Are You Truly Ready For An Ayahuasca Retreat?

Are you truly ready for an Ayahuasca retreat? And will you be able to integrate your ayahuasca experience with ayahuasca integration methods you do before and after your retreat? It is important to know if you are absolutely sure you are ready to do your inner work that the plant medicines like Ayahuasca and San Pedro will bring up.  It is also important to do some preparation work on yourself before you dive into these master teacher plants.

In all fairness, let us try to talk you out of this for a moment and give you a chance to see if you are really ready for this! 

Plant medicines are ruthless teachers. We are going to tell you that up front! You are going to have to face yourself and what you have not made peace with yet in the world and in yourself. No escape. If you are not ready for that, don’t do this. It’s going to be a nightmare for you because plant medicines take no prisoners and they are going to push you to face yourself. Plant medicines are no joke and it’s not always fun. Some people do have fun experiences, but those people either don’t have a lot to work out, or they have already worked out a lot of stuff.

This isn’t to say that a person in pain can’t break through to the joy and the happiness by the end of a retreat, but it’s going to take a LOT of willingness, letting go, and being with the process that it takes to get there. It’s not going to all happen in one step either, and may continue long after your ayahuasca retreat is over. Ayahuasca integration aftercare is sometimes needed for those who cannot do it on their own and are new to the path of self improvement. It is rare that it is needed, but sometimes it is.

This page is offered to give you an honest and total look at what you are getting into. Some people don’t realize they are not ready. This page is to help you assess whether you are truly ready for this with a list of questions (scroll down below) to ask yourself, which will help you assess your willingness to transform.

This information applies to an Ayahuasca retreat at Gaia Sagrada or any other retreat center you might go to, because this is about how plant medicine is going to affect you, no matter where you go. We also recommend that you read this page, What Gaia Sagrada Is And What It Is Not, if you are wondering if the center itself is right for you. If you are looking for a place that has psychologists and doctors, with a clinical setting, Gaia Sagrada is not the place for you. We deliver authentic, traditional ceremonies by real Ecuadorian shamans who do their ceremonies much as they were done 1000 years ago. If you want the authentic experience and you are ready to do the inner work, then Gaia Sagrada is the place for you.

Ayahuasca and San Pedro can give a person a quantum leap and even a whole new perspective on the work they have been doing on themselves. Plant medicine is a wonderful spiritual tool among a toolbox of many. However, you MUST be ready to do the inner work.

Are You Part of the 98%? Or The 2%?

The honest truth is that 98% of the people who go to ayahuasca retreats have incredible experiences, profound transformational healings, and quantum leaps in their growth. Many people say to us with a big smile on their face that there was life before Gaia Sagrada, and then there is life after Gaia Sagrada. An ayahuasca retreat is a turning point for many people. Ayahuasca integration with a specialist isn’t that often needed, either, by most people. The retreat itself is enough. If a person is ready to put into action what they discover during the retreat, that person can use this opportunity well.

We are going to give you the cold hard truth, though, and help you assess if you might fall into that 2% category of people who have a terrible experience with medicines and are worse off than they were before they took plant medicines. An Ayahuasca retreat can either make or break you. There are about 2% of the people who find that it makes them worse. Resistance to doing the inner work is always the reason for that.

At least they THINK plant medicine made them worse than they were before the retreat.These medicines don’t cause depression or anxiety. They will bring up what is already there in the unconscious.   If a person delves deep into the healing and transformation that needs to take place, that person won’t be worse in the long run, only the short run.

Sometimes what happens is called a Healing Crisis. It is RARE but it can happen, and it’s only fair to tell you that it’s possible. There is a way out of that, through assistance with a professional counselor with the proper credentials, but 95% of the people don’t need that and are able to transform within the container of the retreat itself. The trick is to have already been on a path of self improvement in order to have good results. Occasionally a total beginner gets it, but we advise that you start a path of self improvement before you take any plant medicine if you want to do this right.

It is a good thing that the old wounds have been opened up so they can be re-healed properly instead of covered over with dysfunctional coping mechanisms that most people develop since there wasn’t a better way to deal with it at the time of the injury. If one fully embraces the healing that is required after taking plant medicine, and does the ayahuasca integration that is necessary, acting on what is shown in the journeys, that person is part of the 98% who will use the opportunity well.

