Andean Mountain retreat

After completing the Andean Mountain retreat just recently I can safely say it was one of the best experiences I've had for some time in my life. The location is picturesque with spectacular views of the Andes in the Huaraz region. It's has very peaceful and gentle healing energy and is totally bug free. After the views which are phenomenal, the people that live and work there are truly wonderful!! Friendly, warm, loving and full of light. The lodge is beautiful and offers many amenities for guests: great rooms, food and lovely helpful staff who are always there if you need anything. The added luxuries made a big difference to me such as: clean white starched linens, feather duvets and pillows (a great treat after been backpacking for so long) with a fresh scent of lavender - thank you Janina for the woman's touch! Great hot water showers with clean fresh towels. The Satsangs were my favorite part of the daily schedule because the insights Alex offered were enlightening and I always left feeling uplifted. The yoga and meditation helped a lot too during and outside of the ceremonies. The eastern touch was excellent and I really appreciated them because of my own time spent in the East. Both philosophies complement one another greatly because they are about expanding one's consciousness. This brought so much depth to my Ayahuasca experiences and allowed me to get back in direct contact with my soul. Also connecting with the collective consciousness for insight, wisdom and healing.
Gume is a great shaman and so full of love and kindness. His healing energy during ceremony was nurturing and with the help of Zach and Joey I always felt safe, protected and taken care of.

Thank you Alex, Zach, Gume, Joey and all the staff at the lodge for your wonderful support, love and light you all share generously with everyone you meet. Also for working on a donation basis means that I and many others get to experience this transformation and the healing with mother Ayahuasca.

Andean Retreat

One of the most beautiful and transformative experiences of my life!
The staff was very attentive and caring. I also enjoyed the group
meetings and satsang. All in all it has been a wonderful journey!

Andean Retreat

I really liked the love and ongoing support from the community to help with healing myself. I especially liked the satsangs because of the amount of light and wisdom they shone into my heart during them.

Andean Retreat

My experience was incredible. The delivery of the medicine was perfect. The shaman and apprentices were amazing guides and examples. I am grateful for this shift in consciousness and for all the insights gained.

Andean Retreat

The food was phenomenal, the staff kind and caring. I experienced a transformation beyond my highest expectations. I now go back into the world with a clarity and purpose that I could not be more thankful.

Andean Retreat

This experience has truly changed my life. It has cleaned my body, mind and spirit. It has pointed me in the right direction to continue
my growth as a spiritual warrior. For all of this I am extremely grateful.

Andean Retreat

The location, setting, lodging and service were all well above my
expectations, almost to the point of being excessive.

Andean Retreat

I appreciate the donation basis. It is proof this place has the right motivations behind it’s mission. The staff are very approachable and always went above and beyond to meet the needs both in and out of ceremony. Everyone is an equal here and I felt welcome the moment I arrived. I truly enjoyed the satsangs. They were both educational and
inspirational.

Andean Retreat

It has been a wonderful healing and learning experience. The staff was loving and positive, creating an environment that just radiated.
It was an experience that was more than I could have imagined possible.

April 7, 2012

I honestly loved everything about Ayahuasca Satsangha. Everyone was so loving and helpful.

April 7, 2012

I would highly recommend Ayahuasca Satsangha to anyone seeking spiritual or physical change in their lives. While you are at Ayahuasca Satsangha you feel cradled in Love. The staff, teachers and shamanic team are beyond belief. They are humble, loving, attentive, hard working and just wonderful. On a scale of 1-10, I give them a million.

April 7, 2012

Ayahuasca Satsangha's mountain retreat location is by far the most beautiful, serene lodge I've ever stayed in. The staff is incredibly open and friendly. They are very knowledgable in their respective fields of expertise.

The scenery, ducks, lawn, yoga, chi gung, the dieta, satsang, ceremonies, Gume's icaros, Zach's mantras, and ayurvedic consultations all cleaned my body of toxins.

