This 3-day ayahuasca retreat gives you the chance to experience a ritual that has the potential to forever change your outlook on life. Ayahuasca is a psychoactive plant, and has a central role in many indigenous spiritual ceremonies. Users typically have a series of visions that many say reveal profound truths about themselves and their place in the universe.

Make sure to do some reading on ayahuasca beforehand to get an idea of what you can expect from your visions, as well as the physical effects of the medicine, which include gastrointestinal distress. Your experience comes with the expertise of two shamans and 24-hour doctor supervision. The Etnikas team has a long history with these types of ceremonies and has successfully shepherded over a thousand clients on their adventures with plant medicine. Before and after your experience, you’ll consult with a psychologist to interpret your visions and make sure you're in the right state of mind to cope with the visions. They’ll also follow up with you a week or two after the experience.

You must arrive at least one day in advance of the retreat in order to acclimatize to Cusco’s high altitude. It’s also recommended that you drink tea made from coca leaves to help alleviate some of your altitude sickness. Leading up to the experience, you’ll want to eat healthy and avoid illicit drugs, alcohol, and sexual activity so you’re ready to devote all your mental and physical energy to the ceremony.

You’ll have two shamans along with you for the voyage, one from the Andes, and the other from the Amazon. Translators are also present, to make sure you’re following along with the priests’ intonations. These trips are meant for small groups, limited to just 12 people, allowing for an intimate experience.

One of the shamans will burn coca leaves as a way to unite the group before the experience begins. There are a total of four healing ceremonies, including two ayahuasca ceremonies. After each experience, you’ll have a debrief with your group and share what you saw.

The retreat offers basic accommodations, including bedrooms shared bathrooms. During the retreat, you’ll dine on options from the tasty, vegetarian menu — all foods that won’t interact negatively with ayahuasca. There’s a holistic aspect to this experience, and you’ll participate in one social responsibility activity with a group called Human Actions. They’ll plan an activity that relates to one of their social, environmental, or animal rescue projects.

Please note a few important details before you embark on your trip:

• Pregnant women should not partake.

• It is also recommended to avoid booking this experience during your menstrual cycle, as cramps and other discomfort can have a negative effect on the experience.

• You must have a note from your doctor affirming your good health. If you can’t obtain this note beforehand, you’ll need to meet with a specialist in Cusco for a fee of $55. There is the potential for drug interaction, so you should only participate in the ritual if your medication won’t interact with ayahuasca, or if you’re able to stop taking any medication with enough time for it to leave your system entirely before the ceremony.

• You cannot have any kind of medication with you at the retreat unless approved by the Etnikas team.

For the two weeks prior to the retreat:

• Abstain from alcohol and illicit drugs as well as coffee and chocolate.

• The Etnikas experts advise that you abstain from sex and masturbation.

• Try to eat as healthily as possible leading up to the experience.

• From their website: “We suggest you eat well before the retreat. Good organic food with a moderate amount of salt and sugar is recommended. In terms of meat you may consume chicken or fish. To strengthen the brain we recommend eating ceviche (a widely available Peruvian dish). There is also a soup called ‘Tiger’s Milk' (non-spicy or sin aji) which is effectively a ceviche concentrate. We recommend you avoid canned food, red meat, pork, cold cuts, and spicy food. We also suggest that you DO NOT MAKE EXTREME DIETS. The goal is to make sure you are strong. Not only strong mentally and spiritually, but also physically, in order to help cope with the effects of ayahuasca.”

