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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Felix 2
November 19, 2022 at 3:05 pmDeeply transformative experience
The September retreat was my second one (the first one was in July this year) and I am still processing the insights that I received during the retreat.
Compared to the July retreat, this one was similar yet different.
Due to some last-minute cancellations the group was rather small and it was a shorter retreat with 4 ceremonies (in July we had 5) but still very insightful for me.
As I stated in my July retreat impressions, the retreat changed my life, and the September one just continued that path.
I have never been much of a spiritual person, never believed in reincarnation etc, but after some insights from a particular workshop that we did this time (past life regression) I cannot say that I do not believe in past lives anymore as some important details from my family history resurfaced as visions.
Let’s just say that ayahuasca opened some doors that were bolted in July, and the September retreat continued in that direction.
Aside of the personal insights, the great food and beautiful scenery I cannot stress enough that the most important thing in this retreat are Silvia and TiO, their guidance, attention to detail, and the workshops which are done before the ceremonies.
Things practised in the workshops you can do every day, at home, but also during the ayahuasca experience and I found those crucial for the further development and progress.
There are a lot of rules that you must follow during the retreat, but they all make sense, and help with creating a safe space where you can let go of the fears related to the ayahuasca effect on you and freely do your inner work to heal yourself.
The key thing for me also that the dosage of the tea is individual to each participant and is adjusted before each ceremony depending on the experiences from the previous ceremonies to fine tune to one’s sensitivity rather than one dosage for all like is done elsewhere.
I will be back…
abbyelisecook
November 5, 2022 at 3:41 pm1000/1000 for Spirit Vine retreats! Silvia & Ti0
are truly wonderful people with hearts to serve others and the planet. It takes a special type of person to do this type of work and hold space for deep healing to happen – these two are the REAL deal!
Every part of this trip was beautifully thought out, organized, and arranged in a way for you to get the most out of the experience. Beautiful cabins, carefully prepared food – perfectly trimmed trees, amazing workshops, 1:1 sessions, and of course the actual ayahuasca ceremonies were planned down to the very last detail to make your experience as comfortable/transformational as possible.
This was my first time sitting with the medicine and I would describe ayahuasca as taking off a blindfold after years of being in the dark and seeing the world for the very first time – with new clear vision :’)
I used to look outside of myself a lot in hopes of finding answers but Ayahuasca allows you to heal yourself! (with Silvia and Ti0 standing right by your side)
This medicine allowed me to be shown the realities and harsh truths around my family, my romantic relationships, friendships, the choices I make every day, etc. while also showing me how I can make improvements in my life going forward.
The biggest takeaway from my trip would be the freedom that comes with deep knowing that I am all I need ~ All the answers lie within and I have the power to create my own life. The wisdom that I got from this retreat will be medicine that I carry with me throughout my entire life. It’s truly a gift that no one can take away from me.
The people who choose to go forward with this must know that it’s not easy and sometimes very uncomfortable but if you keep an OPEN heart and mind…. you will not regret it. Much love from Boston 🙂
David Kirk
October 26, 2022 at 2:33 pmMy experience at Spirit Vine helped me work through some past trauma and remarkably, trauma while mid retreat when my best friend of 40 years passed away. Silvia and Ti0 have a way of cutting through the chaff and getting to the core. The ayahuasca does the same, offering me insights in areas I least expected. When I layer the camaraderie of the other participants, the group support and sharing of experience, the group and personal sessions and finally THE FOOD! It’s truly hard for me to put into words how meaningful it all was and is. I look forward to further visits since it felt as if it was more than a home away from home.
jimmyK
October 26, 2022 at 2:10 pmI struggle to put into words what an invaluable, amazing experience this has been. Every aspect of the Spirit Vine experience was beautiful, thoughtful, peaceful, and healing. Silvia and Tio were nothing short of amazing. Silvia is a clinical psychologist who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, and Tio is one of the most intuitive people I’ve ever met. Spirit Vine provides an incredibly personalized experience, which is really helpful when dealing with issues that come up with the medicine. Ayahuasca is powerful medicine, and this is greatly aided by practitioners who can help us navigate our way through all the lessons we learn during the ceremonies. This is a journey of incredible exploration, and you will grow to love your fellow explorers. I met friends for life during my stay at Spirit Vine. The facility itself is stunning – nestled in the Brazilian jungle, complete with all the sights and sounds of nature’s exotic beauty. Every aspect of the retreat was so thoughtfully organized and orchestrated. From the moment I entered Brazil everything was taken care of, so there was no stress. This was such a wonderful way to unplug, unwind, re-calibrate, and rejuvenate. And the healing that takes place is invaluable. We all need some sort of healing, and we could all be better humans. This is the perfect place to do just that – heal and learn how to be a better person. If you feel compelled to try Ayahuasca, I promise this will be the experience of a lifetime. And I cannot recommend Spirit Vine highly enough. Look no further.
CaliforniaSurfer
October 21, 2022 at 6:59 pm5-Star Ayahuasca Spiritual Retreat! From the moment you book with Spirit Vine, they take care of everything! They provide dietary guidance, recommended reading, recommended flight schedules and before and after hotel recommendations. Once you arrive, you will be impressed by the spacious bungalows (recommend to upgrade to a 2-person), the delicious and colorful meals, the amazing sounds from the jungle, the 1:1 coaching from trained experts in Psychology and Shamanism, and swimming in the healing pond and massages. Now the actual Ayahuasca experience was life changing. I was able to visit, experience, and address dozens of life traumas and realize permanent relief and resolution. Other members of my group saw me after my 2nd experience and said “oh my god, you look so different… like you are lighter and happier”. I realized at that time that, yes, I did in fact feel different. A new and better me. It has been 1 week since the conclusion of the retreat and I still feel amazing. More balanced and less stress. Ready to take on my daily work and personal life challenges while having fun and making strong relational connections in the process. A much more fun way to live than my prior life. One side effect to note is that you will make life long lasting friendships with the other members of your group. These are the most interesting people you will ever meet. A truly special experience. Thank you so much Silvia and Ti0! You are truly special people!