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Property Features
Gaia Sagrada is a non-profit (rare among retreat centers) keeping prices as low and close to expenses as possible. Even the directors of Gaia earn close to minimum wage in Ecuador each month, as their priority is helping people awaken in a changing world.
Gaia Sagrada is nestled in the Magical Andes Mountains on 55 acres (22 hectares) with hundreds of miles of beautiful country roads and trails to hike. Most centers are in cramped quarters on a small piece of land, but Gaia Sagrada is expansive, open and free. You can see the Milky Way at night with clearer stars in the sky than you’ve ever seen, with fireflies in the fields. In the daytime there are beautiful mountain vistas in every direction and miles and miles of country roads and hikes to take. There is even a waterfall nearby to hike to!
Gaia = Mother Nature, Mother Earth
Sagrada = Sacred
This is a magical journey through consciousness that will change your life forever. Gaia Sagrada is sponsored by University of Metaphysical Sciences and founder is Christine Breese, PhD.
This is a chance to overhaul your system through shamanic healing and realize your full potential. Much healing will take place during these 12, 7 or 6 days in mind, body and spirit during this Ayahuasca retreat and San Pedro retreat.
Why did we choose Ecuador instead of Peru?
We chose Ecuador because shamans have to be certified and authorized to practice their trade. It is important to us that everyone has a safe experience with skilled shamans who are approved by the government to practice their trade with integrity, skill and a proper education in this particular healing practice. Ecuador has more regulations for shamans than any other country.
Ecuador was also picked for the ease of entry for visitors (no shots or visas required, only your passport), and also for its gorgeous, magical, and natural settings (very lush and green!).
Ecuadorian people are very friendly and helpful, and we have become quite a part of the Ecuadorian community around us. Your money helps to support them.
Where is Gaia Sagrada?
Gaia Sagrada is nestled in a small community called Llayzhatan (Yah-zuh-tan) in the Andes Mountains on 55 acres, about 45 minutes outside of the city of Cuenca, Ecuador. We are very near to Jadan (Hah-don) which means “Close to Heaven.” What a perfect place for Gaia Sagrada!
Why both Ayahuasca and San Pedro Ceremonies?
We feel that offering both is very important because one without the other is not a balanced experience. The shamans say Ayahuasca shows you what you need to change or heal, and San Pedro gives you the power to do it.
We offer both Ayahuasca ceremonies and San Pedro ceremonies because the Ayahuasca is considered the feminine aspect of the medicines; San Pedro is the masculine aspect of the medicines. In this era, it is all about balancing the masculine and feminine aspects in each of us to attain true wisdom. These two very different medicines help with that in every individual. The shamans also say that Ayahuasca shows you what to heal and San Pedro gives you the power to make the changes.
Modern, Comfortable Facilities
, sauna and modern housing with electric, 24/7 hot water, and WiFi make it easier to concentrate on your inner journey, yet stay in touch with the outside world if you wish.
We are practically bug free, (NO mosquitoes!) the air is clean, never too hot or humid, and you can see the milky way at night in the sky with fireflies all around you. During the day is T-shirt weather, with sunny gardens to sit in, and hummingbirds to watch.
Description of Retreats – 12, 6 and 7 day Ayahuasca Retreats
12-day Ayahuasca and San Pedro retreats are offered. During these 12-day retreats, 5 ceremonies are offered: 2 Ayahuasca, 2 San Pedro, and 1 mixed with a powerful sweat lodge experience. There is the possibility of 7 ceremonies if you are interested in doing the extra Ayahuasca ceremonies for an extra charge. There is one extra Ayahuasca ceremony in the middle of the retreat and a 2nd extra Ayahuasca ceremony at the end of the retreat and you would stay for an extra day making it a 13 day ceremony.
7-day Ayahuasca and San Pedro retreats entail coming for the first 7 days of a 12-day retreat. This includes 3 ceremonies – 1 Ayahuasca, 1 San Pedro and 1 mixed with the powerful sweat lodge experience. There are no extra ceremonies available for this retreat unless there are openings in the 6 day retreat (which is rare, we are usually completely booked).
6 day Ayahuasca & San Pedro retreats have 3 ceremonies: 2 Ayahuasca and 1 San Pedro with the option of 1 extra Ayahuasca ceremony if you opt for the extra ceremony on the day of your arrival. This gives you the possibility of 4 ceremonies in a 6-7 day span. You can also come a day early and settle in (recommended) so you aren’t getting off the plane and going straight into ceremony, making it a 7 day retreat.
