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.
Feel free to check out our reviews from previous guests on here (AyaAdvisors) and our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ArkanaSpiritualCenter/). Or, visit our website for more information and to book a retreat with us: www.arkanainternational.com. We look forward to having you with us!
Lots of Love,
The Team
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Recent Reviews
Review of Espiritu Pandorita by My workshop experience at Pandorita was nothing short of extraordinary. Even before booking, I was thoroughly impressed by their commitment to guest well-being. The complimentary info call provided me with invaluable insights and answered all my questions, setting the stage… Read More from pesi May 19, 08:26- Review of Dreamglade by I just returned for a 2nd time to Dreamglade for a week. My first time being just under a year ago. Obviously as a returning guest, I liked it the first time around. It’s a beautiful setting in the jungle… Read More from JeffreyT May 17, 09:55
- Review of Awakenings Ayahuasca Retreat by Really intense and interesting experience. I felt welcomed and safe at all times. It was really helpful to have Stefanie around to translate from Spanish to English. Read More from kon May 15, 12:39
- Review of Yosi Ocha by A wonderful place, full of powerful medicines, amazing Shaman and his family. This was my second time returning to Yosi Ocha as a solo female traveler, and I could not recommend this place highly enough. To immerse yourself in the… Read More from Samantajat May 15, 11:14
- Review of Arkana Spiritual Center by This place felt like pure magic, overflowing with love and care. It was here that I rediscovered myself, and my life’s path became clearer than ever before. The team at Arkana is incredible, driven by love and a genuine desire… Read More from irenchik88 May 14, 16:13
Hammy D
October 16, 2014 at 12:00 amAt first glance I thought Pulse Tours was too good to be true, but after some encouraging conversations with Dan and Tatyana i finally decided to pull the trigger.
BEST. DECISION. EVER.
I had dreamed of going to the Amazon for years and was extremely intrigued by Ayahuasca and even though i knew zero Spanish and was a bit intimidated by traveling internationally my first time alone, Pulse Tours truly was able to make a dream come true with flying colors. I was made comfortable and was well informed every step of the way. Each member of Pulse tours has a unique skill set, wisdom, and personality that work in unison as a fine tuned vessel of experience.
Dan and Tatyana are so knowledgeable on the area and so good with people that there is never a single reason to be distracted by worry. Dan carries a very energizing presence while Tatyana exudes a calm nurturing. They are so genuinely amazing that I decided to return to Iquitos and the jungle a second time with them after my tour was originally scheduled to end in Cuzco.
The jungle guide, Victor brought to the table an unprecedented education on wildlife, medicinal plants, survival, and much more. He loves questions and he most likely will have a good answer for any that you present him with. He’s full of surprises and always keeps you on your toes, which is good when you’re in the jungle. Perhaps most impressive is his expertise on knowing how to have a good time.
Wiler the maestro was mostly quiet and kept to himself when we first met him but it was understandable considering the language barrier. However once the ceremonies commenced his presence expanded into an elegant powerhouse of beautiful music and healing .As the ceremonies progressed he communicated to the best of his ability more and more until he really felt like a good friend. The same could be said for Angela, who’s icaros in one ceremony seemed to move through me as a vibrating liquid and carry me away into the unknown.
As much as I tried not to have expectations for this adventure my mind ran wild in the weeks leading up to it. I’ll be honest and say that I have pretty lofty standards and that I had a lot of hope and emotion invested into this trip. I felt “pulled’ to Peru and something told me that if I went it would be one of the most important things that ever happened to me. That turned out to be true and it was even greater than I ever could have imagined. At three separate occasions during the tour I said “This is the greatest moment of my life.”
The Pulse Tours crew and everyone else that took the journey with me was just as important if not more important to the healing process as the medicines. Because of them I learned so incredibly much about trusting people with who you really are and that is what I needed most of all. So if you’re reading this I am eternally grateful beyond words. THANK YOU.
I could go on and on and on about the details but if you’re thinking about doing this you’ve probably done your research. What’s important is to know that these people are honest and they deliver much more than what they promise. They listen and they care and they do a wonderful job of getting you where you need to be,,,literally, as well mentally and emotionally.
