The Ayahuasca Vine

The Ayahuasca Vine covers all the Rythmia related ayahuasca press from around the net. Some great reading from various influencers.

A woman, sitting cross-legged, meditates as the sun setsA woman, sitting cross-legged, meditates as the sun sets

About Rythmia’s Ayahuasca Ceremony

A healer and indigenous medicine musician sits outside on the grass at Rythmia with his guitar.

Originating from within the Amazon, especially in Peru, Ayahuasca has a rich history connected to the indigenous Costa Ricans. The ceremony is conducted with a brownish tea, Caapi, a combination of a creeping plant that grows in the jungle and plant leaves with hallucinogenic properties. This combination of plants allows the release and activation of DMT within your brain.

Under the close guidance of a Shaman, in a large well-lit room with mattresses for each individual taking part in the ceremony, all individuals partaking in the journey will drink their tea together. The shaman will walk you through the process of connecting deeply to higher intelligence and facilitating the space for a deep understanding of one’s true self. The Ayahuasca ceremony itself lasts approximately five hours, a whole evening dedicated to yourself.

Native to the Amazon, Ayahuasca is legal there, and all events held are authorized. In America, the Ayahuasca scene is still largely underground and misleading. It is rare you find a shaman at these private ceremonies, and often these suburban shamans are not properly trained. An unprepared and poorly trained shaman is a danger to his patients.

You will encounter the Divine, impossibility, the mystery of boundlessness - whatever you wish to call it – that which is beyond the restrictive sight of the mind. You must also be open to the sentiment that the Divine/infinite/mystery can not be experienced in a manner that will be comprehensible to your brain. The infinite is limitless, while your mind is still constrained.

The icaros, sung by a Shaman, are crucial to the flow of the ceremony. The songs boost the visual effects of the Ayahuasca while also demonstrating the immense influence music can have on your brain and wellbeing.

Ayahuasca is always referred to in the feminine because individuals have reported that the voice of greater intelligence they hear throughout the journey is a woman. The medicine speaks straight to you, and she tells you exactly where your priorities and focus must lie in your life.

Inexpressable, ineffable, beyond the construct of language, the experience will be impossible to convey in its entirety to anyone. Some find describing the experience intimidating, as well as laborious. You may also come to the conclusion that everything perceived by your five senses was a constructed fabrication.

Years of therapy and rehabilitation in the span of hours seems to be a common way to sum it up. Returning ceremony participants be warned: each time they experience the divine/infinite/mystery, it will be a different journey. Each experience is like a small drop of water in the ocean, completely unique but a part of something greater.

Adhering to the suggested diet prior to the ceremony will ease your purging session later. The fewer toxins– (salt, sugar, alcohol, high levels of caffeine, etc.) you have trapped in your body, the less it has to cleanse. The medicine expands the toxins and pollutants that have been built up over the years. Purge buckets will be provided, it is likely that you will purge a lot. If your body is clean, however, then there will be nothing to remove.

Plant medicine allows the subjective self to open up and merge with its soul. Following the ceremonies, most participants feel they have acquired a new outlook on the mundane truth. The ceremony includes deconstructing the current foundation of your psyche and then rebuilding it with your intent and new priorities in play. This is a very intense method of merging the conscious and subconscious mind- if you are looking for your purge, rewiring, and perspective change, Rythmia is the place to experience it.

When searching for a safe ceremony space, it is crucial to check that your Shaman is authentic, as they will be your guide and have your psychological and emotional well-being in their hands. It is always important to research the event, and for those in charge, personal safety should come first.

At Rythmia, the resident Shaman is the well-renowned Taita Juanita. The title of Taita is revered, and receiving it takes time to learn the traditional ethics of Ayahuasca medicine. Taita Juanita has decades of experience, earning the title in his early teens, a rare accomplishment that speaks to his Shamanistic instincts.

The most important element in preparing for an Ayahuasca retreat or any trip abroad to experience plant medicine is safety and research. At Rythmia, we have the resources and amenities needed to make your healing as effective, safe, and comfortable as possible. For more information and details regarding medical certification, vegan/vegetarian meals or medical screenings, please visit Rythmia .

More From The Ayahuasca Vine

Gerard (Gerry) Powell, Founder and CEO of Rythmia, smiling for the camera Gerard (Gerry) Powell, Founder and CEO of Rythmia, smiling for the camera

Featured Article

WHEN BUSINESS MEETS SPIRITUALITY: TIPS FOR OPENING A SPIRITUAL BUSINESS

CRYSTAL FAMBRINI INTERVIEWS GERARD POWELL CEO OF RYTHMIA LIFE ADVANCEMENT CENTER OF COSTA RICA.

