Plant Medicine

Ayahuasca

An Amazonian brew of vine and leaf. Held as ceremony in Baja California, Mexico, with the same preparation and integration as every Ceremonia retreat.

A preparation can vary

The term ayahuasca refers to a family of preparations and traditions, not a single standardized product. A commonly studied combination includes Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis, but ingredients and concentrations vary. The vine’s monoamine oxidase inhibiting compounds make medication and substance interactions especially important to assess.

Ask the team what preparation is used, who reviews your health history, and how they coordinate with your prescriber. A systematic review notes that the interactions among constituents are not fully understood. Respect for the communities whose traditions inform contemporary practice includes being specific about what we know and what we do not.

Systematic review of ayahuasca interactions · Preparation guide · Integration guide

What it is

Ayahuasca is a brew made from two plants: the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and the leaves of Psychotria viridis. The vine contains MAO inhibitors that let the DMT in the leaves work when you drink it. People in the Upper Amazon have used it ceremonially for centuries, and traditions including the Shipibo, Shuar and Ashaninka developed the brew, the medicine songs and the ceremonial container.

We are not a lineage of those traditions, and we do not claim to be. Ayahuasca is a plant medicine, not a sacrament of our church, and we say where the practice comes from. More on how we think about this.

Where we hold it

DMT is a Schedule I substance under federal law. Heal takes place in Baja California, Mexico, held as ceremony.

Heal runs at Yandara Retreats, in Pescadero near Todos Santos. It is a one-week retreat with three ceremonies, two in the evening and one in the daytime. Ceremonies 1 and 2 usually run 5pm to 10pm. Ceremony 3 usually runs 9am to 2pm. It starts with the same steps as every Ceremonia retreat: a free connection call, then your application and medical intake. See the Baja retreat center.

Jo Ann Forristal, a family nurse practitioner, is on site during the retreat, and our nurse practitioner reviews every medical intake.

What the research shows

Ayahuasca research is earlier than psilocybin research. For depression it rests on a single small randomized trial, and no large trial has been done.

• Depression (Palhano-Fontes et al., 2019). In 29 people with treatment-resistant depression, MADRS scores were lower than placebo at days 1, 2 and 7. Day-7 response was 64% vs 27%. Published in Psychological Medicine.

Ayahuasca is not FDA-approved for any condition, and this study did not evaluate Ceremonia. See the science on ayahuasca, or how ayahuasca differs from psilocybin and ketamine.

Who it is not for, and medications

Ayahuasca has stricter requirements than psilocybin, because its MAO inhibitors can interact with many medications and some foods. Combining them can cause serotonin syndrome or a dangerous rise in blood pressure, and both are emergencies. That is why screening is not optional.

Many antidepressants, along with tramadol, dextromethorphan, lithium, stimulants, MDMA, St. John’s wort and 5-HTP, do not mix with ayahuasca. Your prescriber leads on any medication. Never stop or change one on your own. Tapering often takes one to two months, and our nurse practitioner reviews every intake. We also ask you to avoid certain foods, such as aged cheese and cured meats, in the days before.

We say no when taking part would not be safe, including a history of psychosis, bipolar I disorder, serious heart conditions, pregnancy and breastfeeding, and recent or active suicidal thoughts that need crisis-level care. Our nurse practitioner decides each case. More on screening and medications.

After ceremony

The ceremony is a doorway. What you do in the weeks after is the work. Ask us on your connection call how integration works after Heal. See how it works.