Ayahuasca | Integration $2,250 - $3,150

Spirit Vine Ayahuasca Retreat Center

Itacare, BA, Brazil

5.0 (315 reviews)

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We have been hosting ayahuasca retreats since 1996. Our center is based in the midst of the beautiful Atlantic Rainforest along the coast of Bahia in Brazil. We facilitate a safe and comfortable space for you to achieve harmony in your everyday life by aligning your mind, body, and heart with your true self.

Our 9 day and 11 day ayahuasca retreats are designed to give you a balanced experience. We have ayahuasca ceremonies every other night and in between there are activities to integrate your experiences and insights. There is also ample free time to reflect, to enjoy the beauty of the jungle, to visit the gorgeous beaches, and just to relax, let go, and enjoy the pure bliss of the moment.

Calendar and prices on our website

We have extensive experience integrating ayahuasca, psychology, shamanism, self development, modified states of consciousness, and various other modalities. We are present at all times and are dedicated in supporting you with loving care, attention, safety, and respect.The activities include workshops focused on spiritual development. The techniques covered in the workshops can be practiced even after the retreat to continue the journey of personal growth. Some of the topics include inner child integration, life progression, discovering the source of your blockages and the resources to overcome them. Another very important part of the retreat are the Yoga sessions in the morning which greatly enrich the ayahuasca experiences at night.

Spirit Vine & TheVine Center previously known as Ayahuasca-Healing have been created by Silvia Polivoy. She received her license in clinical psychology and had a private practice in Buenos Aires, Argentina for several years until she began to feel the need to make a transition from studying and healing the mind to exploring the worlds of Spirit. This took her away from the busy city streets to the more tranquil life in the jungle, moving to Brazil where in 2004 she co-founded the TheVine Center, a trans-denominational and inter-faith spiritual center located in the state of Bahia.

The nature of our nonprofit center is philosophical, religious, mystical, spiritual, educational, and cultural. All the retreats’ income’ serves to maintain the center grounds, create employment for the local community, and help preserve the jungle, having replanted thousands of native trees over the years to give but one example.

The retreats take place inside of 39 acres of lush preserved area. It is about 7 miles from Itacaré on the coast of Bahia. Our location is only minutes away from beautiful coastal beaches, which back onto the Mata Atlántica, the second largest rainforest in Brazil.

The experience of sacred tea ceremonies can be challenging for some, deeply religious for others, but profound all around. Please note that we have several programs to offer and the plant ceremonies are always optional and not required to partake in during any of our retreats. The plant ceremonies begin in the evening and go through the night. The group dynamic is very important and there will be facilitators to look after participants throughout. There will be plenty of time for group discussions and also time alone to reflect on the experiences elicited by the spirit vine tea for those that wish to partake in the plant ceremonies.

At the retreat center we grow our own ayahuasca vine and chacruna plants organically! We also have an organic garden to source vegetables for the food prepared during the retreat. We have pure spring water for drinking and also coconut water, juices, and a variety of teas.

During all our programs we follow a strict (though delicious) diet. The meals are completely vegan, gluten-free, and nutritionally balanced, prepared by our in-house chef who has specialized in vegan cuisine and has a post-graduation in functional nutrition. They include plenty of fresh vegetables cooked with delicious herbs and spices, luscious fresh tropical fruits, salads, and grains.

A note about sexual abstinence: this varies from culture to culture; some recommending as long as 30-40 days while others as little as one day or none at all like here in Brazil. For energetic purposes we recommend sexual abstinence during the retreat as well as 3 days before it begins and 3 days after the retreat concludes. As well, a drug free and no salt diet with no red meat, pork or heavy alcohol use for the same amount of time is optimal.

We fully expect you have questions about the retreats, programs and the facilities we offer. Please feel free to explore our website or watch our videos and write to us to come to one of our retreats.

Learn more about Spirit Vine Ayahuasca Retreats

Reviews (315)

5.0 out of 5

Overall 5.0

Jodi
July 17, 2018 at 3:38 pm

It is very difficult to know where to begin with this review. I find so much of what I want to say in the words I have seen written here by others…
I had done zero research and I had no desire to try ayahuasca about two or three months ago.
My friend was sitting at her computer on a weekend away and announced she had finally booked her trip to Spirit Vine. I looked over at her. I saw the website and I saw and heard Sylvia talking in a video. I immediately knew all I needed to know. It was very obvious to me that this woman was sharp and that I wanted to go and see her, never mind any thing about ayahuasca. The insight she had was so apparent and I knew that I wanted to be there. I booked that night and my experience was life changing. Literally a change of life.

