Many Soltara guests have little or no experience with psychoactive medicines and still find deep healing with Ayahuasca. In fact, having less experience can sometimes help, because it may be easier to enter ceremony without strong expectations—something that can greatly affect the experience.

Working with Ayahuasca is often a process. If you are planning to work with the medicine—especially for the first time—we recommend giving yourself enough time for multiple ceremonies in a safe and supportive setting. It can take time to build trust and a relationship with the medicine so deeper work can unfold. Sometimes one ceremony can open the process, but may not be enough to gain meaningful benefit and then “close” what has been opened in an energetic sense. This is one reason our minimum retreat stay is five nights. We have found that at least three ceremonies, along with integration support during and after the retreat, can support a deep level of healing.

We have more information about Ayahuasca on our website. Here are some helpful starting points:

About Ayahuasca
Preparing for your Ayahuasca experience
Integration of the Ayahuasca experience

After you register, you will receive an information packet with our preparation and dietary guidelines. Beyond the specific foods we recommend avoiding, it helps to see the diet less as a “restriction” and more as a way to support your body so the medicine can work well.

In general, a clean diet that emphasizes whole foods (and limits things like excess salt, sugar, very spicy foods, red meat, pork, alcohol, recreational drugs and substances, excessive dairy, and heavily processed foods) can make it easier for the medicine to work with you.

Learn more here about best practices for a dieta before drinking Ayahuasca.

We invite you to join the Soltara Community Platform, where we offer preparation and integration support and a community of like-minded people. If you sign up for a retreat, you receive one full year of Soltara Plus membership included. If not, you can register for a free account to access community spaces and virtual holistic healing events.

Upgrading to Soltara Plus also gives you access to:

• Holistic, trauma-informed preparation and integration support
• Regular live events, including monthly preparation and integration circles with a Soltara plant medicine therapist
• Community spaces for questions, sharing, and connection
• Guided breathwork, meditation, and yoga experiences
• Soltara news and retreat information
• Curated educational content from preparation to integration and beyond
• Online courses for deeper learning on specific topics
• A carefully vetted network of practitioners, coaches, and guides for 1:1 support
• And much more

We also offer 1-on-1 preparation sessions for guests who want emotional and mental support while preparing. These sessions can help clarify intentions, reduce anxiety, and build a strong foundation for the work you’ll do before arriving. Please visit this link to view availability and book a session with a preparation coach & Soltara facilitator, all of whom have several years of experience supporting people working with Ayahuasca.

Here are a few additional resources we recommend:

About Ayahuasca
Preparing for your Ayahuasca experience
Integration of the Ayahuasca experience

Soltara does not require the COVID-19 vaccine to join a retreat. For other vaccines, check what your government recommends for travel to Costa Rica, and make sure you are up to date. Routine vaccinations are typically recommended, and it may also be a good idea to consider typhoid. If you are arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever, Costa Rica may require proof of yellow fever vaccination.

Soltara has fewer mosquitoes than many jungle locations because of the ocean breeze, but we still recommend bringing natural bug spray. In rare cases, mosquitoes can carry malaria. If you plan to participate in Ayahuasca ceremonies, avoid taking antimalarial medication for the retreat. You can review official traveler guidance from your government (for example, U.S. travelers often use CDC travel guidance).

If possible, we recommend stopping all supplements 7 days before your retreat. The basic idea of working with master plant teachers like Ayahuasca is to arrive with a “clean slate” in your body. In the Shipibo tradition, people are generally advised to temporarily pause other supplements, plant treatments (unless prescribed by the healers), and synthetic drug treatments so they can connect more directly with Ayahuasca. If you can safely pause these (unless they are medically necessary), you may have a clearer connection with the medicine.

Because CBD oil comes from the marijuana plant, we recommend not using it for at least two weeks before and after your retreat. This is not a medical contraindication, but it is a way to help your body prepare for Ayahuasca by pausing other plant medicines during that window.

If there is anything you need to continue during the retreat, please note it on your registration form and we will follow up with you.