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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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marketgirl
August 4, 2015 at 12:00 amboth my husband and i attended a 9-day retreat in july with silvia after meeting one of her now permanent volunteers (the most excellent and humble rohan!) and hearing firsthand accounts of what this very powerful life-changing spirit medicine can do.
being in the jungle in the direct influence of nature and away from the usual influences and noises of the city in itself was healing and restful, but silvia’s expertise and guidance was by far the most valuable asset of our week. she was always available for her guests, whether to call a taxi or give one-on-one counsel at almost any hour, never in a rushed way but selflessly giving her time to promote understanding and personal growth. she designed her group therapy exercises to be simple allegories of how we act and react every day to create problems in our lives and we discovered our misconceptions and mistakes gently yet in often profound and obvious fashion, surrounded by other participants in a nonjudgmental safe circle of trust and support.
taking part in the sacred ceremonies was one of the most humbling and incredible experiences of my life. though the process was very difficult for me, afterwards i felt that some layers of anxiety had literally released from my body, as if some very dark and stagnant, negative energy had been exorcised from a deep place within myself. i noticed that i no longer had an annoying back pain in a specific place that had been plaguing me for months. there is much to unravel and achieve in terms of changing negative and destructive habits and thought patterns but already i feel energy is moving where before it was stuck, creating momentum and healing. bless this space for allowing myself and others to have a comfortable, safe, beautiful, and supportive place for discovery and healing.
MataAtlant
July 27, 2015 at 12:00 amI am most grateful to have attended my second retreat with Silvia at Spiritvine this July. Silvia’s methods in guiding and assisting you are taken from her many years helping others with the use of transpersonal and psychospiritual practices.
The workshops before and sharing after each ceremony helped me to identify, liberate and begin to cure my own problems.The setting in the biodiverse Atlantic rainforest with starfilled nights is a true Eden and will make you feel reconnected with source.
Mother Aya is ready to teach those who are ready and whos intentions have been made clear. She can teach you to know and love yourself so you can better understand and love others.
I am thankful to Mother Aya , Silvia and her staff for helping me to live more connected to my true divine self within. I would highly recommend this great experience to everyone at least once to help in discovering your potential and connecting with your higher self.
mrg
July 26, 2015 at 12:00 amI had my first experience with ayahuasca at TheVine Center in Brazil. I am amazed by the overwhelmingly safe and loving environment created by the host, Silvia and the facilitators. In my own experience, ayahuasca increased my awareness to suppressed parts of my self, and also the infinite possibility that is within, the shredding of this heavy armor I had been carrying around opened me to a very vulnerable state, with increased sensitivity, empathy and a wast range of emotions that I had not touched since childhood, the safe and loving environment allowed me to blossom just as simple natural me, as I am. Simply being.
The ayahuasca experience is not a on-and-off switch that only occurred during the actual ceremonies where we drink the tea, the time in between the ceremonies where we partake in workshops and share our experiences are of big help in actualizing and integrating the insights and experiences that occur both during and out of the ceremonies. During the ayahuasca ceremonies, Silvia and one of the facilitators, Rohan was always available and helpful and at the same time never intervened unnecessary. Really, I could not have asked for better sitters.
I had never expected this profound transformation from only 9 days at TheVine center, I have lost all addictions and no longer feel any the need to mess with what is already in perfect function, I am for ever greatful to Silvia and the facilitators for making this possible.
I absolutely recommend this ayahuasca retreat to everyone.
clear_mind
July 22, 2015 at 12:00 amI started my journey with Ayahuasca about 10 years ago, initially I did a few retreats in Peru but did not find it very safe and also found it difficult to communicate and understand my journeys because the shamans are not easy to speak with. Then I went to Brazil which I found to be a safer environment. Since 2008 I have been going every year to the Spirit Vine center in Bahia which boasts beautiful and modern living accommodations while still providing the traditional jungle setting for the ceremonies in the Atlantic rain forest. The ceremony room is absolutely gorgeous with nets to protect from insects and at the same time letting you experience the full jungle atmosphere with the sounds of birds, insects and the rain. The center is just 5 minutes away from magnificent beaches along the Atlantic ocean. The weather here is also a lot nicer compared to the Amazon.
There are workshops in English to help everyone integrate the information received during the ceremonies which I find very helpful. I like most that the focus of the retreat is spiritual development and self exploration. They provide a very safe and comfortable environment to let you explore as deep as you desire. Over the years I have met many different types of people here – movie celebrities, writers, artists, physicists, biologists, lawyers, doctors, meditation gurus, techies and so many more, and each and every person has a powerful positive transformation no matter their prior beliefs and mindset. The magic that takes place here on every visit is what keeps me coming back year after year. It is truly a wonderful space and I highly recommend attending a retreat here!
babygaby
July 16, 2015 at 12:00 amI did a retreat in Peru last year and although I liked the ceremonies with ayahuasca I didn?t like the superstition around shamanism which makes the energy very heavy specially if you understand Spanish. This year I wanted to try Brazil and the vibe there was completely different. I chose spirit vine center in Bahia famous for their stunning beaches and jungle.
This retreat center is very beautiful but the most interesting thing for me were the workshops with guided visualizations that helped me bring to my awareness situations that I had forgotten and now I understand my history a lot better. After this retreat I am free of my compulsions. We had 4 ayahuasca ceremonies and the energy was very clean and loving. They have their own plants to make ayahuasca. And their own organic garden for the food.
Thanks to Silvia, always available to listen carefully, thanks to the cooks making delicious and healthy meals, thanks to the gardeners for making all the center?s grounds a flower paradise and Silvia?s assistants Michael, Rohan and Jacky. After the retreat I stayed one more week near itacare surfing and learning capoeira. It is a beautiful and unique town very close to the retreat center. It was an unforgettable journey in all aspects.