What Happens in Ayahuasca Ceremony?

The Ayahuasca Ceremony is a truly life changing and transformative experience. Everyone is always a little nervous when they get ready to do their first Ayahuasca ceremony, but after they have done one they wonder why they were ever worried! We provide a safe environment with lots of helpers, and no one is left unattended if they have needs, be it physical, emotional or mental. Our Ayahuasca Shamans are lovely and truly gifted, and you will fall in love with them immediately. Here we give you a description of what happens in an Ayahuasca Ceremony at Gaia Sagrada Ayahuasca Retreat Center in Ecuador, South America.

Ayahuasca Ceremony – Ayahuascero Shamans

When you come to the Ayahuasca ceremony, be ready for an eye opening experience. Ayahuasca takes you into the universe within you and shows you many things about yourself, your life, and the world. You can focus on your intention and purpose for the ceremony and Ayahuasca always responds. Ayahuasca is very sentient and is paying attention to what you need. Sometimes Ayahuasca has something different to show you than what you had originally intended to work on, as Ayahuasca knows what you need to focus on first in your life in order to clear the way for the other things you want to address.

Try to surrender to whatever experience Ayahuasca gives you. The medicine always knows best what you need. Sometimes people get an unexpected experience, but just know that what Ayahuasca shows you is what is necessary for your healing or enlightenment. Approach in a truly surrendered way when you enter the Ayahuasca experience, and let down ego defenses and walk away from your fears, because they will block your entry into the worlds of Ayahuasca. It is important to be open to whatever is going to happen.

Don’t worry, you’re in good hands, we are taking care of you through the whole experience, and you will be fine! The Ayahuascero shamans know what they are doing!

Ayahuasca Ceremony and Ego Death

It is not unusual for people to feel like they are going to die when they are in an Ayahuasca experience. No one has ever died from Ayahuasca itself. If there are deaths around Ayahuasca, it is ALWAYS because the shaman put something else in the Ayahuasca that shouldn’t be there, or were acting irresponsibly. It wasn’t the ayahuasca that ever killed anyone. Our shamans use nothing but the vine, so this is a pure as it can get and you will ONLY be getting Ayahuasca, nothing else.

So trust the process and let it happen. This way you can get the most out of your experience. Gaia Sagrada is known to be one of the most well respected and safest ayahuasca retreat centers in the world. There is a good reason we have this reputation.

When you feel like you might be dying, it’s really the ego death you are experiencing. It doesn’t happen to everyone, as some are able to get their egos out of the way of the experience, but if you are experiencing this, there is a part of you that is trying to hold on and afraid to go into the places where you are egoless, eternal, and where the divine lives in you.

Take a deep breath, and just let go. You are fine! Where you are going the mind cannot follow, so you must let go of feeling like you need to be in control. Let Ayahuasca take you for the ride of your life and show you the wonders of the universe within you! The price for entry into your multidimensional nature is that you have to surrender and let go.

What Happens in an Ayahuasca Ceremony

First, we all settle in and instructions on how to move about the circle and how to handle things in the ceremony are giving. Then the Ayahuasca shaman starts with the opening prayer, affirming protection for the ceremony, calling in the right spirit energy for this endeavor, praying for everyone’s purpose in the ceremony. Everyone is to focus on their purpose and intention during this prayer.

Next, the medicine is given to everyone. The shaman also gives out an orange slice to suck the juice out of to help with the taste, or some other type of sweet taste to help with the flavor. This is so nice, as the taste can be a little challenging for some. For others the taste isn’t bad and they actually like it so they don’t want the orange slice, however, it is there for you if you want it! See what you think when it’s your turn. To some people Ayahuasca tastes sweet.

The ayahuasca shamans begin to sing and bring in the energy of the medicine. They carry the energy in a beautiful way with icaros (medicine songs) that sound like they are from the stars. Beautiful tranquility sets in as the Ayahuasca ceremony continues. For some people the medicine comes as quickly as 15 minutes, and others it can take an hour.