By California Life HD / August 18, 2020

Crystal: Hi Gerard I’m glad we have this opportunity to talk. I want to congratulate you on the outstanding success of Rythmia. My research has led me to conclude that you are absolutely the market leader in this space. Do you agree with that?

Gerard: I actually wouldn’t say that. We only have been operational for four years pre-covid. I would say a market leader can call themselves that after the seventh year in business. I also want to acknowledge that there are many fantastic organizations in this space. That said, I do believe that we have created a center that delivers the greatest plant-based program centric customer experience.

Crystal: Yes, I read your reviews from clients. I imagine you hear this often but, if there weren’t so many, and we didn’t spot check and verify I would think you wrote them yourself. I mean can Rythmia really be this good?

Gerard: One of the drawbacks to having that kind of track record is that sometimes it looks too good to be true. But, as a business owner, that’s a pretty good problem to have.

Crystal: You quote things like miracle rates and retention rates, what have you learned so far with this?

Gerard: I learned this, and I wish more people looked at things this way: the law of large numbers is always at work. Yes, you get more miracles by doing large numbers but your exposure also goes up. So with the good also comes some bad.

Crystal: Please elaborate.

Gerard:People simply don’t understand that the more business you do not only the more good but also the more challenges show up. You can’t do the volume of souls we do and expect every single one to experience perfection. We are extremely lucky because 95.12% in 2019 and 93.12% since inception of our guests report a miracle during their stay. But the better statistic is 98.01% say they would come back and recommend this place to a friend. That really is spectacular.

Crystal: What do those percentages equate to?

Gerard:Extrapolated, we have had 7513 guests, 6997 guests reported miracles during their stay, and 7363 would come back and refer a friend. That leaves about 134 dissatisfied customers out of the 7513. And our corporate sole focus is to fix whatever went wrong with the 134 that were dissatisfied.

MORE FROM AROUND THE WEB

Why We Are Bringing Entrepreneurs to Costa Rica to Drink Ayahuasca

YOU CAN NEVER CROSS THE OCEAN UNTIL YOU HAVE THE COURAGE TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE SHORE. — CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

Rythmia Ayahuasca Retreat

It wasn’t an easy decision. It’s a decision we wrestled with repeatedly (and still do). We are not shamen, gurus or healers. We don’t teach yoga and aren’t particularly disciplined meditators.

We are startup guys and entrepreneurs. We have spent our post-college lives walking fast, talking fast and living in big cities. We spent most of our careers helping big businesses sell unhealthy and unneeded products.

And that’s exactly why.

Psychedlic image with the sun and fire and nature in vibrant colors
Gerry Powell, Founder and CEO of Rythmia in a field jumping with hands in the air

HOW TO WAKE UP BEFORE YOU DIE

It’s been six months since doing Ayahuasca at Rythmia Costa Rica and my world has been rocked! What brought me originally to Rythmia was to cough-up a big nasty hairball of a dark and painful past.

My hopes were that I could clear my path forward by answering some of life’s simplest, yet most difficult questions such as: “Who am I? Why am I here? And, who shit in my pants?”

I came close to death on several occasions in my life, mainly due to alcohol and drug induced behaviour that lead to several Nascar-worthy car crashes, some epically stupid ideas, and many mindless stunts that somehow, I managed to survive. One weird near-death experience was from being bitten on a remote Thai island by one of the most poisonous snakes on the planet. To get me off the island to a hospital on a Sunday at 5:30 am in 90 to 120 minutes before my brain exploded (side effect), was nothing less than a James Bond chase scene. If anyone is curious, I made it.

Another epic near-death experience where I ended up in the emergency ward was from doing too much cocaine, which collapsed my lung and sent my heart in a spasm. That one I’m not too proud of.

HOW TO WAKE UP BEFORE YOU DIE

It’s been six months since doing Ayahuasca at Rythmia Costa Rica and my world has been rocked! What brought me originally to Rythmia was to cough-up a big nasty hairball of a dark and painful past.

My hopes were that I could clear my path forward by answering some of life’s simplest, yet most difficult questions such as: “Who am I? Why am I here? And, who shit in my pants?”

I came close to death on several occasions in my life, mainly due to alcohol and drug induced behaviour that lead to several Nascar-worthy car crashes, some epically stupid ideas, and many mindless stunts that somehow, I managed to survive. One weird near-death experience was from being bitten on a remote Thai island by one of the most poisonous snakes on the planet. To get me off the island to a hospital on a Sunday at 5:30 am in 90 to 120 minutes before my brain exploded (side effect), was nothing less than a James Bond chase scene. If anyone is curious, I made it.

