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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clear_mind
July 22, 2015 at 12:00 amI started my journey with Ayahuasca about 10 years ago, initially I did a few retreats in Peru but did not find it very safe and also found it difficult to communicate and understand my journeys because the shamans are not easy to speak with. Then I went to Brazil which I found to be a safer environment. Since 2008 I have been going every year to the Spirit Vine center in Bahia which boasts beautiful and modern living accommodations while still providing the traditional jungle setting for the ceremonies in the Atlantic rain forest. The ceremony room is absolutely gorgeous with nets to protect from insects and at the same time letting you experience the full jungle atmosphere with the sounds of birds, insects and the rain. The center is just 5 minutes away from magnificent beaches along the Atlantic ocean. The weather here is also a lot nicer compared to the Amazon.
There are workshops in English to help everyone integrate the information received during the ceremonies which I find very helpful. I like most that the focus of the retreat is spiritual development and self exploration. They provide a very safe and comfortable environment to let you explore as deep as you desire. Over the years I have met many different types of people here – movie celebrities, writers, artists, physicists, biologists, lawyers, doctors, meditation gurus, techies and so many more, and each and every person has a powerful positive transformation no matter their prior beliefs and mindset. The magic that takes place here on every visit is what keeps me coming back year after year. It is truly a wonderful space and I highly recommend attending a retreat here!
babygaby
July 16, 2015 at 12:00 amI did a retreat in Peru last year and although I liked the ceremonies with ayahuasca I didn?t like the superstition around shamanism which makes the energy very heavy specially if you understand Spanish. This year I wanted to try Brazil and the vibe there was completely different. I chose spirit vine center in Bahia famous for their stunning beaches and jungle.
This retreat center is very beautiful but the most interesting thing for me were the workshops with guided visualizations that helped me bring to my awareness situations that I had forgotten and now I understand my history a lot better. After this retreat I am free of my compulsions. We had 4 ayahuasca ceremonies and the energy was very clean and loving. They have their own plants to make ayahuasca. And their own organic garden for the food.
Thanks to Silvia, always available to listen carefully, thanks to the cooks making delicious and healthy meals, thanks to the gardeners for making all the center?s grounds a flower paradise and Silvia?s assistants Michael, Rohan and Jacky. After the retreat I stayed one more week near itacare surfing and learning capoeira. It is a beautiful and unique town very close to the retreat center. It was an unforgettable journey in all aspects.
e77587
July 14, 2015 at 12:00 amI am so grateful to SpiritVine retreat because not only revolutionized but changed my life.This is the best thing happened to my 34 yrs of spiritual journey. Ayahuasca
ceremonies are different experiences every time.It is very profound experience which I think had to happen in this period of my journey. We are multidimensional
beings,ayahuasca lets you travel into different dimensions and to me so awesome.
I cannot thank Sylvia enough for her knowledge.The retreat center is beautiful, especially at night you can see the beautiful planets and lots of stars. Lots of food,
my favorite are fresh coconuts,mangoes,bananas and papayas.
Sylvia is a light!!!. I also want to thank Michael and Jack, they are very helpful.
Isabel
Frisco,Tx USA
nicolette
July 13, 2015 at 12:00 amWhen I arrived at the spirit vine retreat I was completely blocked. I am
a writer and I was suffering lack of inspiration and motivation for the
last 2 years. The first time I contacted Silvia she told me that the
purposes of their retreats are for spiritual development, not for
healing. I decided to go anyway. And is spite of that, during the first
ceremony I had a strong energetic shake, old memories came and I was
asked by the spirit of the plant if I was ready to go ahead. I said yes
and I said that I wanted to overcome my blockage and I accepted the
guidance of the spirit of the plant. In the second ceremony I saw why I
was depressed and which bad habits generated this depression. I the
third and last ceremony I saw my next book like a movie in my head.
Right after that ceremony started to write again and this continues
after my return home. I felt the staff was very supportive, and
Silvia?s guidance and patient made feel confident in the whole process.
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity, I recover my faith.
Mirjana
July 1, 2015 at 12:00 amSpirit Vine retreat Centre is situated in South Atlantic Rain Forest, close to the beaches and small town of Itacare.
First time I arrived there I experienced dejavu of coming home where I belong and had being lost for a long time.
Everything felt right for me,; started with meeting Silvia and other people there, to sharing experience of Ayauhuasca ceremony and digging out deep insights of other dimensions with other participants in the group who become dear friends to me. The simple life, without much influence of so called modern life left lasting impression on me, so I decided to spend more time in the Centre in the future.
To Silvia and her friends just—- TUMBS UP!!!