Ayahuasca $100 - $180

Onikano

Name: Onikano
Price range: $100 - $180
Rating: 4.9

Iquitos, Peru

4.9 (98 reviews)

Contact for $5

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The mission of Yosi Ocha, The Peruvian Institute of Shamanism and Natural Medicine, since its foundation in 2014, has been to establish a brand of excellence in the preservation of authentic Shipibo shamanic practices. Maestro Heberto García, who is today one of the most recognized shamans among the Shipibo descendants, preserves this indigenous tradition with great rigor. The centre was named after his grandfather and mentor, Yosi Ocha, known as the last Meraya, a title granted to curanderos that attained the highest level of shamanism.
Today we pride ourselves on offering the most complete combination of original Shipibo shamanic treatments available. The centre is the ideal refuge for those who seek deep healing and transformation through a personalised program, or wish to be trained in the fascinating art of shamanism following the ancient Shipibo tradition. Maestro Heberto makes a holistic diagnosis of each guest and designs a tailor-made program taking into account his or her individual objectives.
The passengers are free to choose the starting date and duration of their stay. Many centres offer retreats with fixed start and end dates for cost savings reasons, but in Yosi Ocha we believe that such rigidity does not favour the personalised treatment approach and goes against the central shamanic spirit that values the healing and promotion of integral well-being above any consideration of personal benefit.
Yosi Ocha is located in the depths of the Amazon rainforest, about 20 km southeast of Iquitos, in the Allpahuayo Mishana National Park. The diverse ecosystem in this magnificent part of the jungle includes majestic trees of impressive sizes, streams of reddish water and distinctive white sands that contribute even more to the enchanting beauty of the place.
Once a year, Maestro Heberto travels to Europe (Holland, Spain, etc.) to conduct intensive 3-days healing retreats. These retreats are an excellent opportunity to carry out deep personal work in a safe and loving environment, while discovering his unique approach to the medicine and healing.

Reviews (98)

4.9 out of 5

Overall 4.9

califreddy
April 26, 2023 at 11:25 am

Authentic shaman experience – life changing potential

Best thing I’ve done in years. Couldn’t recommend Yosi more.

Since I decided to try this retreat because of the great reviews, I hope mine will help someone else.

Ayahuasca retreats in Iquitos have become a booming industry, gringo’s pay relatively big money, so now everybody’s a ‘shaman’. But there’s another level. Not so easy. Using, channeling, and directing the powerful, sacred energy is an entirely different matter.

I came primarily to improve my health.

Ended up getting way more than ever imagined.

I started going to the Amazon almost 20 years ago. Its natures pharmacy – 25% of Western medicines come from amazon plants. There’s 25,000 plants with known medicinal value. Looking for the ‘next big thing’ I had gone out, deep in jungle with local shamans years ago, harvested and prepared ayahuasca. I’ve also visited other ayahuasca retreats in the Iquitos area, thus quite sure Yosi and Herberto are the real deal.

Now, please have reasonable expectations. This is not a fancy resort, or trendy hipster hangout. The food is very good, but simple, Cabins very simple. The good news, and – a huge tip – make sure your retreat room has a toilet & shower in it, Yosi does, you don’t want to be sharing; ayahuasca can hit hard and fast.

Most importantly come with an open spirit; allow good things to happen.
tiberiusb
March 22, 2023 at 6:45 pm

I am hardly finding the words to describe the experience, the nature, the shaman, the staff, their love and dedication.
At my 36 years old, it was a life changing experience. Finishing this review I just turned 37yo, some minutes ago.

Used to be a very cerebral person in a consuming way, over-comparing everything in life and fear-taking the best choice after a thorough consideration.
With Yosi Ocha, I just followed my instinct with an open heart, not too many questions, I just felt it was right for me.
Firstly I wanted an authentic experience, with a Shipibo Shaman and secondly I wanted the paid fee to go to the locals – this is one of the few retreats still owned by locals. Initially, I was a little bit skeptical since on Google Maps, Yosi Ocha is having a few reviews in comparison with other healing centres in the area.

From the first interaction with Barbara, the interface of Yosi Ocha, I felt confident and did not need any further explanations.
Barbara was able to accomodate all my back and forward requests, after I paid she was very flexible changing the start date twice and being patient with my indecision.

Maestro Herberto is the real deal, an amazing person with an amazing history. I was amazed by his calm, his patience to explain and communicate with each participant.
He worked with me/us on tailoring the intentions, though a bespoke plan with care, love and consideration.
I felt safe during all the ceremonies, even though some of them were not easy-peasy at all.
The retreat is the eponym of Maestro’s Grandfather, which I felt the presence of during the ceremonies.

Special thanks to:
– Eunice, Herberto’s sister, who is a kind soul always supporting the participants during the day as well during ceremonies, she was a great help for me and a ray of light during some of the hard journeys.
– Hermina, even though she was the temporary translator and helper of Herberto, was a very equilibrated presence, bringing a tremendous contribution in finding my way.

During my 2 week stay I participated in 7 ayahuasca ceremonies, 2 San Pedro with a group of amazing people, I realised that nothing is random, there is always a reason behind every situation and context, and most of them I will keep close to my heart. It is incredible the depth of connection I got with a group of people just after a few days.

