Ayahuasca Costa Rica - Navigating the Dos and Don’ts
In the last few years, Costa Rica has become a popular destination for ayahuasca retreats. Spiritual seekers from all over the world are pursuing healing in safe and supportive therapeutic settings. With dozens of ayahuasca Costa Rica retreats available, it has become increasingly challenging to understand and navigate the process of selecting and attending a retreat, what to expect from the experience, how to set yourself up for success, things to be aware of and what to avoid. Participating in an ayahuasca ceremony requires careful preparation, respect, and mindfulness.
In this guide, we will cover the key dos and don’ts to help you navigate the journey, ensuring a safe, respectful, and deeply transformative experience.
First, What Is Ayahuasca?
Ayahuasca is a sacred medicinal brew traditionally used by indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin for thousands of years for spiritual and healing purposes. Made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine (Ayahuasca) and either Psychotria viridis (Chacruna) or Diplopterys cabrerana (Chaliponga) leaves, it induces profound psychological, emotional, and spiritual experiences.
In recent decades, ayahuasca has gained global recognition for its potential to help heal trauma, emotional/mental disorders, and promote spiritual growth. Costa Rica has become a popular destination due to the country’s proximity to the United States, the variety of retreats available and the beautiful natural settings that enhance the experience.
The DOS of Ayahuasca in Costa Rica
1. Do Your Research on Retreat Centers
Costa Rica is home to dozens of ayahuasca retreat centers, each with their own unique approach. It’s crucial to choose a center with experienced facilitators, ethical practices, and a safe environment. Look for reviews, verify the facilitators' credentials, and ensure the center respects traditions.
Some things to consider when selecting a retreat:
Experience- Consider how long the center has been hosting retreats or providing similar services. Check for reviews online. New Life Rising brings over 10 years of expertise and is recognized as a pioneer in offering ayahuasca retreats in Costa Rica.
Prices – Prices for ayahuasca retreats in Costa Rica can range from about $2000 - $9000 for a week-long experience. Prices are determined by several factors including accommodations, group size, inclusions, etc. New Life Rising offers affordable retreats ranging from $3000 - $4000 USD for a 7day retreat experience.
Safety – Ayahuasca is safe when used responsibly, but it does carry certain risks. The primary concern is the potential for dangerous interactions with other medications or mental health conditions, which can lead to severe adverse effects or, in rare cases, fatal outcomes. New Life Rising prioritizes the safety of all participants. We require everyone to complete a detailed medical questionnaire before booking and are current with all the best medical practices.
Group Size - Ayahuasca retreats can range in group size from about 10 - 100 participants. The group size significantly impacts your experience, as ceremonies involve sharing energy and emotional release within a collective space. Smaller groups foster meaningful connections, allowing participants to support one another and work through intimate moments during ceremonies. This dynamic is impossible to achieve in larger groups. New Life Rising limits our group sizes to 12 so that we can provided individualized support and attention to each participant and respect the integrity of the energetic container.
Traditions – Ceremonial traditions are at the heart of ayahuasca retreats. There are three major distinct traditional uses of ayahuasca: Peruvian (Shipibo or Mestizo), Brazilian (Dime) and Colombian (Yage). In addition to these ancient traditions, there are new-age practices that include some traditional ceremonial elements fused with modern approaches to spirituality and enlightenment. There are also non-traditional retreats and ceremonies that use playlists or utilize music and practices completely outside of ayahuasca’s traditional framework. New Life Rising follows Peruvian Mestizo traditions and our ayahuasqueros have been formally trained through generations of powerful healers.
These are just a few of the major factors to consider when selecting a retreat. This guide goes in to more depth on selecting the right retreat for you:
2. Be Honest During the Screening Process - Be open and honest with your retreat facilitators about your mental health, medical history, medications, and any other health/safety concern. This helps them ensure your safety and provide appropriate guidance and support. Reputable centers conduct thorough health screenings prior to booking to ensure participants are physically and mentally compatible with ayahuasca. Disregarding safety concerns and contraindications for ayahuasca retreats can lead to serious, even fatal, consequences.
3. Follow the Pre-Retreat Recommendations
A key part of attending a retreat is proper preparation, which helps to cleanse the body and ready the mind for the upcoming journey. Different traditions have different diet regulations, so you should follow the advice of your facilitators. Some things to consider are:
Physical – Simplify your diet by reducing processed foods, red meat, dairy and artificial sugars. Avoid alcohol and recreational drugs as these can interfere with the medicine. Fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are encouraged. Introduce gentle daily movements such as yoga, walking, or stretching to enhance circulation, release tension and become more in-tune with your body. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and support your body's detoxification processes.
Mental – Try meditation practices to center your mind and cultivate presence. This can help you manage challenging emotions that may arise during the experience. Set intentions and reflect on what you’d like to get out of the experience. Journal before, during and after to document your thoughts, feelings, and expectations. Writing can help you process emotions and is a great integration tool for reconnecting the experience once the retreat is over.