I knew I had wanted to change. I had even known some of what I needed to do to change. I was just not able to do it. It was a hurdle I was not able to jump. I had climbed over many others before – but I had hit a wall. What I needed was the space. The peace. The love. The knowledge. The sounds. The feelings. The tools. The clarity. The Sylvia. The Rohan. The time. The friends. The beach. The coconuts. The birds. The bats. The beauty. The music. The words. The food. The talks. THE SENSE. The skills. The experience. The time of my life.

All these things and so much more I found at Spirit Vine. And I have managed to bring bits of these home with me. After nervously thinking when I set off to go there; that I may even end up calling home and saying “pack my things up, I’m not coming back!”, I managed to prepare myself for home while there, to give myself the tools I would need when I got back and I created a new space in my life for my life.

I remind myself now that Spirit Vine is always there and going back feels like the most natural thing to me and something I am extremely (understatement!) excited for. The desperate need for change is gone. I would return to continue my journey with myself and to reconnect with Sylvia, Rohan and friends I made and not out of the desperate and necessary feeling to change which I first arrived with. I will return for myself. Simply because I love it.

Spirit Vine changed my life. While there I managed to understand what life is and what my life is and I managed to finally click some of the most important pieces of my life into place. I am so excited to be awake in my own life. Caring for and about myself.

Excited for myself.

Thank you Sylvia and thank you Rohan. Thank you to everyone who makes that wonderful space happen and exist. Please never stop. The importance of this space is not able to be put into words.

See you soon!
“One hour!”
starrice
July 15, 2018 at 2:12 pm

Spirit Vine is the absolute perfect place to experience the beauty of ayahuasca and begin the journey towards the higher self.
The center/grounds/food/care are pure light, pure magic. Silvia and Rohan are exceptional caregivers and facilitators to all on the journey, giving guidance and individual attention when needed. I felt safe and comforted throughout my entire stay, which was important since this was my first time in Brazil and first experience with the plant medicine. Silvia’s workshops were powerful preparations for the ceremonies that followed every other evening of my stay and the group share after was crucial to our growth as we each learned so much from everyone’s inner journey with the medicine. I am so grateful for this truly transformational experience and all the incredible insights I received during my stay. There is much more work to do–it is endless– I am already planning my return. Can’t recommend this place enough. Thank you Spirit Vine for bringing me back to my self!
Achantal
June 15, 2018 at 7:25 pm

I am so happy that I chose Spirit Vine for my Ayahuasca retreat!

I’ve wanted to do Ayahuasca for years because I’ve struggled with trauma-related anxiety and depression. I chose Spirit Vine after doing a ton of research and I’m happy to say that it was the perfect place for me. I always assumed I’d do my retreat in Peru, but I went a few years ago and didn’t like what I saw of its enormous Ayahuasca industry. So many places seemed to prioritize profits over healing, and I worried about being complicit in the erosion of local indigenous communities. Additionally, I heard and read about instances of impure/mixed brews and even sexual misconduct. I didn’t want to worry about any of that during my first Aya experience (or ever!) and at Spirit Vine, I didn’t have to. It’s run by a woman—Silvia—who has decades of experience, extensive spiritual AND psychological knowledge, conducts her work with integrity, and makes your safety—both physical and emotional—a priority. I felt safe, nurtured, inspired, and connected, from the moment I arrived.

Silvia and Rohan are experts at what they do, and they are very wise and kind. I loved all the workshops, which supported the work we were doing at the center and prepared us to integrate what we learned upon returning home. Spirit Vine only hosts one retreat a month with a set number of people, so Silvia and Rohan are very invested in each participant; there’s not risk of getting “lost” in the group, and there’s plenty of personal attention should you want or need it.

Because Spirit Vine emphasizes deep healing, it attracts very committed and interesting individuals. This was important to me, as I wanted to be with people who were taking the experience as seriously as I was. Of course, Ayahuasca isn’t a “party drug,” but I wanted to avoid people who were just doing it for kicks. Our group of 9 was full of super cool people who were wanted to grow and know themselves better and were extremely supportive of each other. We had lots of great conversations and, despite the heavy nature of what we were doing, managed to laugh a lot. Keep in mind that who you’re with is a big part of your experience and you’ll get to know them very well.