JessoJames
September 30, 2014 at 12:00 amI didn’t know what to expect in Peru. This was my first set of ceremonies outside of Canada (where I had become jaded and distrusting of the religious community surrounding it here), and I was very pleased with what I was offered. Beyond just the ceremonies, which were well organized and executed (their curendero’s icaros are gorgeous), the atmosphere of the trip was welcoming and playful. I really enjoyed Dan, Tatyana and Victor (their awesome jungle guide!). They were approachable and supportive.
This felt like a great retreat for people wanting to explore ayahuasca while exploring the jungle, but aren’t interested in investing into the rampant superstitions around ayahuasca that proliferate so much of the tourism culture down there.
Highly recommend Pulse.
I_love_Fanny
September 25, 2014 at 12:00 amI just had the time of my life with pulse tours.
I joined them for the grand opening of their brand new Ayahuasca adventure center.
18 days of pure magic with Ayahuasca, San Pedro, Kambo , jungle hikes, Machu Picchu, great people and memories that will put a smile on my face for the rest of my life.
The second i opened my first e-mail from them after asking about tour dates and prices i knew these were the guys I wanted to travel with. Dan and Tatyana are two of the most caring people I have ever met, and the way they handled everything from start to finnish made me feel completely safe and relaxed about the fact that i was halfway across the world from where i live, on my own, experimenting with psychedelics. Something i had never done before.
Very professional and very Zen.
During the Ayahuasca ceremonies i tried to describe the shaman to myself and the shortest way i could put it was “Truly a great man”. A very gentle person with huge knowledge and power. I really hope they get to keep working with him for a long time. His Ikaros was the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard and his laugh made me smile every time.
Ayahuasca is probably the most important thing I’ve done so far. It opened me up to my true self and washed away all the negative crap that’s been building up inside me from living in a concrete box for 32 years.
I was reminded how great and exciting it actually is to be alive and i regained the ability to feel gratitude and love. It gave me exactly what i needed. For a start.
I’m definitely going to keep working with psychedelics and i hope I’ll be able to go back to Peru to do it with Pulse and the people i met there.
I couldn’t possibly have asked for more from this experience.
Worth every penny.
Worth every second of the ass numbing flight from Sweden to Peru.
Worth every knee killing step to the top of Huayna Picchu.
It was so great it’s even hard to be sad that it’s over.
Many thanks and much love to Dan, Tatyana, Victor, Wiler (spell check) and all of my beautiful new friends. Hope I’ll see you again soon! //Emil
bbtran
August 29, 2014 at 12:00 am?If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat! Just get on.?
? Sheryl Sandberg
If you’re ready for a life changing journey and looking for a legit company to book with, I say; GO WITH PULSE TOUR! I HIGHLY recommend them! It was worth every penny.
I traveled with Pulse this past summer, like the previous posts, Dan, Tatyana, Victor, Ana and the whole Pulse team were helpful and amazing! Any questions/ concerns I had, they were there to help.
Being a solo female traveler, I was skeptical at first, I didn’t know what to expect, but as soon as I landed in Iquitos and met with Victor and Ana, I knew that I was in good hands. They genuinely care about their customers. I won’t go into details about the trip, you have to experience it yourself =)
Just know that you won’t regret this decision, it will be a life changing adventure.
I love them so much that I’ll be bringing all my friends and family to travel to Pulse!
#Vote4Dan as President of all Ayahuasca Tours =D
B.Tran =)
Terry
August 24, 2014 at 12:00 amYo, if your reading this, your wanting a life changing adventure in Peru! This is absolutely the group to do it with! I gave it a Perfect 10, and i’ve never said that about anything! They know exactly what you want from this experience! If your looking for a SUPER AWSOME jungle tour & a MAGICAL ayahausca experience, they have the perfect package! Dan is like Mr. South America. He knows a lot of people here (and trails & rivers, lol) & he’s also well respected here! Tatyana is like my new spirit sister! She’s very wise and mature! Victor is like the perfect tour guide. The jungle is truly his territory! They treated all of us like family and I would absolutely coming back! HANDS DOWN THE COOLEST THING I EVER DID FOR MY SELF!!!!!!!!