There are also those in this 2% who nothing happens for them and it’s a disappointment, but not a Healing Crisis. All those particular people have to do is find the path that is right for them. Plant medicines aren’t for everyone. There are many paths to wholeness. Plant medicine isn’t the only one. If you try this and find that plant medicines aren’t for you, that’s fine. Just find something that does work for you. For many, meditation is the path. Yoga is the path. Self help is the path. For some finding their life purpose and expressing their creativity is the path. There are many ways to find happiness and make peace with oneself, the world, and the past.

Common Denominator In Good Or Bad Experiences

The common denominator in whether a person has a positive or negative experience with plant medicine seems to be how much maturity, healing and self introspection they have done before they have gone to a plant medicine retreat. If this is your first foray into self improvement, and you have traumatic experiences from the past you have never dealt with, plant medicines should not be your first attempt at healing yourself. There are intermediary steps you should take first before going straight to the core of your wounding.

Some people don’t have a lot to work out, maybe a little, but some people may have deep trauma, even trauma they don’t know they have. If you suspect this, be ready to do the work because the plant medicines will not do the work for you. Neither can anyone else. Some people have programming they cannot overcome, or refuse to overcome (at least right now) like addictions, anger, judgement, rigidity, lack of spirituality, and a myriad of other things that might mean you’re not ready for Ayahuasca. This is a common denominator for having a bad experience with plant medicines: lack of previous self introspection. Resisting the healing work that needs to be done is another common denominator and can lead to deeper depression and/or anxiety that is worse than it was before. It was always in you, but plant medicines bring it to the surface.

Ayahuasca is an advanced spiritual tool for inner work. It is for people who have already been working on themselves. If a person has already begun the path to self healing, this is the common denominator in having a good experience with the medicine. Willingness to do the inner work is what is necessary for having a good experience. It is not unusual for a person to find themselves beginning their spiritual path after taking a plant medicine, or at least begin a path of self improvement.

Are you ready to face whatever blocks you in life? Are you ready to face your faulty programming and childhood issues? If so, you will have a good experience with the medicine.

If you are not ready – do yourself, and everyone else, a favor and don’t do this. Wait until you are truly ready to face EVERYTHING and ANYTHING that comes up with the medicines. Save yourself the money if you aren’t ready to do the inner work because:

• This is not recreational
• This is not a fun psychedelic trip
• This is not a vacation
• This is work!

If You Have Not Been On A Self Improvement Path

There is the rare instance that someone may need some extra help integrating their experience. If you think that you are one of these people, especially if you don’t have many tools for inner work and facing your past or your shadow self, it would be a good idea to start your spiritual path, self improvement work, or some sort of self inquiry path before taking ayahuasca. Perhaps practice meditation and learn how to go within before you take ayahuasca. Start learning how to find your own answers from the wisdom that is inside you. THEN take ayahuasca to deepen your already existing practice.

Line up some tools, methods and perhaps an ayahuasca integration specialist ahead of time so you have what you need after your retreat. If you are a beginner on the self improvement path, this may bring up some unexpected stuff! You may even find that you facing some things you never knew you had to face, or just suspected that you had to face. Perhaps your depression or anxiety will deepen and you find yourself on the fast track of healing these.

If you resist this, and find yourself resentful that the medicine didn’t just “fix” you, the Healing Crisis comes and you might find it hard to go to work and function in the material world like you used to. This can bring real change, but you have to make the space for it in your life and approach it in a balanced way.

Plant medicines are not going to do the work for you. No one else can do the inner work for you either. You are the only one who can do the inner work. We recommend that you read this article: Be Ready To Do The Work – Ayahuasca Won’t “Fix” You

There is no shame or blame in not being ready, or even being resistant to the healing work that needs to be done. Everyone has their own individual timing for things. Give yourself the space and time if you are doubting your readiness. There is nothing wrong with waiting until the time is right for you. Perhaps your life circumstances need to change first to even allow for this level of healing to take place. If that is the case, begin to make the necessary changes and support yourself so your experience will be fruitful.

