Frequently asked questions

The most important thing is to ask your heart. Inside of all of us there is a calling to live with more love and to uncover our innate freedom. It is our journey to find what tools can support us in this inner discovery. As well to find a community that is in that same search so we can remind each other when we inevitably fall of the path.

If you have never tried the medicine before and there is something drawing you towards it then it’s worth a try. In the end it may not be a path you continue to follow but it could also bring a big shift in our lives. If there is hesitancy around joining also know that you can go at your own pace. As an example, if you feel you would prefer to start with a little bit of medicine then you can share this with us during you consultation with Taita and we will work accordingly. Taita himself always explains that this is a path of patience and so we each of us can find a rhythm that feels appropriate.

There are many different traditions which serve Ayahuasca. Each one has their own uniqueness in how their ceremonies are held. Our ceremonies are held through the union of the Inga and Siona traditions. Our teachers are direct descendants of the Inga people but they were brought up in a Siona community and thus we have these two influences.

The Inga people are botanists and so they have vast knowledge of the jungle fauna and how to make remedies for all sorts of ailment’s whether they are physical, mental or spiritual. Whereas the Siona tribe have a strong understanding in the use of different elements in the Yage ceremonies such as the chondur, wyra, ortiga, cuyangillas and other allies which bring the ceremony together for more healing.

Through this union we have structured our ceremonies in a very particular way. Upon arrival in the ceremonial space, we are all welcomed in and given time to settle. As we enter, we can already feel the vibration of prayer. In some time, one of the team members gives an introduction to the night which goes into full depth of what we should and shouldn’t do. These are practical and spiritual tips to support your journey. We share about the importance of using your breath as a way to calm the nervous system, tips on prayer and ways to connect with the Yage, what is the flow of the evening, and many other pointers.

Always before the night starts the Taita, who is leading the ceremony will offer some ancestral words and then he will pray on the medicine with some of the team. The journey itself will start around 9pm and goes until the sun comes out in the morning. During the night every participant will receive a healing directly with the Taita and team. We also have live musicians playing and there is space to dance. In our ceremonies there is a fire present and this is area where we can go outside and connect with nature. In the morning time there is space for questions and sharing’s. The Taita will also have a morning ancestral wisdom talk and then we all go for breakfast together.

In the day we recommend everyone to rest as much as possible. In this lineage we have two ceremonies back-to-back nights because we find this is the way we get the deepest healing. The first night is often more bitter and the second is sweeter so in this way we find balance. In the first night we often have emotions, pains or traumas that surface and the medicine is cleaning this out of our system. In the second night we are lighter and more open to connect with the medicine and we can uncover insights for our life.

We all have different blocks inside of ourselves. These could be carried from our genetic lines, excessive thinking, karmic winds, societal influence and our daily life. These blocks show up and they create stagnation in our subtle body. The energy field which connects our consciousness with our body.

Ayahuasca works in a very beautiful way with us as she starts a dialogue with our heart. There is an investigation that starts to happen from the side of the Ayahuasca and in the same way there is an investigation that is happening within ourselves. In time we may find ourselves there with an old memory from childhood, or with a situation happening in our lives now that we haven’t really been able to confront. In this way the medicine helps us to bring to light what is already in our heart.

Then the journey becomes sweet because we have rediscovered a part of ourself and now we can work on becoming friends. These areas of ourselves that are uncomfortable are small child parts that feel they have been abandoned and are really just looking for love. So, we start to talk with these parts and see what is it that they need. This is the journey of healing as we come into wholeness within ourselves, we then in a natural way live in that wholeness with life.

Our retreats are very safe. However, this is not always the case with all medicine retreats. At our retreats we have a highly experienced team who is supporting you during the whole week. The Taita’s have 30 years of experience, the retreat leader has 15 years of experience and the entire team is well trained. We recognize that it is deep healing work that is happening on our retreats and as a result we need to be held appropriately.

We ensure quality at all levels. As an example, we know where the medicine comes from, who cooks it, how they have prepared it, where they harvested the plants from and most importantly what prayers are going into this sacred brew we will be drinking. You will also see that the Finca Ambiwasi retreat centers is a space which was created by Taita Juan and it holds the container in just the right way. The steam showers, ceremonial spaces, food, longevity center, massages, and just beautiful nature all around.

The retreat leader Eli is very experienced in many different modalities of self-practice such as meditation, breath work and internal family systems. These practices are woven together around the ceremonies to create an environment that is safe and joyous. Feel free to always reach out if you have any doubts or concerns.

If you were to go to receive heart surgery you would want to make sure that you were getting this procedure from the best. Going to drink medicine is like going for a spiritual surgery where we go to heal old karmic wounds from the past, to clean out energy stagnation in our subtle body and to come back to wholeness.

Who knows if this will be your only time drinking the medicine or if you will come to drink again. Either way our spiritual growth is the most important thing we can invest in our whole lives. If our spiritual path is full then everything else in life comes into balance as result of this ground.

In our retreats we realize that all of us are from different backgrounds and need a different tool set to bring us back to peace. In these retreats we weave together a wide spectrum of modalities from different traditions so that you can find the most supportive tools to go home empowered and ready to continue the path of true freedom.

With our team at The Nature Within you can expect excellency and we hope to be able to support you in this journey sometime soon.