P.S- If there is ever a clear night sky in the jungle, take a moment to look up at the sky and you will see the entire milky way galaxy. There is soo many stars and cool looking colorful gases. I wish I would of recorded it! I sat in awe!
P.S.S- If you can, do the Machu Picchu tour too! It is magnificently breath taking!!!
Thank you Dan
Thank you Tatyana
Thank you Victor
jjmagnificent
August 20, 2014 at 12:00 amPulse Tours is an incredible facilitator for life changes! It is such an honor & blessing to have had the opportunity to work with Pulse Tours in which I’m forever grateful. Not only are the group leaders Dan & Tatyana very experienced but their leadership skills are undeniable! It was my very first time going to the Amazon not to mention alone, I was warmly welcomed and instantly felt very comfortable. The team is very open minded, professional, and well organized. There is absolutely nothing to fear when you are working with Pulse Tours! All it takes is an open mind and an open heart to enjoy the ride! If you are seeking healing on any level or simply a great adventure then I strongly recommend working with Pulse Tours, an organization you can trust. My life is forever changed, Thank You!
Sidney Smith
August 13, 2014 at 12:00 amIf Pulse Adventure Tours is a travel agency for the iPod generation, then Dan Cleland is Steve Jobs. What an absolute LEGEND. I?m a well-travelled business man residing in Toronto, and NEVER thought I would buy into the idea of using a travel ?agency? to book my trips for me. I like to ?do things live?, travel ?rough and tough? and experience the local customs as I go. Immersing myself into the culture is something I believe strongly in. Here I am wrapping up my second trip with Pulse Adventure, already planning a third and have sent several of my friends to experience this truly life-changing company. This company is not your typical pump and dump tour operator, they truly allow you to move at your own pace, make detours as you?d like, are experts in South American tour and Travel. They know places off the beaten path that you would never even read about in Fromers or Lonely planet. Dan and Tatyana are fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese, so interacting with the locals became much easier.
My first experience travelling with them involved a 13 day trip to Iquitos Peru and into the Pruvian Amazon. I recently started exploring the emotional and spiritual aspects of my life, and through my journey I found much research on Ayahuasca and it?s therapeutic uses. After many hours of research I decided I would like to explore trying the medicine. I can honestly can that I would not have wanted anyone else in the world to lead me on my first Ayahuasca ceremony. I was as nervous as I was excited, but Dan, being an extremely seasoned Ayahuasca veteran, was not only able to answer any questions I had, but did a n excellent job of preparing us both physically and mentally for the experience. Ayahuasca is just as much a physical cleanse, as it is a mental cleanse. Starting in Iquitos Peru, Dan prepared us physically by embarking on a Journey deep into the primary rainforest jungles of Peru, where we ate only Ayahuasca friendly diets. This us refrained from eating spices, sugars, fermented foods like cheese and alcohol, and no pork. We ate only fresh fruits and vegetables from the Jungle and local meats like Fish, Beef, and Chicken. We were even able to try a local favourite Paca (a large jungle rodent). We were lead by a local man, Victor, who reminded me of Mowgli from the Jungle Book. He grew up along a river in the rainforest, a small village of only 200 residents. His grandfather taught him most of what he knows about the Jungle, he taught us how to recognize different river systems, showed us many medicinal plants good for curing different ailments, caught wild animals, and fed wild monkeys; all of this on small boats navigating the river systems and by foot. This was the REAL DEAL.
Mentally Dan prepared us by answering questions, telling us that is could be difficult, and not giving us false expectations of ?rainbows and unicorns?. He recounted his own experiences, and referenced others who had experienced both easy and hard times with the medicine, and told us to take what we can from every experience. The medicine will work in subtle ways, and sometimes it needs to ?knock you on your ass? in order for you to get the message. He truly is an excellent teacher and listener. Tatayana, the other group leader, is also an incredible listenrr and teacher, she?s an angel full of light.
