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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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nirajkm
April 21, 2020 at 7:28 amI was at the February 2020 retreat.
I watched a documentary on Amazon Prime last September called, ‘The reality of truth’ As soon as I watched it, I felt a calling that I have never experienced before. I had never heard about Aya prior to watching this documentary.
In the days to follow, I searched the internet for retreats around the world. I found 2 other potentially suitable ones. I was still not 100% convinced due to the mixed reviews and then by random chance I stumbled across Spirit Vine. I looked at Silvia’s credentials and the trip advisor reviews and I was immediately convinced that this was the one. I am happy that I followed my instinct.
It has taken me a bit of time to write the review, mainly because I have found it difficult to put into words the amazing experience I had.
I would like to thank the facilitators, all the participants, kitchen staff, 2 massage ladies, housekeeping staff, cleaners and everyone who made the experience so enriching for me. I received so much warmth and love from everyone and I gained answers to many questions that I was not even looking for and more crucially, all the dots just seemed to join up by the time the retreat was over.
As it was my first visit to Brazil. I was somewhat anxious. I called one of the facilitators and Silvia from the UK prior to departure. They answered my queries, including the confirmation of a taxi to pick me up from Ilheus Airport to my hotel in Itacare.
On arrival at Sao Paolo, I had to pick my luggage and recheck it in again for the transfer flight to Ilheus, despite having boarding passes issued for both flights in the UK. I stayed in Itacare for 2 nights before the retreat. It’s a gem of a place and the photos on the internet don’t do it justice.
The first day of the retreat, I was welcomed by one of the facilitators. He took me to my room and introduced me to my roommate. Thereafter, we met all the retreat participants, followed by an introduction part 1, dinner and introduction part 2.
Spirit Vine is like heaven on earth. It is magical. Silvia has achieved something out of this world. The attention to detail that has gone into everything is second to none, including the quality of food, cleanliness, the timings of the daily schedule, the ceremonies, the activities etc. Everything was just perfect.
In terms of the ceremonies, in the beginning, there was a stage where I felt I was not sure if I was getting anywhere, but by the time I finished the third ceremony, despite finding it quite challenging at times, I found the answers I was looking for and everything suddenly seemed to fall into place. I started to notice my limiting patterns of behaviour over my life that had hindered my growth and that had made me more fearful.
Upon reflection of the 4 ceremonies, I would say, don’t try & imagine what to expect at the outset. Go with the flow. Everyone’s experience is different & don’t negatively compare yours with others. Write things down as soon as you can after each ceremony. Don’t lose hope and have faith in the process. Silvia appears to have formulated the perfect process & it seems to work in some magical way. It definitely worked for me. Talk to the facilitators and let them know if you have any queries/questions at all after any of the ceremonies. They are there to help and by talking, they can try and make sure that you get most out of your experience; I found talking to them helped me achieve my answers as they guided me and made sure I got what I needed (& not necessarily wanted); Group sessions were extremely useful and it felt safe to open up, where I learnt more about myself & others. Workshops left me with an entirely new way of thinking. I have learnt how better to handle challenging situations in life. I would suggest staying 2 nights in Itacare after the retreat. Thank you so much to everyone.
drea347
March 7, 2020 at 1:28 pmI attended a retreat at Spirit Vine in January 2019 and it remains among the top 10 most significant and impactful experiences of my life. If you have any fears, anxieties, or worries…just read through the rest of these reviews. They say it all. The facilities are fantastic, the location and surroundings are stunningly beautiful, the food is delicious (although it took me a few days to adjust to complete lack of added sugar and salt lol). I felt safe and supported the entire time. Words are truly too limited to encapsulate how good Silvia and Ti0 are at creating and facilitating deep, introspective, and safe experiences for everyone. I’ve had a year to reflect on my experience and I discover new insights and wisdom every week. If you are ready to go deep inside yourself and consciousness – this place is for you. I’ve had a lot of time to think about what I want to share and I’ve put together some things that I would have found helpful before going.
1) Start cleansing your body with as much time in advance. I feel that this is particularly helpful/important if you’re anxious about vomiting (I definitely was). I always think about Silvia telling us that part of the reason she asks us to refrain from meat, alcohol, tobacco, sex, excess sugar, salt, etc in the weeks leading up to the retreat is that it helps to purify your body so that the Ayahuasca doesn’t have to. Essentially, doing this before hand will help you get into “the work” faster and get more out of the experience. I didn’t throw up during any of the ceremonies and, while i’ll never know for sure, I feel that it was largely due to following the suggested diet/regimen prior to going.
