An Authentic Safe Family-Run Ayahuasca Retreat Center Near Iquitos, Peru
Yachay Mama: Who We Are.
Welcome, Bienvenido, to Yachay Mama Retreat Center!
We are a local Peruvian family offering small group ayahuasca retreats with a highly respected master ayahuasquero and curandero—a traditional Amazonian healer who expertly facilitates ayahuasca ceremonies and provides additional holistic healing.
This center is a dream come true for us built on decades of hard work, and generations of our traditional knowledge. It is our goal to responsibly help as many people as we can by sharing our healing traditions with the highest integrity and care. We invite you into our community and embrace you on your own unique journey towards personal growth and well being.
Yachay Mama is a term in the Quechua language that translates to mother of wisdom. We chose this name because it is a term used to convey deep respect for a nurturing and profound source of wisdom, honoring the spirit and tradition of ayahuasca.
Ayahuasca is often respectfully referred to as “Mama Aya” and the "mother of plant medicines," embodying a wise, nurturing, and firm maternal spirit. This profound connection arises from the medicine’s unique capacity to offer insightful guidance and a deeply supportive presence during personal journeys of self-discovery and healing.
The name Yachay Mama was also chosen as a tribute to our mother's and grandmother's. These are the incredible women who worked tirelessly to raise us and teach us the core values of how to live a good life. It is thanks to them that we are able to have this center and it is their values and principles that guide our work at Yachay Mama Retreat Center.
How Responsible Ayahuasca Ceremonies Can Help You.
Ayahuasca is a sacred holistic medicine native to the Amazon rainforest that is most commonly made from cooking down the ayahuasca vine (banisteriopsis caapi) with chacruna leaves (psychotria viridis) in water. These two plants harmoniously work together to provide emotional, spiritual and psychological healing, as well as causing an altered state meant to help you gain new perspectives on your thoughts, emotions, and behavioural patterns. Our traditional knowledge suggests that ayahuasca has been used in the Amazon for healing, community connection, and a central part of spiritual practice for many generations.
Despite the incredible diversity in our world, facing life’s challenges is something we all share in common. Too many of us have experienced some type of trauma, and feel stuck with the lasting emotional and physical adversity this leaves us struggling with. A recent study from Harvard and University of Queensland (McGrath et al., 2023) even estimates that half of the entire global population will struggle with their mental health at some point in their life. Given this profound and widespread reality of human struggle, many are understandably driven to explore alternative paths for healing and well being - including traditional plant medicines. This has created a rapidly growing interest in ayahuasca and the potential benefits found in Amazonian ayahuasca traditions.
The ayahuasca vine - banisteriopsis caapi
The chacruna shrub - psychotria viridis
Authentic and responsible ayahuasca ceremonies prioritize your well-being. The lead up to a retreat begins with careful preparation through diet and contemplation, followed by the expert guidance of a traditional healer who both prepares the sacred medicine and facilitates your ceremonies. Ensuring a safe and supportive environment allows you to deeply engage with the insights and healing ayahuasca offers. This comprehensive approach also includes vital integration support to help you apply your newfound understandings to daily life. Under these essential guidelines, ayahuasca can support you in the following ways:
On a Mental Emotional and Spiritual Level:
Deep Self-Exploration and Insight: Ayahuasca can facilitate profound introspection, allowing individuals to gain new perspectives on their thoughts, emotions, and behavioral patterns. This can lead to a greater understanding of themselves, the root causes of their challenges, and constructive ways to overcome these challenges.
Emotional Processing and Release: The experience can bring suppressed emotions to the surface, providing an opportunity for processing and releasing trauma, grief, and unresolved conflicts in a supportive setting.
Shifting Perspectives and Beliefs: Ayahuasca may help individuals to identify and challenge limiting beliefs and negative thought patterns, fostering more positive and constructive ways of thinking.
Increased Self-Awareness and Acceptance: Participants often report a greater sense of self-awareness, self-compassion, and acceptance of themselves and their experiences.
Reduced Anxiety and Depression: Many individuals experience a reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression following responsible ayahuasca ceremonies, potentially due to the emotional processing, shifts in perspective, and increased feelings of connection and purpose.