I finally understood:
– why to meditate – from a different perspective than the Western one.
– why the retreat is not only about the ayahuasca ceremonies
– why the flowers baths are needed and why to smoke mapacho
– how to connect to myself and others in a genuine way
– how to be authentic and remove all the masks and social automatisms
– etc. (the list can continue)

All the animals around us, especially the cat and the talking parrots, brought a perfect harmony. For the first time in my life I am connected with nature, myself, people in the real way.
Bungalow accomodation was perfect, I stayed in the deepest bungalow in the jungle, nature was surrounding me from all sides.
The food is amazing, fresh and cooked with love by Ruben.

The journey just started for me, to integrate my experience it will take time, being the first time in my life also when I am not rushing things and just living the moment.

My advice is not to force yourself and to follow the light ❤️
steff
March 11, 2023 at 8:09 am

A very special experience which I would happily repeat if the opportunity should arise. Maestro Heberto is a truly exceptional shaman, and human being. I felt totally safe, and lovingly held, at all times, not just by Heberto but by everyone at the centre.
I’m told that there are some disturbing stories on the Internet which can make women, in particular, nervous about their safety Ayahuasca retreats. At no point did I feel nervous at Yosi Ocha, or have any cause to feel so. Maestro Heberto paid individual attention to every guest before, during and after ceremonies, and his assistants likewise. During one particularly challenging healing experience of mine, someone sat outside my bungalow for the entire day to ensure I was not alone, and Maestro Heberto checked in on me too.
The healing impacts exceeded my expectations, and they continue to positively impact my life several months later. My advice is to stay as long as you can. I originally booked a week, then intuition told me extend to two, but I would have benefitted from more still.
pupu
March 8, 2023 at 1:39 pm

Words will never fully be able to reflect the experience that I had at Yosi Ocha, but I will certainly try. Having been to another Ayahuasca Resort in the past – I had some expectations. Those expectations were blown out of the water completely by the beautiful family that makes up Yosi Ocha. A beautifully named resort after Maestro Heberto’s grandfather, who was very present throughout the ceremonies in spirit. I have never felt more at home in any place than here. With that comes a guarantee of safety even through the hardest times you may be enduring in your healing. Everyone is treated like family – and you will feel like family. A high level of trust is placed in everyone and with that you will feel more free than ever before. The Maestro is extremely responsible, powerful, kind, humble, loving and funny. I placed my trust completely in him – and I am so glad I did. My healing was hard at times – but I was able to see it as an absolutely beautiful and necessary process. Maestro Heberto believes in training “little curranderos”, as his grandfather’s wish – as he may tell you goes along the lines of, give a man a fish … teach a man to fish… So he is constantly teaching his techniques, and if you are looking to learn – this is the perfect place to do that. Learn how to build your intention, how to meditate, to work with your plant energy, to take flower paths, smoke mapacho, clear energies, use different colognes, etc. If you enjoy learning – this is the place for you.. no knowledge is hidden here. One thing I didn’t quite think about was the other people here – as this was my healing journey, but let me tell you…the hermanos and hermanas that I’ve met here…I will never forget. I fell in deep love with each and every one of them, and absolutely can’t wait to reconnect with them. The stories shared, the depth of honesty, the genuine and pure emotion that came out… was all so beautiful. Eunice was Heberto’s assistant, and is his sister. She was seen all over the retreat working …always. She gives absolutely amazing hot stone massages. I speak no spanish, but she knew all the spots that needed work intuitively. She’s an absolute blessing during the ceremonies, and sings beautifully herself, adding a lovely feminine energy – and I am thankful to her profoundly for her presence during my journey. We had the option of seeping in the Maloka or our own bungalows. I chose the Maloka most nights – the energy was great, the space was completely open, and it was a lovely communal space to share stories with others before falling asleep. The food was absolutely amazing – they cater to vegetarians and vegans, and will assist you in any additional needs you may require. Be it meat, nuts, certain fruits, etc. It often felt like I was tasting food for the first time… Ruben is an amazing cook. I was here only for one week – and I really didn’t want it to end. I am coming back here again, and would love to spend more time here, to do a lot more work. I am happy with my intentions going in, and what I got out of them, but I am now seeing that there is certainly more work to be done. I can confidently say that this has set me on a new trajectory to a much more beautiful and graceful path in life… full of love and kindness. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart and the depths of my soul – Irake!
silviovale
March 7, 2023 at 11:51 am

We went together as a couple, this was our first experience with Ayhauasca and the world of alternative medicine using psychedelics so we were pretty nervous. Needless to say as you may have understood from other reviews that Yosi Ocha is a little slice of paradise on Earth. We were treated like family by the whole team since the beginning with Barbara managing our early communication till after the end of our retreat cheking on us. The team really went the extra mile to see that all our needs were met. The cerimonies were all very beautiful, meaningful and Maestro Heberto masterfully guides them with his beautiful icaros. We will come back 100% and bring relatives and friends since this is something everyone really should have the luck of experiencing. We really want to thank you all for your work in keeping the Shibipo traditions alive, taking care of the forest and spreading the love to newcomers. You guys are the best, gracias!