Reflections & Experiences

It gave me some very much-needed clarity at a rather tumultuous time in both my professional and personal life.

Overall, the place runs like a Swiss clock. Everything is well thought through and taken care of from the moment you enter the retreat. The workshops are great, and the individual interactions with Silvia, Noor, and Miro have been very helpful in integrating what I learned during the activities. There is a well-structured progression that helped me advance on my journey, at my own pace. I also appreciate having met such a great and interesting group of people – I learned something from their personal journeys as well.

I cannot recommend this place enough, and I believe that everyone could benefit from doing this type of retreat at least once in their lives. You will learn a lot about yourself and be better for it.

The organisation, food, and pastoral care all were faultless. In the last few days I was cast in a spell of love and healing that was more beautiful than I am able to describe. I am deeply grateful to Silvia, Ti0 and my fellow retreatants for this experience.

And I read a book called YUSA for those that are very curious about Ayahuasca and Iboga, the feminine and masculine sacred healing plant. So my experience was wow, it was way way beyond what you could ever try to realize with your own logical mind. I paid for 9 days 4 ceremonies. Those ceremonies showed me a lot of things I could never even try to find myself even if I had 100 more years or even lives to just sit and try to realize why things in my life became the way they were or how I have those traumas which even I did not know. Ayahuasca will heal you and show you things that you NEED To see, not what you want to see. I had amazing indescribable visions, insight, my feelings were amplified so much I never had there things of feelings in my entire life. I have fun a lot and do smile but I never felt completely whole, more shallow like I believed I just could not feel to 100% and that something was wrong with me, Ayahuasca made all of my feelings bloom, I felt feelings I never had in my 28 years of experience so I was so happy, blissful, eternal gratefulness for the plant, For Silvia, Noor, Miro for providing us a absolutely beautiful place to do the ayahuasca, the workers who gave us wonderful food, the environment was just perfect. I couldn’t complain even if I tried. My view of things have changed. I saw my own death, I had my ego death, saw many different realities and dimensions, so things I did that was wrong and people I need to get rid off. It showed me so so much even if I tried to explain everything, most I could explain would be only 10% of everything it it showed me. I will always go back to Itacare and do my ayahuasca at Silvia’s retreat, everything costed me 6000-7000$ and what I got from it was so much more worth that 6-7000 is nothing compared to all the healing, trauma and all the other stuff ayahuasca showed me, I will go back again and again whenever I feel stuck or need insight. Again, thank you Silvia for everything.

Sincerely, Crawling Man

I read many reviews before applying to this retreat, and they seemed too good to be true. But now I understand, every little detail was wonderful: the place is stunning, the bungalows were always very clean, the food (vegan, no salt, and gluten-free) was amazing. I miss that breakfast so much!

I felt a strange connection to all the people I met there, even though I had never met them before. Everybody was there to improve themselves while helping others on their journeys and that was beautiful by itself.

This was my first experience with Ayahuasca. The ceremonies were very quiet, and I couldn’t have felt safer. Silvia is a very intuitive person and has a lot of expertise in this field. I was quite impressed by her insights. Noor and Miro were always willing to help with anything we needed. I also found the workshops very useful.

Now I understand what people mean when they say that one night of ayahuasca is equivalent to several years of psychotherapy. After 12 years of psychotherapy, I can personally say that this is true. I had so many insights in all ceremonies, that I was truly astonished. Lots of memories – good and bad – came to the surface, as I had never forgotten them. I noticed the change in other participants as well, they all seemed lighter after the retreat. Somehow, this light healed a part of me too.

I honestly cannot recommend this place enough. Thank you all for this amazing experience, I hope to be back soon!

For anyone interested in embarking on an enlightening voyage into their psyche and keen on personal growth, I cannot recommend this retreat highly enough.

1) Community & Environment: The retreat gathers diverse individuals from around the globe, creating a nurturing environment for profound connections. Nestled near the beautiful locale of Itacare, Bahia, Brazil, the ambiance of Spirit Vine itself contributes significantly to the introspective experience.