The second trip I recently experienced was to Jericoacoara, a small village in Northern Brazil that only received electricity in 1998 (to give you an idea of how ?off the beaten path? this place is). IF ever there was any doubt that magical places existed in this world, this village shattered all of it. Situated on the ocean next to miles of sand dunes (we had to drive by picked up truck on sand for 2 hours just to get there, after 6 hours by bus from the nearest city, Fortaleza) the village roads are made entirely of sand. Dune Buggies are the most popular form of travel in this area. Wild horses grazing, kite surfers gliding on the water planes, trees rising from the sand to resemble mirages, it truly was the closest to paradise I?ve ever been. After a day out on the sand dunes, where we caught wild sea horses, snowboarded the sand dunes, ate amazing local foods, we all decided to drop LSD. WOW. An 8 hour experience that left me feeling more connected with the human spirit and planet earth then I ever have before. At one point, after the watching the sun set from one of the sand dunes, the stars and moon were out incredibly bright. We decided we would walk out with the tide (Because the sand is such a low gradient, the tide actually goes out for 1-2 miles). Given where Jeri is situated near the equator, and the fact the village with passed a law that there can be no street lights, made for an absolutely magical experience. There was still a layer of water on the sand as the tide moved out, and as we walked, the stars and moon were so bright that they actually reflected off the ground. We felt at though we were walking in a dream, a three dimensional alternate reality that was right here on earth. Truly magical. Bravo Dan & Tatyana for a second amazing trip.
Did I mention Dan & Tatyana are fluent in both Spanish and Portuguese, and know South American better then most South Americans? These are the guys you want to be travelling with if you head to South America, I PROMISE YOU.
-Sid
DavidDoel
August 11, 2014 at 12:00 amJust recently got back from the 8-day Ayahuasca Jungle Adventure and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. If you’re interested in both ayahuasca and experiencing the Peruvian Amazon as raw as possible, Pulse Tours is a no-brainer.
Victor, the jungle guide, knows the Amazon in and out. By the end of the first three days I had felt like I had already been on a week-long experience – it’s insane how much we saw and did. Multiple jungle hikes a day, learning about all the different medicinal plants in the jungle, swimming with pink dolphins where the Amazon begins, hanging out with a sloth, catching an iguana, catching a cayman, feeding monkeys, and seeing countless insects, all native to the region and all wild.
After that we headed to Nihue Rao, the ayahuasca centre, lead by a Ricardo (native to South America) and Joe (from the US) – both incredible people. Joe is actually an MD, which just gives the centre and ayahuasca that much more credibility. Before our ceremonies we discussed with them our intentions, so that the shamans can help us through their icaros during each ceremony. The facilities there are incredible; running water, flushable toilets just outside the maloka, comfortable beds within multiple sleeping quarters, an amazing view from inside the maloka (it’s huge!), a kitchen area, and a river nearby for swimming. In the future, I believe most ayahuasca ceremonies with Pulse Tours will be taking place at their new centre that’s being built by the jungle lodge, but until that’s ready I suggest looking into Nihue Rao if you aren’t interested in the adventure aspect (but you should be!).
Dan and Tatyana are amazing leaders at Pulse Tours, always there to help you with and through your experiences. I HIGHLY recommend looking through the different packages that Pulse Tours offers and seeing what speaks to you. Being someone that hadn’t previously considered themselves an outdoors-type person, I pushed myself further than I ever imagined possible, and I wouldn’t have had this opportunity otherwise.
MattG
August 8, 2014 at 12:00 amTravelling with Dan and Tatyana across the north of brazil everyday was a perspective broadening experience. Even though I arrived a day late Dan was able to adapt to ensure I still got the most out of our adventure, ending up in Jericoacoara taking a hit of lsd and having the best day of my life. I am extremely grateful to pulse adventure tours for bringing together an amazing group of individuals and providing a truly unforgettable experience.
Thanks heaps guys!!!!!!
matt-laing
August 6, 2014 at 12:00 amI had a fantastic experience with Dan and Tatyana during our Brazil World Cup tour through the Amazon and along the North-East coast of Brazil. I couldn’t speak highly enough of the tour organizers and their ability to plan fun and exciting activities. Every day of my tour was an incredible experience. It was possible to enjoy Brazil furthermore relying on Dan’s ability to speak Portuguese and always feeling safe trusting his extensive knowledge of the area. Both tour organizers and the others I met on this trip were incredible people who had instantly changed my perspectives on life. A truly life changing tour. I recommend these guys to anyone interested in experiecing Ayahuasca – or just seeking an unbelievable experience in South America.