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Sapan Inka: Small groups (7 people) and integration sessions
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At Sapan Inka, we believe participating in an Ayahuasca retreat is a powerful opportunity for profound energetic and spiritual cleansing and healing. An Ayahuasca experience can be immensely favorable for those embarking on a journey of transformation and spiritual development. Our unique model is a conscious synthesis of the millenary wisdom of Amazonian medicine and the principles of depth and transpersonal psychology. We are not a center for spiritual tourism or mere Ayahuasca experiences; we are a dedicated space for exploring the deep psyche, practicing ancestral Amazonian medicine, and supporting transformative processes.
We distinguish ourselves through our philosophy of minimal interference and the unwavering shamanic and spiritual support provided in our ceremonies. Our commitment to ethics and professionalism is paramount. We believe an Ayahuasca ceremony is an opening to the reality of the soul and a world of sacred images. For this reason, we practice minimal interference during your experience of expanded states of consciousness, allowing the healing intelligence of Ayahuasca and your own inner being to guide the process. This is not abandonment or a lack of warmth; it is a conscious act of respect and trust in your innate capacity to heal and in the divine power of the medicine itself.
The transformative power of Ayahuasca is fully realized through a structured integration process. At Sapan Inka, our psychotherapeutic integration is more than a simple conversation; it is a rigorous process designed to help you assimilate, process, and effectively integrate your experiences. We provide a space for you to understand the intricate symbolic language of your visions, converting profound insights into tangible and lasting change. This is how the spiritual revelations from the ceremonies are bridged with your daily life, ensuring the journey leads to genuine personal growth.
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To navigate this journey, rigorous preparation is essential. An Ayahuasca experience can be incredibly challenging, and its potency demands thorough mental, emotional, and spiritual readiness. It is crucial for participants to understand that this is not a shortcut, but a deep and profound inner work that requires commitment and maturity.
Given the serious nature of our work, we are aware that our approach may not satisfy everyone’s expectations. Those who seek a more superficial, less confrontational experience or group activities may find other centers more suitable. Our model is designed for individuals committed to holistic healing and willing to embark on a serious psychospiritual path. This is why our groups are intentionally small, to ensure the personalized and ethical attention that is the cornerstone of our years of experience and dedication.
At Sapan Inka, our commitment is to support you on your journey, respecting the authenticity of your process and providing a safe and professional environment for a genuine transformation.
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amit12123
January 20, 2025 at 12:13 pmThe place is in the middle of mountains, full of green and water which is very beautifull.
Erik and linda were very nice and welcoming.
The ceremonies for me were really meaningfull and helped me deal and go thruogh a problem i dealt with years. The experience was super authentic and special for me.
Vlad
January 17, 2025 at 4:37 pmI would like to express my deepest gratitude to Nilda and Eric. The entire service: communication, transfer, accommodation, feedback, food — all of this is beyond praise. It’s hard to imagine a better people and place for Ayahuasca retreat
As for the ceremony itself, any words seem primitive and rude to convey the experience that occurs during the ceremony.
I would also like to address those who are going on this trip for the first time: just follow all the rules and trust shamans
Joel Nantais
January 17, 2025 at 8:03 amIt’s been 4 months since my experience at Sapan Inka and I have lots to say. First of all the location is wonderful there is something magical about this place, you can feel it as soon as you arrived that it’s sacred and powerful. The landscape around the house is gorgeous. The house itself is wonderful. I felt like I was at the right place. And then I met Erik and Nilda. You can also feel a powerful energy coming from them, it’s like they have been choosing by the gods to help people, and they’re doing it so well. They are the nicest people and I felt like I was in good care during my journey over there. The food is incredible and so natural, Nilda is such great cook. As for the experience of the Ayahuasca, I had 2 ceremonies. The first one was an introduction, it was very intense and physical. The second one was my epiphany, the ayahuasca changed my life that night, it showed me so much about myself and the world that it changed my point of view about life and my future forever. I will be forever grateful for everything that I saw that night. During the ceremony the presence of Erik and Nilda is very heartwarming, they’re controlling the energy and the spirits so well that without them I don’t know if my experience would’ve been the same. The next day after the ceremony we all have a meeting with Erik one on one and he guides us trough the experience of the night before and it helps a lot to understand the meaning and the purpose of what we saw. In general I have one word for my journey at Sapan Inka: Grateful ! My life has changed drastically since then and I could never go back to the old version of me after everything I saw and experienced over there. I recommend to everyone that need to open their mind and their heart to have this beautiful, sometime painful, experience. It is necessary,. If you feel the call of The Ayahuasca, don’t hesitate and Sapan Inka is the place to go. Thank you Erik and Nilda
thechristmystic
December 29, 2024 at 8:16 amI attended a retreat at Sapan Inka earlier this year and like others here, have been hesitant to write this review. After sitting with it for many months and seeing the courage from other reviewers, I realized that this needs to be shared to hopefully protect others who are on the fence about investing in this experience.
