Reflections & Experiences

I attended Spirit Vine in January of 2024. I waited a year and a half to write this review because I wanted to complete my integration with that experience. My time at Spirit Vine was so transformative that it took me this long to finally feel like I had integrated all of the lessons from it.

When I arrived at Spirit Vine I was suicidal. I had lost my job nearly six months prior to the retreat and I was struggling to find work. I have a lot of childhood trauma that continued to haunt me throughout my period of unemployment which made finding work that much more difficult. I had considered blowing my brains out with a .357 magnum in the back yard, but if I’m being completely honest I didn’t have the “guts” to pull the trigger. I felt even worse at the time that I didn’t have what it took to just end it, but that turned out to be a beautiful blessing.

The retreat was wonderful. The set and setting are as good as you can possibly ask for and I am incredibly grateful that I landed at Spirit Vine for my first (and only so far) Ayahuasca journey. Silvia (the owner and person who runs the retreat) is amazing. I got the best advice of my life while at Spirit Vine just asking questions during meals. I received precisely the right amount of guidance to lead me forward without too many unimportant details. I can’t describe it any other way. In a sentence, I am forever grateful for this experience. It was the perfect blend of everything I needed and it changed my life in the most positive way forever as a consequence.

I won’t lie to you… Ayahuasca can be really hard. Four of the five ceremonies I attended were unbelievably difficult and painful. The more painful these ceremonies were, the more rewarding they turned out to be. I recently realized that I had picked all of the low-hanging psychological fruit long ago. The work left for me includes very painful, uncomfortable and difficult wounds (blockages, as Silvia calls them) that Ayahuasca helped me to slice open with immaculate precision. You have to do the work to clean the wounds, but Ayahuasca can open them for you. That was my experience.

I can’t say this enough… I am forever grateful to Spirit Vine and its staff for the life changing events that unfolded there. I now have my own consulting business make double the income that I did prior to losing my job before the retreat. I feel freer, much less bogged down inside. Prior to that retreat I almost always felt like sandpaper was grinding me from the inside. I often woke up angry and upset, at my wit’s end before the day even started. Since then (and a lot of work) I have been able to release a lot of that gritty sand that had plagued me for decades. I can’t even describe how grateful I am for this.

Ayahuasca changed my life for the better forever, and Spirit Vine was the perfect set and setting to facilitate that change. Thank you forever!

Note: This review was edited for over capitalization, but has otherwise been left in its original form.

I visited Spirit Vine for the first time during the pandemic, in November of 2020. As a birthday gift to myself, I decided to go, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life.

My priority was to find a trustworthy facilitator who spoke English and was highly experienced in both Indigenous and Western healing practices.

I wanted a space where I could actually understand and integrate my journey without being left in confusion, and where I wouldn’t have to fear messy distractions or others losing control.

I consider myself lucky I found Spirit Vine because my expectations were not only confirmed but clearly exceeded.

The accommodations at Spirit Vine resemble those of a hotel resort. The bungalows are cozy, neat, and impeccably maintained. I especially appreciated the beautiful hot showers, and I loved falling asleep in my comfortable bed to the soothing sounds of the jungle.

I met such interesting people from all over the world at the retreats. We all connected quickly, because we shared the same purpose: to work on our spirituality.

I have made friends at the retreats that I cherish to this day.

Self-empowerment helped me express my intentions and find the courage and inner strength to face parts of myself that I didn’t know before.

Witnessing my peers experience breakthroughs, learning from each other, and healing together was a truly special and transformative experience.

The ceremonies are organized and tranquil, with no distractions, allowing everyone to focus fully on themselves.

The entire retreat offers a perfect rhythm of rest, deep work. Yoga sessions and optional massages help to release physical pain and tension. Sharing stories, connecting with others, painting, and swimming in the lake add to the enriching experience.

It’s truly beautiful to know that there are others out there who feel similarly and I‘m so grateful I found this place.

I’m looking very much forward to coming back.

I’ve participated in many retreats around the world, but nothing comes close to the experience I had at Spirit Vine. From the moment I arrived, I felt a sense of peace and intention that set this place apart. Every detail, from the beautifully maintained grounds nestled in the Atlantic forest to the nourishing vegan meals, is designed with care and consciousness.

What makes Spirit Vine truly exceptional is its depth and integrity. This isn’t just another ayahuasca retreat, it’s a sanctuary for real inner work. The spiritual workshops are unlike anything I’ve experienced elsewhere. They’re profound, thoughtfully crafted, and deeply transformative. Rather than imposing a doctrine, they gently guide you back to your own truth, helping you reconnect with your power and unique essence.

