Who are the taitas, and how were they trained?
Indigenous healers of the Putumayo, initiated as children and carrying more than 25 years on this path within an unbroken Cofán and Amazonian lineage. You can meet each of them by name below.
ZIRUYAIZIRUYAIZIRUYAI
Putumayo | Colombian Amazon
Meet the yagé medicine in its birthplace
8- and 10-day ayahuasca retreats in the Colombian jungle, held safely by the taitas who carry the lineage, with someone beside you from your first question to long after you return home.
8 and 10 days
Retreat lengths
Small groups
Personally attended
25+ years
Taita lineage
Putumayo
Where the medicine grows
What a retreat is
More than ceremony. A way of being held.
This is not a weekend of ceremonies stacked back to back. Your days unfold in the rhythm of the forest: rest, real food, quiet, the steady presence of the taitas and the team who tend you, and ceremony when the moment is right. Nothing is rushed, and you are watched over the whole way through.
The medicine opens the door. Everything around it, the people, the pace, the land, is what lets you walk through it safely.
Yagé is sacred, and so is the person who comes to sit with it. We tend the plants with respect for their ancestry, and tend you with the same care.
Upcoming retreats | 2026–27
Upcoming dates
Every retreat includes lodging, all meals, ceremonies and integration support before and after.
Custom dates and private retreats on request, talk to us.
Your safety
This is powerful work. We hold it with care.
Readiness looks different for everyone, and some things are simply worth talking through first. Every guest begins with a private consultation, so we can understand where you are and guide you honestly, with care and no pressure.
Medical screening
We review your health history and medications for contraindications before you travel.
Continuous support
Taitas and facilitators attend every ceremony and hold you through the night.
Let's talk it through
Some conditions or medications are worth a closer conversation before you sit. We look at it together, honestly and without pressure.
Integration after
The work continues at home. We stay in contact and support you as you integrate.
Is this for you?
This work asks something of you
Yagé is not for everyone, and not for every season of a life. A little honesty now saves a great deal later.
This path may be calling you if…
- ✓You feel a genuine pull toward healing, growth or self-knowledge.
- ✓You are willing to surrender and let the medicine lead.
- ✓You are ready to look at yourself honestly, and to be met with care.
- ✓You want to reconnect with nature, spirit and your own heart.
- ✓You value the whole path, preparation and integration, not only the ceremony.
It may not be the right time if…
- •You take certain medications, antidepressants and SSRIs in particular, or have a condition we flag in screening.
- •You are pregnant, or it is your moon cycle.
- •You are seeking a quick fix or a recreational experience.
- •You cannot step away from daily life to rest and integrate afterward.
- •You feel pushed by someone else, rather than genuinely called.
Unsure where you stand? Take a gentle two-minute self-check, and we will be honest with you.
Questions worth asking
Ask us anything before you sit
The plant-medicine world has been called the wild west, and you should vet anyone you sit with, carefully. These are the questions we hope you ask, of us and of anyone else, with our honest answers.
How many people are in a ceremony, and who holds the space?
Groups are kept small and personally attended. The taitas and trained facilitators are present through every ceremony and every night, the container is never left unheld.
What is actually in the medicine?
Yagé, the Banisteriopsis caapi vine, prepared with chacruna and nothing else. It is cooked traditionally in the jungle, so you know exactly what you are receiving.
Is there screening and preparation?
Always. Every guest begins with a private screening conversation, a review of health history and medications, and clear preparation and dieta guidance before arrival.
What about consent, touch and boundaries?
Your body and your consent are respected at all times. Clear professional boundaries and safeguarding are part of how we hold ceremony, you are never obligated to anything.
What support is there afterward?
Integration is where the work takes root. Everyone who sits is welcomed into the ZiruYai Companion (coming soon), a growing space of preparation and integration resources, free to the community. There are also guided integration calls, a private group with priority support, and optional 1:1 sessions for those who want a steadier hand, including if difficulty surfaces weeks or months later.
The hands that hold the work
Your facilitators
Support before, during and after
The journey doesn't end when the fire goes out
The medicine opens the door; what you do before and after is where the change takes root. You are supported at every step, prepared before you arrive, held through every ceremony, and walked alongside long after you fly home. This preparation and integration support is guided by Miranda Vires, a somatic and psychedelic practitioner who has sat with Ziru Yai since 2017.
Prepared, not thrown in
A private conversation, a look at your health and history, and real guidance on diet, mindset and intention, so you arrive grounded and know what to expect.
Held in ceremony
The taitas and the team beside you in every ceremony, with daily care, plant baths and the slow rhythm of the jungle holding the space around you.
Integration that lasts
Integration calls, the ZiruYai Companion (coming soon) and a private group, so the change keeps taking root, including if difficulty surfaces weeks or months later.
In their own words
Words from those who have sat with us
"Ziru Yai is a rare place of integrity, care, and deep listening. I leave already longing to return."
"This retreat changed my life. I walked out of the jungle so much lighter."
"A life-changing experience in the most grounded way. I left feeling clearer, more connected, and deeply grateful."
Before your first ceremony
A few gentle truths to carry in with you
It is all internal.
Whatever arises is a part of you asking to be met, never something outside you to fear.
Breathe, slow and deep.
Whatever comes is temporary. It will pass, and you are held the whole way through it.
Surrender, don't steer.
Soften, smile, and let the medicine lead. Control is the very thing to release.
Healing keeps unfolding.
There is an integration process, and it takes time. You are not meant to do it alone.
Questions
Before you decide
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Want the full picture on medications, conditions and risks? Read our complete safety and contraindications guide
If you feel the call, this is your home
Start with a conversation. We'll help you understand the work and find the right time to come.
Book a consultation