Etnikas also has the following restrictions during your stay:

• No smoking, drinking alcohol, or taking any prescription or non-prescription drugs

• No sex

ITINERARY

Day 1

10:00 Meeting at Etnikas place. 10:30 Departure on shuttle bus to the retreat center 11:30 Meeting with the staff and orientation of the center 12:30 Group meeting. Meet the shaman and medical staff, discuss Ayahuasca and what you can expect from the retreat. 12:40 Coca leaves ceremony and prayer for the unification of energies 13:45 Individual consultation with a psychologist 13:45 Individual consultation with a doctor 18:30 Cleansing and floral ceremony 19:00 First Ayahuasca ceremony

Day 2

07:30 Breakfast 08:15 Social responsibility activity with Human Actions 14:00 Group meeting. Share your experiences from the Ayahuasca ceremony. 15:30 Individual consultation with shaman and psychologist 15:30 Individual consultation with doctor 16:30 Time for relaxation and introspection 18:30 Prepare for the ceremony with personal meditation time in the Main Hall. 19:00 Second Ayahuasca ceremony

Day 3

08:00 Breakfast 09:00 Group meeting 11:00 Offering of gratitude to Pachamama or Mother Earth 11:40 Talking about Human Actions projects and opportunity to donate. Explanation of dietary restrictions post-retreat. 12:30 Photos with shamans and farewell 12:30 Return to Cusco.

A personal medical form must be completed by each participant to determine if it is safe for the passenger to take Ayahuasca (this is mandatory). Doctors will evaluate if the passenger is suitable or not, once reviewed, the confirmation will be delivered and will proceed with the respective payment. Also an agreement must be signed by the passenger and sent via email or bring it signed the day of the waters.

On the other hand, each passenger must bring a letter of good health issued by their doctor, in case they could not bring this document, they must notify us so a cardiologist can evaluates it in Cusco (for an extra cost of $ 75 US ). Take into account that if you have passengers over 50 years of age, they must send via email their stress test (done with a cardiologist) in order to be evaluated.

Please bring to the following items with you to the ceremony: Warm / comfortable clothes.Flash light as the ayahuasca ceremony is performed at night.*A bottle of water *Toilet paper / tissues ** We provide blankets/sleeping bags to keep you warm if it was necessary.

Also to get while in Cusco… 1 x 2 lt bottle of water for each Ayahuasca ceremony 1 x roll of toilet paper for each ayahuasca ceremony 2 x 1lt oral electrolyte solution.

*Your retreat will be overseen by 2 to 4 shamans, including Andean Qeros and Amazonian Shipibo. *There is a doctor available on site 24 hours a day for the duration of the retreat. *Small groups of up to 12 people allow us to maximize the safety, comfort, and personalized attention of the retreats for our guests. *A nurse experienced in emergency medical care will be present during the ayahuasca ceremony. *A physical check conducted by a nurse to ensure guests are calm and stable after returning from their journeys before going to bed. *A nurse monitors guests throughout the night to ensure their comfort and wellbeing. *A psychologist helps guests to interpret their experiences on an individual basis together with the shaman. Consultations are available before and after the ayahuasca ceremonies. *The psychologist will make a follow up call to guest’s one/two weeks POST retreat. *Physical and psychological health questionnaireto evaluate risk factors. A doctor, psychologist and a nurse are in charge of verifying the medical records and detecting any medical contraindications a person may have with Ayahuasca before the booking stage. Four different healings ceremonies, Inca shamanic healing technique, "dancing with heaven and earth". *Coca leaves ceremony (unification of group energy) *Cleansing and floral ceremony (Therapy of forgiveness) *Two Ayahuasca Ceremonies *Offering of gratitude to Pachamama or Mother Earth *Experienced assistant / translator to guide guests thought the retreat with processing and integrating the healing experiences. *Individual consultations with the shaman and psychology to discuss your experiences and healing process *Group meetings to share your experience *Basic medical check to ensure physical suitability a day before the start of the retreat *One social responsibility activity with Human Actions *All food and drinks is a delicious simple vegetarian diet suitable for working with medicinal plants/ Ayahuasca *Translation from Quechua/Spanish to English *All transport to and from the retreat center *Accommodation – within our facilities you may find the basic life necessities such as shared bedrooms with a capacity of three people as well as shared bathrooms. **All retreat facilitated in English