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.
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barbt
October 29, 2017 at 11:21 amHaving an Ayahuasca experience at Spirit Vine is putting yourself in the Garden of Eden, so beautifully manicured, with only high hanging fruit – with the ayahuasca you will ingest grown on Spirit Vine’s hallowed ground. Sylvia Polivoy, the shaman of the land, provides all the psychological, emotional, mental, and physical help by the way of quality food, professional care, and impeccable living quarters all of which will help you to have an experience of a lifetime. Since plants were the first species on land…imagine the vast knowledge they hold. And want to impart to you, which will happen during your ayahuasca ceremonies which take place in a sacred temple where you will be watched by the guardian of the land, Sylvia. I cannot recommend Spirit Vine and Sylvia highly enough! They are simply and truly the best!
jontych
September 10, 2017 at 6:15 amIn July I participated in the 9 day retreat, the highlight of my trip though Brazil and surrounding countries. I personally couldn’t have asked for anything better than the way things went at Spiritvine, from the moment of arrival to the retreat instantly feeling safe and secure to the end feeling full energy and ready to tackle the next challenge in life.
Siliva, you have done an amazing job transforming your land into such a beautiful space for spiritual rejuvenation and relaxation. I was very impressed by the standard of quality across all facilities and the attention to detail in the presentation. The way the retreat is structured gives all participants sufficient time to reflect on what they have learnt, whilst also creating a safe and enjoyable environment to share the deeper feelings within that arise throughout the journey. Thank you for the guidance and sharing with us all you have learnt over the years and last for your presence throughout the 9 days.
Rohan, thank you so much for sharing your story, your wisdom and your uttermost presence with us all throughout the course of the retreat. You and Silvia make the experience an absolute pleasure.
To the staff, thank you for keeping the place looking so pristine, and in particular to the kitchen staff for preparing the most amazing and healthy variants of traditional Brazilian foods which provided so much pleasure plus inspiration to take home.
Would highly recommend this place to anyone wishing to expand their mind and help forge a better version of themselves. Peace
joniv
August 21, 2017 at 3:32 pmI did the 8 days late July retreat. Now that i’m in my city I feel that thinking about all the experiences I had at Spirit Vine feels just like I was in some heaven far away in the jungle. This place is the materialized dream of a person who wanted to assist and help deeply others with help of doctorcitos and of course, nature itself. Thanks for the experiences and blessings for all of you.
doncavalho
August 17, 2017 at 3:31 pmI recently got back from my second retreat at spirit vine, after 8 years! The first retreat was very powerful and gave me very deep insights which led me to making some huge changes in life for the better. This is why I decided to return, and I am so glad I did! Silvia has grown in her own practice and teachings and I found the retreat this time was even more powerful and I felt connected at a much deeper level.
The workshops which Silvia teaches now have some great techniques that I can take home with me and continue practicing whenever I experience any difficulty. This helped me very much in the ayahuasca ceremonies and it has continued over the last two months after the retreat as well. Every single moment of the retreat was something I will cherish for the rest of my life and I will surely come back, this time much sooner! Thank you to every single person who shared their hearts during that week.
I highly recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a safe and comfortable retreat center, and who not only wants to experience ayahuasca but also deepen their overall spiritual practice. I have realized that it’s not only about drinking ayahuasca, it’s what you do with it and after it that is most important. The support from the facilitators, their expert knowledge and their guidance all give a huge boost to make some incredible life changes and learn things I think are almost impossible to discover without this beautiful combination.
I cannot leave this page without mentioning the delicious food prepared by the friendly staff and the spectacular setting of the bungalow, it’s truly worth visiting for these things alone. It’s impossible to describe how perfect the experience was, it is something you just have to experience yourself!
CalmBlueOrange
August 14, 2017 at 11:29 amIt is probably my first review ever! I am grateful to Silvia for her guidance and practical helpful techniques she taught us. Silvia has tremendous experience and once you meet her, you just know right away you are in the right hands.
I’m now just a week over after my ayahuasca and I still feel that it is working its magic and healing me. I practice the techniques Silvia tough us every day. I keep remembering my childhood and some scenarios are coming up now and then. Overall I feel calmer and happier. I learn how to trust myself and not be fear of my own power, taking back control over my life. I appreciate Rohan’s help, he was always there for us, sharing with us his wisdom, philosophical point of view with a great sense of humour. Whenever I asked Rohan a question, there was always a clever and precise feedback that would make me think and find an answer myself.
I am very glad I happened to travel to SpritVine to Silvia and Rohan. This was the place I was meant to get to: safe, calm, peaceful and amazingly beautiful. The energy in the Centre is pure and magical. I cannot recommend this place enough and I hope to be back sometime soon.