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Our Program
At Arkana, we create the space for you to get in touch with your truth, opening your path for deeper meaning and greater fulfillment in your life. We work with ancestral medicines such as Ayahuasca, San Pedro, Bufo Alvarius, Rapé , using the traditional practices of the indigenous cultures of the Peruvian Amazon. We currently operate two centers in Peru, one in the Peruvian Amazon and a second one in the Sacred Valley (close to Machu Picchu), and one in Mexico, the choice is yours.
With great respect for the plants and the knowledge and healing that comes with them, our lineage of Shipibo shamans set the stage for truly deep and profound healing. Awaken your inner power through their sacred and powerful icaros (healing songs), and discover your connection to all things by exploring some of the 2.2 million hectare Pacaya Samiria National Reserve which is our backyard. Nourish your body and soul with fresh, clean, delicious meals that promote your Ayahuasca experience, and integrate healthy habits into your routine with our yoga classes and extensive selection of gym equipment for all levels. We believe the health of physical body sets the foundation for the health of the energetic body – Often ignored in this type of spiritual work, we find this to be an important part of the healing process, so you can begin implementing the healthy habits that will carry this work with you into your life back home. Finally, relax your mind and spirit with sound baths, meditations, breathwave sessions, and OM circles, or simply enjoy the tranquil views of both sunrise and sunset from our front porch on the banks of the Ucayali River, surrounded by lush biodiversity and the mesmerizing sounds of the jungle.
Arkana’s exceptional team of highly-trained Shipibo Master Shamans represent an unbroken lineage of plant medicine work. With a combined history of over 70 years of experience working closely with Ayahuasca and other master plant teachers of the jungle, our compassionate healers lovingly share their teachings, healing songs (icaros), capabilities, and knowledge with integrity and honor. We strive to maintain the traditional practices passed down through thousands of years of indigenous Amazonian culture, in order to continue to promote the true purpose and nature of plant medicine work.
Experiencing the medicines with us is a transformative personal journey, and so much more. We also work closely with our local community, the Amazonian village of Libertad, to ensure that our Center can benefit and give back to the people who have so generously let us into their homes and hearts. We create employment opportunities, teach free English classes, provide a space for the ladies to sell their handmade crafts, and assist in construction projects, among other things. Our latest endeavor is outfitting the entire village with free solar panels, so every house can have light and electricity. When you join us, you are helping the rainforest and the Amazon communities that live here.
Guests that come to our Center often say they feel like “part of the family” with us – that’s no coincidence, as we are one big family at Arkana! The people that are with you throughout your experience can simply facilitate your own healing journey or become an integral part of it. Our experienced, loving, and professional team of caregivers welcomes you to join our tribe, where we strive to make you feel at home and at ease, supported and cared for with all the love and compassion that is at the core of the plant medicines and people we work with.
Ayahuasca is a powerful medicine that offers us the opportunity to understand our true nature, by shining a light onto our darkness, and holding a mirror up to our fears, negative thought patterns, and self-limiting beliefs. We provide the environment and expertise of a team of highly skilled, warm, compassionate Shamans and facilitators to guide you through the process of awakening, of choosing differently, healing, and expanding. It is a slow but steady path towards freedom – from fear, from illusion, from self-constructed boundaries – resulting in a lighter, brighter, more authentic self, and the full experience of love. It is our honor to help you on this most fulfilling of all journeys: the journey back home.
We look forward to having you with us!
Lots of Love,
The Team
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gohard365
January 7, 2015 at 12:00 amI don’t even know where to start. I guess first off, all of the 10 reasons they list for being #1 are spot on. The shamans are awesome, the guides were fantastic, and the owner Dan is an awesome dude who does this for all the right reasons. I made friends who seem like they are going to be lifetime buddies. The photographs I took of the animals and jungle are out of this world. The cultural experience with the the village Libertdad next to the center was also incredible.
I am an agnostic scientist and I picked this place in part because they don’t go over the top with the religious aspects of the ceremony. A certain amount is definitely a requisite part of the experience but from looking into other centers I think they go over the top at times. This place balanced the spiritual aspects just right. The shamans’ icaros were out of this world. Additionally, the group discussion before and after the ceremonies turned out to be one of the most rewarding parts of the whole process (I did not look forward to this at the start).
