The Ayahuasca Ceremony: What To Expect From A Traditional Yagé Ritual

A complete guide to understanding the sacred traditions, ceremonial process, and transformative experience of authentic Colombian yagé ceremonies

The moment you step into the ceremonial space, you’re entering a sacred dialogue that has continued unbroken for thousands of years. The ayahuasca ceremony—or yagé ritual, as it’s authentically known in Colombia—is far more than a plant medicine experience. It’s a profound encounter with ancient wisdom, cosmic consciousness, and the deepest parts of yourself.

If you’re preparing for your first ayahuasca ceremony or seeking to understand what makes the Colombian tradition unique, this comprehensive guide will illuminate the sacred process that awaits you. Here, we honor both the mystical aspects of the ceremony and the practical realities of what you’ll experience in an authentic yagé ritual.

Understanding Yagé: The Sacred Vine of Colombia

Before exploring the ceremony itself, it’s essential to understand what makes Colombian yagé distinct from ayahuasca experiences elsewhere in South America.

Check out this documentary about the yagé tradition in Colombia.

The Sacred Plants

In Colombia, we work with the Sacred Plant Medicines of Yagé (ayahuasca), Coca, and Tobacco, following traditions set forth by the Elders. The yagé brew is prepared from two primary plants:

Banisteriopsis caapi (The Vine): Known as the “vine of the soul,” this is the foundation of the medicine. The vine contains harmala alkaloids that act as MAO inhibitors, allowing the DMT to become orally active while providing its own profound spiritual effects.

Psychotria viridis (Chacruna): The leaves contain DMT (dimethyltryptamine), the primary visionary compound. Together with the vine, it creates the powerful entheogenic brew that facilitates deep spiritual experiences.

Additional Sacred Plants: Colombian Taitas often include other traditional plants in their brews, such as:

Brugmansia (Tree Datura) for protection and clarity
Diplopterys cabrerana as an alternative DMT source
Various admixture plants specific to each shaman’s lineage

The Living Intelligence of Yagé

What sets Colombian yagé apart is the understanding that the medicine possesses its own consciousness—a living intelligence that serves as teacher, healer, and guide. We believe that the Sacred Plant Medicines are powerful tools to connect us to all the knowledge and healing from God (The Universe).

This isn’t simply a psychoactive substance; it’s a spiritual technology that has guided indigenous communities toward healing, wisdom, and connection with the divine for millennia.

The Sacred Lineage: Working with Authentic Taitas

Understanding Indigenous Lineage

The authenticity of your ceremony depends entirely on the lineage and training of your facilitator. Our Shaman are trained Healers and Elders from the Muinane and Siona tribes, carrying forward generations of ancestral knowledge.

The Siona Tradition: The Siona people of the Colombian Amazon are among the most respected yagé practitioners. Their shamans, known as Taitas, undergo decades of training that includes:

Extended plant dietas (isolation periods with specific teacher plants)
Mentorship under elder shamans
Mastery of icaros (sacred songs)
Deep understanding of plant spirit interactions
Healing techniques passed down through generations

The Muinane Wisdom: The Muinane tradition brings a different perspective to the medicine work, emphasizing:

The cosmic dimension of plant consciousness
Sophisticated understanding of energetic healing
Integration of multiple plant teachers
Ceremonial protocols that ensure participant safety

What Makes a True Taita

A genuine Taita possesses qualities that extend far beyond knowledge of plant preparation:

Spiritual Authority:

Recognition by their indigenous community
Decades of personal plant medicine work
Ability to navigate non-ordinary states of consciousness
Deep relationship with plant spirits and cosmic forces

Healing Capabilities:

Understanding of energetic and spiritual causes of illness
Ability to extract negative energies and implants
Knowledge of which plants serve specific healing purposes
Skill in guiding others through challenging experiences

Cultural Guardianship:

Commitment to preserving traditional ways
Responsibility to their community and lineage
Discernment about sharing sacred knowledge
Dedication to reciprocity and balance

Preparing for Ceremony: The Sacred Approach

The Dieta: Physical and Spiritual Purification

The ceremonial process begins long before you drink the medicine. The traditional dieta serves multiple purposes in preparing your body and spirit for the encounter with yagé.