The ayahuasca ceremonies allowed me to go deep inside myself and have a closer connection with the universe along with it's celestial bodies.

I will definitely be back soon. Hopefully with some of my close girlfriends. :-)

April 7, 2012

I really enjoyed the 8 day retreat... Ayahuasca help me balanced my life on a daily basis. I feel whole again... and it is a wonderful state. I am centered and less tired at the end of the day... I feel peaceful and really love it :)

I will go again to continue my path with the help of Ayahuasca...

Thanks to the wonderful staff... Alex, Jane, Zach, Gume, Mike, Bryan and all the volunteers on site. I miss you :-)

See you later guys!

February 18, 2012

The staff of Ayahuasca Satsangha was extremely welcoming and comforting during the entire retreat. Everything was clearly and honestly explained. I felt at home as soon as I arrived. The environment was truly judgement free, regardless as to what was going on.

The people at Ayahuasca Satsangha genuinely care about you and go above and beyond anything I would have expected of them. There were multiple times throughout the retreat I truly felt unconditional love from the staff....not because I was under the influence of a psychedelic, but because they honestly want to help.

February 18, 2012

The medicine work is potent and top-notch. The staff are relaxed, humble, and wonderfully capable. If you want to dive into your spirit in the deep jungle, Ayahuasca Satsangha is the place to go. Great work!!

February 18, 2012

I appreciate the experience and the people I met. I feel very happy and lucky to hav this time with such great people. Thanks for for everything Ayahuasca Satsangha. I could not have asked for anything more.

February 18, 2012

I really enjoyed the isolation of the jungle camp, jumping into the river and the kindness of the team/family. The help I received from Zach during my rough times in and out of ceremony really made all the difference. I also appreciate the medicine and help from Maestro Gumercindo, I can tell he really cares. The fresh coconuts post ceremony were AWESOME!

February 18, 2012

I loved the sense of community that was established by sharing the ceremonies, sharing our experiences, and feelings. I felt incredibly supported and safe. I also really enjoyed the satsangs.

February 18, 2012

I loved the sacred space that was held for us as we worked with the medicine. Thank you, Ayahuasca Satsangha, for everything. Everyone was fantastic.

January 29, 2012

Awesome!! Thank you so much!!

January 29th

Ayahuasca Satsangha has a warm supportive environment with nice lodging. The yoga and meditation were very helpful in ceremony. These practices that were taught during the day helped keep me centered and facilitated the medicine going deeper.

January 29th, 2012

I came into the retreat with a constant level of chaos and confusion in my head. I believed that I was not only "dying young, but killing myself young". After 7 ceremonies and hours of meditation, I realized that I have purpose, that is- I have work to do regarding my consciousness and the rest of humanity. This realization is thanks to Ayahuasca Satsangha.

Jungle Retreat

“I have lived in Iquitos for around four years now and I have worked extensively with Auahuasca and other medicinal plants for much of that time with quite a few different Shamans who are operating in the local area. I can honestly say that the five days I spent working with Ayahuasca with Zach and Gume were of the upmost quality and to date I haven’t encountered anyone here doing better work with the sacred plants of the rainforest. I would not hesitate to recommend this center to anyone who has the desire to do some deep work on themselves and I very much look forward to my next visit with them !!

Jungle Retreat

I would heartily recommend a retreat with Ayahuasca Satsangha. I found exactly what I was hoping for there. The center is deep in the jungle right next to a beautiful river and pristine jungle. The buildings and infrastructure were very spacious and comfortable. A lot of thought and experience obviously went into the design of the place. The staff and the food were wonderful. I truly did feel like I was in the bosom of a warm and loving family. I have been to other ayahuasca centers in the past and this was the best experience ever. Zach was great. He was able to discuss the ayahuasca experience in a psychologically sophisticated way and provided the support I needed to feel safe. He has designed this program in a way that addresses the unique cultural and psychological needs that we westerners have. I felt seen and supported so that I could delve deep into the interior areas I needed to go.