You can see all our retreat dates here.
Ayahuasca Ceremonies
The Ayahuasca ceremonies take place in our beautiful maloka near the forest with the sounds of nature and the twinkling stars outside. During the Ayahuasca ceremonies we always have a few sober helpers standing by to help light your way to the bathroom, empty your purge bucket, and get you anything you need during the ceremony.
Some centers have people express loudly and be dramatic, but our ceremonies are quiet and inwardly focused, with our expert shamans holding space, using music and Icaros at the proper moments to carry the energy. If someone needs to make noise, we move them to another place outside the maloka so everyone can stay focused on their journey.
The shaman is there for your individual healing as you need it from beginning to end. Between ceremonies you are supported with experienced staff to talk with about your experiences if you need any help.
San Pedro Ceremonies
The San Pedro ceremonies give you a completely different experience. These ceremonies take place during the day and go into the night under our beautiful ceremonial gazebo patio (maloka), on the edge of a beautiful forest with a view overlooking the mountains, completely connected with nature in every way. Some San Pedro ceremonies are done walking through nature on Gaia’s incredibly beautiful land, with beautiful vistas in every direction.
While Ayahuasca takes you to your inner dimensions, San Pedro opens your 
and shows you how the dimensions intertwine and overlap with each other.
Sweat Lodge Ceremony
The sweat lodge ceremony, with both medicines mixed, takes place outdoors in a beautiful field, with the birds chirping all around you.
Connect with the Earth while you go through this deep, cleansing experience, a traditional shamanic offering as part of your healing and awakening. After the sweat lodge we sit under the stars and enjoy time around the fire, connecting with the shamans in a heart felt way with laughter, music and love!
In this ceremony, the San Pedro is given first, then if you want to take the Ayahausca you can later in the ceremony. It is optional, but don’t miss this exquisite experience of both the masculine and the feminine medicines together. It is like having both grandfather and grandmother holding your hand in this journey.
This is often everyone’s favorite ceremony, as it brings everything together, the male and female aspects of the medicines, and a balance to the experience. Places that tell you not to mix the medicines are usually ones that don’t offer one or the other, but we have found that this is the most healing experience of them all and there are always good results!
Each ceremony is different
In total, there are five ceremonies in a 12 day retreat with the option of 2 extras if you choose to partake, and the 6 and 7 day ceremonies have 3 ceremonies each with extra ceremonies (6 day only) if you would like to partake as well.
Each one is a different kind of ceremony with different shamans so you can experience all the ways that shamans work with these traditions. There are many ways to experience shamanic ceremonies and we offer them all!
Prices
12-Day, 6 Day and 7 Day Ayahuasca & San Pedro Retreats include everything – steam room, , wifi, food, several workshops and meetings, yoga, meditation and all the ceremonies with a day of rest between each ceremony. It is very important, not to rush through the medicines. You can see our Retreat Prices here.
Be careful with retreats that offer back to back ceremonies each day or squeeze too many into a retreat. It is important to process the changes happening for you, and get plenty of rest so you aren’t tired for the next ceremony. Better to spend a couple extra days in retreat than to rush through the medicines.
12 (or 13) Day Retreats: This retreat includes 5 ceremonies with the possibility of an extra ceremony in the middle of the retreat and even another for the possibility of 7 ceremonies if you stay for a total of 13 days.
7-Day Retreat: Come for the first 7 days of a 12 day retreat. There are limited spaces for the 7 day retreat option, as it is mostly filled by those who want to stay for the full 12 days. We encourage you to go for the 12 day retreat though because you will find that 7 days is not enough! If all you have is 7 days though, we are here to accommodate your needs.
6 (or 7) Day Retreat: Come for the second half of the 12 day retreat, last 6 days, everything included. Possibility of extra Ayahuasca ceremony on day of arrival, first day.
Our Retreats Are At-Cost, Non-Profit
Gaia Sagrada is a non profit retreat center, rare among Ayahuasca retreats. We are not in this for money, we are in it for the awakening of humanity! Our expenses cost 5 – 6 times more in Ecuador than Peru, and yet our prices are even more affordable than most places in Peru. We operate at the edge of expenses because we care about everyone of all income levels to have the opportunity to have this experience. Even the directors make only minimum wage, which is unheard of. This is a labor of love!
