Gaia Sagrada Ayahuasca Retreat Center – Ecuador South America

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Gaia Sagrada is a beautiful retreat center in the magical Andes mountains outside of Cuenca in Ecuador. It is a place where the ancient traditions can be experienced much the way there were 1000 years ago, but modern facilities keep people comfortable while exploring their inner worlds.

Shamans

The Ecuadorian shamans are masters of their trade, bringing decades of experience to their work. Gaia Sagrada’s shamans are compassionate, wise, and know how to handle all kinds of healing. Clients are in good hands at Gaia Sagrada!

Ceremonies

Gaia Sagrada offers Ayahuasca, San Pedro, Kambo, Cacao, Hape, Xhanga, and Sweatlodge ceremonies. Each of these ceremonies are incredibly healing and transformative, giving people a new perspective on challenges, the world, and their own lives. People feel very self empowered after these ceremonies, able to make the changes they need to make. Ayahuasca shows one what needs to change, and San Pedro gives people the power to make that change. The other medicines supplement this healing and self empowerment.

Food

The food is all vegetarian, unlimited, and many reviews rave about how Gaia Sagrada makes the ayahuasca diet delicious. Even meat eaters report being very satisfied and love the vegetarian meal buffets.

Housing

Housing is varied and meets every budget. Prices are based on the housing one chooses. The choices vary from Dormitory, Shared or Private Rooms, Apartments, and even a full house with privacy and yard. If someone is on a budget, the dormitory prices can’t be beat. If privacy and amenities are what a person wants, this is possible too. Gaia Sagrada has something for everyone.

Prices

The prices are the most affordable among retreat centers since Gaia Sagrada is a non profit, which is rare among ayahuasca retreat centers. You can see the Gaia Sagrada prices here, Gaia Sagrada Prices. Even the directors of Gaia Sagrada only make Ecuadorian minimum wages. The Ecuadorian workers and Ecuadorian shamans are the ones making the money at Gaia Sagrada, as it should be. For the Gaia Sagrada staff this is a labor of love. They are here to support the Ecuadorian medicine traditions, and they are in it for the love of the work of healing humanity one individual at a time.

Extras

Here at Gaia Sagrada you’ll find some other amenities you’ll love! We have hot tubs, cold dip, and sauna for your relaxation and enjoyment between ceremonies and activities. We suggest doing the cold dip too, very good for your health!

We have many workshops and activities to help guests with integration between ceremonies. We have a day of rest between ceremonies, which is really important. During that time we give you methods for integration. Many centers rush people through lots of ceremonies back to back, with no rest in between ceremonies, and this is a disservice to the medicine path. It is important you are well rested and have time to integrate between ceremonies.

Conclusion

All in all, Gaia Sagrada is a great, all around choice that fits any person’s budget and goals for a retreat with the shamanic medicine plant teachers. All you need is a willing heart for healing, and the opportunity is here!

If you have any questions, please email Gaia Sagrada at our Contact Page. We are here to help. We are honored to be of service to you on your journey of healing and awakening!

 

 

Gaia Sagrada – Death Prevention, Serotonin Syndrome & Pharmaceuticals

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gaia sagrada death prevention

Many times, to a guest taking Ayahuasca at Gaia Sagrada, death seems imminent when they are in the throes of the process. Yes, there is vomiting and there are bathroom runs for about 50% of the participants. Not everyone goes through that, but some do. Ayahuasca can feel like the little death in some cases, though.

It depends on how clean one’s diet is before taking Ayahuasca as to how strong the process is. People with very clean diets glide through the process of an Ayahuasca ceremony fairly easily. For those who need some major physical housecleaning, though, it will feel very much like a little Ayahuasca death.

It’s not unusual for someone to think, “I’m going to die!” when taking Ayahuasca but they won’t! Ayahuasca never killed anyone. A person would throw up before overdosing. It only happens when other things are mixed in that shouldn’t be there, certain pharmaceuticals or recreational drugs are involved, or someone is left alone in a dangerous situation, for instance near a cliff or a lake. The plant medicine itself never killed anyone though. One would eliminate it before he or she could die from it.

Of course, there are the precautions Gaia Sagrada and other Ayahuasca retreat centers suggest in order to avoid death. Serotonin syndrome is very real and quite dangerous so when a person is told to discontinue antidepressants it is a warning very important to heed. Serotonin syndrome can indeed cause death when taking Ayahuasca. It is because there is an overload of serotonin which causes breathlessness and heart palpitations, among other things.

