10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Coming to an Ayahuasca Retreat
By Victoria Dekker
I visited Gaia Sagrada for a seven-day retreat in May 2023, in the first ayahuasca experience of my life. Having arrived with some preconceived ideas about what the experience would be like, I left feeling surprised about many aspects of taking ayahuasca and San Pedro in the Ecuadorian Andes.
Feeling uncertain about what to expect at Gaia Sagrada? Here are 10 insights that might help prepare you for what the experience is really like:
1. You Will Make Friends for Life
I tend to be a fairly reclusive person. While I have many acquaintances, I have a few close friends in my regular life.
At Gaia Sagrada, I laid it all out on the table: my traumas, my fears, my desires, and my deepest secrets. I was met repeatedly with love, respect, and support by my retreat family, and discovered that I wasn’t as unique as I thought.
We bonded over our shared experiences, thoughts, and feelings, and developed an incredible bond over the week we spent together. We’ve since kept in touch in a WhatsApp group, and I feel a deep kinship with each of the 20 participants – and the staff – and left with lifelong friends I never knew I needed.
2. Dieta Food Tastes Great
If you’re struggling with the dieta like I was before coming to Gaia Sagrada, you’re in for a real treat. The food prepared and served at the center is nothing short of incredible.
Each buffet meal is filled with an array of options – from eggplant parmigiana to cinnamon pancakes – and truly is all-you-can-eat. The staff at Gaia put love into each meal, prepared with all locally sourced ingredients (including some cheese and hot sauce), with recipes that are far less restrictive than other ayahuasca retreats.
3. The Real Work Begins After You Leave
If you’re at all familiar with psychedelic therapy, you’re probably already aware – integration is where the real work occurs. Sure, I learned a lot during my ceremonies and the medicines taught me a great deal about myself, but none of it means anything unless I actively apply it to my life.
Journalling after ceremonies, checking in regularly with my therapist, and sharing the insights I gained from the ceremonies with my friends and family helped make the lessons stick.
4. There’s No Such Thing as a ‘Magic Pill’
In 12-step recover there’s a saying ‘It works if you work it.’ And the same applies to ayahuasca retreats.
While medicines like ayahuasca and San Pedro are great teachers, they won’t fix all your problems. A great deal of success depends on your willingness to do the work and open up fully about your issues, and what really needs to change in your life.
While magical indeed, the medicines at Gaia Sagrada are just tools – along with meditation, yoga, nutrition, and spiritual practice – that I use holistically to improve my life.
5. The Weather is Unpredictable
The weather in Ecuador is nothing if not unpredictable. I was amazed when I arrived in the country to experience all four seasons in one day. Chilly mornings, warm afternoons, cold evenings, with periods or scattered rain here and there.
Come prepared for all types of weather, and don’t be surprised if you have to change outfits or layer up and down throughout the day.
6. Pack Everything You Need and Nothing You Don’t
Some things can be incredibly challenging to get in Ecuador, so make sure you have a good selection of toiletries, books in your native language, supplements, tech chargers, and any comforts you need from home.
Pack a decent array of functional clothing that you can use for different outfits, and can be used as layers. Make sure you have solid footwear for the rugged hills, that can withstand the rain. Try to pack smart and light, and fit as many essentials as you can in your carry-on luggage, so it’s no big deal if your checked back gets lost in transit.
The retreat center offers (surprisingly affordable) handmade alpaca ponchos on-site, which are a must for long ceremonies in the malokas.
7. ‘Community’ Will Take on a New Meaning
During my first ayahuasca ceremony, not only did I have trouble walking, but I could barely stand under my own power. Thankfully, the volunteers and staff were there for me the second I needed them, to help me put on my shoes, get to the bathroom, and help keep me upright while I cried at the beauty of the stars in the night sky.
A team of people who I didn’t know 48 hours earlier became my lifeline, and I was overcome with gratitude for their support. It’s something I saw over and over again at Gaia Sagrada – selfless giving to ensure the comfort and safety of the group.
It’s an overwhelmingly supportive environment to land in.
8. The Medicine Can Surprise You
When I took my first cup of ayahuasca, I was terrified that it would give me visions I couldn’t handle. To my surprise, it didn’t.
My first journey was more joyful and full of more wonderful than I could have ever imagined. However, there were others in my group who had incredibly challenging experiences, and some who felt nothing at all (even after their third cup).
There were some things that came up in my journeys that I didn’t expect, and issues and memories I hadn’t planned on working on or looking at during my time at the retreat.
The medicines give you what you need, which may not necessarily be what you want, so get ready to expect the unexpected.
9. You Can Leave Your Image at the Door
In my work life, I act quite a bit differently than I do at Gaia Sagrada. I lead a team, and am expected to have answers, make and execute plans, and be confident and assertive. At Gaia Sagrada, I could leave all that at the door.
It was an OK place to be unsure of myself, quiet, and as messy as I needed to be (and trust me, I was a mess). With limited internet access, you can forget about posting every moment of your day on social media, which was a welcome break for me, too.
10. Your Mileage May Vary
To put it bluntly, ayahuasca and San Pedro aren’t for everyone. While they have remarkable healing potential, some people flat-out don’t like the effects of either one or both of the medicines.
While I loved ayahuasca, I wasn’t crazy about San Pedro, and I heard the complete opposite from others in my group. Others found more healing from the medicines than they were expecting, and went on to make drastic, positive changes in their lives they hadn’t anticipated before arriving.
So check your expectations at the door, and remain open to whatever might happen.
About the author
Victoria Dekker is an award-winning Canadian journalist, communications and public relations strategist with +15 years’ experience in North American media and brand communications, specializing in global cannabis and psychedelic industries, consumer brands, and culture.
She has led communications and growth marketing programs for high-profile global cannabis consumer brands, psychedelic media and intelligence agencies, including Organigram, The Edison Cannabis Co., WeedMD/Entourage Health, and PSYCH. Today, she serves as the Director of Media for Psychedelics Today.
A strong supporter of access to psychedelics, cognitive liberty, and seeing an end to the War on Drugs, Victoria is the Psychedelics Columnist for KIND Magazine, is member of the Psychedelic Association of Canada, and holds advisory board positions with Azimuth Collective and APEX Labs (cannabis and psilocybin medical brands servicing veteran and first responder populations).