Stories & News
Learn more about our plant medicine retreats and the sacred plant medicines we work with here.
The Medicine of Neutrality: Becoming the Witness In Ceremony & Life
Article written by Anahata Ishaya and Hwaneetah versión en español There is a place before our reactions. Before the story begins. Before we label something as “this is good” or “this is bad.” This is the place before preference, which, at Ayllu Medicina we call the Zero Point. In other words, neutrality. In some Indigenous cultures of Colombia, what we translate as “love” is not described as passion, romance, or attachment, but as neutrality, this zero center. You can also think about it as...
Mindful Awareness: Principles for Plant Medicine Preparation & Integration
Article written by Anahata Ishaya and Hwaneetah A common question retreat participants ask is: what are the best plant medicine preparation and integration tips? At Ayllu Medicina, we share a variety of tools and plant medicine preparation advice with our retreat participants. At the core of these tools and advice is a common theme: the return to mindful awareness. At Ayllu Medicina, we understand mindful awareness not as a technique, but as an art of staying fully present with what is...
The Power of the Present Moment: Why Presence Is Medicine In Ceremony and Life
Article written by Anahata Ishaya & Hwaneetah versión en español When we were children, we lived naturally in the present moment. Life unfolded with simplicity and innocence. We laughed fully, cried fully, explored freely, and rested when we were tired. We did not analyze our joy or plan our wonder. Instead, we simply lived. So, what changes? As we grow older, the intellect takes the lead for many of us. The mind’s function is to travel between past and future: remembering, predicting,...
How to Prepare for an Ayahuasca Ceremony
Are you feeling called to meet with Ayahuasca? Whether you’re planning a plant medicine retreat, already signed up for a ceremony, or simply exploring the possibility, it is important to know how to prepare your mind, body, and energy for this transformative experience. Proper preparation honors Ayahuasca with reverence as a powerful master plant and helps you build a conscious, respectful relationship with the medicine. Ayahuasca, a sacred plant medicine from the Amazon, has guided people for...
The Importance of a Morning Practice: Integrating Plant Medicine
There is a lot of talk about how to prepare for a plant medicine ceremony, but what about integrating plant medicine experiences? Plant medicine integration refers to the ability to process experiences and embody them in your everyday life. For us, integrating plant medicines starts with a morning practice. After plant medicine experiences such as Ayahuasca and San Pedro, you may feel different, not like your usual self. You may feel sensitive, dizzy, confused, or feel lingering energies...
San Pedro Retreat: 5 Things to Know
Have you heard of the sacred master plant San Pedro? It is also known by the names of Huachuma and Awakolla, originating from countries such as Ecuador and Peru, with usage dating back to the beginning of Andean civilizations. Now, it is possible to meet with this plant in various settings, including at a San Pedro plant medicine retreat in Ecuador. Ayahuasca and San Pedro are both master plants that come from South America. People have long used these plants for their medicinal properties on...
Ice Baths: 7 Reasons to Take the Plunge
We believe it is crucial to have ways to purify and renew on a regular basis, and there are a variety of practices to do this. At Ayllu Medicina retreats, we offer many forms of purification, including temazcal (sweat lodge), smudging, yoga, breathwork, meditation, ceremonies, and ice baths. Ice baths, otherwise known as a cold plunge or cold exposure, have become popular in fitness and wellness circles due to its many health benefits - both physical and mental. The practice is often...
Reasons to Attend a San Pedro and Ayahuasca Retreat in Ecuador
Are you feeling the call to connect with the master plants of Ayahuasca or the San Pedro cactus? Why not combine them during a transformational retreat week, while gaining other tools you can take with you? Plant medicine retreats are now attended by people from all corners of the world. In South America, the sacred master plants of Ayahuasca and the San Pedro cactus are often used in ceremonial settings. An Ayahuasca and San Pedro plant medicine retreat combines these plant teachers, offering...
Plant Medicine Preparation and Integration: Why Practice Meditation
When people ask how to prepare for a plant medicine ceremony or retreat, we often suggest they start or increase their meditation practice. Why? Because meditation helps with plant medicine preparation, navigating ceremonies, and integrating plant medicine experiences into your life. Plant medicine and meditation are two healing modalities that have long been used by humans, even having the same root word. So why not combine these two practices? After all, meditation can provide many...