Spiritual Connection and Meaning: Ayahuasca can foster a sense of connection to something larger than oneself, providing a deeper sense of meaning and purpose in life.
On a Behavioral Level:
Breaking Negative Patterns: Insights gained during the ceremony can motivate individuals to make positive changes in their lives, breaking free from patterns of addiction, unhealthy habits, and negative relationship dynamics.
Increased Motivation and Clarity: A clearer understanding of one's values and goals can lead to increased motivation and a greater sense of direction in life.
Improved Relationships: By fostering self-awareness and empathy, ayahuasca experiences can positively impact interpersonal relationships.
On a Physical Level (Indirectly and Potentially):
Stress Reduction: The emotional and mental benefits often lead to a reduction in stress levels, which can help improve physical health. (e.g., improved sleep, reduced tension).
Mind-Body Connection: By fostering a deeper awareness of the connection between mind and body, individuals may become more attuned to their physical needs and engage in healthier behaviors.
Potential for Physical Release (Purging): The purgative aspects of ayahuasca are traditionally seen as a way to cleanse the body, protect against illnesses, and help with overall physical health.
Complementary Healing: For some, the psychological and emotional healing can complement other therapies and support overall well-being which can lead to improved physical health.
Ayahuasca is also continuing to gain recognition and support for its potential to help with addiction, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Detailed Information on ayahuasca and ayahuasca safety are coming soon.
*Please note that ayahuasca and other traditional plant medicines are not to be considered a replacement for professional medical health care and any changes to an existing medical plan should be discussed with your doctor.*
Our Commitment To You.
Our commitment to you is rooted in the empathy and respect we have for your decision to embark on an ayahuasca retreat. Whether you are thinking about taking ayahuasca for the first time or an experienced adventurer, choosing the right place for your ayahuasca retreat is an important decision. You are making a significant commitment with your time and finances traveling to Iquitos with the hope you will have a beneficial experience. There is the potential worry of navigating an unfamiliar place and culture. Most importantly, ayahuasca inherently puts you in a vulnerable state emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Unfortunately, the growing interest in ayahuasca tourism has also led to an increased risk of malpractice, and research can reveal disturbing accounts of individuals experiencing harm rather than the healing they were searching for. This is precisely why, as direct representatives of the people of Iquitos and our natural healing traditions, we are fully committed to providing you the best and safest ayahuasca experience possible. Regardless of your beliefs or expectations, your retreat should be a truly special, life-affirming journey that you can always look back on with fondness and gratitude.
Beyond following the highest level of safety protocols we are here to support you every step of the way with any potential apprehensions you may have:
Tips for planning your trip to Iquitos based on our own genuine experience.
Information on preparing for ayahuasca.
Assistance in navigating our unique and beautiful city, from your arrival to your departure.
An authentic, safe, supportive, and judgment-free environment within our beautiful and peaceful jungle resort, allowing you to experience the benefits of ayahuasca as it is truly meant to be.
With our small group format you will have the opportunity every day for one on one counseling with our curandero and facilitators to support your individual needs.
Continued integration support after your retreat will be available through online support groups and options for individual virtual meetings.
Your support for our center is helping us transform the lives of our family, so you will always be a special part of our community.
Our Center
Please Excuse Us, We Are Currently Under Construction
But we are so excited we wanted to start sharing with you. We invite you to join us on the unique journey of creating Yachay Mama Retreat Center together.
We are carefully planning every aspect of your ayahuasca retreat, from our chosen Amazonian location to the construction of our facilities. Our goal is to provide a perfect balance of authenticity, comfort, and uncompromising safety.
This commitment includes private rooms with en-suite bathrooms and showers, a spacious maloka for focused healing and introspection during ceremonies, and the opportunity to experience the unique foods of the Amazon. Our dedication to your well-being means we've prioritized a secure and nurturing environment, ensuring it's a place where even our children feel entirely safe visiting.
We’ll be regularly adding more detailed information about ayahuasca, our center, and our retreats!
We invite you to connect with us on our social media channels and sign up for our newsletter to receive exciting updates. Be among the first to know when retreats are available for booking and gain access to special offers. As a subscriber, you'll also receive helpful information on ayahuasca, health tips including how to make some of our natural health remedies, and sometimes just fun insights into Peruvian culture and what life is like here in Iquitos.