Questions You Should Ask Yourself To Assess Your Readiness For Ayahuasca

Here are some questions we offer to help you assess whether or not you are really ready to go to an Ayahuasca retreat and take plant medicines, especially if you have never taken psychedelics before. It is important that you realize plant medicines can and will amplify your flaws, pain and resentments. It will also amplify joy if you are able to vibrate at that frequency, and most people can by the end of the retreat after they face their pain. However, if you are not able to face your pain and shift it, this is going to amplify things and make it worse if you don’t want to do the inner work that comes with this awakening of old wounding.

Plant medicines stir up the old wounds for a good reason. It is so you can heal them. If you are ready to heal old wounds, fear and anxiety about the future, and learn how to relax and let go in the present, the medicine will be extraordinary for you and give you a quantum leap in your growth. If not, it’s going to be a nightmare and you will leave feeling worse than you did when you came.

These medicines are a trigger for that which is unconscious to come to the surface for self examination and adjustment. Be prepared for that, and you will be pleased with the results.

Here are the questions to help you assess your readiness:

Is this just a bucket list item because you heard famous people talking about it and you want to try it because it’s “hip?” Do you truly realize what you are getting into? This is not recreational, it’s important that you realize this. This is deep inner spiritual and transformational work.

Are you ready to face deep pain that you might not even know you have or haven’t dealt with before? Are you ready to face your childhood traumas if you have them, or deal with them even if you don’t know you have them and they come up?

Are you ready to fully commit to a path of self improvement, perhaps spiritual awakening, and taking responsibility for your own healing? Or do you expect others to do this for you and you don’t really want to do the work this is going to trigger? It could be a long road of healing especially if you are just beginning this healing journey.

Are you afraid of vomiting? Just so you know, it doesn’t last that long, but if this terrifies you, maybe this isn’t the path.

Do you look to others for your answers, or are you ready to discover and get the answers from the master within yourself?

Are you ready to cry if crying is what is needed to shift whatever you are dealing with?

Did someone try to talk you into this and thinks it’s going to heal you and “fix” you, but you are still unsure if this is really right for you? It’s important that you follow YOUR guidance and intuition, and not someone else’s. Many people try to talk others into medicine ceremonies and retreats because it helped them. This isn’t for everyone and it’s not the only path to wellness. There are many paths. Is this really the right path for you?

If you do this retreat, and it doesn’t have the results you want, will you be at peace with it and seek other paths that may be better suited for you? Again, this isn’t for everyone, and sometimes you don’t know if this isn’t for you until you try it. Some people are checking it out to see if it’s for them, and that’s fine, as long as there isn’t resentment and anger afterward that this didn’t “fix” them. That is the emotional trap that some people fall into afterwards if they didn’t get the results they wanted.

Are you truly healthy enough to do this? You don’t have to be in tip top shape, but it’s a good idea to have had at least a little bit of exercise before you come here. Even if only for a couple weeks, a month, or better yet a lifestyle change before you come. If you are a sedentary person who always sits and cannot walk easily up a flight of stairs this could be challenging for you. For a person who is healthy this is nothing, but for a person who has been completely sedentary for a long time and has a hard time getting up the stairs, this is going to be a challenge. We are in rural country!

Have you been able to be sober for at least 6 months with any addiction you might have to drugs or alcohol? Do you depend on drugs or alcohol to soothe your pain? Are you avoiding pain by having addictions? You need to have conquered your addictions to a certain extent before you take ayahuasca. Plant medicines are not going to stop your addictions. It may help you solidify your commitment to conquering your addictions if you are already on the road to sobriety, and show you want to do next with your life, but if you are in the midst of trying to stop, this is  not for you. Again, medicine amplifies what you are feeling and could even make your addictions worse if you’re not ready to free yourself from the grip of addiction.

Do you have unbridled rage at the world, your circumstances, God, the government, others, or maybe you don’t even know why you are this angry? We are not talking about regular irritation with things that you can handle shifting, want to shift, and you’re ready to shift. The question is do you really want to shift this and are you ready to take responsibility for this happening in your life? For real? And are you ready to face the pain that is actually underneath the anger? If not, it is important to do some work on your anger before you take medicines. Again, medicines can amplify your anger, and if not your anger your pain. IF you are not ready to work on these things, be ready first before you attempt the plant medicine journey.