Physical Preparation (7-14 days before):

Eliminate foods that interact dangerously with MAO inhibitors
Reduce intake of stimulants, processed foods, and excessive spices
Increase consumption of fresh, simple foods
Maintain proper hydration and rest

Spiritual Preparation:

Set clear intentions for your healing and growth
Begin daily meditation or reflection practices
Reduce external distractions and entertainment
Cultivate an attitude of respect and surrender

Energetic Cleansing: Many Colombian traditions include plant baths as part of preparation. These herbal baths, prepared with specific plants like rue, basil, and other protective herbs, help cleanse your energetic field and prepare you for the sacred encounter.

Setting Sacred Intentions

The power of your ceremony is deeply connected to the clarity and sincerity of your intentions. Unlike recreational experiences, yagé responds to the deepest calls of your heart.

Meaningful Intentions Include:

Healing specific traumas or emotional patterns
Gaining clarity about life direction or purpose
Connecting with spiritual guides or deceased loved ones
Understanding recurring life challenges
Developing greater self-compassion and forgiveness
Deepening spiritual connection and understanding

Intentions to Reconsider:

Seeking specific visions or experiences
Trying to control the medicine’s teachings
Escaping from life responsibilities
Proving something to yourself or others
Competing with others’ experiences

The Ceremonial Space: Sacred Architecture

Creating the Container

The physical space where ceremony occurs is carefully prepared to support both the spiritual work and practical needs of participants.

Traditional Elements:

Circular seating arrangement fostering community connection
Central altar with sacred objects, flowers, and offerings
Adequate space for movement, purging, and privacy
Proper ventilation while maintaining ceremonial atmosphere
Easy access to bathroom facilities
Comfortable mats or mattresses for each participant

Energetic Preparation: Before participants arrive, the ceremonial space is blessed and protected through:

Tobacco smoke cleansing
Prayers and invocations to protective spirits
Placement of sacred objects and plant medicines
Creation of energetic boundaries around the space

The Sacred Altar

The ceremonial altar serves as the focal point of spiritual energy and contains elements that support the work:

The yagé brew in traditional containers
Tobacco for protection and communication with spirits
Agua florida (floral water) for energetic cleansing
Candles representing the light of consciousness
Flowers as offerings to the plant spirits
Personal power objects of the Taita
Representations of the four directions and elements

The Ceremony Unfolds: A Sacred Journey

Opening the Space

As evening approaches, the ceremony begins with the Taita opening the sacred space through traditional protocols.

Calling the Directions: The Taita invokes protection and guidance from:

The four cardinal directions and their associated energies
The elements: earth, water, fire, and air
Plant spirits and spiritual guides
Ancestors and cosmic forces

Tobacco Blessing: Sacred tobacco smoke is used to:

Purify the ceremonial space
Bless the participants
Communicate with plant spirits
Create energetic protection

Receiving the Medicine

The Sacred Moment: Participants approach the altar individually to receive their serving of yagé. This isn’t simply consuming a substance—it’s entering into relationship with the plant spirit.

Typical Serving Process:

Brief check-in with the Taita about your current state
Blessing of your individual cup
Setting intention while receiving the medicine
Return to your space for the journey to begin

Dose Considerations: Authentic Taitas carefully calibrate each person’s dose based on:

Physical constitution and sensitivity
Previous experience with plant medicines
Current emotional and spiritual state
Specific healing needs
Intuitive guidance from the plant spirits

The Journey Begins: Phases of the Experience

Onset (30-60 minutes): The medicine begins to take effect gradually:

Initial bodily sensations and energy shifts
Heightened awareness of sounds and energies
First subtle visual or sensory changes
Growing connection to the ceremonial space

Deepening (1-3 hours): The primary teaching phase of the experience:

Vivid visions, insights, and spiritual encounters
Deep emotional processing and release
Connection with plant teachers and guides
Purging of physical, emotional, or energetic toxins
Profound states of consciousness and understanding

Integration (3-6 hours): The gradual return to ordinary consciousness:

Processing and understanding the teachings received
Continued but gentler insights and revelations
Grounding back into physical reality
Integration of new perspectives and understanding

The Role of Icaros: Sacred Sound Healing

Throughout the ceremony, the Taita sings icaros—sacred songs that serve multiple functions in the healing process.