First, the positive – Nilda’s cooking. While you will not be given much food during your stay, the meals that are provided are absolutely delicious. Nilda has a gift when it comes to cooking and it was truly the highlight of the trip to be able to experience some new and incredible light dishes.
The area where the retreat is is beautiful. It is an incredibly remote environment far away from everything and the waterfall you’ll walk to while on San Pedro is absolutely beautiful and majestic. This was the one time we were allowed to leave the compound as I’ll call it because at times it really did feel like we were prisoners.
The rooms you will stay in are not heated and because of how the construction was done, there are permanent openings at the top of the walls where constant outside air comes in. If you visit during the colder months, be prepared to bring and wear layers and layers of clothes. My roommate and I were freezing so badly that we ended up spooning one another on multiple nights to help keep each other warm. I cannot explain how incredibly uncomfortable we were the entire time we were there. There were multiple nights that there was no hot water and even on the days where it would be lukewarm enough to get in, you would be absolutely frozen when getting out so eventually we just stopped bathing and used a washcloth to wipe down. I am fully aware that going to a retreat like this is not supposed to be a luxury experience, nor was that what I was looking for. Hot water and warmth are basic necessities and the experience certainly didn’t align what what they portray your experience will be like on their website.
Ayahusaca will significantly change your state of consciousness, as the other reviewers said, and it is incredibly dangerous and irresponsible to leave anyone on their own while under the influence of this substance. Pachamama is the Earth Mother – the ultimate gentle, loving energy. She would never leave any of her children to feel alone and for these people to think it is okay to send anyone under the influence up a flight of stairs in the pitch-black night to suffer in silence by themselves is absolutely insane. The energy during the entire stay, especially in the temple, felt dark, cold and unloving. At no point did I feel any empathy while I was there, only judgement and fear for voicing my needs, like asking for an additional blanket.
Peru has become a global hub for people seeking healing, and this center, like many others in the area, capitalizes on that by charging thousands of dollars to those looking to change their lives. People are treated like robots, not humans. The prep work and integration sessions are read from an invisible script with the same thing being said to each person over and over.
Before you book this retreat, please ask your higher self if it’s the right decision and sit with it for three days before deciding. Only your inner guidance knows what is truly best for you.
Sending love and light. <3
Note: This review was edited for over capitalization, but has otherwise been left in its original form.
Owner
December 31, 2024 at 12:49 amThank you for your review, although we are sorry to hear about your dissatisfaction through this medium.
We understand that your experience at our retreat center was not entirely pleasant and that, unfortunately, our work did not meet your expectations.
It is true that before booking a space at our retreat center, deep introspection is recommended, as participating in a retreat is not an entertainment experience. Nor should one participate in a retreat out of mere curiosity as it can be a very intense and transformative experience, one that can confront us with the dark side of our psyche and the process of purging and cleansing can be very strong. It is very important to make the decision to participate in a retreat responsibly and maturely.
