ZIRUYAI
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The process
Your journey, before, during and after
A retreat is not about escaping your life, it is about meeting it more honestly. That change takes root when you prepare with intention, are held well in ceremony, and are supported as you carry it home.
A word from Miranda Vires
“The medicine opens the door. What you do before and after is where the change takes root.”
Miranda Vires, founder of Miranda Vires, is the human bridge around the sacred work of the taitas, helping you arrive prepared and steady and walking with you long after you return home. This is how the whole arc of the journey is held.
01 | Before you come
Preparation begins in your everyday life
Preparation for any master plant ceremony begins with intention and cleansing, of the body, the mind and the spirit. The body is the vessel, and the dieta keeps your ceremony safe and comfortable while showing your intent for a clear and healing process.
Foods to favour
Eat clean and light
Plant-based, organic and as natural as possible: fish, eggs, vegetables, lentils, soups, rice, beans and fruits.
Foods to set aside
Avoid these
Red meat, pork, dairy, spicy foods, garlic, citrus, dark drinks (coffee, chocolate, sodas), ice cream, ice-cold drinks and alcohol.
Ideally begin the dieta a week before ceremony; at minimum, three days before and twenty-four hours after. If finding the right foods is hard, don't worry, a special cook is on site the whole time, sourcing ethically and cooking properly for the medicine.
Clear the mind, set your intention
An intention helps you build a relationship with the sacred plants with a clear, cleansed mind. In the days before, step back from social media and television, and turn instead to meditation, journaling and gratitude.
It is also traditional to refrain from sexual activity for at least three days before, to conserve vital energy for the ceremony itself.
Support available | before you travel
You don't prepare alone. Every retreat guest is welcomed into the ZiruYai Companion (coming soon), a growing space of preparation and integration resources, free to everyone who sits. For those who want a steadier hand, deeper 1:1 support with Miranda is available throughout. See preparation and integration →
02 | During the retreat
Held in a safe, natural home
Yagé is not like any other substance; it holds within itself a complete spiritual realm. Prepared traditionally by those who carry its mystery, its purity is preserved. Our highest priority is that you have a guided, safe experience with the medicine.
A held space
There is always someone there to share your experience with. Our facilitators have worked with the plants for many years and are trained, with love, to hold whatever arises.
Where you'll rest
Comfortable accommodation amidst nature. Each bed has a mosquito net and screen for privacy, with Western toilets and a shower close by, and restful nights.
The rhythm
Ceremonies by day and night, woven with rest, river, fresh food and quiet. There is no rigid schedule; the days are shaped around the group so the work can unfold as it needs to.
Surrender is the heart of it. Soften, breathe, and let the medicine lead. Whatever arises is a part of you asking to be met, and it passes. You are attended throughout, never left alone with the medicine.
03 | After and integration
The journey doesn't end when the fire goes out
Integration is where insight becomes a life you can actually live. Rather than rushing to explain everything, the work is to slow down, listen to the body, and let the changes settle gently into your days. This is the quiet, tender part, and it is where Miranda walks most closely with you.
Healing keeps unfolding, sometimes for weeks or months. You are not meant to do it alone.
Go gently
Rest, hydrate, and keep the dieta a little longer. Give yourself quiet, unhurried days before returning to ordinary speed.
Tend the insight
Journal, move, be in nature, and let what you saw become small, livable changes rather than a single grand resolution.
Stay connected
Keep the company of others who understand. Community and gentle accompaniment are what help the work hold.
What's available to you
Support for the whole path, as much or as little as you need
Included with your retreat
ZiruYai Companion
A growing space of preparation and integration resources, free to everyone who sits with us. Coming soon.
1:1 deep support
Walk it with Miranda
Unlimited calls, texts and voice notes, with at least two calls a month. For those in deeper change, grief, or a longer road.
Open to all
Monthly integration circles
Live monthly gatherings open to the wider community, whether or not you have sat on retreat.
Questions
Before you decide
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Begin with a conversation
We'll help you prepare, choose the right retreat, and plan the support that's right for you.
Book a consultation