There is a point where a few people may throw up. It doesn’t happen for everyone. It is not absolutely necessary to purge, and purging can happen in many ways, not just vomiting. Sometimes purging is through tears, release of obsessive thoughts, yawning, breathing, there are many ways the body can purge “old” energy.

Our helpers come and take the bucket so there are no accidents, and give you a new one. Anyone who has to go to the bathroom is helped by the helpers who are not on medicine. Don’t wait to go to the bathroom if you think you have to go!

After the first cup of Ayahuasca has been in effect for a while, a second cup is offered to anyone who wants to take one. Not everyone wants a second cup, as most are still traveling on the first cup. It’s strong medicine! However, our shamans are very generous with the medicine and you can have as many cups as you want. Some people even take 3 cups. It’s unlimited. Some people’s bodies need more medicine than others. That is why it is unlimited. You can have as many as you want throughout the Ayahuasca Ceremony.

After things have settled down and everyone’s journey is coming to a close, the shaman begins the closing prayer for the water. Everyone is really ready for a glass of water by this time! The teachings around the water become quite evident at this point. Those of us who have clean water to drink and bathe in should really appreciate the water, as it is the most necessary ingredient for our life force (as well as air of course!) This is a prayer of gratitude for water, food and our lives.

When the Ayahuasca Ceremony is over, we all eat a hearty buffet of good food that settles everything down and drink plenty of water. We all enjoy some music and laughter. Everyone is light-hearted, excited by their journey, and feeling relieved that their first journey went well. Everyone realizes there was nothing to worry about!

Ayahuasca Ceremony and Motor Skills

You will be a bit compromised with your motor skills while you are in the Ayahuasca ceremony, but not so much that you cannot do basic things. Getting to the bathroom without any help might be a little challenging, so that’s why we have lots of helpers who are not on the medicine at the Ayahuasca ceremony to help you get to where you need to go. Let them help you even if you think you are fine because you might not find it so easy!

The lack of motor skills isn’t so bad that you can’t do whatever you need to do. It just means you will need a little help, that’s all. It’s not that bad! The effects on your motor skills will only last for 2-4 hours, so don’t worry, everything will go back to normal. Ayahuasca does not affect your ability to breathe or anything else that is a normal bodily function. Just walking!

Ayahuasca Ceremony Fire

Some traditions use no fire, only darkness in their Ayahuasca ceremonies. We have found that is a little bit too intense for some people, so we make it possible for a choice. This way, if someone gets scared and needs light, they can open their eyes and there it is, light, which helps them not go into places of fear if it’s unnecessary. If someone wants to have darkness, all they have to do is close their eyes and snuggle in their blanket a little, and darkness it is! Simple!

Ayahuasca does not have to be in total darkness. You will find that the light of the fire, even with your eyes closed, gives you absolutely stunning visuals, and can help with your experience a lot. It is a choice we provide for people so everyone is taken care of. The old pros can have the darkness by closing their eyes, wearing an eye cover or snuggling in their blanket, and the newbies can have some light to make them feel safe.

Once the Ayahuasca ceremony has progressed somewhat and everyone is comfortable, including the new people who are with their first Ayahuasca journey, we let the fire go down really low to just barely burning embers. At that point everyone is feeling safe, the fire is no longer burning brightly, and the maloka (ceremony space) is very dark, since there isn’t really any fire to throw much light. This is usually a very quiet time of the ceremony where everyone is very deep in their experience, with the icaros carrying them gently through their journey.

At the end, the fire is brought back to life for the final prayer, and provides everyone a place to sit and enjoy the food after the ceremony is over. Fire is in some of the ancient traditions, and we have found it works better for people who tend toward fear to have the option of looking at the fire and using the light to guide their way, while at the same time providing for the people who already have experience with Ayahuasca ceremonies to have the darkness if they want it in their journey.

Heal what you couldn’t heal before!

