CEREMONIAL RETREATS
We offer 3-6 day retreats on the West Coast of the US with several different retreat formats. We ask that you read thoroughly the information about each retreat format to see what is most aligned for this moment of your journey.
3- DAY RETREAT
Mt. Hood, Oregon
July 25-27
Homecoming: Awaken Your Inner Truth – 3 Day Retreat
3- DAY RETREAT
Tillamook Forest, Oregon
August 15-17
Earth Rite: Vision Quest Retreat
3- DAY RETREAT
North Cascades, WA
September 12-14
Homecoming: Awaken Your Inner Truth – 3 Day Retreat
Preparing for Ceremony
Working with plant medicines requires preparation on all levels – physically, mentally, and spiritually. This preparation is not about limitation; rather, it is an investment in yourself.
The goal is to amplify and deepen your experience with the sacraments, creating an environment where healing can unfold naturally and powerfully. You’ve taken a significant step by investing your time, energy, and resources into this journey.
Approach the preparation with love, gentleness, and a full heart. Everything you do in this time, every choice, every action, is part of the devotion to your growth and to honoring the sacred process you’re about to enter. Perfection is not required or expected, but an open and willing heart and doing your current best in the preparation process will have clear benefits for you in the retreat.
Temple Abzu provides a 100+ page preparation guidebook to all participants. You can also purchase the ebook here. Please do not purchase if attending one of our retreats; this product will be included in the price.
Dieta
Leading up to ceremony, a strict physical and mental diet is important to prepare the body, mind and spirit. Our body absorbs and filters all that we come into contact with in this life. It easily becomes blocked and energy does not flow easily. Allowing energy to begin flowing through cleaning up the diet creates the best environment for the sacraments to do their work, essentially making you a clear channel.
The dieta also includes abstaining from sexual activity, negative energy and substances that can intersect negatively with the sacraments. Though an ayahuasca retreat is often defined by the time spent at the retreat itself, most participants find that the journey begins the moment they commit to attending. This decision alone sets a spectrum of changes in motion, activating a healing process rooted in the dedication of time, energy, and intention required to show up to a retreat.
- Specifically for the Grandmother dieta period, it is recommended to abstain from:
- Sexual activities of any kind, including masturbation
- Dark media
- Social media consumption
- Alcohol
- Cannabis
- All street drugs (cocaine, MDMA, amphetamines, etc.)
- Spicy foods
- Ice, ice cream, or ice cold drinks
- Refined sugars
- Red meat
- Junk and processed foods
- Salt or pepper
- Sweets or chocolate
- Oils (if you must use oil, use olive or coconut oil very sparingly)
- Animal fats (lard, etc.)
- Carbonated drinks (including diet sodas, energy drinks, non-alcoholic beer)
- Dairy products
- Fermented foods
- Caffeine & other stimulants
Medical Considerations
Certain medications and supplements can interact negatively with the sacraments, potentially causing serious health risks. Some substances, even if not directly harmful, can interfere with the ability of the sacraments and the facilitator to connect to and work with your energy during the ceremony.
Ayahuasca in particular is not recommended for people with psychosis or bipolar disorders. While ayahuasca has rarely caused issues for people with major heart conditions, it’s important to approach this with caution. Many drugs haven’t been tested for compatibility with the medicine, so it’s important to be open about anything you’re taking. If you’re on SSRIs, you’ll need to be off them for at least four weeks before ceremony.
If you have a medical diagnosis, we recommend consulting with your doctor to ensure you get the right guidance, especially when it comes to tapering any medications. Please don’t stop or change any medications or medically necessary supplements without first discussing it with your primary care doctor.
Safety is our priority and medical screening is required for all participants.
Mental and Emotional Preparation
It is helpful to practice mindfulness and other introspective emotional and spiritual practices in the period before coming to a retreat. These can include meditation, journaling, a morning practice, somatic work, movement, time in nature or any practice that resonates with you and allows you to come into yourself. This will help ground you into the experience and be in the best place to receive the wisdom of the sacraments.
Temple Abzu provides a 100+ page preparation guidebook to all participants. You can also purchase the ebook here. Please do not purchase if attending one of our retreats; this product will be included in the price.
"what lies ahead? Reimagining the world. only that."
Body Regeneration and Microdose Group Programs
Several times per year, group temples are opened to journey through a full body and energetic detox and a group microdosing journey. Engaging in either of these before or after ceremony can help to get the most out of the experience and to deepen fully into integration afterwards.