Ayahuasca Retreat | January

This is an eight-day Ayahuasca and Internal Alchemy retreat at the Tantraya Center in Písac, in Peru's Sacred Valley near Cusco. It is led by the shaman Paul Diamond and kept small so each participant receives individual attention. It suits people who want deep personal work with ayahuasca, grounded in meditation and energetic practice, and who value a guide with long training in the world's wisdom traditions.

The approach is heavily influenced by the Tantric traditions. The organizers read the word in parts: TAN as expand, TRA as liberate, and AYA as the little death. Expansion and liberation come through surrender and recognition, with realization arising in the after-death-like state of ceremony. The emphasis is on practices that awaken the medicine's full potential inside ceremony and help bring all aspects of the higher self into daily life afterward.

What to Expect

Three ayahuasca ceremonies take place over the week, on the evenings of days three, five and seven. Before each one there is a late-afternoon Q and A, followed by a Tantric Puja in which allies, Gods, Goddesses, ancestors and helpers from the plant and spirit realms are called on to empower, heal and liberate the spirit. The ceremony begins at 8 p.m.

The rest of the retreat is built around a steady daily rhythm:

- 8 a.m. meditation
- 9:15 a.m. breakfast
- 11:15 a.m. yoga and Qi Gong
- 12:45 p. m. lunch
- 2 p.m. afternoon meditation, alternating between Metta Bhavana and Tong Len
- 5:30 p.m. dinner on days without ceremony

The first day begins with arrival at midday, a Fire Puja at 2 p.m. and dinner. The final morning has breakfast, a closing ceremony at 10:30 a.m., and a car to Cusco at noon.

Throughout the week the group works with a specific set of practices drawn from the internal energetic and alchemical traditions: Taoism, Tantra, Alchemy and Shamanism. They are simple to learn and far-reaching, and they are repeated on a regular cycle to ground, activate and energize the body's energy circuits.

About Paul Diamond

Paul Diamond is initiated into a number of lineages and has over 20 years of training in the world's wisdom traditions. The organizers describe the spiritual and energetic protection he offers as exceptional, and they stress that an experienced, knowledgeable guide matters when working in the inter-dimensional realms, where safety comes first. The intention is a field of love and a safe, intimate space conducive to Kundalini awakening, deep realizations and liberation.

The Setting

The retreat is held at the Tantraya Center in the Sacred Valley, in Písac, in the Cusco region of Peru. Lodging and all meals are provided, and transportation to and from Cusco is arranged, with the car back to the city leaving at noon on the last day.

Before You Go

The price covers all activities, lodging, food and transportation to and from Cusco. The group is small, so places are limited, and interested participants apply through the retreat's application.