Further Information

Overview Monthly Stays
Dates and Reservations
– scroll down to the 2 month stay category, past the retreat listings
Prices & What’s Included – more information on monthly stays
Extra, Optional Costs – information on the extras at Gaia

Travel & Visas – info on what is needed to enter Ecuador

Bring Everything You Need With You

Bring an extra suitcase with everything you need in it, like all your natural toothpaste, shampoo, soap, contact lens solution, whatever else you need for your personal care. If you are going to stay for two months, for instance, bring what you think you are going to need in that amount of time. Most of the products you will want, especially if you use natural products, are not available in Ecuador.

Don’t forget to bring any medicines that you need as well. You can let your doctor know you will be in South America for however long you plan to stay. Stock up ahead before you come. Many medications are not available in South America, so bring what you need.

Even if you plan for a 2 month stay, try to get 6 months of your medications in case there is another lock down or you decide to stay longer. Try to get ahead as far as you can. It’s just good thinking!

Meals & Food

You will LOVE our amazing recipes! We serve healthy, delicious and filling vegetarian food (vegan and gluten free options are also available). Meals are served buffet style so there are no limits. We also have a community kitchen where snacks and tea are always available.

During retreats, all three meals per day are prepared for you. Just show up and join the Gaia Sagrada family to eat. Meal times are a wonderful time to come together!

During the breaks between retreats you are welcome to use the kitchen to make your own meals, or band together with others to cook a meal for the community. There is always plenty of food! Meals are not prepared for you during the 5 day breaks between retreats.

Gaia Sagrada is a vegetarian center. If you want to bring canned or dried meat products for your own use, this is ok, but we do not provide facilities to cook meat at Gaia Sagrada.

Breaks Between Retreats

In between retreats we take a 5 day break to give our hardworking staff and volunteers a well-earned rest! During this time, many of our staff and volunteers will leave the center for tourist excursions or just a good time in the city. You are welcome to go with them or stay and have some quiet time for yourself. There are no activities like yoga, meditation or workshops, but you can use all the facilities if you want to do these things on your own. Everything is open! Guests will have access to the main kitchen to make meals for themselves or for the community.

If you want to organize yoga and meditation sessions, workshops and other activities for the other residents during the breaks you are welcome to do that. This is your chance to share your skills and help others! You can also share these with guests during the retreats too and can be part of your 7 karma yoga hours per week.

No Pets

Sorry, we cannot facilitate pets here. We have always had problems whenever we tried to let anyone bring a pet. It doesn’t work.

Gaia Sagrada has dogs who love to connect with people. If you need some doggie darshan (darshan: blessing from a master) you will get plenty of love from Gaia’s doggie friends! Don’t be surprised if you get blessed by a paw on your arm or they want to cuddle with you when you’re sitting by the fire. Dog lovers won’t be lacking connection with doggie beings!

No Kids Under 18 Years Old

It is not legal for anyone under 18 years old to be around medicine ceremonies. We cannot facilitate children at Gaia Sagrada. We have to follow all laws in order to be able to have a medicine retreat center in Ecuador. It is also not legal for children, even foreign children, to not be in school. Home schooling is not allowed in Ecuador.

Adequate Funding Needed For Several Months

Make sure you have adequate funding to stay at Gaia Sagrada for a while. Don’t come with your last dime. Everyone needs to carry their financial weight. Gaia Sagrada can provide the space for a retreat from the world, but doesn’t have the savings to carry anyone through it. No exceptions.

This is ideally for a person who:

  • has savings
  • makes a living on the internet
  • has a monthly income of some sort

If you want to do extra things like excursions during the breaks to tourist destinations, bring cash with you for that. Ecuador is a cash society, not much in the way of credit cards.

Security Box 

It is possible to rent a security box at Gaia Sagrada for $1 per day to keep your valuables in. Bring your own padlock. If you trust someone to share it with, you are welcome to do that too. If you have a private room, your things will be safe there and the security box won’t be needed.

No Medical Personnel At Gaia

There are no medical personal at Gaia Sagrada. There are no medical facilities other than basic first aid equipment (bandaids, antiseptic solutions etc). If you need medical assistance, a state of the art modern hospital is 35 minutes away by car. We can arrange for you to be taken to the hospital by taxi, but you are responsible for your own medical bills.

Travel Insurance

It is important to consider how you would pay for any medical bills if you were to require treatment during your time in Ecuador. It is possible to purchase travel insurance with medical coverage (be sure to check what is covered during a pandemic). Before travelling to Ecuador you should ensure you have enough money for any medical costs that may arise during your stay. We recommend bringing an extra $500 with you at the minimum.

Activities & Workshops

We encourage everyone in our community to get involved and teach something you know to our guests, volunteers and staff in a workshop or class. If you simply feel like leading an activity such as a hike, drumming circle or free dance, all ideas are welcome!

You can count the hours it takes to teach a workshop or lead an activity as part of your 12 karma yoga hours per week.

If you have nothing to teach or lead, that’s fine too. It’s not required. Just enjoy what is being offered and support the others with your love!

If You Get Sick While At Gaia Sagrada

There are hundreds of different colds and flus that go around each year and it is possible that you could become sick during your stay at Gaia Sagrada. Because of the sensitivity around viruses at this time, anyone who becomes sick or shows symptoms of having a cold or flu during their stay at Gaia Sagrada must self isolate until they are recovered.

If you have paid for a shared room or dormitory accommodation and need to isolate due to falling sick, you will have to pay the balance for an upgrade to a private room and bath for length of time that you are required to be in isolation. This is for the health and well-being of our community given the global situation.

Bring Your Vitamins

We recommend bringing vitamins and supplements to keep yourself healthy! Vit C, Vit, D, Vit E and Elderberry are good supplements to bring for keeping your immune system healthy, along with ensuring you spent time in the sunshine and get a lot of exercise. Whatever you think your immune system needs, bring it!

Addictions and Antidepressants

Not A Rehabilitation Center

Gaia Sagrada is not a rehabilitation center and cannot facilitate those in need of healing from addictions. We do not have the personnel, counselors or facilities for rehabilitation or any other withdrawal attempts.

You must be free of addictions, including illegal drugs (yes, that includes marijuana), alcohol, anti-depressants, opioids or addictions to any other pharmaceuticals, for at least 6 months before coming to Gaia Sagrada.

If you need to have these substances every day, then Gaia Sagrada is not the right fit for you.

A Place For Spiritual Growth

Here we get “high” on life, love, spiritual growth, and connecting with others. This is a chance explore your real consciousness and find out who you really are. Addictions mask who you really are.

Medical Contraindications with Plant Medicine

Certain medications are dangerous when combined with plant medicine, such as anti-depressants and anti-psychotics. If you need to take anti-psychotic medication or have schizophrenia, Gaia Sagrada is not the right place for you to be. Plant medicines are known to worsen the symptoms of schizophrenia and psychosis.

See our Medical Guidelines page for more information.

Your regular health medicines are allowed for things like heart, blood, thyroid, insulin, etc. If you are not sure, ask us before you come.

 

Dates and Reservations
Prices & What’s Included
Extra, Optional Costs
Travel & Visas