people I need to get rid off. It showed me so so much even if I tried to explain everything, most I could explain would be only 10% of everything it it showed me. I will always go back to Itacare and do my ayahuasca at Silvia’s retreat, everything costed me 6000-7000$ and what I got from it was so much more worth that 6-7000 is nothing compared to all the healing, trauma and all the other stuff ayahuasca showed me, I will go back again and again whenever I feel stuck or need insight. Again, thank you Silvia for everything.
Sincerely, Crawling Man
Andreia
August 28, 2023 at 5:50 pmThis was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. I read many reviews before applying to this retreat, and they seemed too good to be true. But now I understand, every little detail was wonderful: the place is stunning, the bungalows were always very clean, the food (vegan, no salt, and gluten-free) was amazing. I miss that breakfast so much!
I felt a strange connection to all the people I met there, even though I had never met them before. Everybody was there to improve themselves while helping others on their journeys and that was beautiful by itself.
This was my first experience with Ayahuasca. The ceremonies were very quiet, and I couldn’t have felt safer. Silvia is a very intuitive person and has a lot of expertise in this field. I was quite impressed by her insights. Noor and Miro were always willing to help with anything we needed. I also found the workshops very useful.
Now I understand what people mean when they say that one night of ayahuasca is equivalent to several years of psychotherapy. After 12 years of psychotherapy, I can personally say that this is true. I had so many insights in all ceremonies, that I was truly astonished. Lots of memories – good and bad – came to the surface, as I had never forgotten them. I noticed the change in other participants as well, they all seemed lighter after the retreat. Somehow, this light healed a part of me too.
I honestly cannot recommend this place enough. Thank you all for this amazing experience, I hope to be back soon!
LT
August 4, 2023 at 11:19 amI’ve had the pleasure of participating in the Spirit Vine Ayahuasca Retreat in May 2023. For anyone interested in embarking on an enlightening voyage into their psyche and keen on personal growth, I cannot recommend this retreat highly enough.
1) Community & Environment: The retreat gathers diverse individuals from around the globe, creating a nurturing environment for profound connections. Nestled near the beautiful locale of Itacare, Bahia, Brazil, the ambiance of Spirit Vine itself contributes significantly to the introspective experience.
2) Guided by Expertise: Silvia, the retreat’s host, adeptly combines her knowledge of clinical psychology with spiritual practices. Assisted by her attentive team, Miro and Noor, she creates a holistic approach toward personal development through a blend of workshops, ceremonies, art, yoga sessions, etc.
3) Insightful Workshops & Ceremonies: The workshops, covering ‘inner child,’ ‘spirit releasement,’ and much more, provide invaluable insights into personal psychology. The ceremonies are transformative, facilitating self-awareness, reconciliation, and healing. For someone transitioning into entrepreneurship like myself, these experiences were truly enlightening.
4) Exceptional Infrastructure: From the comfortable rooms to the nutritious and delicious food, every detail was thoughtfully designed to ensure our physical well-being, which, in turn, greatly contributed to the overall experience.
5) Lasting Impact: Two months on, the insights and revelations I’ve gained at Spirit Vine continue to enrich my life. My relationships have improved, my self-awareness has deepened, and my path towards success has become more apparent. The retreat has imparted valuable life lessons and skills, which have empowered me to navigate life with greater confidence and clarity.
In conclusion, Spirit Vine Ayahuasca Retreat is not just a retreat; it’s a journey of transformation that leaves an indelible imprint on your soul. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone on the quest for self-discovery and personal growth.
To Silvia, Miro, and Noor, thank you for this transformational experience.
-LT
Felix 3
August 2, 2023 at 1:43 pmThis is my third time at the Spirit Vine retreat.
I had originally planned to go to the August 2023 retreat but thanks to a last minute cancellation/rebooking I got in the July one.
Silvia took a piece of the jungle and transformed it into a Paradise on Earth. Remote enough to be able to enjoy the sounds of the jungle, close enough to Itacare where you can enjoy the beaches and more before and after the retreat.
As already said several times, before attending the retreat last July I had never tried any opioids or similar substances and the two retreats I did last year were a revelation for me. And this is the only place I ever and will ever consider for Ayahuasca experiences as everything is meticulously organised so the participants feel safe to lower their walls and explore beyond their own boundaries or those imposed by the society.
There are a lot of rules to follow, but they all make sense and easy to follow, no sugar, no salt etc. to enhance the experience.
This time I did not have huge revelations like I had the previous two times, but still I was able to get a few insights which were/are very significant.
Aside of the excellent food, and the actual ceremonies and the insights I would stress the huge importance of the workshops which are done in preparation to the ceremonies which I am still applying in daily life (without the need to be at the retreat).
I found the workshops to be very useful since the first time I did them last July, and I have practiced some of them during the past year and found them to be very useful combined with mediation even on daily basis.
I am so grateful that Silvia has created such a safe and wonderful place where you can explore yourself and give a hand to your inner child to help you heal yourself and know yourself.
Big thanks to Noor as well for helping with this retreat.
And, as always, I will be back next year for sure.
Felix
Rachel
July 22, 2023 at 6:39 pmIf you walk the length of the Spirit Vine site, from the bottom bungalow to the peak of the stairs above the ceremony house, you get a sense of the wonder of the place. Spirit Vine is magical. When I asked Silvia why Brazil and not Peru for the retreat centre, she said Bahia is lighter. Is it the fan of the palms that makes it so? You might think of sitting on the little jetty looking out onto the pond. Nature is alive. At Spirit Vine, everything is beautiful.
When the aesthetics of a place are in order so that nothing glitches in the design, you know you are in the hands of a master. The masterful approach continues into all aspects of a Spirit Vine retreat. We ate a vegan banquet at every meal. Working with Ayahuasca can be hard work; being cradled in comfort allows for the quiet relaxation needed to contemplate.
I ventured into the past to Peru to drink Ayahuasca at two very good retreat centres. This time I wanted to work outside of the Shipibo tradition. I thought I might miss the Icaro, and to an extent, I did. However, Silvia’s curated playlists of devotional music from many different cultures and psychedelic ambient provided opportunities for additional exploration. The Ayahuasca is grown on-site; you drink from the same brew in each ceremony. Noor and Silvia decide on an appropriate strength for the first ceremony, and then you decide from there what strength works (with assistance if needed).
At each meal, Noor and Silvia sit at each end of the long table, a mad hatter’s tea party, and they are available. If there are personal issues to discuss, you can book a time with Silvia or Noor to help you work through post-ceremony challenges. The design of the workshops that accompany each ceremony helps to target personal inquiry and set intentions. However, what happens during an Ayahuasca ceremony is profoundly mysterious and unpredictable. You can work with Ayahuasca; Silvia and Noor give you the tools.
The ceremony house is an eight-starred symmetry, a shape of protection. Knowing how to protect yourself to be in your power is a hallmark of this retreat. While there is much socialising (if you want it), play, and joking around, the ceremonies at Spirit Vine are quiet. The retreat’s ceremonial aspect concludes with one or two daytime ceremonies. These were the revelations for me, having only previously drunk Ayahuasca at nighttime.
I came to Spirit Vine for a post-menopausal tune-up. I live clean and am healthy, but my thought patterns were restricting the spirit of independence and adventure that has defined my life. I am restored after eleven days at Spirit Vine and the following week spent in a nature paradise on the outskirts of Itacare.
What a place. What people. I will return.
Rachel