A Transformative Weekend: One Woman’s Ayahuasca Experience

Noni’s Ayahuasca Journey (2017)

Following significant online research and discussions with others about their experiences, I decided Fundación Camino Al Sol seemed best fitted to what I was looking for in an ayahuasca retreat. Unlike a vast number of other organizations and businesses, what you get is not a highly commercialized experience—you receive a traditional, caring, and holistic weekend that is utterly transformative in all dimensions.

In summary, I can’t recommend this retreat enough to anyone considering an ayahuasca retreat. You will be welcomed into a non-judgmental, loving community with elders and shamans who are extremely experienced, in an environment that provides everything you need to have a deeply spiritual experience.

The Setting

The retreat is based on Samuel’s beautiful, large property in Santa Elena (since Noni’s visit Camino al Sol has moved to Yaogará in El Retiro). It’s set up with a well-equipped house for attendees that overlooks the hut and outside area where the rituals take place. A great breakfast and lunch in keeping with the prescribed diet are provided each day (they also cater for vegetarians and vegans!).

The Experience

The weekend was the most incredible, spiritual experience I have ever had. It was enlightening, transformative, difficult, and decisively humbling. You drink two cups (if appropriate) each of the three nights, and for me, each medicine provided a completely different pathway and thus distinctive emotional, psychological, and physical insights.

Going into the retreat, I was mostly curious and had a very general question for my focus. Throughout the weekend, I was astounded at how the medicine firmly and seamlessly wove a vision (whether emotional, visual, auditory, hallucinatory, etc.) into a meaning that explored pertinent issues in my life—in my case, issues I previously wasn’t consciously aware of. I had warm, glowing, appreciative moments, and I had times where I felt my entire identity had been deconstructed.

This might sound daunting, but the shamans, with their kind and gentle natures, were there to provide support and guidance any time it was needed. There were female shamans attending every night, which was great—it really added a special, unique energy as a woman attendee. This is something I considered prior to the weekend, but honestly, the male shamans were so trustworthy and lovely anyway that I didn’t really think about it at all during the weekend, other than to appreciate the amazing qualities of Alexandra and other female community shamans.

Community Integration

There is a night where many community members attend and drink the medicine alongside you, which is an absolute asset to the experience that I don’t think any other organizations I looked at provided. It is so special to be surrounded by others who drink ayahuasca/yagé as part of their tradition. In some ways, you are able to contribute to their experiences as much as they contribute to yours. If you have questions, the shamans are always happy to sit down during the day and discuss essentially anything with you.

The Environment

You have the choice of several different areas, all of which are unobtrusively monitored by the shamans, including the hut where people can sit or lie down, the campfire outside, and also a number of tents that are set up if you’re feeling like some quiet time.

The music that is played on a handful of instruments ranging from harmonica to guitar is so beautiful. I am not particularly musical, but it was another experience in itself to feel how music can alter and support you in its own way. Of course, a large part of that is the knowledge and skill of the shamans who play the instruments.

Final Thoughts

All in all, this is an experience with an organization that I highly recommend and will continue to recommend. Hoping to return next year.