Ayahuasca $100 - $2,000

Aya Madre Healing Center

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Aya Madre is a shamanic healing center outside of Iquitos, Peru. It is owned and operated by master Shipibo shaman Estela Pangoza and her family. Maestra Estela is a renowned healer who works with the power of ayahuasca and mother nature as part of an ancient system of holistic treatment. Come heal your physical, emotional and/or spiritual illnesses, and connect more deeply to nature, yourself and higher states of well-being.

Maestra Estela has owned this property and been hosting a wide range of guests, clients and patients for over 5 years. In 2018 the center was officially founded as “Aya Madre.” Maestra Estela’s vision is to open a space deep in the heart of the jungle for people from the around the world to experience the deep and profound healing of mother nature.

While “ayahuasca tourism” has boomed in the Amazon jungle, with tourists seeking the sometimes thrilling visions ayahuasca can offer, Maestra Estela practices a traditional form of Shipibo plant medicine. This tradition sees ayahuasca as one of many master plants which along with a range of other plant treatments, can act as a powerful diagnostic tool, purgative, and ultimately, help us connect more deeply with the healing power within ourselves and all around us. This form of Shipibo plant medicine has been practiced for thousands of years, and at Aya Madre guests will be immersed in the full system of healing under Maestra Estela’s care and guidance.

As far as we know, this center is unique in being 100% owned and operated by a female, indigenous shaman. This is no small task in a world of shamanism dominated by men. Maestra Estela provides a safe, nurturing, empowering environment where you can experience the deep healing of the jungle, Ayahuasca, and the Shipibo plant tradition.

Reviews (44)

4.3 out of 5

Overall 4.3

Thomasito
June 1, 2021 at 4:32 am

I had such an beautiful time at Ayamadre.
I think the real healing work is here, you can feel the purity of it. Here it is real. Im so thankful!
It really helped me with selfesteem, confidence and to help me realize where I am living for and letting go of fears, doubts etc. It brought me that I know how it is to really love life.
It feels like going home there.
And a very important part of this incredible healing centre is that you’ll get a responsibility to organise your diet, to prepare your diet plants. And through this way you learn that you are responsible to create your life after the whole experience.
To let you work together with the medicines and every single person who is working there.

Of course, there is so much help and care. And here they work for you with the heart with so many details. But with your conscious will and wanting, it will be extra healing.
Maestra Estella is a very powerful curandera, she knows how to work with the medicine but most of all connect with you and your needs during the ceremony. Her chantings are so healing. Maestro Guillermo, who was there as well, is also a really authentic shaman, really soft and healing energy.
mishmish
May 22, 2021 at 2:13 pm

I have been to this center two times and I am hoping to come again in future. When I came the first time I was so lost and confused that I wasn’t sure how or why I came there. I was so depressed that I didn’t even know that I was depressed. During my one month long stay my heart was opened and I felt light and happy again (there is nothing wrong with being unhappy or depressed but it was my time to see the other side). The benefits were so apparent that I immediately started saving for the next trip and was able to come the the next year and stayed for another month. As someone who doesn’t have a lot of spare income I can say it was worth it both times.

I recommend to try to stay longer rather than for a short period of time. I also recommend not to chase your past experiences and start from the very beginning.
reillybrown
May 8, 2021 at 11:30 am

Aya Madre is an incredible healing center and the time that I spent there was very healing. I spent five weeks at Aya Madre. Maestra Estela is a master of her craft, I really don’t think you could be in more competent and safe hands. I was someone who came in with a lot of fears and doubts about taking ayahuasca, so I really appreciated being able to work with Shamburi first (a very gentle, loving medicine), and just the whole time I was there I felt like I was supported to engage with the medicines in the most beneficial and healing way. Maestra gives you the amount of medicine that she intuitively senses that you need, and emphasizes a process of gradual healing over the time that you spend there. She is also open to listening to what you as the participant feel like you need/want,(like you can ask for more medicine during a ceremony) and I feel like the center of her approach is empowering you to be your own healer, to be an active participant in your healing process and journey. Such valuable and beautiful lessons to be learned from that, I really couldn’t recommend Aya Madre and Maestra Estela enough. The food is also quite good, the tambos are lovely and the retreat center itself is quite beautiful and peaceful. They treat you as a guest extremely well at Aya Madre, and welcome you into their home as if you are a part of their family.
Ali
May 3, 2021 at 4:16 pm