2) Guided by Expertise: Silvia, the retreat’s host, adeptly combines her knowledge of clinical psychology with spiritual practices. Assisted by her attentive team, Miro and Noor, she creates a holistic approach toward personal development through a blend of workshops, ceremonies, art, yoga sessions, etc.

3) Insightful Workshops & Ceremonies: The workshops, covering ‘inner child,’ ‘spirit releasement,’ and much more, provide invaluable insights into personal psychology. The ceremonies are transformative, facilitating self-awareness, reconciliation, and healing. For someone transitioning into entrepreneurship like myself, these experiences were truly enlightening.

4) Exceptional Infrastructure: From the comfortable rooms to the nutritious and delicious food, every detail was thoughtfully designed to ensure our physical well-being, which, in turn, greatly contributed to the overall experience.

5) Lasting Impact: Two months on, the insights and revelations I’ve gained at Spirit Vine continue to enrich my life. My relationships have improved, my self-awareness has deepened, and my path towards success has become more apparent. The retreat has imparted valuable life lessons and skills, which have empowered me to navigate life with greater confidence and clarity.

In conclusion, Spirit Vine Ayahuasca Retreat is not just a retreat; it’s a journey of transformation that leaves an indelible imprint on your soul. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone on the quest for self-discovery and personal growth.

To Silvia, Miro, and Noor, thank you for this transformational experience.

-LT

I had originally planned to go to the August 2023 retreat but thanks to a last minute cancellation/rebooking I got in the July one.

Silvia took a piece of the jungle and transformed it into a Paradise on Earth. Remote enough to be able to enjoy the sounds of the jungle, close enough to Itacare where you can enjoy the beaches and more before and after the retreat.

As already said several times, before attending the retreat last July I had never tried any opioids or similar substances and the two retreats I did last year were a revelation for me. And this is the only place I ever and will ever consider for Ayahuasca experiences as everything is meticulously organised so the participants feel safe to lower their walls and explore beyond their own boundaries or those imposed by the society.

There are a lot of rules to follow, but they all make sense and easy to follow, no sugar, no salt etc. to enhance the experience.

This time I did not have huge revelations like I had the previous two times, but still I was able to get a few insights which were/are very significant.

Aside of the excellent food, and the actual ceremonies and the insights I would stress the huge importance of the workshops which are done in preparation to the ceremonies which I am still applying in daily life (without the need to be at the retreat).

I found the workshops to be very useful since the first time I did them last July, and I have practiced some of them during the past year and found them to be very useful combined with mediation even on daily basis.

I am so grateful that Silvia has created such a safe and wonderful place where you can explore yourself and give a hand to your inner child to help you heal yourself and know yourself.

Big thanks to Noor as well for helping with this retreat.

And, as always, I will be back next year for sure.

Felix

from the bottom bungalow to the peak of the stairs above the ceremony house, you get a sense of the wonder of the place. Spirit Vine is magical. When I asked Silvia why Brazil and not Peru for the retreat centre, she said Bahia is lighter. Is it the fan of the palms that makes it so? You might think of sitting on the little jetty looking out onto the pond. Nature is alive. At Spirit Vine, everything is beautiful.

When the aesthetics of a place are in order so that nothing glitches in the design, you know you are in the hands of a master. The masterful approach continues into all aspects of a Spirit Vine retreat. We ate a vegan banquet at every meal. Working with Ayahuasca can be hard work; being cradled in comfort allows for the quiet relaxation needed to contemplate.

I ventured into the past to Peru to drink Ayahuasca at two very good retreat centres. This time I wanted to work outside of the Shipibo tradition. I thought I might miss the Icaro, and to an extent, I did. However, Silvia’s curated playlists of devotional music from many different cultures and psychedelic ambient provided opportunities for additional exploration. The Ayahuasca is grown on-site; you drink from the same brew in each ceremony. Noor and Silvia decide on an appropriate strength for the first ceremony, and then you decide from there what strength works (with assistance if needed).

At each meal, Noor and Silvia sit at each end of the long table, a mad hatter’s tea party, and they are available. If there are personal issues to discuss, you can book a time with Silvia or Noor to help you work through post-ceremony challenges. The design of the workshops that accompany each ceremony helps to target personal inquiry and set intentions. However, what happens during an Ayahuasca ceremony is profoundly mysterious and unpredictable. You can work with Ayahuasca; Silvia and Noor give you the tools.