I believe that the description you give of our retreat house does not match the current reality, and that is because when you participated in our retreat we had just moved into this house and unfortunately the house was not 100% complete. We apologize for the inconveniences you experienced, we are truly sorry. We have currently made several arrangements to the house and the rooms for retreat participants are completely sealed and in the winter season (April – November) we provide electric heaters for the rooms and have a gas heater for the ceremony temple. Additionally, we have 24-hour hot water.
People participating in the retreat can enter and leave our house at any time, there is no type of limitation. It is true that the main activities take place in our house, such as ceremonies with plants and integration sessions. For people participating in a retreat that includes a San Pedro ceremony, we organize a trip to a waterfall on the day of the San Pedro ceremony, and for people participating in the 7 and 8-day retreats, we organize a visit to some archaeological sites such as Moray, the salt mines and Machu Picchu, depending on the retreat chosen. Everyone can go for a walk around our house at any time and on any day. The surroundings of our house are very pleasant and peaceful. Nobody is locked in our house, although people are suggested to focus on their inner process as it is a retreat of cleansing and healing and not an entertainment experience.
The way we conduct our ceremonies is explained in detail on our website. The ceremonies last approximately 3 hours, then people continue their experiences in their rooms, and if someone is not feeling well at the end of the ceremony, they stay in the temple for as long as necessary with the ceremony guides who will help them balance their energy until they recover. Throughout the night, participants can request assistance from the ceremony guides as the rooms in our house are very close to each other. The ceremony guides are willing to support participants at any time of night if necessary.
As for charging thousands of dollars to participate in our retreats, that is a false accusation. It is a matter of checking on the internet the costs of other retreat centers that offer something similar to what we offer to realize that this is not true. The attention to our guests is carried out from a humanistic approach based on empathy, unconditional acceptance and respect for all participants, and this can be attested to by the vast majority of people who attend the retreats we organize.
The integration process does not follow any invisible script, it is a totally personalized process. During the retreat, the transpersonal psychotherapist has long conversations with each participant one by one. And each experience is interpreted in a particular way. No one is told the same thing.
We reiterate our apologies for all the inconveniences you experienced at our house. It would have been good to talk about it personally. We are very sorry.
Felipe V
September 9, 2024 at 2:09 pmA couple of months ago, I participated in a three-day Ayahuasca retreat with two ceremonies, with Erik and Nilda.
This was my first experience with the medicine. For my first time, I found the information provided by the hosts in preparation for the retreat—both physically, mentally, and spiritually—very timely and helpful in receiving this experience positively. Once we arrived at the retreat house and had the first individual interview with Erik, I knew I could feel at ease and that I was in good hands.
From reading previous reviews, I can say that at all times we were informed about the possible reactions and effects of the medicine, which could even occur after the ceremony had ended, and that we could feel confident in asking for help from the hosts at any time if needed. We were also told we could stay in the temple as long as we felt necessary before returning to our rooms, especially if we still didn’t feel well.
My experience with the medicine was very challenging; after the first ceremony, my mind was filled with confusion and deep existential doubts, which even made me question whether to participate in the second ceremony for fear of naively approaching a permanent psychotic state. The integration session with Erik after the first ceremony was key to dispelling these doubts and facing the next encounter with the medicine with better tools to cope with the experience. We had a very long conversation, during which Erik took all the time needed to help me prepare for the second ceremony.
It was after the second ceremony that I truly met Mother Ayahuasca, while alone in my room. At first, I was overwhelmed by panic, and although in some way the medicine indicated that I had to go through this experience on my own, I always knew that if things got out of control, I could ask Erik and Nilda for help at any time during the night (the rooms in the house are very close, and had I needed help, I would have been able to get it).
Fortunately, what initially began as a complex and unpleasant experience, thanks to Erik’s advice, evolved into a very revealing and healing vision that I will treasure with much gratitude for the rest of my life.
In the months following my time at Sapan Inka, I have been able to count on much support from Erik in integrating the experience through virtual sessions where we have been able to deepen many aspects of the insights given by the medicine.
Thank you very much, Erik and Nilda, for a wonderful experience. I hope to visit you again soon.