Ziru Yai Jungle Retreat

Ziru Yai is an ayahuasca retreat centre in the Colombian Amazon, reached from Villagarzón in Putumayo, where the brew is known as yagé. Indigenous taitas lead eight and ten-day retreats on more than 40 hectares of rainforest that the founding family protects.

Approach

Taita Leónidas Lezama founded the centre with his wife, Iyari García. He first drank yagé at six, trained under Cofán, Siona, Inga and other Amazonian elders, and cooks the brew himself from caapi vine and chacruna with nothing added. Taita Herminsul Lucitante, a Cofán elder, also holds ceremony and translates for guests. Ceremonies happen by day and by night in earthen malocas: three on the eight-day retreat and four on the ten-day one. A yoco ceremony, a sweat lodge and plant baths fill the days between.

Who it is for

The centre says many guests come with depression, anxiety, grief or trauma. It is not for anyone after a quick fix or a recreational experience, and women do not drink while pregnant or during their period.

Practical details

Per person, the eight-day retreat costs $1,800 and the ten-day retreat $2,000 in a shared room. Lodging, meals, ceremonies and the transfer from Villagarzón airport are included; flights to Bogotá and on to Villagarzón are not. Groups have been listed at one to twelve people; private dates can be arranged.

Care and safety

Every guest starts with a private consultation on health history and medication. The centre treats antidepressants and other drugs acting on serotonin as the main risk, asks about heart conditions and high blood pressure, and talks through any history of psychosis or bipolar disorder. The taitas and facilitators stay with the group through each ceremony and the night after it. Integration practitioner Miranda Vires leads a preparation call before travel, three integration calls afterwards and an optional private group.