Forest Path Immersions

Ayahuasca Intensive Retreats

Lake Atitlán, Guatemala:

2024 Dates: Nov 22 - 26

2025 Dates: Jan 31-Feb 4; Feb 21-25; March 27-31; Jun 12-16

Other Locations: Jun 27 - Jul 1; Nov 1-4, 2024; Oct 31-Nov 3, 2025

Forest Path Ayahuasca Immersion Retreats

The regular 4-day retreat immersions offered in Guatemala are a deep dive into a transformational experience of 3 Forest Path Ayahuasca ceremonies followed by a day of rest and integration, with a satsang circle, sauna and plant baths.

Over the three nights of ceremony, we dive into the Forest Path Ceremonial Studies, making our prayers and rituals to bless and be blessed by this beautiful space, culminating in Jaya’s hinario on the 3rd night and some dancing works.

We will close our time together following breakfast on the final morning. The days will be spacious prior to ceremony to rest, rejuvenate and relax by the lake.

Deepening the study with Forest Path Immersions

The 4 night/5 day Immersion format gives an opportunity for those wanting to further their study on the Path - a study of the different medicine traditions, shamanic song cultures and Santo Daime works. Our family tradition honours the Mestizo Peruvian Shipibo, Brazilian Umbanda and Daime lineages and offers a refined study of different works and energies that are focused on throughout the 3 ceremonies.

During the Immersions we have an opportunity to learn, study and grow - and receive the transmissions of wisdom teachings from Jayaji. There will be space before each session for satsang, reflections and questions about the experience and the history of these traditions.

Study of Upcoming Works

Nov 1-4, 2024 - Study II, Mariri II, Study IV, Divine Mother, Jaya’s New Selections

Nov 22-26, 2024 - Study VI, Yemanja, Mariri IV, Floresta, Samadhina III

 What you will Love about Casa Floresta in Guatemala…

Casa Floresta, Guatemala

The recently built Casa Floresta is directly on Lake Atitlan in Pasajcap, between San Marcos la Laguna and Tzununa. This is the home of the Forest Path Temple where Sound Ceremony courses and Forest Path ceremonies are held exclusively in Guatemala.

With lake access in a clean and quiet private bay for swimming, Casa Floresta is a beautiful space conducive for the transformational work.

Some accommodations for this Immersion will be available at Casa Colibri next door or with other neighbouring houses, with stunning views of Lake Atitlan.

 

 What you will Love about Forest Sanctuary of the One in Texas…

Forest of the One Sanctuary, Texas

The Forest Sanctuary of the One is a medicine temple nestled in the Juniper forests around Wimberley, TX. Their purpose is to inspire individuals to find harmony with themselves, nature, and the divine through sacred ritual and ceremony.

The temple is a dodecagonal Maloka with a 36’ diameter, loosely styled after the Munay Sonqo Maloka in Peru’s sacred valley. The temple features a beautiful spiraled roof design centered over a selenite altar.

The Temple comfortably hosts 28 people on 4” mats that are provided, though it can fit more with creative seating (i.e. adding an inner ring).The temple sits next to an outdoor fire altar that we call “The Nest,” which fits 40 guests in a circle.

 

Flow of the FP Immersion Ayahuasca Retreats in Guatemala

Day 1 - Arrival 4pm, Orientation 4-5pm, Ceremony 5-11pm

Day 2 - Light Breakfast 9am, Relax/ Swim, Brunch 11.30am, Rest 1-4pm, Satsang/ Q&A 4-5pm, Ceremony 5-12pm

Day 3 - Light Breakfast 9am, Sauna & Plant bath 9.30-11am, Brunch 11.30am, Rest 1-4pm, Satsang/ Q&A 4-5pm, Ceremony 5-12pm

Day 4 - Light Breakfast 9am, Gentle Movement Class 9.30-11am, Brunch 11.30am, Plant Baths 12-2pm, Integration Circle 2-4pm, Dinner 5pm

Day 5 - Breakfast 9.30am, Departure 10.30am

 Pricing

Lake Atitlán, Guatemala:

$1095 USD pp- Shared Accommodation (Casa Colibri or Casa Amate) food included

$1395 USD pp - Private Accommodation at Casitas Aurora

$795 USD pp- No Accommodation, food included (only suitable for regular FP attendees/ local residents)

The Off-site Accommodation option is ONLY for local residents and regular attendees within our community. We can not allow you to walk after ceremonies into town to an accommodation- it is not safe to do so.


Other Locations:

$1275 USD pp

TX Accommodation Note: BYO camping is available for those who wish, or participants may sleep in the Temple.

MI Accommodation Note: Sleeping pods are available adjacent to the temple for an extra $150.

Meals are included, but will be light due to the nature of the medicine work, usually Brunch and a post ceremony soup each day. You may plan to arrive early and stay later if you wish for more time to ground and relax before and after the work, and pay a facility fee directly to our hosts. Please email us for their contacts.

See our policies for cancellations and transfers on our policies page.


Registration

Economical Neighbouring Accommodation Options for Off-site from Casa Floresta, Guatemala

If you are on a budget, you may book an Airbnb in Pasajcap area as long as you know it is within 5 minute walk from Casa Floresta (ideally along the lakefront only - the road is not safe to walk late at night). We recommend these Airbnbs; Luzmi’s Eco Cottage, Eco Cabin and Eco Studio, or Eric’s La Casa at Vistas de Pasajcap and Studio Sol y Luna, as more economical options than our accommodation providers, and all a safe 5-10min lakefront walk away. See more options here. If you are able to book one of these accommodation options, you may choose the No-Accommodation Off-site option - please indicate in your registration that you have booked one so we are aware.