Who are Gaia Sagrada’s shamans?
Our shamans are true Ecuadorian shamans, so you are getting the real thing! Our shamans bridge both the Ancient and Modern worlds so they understand the issues you are coming to heal or understand. Scroll below to see pictures of our shamans and meet your guides on your inner journeys with the medicine!
Why Gaia Sagrada Is Highest Rated Ayahuasca Center
People who have been to other Ayahuasca centers tell us all the time that Gaia Sagrada is the best place out of all the centers they have been to and that Gaia Sagrada sets the standard for what an Ayahuasca retreat center should be, even outshining the famous and super well known ones.
Our shamans are around before and after ceremonies for people to talk to, spend time with people outside the ceremonies, and our shamans stay with the people from the beginning to the end of the ceremony.
At most centers the shaman sings for a little while and then disappears, never to be seen again until the next ceremony. If you see them around you are supposed to not talk to them or bother them. Our shamans are approachable and happy to talk with you.
Our shamans spend time with everyone and give individual attention to each person not only during the ceremonies but also between the ceremonies. You can actually talk with them at breakfast or sit by the fire and enjoy their company! This is one of the things that makes our center unique.
Our Shamans
Mauricio has been in documentaries of South American Shamanism. He is guide with power plants for 30 years, plays many instruments, plays shamanic music for events, and makes wind instruments and stringed instruments. He composes Andean and shamanic music. He is very famous for his music! He is a descendant of the Diaguita ethnic group from northern Chile.
Mauricio is an elder, which is very unusual and lucky to have as your guide in these Ayahuasca ceremonies. He is very skilled, well respected and well known in Ecuador for his work. You will be so blessed with a real, authentic and safe Ayahuasca ceremony guided by a true master Shaman!
Veronica’s motivation is serving others in their existential search in relationship with nature, and personal balance. She runs sweat lodge and creates a beautiful, transformative and authentic experience, carrying the traditions of the native people. She is a spiritual energizer who carries the sacred pipe (Chanupa), blessed by the elders of the Sacred Fire of Itzhachilatlan.
She is a Medicine Woman, Sun Dancer, Star Dancer, and has completed the vision quests. She is an Andean Agricultural student of University of Hatun Yachak Wasi, as well. She is also a biorhythm trainer.
Namur descends from a family of Shuar tribe shamans, a native culture of the Ecuadorian Amazon. He is a born shamans, so to speak! He experienced and connected for the first time with the medicine of Natem (Ayahuasca) when he was only 5 years old. The shamans of his community have shared with him their knowledge, wisdom, songs and prayers throughout all his life and he took part in many ancient rituals.
An elder Shuar shaman passed down to Namur the Uwishin practices. He has also received the instructions and teachings of the ancestral practices of other native cultures.
Christine holds space in ceremony with a combination of strength, gentleness and kindness that is quite rare. She touches the hearts of those she works with in her ceremonies. She is a shaman who has a way of calming any person who needs it and can help each person take their power back from the places they lost it.
Born and raised in La Amazonia (Ecuador), Santiago’s first memories are of the medicine, the ancestors, and his first limpia (shamanic cleansing) when he was 7 years old from his mom (Alicia). His Mother was his first and most important teacher. She taught him how to do limpias with the Sacred Plants such as: Tobacco, Santa Maria, Aji and many others. Another Master from his village was Don Juanito, who works with medicine plants doing limpias of all sorts and healing bones.
Male and Female Facilitators At Each Ceremony
We have both a male and a female facilitators at each ceremony. This keeps everything safe and in balance.
Women Are Truly Safe at Gaia Sagrada
Women are truly safe at Gaia Sagrada, particularly given that the founder of Gaia Sagrada is a woman.
You will love every single one of our shamans. Feel free to look on our shaman bio page for their history and photos.
We spent years looking for just the right shamans to offer ceremonies here. We bring the best of the best to you here in Ecuador!
Safe Medicine!
Whenever there are problems with Ayahuasca or any other shamanic medicine ceremonies, it’s because the shamans mix something into the medicine that shouldn’t be there. Sometimes shamans mix in Datura (Toe), Nicotine, or other ingredients to make the experience more intense.