He was able to translate and facilitate communication with the shaman and family. I found the shaman Gumercindo to be knowledgeable, available and most importantly humble. the medicine was strong and effective. We were able to join the shaman on jungle walks where he taught us about the various tree and plant medicines while he collected them to make our remedies. There was no secrecy or intrigue. Gumercindo and everyone there were happy to answer our questions and share their knowledge. We were able to join he and his father and watch as they prepared the ayahuasca and other medicine. The whole experience there was permeated by humility, compassion and humor. I felt like I'd shed a lifetime of psychological baggage when I left. I will definitely be back.

Jungle Retreat

My wife Haley and I traveled to Peru to go to Ayahuasca Satsangha in July of 2011 for their first tour. The camp was just finished. We were excited and honored to be some of the first attendees at this wonderful place. We had studied ayahuasca a fair amount before we headed down, yet were still curious and apprehensive about what we would experience.

We met with Gume and Zach and the rest of the family and staff. We were struck by the warmth emanating from all of the people there. Our nervousness morphed in to comfort very quickly as we realized this was going to be a great time, and a powerful journey. The mood there was calm and casual, yet powerful. I developed immediate trust for Gume, our shaman.

The ceremonies were beautiful. The icaros were enchanting. They filled the air and led me in to a journey I can hardly describe. I met deities, loved ones, spirit animals, and myself. If I experienced fear, Gume and Zach were there to help me hold that space while still exploring it, finding my own truth inside of it. Mostly I played with love and light, looked in to the nature of humankind and the universe.
Since I returned home to Portland, my wife and I have embarked on one of the most creative, light, playful times of our lives. We have a renewed sense of calm in our lives, have gotten in much better shape, have maintained a regular yoga practice, and laugh easier. I am so grateful to all of the people that created Ayahuasca Satsangha. My experience there changed my life forever. If it is possible for you, go there as soon as you can. It will change you in the most amazing ways.

Jungle Retreat

At Ayahuasca Satsangha something truly magical has been created. Adventurous beyond imagination , yet comforting and safe at the same time. I came to the camp as a MAJOR skeptic having experienced ayahuasca in the past and believing it was just not for me. Previously I had found it disorienting, scary and uncomfortable and just could not see what the hype was. But, I came to give it one more try. The vibe (for lack of a better word – maybe “energy” is better) at Ayahuasca Satsangha turned my opinion completely around. This was no mean feat I assure you, as I have a cynical streak a mile wide. No new age fluff for me. Part of the amazing experience was certainly being out in the Amazon – out in jungle. Surrounded by pristine wilderness. The voyage out there alone was worth it. But , man, oh man, the ceremonies! The first night took me apart and put me back together. In the dark (darker than I thought possible) I laughed, cried, shook, sweated, and yes, puked. But the whole time Gume’s transcendent icaros kept me company and brought me back home. I found parts of myself that I had never imagined existed. I saw things that I swear could not have originated within my own imagination. And while it did get scary a couple times (I did my share of whimpering) I felt safe, protected and taken care of. Ayahuasca Satsangha is the real deal – no BS, no new age claptrap, no flakiness, no dances for the tourists, no fake solemnity. just serious medicine. You will be drinking with a loving, open and caring family (and I admit I snickered to myself when I was first told this) who welcome you along on their journey as an equal.
I will be back.

Jungle Retreat

At Ayahausca Satsangha everything is proficiently taken care of, and I always felt extremely safe. Zach’s team is very warm and friendly and Maestro Gumercindo is truly a master. After having recently finished a difficult spell serving within the military on a tour of duty in Afghanistan a few weeks beforehand, this place was exactly what I needed to help me integrate back into the civilised world. It was healing, spiritual and calming. Good medicine for the soul. I would recommend the experience 100%. I honestly felt that I could return home to my wife and children as a better father, husband and friend. An authentic and magical experience – Ayahuasca Satsangha really is the ‘real deal’.