Are you suicidal or wish you could die even if you don’t have the nerve to commit suicide? Medicines can either heal you of suicidal tendencies and give you a new lease on life, or your suicidal feelings could be amplified. It depends on how committed you are to overcoming the intensity of suicidal feelings or the desire for death. If you want to live and heal this feeling, medicines are right for you. If not, don’t do it. Seek professional counseling instead first. THEN Ayahuasca might be right for you later.

Do you absolutely hate yourself and your life? If so there should be some self worth work before you take ayahuasca, or at least be willing to entertain the idea that you are worthy while you are with the medicines. If you are ready to believe you are worthy, good. If not, the medicine is not a good idea right now.

Is there psychosis or schizophrenia in your family history, or have you ever been diagnosed with it yourself? You can lie to us, but not to Ayahuasca or San Pedro. These medicines make these conditions MUCH worse!

Are you terminally ill and terrified of imminent death? Are you ready to face death with grace, wisdom and ready to let go of resentments? We do get terminally ill people  who are still healthy enough to do this and are either seeking a miracle healing (which does happen!) or making peace with their death. If you are not ready to make peace and surrender to what happens, medicines are not going to help you. (Note: We cannot take anyone who is at death’s door. DMT will cause them to cross over because you release DMT at death and this will be a signal to die for a person who is at the end of the illness and about to go, so we will not assist anyone with dying, it’s illegal. We will not permit an extremely ill person to take the medicines here.)

Do you take mind altering medications for depression or anxiety that you are not willing to stop? Look up Seratonin Syndrome on Google. Combination of those pharmaceuticals with these plant medicines is  dangerous.

Are you really ready to forgive everyone and everything that happened in your past, or not really? The medicines are going to push you to let go of resentments and grudges. Holding on will be painful.

If you see things that are scary in your visions, will you be able to deal with that and realize it’s not real? Your body actually makes DMT (which is the Ayahuasca medicine) while you are in the dreamstate. If you are in a state of fear you may generate these types of visuals. Can you face your fear and refrain from reacting to fears, realizing these are dream symbols that are helping you see your dysfunctions and challenging you to overcome them?

Do you get along with others, have conflict resolution skills, and can you function well with other people in a group? Do you hate other people and can’t stand them? There are people here! Just so you know! Perhaps a private situation might be better for you if you’re a lone wolf and can’t stand people. (We don’t offer private ceremonies, sorry)

Do you judge harshly other people, places and situations to the point of becoming angry with them? Can you accept things as they are without anger? If you have the tendency to be judgmental and disgusted with other people’s dysfunctions, or you have rigid ideas on how things “should” or “shouldn’t” be, this might be a little overwhelming for you.

Have you ever spent time looking within, working on self improvement, meditated, or went to counseling with success? Again, it is important that you have already begun your healing path before you use an advanced healing tool like plant medicines.

Are you truly ready to NOT be a victim anymore, take responsibility for everything that happens in your life, and realize your emotions, thoughts and choices are what creates your reality? Are you ready to take your power back from the places you lost it, like negativity, anger, depression, anxiety, loneliness and other negative emotions and thoughts?

Do you lash out at others more often than you exercise self control? Are you cruel and say mean hearted things when you don’t get what you want or you are in pain? If so, this means you need to work with your self control more before you go to an ayahuasca retreat because these medicines will indeed cause you to lash out if this is your tendency.

Do you blame others for everything that happens, and hold them responsible for how you feel, or do you see those situations as life’s teachings to make you grow? To be ready for plant medicines, you must see life as a teacher and that all the things happen for your growth. Life is in service to your awakening.

Are you truly ready to master yourself, your emotions, your thoughts, and your life? We mean TRULY master yourself and your flaws. This doesn’t mean perfection, but this means you are ready to grow, learn how to control yourself, and take a deep look at how you react to life and all the challenges in it.

If your answers to any of these questions are not positive and you are seeing that you are very stuck in any of these places, ayahuasca is not right for you… YET. It is better to wait until you have started the path to working with these things in yourself, or you are at least on the road to recovery with these things. You don’t have to be perfect, or even super advanced, but you need to have at least committed to this inner work before you take plant medicines, here or anywhere, if you want to have a good experience with the medicines.

The reason is because plant medicines reach deep into you and pull these things to the surface to deal with. If you are not ready to deal with them you are going to become very uncentered, upset, angry and probably want to run away. You may even lash out and be angry at the very people who are trying to help you. You may find yourself angry witht he medicines. Be sure that you are ready so you don’t experience this.