The Power of Icaros:

Direct communication with plant spirits
Guidance for participants through challenging moments
Invocation of specific healing energies
Protection from negative influences
Navigation of spiritual dimensions

Types of Sacred Songs:

Protective Icaros: Creating energetic boundaries and safety
Healing Icaros: Directing specific medicinal energies
Calling Icaros: Summoning plant spirits and guides
Cleansing Icaros: Supporting purification processes
Integration Icaros: Helping ground insights and teachings

Each Taita has their own repository of icaros, learned through years of plant apprenticeship and spiritual training. These songs are considered sacred technology, passed down through generations of indigenous healers.

Understanding La Purga: Sacred Cleansing

Beyond Physical Purging

One of the most misunderstood aspects of ayahuasca ceremony is “la purga”—the purging process that often accompanies the medicine.

Types of Purging:

Physical: Vomiting, diarrhea, sweating, trembling
Emotional: Crying, laughing, expressing long-held emotions
Energetic: Release of stuck energy, negative attachments, or spiritual debris
Mental: Letting go of limiting beliefs, thought patterns, or mental constructs

The Sacred Purpose: Purging isn’t a side effect—it’s an integral part of the healing process:

Releasing physical toxins and energetic blockages
Clearing emotional traumas stored in the body
Letting go of what no longer serves your growth
Making space for new insights and energy
Demonstrating the medicine’s cleansing power

Working with Purging Gracefully

Preparation for Purging:

Understand purging as sacred cleansing, not illness
Bring appropriate clothes that can get dirty
Stay hydrated but avoid drinking excessive water
Trust the process and release resistance
Use provided buckets and maintain ceremony etiquette

Supporting Others:

Respect others’ purging process without judgment
Maintain appropriate boundaries and privacy
Offer silent support and compassion
Avoid talking or disrupting during purging
Hold space for the sacred work happening

Navigating Challenging Experiences

When the Medicine Shows Difficult Truths

Not every moment of ceremony is blissful. The medicine often shows us exactly what we need to see for healing, which can include challenging material.

Common Difficult Experiences:

Confronting past traumas or painful memories
Experiencing fear, anxiety, or overwhelming emotions
Facing aspects of personality or behavior needing change
Feeling lost, confused, or spiritually overwhelmed
Encountering frightening visions or entities

Working with Challenges:

Surrender rather than resist the experience
Breathe deeply and remember you are safe
Call on the Taita for support when needed
Trust that difficult experiences serve healing purposes
Remember that challenging phases always pass

The Taita’s Role in Difficult Moments:

Monitoring participants for genuine distress vs. normal process
Providing energetic protection and support
Using specific icaros to guide through difficulties
Offering physical presence and reassurance when appropriate
Distinguishing between healing crisis and emergency

Spiritual Protection and Boundaries

Energetic Protection: The Taita maintains protective boundaries around the ceremony through:

Opening prayers and invocations
Continuous monitoring of energetic atmosphere
Tobacco blessings and cleansings
Specific icaros for protection and clearing
Closing rituals that seal and complete the work

Personal Protection: Participants can support their own energetic protection by:

Maintaining respectful attitude toward the medicine
Following ceremonial guidelines and protocols
Avoiding negative thoughts about other participants
Calling on personal spiritual guides or prayers
Trusting in the Taita’s expertise and protection

The Community Aspect: Healing in Circle

The Power of Collective Experience

Unlike individual therapy or meditation, ayahuasca ceremony happens in community. This collective aspect adds profound dimensions to the healing process.

