How To Prepare
Once your application to attend the retreat has been approved, there are a few key aspects to focus on before you arrive to ensure you have the best possible experience.
Preparing
Your Body
Your body is the vessel through which ayahuasca works. A clean, simple diet clears toxins, balances the nervous system, and heightens sensitivity to the medicine. By avoiding fermented foods, alcohol, and stimulants, you create the physical clarity needed for the plant to move through you with ease and strength.
Speak with your doctor before applying for an ayahuasca retreat if you are taking any medications or have specific mental or physical needs that may interfere with your experience.
Which foods should I avoid?
Before attending Spirit Vine, we ask participants to follow an ayahuasca-compatible diet to promote safety, clarity, and receptivity. Generally, this involves avoiding alcohol, recreational drugs, pork, and red meat. We also ask that you avoid processed foods as much as possible—especially those containing refined seed oils, excess sugar, chocolate, caffeine, and fermented or cured foods. We do not view this diet as a restriction, but rather as a way to gently prepare the body and nervous system for the work ahead.
What about my medications?
Your safety is paramount to us. Certain medications—particularly antidepressants, mood stabilizers, stimulants, allergy medications, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, blood pressure medications, and other drugs that interact with MAOIs—are incompatible with ayahuasca. We require you to provide detailed information on the application form regarding all medications and supplements you are taking so that we can assess safety on an individual basis. Please do not discontinue or alter any prescribed medication without first consulting your healthcare provider and our team.
3 months before the retreat
This is a good time to start setting intentions and observing your habits. We recommend reducing the consumption of alcohol, recreational substances, and highly stimulating media, as well as beginning to eat more mindfully.
In the case of long-acting medications, such as fluoxetine (Prozac), or for individuals who have taken high doses over an extended period, a total timeframe of 2 to 3 months is required—comprising a medically supervised gradual taper followed by a conservative drug-clearance period—to allow the central nervous system to stabilize once the medication has completely left the body.
Abruptly discontinuing psychiatric medication can trigger severe withdrawal syndrome, rebound depression, and psychological instability.
2 months before the retreat
It is time to give up recreational drugs, coffee, tobacco, vaping, pornography, or any other compulsive activity that has been numbing you. Start cutting back on sugar; it is best to avoid cravings during the retreat so you can focus on your goals without distractions.
3 weeks before the retreat
Three weeks prior to their arrival, we ask participants to pay special attention to their diet, rest, and emotional well-being. This typically involves completely avoiding temptations during the journey, as well as alcohol and recreational drugs; they must already be free of drugs and medications. It also entails avoiding environments with low vibrations, eating lighter meals, and prioritizing sleep and nervous system regulation. This period helps the body adapt and prepares it for a smoother ceremonial experience.
1-3 weeks before the retreat
During the retreat
After the retreat
Preparing
Your Mind
Ayahuasca responds to the state of your mind. Practices like journaling, meditation, and setting intentions invite focus and openness. Releasing rigid expectations reduces resistance, while cultivating curiosity and trust allows the ceremony to reveal what you most need to see, rather than what you think you want.
“Ayahuasca will show you what you need to see, not what you want to see.”
What if I have PTSD or CPTSD?
Entendemos que muchas personas llegan a este trabajo cargando con traumas. Padecer TEPT o TEPT complejo no significa automáticamente que la ayahuasca no sea segura, pero debes indicarlo en el formulario de solicitud para que podamos comprender mejor tus necesidades.
Contamos con talleres diseñados específicamente para abordar el TEPT y el TEPT complejo durante el retiro.
What if I’ve never been to therapy?
You do not need prior therapy experience to attend Spirit Vine; for many people, this marks the beginning of their transformation process. That said, because ayahuasca can bring deep-seated internal material to the surface, having tools for emotional awareness and self-regulation can be beneficial. All our workshops are designed to address these areas, helping you feel more supported and secure prior to the ayahuasca ceremony.
In some cases, discontinuing antidepressants can lead to a recurrence of symptoms; therefore, it is advisable to resume or begin psychotherapy with a psychologist well in advance of your visit, allowing sufficient time to stabilize your emotions.
