This article is a submission for the Ayahuasca Awareness Program, an initiative by the Spirit Vine Center in Brazil. The program aims to help increase awareness of the potential of ayahuasca by sponsoring free ayahuasca retreats every month for people who feel the call for spiritual development with ayahuasca and other methods.

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The Spiritual Journey of Enlightenment

Greetings my fellow human beings , i come to you with an open heart , an open mind and an old soul that seeks further enlightenment like us all . The journey of life & spiritual enlightenment varies from one soul to the next . We are all one , all connected , all share the same life’s purpose . What we seek is already inside each & every one of us, woven into the fabric that makes us who we are , it is the journey that we choose to embark upon of self discovery to unlock & connect with what we feel inside , our soul ,our spirit , our heart . The spiritual journey starts with self discovery & understanding of oneself  , to understand everything you need to go within . There are certain ways that we can reach this plateau of self knowledge , everyone is different  & different methods will work better for each individual . One pathway to enlightenment is meditation , easier than it sounds in the society that we find ourselves thrown into , with a heavy emphasis  on speed & getting everything completed in record time . We as a human race need to make the time to relax , find inner peace with the world around us & meditation is the perfect answer . Take time out each day when you first awaken from your slumber , before rushing off to the machine of life take time to meditate & immerse your soul in the love & light & the positive energies of the universe , feel it flowing through you ,embrace it with open arms , put it back out tenfold , feel your vibration rising with enlightenment . Once you embark up on your spiritual journey there is no turning back only forward moving effortlessly through space & time , meditation will get you there with ease . When you embrace love & the higher energies everything falls into place so to speak . The use of entheogens is another way to open your mind , the third eye , the pineal gland  to a higher level of consciousness . This ancient practice has been paramount in most cultures since their early humble beginnings  , every culture has always been at one with their environment & the connection to the earth that is needed to survive & co exist in harmonious equilibrium with nature . All surviving indigenous cultures that have kept their sacred way of walking on the earth without leaving footprints , have used the various forms of naturally occurring plants , that nature has provided to awaken ones mind & develop the spirit . From the north American use of peyote to the south American use of ayahuasca . Throughout history every gathering of people or tribe had its dedicated healer , spiritualist or shaman that would be born with the gift of being a seer ,  with guidance from the elders they would embark upon journeys of enlightenment to develop their gift . This was not only for their personal development , but for the development & continued survival of the tribe . They realised that in order for the survival of everyone , they had to be in unanimous harmony with their surroundings . The spiritual journey is not new we have it within each & everyone of us that there is something more to this life that we are thrown into & educated about what is reality & what is not . For those that have already been awakened , we know this is just a facade , hence the use of any naturally occurring plant that has given its higher power to us should be used , to develop not only our own subconscious mind but also for the continued development of mankind & its survival in a world that has lost its connection with the true reality .

Author: John Simpson

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Spirit Vine COVID-19 Update

Last Updated: 5th May 2023

We have established guidelines to ensure that we provide the maximum amount of safety to all participants who attend the retreats.

We will update this section when new information is available.

Content listed here is subject to change.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

Recommendations for COVID-19

The current guidelines from the Brazilian government state that anyone who wants to enter Brazil must present either a valid Covid test or a Covid vaccine certificate. You do not need to take any other vaccines to enter Brazil. These guidelines may change in the future.

Prior to leaving Brazil, depending on the requirements of your destination country, you may be required to present an RT-PCR or Antigen test, or vaccine certificate. If you need a PCR test we recommend you to budget the required time of 6 hours to take the test and get the results at Sao Paulo Guarulhos airport. Antigen test can be taken in the town of Itacare near our center before you go to the airport or at the airport in Sao Paulo.

Please note that Itacare and Ilheus do not have RT-PCR testing centers.

Spirit Vine Guidelines for COVID-19

We don’t require covid tests or any type of vaccination certificates to participate in the retreats. If you opt to take the Covid vaccine, we require that vaccination must be done at least 2 months prior to drinking ayahuasca. This is for the safety of participants to make sure the vaccine doesn’t have any reaction with the ingestion of ayahuasca.