The ceremony house is an eight-starred symmetry, a shape of protection. Knowing how to protect yourself to be in your power is a hallmark of this retreat. While there is much socialising (if you want it), play, and joking around, the ceremonies at Spirit Vine are quiet. The retreat’s ceremonial aspect concludes with one or two daytime ceremonies. These were the revelations for me, having only previously drunk Ayahuasca at nighttime.

I came to Spirit Vine for a post-menopausal tune-up. I live clean and am healthy, but my thought patterns were restricting the spirit of independence and adventure that has defined my life. I am restored after eleven days at Spirit Vine and the following week spent in a nature paradise on the outskirts of Itacare.

What a place. What people. I will return.

Rachel

From the initial contact with Silvia all the way through the conclusion of the retreat, the entire process was as professional, smooth, reassuring and pleasant as could be. The initial screening was done with purpose and care in mind to ensure that ayahuasca is right for potential candidates and so that every participant gets the most benefit out of the experience. The same can be said about the dietary and medicine restrictions leading up to the retreat, the clothing and gear recommendations – again, all to maximize the full potential of the experience. Nothing was arbitrary or without a purpose.

Silvia carefully helped map out the logistics of traveling to the center, and even arranged for the transport from the airport, which was on time and waiting the minute I got off the plane. With little knowledge of Brazil and no experience in Portuguese, all of this would have been challenging and frustrating. Instead, it could not have been easier.

Brazil is an amazing country, and the small surf town of Itacare is a perfect place to really immerse oneself in the culture and take in all the beauty. Once again, it seemed like it was no accident that the retreat center was located just outside of this town. A shuttle van would come to pick up each participant and bring to the center.

Arriving at the facility, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the natural landscape and the carefully planned out development of the site. The bungalows, the restaurant, the ceremony room, pond, and pathways are all nestled in the jungle and spaced out to give one the feeling that your are living out in nature. The food was incredibly diverse and delicious (even for having no salt), and each meal was timed perfectly in coordination with the ceremonies. My bungalow was a private one and could not have been more comfortable and accommodating. Every amenity you could want, including AC, fans, a balcony with a hammock, table and chairs, drinking water were provided. I was there in July, which was surprisingly quite cool at night and wonderfully warm during the day. I never once needed the AC or the fans. Because of the sloping topography, the bungalow is situated in the tops of the trees, giving you the feeling that you are in a treehouse. Monkeys and all manner of birds were just feet away, further enhancing the feeling of being immersed in the jungle. While the ayahuasca ceremonies were mentally and physically exhausting, there could not have been a more peaceful, relaxing and accommodating environment to rest in between each one.

As for the ayahuasca itself, I went into this whole retreat quite nervous about taking the medicine. I didn’t really know what to expect. Silvia and Noor dispelled any anxiety and trepidation through their gentleness and thorough process of determining the right initial dosage. They’ve been doing this a long time and their instincts are spot on. The night ceremonies consist of all of the participants gathering in the ceremony room, where individual beds are laid out in a circle. The prescribed dose is administered, everyone drinks at the same time, and so begins the journey. With the lights turned off, the music begins – a brilliantly planned out “soundtrack” that is unique for each ceremony. Usually beginning with soothing tracks to gently usher you into the journey, and then progressing into more dynamic and stimulating ones. They stir your mind and emotions in various ways, producing a spectrum of feelings. Again, not at all arbitrary or incidental. This soundtrack very much seems to guide you though the journey. And that’s exactly what each ceremony is – a journey. Silvia and Noor watch over everyone the entire night like loving and caring parents, making sure everyone is safe and comfortable. The first ceremony was the perfect starting dose for me. The experience and the revelations were so profound I could have left the retreat after just that one and felt completely satisfied with the outcome. However each subsequent ceremony proved to be even more profound and enlightening than the last one. The daytime ceremonies were very different from the night, but equally as profound. While they were all very unique, they followed an overarching theme that dovetailed at the end to create a life changing shift in perspective. I won’t go into the details of each journey, as they were very personal. Furthermore, because everyone’s individual journeys will be different anyway, I think the more helpful information is describing Spirit Vine’s environment and process surrounding the journeys. The cumulative effect of all the journeys, as well as the workshops punctuating the ceremonies, left me feeling like all of the things I struggled with my whole life were washed out of me. Like a tsunami came through and washed out all the garbage. Things that were troubling and damaging in my life seemed so small and insignificant. Priorities in my life shifted. I gained new goals, motivations and tools that I could not wait to implement when I got home. My physical health and fitness were far more important. I had more respect for nature and a newfound desire to be closer to it.