Another epic near-death experience where I ended up in the emergency ward was from doing too much cocaine, which collapsed my lung and sent my heart in a spasm. That one I’m not too proud of.

A woman in a yellow convertible sports car driving in Costa Rica to Rythmia.

Progression Through Unlearning: The Miracle of Rythmia

Rythmia Life Advancement Center is an all-inclusive luxurious resort located in Guancaste, Costa Rica. The intention of the space is to provide the opportunity to heal, transform consciousness, and evolve mental, spiritual and emotional wellness through alternative therapies in a medically supervised, safe, and accomodating environment.

What makes Rythmia so unique, is not just the fact that it is the first medically licensed plant medicine facility of its kind, but also the fact that this space was made manifest from a miracle, and has been able to provide miracles for almost 90% of all of its guests.

The Miracle of Rythmia

Is This the Ultimate Spiritual Vacation?

A CEO, a surf star, and a mom walk into a bar…

While this may sound like the beginning of some lewd joke, it’s actually the beginning of my recent vacation in Costa Rica. The bar was an organic juice bar. The surf star was Kelly Slater, eleven-time world surfing champion. The CEO was the head of one of the largest companies in Canada. And the mom was me, on a much-needed break from my busy life.

Since Rythmia Life Advancement Center opened its doors in 2015, 96% of their guests report experiencing a life-changing miracle by the end of their stay. And six months later, these people report their miracle is lasting. That sounds like good odds, right? Maybe a little bit too good to be true?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ayahuasca?

Ayahuasca, also known as Yage, the Tea and Caapi, is a potent psychedelic beverage made by boiling the leaves of the Psychotria viridis bush together with the stems of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine in water. The P. Viridis contains N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which provides the hallucinogenic properties, and the B. caapi contains alkaloids like harmine and tetrahydroharmine that act as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), preventing the DMT present in the P. viridis from being broken down and processed by the natural digestive process of the body. Meaning, that if you were to consume P. viridis by itself, you would feel no psychoactive effects even though there is always DMT present in the leaves of the P. Viridis; the alkaloids that act as MAOIs are what unleash the therapeutic effects of the medicine.

Where Does Ayahuasca Come From and What Does the Word Mean?

Discovered in South America’s Amazon Basin centuries ago, Ayahuasca has been used by tribes in the region to heal traumas, seek wisdom and even enter adulthood. The name Ayahuasca is a compound word in the language Quechua. The first half, aya, means ancestors or soul and the second half, huasca (spelled wasca in Quechuan), means rope or vine. The most common translation for the word is “vine of the soul.”

Who Brews the Ayahuasca?

Traditionally, the shaman leading an Ayahuasca ceremony will be the person to cultivate the ingredients and prepare the brew. This allows your shaman an opportunity to communicate with the spirit of the medicine and request that the mother (who is the personification of the spirit of the medicine) help lead patients in the ceremony to the miracle they came to Rythmia to experience.

How Does Ayahuasca Therapy Help Patients?

Traditionally, the shaman leading an Ayahuasca ceremony will be the person to cultivate the ingredients and prepare the brew. This allows your shaman an opportunity to communicate with the spirit of the medicine and request that the mother (who is the personification of the spirit of the medicine) help lead patients in the ceremony to the miracle they came to Rythmia to experience.

What is the Significance of Celebrity Testimonials?

With a medicine like Ayahuasca, it’s important to get a sense of how it can improve your life. While Rythmia has thousands of reviews on trip advisor, it is difficult to see how plant medicine affects an individual who is more private in respect to many aspects of their life. With a public figure or influencer, it is common (especially in the age of social media) for celebrities to share many facets of their personal life. This means that everyone can see the way ayahuasca can evolve an individual, both personally and professionally. However, it is true many public figures are already thriving in their field. For these individuals, the miracle they find could be artistic inspiration, spiritual clarity, or personal harmony. Rythmia has received testimonials from some amazing public figures: surf legend Kelly Slater, monumental talent Bobby Brown, and television and film star Terrance Howard are just a few.

17,000+ Souls Healed

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Rythmia is the #1 customer-rated healing center in the world on Tripadvisor with over 2,500 five-star reviews.

Miracle delivered and then some.