In visiting Aya Madre, my intentions were to stay a month or two. I wanted to heal and go back home to move on with my life. Instead, I got so much more than what I expected!
Anyone that is in the healing path knows that the healing never stops. It is an endless progress of self discovery and evolution, which I discovered at the center.
Maestra Estela has created not only a healing center but also a learning center. It is a learning center that empowers you to continue the work with the medicine on your own, once you go back into civilization.
As for Maestra Estela, there are not enough words to describe what she did for me and what I’ve seen her do for others. She is a mother to many in her community and pasajeros alike. She holds herself true to who she is and what her mission is here on earth.
During my stay in Aya Madre I also had the privilege to work with maestro Guillermo, her nephew. It was very evident to me that her and her family hold a lot of love and compassion towards anyone they come in contact with.
When it comes to plant medicine, I can tell you from personal experience that I’ve learned that it is a journey that is not for everyone. I’ve worked with many healers from different countries. Maestra Estela was the only one that was able to help and guide me in the right direction.
When looking for a center, my suggestion to you is to ask yourself some questions about what you are looking for in a center.
What do I want to get out of my experience?
What are my intentions in taking plant medicine?
Am I willing to let go of old mindsets and evolve?
Movingmetaphor
May 2, 2021 at 2:51 pm

Hi, I am a former admin of Aya Madre, volunteering as facilitator, translator, communications contact as well as dieting the plants from March-December 2018. During my time at Aya Madre working closely with Maestra Estela, I can genuinely say that that was the most life changing periods of my life. The amount of healing and centering that occurred inside my body and soul was unlike anything I had ever experienced and I am pretty sure I will never experience anything on this planet close to that ever again.

Maestra Estela works in a way that caters to those who have individual passion and want to experience the dieta tradition as it was intended to. She is very hands-off when it comes to your day to day life at the center, and for those who value the individual growth that can occur without a lot of handholding, this can be extremely valuable. Expect to spend long hours in your hut alone, meditating with your plants and having minimal interaction with others. This is how dietas can be performed most effectively. For those that find this kind of practice difficult, you may have some trouble here. Yes, there are usually some guests who choose to socialize during the day which is perfectly fine and allowed, but the schedule is made such that if you are not comfortable growing individually you will likely get bored or feel isolated. Again this is the purpose of the dieta so it’s actually a good thing!

Maestra Estela is known for her tremendous icaros and her skill at navigating the world of ayahuasca with you is unlike anything you will find anywhere else. During ceremony she uses her powerful, deliberate icaros to search out and cleanse any unwanted energies from the space and from each guest’s body. Those who have worked with other Shipibo shamans will likely note how effective she is. Don’t take her icaros for granted! She works tirelessly each ceremony and it’s hard work. She also works closely with the light and never performs any act that could be misconstrued for darkness. She simply has no connection with darkness so if you’re looking for that, go somewhere else. Maestra Estela also is not a guru nor is she a therapist. So do not come to her expecting to receive long winded lessons or thought provoking statements. She is a cleaner of bodies and souls and that is it. The Shipibo way is one of simplicity and directness. They do not have time to rant or pontificate. That being said, the value she brings as a healer and guide during ceremony is invaluable and cannot be put down into words. It’s simply something you have to experience yourself.

I do know some things have changed since I was there, the COVID pandemic was very very hard on the center. So do allow for some time as Estela and her family regroup. Maestra Estela has no foreign investment or financial aid so when business slows down her family goes hungry. This is part of the risk that she takes being a 100% business owner. However, it is that purity which makes this center stand out from others in its authenticity and its ability to allow guests to experience the plants so fully and so richly. I highly recommend Aya Madre to anyone looking for a life changing experience.