More Support for your Immersion Experience

If you feel you would like more individual support for your experience; you can book an in person (or online) Preparation &/or Integration session as an add-on to your ceremony when registering. Learn more about Isis, our Integration Guide here.


ARE YOU SITTING FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH AYAHUASCA?

We will schedule a free 30 minute preparation call with our Integration coach Paola to be sure its a suitable fit for all. Be sure to specify in your registration if it is your first time.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ayahuasca Medicine Work…

  • Before embarking into non ordinary states of consciousness it is important to consider what you consume. What we consume does not end on the plate but extends itself to what we watch, what we listen to, with whom we interact and the sum total of psychological intake from our day-to-day roles.

    It is therefore extremely encouraged that anyone seeking to partake in rituals such as this have some form of mental cultivation and discipline such as meditation and mindfulness training to be able to observe oneself and their experience more objectively.

    Be aware. Be aware of your intake and know that everything you consume has an imprint within your psyche that once opened can manifest in strange ways. Ultimately for the Divine Qualities to grace us, the vessel should be clear. It is difficult to discover clarity if we live a haze-filled existence. Don't wait for Ayahuasca to clear you, pay attention to your everyday choices in mind and body first.

    It is recommended to maintain your sexual energy as well in the days’ pre and post-ceremony. This is an opinionated topic. In our experience, these energies can easily become tangled and driven by unresolved and often conflicting patterns in behaviour which can muddle a person from seeing and acting with clarity.

    Ultimately our path is one of elevating the instinctual nature of the human to the intelligent space of awareness where things can be perceived with greater understanding and that is navigated with discernment.

  • We encourage dietary awareness to help get the most out of ceremonial work and the ingestion of entheogens. Outside of “traditional” amazonian diets, there is actually a lot of freedom in what you consume. That being said, however, it is still a good idea to be mindful of your food 2-3 days prior and it will be up to the individual to decide how they want to take the preparation further.

    Remember it always feels nicer to eat cleaner and have less digesting before you take the sacrament.

    Some recommendations for the day of the Ceremony: eat simpler and lighter, meaning greens, fruits, vegetables, grains etc, if you eat meat, fish and chicken are okay.

    It is generally better to avoid heavy foods, processed foods, fried foods and fermented foods and drinks, (Kombucha, ginger beer, alcohol). Go lightly with salts, spices, fats and yeasts the day of the Ceremony and aim to have your last meal around and no later than 12pm.

    See our Guidelines for more information.

  • The warnings about tyramine interaction sound very serious because they are adapted from warnings about interactions with pharmaceutical MAOIs. There are nearly 100 fatalities on record from food interactions with pharmaceutical MAOIs.

    However, food interaction with Ayahuasca is frankly not as serious a matter as it is with pharmaceutical MAOIs, because Ayahuasca is a reversible (short-acting) MAOI or RIMA. There are no fatalities on record from food interactions with Ayahuasca.

    However, food interaction with Ayahuasca can be unpleasant, manifesting as a headache (which can be severe and may sometimes last for days) or as an uncomfortable rapid heartbeat, and it could conceivably be life-threatening for a person with severe high blood pressure or heart disease. People with these conditions, therefore, should follow the MAOI safety diet very strictly when taking Ayahuasca and inform the guide before consumption.

    Except for people with serious heart conditions and/or serious high blood pressure, food interactions with Ayahuasca are not life-threatening, and the effects go away after hours or days with no lasting harm.

  • Ayahuasca is not for everyone. It can potentially be harmful and dangerous for those with:

    - High blood pressure

    - Hypertension

    - Cardiac issues

    - Diabetes

    - Prone to seizures.

    - Histories of psychiatric disorders or

    - Schizophrenia

    - If you are taking any prescription medication, namely antidepressants, antipsychotics or SSRIs please speak to us (Refer to the Medical Information section).

    -If you're taking any natural supplements like mood enhancers that boost serotonin and dopamine please speak to us (Refer to Medical Information section).

    If you are uncertain about any contraindications or factors please ask.

    If you have any personal concerns a meeting can be arranged prior in order to discuss.

    It is always a good idea to talk to your doctor or therapist, be honest and tell them your intention to drink Ayahuasca and see if it is safe.

    There is the risk that your doctor or therapist will not fully understand your choice but in our experience, more often than not, it is the opposite and we receive many people who come to work with us who have the blessing and even recommendation from their therapist.

  • The usage of Ayahuasca specifically as far as we can tell originated with the peoples of Southern Ecuador, Colombia and Northern Peru and spread downriver along trade routes to the wider amazon basin.

  • The origins of Ayahuasca are hazy and there are many myths and legends depicting its inception into human society from the royal empire of the Incan civilization, to mythological feminine figures birthing the vine, to the resurrection of powerful esoteric and religious truths that had been hidden within nature.

    Not so long ago we discovered the earliest evidence of Ayahuasca use in a small shamanic pouch made of fox snouts found in an archaeological site in Bolivia. Radiocarbon dating of the leather bag surface indicated it was used sometime between around 900 to 1170 A.D.

    There is other evidence of the Vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) taking its usage potentially thousands of years into the past.

    The popular use of Ayahuasca for a long time, in many tribal cultures and still to this day is with the use of Vine only brews. That means there was not an emphasis on the deeply visionary psychedelic experience but a garnering of deeper wisdom within the cultural, religious and healing practices of northern Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and surrounding countries.

    The addition of Chacruna or Chaliponga which now makes the psychedelic DMT cocktail that we know and love is not much older than 100 years old.

IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME SITTING WITH US:

PLEASE FILL OUT THIS FORM BEFORE REGISTERING WITH PAYMENT.

***Your place will not be secured or confirmed without payment***

It’s too late to be ready.
— ZEN MASTER DOGEN