Our Medicines & Ceremonies

Ayahuasca is a powerful medicinal brew originating from the Amazon basin, traditionally prepared by combining the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with the leaves of the Psychotria viridis (Chacruna) plant. The vine contains MAO inhibitors that allow the DMT present in the Chacruna leaves to become orally active, producing a profound visionary and purgative experience that can last several hours. Indigenous cultures throughout the Amazon have used this medicine for thousands of years as a sacrament for healing, divination and communion with the spirit world. In the shamanic worldview, Ayahuasca is regarded as a living intelligence — a master plant teacher that reveals the root causes of physical, emotional and spiritual illness, often through vivid visions, deep emotional release and purging of toxic energies. It is not a casual or recreational substance; it demands respect, proper preparation and the guidance of an experienced curandero to navigate its powerful terrain safely and effectively.

Our ceremonies and retreats are always held with the utmost care and preparation of the space and each participant, and with deep respect for the ancestral traditions which we have studied, been initiated in and have received the ancestral permissions and blessings needed to keep our container safe and effective.

A comprehensive medical and psychological assessment must be submitted by each potential participant, and all dietary / environmental restrictions and protocols must be followed without exception by all participants.

All of our medicines are sustainably grown and prepared by our curanderos from our land in the Amazon jungle. For more information about this conservation project, and the legacy of our teachers and lineage, please visit AyaRunaGardens.com

San Pedro, also known as Huachuma, is a sacred cactus that has been used for thousands of years by the indigenous peoples of the Andes for healing, divination and spiritual communion.

Often referred to as the 'Grandfather' medicine, San Pedro is known for its gentle yet profound heart-opening qualities. It works deeply on the emotional and energetic bodies, helping to dissolve blockages, restore balance and reconnect participants with the natural world and their own inner wisdom.

Our San Pedro ceremonies are held in the Sacred Valley of Cusco, surrounded by the powerful energy of the Apus (mountain spirits). As with all of our offerings, proper preparation, dietary guidelines and a thorough consultation are required before participation.

Datura / Brugmansia Sauveolens, commonly known as Angels Trumpet, encompasses a wide variety of cultivars and hybrids found all around the world.

They vary widely in potency, alkaloid balance and appearance, come in almost every color of the rainbow and give off a nocturnal aroma that is almost intoxicating in its own right.

Also called Floripondio, Toloache, Borrachera or Toé in indigenous cultures it is a profound, powerful and mysterious master plant spirit that has a well deserved aura of taboo around it. It must always be approached and treated with the utmost caution, respect and strict physical / mental / spiritual preparation before and after engaging with it.

The internet is full of very negative stories of people haphazardly and irresponsibly consuming large quantities of very toxic varieties of Datura, and while on one hand these stigmas can be unfortunate, on the other hand these taboos have served to keep this medicine from being mass consumed and abused for recreation and profit, as other more 'fun and friendly' medicines have been.

We acknowledge and are grateful for this natural gatekeeping and we continue to reserve this plant for only cases in which it is strongly indicated both through our own assessment of maturity and preparation, but also the clear and direct calling of the plant itself.

We also hope that as more and more of our clients experience profound and lasting healings, the dark cloud of fear and judgement will be illuminated and dispelled by the true clarity and benevolence of this powerful but misunderstood spirit.

It should only be consumed under direct supervision and guidance of a fully trained shamanic professional who has undergone years of training and initiation in a tradition that has survived the test of time, preferably many generations. There are safer, gentler ways to work with it than consuming, such as perfumes and homeopathic tinctures and these are often the ways in which we work with it.

This plant is not recreational, the effects are often physically unpleasant, confusing and generally difficult if not impossible to even remember at high dosage.

All that accounted for and considered, Datura is also regarded by ancient cultures around the world to be the highest spiritual court that can be appealed to, and is often last resort of shamans and curanderos in cases where nothing else seems to work. The mechanisms of healing are very mysterious due to the inability for the untrained conscious mind to recall or interact with the experience. Those who have been healed by this plant often can only say that the problem is simply 'gone' afterwards with no idea how, or why that is the case. For this reason it is absolutely imperative to be guided and protected during and after the experience by a highly trained and seriously capable practitioner.

Contrary to what the uninitiated love to say out of fear, there are safe and time tested ways to work with this incredible medicine. We have been a part of enough miraculous healings in a wide variety of cases to be confident that it is worth the risks and demands of working with this precious teacher.

In addition to 20+ years of experience with other plant medicines, Carlos has trained with Brugmansia Sauveolens in the Peruvian Amazon for more than 5 years under the guidance of his teacher Don Francisco Montes Shuña, a Capanawa curandero, spending months at a time in isolation, fasting and following strict dietas and protocols in order to learn to navigate in this realm and earn the blessing from this particular tradition and spirit to be shared with those who are ready and able to receive her healing, teaching and grace.

The first step is always a spirit consultation to determine if this plant is compatible and beneficial for your case, and the guidance of the spirit realm in these matters always takes precedence over any ideas or desires we may have in our little minds to partake. A 'NO' is a 'NO' and cannot be negotiated. But don't worry! During your free consult you will be guided towards the correct medicine and process for you specifically.

We will send you a bottle of homeopathic strength medicine that you can take before connecting into our virtual ceremonies which will anchor you into the medicine space and spirits we are working with, without any obvious purging or psychedelic effects, however the spirits often can and do come in dreams or synchronicities in the following days after a ceremony so we recommend to avoid any alcohol / drugs / heavy foods for 24 hours before and after the virtual ceremony as well. Participants can call in via zoom or another call platform.

The ceremony generally lasts 2-3 hours, consists of singing and occasional relaying of spiritual messages to participants.

A group Q&A call will be held the morning after ceremony so each person can receive any messages or guidance and any questions or concerns can be answered.

Perfume ceremonies are a lovely, soft and safe way to work with Datura and other flower spirits, and these are always recommended along with a general consultation whenever possible. After being anointed by this special and powerful perfume, a small cup is held under the nose and slow meditative breathing is maintained while the curandero sings for about 45 minutes to awaken and invoke the spirits of each plant. An early bedtime with no alcohol, digital entertainment or heavy foods is recommended after these ceremonies for best results.

They are often used to clarify and divine questions for the participants, and to cleanse the mind and subtle bodies of sticky or dark spiritual residues. Dreams are often very vivid following a perfume ceremony.

Often times a miraculous healing is only the beginning of spiritual awakening: the cosmos, and every aspect of life is perceived as the infinite and awe inspiring place that it truly is, and suddenly many of the beliefs, limitations, and structures that have kept us safely imprisoned are lifted.

This is when the spiritual path begins to truly unfold, and every answer we have been seeking can seem to raise 100 more questions. When you hear all the talk of the necessity of "integration" after these experiences, this is exactly what is meant.

With the roads wide open and anything possible, it becomes more important than ever to develop your relationship with ancestral and spirit guides, strengthen protections and develop intuition and discernment to lead you safely into the infinite sciences.

We are here for it, and here for you in that capacity.

Also for those who feel called to the path of a healer, or wish to deepen their relationship with plant medicines and the spirit world beyond personal healing, we offer ongoing mentorship and longer term training programs for serious students who wish to walk this path with integrity and commitment.