2) Manage your logical mind and mitigate your skepticism. It’s hard – I get it. No one escapes the global systemic conditioning that tells us spirituality & mysticism = crazy, “woo-woo”, silly, not real, BS…etc. But if you can surrender and “buy-in” so to speak, you’ll have a better/deeper experience. I’m not telling you to turn off the skeptical part of your brain – I don’t believe that is possible or helpful. But I think it’s worthwhile to look intently at and bring awareness to those parts of ourselves that instinctively doubt and invalidate this process. I wish I had more diligent about practicing meditation, breath work, and abstaining from social media ahead of time.
3) This goes hand-in-hand with the second point: Make the most out of the workshops. They feel challenging because Sylvia asks you meditate, go back in your memories, or call certain experiences to mind, among other exercises/practices. You might feel silly at first or be thinking: am I doing this right? Am I the only one here whose having a hard time turning off my mind/thoughts? Am I just making shit up in my head so I have something to contribute? Pretty much everyone is thinking/feeling this! Lol. Just go with it!! Sylvia will teach you that the psyche is infinitely wise so whatever comes up for you has something to show you. Surrendering to the workshops will help you in the ceremonies.
4) Be mindful and selective about the research that you do about ayahuasca before hand. It’s so easy to go down a rabbit hole of Youtube videos that show people writhing around on the floor, screaming in a jungle somewhere while someone is chanting and hitting them with leaves. Spirit Vine is not like that at all. Sylvia spends a lot of time curating a playlist for the ceremonies but other than the music, it’s very mellow, quiet, and peaceful. Everyone is having their own experience and it’s not this chaotic-demon-purging-loud environment that a lot of videos would have you believe.
5) Think about your intentions for doing this – what do you want to get out of this? Obviously you can’t control what you’ll see, hear, or experience during the ceremonies but I really do feel that there is room to communicate with the Ayahuasca. For example, I’ve really struggled with self-worth and body image as a woman so my intention for one of the ceremonies was “I ask that you show me how to heal and love myself”.
6) Lastly, when you leave Spirit Vine and return to your every day life – find a therapist! It will help sooooo so so much to integrate the experiences and learnings that you’ll undoubtedly come away with. The dominant global system/societal structure/whatever you want to call it isn’t set up to nurture your spiritual journey. I can’t say it enough – invest in therapy after you leave the retreat and make sure you shop around for one who won’t be dismissive to your Ayahuasca experience or non-Western practices of spirituality and healing.
Hopefully this can be helpful to someone who is considering coming to Spirit Vine!
Lots of love to Sylvia, Ti0, Noor, and all the incredible staff. I’m so grateful to you all.
zohefilms
February 23, 2020 at 11:23 amIt is almost a month since my journey to Spirit Vine and I continue to feel the effects. Everything about the center and environment is glorious. The retreat is run with impeccable attention to every detail for your spiritual and psychological growth. I can’t recommend it enough if you are looking for a profound and transformative experience — rooting out old patterns and empowering your self. I look forward to returning for more healing and love
Aneta Miller
February 15, 2020 at 10:12 amAmazing healing experience! Silvia and Ti0 are very experienced educators and facilitators. They compliment each other and were always available to the retreatants. I have left the retreat with the tools I leaned from the workshops which I use almost daily. The retreat also provides yoga classes and massages every other day. The center is very well maintained with daily housekeeping and delicious nutritional, appropriate for the occasion meals. They accommodate dietary restrictions. Also, I want to thank to all the people working behind the scenes for creating this extraordinary experience.
To top it off I visited the most beautiful beaches located in close proximity from the center. Heaven on Earth!
Alexia L
February 7, 2020 at 5:03 amI have just returned from a 10 day retreat at Spirit VIne. One of the best idea of my life. I was totally scared at first, but as soon as I arrived, Silvia, Tio, and the vibe of the other participants around,made me feel at home almost immediately.
The experience is definitely hard. But the learning are tremendously huge. You are in the middle of a whole mechanism, orchestrated by Mother ayahuasca, the kindness, support, wisdom, humor, and triggering of Sylvia and Tio, the energy and mirroring of the other participants and the extreme beauty of the luxurious nature around.
I have just returned home with an open heart and an awaken inner eye. It’s definitely worth the price, and a wonderful place to overcome your fears, and learn new tools. I’ll definitely be back! :–)
Alexia