Ayahuasca

What is Ayahuasca?

Ayahuasca is a sacred indigenous brew traditionally prepared by boiling the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with the leaves of the Psychotria viridis plant. These plants grow throughout the Amazon and have been used for generations by indigenous communities across Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil. Some traditions also refer to the medicine as yajé or yagé.

At Ananda Lodge, we offer small-group ayahuasca retreats in Costa Rica, guided in the Shipibo ceremonial tradition and supported through trauma-informed facilitation, preparation guidance, and integration support. Shipibo healers work with icaros, sacred healing songs that guide the ceremony and support the energetic work of the medicine.

Ceremonies take place at night and typically last several hours. Many guests describe the experience as intense, emotional, and deeply illuminating, the medicine often works with the subconscious mind, bringing forward memories, emotions, and insights that help people understand themselves and their lives more clearly.

Ayahuasca and deep emotional healing.

For many people, ayahuasca can be profoundly transformative.

The medicine often brings awareness to the deeper roots of emotional patterns, fears, and life experiences. Some guests describe working through past trauma, reconnecting with forgotten parts of themselves, or gaining clarity about their life direction.

Many traditions describe ayahuasca as a nurturing and intelligent medicine, sometimes experienced as a feminine guiding presence that supports healing of the mind, body, and spirit. Clinical research has also explored its potential, in supportive ceremonial settings, for helping people work through depression, PTSD, and addiction.

Because the experience can be powerful, our retreats are intentionally small and trauma-informed, so guests feel supported throughout the process.

Ayahuasca indigenous history.

Ayahuasca has been used for centuries by Indigenous communities across the Amazon basin, with traditions rooted in Peru, Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador. The brew, made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and chacruna leaf, reflects generations of deep ecological knowledge and relationship with the forest.

Ceremonies are guided by trained healers, often called curanderos, who spend years in apprenticeship with the plants. Songs known as icaros are used to navigate the experience, and the practice is grounded in respect, reciprocity, and connection to the natural world.

In the 20th century, ayahuasca began to spread beyond the Amazon through syncretic churches like Santo Daime and União do Vegetal, and later through global interest. At Ananda Lodge, we approach this tradition with respect for its origins, while creating a setting that emphasizes preparation, safety, and integration.