So PLEASE discontinue all antidepressants before coming to Gaia Sagrada. Death CAN happen from serotonin syndrome. One could lie to us, but cannot lie to the Ayahuasca! Please heed all precautions with pharmaceuticals and recreational drugs because combining various things with ayahuasca doesn’t work. At Gaia Sagrada death prevention is something taken very seriously.

Things like blood pressure medicine, heart medicine, cholesterol medicine, hormones, insulin for diabetics, those things are fine to keep taking with Ayahuasca. Those things will not combine badly with ayahuasca, and won’t cause death. In fact, we encourage people to keep taking those.

Amateurs tell people to stop taking all pharmaceuticals but some drugs should NOT be discontinued, especially if one’s life depends on those medicines. At Gaia Sagrada death prevention has to do with what pharmaceuticals are continued, not just what is discontinued.

One way to assess what pharmaceuticals can still be taken with ayahuasca is to determine whether that drug affects brain chemistry, especially for alleviating depression. If the drug affects brain chemistry, you can be pretty sure that it should be discontinued. Even St John’s Wort, an herb, needs to be discontinued because enough of it can cause serotonin syndrome, and death.

Hopefully this clears up a little bit of confusion about what can be taken with ayahuasca and what cannot or should not be taken with ayahuasca. Be careful and heed these Gaia Sagrada death prevention guidelines. It is very important that everyone is safe!

gaia sagrada death prevention

Gaia Sagrada – Death Prevention, Serotonin Syndrome & Pharmaceuticals

Gaia Sagrada Death Prevention – We Take It Seriously! Seratonin Syndrome

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Gaia Sagrada Ayahuasca Retreat Center
Gaia Sagrada Ayahuasca Retreat Center

Many times, to a guest taking Ayahuasca at Gaia Sagrada, death seems imminent when they are in the throes of the process. Yes, there is vomiting and there are bathroom runs for about 50% of the participants. Not everyone goes through that, but some do. Ayahuasca can feel like the little death in some cases, though.

It depends on how clean one’s diet is before taking Ayahuasca as to how strong the process is. People with very clean diets glide through the process of an Ayahuasca ceremony fairly easily. For those who need some major physical housecleaning, though, it will feel very much like a little Ayahuasca death.

It’s not unusual for someone to think, “I’m going to die!” when taking Ayahuasca but they won’t! Ayahuasca never killed anyone. A person would throw up before overdosing. It only happens when other things are mixed in that shouldn’t be there, certain pharmaceuticals or recreational drugs are involved, or someone is left alone in a dangerous situation, for instance near a cliff or a lake. The plant medicine itself never killed anyone though. One would eliminate it before he or she could die from it.

Of course, there are the precautions Gaia Sagrada and other Ayahuasca retreat centers suggest in order to avoid death. Serotonin syndrome is very real and quite dangerous so when a person is told to discontinue antidepressants it is a warning very important to heed. Serotonin syndrome can indeed cause death when taking Ayahuasca. It is because there is an overload of serotonin which causes breathlessness and heart palpitations, among other things.

So PLEASE discontinue all antidepressants before coming to Gaia Sagrada. Death CAN happen from serotonin syndrome. One could lie to us, but cannot lie to the Ayahuasca! Please heed all precautions with pharmaceuticals and recreational drugs because combining various things with ayahuasca doesn’t work. At Gaia Sagrada death prevention is something taken very seriously.

Things like blood pressure medicine, heart medicine, cholesterol medicine, hormones, insulin for diabetics, those things are fine to keep taking with Ayahuasca those things will not combine badly with ayahuasca, and won’t cause death. In fact, we encourage people to keep taking those.

Amateurs tell people to stop taking all pharmaceuticals but some drugs should NOT be discontinued, especially if one’s life depends on those medicines. At Gaia Sagrada death prevention has to do with what pharmaceuticals are continued, not just what is discontinued.

One way to assess what pharmaceuticals can still be taken with ayahuasca is to determine whether that drug affects brain chemistry, especially for alleviating depression. If the drug affects brain chemistry, you can be pretty sure that it should be discontinued. Even St John’s Wort, an herb, needs to be discontinued because enough of it can cause serotonin syndrome, and death.

Hopefully this clears up a little bit of confusion about what can be taken with ayahuasca and what cannot or should not be taken with ayahuasca. Be careful and heed these Gaia Sagrada death prevention guidelines. It is very important that everyone is safe!

Gaia Sagrada Ayahuasca Retreat Center
Gaia Sagrada Ayahuasca Retreat Center