The grounds and facilities are GORGEOUS, and the area’s beaches are stunning—it was so nice to be able to play in the ocean on “off days.” I paid extra for a private room (a two-person bungalow, but we each had our own bedroom and bathroom) and it was even nicer than I thought it would be. Like, incredibly nice. While the dorms are more than fine, I appreciated having my own space; that said, the center has plenty of places for relaxation or quiet contemplation. There’s so much space that no one is ever on top of each other.

My time at Spirit Vine was wonderful and beyond profound, and I continue to be grateful for it. While I can’t compare it to other centers, I believe that the cosmic-yet-intentional combination of Silvia and Rohan, the lush, beautiful setting and excellent facilities, and the people it attracts, culminates into an energy and experience that can’t be found elsewhere.
skuntastic
June 7, 2018 at 2:52 pm

One thing I want to really emphasize is the beauty of this center, whereas many places will artificially enhance their photos to make things look more beautiful than they are, the photos of spirit vine don’t do enough justice to the magnificence of this place This was an opinion shared by everybody at the retreat I attended, the place is so much more beautiful to experience than what can be seen in the photos and videos.

This is also representative of the way in which the facilitators Silvia and Rohan run the center, they are very humble and always keep you as the focus of their attention, without bringing themselves into the picture, the expertise with which they make the magic happen left me in awe and truly speaks of the depth of their experience with this work. I felt safer than I ever have to open up go through such a deep and beautiful experience, I feel I have learned some of the most important lessons and it was the perfect way to enter a new phase in my life. I feel unending gratitude and love towards this place and highly recommend it to everyone who has a chance to go there.
Shila
April 18, 2018 at 10:56 am

THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME!
This was my first experience with sacred plant medicine. Over the past 15 years I have studied yoga, meditation and various healing techniques and now quite unexpectedly Mother Aya was calling.
I researched Ayahuasca on the web and as soon as I discovered Spirit Vine, I knew that this was the place. Some of my friends were shocked and feared for me as a single female travelling alone in Brazil, let alone drinking an illegal brew. However, they need not have feared. I felt cradled and protected by the Universe throughout my whole time in Brazil. This was a spiritual quest that ended up being the adventure of a lifetime.
I arrived at Spirit Vine after a very long travel day involving taxis, buses and a ferry. Driving into a flower filled garden with manicured lawns was heavenly and I immediately relaxed. Everything was way beyond my expectations.

There were 16 of us on the retreat – a full house (11 men, 5 women across 12 nationalities). The group was diverse and very harmonious. Over the next 8 days we opened our hearts, shared secrets, traumatic experiences and deep, deep healings.

I loved the rhythm of each day – on Ceremony days: 7.30am yoga, 9am breakfast, beach, lunch,
workshop, a couple of hours sleep and 10.30pm ceremony (ending at sunrise).

The next day would be a leisurely breakfast followed by an art session, lunch, sharing of our experiences, dinner and a movie.

Silvia and Rohan provide the perfect partnership for facilitating the course. During the workshops, Silvia with her background in Clinical Psychology and extensive experience facilitating retreats would help us to cut to the core of the issues that we each faced, shining a clear light on the source of what, why and how?

Rohan is an old soul full of wisdom, humour and deep insight. He was always smiling and willing to help, yet also firm when needed.

Together, they created a private universe in which we could safely open our hearts and be vulnerable. I felt safe and protected throughout all of my journeys.

Overall this has been, a hugely life affirming experience for which I am enormously grateful and highly recommend to anyone who is ready to do the inner work (which although a powerful and deeply healing process is not necessarily easy). I left feeling open hearted, free spirited and comforted knowing that there is a new tribe of friends with whom I can continue to share and learn.

I walk my path with a firmer resolve and deeper understanding of what I need to do next. The programming kinks from past lifetimes have been unveiled and now I can set to work on them. My heart is open and I feel deeply connected to the Universe.

I am still in awe of how much was achieved in just 9 days. Aya is an amplifier that sheds light on your unconscious shadow state. If you are ready to do the inner work, look no further. Spirit Vine provides the full holistic experience with expert facilitation, luxurious accommodation, delicious food, Atlantic rainforest back drop and idyllic beaches nearby. It really has it all. As I sit here writing this, I’m already contemplating when I might return…..