Ayahuasca Integration Specialist

If you feel that you are going to be facing some things you cannot deal with alone, we suggest you line up an ayahuasca integration specialist. There are many resources online if you search for “ayahuasca integration” or “ayahuasca integration specialist” on Google. We are not going to suggest anyone or any organization in particular because it should be your own guidance and intuition that chooses which person or group you’re going to work with.

An ayahuasca integration specialist is a person who should have the proper credentials for counseling, and someone who has experience with the plant medicines. We do not suggest picking someone who doesn’t actually have a Masters degree in some sort of counseling.

You can also simply pick a counselor of any sort that you are attracted to. It doesn’t have to specifically be a plant medicine or ayahuasca integration specialist. What you are dealing with are the mental and emotional things that the plant medicine is going to bring up. Sometimes  therapy is going to bring you what you need afterwards, especially if you are dealing with trauma.

We WILL recommend one resource where you can affordably try various counselors until you find one you can settle on, www.BetterHelp.com. They are not Ayahuasca integration specialists, but there are 30,000+ qualified counselors there with the proper training, and you may find what you need on that site.

We would also suggest:

• meditation
• yoga
• walking in nature
• proper exercise for keeping your body in it’s best condition
• proper diet
• good thoughts
• affirmations and reprogramming
• only have emotionally healthy people in your life
• support groups, friends, and family
• don’t make any drastic life changes right away
• research how others have healed themselves through plant medicines
• research what methods they use after retreats
• if you have serious mental or emotional issues, proper medications, especially if the plant medicines didn’t work for you
• get a medical checkup, specifically hormones

Take care of yourself well after a medicine retreat because it is up to you to make the shift afterwards that the medicines have shown you to make. The plant medicines will show you a lot, but you have to take action on those things in order to actually make the life changes.

It takes commitment and intention to make these changes. You can’t just go back to your old ways and expect all these things to just change. It’s going to take some effort to put into practice what the medicines have shown you.

We Specialize In Transformative Retreats – Not Ayahuasca Integration

Gaia Sagrada is known world wide for its reputation for safety, compassion, care and transformative plant medicine retreats. Gaia Sagrada has received over 1000+ rave reviews on various review sites in the decade of medicine retreats it has offered. Gaia Sagrada’s experience with delivering a safe and transformative retreat is matched by none.

Gaia Sagrada Reviews

Many people who come here, and have been to even the most famous and expensive ayahuasca retreat centers, say Gaia Sagrada does it better than everyone, so Gaia Sagrada is doing something very right! Retreats are what we have chosen to specialize in. We have a decade of experience with giving safe and amazing retreats.

We specialize in giving plant medicine retreats. We are professionals at creating such a transformative retreat that aftercare is rarely needed. People are truly changed, bright and smiling like never before by the time they leave Gaia Sagrada, especially with the 12 day retreats. Anyone with a lot to work on, we suggest the longer retreat.

In integrity, we are not going to do something we cannot specialize in, namely, Ayahuasca integration.

If an aftercare Ayahuasca integration specialist is something you are going to need, or even just a regular counselor who can help you with what has come up, we suggest you go to people who have dedicated their lives and work to this, and have a proper degree for this work.

We suggest, again, that you read our page What Gaia Sagrada Is And What It Is Not. Very rarely can an ayahuasca center truly specialize in the aftercare, not with integrity, so Gaia Sagrada does not specialize in Ayahuasca integration after the retreat. We are developing an Ayahuasca integration course for people who can guide themselves, but if you need help in individual sessions afterwards, please heed our suggestion to get the proper help.

There are no psychologists here. This is a different kind of wisdom,, the wisdom that is inside of you and in the Earth traditions. The medicine is here to put you in touch with your own wisdom. These are authentic, South American ceremonies just the way the shamans did them 1000 years ago, not an infusion of western psychology into ancient traditions. We deliver the pure experience of what these ceremonies were always meant to be. This is a different kind of healing that some say bypasses Western methods, IF a person is ready for that.

