5 Best Ayahuasca Retreats in Orlando (Updated 2024)

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For deeper insights into what makes up a safe and quality plant medicine retreat, check out the results from our recent plant medicine retreats survey.
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1. If you’d like a holistic understanding of your opportunities to improve your quality of life, take this self-diagnostic.

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2. If this is your first time with Ayahuasca, this short quiz will help you assess your level of mental, emotional, and spiritual readiness for this powerful and sensitive work.

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3. If you’d like to understand more about the nature of psychedelic healing work, human potential, and who and what you really are, watch the video below.

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Like most things in life, there are a broad variety of Ayahuasca retreat options, and a number of factors that effect the safety, quality, and cost of an ayahuasca retreat:

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1. Safety First: Unfortunately, many small retreat centers are not in a position to make meaningful investments into screening and safety. Even if you're fine, someone else on retreat might not be, which can affect the overall experience. Our recommendation is to choose a retreat provider that does in-depth conversational, medical, and psychological screening to protect your safety and well-being.
2. Legality: Experienced practitioners who have dedicated their lives to plant medicine typically live in locations where the work is legal, so they don't have to live in a state of uncertainty about their work Our recommendation is to travel to legal locations where you can benefit from legitimate healers who operate above the radar, so you can truly relax on retreat.
3. Size of the group: It's common for retreats to have 20, 50, even 100 people in ceremony, which can be chaotic to say the least. In such large groups you are less likely to receive a sufficient level of attention from the facilitators. Our recommendation is to choose a retreat with an intimate group, in the range of 8-15 people.
4. Length of the retreat: Shorter retreats feel rushed, do not support the cultivation of meaningful relationships, and can limit what can be achieved in time available. We recommend you spend at least a week for an ayahuasca retreat to give your mind, body, heart, and soul the attention it deserves.
5. ‍‍Comfort: We recommend you choose a retreat where you are confident that you will be physically comfortable and have your own private bedroom to decompress and integrate, especially if this is your first time. Go for the full jungle mosquito immersion another time, your future self will thank you later.
6. Alignment: Select a retreat that feels aligned with your values and allows your own subjective experience to unfold naturally. There are many different worldviews out there and having a different worldview pushed on you through the retreat may not be in your highest healing interests. This is also particularly relevant for first-timers.
7. Holistic approach: Work with an organization that takes a holistic approach to working with plant medicine, and has options to support and guide your mental and emotional evolution alongside a retreat. If a provider implies that "medicine will solve all your problems", proceed with caution.
8. ‍Service: Select a retreat that you believe can meet your individual needs. Are you being treated as a human, or as participant #22 in their fourth retreat this month? Consider whether or not they've taken the time to get to know you and understand you, or it's more of a take it or leave it retreat center.
9. Booking process: Take the time to speak with the provider before finalizing your booking. If the provider does not have a screening process in place during the booking process anyone could be sitting next to you in ceremony. Some people are not in the right place to work with this powerful plant medicine, and it is the responsibility of the organizers to ensure that only people who can handle ayahuasca are accepted onto the retreat.
10. Expertise: Find an organization that emphasizes healing, and you believe has the breadth and depth of expertise to guide your transformation. Look for facilitators and healers who have a lightness of being and a sparkle in their eyes. Healing work is all about the transmutation of energy, so you are looking for people who have the energy you aspire to. If they aren't able to keep their energy right, that tells you quite a bit about either where they are at and their capabilities.
11. Reputation: At a minimum, Google the provider, you may be surprised by what you find. If there's not much information, that is also information. A reputable retreat center will have a professional online presence with testimonials from previous retreat attendees. This is essential for you to see that they are a legitimate organization who you can trust to contain this powerful experience.
12. Volunteers: Please support ethical plant medicine work by selecting an organization that pay their team. Unfortunately, it is common practice for retreat centers to cycle through young, eager, and worn out volunteers and/or not pay healers fairly. If the people supporting your retreat aren't living their best lives , they're not going to be able to lead you to yours. Don't be shy to ask this question directly when you speak to prospective centers.

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‍Looking for a little more guidance for one of the most important decisions of your life? Watch this video.