However, ingredients mixed in is not true Ayahuasca and can become a nightmarish experience rather than a healing experience. When people have a terrible experience with Ayahuasca, it is usually because ingredients are mixed into Ayahuasca that shouldn’t be there (or the person is taking pharmaceutical or recreational drugs that should not be mixed with Ayahuasca.) Gaia Sagrada’s medicine is absolutely pure.
We use only the vine and the leaves for Ayahuasca. Nothing else!
For the San Pedro medicine, only the cactus. Nothing else!
Our shamans are under contract to make only the purest medicine with nothing else in it that could cause harm to anyone. Our medicine is the safest possible medicine that can be made, strong and pure.
Why Choose Gaia Sagrada?
- At Cost, Low, Non-Profit Prices, good karmic use of your money. This center is not about commercialism or making money and that is why we offer everything AT COST. Things in Peru cost a fifth or sixth of what things cost in Ecuador, so this truly is our rock bottom cost! No one is getting rich at Gaia Sagrada. Even the directors make only Ecuador’s minimum wage, and get housing and food. This is about service to humanity, NO Ayahuasca commercialism here!
- Modern Housing And Facilities. Comfort allows you to focus more on your inner journey. Electric, hot water, modern toilets and hot showers, wifi internet… LUXURIOUS HOT TUBS and SAUNA. No mosquitoes or bugs. Big thick, comfy mattresses in a real bed in a modern room. No other Ayahuasca center has this level of comfort and amenities. Be comfortable while you journey into the universe within!
- Shamans Are Registered, Trained, Skilled, And Evaluated. Shamans are examined by Ecuadorian government agencies for their ability to practice their trade, instead of countries where anyone can call themselves a shaman.
- Ease Of Access for travelers, no vaccines or shots required, Cuenca airport only 45 minutes away.
- There have never been any medical emergencies, but if there was one, a fully equipped modern hospital is only 35 minutes away by car. No walking through bogs, hiking, motorcyles or boats required to reach help if needed. Even a clinic is only 15 minutes away, yet you are in a pristine 55 acre country setting under the stars with no lights or buildings interfering with the view. You would never know you were close to civilization. This makes our center one of the safest to experience these medicine journeys.
- Not Hot Or Humid, pleasant weather all year round. No screeching animals or insects all night long, like in the jungle! Being near Cuenca and being in the Andes Mountains makes Gaia Sagrada’s temperature and climate like an eternal spring. It’s warm T-shirt weather during a sunny day and it’s cool at night. You won’t be dying of sweat and heat (or mosquitos!) at Gaia Sagrada while trying to sleep.
- Medicine Is Safe, Strong, Pure And Unadulterated. NO additives or mixtures that could be dangerous to your health. We only use pure traditional ingredients, only the vine and the leaves for Ayahuasca, and only the Cactus for San Pedro. Nothing else! Period! Our medicine is safer than places where they mix things that shouldn’t be included.
- Sponsored By University Of Metaphysical Sciences, a leader in metaphysics and spiritual teachings, with credibility and tens of thousands of students all over the world.
- Instead of large, overpriced and commercial, we keep ceremonies Small And Intimate so each participant gets individual attention.
- We Offer Both Medicines, Ayahuasca (feminine) and San Pedro (masculine) medicines in order to provide a balanced experience. One without the other is not balanced. Not all centers offer both medicines, and both are so necessary. You will see!
- Our Shamans Stay With You From Beginning To End, never leaving prematurely before the medicines are finished doing their work with you. At a lot of centers the shamans sing for just an hour or so, and then they end the ceremony and leave you on your own just when you are needing their guidance the most. It is not good if the shamans leave when the medicine is at its strongest heights! Our shamans stay with you for every part of your journey, until the medicine is finished doing its work with you. They are with you to guide you every step of the way.
- 55 Acres To Hike On, plus miles and miles and miles of country roads to wander in wilderness and small, authentic, indigenous Ecuadorian villages, with the women wearing their normal indigenous clothing, walking sheep, cows and goats. You will never run out of beautiful vistas and places to explore. Here you will get a taste of what the REAL Andes Mountains of Ecuador are like, far from tourist traps.
Transformation with love!
You are supported in your Ayahuasca healing journey with love and kindness. You will have a true adventure in consciousness during these days of Ayahuasca ceremonies and San Pedro ceremonies.
This is a life-changing event – a healing retreat that will change how you see yourself and life. You will see the evidence of this in our more than 600+ reviews.