Is there a risk of psychosis?
There is a risk for individuals with a personal history of psychotic disorders—such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder—depersonalization, epilepsy, paranoia, or delusions, as well as for those who have previously experienced substance-induced psychiatric episodes. Combining ayahuasca with cannabis, alcohol, or other drugs also poses a risk. For this reason, we thoroughly screen all applicants and may advise against participation if warning signs related to psychosis are detected. Your long-term safety and well-being are always more important than attending a retreat.
What is the effect on the brain?
Ayahuasca temporarily alters brain function by combining DMT (a potent psychedelic) with beta-carbolines (which prevent DMT from breaking down in the gut). This interaction triggers hyperconnectivity; brain regions that do not normally communicate begin to interact intensely with one another, integrating visual, auditory, and high-level cognitive networks.
Neuroplasticity: Compounds in the preparation activate sigma-1 receptors and boost factors such as BDNF, promoting the growth of new neurons and neuronal connections.
Reconfiguration: This neuroplastic change helps disrupt rigid brain circuits associated with depression, PTSD, and addiction.
Rapid breakdown: Enzymes known as monoamine oxidases (MAO) rapidly metabolize DMT in the liver and bloodstream, preventing it from reaching dangerous levels.
What if I have a panic attack?
At times, intense emotional or physical sensations may arise during the ceremony. Our workshops are designed to anticipate these situations and prepare participants to manage any unsettling emotions that might surface. Before the ceremonies, we teach and practice techniques for accessing inner resources and knowing how to respond during challenging moments. Our facilitators are present at all times to provide grounding, reassurance, and support should fear arise.
You are never expected to face difficult moments alone.
Why limit my content consumption?
How do I integrate the experience?
Integration is about turning insight into embodied change. We support this through sharing circles, workshops, reflection, and grounding practices during the retreat. Afterward, integration may include journaling, therapy, creative expression, time in nature, or lifestyle changes. Insights continue long after the ceremony ends, and we encourage ongoing support.
Why do I need an intention?
Setting an intention is a good exercise for beginning to evaluate our priorities. An intention can be as simple as a question, a quality you wish to cultivate, or an openness to learning.
Since the unconscious mind interprets things literally, we ask that the intention be framed positively—focusing on what you desire in this very moment. We also suggest stating the intention aloud and then letting it go; the goal is not to cling to it during the ceremony or try to control it, but rather to allow ayahuasca to show you what you need to see—without attachment—and to remain open to new revelations.
Do I need a religion for Ayahuasca?
Does it fit with my faith or belief?
What if I’m not spiritual at all?
Why are gratitude and reverence key?
How can I honor these traditions?
Why see ayahuasca as a teacher?
How do I prepare my spirit simply?
What role do forest and healers play?
Preparing
Your Spirit
The ceremony is a sacred encounter. Approaching with humility, gratitude, and reverence for the traditions that hold this medicine prepares your spirit to receive. Honoring the forest, the healers, and the vine itself opens the doorway for deeper connection—reminding you that ayahuasca is a teacher, not just an experience. You do not need to follow any particular religion to benefit from this path; the medicine meets you where you are. Its wisdom integrates with all faiths and spiritual perspectives, supporting each person’s unique connection to the divine.
Retreat Meals
Rules & Guidelines
Dieta Guide
Travel Guide
Ready For Your Journey?
We expect every participant to follow our rules & guidelines while at the retreat and to have adhered to our guidelines for the dieta before arriving. We only admit applicants who show true dedication to the process, contributing to a safe and secure environment.
Sustainability at Spirit Vine
The Spirit Vine Center was founded by Silvia Polivoy with the intention to help people, nature, and animals. This intention was ignited in her first
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Honoring The Roots of the Medicine
At Spirit Vine, we honor and respect the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon who have been practicing this tradition for centuries. Our ceremonies are guided in partnership with trained Shipibo healers, who carry songs (icaros), prayers, and practices into each brew.
