Ayahuasca ceremony

Ayahuasca doesn’t need a voice. Much has already been written about it, and the information is easy to find. It’s unlikely that you haven’t heard of it or explored it in some way. Most likely, you’ve watched documentaries, read books, and listened to podcasts or talks on the subject. You already know why you feel drawn to this work.

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Instead, we will explain why working with both medicines together is beneficial.

The Ayahuasca ceremony cleanses you and makes you more receptive to other medicines. It cracks you open, often intensely, and acts as a “washing machine” for the body and spirit. It takes you apart and puts you back together in a different order.

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There are many ways to face fear, but not all of them lead to healing. Although not always and not for everyone, Ayahuasca can lead to significant life changes, especially for people struggling with self-destructive behaviors and addictive patterns.

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This difficult, but sometimes deeply rewarding process, can lead to profound physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. Ayahuasca can open you to an undeniable spiritual reality, helping you unplug from the technological and digital world that increasingly claims your time and attention. If time is the one thing you truly own, then protecting it and using it wisely becomes essential.

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An Ayahuasca ceremony can be compared to the German Autobahn, where people drive far beyond normal speed limits. And just as on the Autobahn, “accidents” can happen. For this reason, it is in your best interest to enter the Ayahuasca “superhighway” with the most skilled and experienced “driver” you can find.

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Don Juan, with whom we work regularly, is a local curandero (healer) and a carrier of ancient shamanic traditions whom we trust completely in his work with Ayahuasca. He is truly one of a kind—a hybrid shaman who is both a Paqo, an adept practitioner of Andean shamanism, and an ayahuascero trained in the Shipibo tradition.

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The way we conduct our Ayahuasca ceremonies is unique. We begin with a Coca leaf reading, an ancient divination practice masterfully performed by Don Juan. He is also a Despachero—a designated shaman who performs the Despacho ceremony, a ritual also known as an Offering to Pachamama, the Earth Mother.

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In the Andes, Despacho is traditionally performed before building a house, starting a business, getting married, or any other significant life event for which one seeks blessings from the mountains. It may also be performed simply to express gratitude and maintain harmony with life.

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Generally, if no specific requests are made throughout the year, Despacho ceremonies are performed during the entire month of August, when—according to Andean tradition—Pachamama awakens from her annual rest.

The Coca leaf reading takes place in our maloca before the Ayahuasca ceremony. During this reading, Don Juan is able to see aspects of your past and the probabilities of your future in the leaves, which reveal information about you and the healing you need.

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We bring this guidance directly into the Ayahuasca ceremony that follows, working with the specific themes indicated by the spirit of Coca. In this way, the ícaros are directed precisely toward the areas where healing is most needed.

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At Huachuma Wasi, Ayahuasca is considered a supplemental medicine and is offered when guests specifically ask for it. If the energy of the group is right for this kind of work and there are at least four participants, we can arrange an Ayahuasca ceremony at our center. Usually, it is only one ceremony.

If you choose to work with Ayahuasca elsewhere, we strongly recommend concluding your medicinal journey with Huachuma. Huachuma is a deeply grounding medicine and serves as a bridge back to ordinary, daily life. It is a vital link between the Ayahuasca experience and the modern world.

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It often happens that people return home unable to properly integrate their Ayahuasca experience, which can lead to confusion or disorientation. When approached correctly, Huachuma helps ground the experience and supports a smoother reintegration into everyday life. It also assists in understanding and embodying the insights received during Ayahuasca.

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Ayahuasca and Huachuma are the Yin and Yang of South America—an alchemical and sacred union that has endured for millennia. Grandparents do not compete with one another; they simply live, love, and pass their wisdom on to their children and grandchildren. This is how it has been done since ancient times, and this living lineage continues today.

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Don Juan prefers not to appear in photographs or videos and does not allow recording during his ceremonies.

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Please read the article by Sergey Baranov titled: Ayahuasca: Reigniting the Fire Within 

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​Below is a video made by Sergey with Don Orlando Gonzales Saldaña, his other Shipibo friend and maestro who lives in Pucallpa. Don Orlando is an ayahuascero and Noya Rao practitioner from a well-known and respected Ayahuasca family in Pucallpa, carrying a strong lineage within the Shipibo tradition.

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We believe that deeper healing is best achieved in smaller groups. For this reason, we limit our Ayahuasca ceremonies to a maximum of seven participants, not including Sergey and Don Juan.

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When you work with both medicines at Huachuma Wasi, a natural balance is created, regardless of the order in which you receive each medicine. Sergey and Juan work beautifully together, weaving both medicines into a single, coherent healing path.

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We do not serve Ayahuasca to people who are not already staying with us and working with Huachuma medicine. It is not possible to come to Huachuma Wasi solely to work with Ayahuasca; this medicine is reserved exclusively for our guests.

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To apply, submit your information form and we will review your application within 24 hours. We will then get back to you with more details regarding booking your Huachuma retreat.

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