Heart Intelligence: Incredible Things to Know
When we have days where everything flows, and everything feels in sync, it is easier to stay centered, responding, instead of reacting to what comes up. Did you know that your heart is partly responsible for this? More specifically, it is what HeartMath researchers call heart coherence, which is where our heart, mind, and other systems are aligned. Heart coherence is a state we all aim to reach and maintain, but it can feel difficult to know where to begin. After all, there is often advice to...
Five Ways to Connect to Your Cycle
Do you feel connected to your menstrual cycle? In many societies, rites of passage through menstruation to menopause and invaluable knowledge about the power of our wombs has been forgotten. It is time to remember this knowledge. Our cyclical nature has been painted as a burden, as something to hide, as something we are victims of and should try to forget about. When actually, connecting with your moon cycle (menstrual cycle) brings empowerment and understanding of your true nature. So, where...
Plant Medicine & Pranayama: How Your Breath Is a Guide
On average, humans take around 20,000 breaths a day, with many being automatic. Becoming more mindful of the breath, such as by practicing breathwork can offer many benefits, including for your plant medicine ceremony preparation, experience, and integration. So, how can you combine breathwork and plant medicine? The origins of breathwork span back to the origins of yoga in India with pranayama, and in more recent decades, different breathwork practices have emerged, with breathwork now being...
Plant Medicine Integration: How to Stay Clutter-Free
So, you’ve attended a plant medicine ceremony or retreat and had a profound experience. What happens now? Plant medicine integration is more than a buzzword; it requires your active participation once the ceremony ends and the ceremony of life begins. Retreat participants often ask us how to integrate plant medicine ceremonies and their retreat experiences. After all, whether you have attended an Ayahuasca ceremony or a plant medicine retreat in South America, integration doesn’t stop once you...
7 Reasons why a Women’s Retreat is Empowering
When women feel empowered, they can take charge of their lives with confidence, stepping into their full power. So, where does this empowerment begin? Empowerment starts with an inner journey, which you take in the supportive setting of a women’s plant medicine retreat. Retreats for women have become increasingly popular in recent years and for a good reason. With experienced guides and the right setting, a women’s retreat can be a healing, transformative, and empowering experience. So, what...
New Music by Pájaros de Luz: Sumac Wayra
Raising song prayers can be a way to express gratitude, change energetic vibrations, and honor Mother Earth. This is also why, as the saying goes, music is medicine. On that note, we are excited to announce the latest EP medicine music release by Pájaros de Luz, Sumac Wayra. Music plays a pivotal role for Ayllu Medicina, including at our plant medicine ceremonies and retreats. Music has also long been part of the lives of Hwaneetah and Aimé, Pájaros de...
Meditation and Plant Medicine Ceremonies: How Meditation Helps
Did you know that meditation and medicine have the same root word? Despite meditation and plant medicine often being seen as separate modalities, they complement each other well. So well, in fact, that meditation can help in plant medicine ceremonies in many different ways. It is estimated that over 275 million people have some form of meditation practice around the world, and more people than ever are feeling called to explore their inner world with the assistance of master plant teachers,...
How To Celebrate Solstice and Close the Cycle
Did you know that the sun takes a brief pause before changing its direction of travel? This event is marked by Solstice, which happens twice a year. Different cultures and traditions have long celebrated this significant astrological event, so what can you do to honor Solstice? Many cultures have long lived a life immersed in nature, attuned to the Earth and Moon’s rhythms, recognizing their interconnectedness with the elements. This connection to the land has meant astrological events such as...
A Guide to Huachuma: the San Pedro Cactus
Ayahuasca, a sacred master plant, has become more widely known in recent years due to the profound healing it offers. But there are also other plant medicines that can help you on your healing journey, including another master plant, often referred to as San Pedro, Huachuma, or Awakolla. So, what should you know about this heart-opening medicine? We are fortunate to have access to different healing plant medicines, such as the San Pedro cactus in South America, which is found in countries...
