December 29, 2023 - January 5, 2024 Retreat
What To Expect
Please plan to arrive in Bogotá on December 29.
A driver will pick you up and transport you to the hotel where you will stay for one night. Here, you will meet others in the group and share a family-style dinner. The cost of the hotel and dinner will be included in the cost of the retreat.
It’s important to arrive in Bogotá on the 1st. It’s not uncommon for flights to leave earlier or later so we always recommend arriving the day before your flight.
The next morning you will fly to Putamayo.
First Day at the Campsite
The rest of the first day will be spent relaxing, eating, and acclimating to your home away from home for the next week. There will be plenty of time to set up your personal space, unpack, and decompress.
You will be staying in a glamping-style waterproof tent. The tents are spacious and cozy, with comfortable beds and soft bedding for each guest. You will share a tent with two other people.
At this time, we are not equipped with enough space for single rooms but we are happy to accommodate arrangements for couples, small groups, families, or friends who wish to share a space.
We’ll take plant baths in the afternoon, and that evening Taita Jairo will visit with the group and share more about the week ahead.
Flow for the Week: December 30 - January 4
LACUNA is unlike other retreat centers. We do not have strict policies and rigid schedules. Instead, we move with the energy of the day, following the flow of nature and the collective group. Our schedule often changes, but you can expect a week filled with the following activities and plant medicines.
Plant Medicines
Over the week, we will have four Yagé ceremonies. It is the most effective medicine that we use. We encourage (but do not require) you to participate in all four ceremonies.
Yagé and ayahuasca are incredibly similar in use but slightly different in preparation. If ayahuasca is the mother of all plant medicines, then yagé is the father.
Bufo is not exactly a plant medicine and is a type of frog. The Bufo alvarius toad emits a highly potent substance called 5-MeO-DMT, a drug that when inhaled, induces intense psychoactive effects. Everyone will have the opportunity to partake in one Bufo ceremony if they so choose.
Chichaha is a strong brew that induces purging through vomiting and diarrhea. It acts as the feminine yin to yagé’s masculine yang. Chichaha soothes the nervous system and helps you connect to the spirit of yagé. You will have the opportunity to experience one chichaha one time during your week if you would like.
Kambo is a poison used as a traditional medicine in purging or cleansing rituals, primarily in South America. It is a waxy substance collected by scraping the skin of an Amazonian tree frog, Phyllomedusa bicolor.
The properties of Kambo peptides suggest it may be a promising treatment for depression, Migraine, Blood circulation problems, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, Vascular insufficiency, Organ diseases, Fertility problem, Deeply rooted toxin, Chronic pain, Addiction to opiate or prescription painkillers.
Ortiga, Ambar, and Spingo are three additional plant medicines we will drink as tea throughout the week. They are not psychoactive substances, but offer benefits to the nervous system, and aid in sleep and dream work.
Community, Nature, Vitality
The week will be filled with daily plant baths, walks in the jungle, musical guests, and plenty of time immersed in nature. In addition to the healing plant medicines, this is an opportunity to disconnect from daily life and its many distractions. We will swim in the river and bathe under the pulsing beat of waterfalls.
Ceremonies will be both day and night. Some days we will start in the afternoon, and some days will only drink the medicine in the evening. We like to drink yagé by the river, which passes right by one of our campgrounds, near a small maloca. An example of the day might be swimming in the river and drinking one cup of yagé here. Then, we’ll take a five-minute walk back to the maloca for the second cup of yagé at nightfall.
Our newest maloca has just been completed, and we are looking forward to our inaugural ceremony here with you in January. One of our most sacred ceremony sites is the Cradle of Life waterfall. It is an hour’s hike from our campsite and we’ll have one of our four yagé ceremonies here.
Departure: January 5
After breakfast, we will hike out of the jungle to Mocoa and take a taxi to the airport in Villa Garzon.
Should there be any changes to the flight plans, we will stay at a hotel between Mocoa and Villa Garzon until we can catch our flight back to Bogotá.
***Disclaimer: Ayahuasca and other plant medicines are not a cure-all for physical and mental ailments, nor should they be used in place of life-saving medicine. The Lacuna Colombia retreat center is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified physician or other health care professionals.
Pricing: December 29 - January 5
Our January Retreat is priced at $2,500. This includes:
- All transportation in Colombia
- 1 Night Hotel Stay in Bogotá, December 29
- Group Dinner in Bogotá, December 29
- Flight to and From Villa Garzon Putumayo
- 7 nights at LACUNA
- All meals at LACUNA
- 4 Yage (Ayahuasca) ceremonies
- 1 Bufo ceremony
- 1 Kambo ceremony
- Yoga
Register for the December LACUNA Retreat Today
Interested in attending a plant medicine retreat? Complete the form below and you will be directed to book an introduction call with the LACUNA team.