How can you explain a life-changing event? While the amenities and such are all very nice, the main reason to come here is if you are looking for a miracle. I have been fundamentally changed. Mother Aya turned me inside out, emptied my resentments, anxieties, people-pleasing, judgements, criticisms and self-doubt and replaced it with pure love, joy and gratitude. This is only recommended for people who are serious about going deep, healing and rebooting their lives. I've already booked my next trip. The staff are incredible, helpful and accommodating. I'm usually a jaded New Yorker, but this has turned me into a believer. Pura vida!

Rhea W

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It’s a wonderful place in every way. Don’t hesitate, just go.

This is one of the most life affirming and transformational experiences/places I’ve ever visited. If you want to learn about who you are and see who you can become, go to Rythmia. There is a growth you can attain that you will call a miracle if you experience Rythmia for yourself. The things you learn at Rythmia will allow you to create your own program for a wonderful life. I’m a staunch skeptic about most things and I must say this place is is the real deal and I recommend booking your trip today 🙏🏽

Rich V

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A Life Changer - If You Feel You Are Being Called, Go!

For seekers being called to do the work, there cannot be a better place for your plant medicine journey. In addition to true, traditional ceremonies with authentic shamans of extensive lineage, Rythmia's system of preparation and integration is key, with supplemental coursework, breathwork, yoga, spa, and whole-food organic meals...in a medically-staffed resort setting. Rythmia provides a comfortable and safe setting for you to go deep, and change your life.

Stephen M

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Great retreat at Rythmia — would go back again

My week at Rythmia was one of the best weeks of my life. I didn't exactly know what to expect going into it. I had never had any psychedelics let alone weed or anything like that. I also haven't been to general wellness or yoga retreats before either. Every aspect of the retreat exceeded my expectations from the plant ceremonies, the food, the yoga, and the breathwork sessions. I would highly recommend Rythmia to everyone and would love to go back again.

Harry W

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Transormative Experience

This place is unreal. Everything you've read about receiving a miracle is spot on. 5 star service, intuitive staff, amazing food, and accommodations along with wonderful shamans all add up to the ultimate place to experience your own incredible journey. Surrender, attend all the classes, relax and enjoy. Don't be mistaken, this is hard work, but anything worthwhile is.

Eefir

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A Life Changing Experience

It was an unexpected, amazing and life changing experience. The staff was wonderful, the location beautiful, the amenities perfect, the food fabulous and teachers/leaders VERY knowledgeable and helpful whenever needed. The ceremonies where superbly done with leaders and staff to ensure the utmost experience for everyone. I plan on going back and would recommend Rythmia to anyone who wishes to make life long friends and to grow and better themselves.

Jen A

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This is Where Miracles Happen

Coming to Rythmia was the best decision I’ve ever made. I expected a miracle because my soul called me there and that is exactly what I got! I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to come! Thank you to Gerry and to all the beautiful staff! I am so incredibly happy that I found myself and healed my heart! Because that’s what happens when you come here!! I recommend this place to every single person I know and don’t know!!!

Amy S

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MD review

I am so thankful I came to witness a true physical, emotional, and spiritual healing of others and finding such spiritual balance for myself. It is truly medicine rather than "psychedelic drugs". It doesn't deserve that stigma based on what I have seen. The place is beautiful, the staff are amazing, and the food is delicious. I can't wait to refer patients here.

TOUR20361

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A week you will never forget.

Incredible experience. Amazing facility. Even better staff. Life changing. I highly recommend taking the leap and visiting Rythmia. There is something very special about this place and will 100% return!

Matthew S

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The best gift I've ever given myself.

I went in expecting that I might get some nice insights, see some great visuals, meet some nice people, and enjoy a week in Costa Rica. I never thought it would be the most transformative week of my life. Already booked to come back next year.

Doug C

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MAGICAL

This is the most MAGICAL place on earth. My experience was extraordinary. The medicine ceremonies were profoundly life changing and the intimate treatment you recieve from the staff was so touching. I highly recommended this experience for anyone who feels called.

Kristi G

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Amazing, Life-Changing Experience!

I loved everything about the Rythmia experience. The casitas were very comfortable and clean; the staff were awesome; the food was amazing; the program was life-changing; the people I met there will be friends for life. It got me seriously considering moving there!

Bernadette R

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Transormational Experience

My experience at Rythmia was transformational. A unique experience to connect with my soul and the mother nature and heal. Amazing people helping you going through the journey with love and compassion. So grateful.

Giselle P

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Truly Incredible Experience

Rythmia exceeded all expectations. The entire staff was amazing, the food was great and the ceremonies were life changing. I ended up staying a second week. All in all it was a truly incredible healing experience. Thank you!

Taylor P

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