Ayahuasca Retreat Reviews — Helping You Stay Safe with 5,000+ Independent Reviews
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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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ChelseaElise45
February 8, 2019 at 10:20 amI came on this retreat with the intention of learning more about myself, my mental obstacles, and my path to greater peace and happiness. I couldn’t imagine a better setting in which to explore such topics of personal growth. Thanks to the guidance of Sylvia and Ti-O, the entire retreat was perfectly structured to incorporate therapeutic group workshops on topics such as childhood regression, the shadow, and other forms of healing to beautifully compliment the experience of drinking the Ayahuasca tea and help us to derive meaning and gain a deeper understanding of our individual experiences. I came to this retreat alone, but I never felt alone since our intimate and diverse group of 16 people of all ages and from all over the world connected almost instantaneously in this setting and it was beautiful to gain such a supportive and fun group of new friends.
During the day we enjoyed having meals together, but also had the flexibility to go to waterfalls or beaches if we chose to before reconvening for group workshops or the ceremonies. There was also the option to get massages at the retreat center on days of ceremonies to really prepare your body and they felt amazing. The yoga classes were gentle and exactly what my body needed. I also loved the optional art sessions we would have after breakfast on certain days. I hadn’t painted in over 10 years, but it was so fun to get in touch with my creative side and it felt so fun and relaxing.
The retreat center in and of itself is an incredibly healing place to be. The bungalows are beautiful and clean, with amazing rainfall showers, and gorgeous views of the lush surroundings. The dining area is a beautiful veranda with a large dining table for everyone to sit at. The ceremony room is a beautiful circular building enclosed partially by screens so you can hear all the beautiful sounds of the jungle. And the best part of the entire retreat center, in my opinion, is the gorgeous pond where we spent many hours floating around and basking in the beauty of nature.
All in all, I can’t say enough great things about this retreat and I cannot wait to come back. It was extremely hard to leave, but I’m so grateful I stayed in the town of Itacaré a few nights following the retreat as did most of the others. It was a very magical experience and I would recommend it to anyone interested in delving deeper into spirituality and healing your self.
donnasusan
February 3, 2019 at 11:11 amI was privileged to visit Spirit Vine in January 2019 with 15 others seeking answers to why their lives were running loops of annoying, often destructive behaviour. No matter how much work we’d all done on ourselves, some of these loops had become so ingrained they seemed impossible to break. I don’t know of any other medicine or practice that has so completely lifted me out of these grooves and given me the opportunity to look at everything from a fresh perspective. A totally brilliant experience and a feast for the senses from the food, the music, the care and attention from Sylvia, Tio and Noor, the jungle noises, the beautiful clean bungalows, the plants, the pond, the yoga, the massages… it was so rejuvenating in every possible way.
One thing I would like to emphasize is, there is no ego apparent in the leadership here. The group sessions are guided by Sylvia and Tio, but it’s 95% the group and the group energy. There is no fawning over the leaders, or cliques, or favourites as I have witnessed in other groups that meet regularly. Sylvia is only interested in your healing, not in being praised for the incredible retreat she has worked years to create, and maintains with love and consistency. That in itself is extraordinary, as well as her ability to focus on everybody’s share and draw out something relevant and personal for that person. But she really comes into her own during the ceremony nights, sitting in silent witness, but speaking to each of us through her haunting, beautiful, passionate music which forms the architecture of the visions. It is the most exquisite expression of attention and love.
I am so happy to have found this place and cannot stress how important it was for me to have the follow up sessions and the professional care on hand when a buried trauma surfaced 24 hours after the third ayahuasca ceremony. If I had been on a weekend retreat, I would have been in trouble, with unresolved issues hanging. It’s really worth giving yourself the full 9 days with this deeply healing medicine and with people who know and respect it’s power.
pamela leigh
January 19, 2019 at 1:24 amJanuary 18, 2019
With all my heart I recommend!
My first retreat was in 2001, and had an incredibly powerful experience, all in a grand and good way. I am determined to get the visions and imagery that came through, onto canvas someday!
I attended two other times, the last being in 2005, with very fond memories as well, and my fourth journey to Brazil to partake was in December of 2018, just recently.
What is most comforting for me, is knowing where the brew comes from ~ which is from the very forest surrounding the retreat. Our host, a very dear friend now, Silvia Polivoy, PhD, is one of the most knowledgeable, experienced, and trained people in the field of Ayahuasca, as a Shaman, and clinical psychologist.
She combines everything she knows with her compassion, kindness, gentle and calming ways, yet, she is tough, insightful, persistent, an amazing listener, great sense of humor, and knows how to tune into the core of what needs healing with each unique individual, if that is what one is there for. She has a way about her. She is perfect for this position of helping others heal, and offers such a safe, caring, and loving environment.
The grounds, facilities, and housing, are exceptionally clean, very comfortable, elegant, efficient, organized, and maintained with professionalism. And Nature provides the extraordinary beauty … naturally 🙂 The wildlife sings to you like a symphony, so, so lovely.
Highly Recommend!
galma
January 16, 2019 at 6:03 pmI joined the December retreat (2018) at Spirit Vine. Honestly, I cannot recommend strong enough. This place managed to create the perfect balance between full nature experience and great conditions and facilities to accommodate all needs. Normally, my mind operates 24/7 (!), this place made me forget about everything outside, and purely focus on myself and nature. It was magical. The ceremonies are managed perfectly. I couldn’t imagine a better way to go through this experience. It felt like it was maximizing the therapy potential of the medicine, using workshops during the day to bring to the surface things that are berried deep inside. I stopped taking anxiety pills in order to participate in the ceremonies, and left there knowing I will never take them again.
enewell18
January 6, 2019 at 9:49 amI went to Spirit Vine in December 2018 after hearing about it from a friend a year prior, I waited over a year to go. I had not done a lot of research on places to go and did not know exactly what I was going to, I was pleasantly surprised. I am an extremely fast pace hard working person and was a bit nervous about the possibility of being bored for a 10 day retreat in the jungle. I was the furthest thing from bored and only wish I had booked the longer retreat. I have been looking for answers to questions about life and my past for many years using different avenues from hypnosis to traditional therapy. Aya through Sylvia is definitely the best way to get in touch with yourself quickly, the best way to describe the experience is 20 years of therapy with 10 of the best phycologist in the world. As this is just not realistic for most of us this is a much better way. Everything from the food, the accommodations, to the nurturing and loving atmosphere provided by Sylvia and Rohan is 5 star. Please make sure you listen to what they say regarding the diet and taking care of yourself, it will make the experience that much better. I have clearly been given the tools I need to love myself and enjoy this beautiful state we live in. You have no reason not to go to Spirit Vine except possibly not wanting to know there is a better way to live.