The medicine they serve here is downright magical. I broke through every time I drank. Although I had not drank aya before the experience for comparison, in speaking with other people around Iquitos it sounds like the brews are not always of such quality.
The intentions I set going in where absolutely met. The more shocking part was that the medicine also pulled other things out of me. IE I realized that I have been losing a ton of positive energy to partying and drinking. By no means was I an alcoholic, but I have always enjoyed a couple happy hours a week and fairly frequent binge drinking on the weekends. After being inspired by one of the guys on the retreat I decided during one of my trips to give up all alcohol for the next year to get all the positive energy I possibly can out of life. Several of my buddies from the retreat also decided to make major changes.
If you want to have a life changing experience that will make your a better and more fulfilled person – Pulse Tours all the way.
Cliffy31
January 5, 2015 at 12:00 amI was very concerned about trying ayahusca for the first time. I was concerned it would make me not care about work or my responsibilities but it did the exact opposite I am now more focused and have an even harder work ethic. The experience itself is hard to describe, it was a very intense hallucination that some how allowed me to see my life clearer than iv ever seen it. I signed up for four ceremonies but after the second one didn’t feel like doing it anymore. I wasn’t displeased with the experience I just no longer had the desire. I must admit I was a little scared that if I didn’t want to drink anymore the staff at the center would try and convince me to drink more or to stay but the next day I asked Dan to take me and my friend back to iquitos and he said no problem. The staff at this center are very professional and I walked away feeling like everyone there was a friend. I miss them already 🙂
TheProfessional33
December 31, 2014 at 12:00 amI can not say enough great things about this place. Aya had been calling my name for over 2 years before I booked my trip. I was looking to hit the reset button to my life and I definitely found it here. I was battling a daily habit of drinking 6-12 beers a night just to get through my day. Aya helped me to see the underlining issues that were causing me to drink. Since Ive returned home my life has changed ten fold. I look at drinking like eating a piece of shit now. My experience was all about facing my fears and worries. I am no longer afraid of anything and I look at challenges and gifts that only make me stronger. Every Review on here has pretty much summed up my experience to a T. Do not over think coming here too much, you will not be disappointed. My best advice is not to read too much into other peoples Trips because this will allow you to have your own break throughs. If you are ready for a life changing experience, this is the place for you. Dont worry at all, you will be taken care of in every way possible. Daniel has created the perfect get away/adventure tour. I have never felt this connected to nature and other people. The support and network you will develop from coming here is a once in a life time opportunity. Do whatever you can to get yourself to this place. I think our entire group admitted that we wish we would have came here earlier in life. I was a police officer for 5 years along with my military experience had lead me to see and experience the worst that life has to offer. I kept a lot of that negative energy bottled up for too long. This trip has allowed me release all those terrible experiences. I truly feel like a new man! Im ready to take on the world one step at a time. I wish you all the best and much success and happiness in the New Year. Your power is in the Present Moment!
Jpim
December 30, 2014 at 12:00 amIm 28 from the US I have never been to south america, I don’t know Spanish but I was set on going to South America to take the medicine Ayahuasca for my own reasons. I did some research and found a couple of places I considered before finding Pulse. Honestly the first draw to Pulse was well why not have an adventure, I’m going to be there anyway.
I chose the 14 day Amazon, Machu Picchu and Ayahuasca adventure. Everything went smoothly, all of the people involved with Pulse were inviting and friendly. The San padro ceremony was in a nice and relaxing environment, the guide for the hike and Mahcu Picchu trip was informative and willing to talk about any random topic that was brought up. I recommend the hike up Waynapicchu, its a little steep, but the view is amazing.
All of that was great but the main reason for my journey was for the medicine. We drove about two and a half hours from Iquitos before taking a relaxing two hour boat ride down the amazon river seeing wild dolphins and exotic birds before arriving at the lodge. The lodge was still under development so no internet and maybe an hour or two of electricity to charge devices, which at first I was a little unhappy with but after the first day I was glad we didn’t have it. It was nice to not have any outside interruptions. During the day we would go out on little excursions like jungle hikes, fishing, finding monkeys, swimming in the river although I was worried about the parasite fish that goes up your urethra.