Be ready to meet yourself at levels you never thought possible! Meet the master within you and explore the universe that you are.
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LarsNyborgPedersen
April 16, 2017 at 2:59 amThis place is absolutely incredible! If people want the short version, then I can just say that my stay at Gaia Sagrada have been a life transforming experience in a comfortable, clean environment with beautiful people and some shamans who speak English.
Now the longer version…
I’m a pretty organized person, and before I came I would have liked to see a comprehensive review about different aspects of the experience at Gaia Sagrada. We have to be the change we want to see in the world, so now after my stay I’m going to be the one making that review I would have liked to see.
What I have learned/gained from my stay at Gaia Sagrada:
-I have finally learnt how to love myself and accept myself (Which have also given me more confidence).
-Even though it still can change, I got much more clarity about what I want to do with this amazing life.
-I know that I shouldn’t underestimate what’s possible for me.
-I’ve become much better at letting go and healing through these Sacred medicines, I still struggle with letting go sometimes, but now I’ve become much better. I really felt safe to let go and surrender to the dark things, because I feel so safe here.
-I need to open myself up and show my authentic self, and I have become better at it.
-I have finally accepted my relationship with my dad, and I got a completely different perspective on it, where I also see it from his side. As the owner Christine always says: “It’s not like you get a manual on how to raise a kid”, and I had to hear that a few times to really get it.
-Lot’s of emotional healing.
-A healthier body because of the fasting and the healthy food.
-I’ve had some victim mentality that has lessened a lot.
-Some of the best nights of my life. It truly is a party after some of the ceremonies. (No alcohol of course, but music, delicious food, fire, nice people and much).
The Ceremonies:
There are 3 kinds of ceremonies here. Ayahuasca, San Pedro and Sweat Lodge where both medicines is combined, which is my favorite. All of my ceremonies have been wonderful, but especially the Sweat Lodge is something that has surprised me. Before I came I was a little afraid, because I didn’t know if it would be too hot or uncomfortable in such a Sweat Lodge, but to my surprise those were my favorite ceremonies. The heat made it comfortable and there is a surprising synergy between the two medicines. Both the San Pedro and the Ayahuasca is really strong at this place, but if you want you can just ask for a half cup.
Both the Ayahuasca ceremonies and San Pedro ceremonies are beautiful. The San Pedro medicine lasts at least twice as long as the ayahuasca, so the San Pedro ceremonies are longer, but they have structured the ceremonies in a way so you won’t get bored. In the Ayahuasca ceremonies I have travelled deep inside and experienced lots of crazy visuals and got lots of emotional healing, and I’ve got life changing insights from my San Pedro ceremonies. But everyone’s experience of the medicines is different.
The shamans:
There are more shamans than the ones I mention, but I’m briefly going to describe the ones I’ve had the most experience with.
Salvador is really an awesome shaman. He’s funny, good at English and knows just what to say whenever I have asked about anything. His wife Paulina also works here and her and the other girls lead beautiful ayahuasca ceremonies, where you can really feel the feminine energy in a good way. Really comforting. Sometimes Paulina and Salvador have had ceremonies together, which I have heard is magical. Sometimes Salvador brings his friend Johnny to San Pedro which is truly magical. I don’t know how Johnny does it, but he have done some cleaning on me, and it’s magical, it’s like he sees some things I do not see. I did a cleaning with Amalia in the start of the retreat which was really good. I’m always skeptical about those kinds of things, but I really did feel a difference afterwards. I felt more connected, centered, happy, grounded and relaxed. The Sweat Lodge shaman Sofia is also a really beautiful soul, where you can also just feel her deep compassion for everybody.
The environment:
It’s on a beautiful mountain, only 1 hour away from Cuenca which has been enjoyable. The air is really clean and the energy is really good in this place, so I felt like I was on ecstasy when I came, it was really wonderful. There was 3 dogs walking around while I was here and they are all really friendly and nice. At other places on the big 50 acres land there are horses and cows.
The housing:
It’s really comfortable. I lived in the dorm and it was nice, comfortable and silent, which I was worried about when choosing Dorm. It was also a nice way to meet some of the people I was here with. There’s hot tubs, hot showers, good kitchen facilities, tv room, yoga room indoors and outdoors, outside eating area, common room with fire, 2-3 guitar which was perfect for me since I play guitar and couldn’t bring my own. It is 50$ guitars, but you can actually get something pretty solid for that price here in Ecuador, so I was able to entertain the other people with good sound from the guitar (they also have capo for the guitar, bongo drums and other different percussion stuff).