Medical –If necessary, consult with your healthcare professional. If you are on medication or have any health conditions, you may need to discuss options to safely discontinue medications or determine if ayahuasca is a good option for you.
3. Set Clear Intentions
Setting intentions is a valuable step in preparing for an ayahuasca experience, as it helps anchor your journey in purpose and clarity. Intentions are personal, heartfelt goals that direct your focus during the ceremony, whether it’s seeking healing, direction, addressing past trauma, or deepening your spiritual understanding of life. While intentions can be a source of grounding during intense experiences, it’s also important to remain open to receive the wisdom and teachings of the medicine, as ayahuasca is always working toward our greatest good.
4. Respect the Ceremony’s Spiritual Framework
Ayahuasca ceremonies are deeply spiritual rituals rooted in ancient traditions that are outside the scope of most people's cultural and social framework. Be prepared to respect the ceremonial practices, which may include prayers, scents, smoke, and songs. Approach the experience with an open heart, respectfully, and a willingness to trust the process.
6. Integrate After the Ceremony
The journey doesn’t end after the ceremony. Integration is essential for making sense of your experience and applying the lessons to your daily life. Without proper integration, the benefits gained during the ceremony may fade or feel disconnected from your reality. Journaling allows you to reflect on your thoughts and feelings, creating a record of your journey that you can revisit when you need to reconnect to the experience. Therapy provides a safe space to unpack complex emotions and gain professional guidance on challenges that arise. Joining integration groups offers a sense of community, where shared experiences and support can help you feel less isolated in your process.
The DON’TS of Ayahuasca in Costa Rica
1. Don’t Choose a Center Based Solely on Price
While affordability matters, choosing the cheapest option could compromise your experience. On the other hand, the same is true of the most expensive center. We’ve been culturally conditioned to believe that a higher priced item has a higher value or is of better quality, and while that does tend to be true to some degree, there are exceptions. Wellness practices have become a booming industry and there is no shortage of folks looking to cash in. The good news is, its pretty clear to see which operations are money motivated by looking at their schedules, group size, prices, etc. Reputable centers invest in experienced shamans, high-quality medicine, and safe environments, which often come at a higher price. A fair price for a week-long retreat in Costa Rica is around $3000 - $5000.
2. Don’t Skip Medical and Mental Health Disclosures
When you desperately want to have this experience, it’s tempting to downplay or omit health conditions during the screening process in fear of being disqualified, however, the risk to not only your own safety but the entire group is not worth the risk of withholding relevant information. Ayahuasca can interact negatively with certain medications (e.g., SSRIs) or exacerbate mental health issues like psychosis, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. In most cases, a solution can be found that would allow you to safely participate so long as you are honest with the facilitators. That last thing any retreat wants is to traumatize the group by having an emergency arise due to one person’s dishonesty.
3. Don’t Disrespect Traditions
While Costa Rica is a modern hub for ayahuasca, the practice originates from Amazonian Indigenous cultures. Avoid treating the ceremony as just another wellness trend. Show respect for the traditions, the facilitators, and the sacred medicine.
4. Don’t Expect a “Quick Fix”
You can not unpack a lifetime’s worth of trauma and baggage in one week. Many people describe ayahuasca as 10 years of therapy in one night and while that can happen on occasion, it is certainly not the rule. Ayahuasca is not a quick fix or a magic pill that will instantly resolve all of life’s challenges. While it can open the door to profound insights and deep healing, the real transformation happens through the effort you put into applying those lessons in your daily life. The experience may reveal truths about your emotions, behaviors, or past, but it’s up to you to face those truths and take actionable steps toward change. This often requires consistent self-reflection, making healthier choices, and addressing underlying issues through practices like therapy, mindfulness, or journaling.
5. Don’t Engage in Recreational Drug Use Before or After
Using recreational drugs before or after an ayahuasca ceremony can not only interfere with the medicine’s effects and your healing process, but it can be incredibly dangerous and even result in death. Using recreational drugs or Alcohol is disrespectful to the process and the spiritual container of ayahuasca ceremonies. After the retreat, the medicine is sill working for days or even weeks to come. Consuming other substances such as drugs, alcohol, or medications can interfere with ayahuasca’s ability to continue working and cut the connection to the experience.
6. Don’t Go In Without Mental Preparation
The ayahuasca experience can be intense, often bringing up unresolved emotions, fears, and traumas. Mental preparation through meditation, therapy, or breathwork can help you approach the ceremony with resilience and an open mind. The most important thing is the willingness to look at yourself honestly, and authentically and face any difficult moments with humility and an eagerness to learn.
Conclusion: Embracing the Ayahuasca Journey
Navigating the Dos and Don’ts of ayahuasca in Costa Rica can help ensure a safe, respectful, and transformative experience. By preparing yourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually, you’ll be better equipped to connect with the medicine and embrace its lessons.
Costa Rica offers a unique combination of natural beauty, spiritual energy, and experienced facilitators, making it an excellent destination for those seeking healing and growth. Approach the journey with an open heart, and you may find it to be one of the most profound experiences of your life.