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Ayahuasca is a sacred plant that has been used for thousands of years by ancient Amazonian tribes to aid spiritual healing during an ayahuasca ceremony. The plant medicine is carefully prepared into a brew by a shaman who leads ayahuasca ceremonies during ayahuasca retreats. It’s under their expert guidance and watch that people can safely take and experience mother ayahuasca.  

What was once a religious and spiritual practice has recently attracted interest from people around the world looking to heal their traumas with an ayahuasca retreat. While the benefits of an ayahuasca ceremony can be healing and life-altering, it is illegal to use in the United States. Reason being is that DMT, the psychoactive ingredient found in ayahuasca, is considered a Schedule 1 controlled drug in the United States. Luckily, the healing plant is legal to use in Latin America during an ayahuasca ceremony. Below are some of our recommendations for the best ayahuasca retreats around the world.

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1. Behold Retreats, Portugal, Mexico, Costa Rica

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If you’re looking for a luxury all-inclusive ayahuasca retreat, then look no further than Behold Retreats in Portugal! All participants of their ayahuasca retreats have been thoroughly vetted, ensuring you will have a safe environment to embark upon your healing journey. You can also opt to have your own private ayahuasca retreat by bringing your own group of 4 people! 

Located in southern Portugal, this one-of-a-kind retreat center is the perfect place to experience the master plant in complete comfort. You’ll receive excellent physical, mental and spiritual guidance from experienced facilitators during and after your ayahuasca ceremony. Take mindful walks in the breathtaking surroundings or trips to natural pools. Engage in a host of workshops, including daily yoga, breathwork, as well as one-on-one consultations to support your healing journey with the plant master. 

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2. APL Journeys, Mexico

If you’re new to ayahuasca, then APL Journeys in Mexico is the perfect retreat center for you. You’ll have the support of Amazonian healers at your fingertips, guiding you through the ceremony during your ayahuasca retreat. There will also be skilled therapists and coaches on hand to help you integrate. 

Their 6-day ayahuasca retreats consist of 3 ayahuasca ceremonies, a kambo session, Temazcal herbal sauna, flower baths and breathwork classes. You can even have individual consultations with the shaman. Safety is of the utmost importance to APL Journeys during their ayahuasca retreats. There are up to 4 facilitators and one shaman present in each ayahuasca ceremony, ensuring your safe journey with the plant medicine. This retreat center offers high-end accommodation and the space to read, write, rest and even swim! 

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3. Arkana Spiritual Center, Peru

Get in touch with your inner truth with the life-changing ayahuasca retreats that Arkana Spiritual Center offers! The retreat center has two stunning locations in Peru. One resides in the heart of the Amazon, while the other is situated in the Sacred Valley. Next to mother ayahuasca, the shamans at Arkana also work san pedro, nunu and kambo to aid your healing journey. 

The shamans are authentic healers that have been specially selected to guide you safely during the ayahuasca retreat. They work from their heart to aid your healing and to start living a more meaningful life.

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4. Rythmia, Costa Rica

Having caught the attention of many celebrities, Rythmia is perhaps one of the most well-known ayahuasca retreats. The Rythmia Way program offers a 7-night ayahuasca retreat in an all-inclusive resort in Costa Rica. Located in a secluded tropical location and surrounded by stunning beaches, Rythmia is the place to experience mother ayahuasca and have a vacation vibe. 

During your time at Rythmia you will experience 4 ayahuasca ceremonies led by respected shamans and healers. You can also attend dance workshops, yoga and breathwork classes and attend motivational talks and seminars. The ceremonies at Rythmia are far from intimate, but they are tailored to your needs and they have licensed medical doctors and nurses on location. 

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5. Avalon Retreats, Barcelona, Spain

Just outside of Barcelona is Avalon Retreat, a stunning ayahuasca retreat center surrounded by breathtaking gardens and natural lakes and rivers. Avalon has a team of shamans and healers ready to hold space for your personal growth. 

During their 5-night retreat, you will have 4 ayahuasca ceremonies and integrative workshops. Their holistic program is complete with yoga, meditation, access bars therapy and silent ecstatic dance. You’ll also find time to enjoy their outdoors while lounging in a hammock. Avalon’s mission is to ensure your safe journey with the plant medicine during their ayahuasca retreats. Aiding your transformation are 2 post retreat online sharing circles to fully complete your healing journey.

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