Benefits of Group Ceremony:

Witnessing others’ courage in facing their healing
Receiving support from fellow participants
Learning from diverse experiences and perspectives
Feeling part of something larger than individual healing
Contributing to collective healing and transformation

Sacred Witnessing: The community serves as sacred witness to:

Individual healing and transformation
The courage required for deep inner work
The universal nature of human suffering and growth
The power of the medicine to facilitate healing
The beauty of authentic spiritual experience

Ceremony Etiquette and Sacred Behavior

Respecting the Sacred Space:

Maintain silence during deep portions of ceremony
Move quietly and mindfully when necessary
Respect others’ personal space and process
Avoid casual conversation during medicine time
Follow the Taita’s guidance about behavior and participation

Supporting the Collective:

Hold compassionate space for others’ experiences
Avoid judgment or comparison of experiences
Participate in group activities when invited
Respect confidentiality of others’ sharing
Contribute positive energy to the collective field

Integration: Bringing the Teachings Home

The Ceremony Continues

The formal ceremony may last 6-8 hours, but the real work often begins in the days and weeks that follow. Integration is where ceremonial insights become lasting transformation.

Immediate Integration (First 24-48 hours):

Rest and gentle re-entry to ordinary consciousness
Light, simple foods that honor the medicine’s work
Journaling insights, visions, and teachings received
Avoiding stimulants, processed foods, or harsh environments
Reflecting on the experience with ceremony support

Deeper Integration Process:

Understanding symbolic and metaphorical teachings
Identifying specific changes to make in daily life
Processing emotional releases and new perspectives
Seeking ongoing support for implementation
Maintaining connection with ceremonial community

Living the Teachings

The true measure of ceremony’s success isn’t the intensity of visions but the positive changes integrated into daily life.

Common Integration Themes:

Developing greater self-compassion and forgiveness
Healing relationships with family and loved ones
Finding clarity about life purpose and direction
Releasing addictive patterns or destructive behaviors
Deepening spiritual practice and connection
Cultivating presence and mindfulness in daily activities

The Feminine Dimension: Women and Lunar Cycles

Sacred Feminine Power

Colombian yagé traditions hold deep respect for feminine spiritual power, particularly during menstruation. We believe women hold immense power during their lunar cycle. During this period of the month, women are connected to the spirits and are purging and regenerating. The use of the medicine is not needed at this time.

Traditional Understanding:

Women’s menstrual cycles connect them naturally to spiritual realms
The monthly cycle is itself a purification process
During menstruation, women are already in deep spiritual connection
The medicine may interfere with natural lunar purification
Women’s spiritual power during this time can affect ceremony energy

Practical Considerations:

Women typically don’t participate in ceremony during menstruation
This isn’t exclusion but recognition of different spiritual states
Alternative healing and spiritual practices are offered
Post-menstrual ceremonies often provide profound experiences
Honor and respect for feminine spiritual cycles

Children and Family Ceremony

Including the Whole Family

At Camino al Sol, we recognize that healing often involves entire family systems. Our approach welcomes children and creates ceremonial experiences that honor all ages.

Children in Ceremony:

Children don’t consume the medicine but participate in the spiritual container
Young ones often display natural sensitivity to ceremonial energies
Family healing can address generational patterns and traumas
Children learn respect for sacred traditions and plant wisdom
The ceremony becomes a shared family spiritual experience

Creating Safe Spaces:

Dedicated support team for children during ceremonies
Comfortable sleeping areas where children rest near parents
Integration activities appropriate for different ages
Teaching respect for indigenous traditions and plant medicines
Post-ceremony family sharing and reflection

Working Groups and Collective Healing

Teams and Organizations in Ceremony

Beyond individual and family healing, yagé ceremony can facilitate profound transformation for working groups, teams, and organizations.

Benefits for Groups:

Breaking down professional barriers and hierarchies
Fostering authentic communication and empathy
Addressing collective challenges and conflicts
Aligning team vision and purpose
Building deeper trust and collaboration

Ceremonial Approach for Groups:

Customized intentions focusing on collective healing
Integration workshops addressing workplace dynamics
Confidentiality agreements respecting individual experiences
Follow-up support for implementing insights in work environment
Ongoing community building beyond the retreat

The Ethics of Sacred Medicine

Reciprocity and Respect

Working with indigenous plant medicines carries ethical responsibilities that extend beyond personal healing.