If this review sounds too good to be true, believe me when I say I haven’t even scratched the surface of how positively life changing the whole experience was. I’m leaving out so many of details because there are simply too many to cover. I was fortunate to have been with an amazing group from all over the world, all of whom I made friends with. It’s hard to imagine finding a better facility for the experience or a better group to share it with. I truly did not want to leave.

I came to Spirit Vine looking for something, needing something. I found what I was looking for and more. While I can honestly say the entire experience exceeded any hopes and expectations and left me more than satisfied, I know I will return. There is no doubt that Silvia and Noor genuinely care about your experience. It is so evident that they enjoy seeing everyone that comes though heal and grow. Trying out another ayahuasca facility is not even a consideration.

This trip was like 20 years of therapy in 3 weeks. Silvia and Spirit Vine are doing it right. This truly is a place for healing, not only mentally, but physically as well. Everything has been perfectly planned, from meals to workshops, to each tree and plant on the property giving you the perfect detox from society. I felt more connection to the amazing group of people there, more connection to nature, and to myself than I have felt in a very very long time. I was shutting down from the world when I arrived at Spirit Vine. This place re-wired me and I am forever grateful to you Silvia. This place is ahead of its time. Truly. No bandaids, just healing at the source. I cannot thank Silvia and Noor enough for providing such a safe, caring, environment for healing. This trip has truly changed my life. I will 100% be back without a doubt.

when we have to go into a certain diet to cleanse in order for the medicine to work way better, at first I thought jungle, retreat, ayahuasca all these thoughts made me imagine a place like literally camping outside with no amenities at all for some reason I didn’t check the website for the place properly so little did i know that i arrived at the best ayahuasca retreat in the world i was so surprised its so surreal the bungalows are 5 stars the kitchen food is always made with love, the dinning table, the common area its so so surreal i was so surprised that it even had wifi everywhere although we we’re literally in the middle of the jungle, for me hearing the word jungle made me think that i will be stranded somewhere by a river or something surviving but boy oh boy was i wrong with all this available there is also house keeping everyday they clean the rooms daily, they even arrange a pick up for laundry which didn’t cross my mind with the thought of jungle not only that, they can arrange massages for whoever feels like it, then there is yoga its so perfect in itself that there is a man-made or shall i say woman-made pond with fresh rain water that is circulating that we swim in, it blows my mind every time i think about how all of this is available in the middle of the jungle, now coming to the ceremonies and the workshops, Silvia and Noor are so professional and passionate about their services that it adds to the surreality of this magical jungle they literally pour their hearts out for everyone anytime wether in ceremonies or workshops or even middle of the night its so so surreal the passion and professionalism, coming to the workshops Silvia is so insightful and delivers TON of valuable useful knowledge that is very easy to digest and use alone with such great impact it’s literally life changing, the ceremonies where super handled with care and commitment so we could literally let go and go deeper than we ever could into the depths of our psyche to understand and transform ourselves from inside, Silvia always insists on finding our own power our own light from inside and that itself speaks loads about how valuable this is as i always said this is like forced self therapy for all who really want to change and transform from within as there is no running away once the ceremony starts which beautiful because it cuts the bs and lies we tell ourselves every single day, the integration of ceremonies, workshops, accommodations, assistance, cleanliness, professionalism, passion, food and location is such a legacy to be recorded in history, its so surreal it cant be explained it can only be experienced even if its once in lifetime, this is one of those must-do’s, i travelled 44hrs to reach there, i came out transformed definitely enhanced upgraded and aligned to my higher self, it is definitely worth it and i am so glad it was Spirit Vine, once again thank you from my heart to Silvia and Noor