March 18, 2012

This retreat has changed me profoundly and positively. It has opened a new chapter in my life. I have discovered spirituality and so much more. I found what I was looking for, although I did not know what that was, and I can not think of a way this type of retreat could have been better. From the bottom of my heart, spirit, and soul- THANK YOU

March 18th, 2012

Fantastic program. In addition to the ayahuasca ceremonies, the supportive programs were excellent. The food was wonderful and beautifully presented. The setting itself was mind blowing.

March 18th, 2012

My experience at Ayahuasca Satsangha has been the most profound spiritual experience of my life to date. Alex, Zach, Gumercindo, and the staff are some of the most beautiful loving people I have ever met. I felt that each of them cared so much about my wellbeing and happiness. It was a supportive and caring environment where I was encouraged to explore my consciousness, spiritual health and emotional wellness. I left Ayahuasca Satsangha happy, at peace, excited to continue these spiritual practices. I can't wait to return and continue learning from these incredible teachers.

March 18th, 2012

There is something going on here that defies easy description: The intelligence, the resourcefulness, vision, and unbridled pursuit of a new way of being on planet Earth. Very Exciting.

March 18th, 2012

Having worked with shamans in Peru and Brazil, I can say with confidence that Gumercindo is the most powerful healer you could hope to work with. Combined with the support he receives from the other staff, Ayahuasca Satsangha not only guarantees a transformative experience, but also gives you the tools to incorporate this progress into your daily life long after you have returned home. A retreat at Ayahuasca Satsangha is an utterly unique and life changing opportunity for personal development on a physical, psychological, and spiritual level. Anyone who has the opportunity to participate in one of their retreats would be foolish to miss it. I came to Ayahuasca Satsangha as an agnostic and left having a deeply entrenched spiritual path.

March 28th, 2012

I love everything about this place!! The setting, the atmosphere, lodging, food, and especially the staff. This is an oasis for spiritual development set in the second highest mountain range in the world! I am smitten by the whole adventure that I have had here. What an amazing experience. I loved every minute I was here. This surpassed my most optimistic expectations! What I have learned and experienced here has forever changed my view of the world, humanity, and most importantly myself! I would recommend this to every sentient being who is in search of spiritual enlightenment. I could probably write pages worth of compliments about this retreat. Love and light to all!

March 28th, 2012

The environment was natural and soothing, like the contents of a novel or postcard. The people at Ayahuasca Satsangha are extraordinarily friendly, warm and welcoming. The food was organic, nutritious, fulfilling, plentiful and prepared with love.

Day events were carefully planned and were adjusted based on the groups needs which helped the energy flow.

I found Zach and Alex to be extremely warm and caring. I could tell that they were coming from a pure place of love and concern. I have never experienced earthly beings that genuinely desired to help one through their spiritual journey as they did. It was as if they would move heaven and earth to assist you in your healing. So gentle so pure. Angel energy in men's clothing.

The other elements that tied it all together were the volunteers and staff. It was a family atmosphere as all were extremely informative, welcoming and nurturing. Gume, the shaman, exceeded my expectations. Strong, in tune, earnest, and it was easy to trust that he was guiding us into healing.

Last but not least, the ayurvedic consultation and information given by Mike brought this retreat and my understanding to full circle. Mike definitely embodies his beliefs and teachings.

Overall the whole package was an experience of a lifetime.

Mountain Retreat

This experience changed my life and words can't do it justice but I'll try. Love to Alex, Gume (Bruce Lee of the Shamans), Zach, Madhu, Joey, Ryan, Chris, Yanina, and Andy, the most amazing hosts in the world. I am so grateful for Mother Ayahuasca and The Way Inn. Without the opportunity of doing this donation retreat I would still be lost in my old patterns of an unhappy life. Because of this experience I am happier and healthier than I could have ever imagined. Mahalo for the Aloha I received, the amazing Satsang, Yoga, incredible living space and tasty eats from Emily and the local lovely house staff. I highly recommend this retreat as the are "THE REAL DEAL" and not another money making machine. Don't think about it... do it. You found the right site.