Who We Are
Spirit Vine Retreat Center is a women-led, trans-denominational space that serves a global community of people who are seeking to heal from emotional wounds. Carefully developed programs focus on supporting participants in facing what they need to face in order to reconnect with the universal intelligence that will help them reclaim power over their own lives.
How It Started
Spirit Vine, formerly known as TheVine Center, was founded in 2004 to host spiritual retreats. It began as a place where people from all over the world could come and meet others interested in reconnecting with the higher selves and spiritual development, working with a variety of meditations, regressions, art, yoga, talks about ayahuasca and ceremonies.
Silvia Polivoy, Ph.D.
Co-Founder and lead facilitator, Silvia Polivoy, has been investigating modified states of consciousness for over twenty-five years. She has carried out field research in the Amazon with Shipibo shamans and Mexico with Mazatec shamans, as well as worked extensively with Ayahuasca, San Pedro, and other sacred plants in their native habitats. She has a postgraduate degree in clinical psychology and had a private practice in transpersonal psychology for over 20 years.
“My work is in the spiritual realm. Integrating my expertise in psychology, modified states of consciousness, shamanism, and other spiritual practices resulted in an effective method for spiritual unfolding and ayahuasca integration.”
-Silvia Polivoy, Ph.D.
Our Community
The nature of our not-for-profit center is spiritual, philosophical, mystical, educational, and cultural. All income from the retreats go towards the upkeep and maintenance of the grounds and facilities, creating employment for local workers, and forest conservation projects, including the planting of thousands of native trees on the land.
Training Program
Many participants decide to extend their stay at Spirit Vine by joining the work study program where they act as a guest facilitator helping Silvia with the ceremonies and workshops.
Support Local Workers
We employee workers from the area to help ensure the accommodations remain clean and tidy throughout your stay. Local chefs, massage therapists, and yoga instructors contribute to the world-class retreat experience.
Secure Transportation
We partner with local taxi drivers to ensure each participant is picked up from the airport and dropped off in the correct location. While not at the retreat center, enjoy options for local boating excursions in Itacare.
Silvia + Alex Grey
2004 | Brazil
Alex Grey, former facilitator and visionary artist famed worldwide for his spiritual and psychedelic paintings, with Silvia Polivoy as they explored art’s power to heal and expand consciousness, inspiring Spirit Vine’s mission.
Silvia + Buddhist Monk
2012 | Thailand
A Buddhist monk shares a lighthearted, playful moment with Silvia Polivoy, reminding us that joy and laughter are also part of the spiritual path at the heart of Spirit Vine’s mission.
Early Days
1998 | Brazil
Silvia hosted her first ayahuasca retreat in 1996 in the Peruvian Amazon. in 2004, TheVine Center was opened by Silvia and co-founder, Zoe7. They hosted workshops and guest lectures to participants encouraging group healing and therapy.
Silvia + Ram Dass
1996 | Mexico
Ram Dass, world-renowned spiritual teacher and author of
Be Here Now, known for bridging Eastern wisdom with Western seekers, and Silvia Polivoy at a workshop discussing consciousness and healing.
Silvia + Shipibo Shaman
1997 | Brazil
A Shipibo shaman, guardian of ancestral Amazonian wisdom, stands with Silvia Polivoy, honoring the mission of sharing the healing traditions with participants at Spirit Vine.
Silvia + Zoe7
2004 | Brazil
Zoe Seven (consciousness researcher) and I co-founded Spirit Vine Spiritual Center in the Atlantic forest of Bahia, Brazil, to host retreats for those interested in spiritual pursuits, ayahuasca ceremonies, and workshops.
Silvia + Terence McKenna
1997 | Mexico
A meeting of minds exploring consciousness, mysticism, and nature’s intelligence, rooted in McKenna’s pioneering work with psychedelics, philosophy, and humanity’s evolving relationship with the Earth.
Silvia + Buddhist Monk
2012 | Thailand
A Buddhist monk shares a lighthearted, playful moment with Silvia Polivoy, reminding us that joy and laughter are also part of the spiritual path at the heart of Spirit Vine’s mission.
Past Facilitators
Throughout the years, we’ve been honored to host experts in a wide variety of areas in our workshops.
Building Spirit Vine
The center is located in the richly diverse Mata-Atlantic forest on the east coast of Brazil in the state of Bahia. This region was chosen due to the natural beauty of the landscape, astonishing beaches, good accessibility, spirited local culture and the abundance of natural foods. An ideal setting for a safe and profound experience.
The center includes facilities that are purpose built for Ayahuasca retreats and include a beautiful ceremony room, or maloca, within the jungle, and extensive landscaped gardens that enchant the senses and invoke the imagination. Nature is ever present and the spaces are comfortable and safe with modern amenities designed for beauty, function and comfort.
We built pathways that light up at night and lead from the restaurant area to lagoon, ceremony space, and each suite. Participants are encouraged to explore the area during the day and are even shown the plants that makeup the ayahuasca tea after the final ceremony. Many of the foods during the retreat are prepared with fresh ingredients directly from our gardens.
Honoring The Roots of the Medicine
We recognize ayahuasca as a gift from the forest and its guardians, understanding that the vine itself is a living teacher.
At Spirit Vine, we honor and respect the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon who have been practicing this tradition for centuries. Our ceremonies are guided in partnership with trained Shipibo healers, who carry songs (icaros), prayers, and practices into each brew.
At Spirit Vine, we honor and respect the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon who have been practicing this tradition for centuries. Our ceremonies are guided in partnership with trained Shipibo healers, who carry songs (icaros), prayers, and practices into each brew.
