The Ceremony

The Ayahuasca ceremonies at Dreamglade are always held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday night and usually begin around 8:30 pm.

Even though the Maloka has space for a few more, we limit the number to a maximum 10 guests per ceremony. This is to ensure that each person has plenty of space around them so as not to be adversely influenced by other people’s experiences and also so that everybody receives adequate care and attention from the Dreamglade team. (both male and female facilitators)

Each guest has their own mattress with sheets, blankets and pillows and also a small bucket (for vomiting) as well as an ashtray and some local jungle tobacco (mapacho) that is traditionally used in conjunction with ayahuasca.

We recommend that you bring a medium-sized water bottle with you that can be re-filled from the large container of purified water that is stationed by the door. A head torch or a small flashlight that can easily fit inside your pocket and possibly a lighter are also a good idea.

There are clean, modern bathrooms very close to the maloka for easy, quick access.

For first-timers, one of the “DreamTeam” will give a in-depth, hour-long talk before they begin their first ceremony, explaining some of the “do’s and dont’s” and also other very useful and important information to ensure that you have a positive, pleasurable and totally safe experience.

We then proceed to “smudge” the entire Maloka (large ceremonial hut) by burning “Palo Santo”, a fragrant Amazonian wood, to create a nice clean space for the night’s work.

The dosage given to each guest is tailored to their own particular needs and desires. We usually give first-time drinkers a maximum of a half dose to begin with, just to make sure that they don’t have too intense an initial experience. It also gives us a better idea of how sensitive they are and therefore how much they will require in future ceremonies. If a second dose is required, we will bring it to them, right to their bed but as a general rule we prefer that they have “purged” (vomited) the first dose before we give them a second one. We also prefer to wait at least a couple of hours before we are even considering offering more Ayahuasca, just to be sure that we are never giving anyone too much which could result in a stressful experience. The safety of every guest that visits Dreamglade is always our number one priority.

The Ayahuasca that we use at Dreamglade is very potent and usually very visual. The brew is first smudged/prepared for the ceremony and then each guest is called up in turn to receive their initial dose. (each guest has their own personal shot glass)

We always advise our guests to make a short, simple intention just before they drink, just as a prelude to the healing work.

Once everybody has taken their medicine, the lantern is extinguished and the ceremony begins…

Typically, the ceremonies last between 4 to 5 hours, and the Curanderos sing their “Icaros” (healing songs) for the majority of that time.

For the entire duration of the ceremony, they are working on everyone in the Maloka, using their plant spirit “allies” as healing tools and also ensuring that the ceremonial space is completely clean and clear of any uninvited guests, such as darker spirits/energies.

The facilitators are on hand throughout the night and regularly check-in on each guest, typically every 30 minutes or so, just to make sure that they are in a good space and to give them assistance if they require it, even if it is just to fill up their water bottle, bring them an extra blanket or even to give them a helping hand to get to the bathrooms.

Sometimes people’s experiences can be a little tough, often (but not always) for the first one or two ceremonies.

It is quite common that a person’s own particular issues such as hidden fears or insecurities will come up quite strongly as Ayahuasca often acts as a kind of ‘mirror’, illustrating to them very clearly the shadow parts of themselves that need to be healed or released.

If we see that someone is having a difficult night, we will come and sit with them for as long as necessary (even if it’s several hours) to help guide them through the process of releasing the repressed emotions, past traumas or energy blocks that are manifesting. The most important thing is that you stay as relaxed as possible and surrender completely to whatever is coming up. The more you resist or judge your experience, the more difficult it will be for you so we will softly and placidly remind you to stay calm, control your breathing and accept fully whatever it is that you are experiencing.

We encourage our guests trust  the process and to go with whatever they are feeling. If they feel the need to cry, then cry. If they feel the urge to get up and dance or even do some yoga moves, we are completely ok with this just as long as they are not disturbing the other participants.

Towards the latter part of the ceremony, each person is brought up to sit with one of the curanderos to receive a personal healing, known traditionally as a “limpieza”, usually lasting about 5-10 minutes but sometimes longer if the person needs it.

When everybody has completed their turn, we then close the ceremony and very often we will go and sit outside on the swim platform to chat about the night’s events and to gaze at the stars and connect with the beautiful jungle surroundings.

Every morning following the ceremonies, we have our “Share Circle” held in the maloka, giving everybody a chance to talk about their experiences from the night before.