The food:
I know that this is something I really was curious about before I came. I love food.
The food is delicious, healthy and change from day to day, so it is easy to stay healthy. I lost a lot of weight while I was here.
We get three meals a day. Breakfast from 8-10, lunch at 12:30 and dinner at 18:30. But if we are hungry before, after or inbetween meals we have 24 hour access to different fruits, bread and snacks.
The people, the work exchangers, and other staff:
The work exchangers are good at melting in with the guests and often good friendships comes as a result. In my experience everyone could talk to everyone and you really feel like a family after a few days together. I was lucky that other guests were musicians so I had people to jam with, and my guess would be that there often are musicians at these retreats since many people who are drawn to plant medicines are drawn to music and the other way around I believe. The manager Jerry is hard working but takes it all with a smile and has a warm, funny and friendly personality. The owner Christine is really like a mother for us all and has so much wisdom. I have had so much benefit from her talks and from when I’ve talked with her. We also did some Guitar Jamming which was pretty cool.
So overall a fantastic experience. If you have any questions about my experience at Gaia Sagrada, then feel free to message me.
Mare
April 14, 2017 at 10:39 pmThe best decision I’ve ever made. I researched quite a bit before choosing Gaia Sagrada. Everything about the experience was 110% – the ceremonies, the shamans, the accommodation, the healty & tasty food, the level of care, attention and integrity, the sense of connection.
The results – I received everything I asked for, and more. The medicines were profound and appropriate and I always felt well-cared for during the ceremonies, which were beautifully conducted.
I’d recommend this experience to anyone.
Phyllis
April 3, 2017 at 7:31 pmThe first of many rules at Gaia Sagrada is to not say anything negative about Gaia Sagrada, and to not leave a negative review. If you’re wondering why there’s very little honest reviews about the place, it is because everyone is under a gag order to not express themselves if they disagree with what happens there. It is a beautiful place with great facilities, comfortable beds, hot showers, beautiful animals, awesome people, breathtaking landscapes….but it also has its downside. It is run with a top-down authoritarian approach with a lot of rules that can make it feel a lot like a strict school. The people in charge posit themselves as “all-knowing” experts and if you disagree with them then you are doing something wrong or do not understand their superior knowledge. If you are looking for somewhere to heal yourself and want to be in charge of your healing, then this is probably not the place for you. During the san pedro ceremonies they offer a pseudo-psychological therapy session for everyone involved that all participants must sit through whether you like it or not. If you were hoping to commune with the universe and the natural world during your san pedro experience you are out of luck because you must sit in the one position for over 20 hours and listen to the traumatic experiences of over 30 people at the retreat and the sometimes questionable advice that is doled out in a slow and often condescending manner. If you are tempted to leave the ceremony and appreciate the natural world, then this is some kind of demon leading you astray or you are considered to be someone who is not supportive of the rest of the participants. This is one of the many cultish control mechanisms that they employ to get you to do as they want. If you leave the ceremony early, they threaten to kick you out of the retreat and not return your money. The ayahuasca is watery and not very strong, and the majority of people were not having the experiences that they had hoped for. This again was blamed on the participants either having too high expectations or that they were resisting the medicine. Christine is a well meaning person but can get carried away with controlling the ceremonies and it is clear that this can cause frustrations with the shamans. She makes it clear that she enjoys extremely long ceremonies and spends hours repeating the same prayers in a slow and drawn out manner. There are people who haven’t eaten for long periods, are tired or in physical pain, but she wants to be there so everyone has to stay. It wasn’t all together a terrible experience and some people really appreciate the way that it is run and gain a lot out of being there. If you are someone who wants to take some autonomy over their own healing and believes that they can make the best decisions about what they need, then this isn’t the place for you.
Owner
October 14, 2020 at 2:19 amThank you for your review about Gaia Sagrada, and we are so glad you enjoyed all the breathtaking views, the beautiful animals, the good people, comfy beds, hot showers and the great facilities. Thank you for mentioning all that! Thank you for liking the location of Gaia Sagrada and giving your colorful details.
