Ayahuasca can be a powerful tool for healing and for spiritual and emotional growth. In simple terms, it can feel like a very clear mirror that shows you what is really going on inside you. With the right mindset and a safe, well-run setting, it may help you see the roots of fear, trauma, and other emotional pain that shows up in your life. From a place of compassion, it can help you understand your inner patterns and support you in letting go of habits that no longer serve you. That said, it’s important to have enough time, a supportive environment, and skilled healers and facilitators who can help you work with whatever comes up and fully trust the process.
With proper screening, preparation, a safe “container” (the overall structure and support of the retreat), and good integration afterward, serious negative psychological effects are rare. However, some medical conditions do not mix safely with Ayahuasca, including (but not limited to) schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and psychosis. Some medications are also not compatible and should be discussed with your doctor. You should only consider a retreat if it is safe for you, and only change or taper medications under medical guidance.
Beyond medical issues, an Ayahuasca experience can become unsafe if the healers are inexperienced, if the brew includes added plants that may react poorly, if the retreat lacks strong support and safety practices, or if someone takes multiple different plant medicines close together (“medicine stacking”), which can overwhelm the system and leave someone feeling ungrounded.
At Soltara, your safety, well-being, and healing are our top priorities. Our goal is to help each person get the most from their experience in a careful, supportive way.
We work only with highly experienced Indigenous Shipibo healers from the Peruvian Amazon. We are connected to respected family lineages with generations of training and decades of hands-on experience. This helps ensure they can hold ceremony safely and effectively. Our facilitation team also has decades of experience and has supported thousands of guests.
Our Ayahuasca brew uses only the two main ingredients – Ayahuasca vine and chacruna leaf – and is sourced in a sustainable, regenerative way from trusted providers in Costa Rica. We also focus specifically on working with Ayahuasca, without other plant or psychoactive medicines, because we believe it’s important to give this tradition and medicine the space to do its best work.
In addition to our on-site team of skilled healers and facilitators, we consult qualified professionals during screening and preparation. Our medical intake process is thorough and includes a detailed questionnaire during registration to help reduce risk from adverse interactions, as well as a 1:1 intake call and any required follow-up. We also have on-site staff trained in first aid, a local doctor on call, health checks before and after the program, 24/7 facilitation support, and a fully stocked medical kit onsite. Finally, we include a 1:1 preparation call with a member of our preparation team for each guest as part of the retreat. Our safety protocols are designed so you can make the most of your retreat and feel supported – physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
We take integration just as seriously. A powerful experience and an initial “clearing” can be an important start, but it is usually only the first step in a longer, often lifelong process. For healing to last, we believe people need tools and support to bring what they learned into daily life. We also aim to provide longer-term support so the changes can stick. Much of our team has worked at other retreat centers, and we saw how much most people needed ongoing connection and guidance after returning home. You can read more about our integration program here and our safety protocols here.