Cultural Reciprocity:

Fair compensation for indigenous knowledge holders
Support for traditional communities and their land rights
Respect for ceremonial protocols and traditions
Learning about cultural context and history
Avoiding appropriation while honoring authentic teachings

Environmental Responsibility:

Supporting sustainable harvesting of plant medicines
Contributing to conservation of Amazon rainforest
Reducing environmental impact of retreat activities
Supporting local economies and communities
Educating about environmental connections to spiritual health

Avoiding Spiritual Materialism

Authentic Approach:

Focus on service and contribution rather than personal attainment
Respect for the medicine’s teachings and protocols
Humility about spiritual experiences and insights
Ongoing commitment to personal growth and healing
Integration that benefits community and world

Red Flags to Avoid:

Using ceremony experiences to build spiritual ego
Appropriating indigenous symbols or practices
Claiming shamanic authority without proper training
Commercializing or commodifying sacred experiences
Bypassing personal responsibility through spiritual experiences

Preparing for Your First Ceremony

Mental and Emotional Readiness

Questions for Self-Reflection:

What genuinely calls you to this medicine?
Are you prepared for potentially challenging experiences?
Do you have support systems for integration?
Can you approach the experience with humility and respect?
Are you ready to make changes based on what you learn?

Practical Preparation:

Complete thorough medical screening and preparation
Understand and commit to dietary requirements
Arrange adequate time for preparation and integration
Create supportive environment for post-ceremony period
Research and choose authentic, ethical ceremony providers

What to Bring to Ceremony

Essential Items:

Comfortable, loose-fitting clothing
Extra clothes that can get dirty
Journal and pen for recording insights
Water bottle for hydration
Personal items for comfort (blanket, pillow)
Any prescribed medications (with medical clearance)

Spiritual Items (Optional):

Photographs of deceased loved ones
Crystals or meaningful stones
Sacred jewelry or personal talismans
Tobacco for personal offerings (if appropriate)
Items representing your intentions

The Transformation Continues

Beyond the Ceremony

The ayahuasca ceremony is not an end in itself but a beginning—a doorway into deeper relationship with yourself, your purpose, and the interconnected web of life.

Long-term Integration:

Developing daily spiritual practices
Maintaining connection with ceremony community
Continuing personal healing and growth work
Finding ways to serve others and contribute meaningfully
Honoring the teachings through ethical living

When to Return to Ceremony:

Allow adequate integration time between ceremonies
Return when called for deeper healing, not from habit
Consider different plants or teachers for varied perspectives
Balance ceremony with other healing and growth modalities
Maintain focus on integration over accumulation of experiences

The Ripple Effect

The healing that occurs in ayahuasca ceremony extends far beyond the individual participant. As you integrate the medicine’s teachings, you contribute to healing in your family, communities, and the world.

Collective Healing:

Personal transformation influences all relationships
Healed individuals contribute to healthier communities
Spiritual growth supports collective consciousness evolution
Environmental awareness grows from expanded consciousness
Compassion and understanding spread through authentic transformation

Your Sacred Journey Awaits

The ayahuasca ceremony is among humanity’s most profound spiritual technologies—a direct path to healing, wisdom, and connection with the divine. When approached with proper preparation, respect, and authentic guidance, it offers the possibility of genuine transformation.

At Camino al Sol, we consider ourselves guardians of this ancient tradition, committed to sharing the medicine’s gifts while honoring the indigenous wisdom that makes authentic ceremony possible. Our Taitas from the Siona and Muinane traditions bring generations of knowledge to support your sacred journey.

The ceremony will show you exactly what you need to see, in precisely the way you need to see it. Your task is to approach with sincerity, surrender to the process, and commit to integrating the teachings into a life of greater authenticity, compassion, and service.

The plant spirits are calling. The ancient wisdom awaits. Your transformation is ready to begin.

Are you prepared to answer the call? Begin your Journey here

Ready to experience an authentic yagé ceremony in the Colombian tradition? Contact Camino al Sol to begin your preparation for this sacred journey with experienced Taitas who honor both ancient wisdom and modern safety protocols.