We never tell anyone they can’t make a bad review. No one could control if someone wants to leave a bad review when they go home. We simply ask people not to be negative to each other so the retreat experience can be beneficial to all. We ask people to please use the right channels in order to find a peaceful solution for whatever is bothering them. If given the chance we always find a solution everyone can live with.
We pass out a feedback form at the end of the retreat and ask people to fill it out if they want to give some feedback, so it is possible this person misinterpreted that as not being able to make a bad review. We never said they couldn’t. There is no rule like that.
Unfortunately, this person was very angry for not being allowed to wander around the Andes Mountains off property, unsupervised while on very strong medicine. We take our responsibility to keep people safe very seriously and if we don’t know where they are we cannot take care of them. We cannot give people medicine and then let them wander off on their own.
There is nature all around the ceremonial space. We DO allow people to sit outside the ceremony under a tree, walk in the gardens, or walk in nature around the ceremonial space, but we ask them to stay within eyesight or earshot. That’s all. No one is forced to stay in the ceremonial space if they want to stretch or lay in the grass. We have no problem with that.
We do have a few basic rules. We ask people to be respectful in the ceremonies, refrain from sexual or romantic advances toward other participants, not to gossip or make fun of other people’s experiences in the ceremony, and to honor people’s boundaries. That’s about it. These are not rules though, they are guidelines we hope people will honor. Medicines can be chaotic if there is no order, so it’s important people get some basic guidelines.
These medicines are very strong, and everyone else had a great experience with the medicines. Several of them have left us great reviews. In this situation we believe there were antidepressants or pharmaceuticals involved. People do not understand that the medicines will not give them the experience they are looking for if pharmaceuticals are not stopped before coming to a retreat like this.
There are 30 people at a retreat which includes the 15 work exchangers who are NOT in the ceremony. Some are helpers during the ceremony but most are up at the kitchen preparing food for the end of the ceremony.
The shaman who did the long ceremonies is no longer here, so that won’t be a problem anymore. We are sorry for that. The Ayahuasca ceremonies are about 6-8 hours long and the San Pedro ceremonies are about 10-12 hours long. We always give water and snacks in the middle of the San Pedro ceremony so people have nourishment. People are allowed to drink water if they ask, we don’t withhold water. Also, we pass water every 2-3 hours.
During the San Pedro ceremonies a person is allowed to take a turn in front of the fire if they want to (optional) and the shaman gives them a blessing and may say some encouraging words if they speak about what is troubling them, but it is not psychology. There is a lot of music and laughter in the ceremonies as well! Christine was joking one time about being patient toward the end of the ceremony, trying to lighten the energy, but this person didn’t take it well.
Honestly, sometimes we can’t reach someone if they don’t want to heal and just want to express a lot of anger. When this happens, we can’t do anything but try keep them safe while they express a lot of negativity and try to keep the impact down they are having on the group, which may feel controlling to a person who wants to express a lot of anger.
Thank you for your review and we are sorry you didn’t have the experience you wanted to have. We hope that you find what you are looking for. May love and light guide your way. Blessed be.
hobo
March 11, 2017 at 12:28 pmWhat a beautiful experience! I participated in two retreats. During this time, I came to know the other participants and work exchangers as family, as part of a loving and fun community.
The flow of the retreat is well thought-out; starting with ayahuasca, then san pedro, then a sweat lodge, another ayahuasca, and a final san pedro ceremony. I was initially nervous about the sweat lodge (in which you drink both san pedro and ayahuasca), but it ended up being one of the most profound ceremonies I’ve done.
The shamans are excellent – they hold the space with love and bring their wealth of experience to every ceremony. They are gentle and kind and funny. The process of becoming a shaman in Ecuador is incredibly long and intensive, and all the shamans bring their years of hard work to the table.
The work exchangers of Gaia are the wheels that keep the place going, and their hard work is evident. They are incredibly supportive and friendly and enthusiastic about plant medicine and being of assistance to participants in every way.
I have a lot of experience with plant medicine (having done retreats in multiple places in Peru, Costa Rica, and Ecuador), and I can say with confidence that the plant medicine experience at Gaia is top notch.
sjuneau69
February 24, 2017 at 9:24 amWonderful and very insightful! The setting and accommodations was very conducive to inner reflection and soul searching. The staff was outstanding and very attentive! I highly recommend Gia Sagrada. You won’t be disappointed. Stew