For those who need hand holding, Western methods should be used for Ayahuasca integration aftercare until hand holding is not needed anymore and a person is fully standing in their own power to find the answers from within, without any help from outside oneself. These medicines are all about finding your answers from within. Quick fixes do indeed happen, with miracle healings on mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical levels, but these quick fixes don’t actually come from the medicine. They come from the individual getting in touch with the master within, making adjustments, and having a new perspective on life and one’s place in it.

Proper Education Required For Counseling

Some centers are trying to do everything and “cash in” on both the retreat and also aftercare, but they are rarely qualified to do the aftercare. Not really. We are staying in integrity and sticking to what we do best. Safe, comfortable, and powerful retreats.

It takes EDUCATED counselors to take a person through a mental breakdown if a Healing Crisis is what happens. It is rare, but possible. In all fairness we have to tell you that.

If you need a counselor, we suggest you pick someone who does NOT work at or run an Ayahuasca retreat center and specializes in counseling only. A Masters degree in counseling is the minimum. If you have trauma, specifically hire a trauma specialist.

Ayahuasca centers that try to “cash in” and step into the aftercare role of ayahuasca integration are most of the time just offering you a well meaning person or two who may have done a lot of medicine. They don’t have the proper education for counseling people through emotional and mental breakdowns. These are not qualified people with the proper education. They may be well meaning but could make blunders with your healing that EDUCATED counselors would not make.

It takes a LONG time to learn how to walk a person properly through their emotions and mental issues if they are having a truly difficult journey in life. A life coach isn’t going to cut it. Nor will a person who just did a lot of medicine and wants to help. Just a suggestion for choosing a counselor. Look for a Masters degree in their credentials.

If you simply want someone to talk to about your experience and it isn’t a full on healing crisis, less educated counselors are fine. We re only suggesting this if a full on Healing Crisis like worsening of depression, anxiety or any kind of breakdown happens.

Not Meant To Scare You! It’s RARE!

All that said, this material is not meant to scare you! What we are talking about here is quite rare! Just about everyone has a great experience here, and integrates their experience without extra help. In fact, out of the thousands of people who have come through here, we have only seen this happen with ONE person who truly did need some professional help because she couldn’t handle the inner work that came up 5 months after her retreat (it was 5 months into the pandemic lockdowns, so that had a lot to do with it). That could have happened at any retreat center so it didn’t have anything to do with Gaia Sagrada. It had to do with the inability to handle the inner work that the medicine brought up, no matter where she took it.

We don’t let anyone who has a history of psychosis or schizophrenia do these retreats. Nor do we let people who are not willing to stop their anti depressants and anti anxiety medicines. That would be dangerous. However, there may be the rare instance where some very strong emotions and thoughts could be a result.

It can get emotionally challenging for some people. They can get angry, depressed, anxious, and confused if they don’t tackle head on the inner work that is needing to be done after a medicine retreat. The Healing Crisis can pass  quickly if they face the issues head on, get the proper counseling, and a person puts full attention and intention on it. However, if someone tries to avoid it and run away from the inner work, especially if it’s deep, an emotional mess is the result of avoidance.

All this page is meant to do is to give a friendly warning to anyone who isn’t REALLY ready to do the inner work that the medicine will bring up… a moment of pause… and truly assess how committed one is to one’s evolution. The plant medicines are no joke. This is not just a bucket list thing. This is not a party zone. This is not recreational. This is a deep inner healing and a profound shift that these medicines create for those who are ready.

If you’re not willing to look at what may be blocking you in your life and face it, this is not for you. Wait until you’re REALLY ready to face your past and your shadow self. Begin your path of self improvement now, and put Ayahuasca on the shelf until you are well on the path. If you think you might have a difficult past, wait until you’re ready to shift it. If you are not ready to face your fears, this is not for you.

Are You Ready? If So, Let’s Go!

Now that we have done everything possible to talk you out of it, are you ready???

If you’re still feeling like you want to take the plant medicines after all this, let’s go! All the more power to you! Just be ready! There is going to be some inner work! These are very strong medicines at Gaia Sagrada. You’re not going to get any watered down stuff. This is for real!

If you are ready for a true transformation, deepen your enlightenment journey, or finish with some issues from your past, this is for you. If you have no doubts about your willingness to face everything and anything that may come up, this is your ticket. If you are ready to do the inner work, this is just right! Let’s go!