I had really high hopes for the Ayahuasca ceremonies and I was not disappointed. We had 3 ceremonies I was anxious, nervous and excited at the same time. After ingesting the medicine we sat in silence with only the light of the moon for around 45min. The shaman and his wife began to sing icaros which they sang all night, I found them to be really intense and calming at times. I’m not going to begin to tell you about my experience because I have found it difficult to explain in a way that would do it justice. All I can say is that I have a greater understanding and I cant remember feeling as good as I did the following day or if I have ever felt that good before. the following day of each ceremony we would get together and talk about it, we would try to explain what we got out of it and how we felt and the shaman would interpret the meaning behind some of it. I found it to be therapeutic and a bonding experience with the group.
The the feeling I had after taking the medicine has lasted with me and I will be returning. I cant imagine going through something like this and never doing it again. The people I met were all amazing, coming from all over the world for different reasons, but drawn to the same thing. I consider them friends and plan to keep in touch with them. The overall experience with Pulse was a safe and positive one, I would recommend Pulse to anyone interested in traveling for this experience.
tarekmami
December 28, 2014 at 12:00 amLet me preface this by saying I am 34 years old and I have NEVER left a review on anything in my life, but having just completed my 7 day retreat I felt that I would be doing a disservice to Pulse and you but not saying how absolutely amazing this place is. When searching for ayahuasca centers I came across Pulse Adventure Tours at the top of the page and thought to myself there is no way that EVERYONE gave this place 5 stars, they most have put the reviews up themselves or it most be a scam or something. But now I get it… I visited Peru in 2012 at a different ayahuasca center and was completely satisfied and planned on returning to it when planning my trip in December. Upon learning that the shaman had passed away I reluctantly decided to give Pulse Adventure Tours a try based on the reviews. It was everything I could have wanted and more, not only was there 4 ayahuasca healing ceremonies and 1 kambo ceremony (which is frog venom, while it is unpleasant I found it to be necessary), but there was also at 2 guided jungle tours a day. The jungle tours were amazing, Adriano and Manuel (guides) literally knew what every plant, animal and bug was in the jungle and we were able to handle all types of wildlife including monkeys, sloths and cayman just to name a few. They had a natural remedy for every ailment from stomach aches to psoriasis. They taught us jungle survival skills and Manuel even cut down a tree and taught us how to make a bow with a machete in a matter of minutes.
One of the things I particularly enjoyed about Pulse was their relaxed no pressure approach to everything, everything is optional. If you want to sit out of a jungle tour or an ayahuasca ceremony or if you want to just stay in your living quarters for 7 days and read; no problem no pressure its YOUR retreat. The facilitators Brandon and Emily were extremely supportive and helpful in the healing process. Brandon who is a western trained nurse and combat medic really made you feel secure that if there was any medical issue that you were being taken care (which really does help considering you are in the middle of the amazon rain forrest). They were also completely open to suggestions on how to improve your experience, I made 2 suggestions that they discussed and changed within a matter of an afternoon. Daniel (owner) who was constantly going back and forth from the center to Iquitos to make sure we all the supplies we needed and was generally concerned about the progress, well being and happiness of every guest and employee of the center. And when the 7 day retreat was over and they had no obligation to us at all, they spent the next 2 days (of their time) in Iquitos with us showing nightlife, shopping and the best places to dine (which in case your interested was Amazon Bistro).
So to wrap things up obviously I have absolutely nothing bad to say about Pulse Adventure Tours, and being that I have already been on an ayahuasca retreat on Peru that I was completely satisfied I think says a lot. Pulse has everything you would want out of an ayahuasca retreat center and most importantly if you shop around they are comparable in price if not cheaper than other retreat centers that dont offer half as much. I feel so strongly about this center that if you have any further questions about my experience at Pulse you may email me directly tarek.mami4@gmail.com.
Thank you
Tarek Mami