Many people have tried everything they could think of to heal, and finally come to an ayahuasca retreat to heal what all other methods can’t heal. Meet the master within you, and heal!

What Happens in San Pedro Ceremony

San Pedro Ceremony is truly transformative and amazing. San Pedro is a very strong medicine, lasts twice as long as Ayahuasca, and opens the heart to love and peace within the self and the world. Ayahuasca is the feminine of the two medicines and San Pedro is the masculine of the medicines. Our Ecuador shamans say that Ayahuasca shows you what you need to change, gives you insight into your challenges and issues, and San Pedro (Huachuma) gives you the power to make the change.

San Pedro Ceremony Opens Your Heart To Love

Often, in a healing experience, the mind is in the way of the heart’s wisdom. San Pedro goes straight to the heart and bypasses the mind’s defenses and ego resistance. We have witnessed amazing transformations for people who have a lot of mental activity that holds them back from their healing, with beautiful heart openings to love they have never imagined is possible before.

San Pedro Ceremony & Your Motor Skills

Ayahuasca is more of an inward journey to the universe within yourself, whereas San Pedro is more of an outer journey, showing you how the other dimensions blend with physical reality, showing you your multidimensional nature. Your motor skills are not as impacted with San Pedro as they are with Ayahuasca, so you are able to move around fine and take care of your own physical needs during a San Pedro journey.

What Happens in a San Pedro Ceremony

San Pedro Garden Near Maloka

The ceremony consists of four tobaccos, or four rounds. The first tobacco prayer is the round where everyone focuses on their purpose and intention for the ceremony, and prays for the solutions and answers to their reasons for being at the retreat. Then the first round of medicine is given. This round of the ceremony isn’t very long, but sets the tone for the entire ceremony.

The second tobacco, or second round, is the prayer for the male aspect of water, the rain that falls from the sky. A new design is put in the fire that is in the center of the ceremonial space of the maloka (sacred pavilion where we have the ceremonies), and a prayer is said over the water, honoring the father aspect of spirit. Then the water is passed to everyone, and if anyone wants more medicine, they can have it after they have drunk the ceremonial water.

During the third tobacco, the power round of the ceremony, each individual takes a turn in front of the fire and has personal interaction with the San Pedro shaman. This is the longest round of the ceremony, and lasts until each individual has taken a turn in front of the fire. It is not a requirement to take an individual turn, and some people do not feel the need because they get so much out of the teachings of the shaman during other people’s turns, but anyone who wants to can have an individual healing with the shaman in front of the fire.

In this session your specific purpose is addressed by the shaman and often a cleansing or adjustment to your energy is done. These are really powerful moments in the retreat where years of mental and emotional “stuff” can be released and given back to the earth, the fire, and freedom from old programming can be had. San Pedro can literally undo old programming and give you a whole new perspective on life, the world, and who you are.

The intention of this round is to help each person take back their power from places they have lost it in life, heal what is in the way of holding their personal well-being and power, and become free of negative thinking and stuck emotions so they can live their lives in a healthy way from now on. This is also a chance for people to really look at what their life purpose is and set their intentions for their lives. This is a beautiful and amazing round where huge transformations take place and permanent healing is realized for people who have struggled with certain things for many years, or even all their lives. We still get emails from people who have been here years ago saying how much this ceremony has changed their lives for the better!

The fourth tobacco is the prayer for the female aspect of water, that which holds water, like the lakes, rivers, oceans, wells, underground aquifers, etc. We also express gratitude for the food that is to be eaten at the end of the ceremony, which is laid out in front of the fire in a beautiful way, with flowers. This is a round of gratitude for our lives, and all the things that support our lives.

After the San Pedro Ceremony

After the ceremony we put on wonderful music, enjoy the water and food, and have a wonderful time as the medicine is still with us. This is a time of celebration and lots of laughter! Lightness of being is experienced by all.

Find the power within to change your life!

Ayahuasca shows you what you need to change, but San Pedro helps you find the power to make the changes.

San Pedro (Huachuma) retreats in Ecuador