Ayahuasca Retreat Reviews — Helping You Stay Safe with 5,000+ Independent Reviews
>
Room Features
Property Features
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.
Add Review
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
StillExploringTheMatrix
October 12, 2022 at 1:54 pmI first did a retreat here in 2021. This is now my 4th retreat in less than 2 years. I can probably write a book about my experiences here, and how it has changed my life. Spirit Vine is a miracle, perhaps the most powerful miracle I have ever witnessed. There’s a reason that it has only 5 star reviews. Yes, the food is healthy and amazing. The rooms are nice. The grounds are a paradise. But ayahuasca is truly magic…..magic in that it opens up doorways to enlightenment enabling you to see things that you couldn’t otherwise see. But what is so special about this place is……well, everything, but more than anything else it’s Silvia’s methodology. She uses her extensive background in clinical psychiatry, and her vast knowledge of plant medicines and everything having to do with spiritual growth, combined with the sacred ayahuasca journeys, to reach our higher self, which helps us to help ourselves. It’s not just the revelations that are unveiled to us under ayahuasca, but just as important, it’s what to DO with this knowledge. It takes work, during and mostly after the retreat. But we have the power to change ourselves, and really help change the world. We all suffer from childhood trauma, even those of us born and raised in the best circumstances. We learn how to overcome the trauma, grow, and move on.
I can’t really say enough great things about this special, exquisite, divine place. It really is a miracle that it is here, and I feel so lucky and grateful to have found it. And if you are reading these reviews, I think you are lucky too, because you found it. There are myriads of ayahuasca retreats around the globe now. But they are not all equal. Spirit Vine is the place to go. I actually suffer a bit of separation anxiety when I leave here, and I think about Silvia, Too, the retreat, the things that I have learned, the friendships I have made with other participants, and the miracles that I have witnessed here, every single day.
We all really need this place. All of us. It reminds me of a Terence McKenna Quote:
“I think there is something to be said for admitting that we cannot do it alone. That if you want this spiritual insight, if you want the Gaian matrix to welcome you, then humble yourself to the point of making a deal with a plant. That’s the key.”
saramvh
September 7, 2022 at 1:54 pmOne of the most striking aspects of my experience at Spirit Vine was the amount of intentionality that went into every aspect of the retreat. The workshops were tailored very specifically to the challenges we were likely to encounter in the ceremonies, and each one gave me helpful mental frameworks and tools to use. The meals (always gorgeous) followed a very careful diet that helped me prepare physically for the ceremonies. And the ceremonies themselves were always administered with such care, clear boundaries, and individual attention.
What made me feel most confident choosing Spirit Vine was the years of experience, both professional and lived, that Silvia and Ti0 bring to the retreat. Silvia has decades of experience as both a clinical psychologist and a facilitator of ayahuasca ceremonies, and this really shows in how the retreat is structured, in how much I learned, and in how safe I felt. And Ti0 shared more wisdom with me, gained through his personal experience, than is possible for me to put in words.
Additionally, Silvia and Ti0 bring their own cultural backgrounds to the workshops and ceremonies, and I appreciated the way they try to avoid appropriating Indigenous traditions that aren’t their own. That said, I would’ve appreciated slightly more context, integrated into the retreat, about the Indigenous history of the medicine.
In general, I would recommend ayahuasca to those who feel a deep pull towards it and to those who are sincerely looking towards their own healing. I don’t think it is a decision to be taken lightly. That said, it is an incredibly profound resource, and I’m so grateful that I found it at Spirit Vine. I also really appreciated the existence of their Ayahuasca Awareness Program as a way to make the retreat more financially accessible.
There are so many resources at the retreat center: not only powerful plant medicine but also the advice and friendship of other participants, the large cabinet of relevant books that I spent hours perusing, the patterns of eating that gave me a radical and healthy break from my routine, and the workshops that taught me psychological tools that I will be using for the rest of my life.
I definitely hope to be back, and I have already highly recommended Spirit Vine to my close friends and family.
Overall, I can’t recommend this retreat highly enough. It was one of the most profound experiences of my life, and I truly feel so grateful that Silvia and Ti0 have created a retreat with such intentionality, wisdom, and care.
c_clarke10
September 5, 2022 at 6:33 pmThis was my first ayahuasca experience and I researched numerous retreats thoroughly before deciding to invest my time, money, and trust in Sprit Vine and without a doubt, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. I gained profound personal insight, healing of long-held traumas, a strengthened connection with myself, as well as inspiration and tools to continue my inner work and growth.