The staff and facilitators are incredibly supportive, grounded, and present. You can feel the love and intention in everything they do. The environment is 100% clean, no alcohol, tobacco, or other substances, which creates a safe, focused space to go deep with the medicine. That sense of safety and clarity made all the difference for me.

If you feel the call to work with ayahuasca in a conscious, supportive, and truly life-enhancing way, Spirit Vine is the place. It’s not just a retreat, it’s a return to yourself.

I have been to Spirit Vine 3 times. I want to tell anyone and everyone who is considering this retreat center that this place and this experience have been incredibly healing for me.

Four and a half years ago, I lost my 14 year old son in a violent manner, and I spent the next two years in grief and self destruction. This, on top of a lifetime of traumas, including a rough childhood, military deployments, divorces, and abandonment, was how I showed up to Spirit Vine.

I can honestly say that my first Spirit Vine retreat was the defining point in turning my life from negative to positive, and my life continues to improve rapidly with the help of two subsequent Spirit Vine retreats.

Silvia always seems to have the right guidance for retreat participants, whether it is to look harder into one particular aspect of ourselves, to give techniques on how to let something go, or by other means.

Silvia and her staff are professional and thoughtful. The facilities and food are spectacular.

Everyone is remarkably well cared for.

The ceremonies feel truly sacred and safe.

I cannot recommend this place and this experience enough.

I attended my first retreat at Spritvine several years ago, shortly after the Centre opened. And I have been coming back regularly ever since. I wasn’t the only one. I witnessed how many people whom I met there kept returning, and how their experience transformed their lives.

Silvia, the Founder, has created a sanctuary that has become a first-class, professionally run Ayahuasca facility, catering to every need of its participants.

I am very grateful to Silvia for providing a safe environment where I experienced a profound healing and turned my life around.

Spirit Vine in Bahia Itacaré, Brazil, provides a deeply meaningful Ayahuasca retreat experience in a uniquely beautiful and serene setting. Even nearly ten years later, my memories of this special place remain vivid and deeply cherished.

The retreat center is set amidst beautifully maintained landscapes, featuring comfortable pathways lined with trimmed grass, vibrant flowers blossoming everywhere, and lush coconut trees offering fresh coconuts directly from the land. Being located in the atlantic rainforest, the retreat is surrounded day and night by the sounds of abundant wildlife—from birds and insects to frogs and other creatures—creating a constant, natural soundtrack that reflects the richness and vitality of the environment.

The food at Spirit Vine is fresh, nourishing, and thoughtfully prepared. Meals feature a variety of local fruits, including watermelons, mangoes, papayas, honey melons, and coconut water straight from the trees. All meals served are vegetarian, varied each day, and prepared with care, complementing the holistic experience of the retreat.

The Ayahuasca ceremonies at Spirit Vine take place in a uniquely designed space that is partially open to the surrounding jungle, with netted walls that let the sounds and energy of nature flow in while keeping insects out. The ceremonies are held in silence, accompanied by carefully chosen music, allowing each participant to engage in a personal inward journey within a safe and supportive setting. Silvia – the owner and primary facilitator – is an experienced clinical psychologist who has also cultivated a deep understanding of shamanism and spiritual practices through decades of immersion in the field and working with ayahuasca. Silvia offers support and provides tools that enable and empower each participant to do the work themselves—to navigate and integrate their experiences throughout the retreat.

Complementary workshops, yoga sessions, and therapeutic massages further aid gentle, holistic integration, fostering self-awareness and inner harmony.

One of the retreat’s most rewarding aspects is forming genuine connections with fellow participants. Sharing experiences and insights within a supportive community greatly enhances the retreat’s impact, creating lasting friendships and mutual support.

Reflecting now, I am deeply grateful for the insights, friendships, and lasting sense of peace cultivated at Spirit Vine. I’m thankful for the opportunity to attend multiple retreats guided by Silvia, whose expertise in both Western psychology and traditional practices has been invaluable. Ultimately, it was the supportive setting and careful attention provided by Silvia and her team that allowed me to fully embrace and integrate my Ayahuasca experiences. I felt safe, protected, and well-cared for throughout the retreat, making genuine transformation possible. Returning to Spirit Vine is always a joy, and I eagerly look forward to my next visit. I genuinely recommend this retreat to anyone seeking authentic self-exploration, meaningful connections, and personal growth in a warm, welcoming, and nurturing environment.

Very pleasant experience.

Silvia and Elvis are really helpful when you want/need it and at the same time non intrusive when you should or feel like working on yourself. You’ll get all the guidance you need. The ayahuasca retreat is very well coordinated in beautiful jungle environment (garden) which is the optimal kind of place for the given nature of the subject with three appropriate light vegan meals a day and nice and clean accomodation to go with it. Everything is cared for so tat you can concentrate on your journey and whatever it is you need to do.