Not only are the retreat grounds gorgeous and meticulously maintained, there is a calming, safe, and welcoming energy that permeates the atmosphere at Sprit Vine. Both the retreat founder, Silvia, and her co-facilitator Ti0 consciously cultivate this energy and are masters at the art and science of guiding participants through what can be a challenging, beautiful, and ultimately life-changing experience. This is achieved through their focus on preparing you for the experience both leading up to your arrival and once your stay begins at the retreat. Prior to the retreat you’ll receive detailed information on how to being physically and mentally preparing yourself by eliminating certain foods, medications and/or supplements, other drugs, etc. from your system. I appreciated the attention to proper preparation that Spirit Vine provides because I believe that if you follow the guidelines, it greatly impacts your ability to have a deeper and more meaningful experience. On the first day of arrival, we received a detailed introduction and open forum with Silvia and Ti0 to answer any questions. Throughout the stay and prior to the ayahuasca ceremonies, there are multiple workshops led by Silvia that guide you in an exploration of your traumas, fears, and inner self on a deep level. These workshops serve as both preparation for, and integration of, your ayahuasca experiences and provide you with tools to continue working on yourself even after your leave the retreat. Silvia’s background as a clinical psychologist coupled with her personal experience in participating in ayahuasca ceremonies for many years before founding Spirit Vine are key assets in her ability to prepare, guide, and support you through your journey. The co-facilitator Ti0 also plays a pivotal role in supporting and guiding all participants during the retreat. He is caring, intuitive, and full of wisdom. I personally had several insightful conversations with him that helped me process things that came up during the ceremonies and he could always be relied on for help and as a comforting presence during ceremonies. Whether you just need help to the bathroom, or are in the midst of a powerful and difficult moment, Ti0 will be there for you. I truly can’t thank him enough for his kindness, assistance, and care of not only myself but of our entire group.
As many others have mentioned, the food is lovingly prepared by chef Lu and despite following the rigorous restrictions of the ayahuasca diet, manages to tantalize you with its stunning presentation and alchemy of flavors and textures. Each meal was something to look forward to and offered a communal experience to chat and share with fellow participants, ask questions to Silvia and Ti0, and just bask in the pleasure of genuine, unadulterated connection with others. The connections I formed with the other participants by learning about each of their backgrounds, and hearing about their experiences during the group sharing exercises that are facilitated during workshops and after each ceremony were invaluable. I am still in awe of how we all opened up with each other. What took place in the group sharing sessions was a beautiful display of courage, trust, vulnerability, empathy and validation of our collective human struggle as we experience and navigate this wild and crazy life.
I could write pages and pages about the amazing time I had at Sprit Vine and how highly I recommend this retreat. If you are truly looking to do deep inner work, heal, grow, and gain tools to help you continue your personal evolution beyond the ayahuasca experience, Sprit Vine is the ideal oasis to step out of the everyday routine and focus on this most important work. If this type of experience resonates with you, follow your intuition and go!
Holly Williams
September 5, 2022 at 5:55 amHaving just attended the August retreat i am still in the gorgeous haze that is lingering even now, back to my ‘normal life’ in London. I can’t express how wonderful and transformative the retreat has been, all 11 of us experienced profound moments of healing and spiritual growth. The centre is run so perfectly by Silvia and Ti0, it is a sanctuary and the perfect place for this deep work. Every detail is aligned with their intentions and it doesn’t go unnoticed. The amazing food, the beautiful bungalows and stunning location add magic to the incredible experience. For me it was the activities around the ceremony that were so integral – the workshops, yoga, massages, sharing circles and every damn conversation with the other participants and Silvia and Ti0 made this a life changing 9 days. The mind blowing insights and conversations didnt stop and i truly believe it was all these additions that helped us get a lot more out of the ceremonies than what i had imagined possible. It’s these added extras, not just the ayahuasca, that sets Spirit Vine apart.
When i arrived i unfortunately wasnt very well but Silvia, Ti0 and the team took incredible care to make sure i got better and adjusted my dosage accordingly. We received such a bespoke service and i genuinely don’t think this level of care and attention to each individual is on offer at many (if any) other retreats. It was my first experience with Ayahuasca and i am already looking at when i can return, i couldnt dream of going anywhere else after a ‘trip’ like this. Also, the town of Itacare is so fab, most of us spent a couple days there before and 3/4 days after. It was the perfect way to round off the trip and integrate gently back into a wonderful society after Spirit Vine. On a final note – the other incredible participants cracked my heart wide open and i believe i made deeper connections over those 9 days than a lot of people can in a lifetime. I feel so lucky to have been a part of this and i cant wait to return to continue this transformative, soul enhancing journey. If you are deliberating where to go for your Ayahuasca retreat you can stop right now..
Felix F
July 21, 2022 at 11:33 amThis experience was nothing short of phenomenal!
I was never much of a spiritual person, although I have been searching in that domain for years.
The setting is wonderful, beautiful bungalows immersed in the jungle, Michelin Star worth cooking with great vegan and gluten free dishes using locally sourced ingredients.
The ayahuasca ceremonies are well organised, under the watchful eye of Silvia and Tio, who are there to assist everybody.
Unlike other venues where ayahuasca is used, here the dosages are individually measured and adjusted for each and every participant, changing quantities from ceremony to ceremony in order to enhance the experience.
The skilfully organised workshops are also important to maximise the “self work” that needs to be done before, during and after the ceremonies, and the sharing done after the ceremonies allows everybody to share their experiences with other participants and the facilitators.
I cannot leave one important, for me personally even critical, aspect of the ceremonies – the music that is played during the ceremonies. I found myself being very responsive to the songs in the skilfully chosen playlists which would guide me through the experience.
This retreat was organised during a rainy period that, for me, was very beneficial to the experience, especially when it would rain during the ceremonies.
This overall experience, for me, was truly transformative in so many levels, and I got a lot of insight and I still have a lot of “homework” to do before I will be back, because, for sure, I will be back.