I’ve had one ayahuasca experience so far and definately am going for another when the time is right. A place for people who want to change something in their lives and/or move on in some sense, as from my experience, ayahuasca may not necesarilly get you the exact thing you expect, but will always give you what you need. I’d recomend it to just about anybody with open mind and appropriate will.

It has been two months since the retreat and I am still struggling to put into words how magical the whole experience was. Before starting this journey, I felt like something was off but I could not put my finger on it. I feel like Ayahuasca already started doing her magic even by just following the restrictions two months prior. You start removing the noise, things become more clear, and things start aligning. I am still feeling the effect of it in such a positive mind blowing way. For me, Ayahuasca was not necessarily life changing but life tuning and it was Exactly what I needed. I feel to my core so at peace, centered, grateful, happy, present, fulfilled and ready for whatever the universe has in store for me (the good and the bad). Most importantly, my thoughts are SO conscious. I can catch myself in a negative or unproductive thought loop and get out of it with such grace. If I am triggered, I can recognize it and navigate it. Ayahuasca showed me what it feels like to be my highest self and now I can always reference it to remind myself who I am and where I need to flow. It is just so incredible and so Freeing!

First of all, before even considering doing Ayahuasca you Have to be ready to do the deep work that comes with it, especially the intense preparation leading up to it. It is not a recreational experience, it is hard, Very Intense, draining and exhausting. You Have to be ready to let go of your past self or you will really struggle. However, if you are ready for it – I cannot recommend Spirit Vine enough. I have been raving about this place to everyone I talk to. Silvia has created a paradise for true authentic healing. She comes in with a lot of tough love that we all needed. Don’t expect to be coddled here – She means Business. However, you are 110% taken care of – everything at the retreat was perfect and designed with such care. I alway felt so safe and loved. You are surrounded by the most beautiful nature, the bungalow was so peaceful and very clean, the food was delicious and I was always so impressed how creative they got considering all the restrictions and the pond was such a great place to recharge. The workshops were one of the most meaningful experiences of the retreat – not only from talking about your own experience but listening to everyone else’s experience and Sivlia’s perspective and endless wisdom. I feel like a million light bulbs were going off in my head during it – honestly they are still going off.

Nothing can prepare you for the actual Ayahuasca trip but with the right intention it can open your world up in the most beautiful way. It is impossible to describe. Everyone in our group had very different experiences and you just have to trust Aya’s intelligence that you will get the experience you need. The healing journey did not just come from your own journey but from the insane strength of the group you are with. It was the most inspirational humbling eye opening experience I had the honor to be part of with these beautiful extraordinary conscious humans. In the end, I would not change a thing and Spirit Vine was really the ultimate alignment from the universe. Silvia, you are an angel. I cannot wait to be back stronger and more awake.

#FirstTimeAyahuasca

I believe it was my intuition that led me to Spirit Vine. After discovering the website, I couldn’t consider any other retreat—something was calling me to this specific place, and now I understand why.

What I was searching for was a safe, non-judgmental environment that isn’t purely “shamanic” but respects the original culture while also recognizing the needs and challenges of the modern world. Everything exceeded my expectations—these nine days taught me more than I could have imagined.

Silvia has created a true paradise, a space designed to support you on your never-ending healing journey. Before this retreat, I didn’t fully understand what healing truly meant. The workshops are both psychotherapeutic and spiritual, teaching you how vital it is to harness your own power. It’s deeply empowering.

I could write a hundred pages describing my experiences, but that’s not the purpose of this review. All I want to say is this: Where you do ayahuasca truly matters! If you want to do it right, learn, and heal—this is the place.

Thank you, Silvia, for sharing your profound wisdom with us and for creating such a safe and transformative space.

This retreat far exceeded my expectations.

Silvia created an exceptional space for healing. With years of psychotherapeutic expertise, she designed workshops that cut straight to the core of deep-seated issues, helping us prepare for the ayahuasca journeys in the most meaningful way.

Every detail was carefully thought out—the choice of music, nourishing food, the design of the ceremony room, the forest’s close presence, and the garden with its tranquil pond. Sharing sessions and time with other participants built a strong sense of support. There was also plenty of quiet time for reflection—just enough stillness to let the subconscious surface. I think this is what 20 years of fine-tuning turning into mastery looks like.

As for the trips themselves, they’re hard to describe since everyone’s experience is unique. For me, I finally felt what I had been trying to reach in five years of talk therapy.

Thank you for this lesson in love, patience, and care.