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 Healing Island

This is a celebration of a place that is very dear to my heart. An island of spirituality, healing and connection.  

A special island that myself and others call home. A place that many beings benefit from and a place that has the power to create much peace and happiness in the world.  This is Holy Isle, and the Centre for World Peace and Health. A project run by volunteers, with the purpose of encouraging inner growth, sustainability and peaceful living.

Many people come to Holy Isle seeking rest from the busy-ness of their lives and peace from the chaos of the outside world. They become nourished by the island and her energy, the wild animals and landscape, the healing sea, the vast sky and unpolluted air, the island’s organic food and fresh clean water. Eventually reconnecting to themselves and finding inner stillness.
Others are drawn here for a deeper purpose. One of spiritual practice and meditation.
Of devotion to the island, the project and to the teachers and spirits that guide them.

There is a Buddhist flavour to the island, but regardless of faith, all are drawn here to seek alternative ways of living. A way of being that benefits all sentient life and strives to live in harmony with our fellow humans, with nature and with the earth.

The island invites us to slow down and stop. To come into ourselves and reflect. Teaching us that there is much healing in stillness. Her energy is strong and many find it very potent and energising, finding they are able to connect to a much deeper sense of self here. Sensing into their own inner rhythms, as well as those of the island and of the earth. The island allows us to bear witness to the cycle of life – birth, death and regeneration. The animals come into this world and then pass into the next. Dear friends come and go. We experience the changing of the seasons. From the new growth in spring to the inward turning of autumn and winter. Everything in life is impermanent.

There are no shops, roads or cars here.
We are surrounded by the elements. The wind and the rain. The sea, sky, and the earth.
We share this island with the nature spirits, the wild animals, the trees, the bracken and the rocks.

There are no street lights either. We are illuminated only by the healing energy of moonbeams, rainbows and starlight. The island gives us the freedom and space to connect to a bigger sense of self, and shows us, that we are all part of something so much bigger. That we are the universe.

Places like Holy Isle are a much-needed oasis in the world of busy-ness, productivity and profit.

Where people are becoming more disconnected from themselves and from the earth. The way we are living is damaging to ourselves and to the planet. We are out of balance and this is not healthy or sustainable.

Like so many, I have lived that life, which eventually created much unhappiness and started me on a path to seek a different way of being.   

For me, Spirituality is the journey to discover that new way of being. Of finding my true nature and connecting to the universe from which we are all part. Everything is interconnected.

Our true self is waiting to be discovered in every moment, and through our work and spiritual practice, through our connections to the world around us, we can connect to this sacred place. A place of Love.

The kindness and compassion that we cultivate on this island, from the daily challenges of being human, to our work, practice and meditation, nourishes the world for all to benefit. Those who come here, return to the world filled with much love, peace and joy. For themselves and for others. They radiate and share these qualities, making the world a much happier place. Helping to make that much needed shift in consciousness possible.

Holy Isle is a beacon that calls out to those seeking inner growth, connection and truth.
She is a guiding light for all beings on that voyage to find our inner island.
For all the beauty and wonder of this healing island, is already within us, waiting to be discovered.

Waiting for us to return home.

Author: Kevin Curtis
“My name is Kevin Curtis and I live and work on a little island called Holy Isle, which sits off the west coast of Scotland. I like to give my time and energy to people and projects that inspire me and reflect my own values and interests. This is why I am drawn to places like Holy isle and to the people the island calls out to. Supporting others to help make the world a better place, benefits us all and helps us on our own path. I therefore try to be a positive influence on the world around me.”

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Spirit Vine COVID-19 Update

Last Updated: 9th August 2022

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

We are following the guidelines provided by the Brazilian government which you can find below and have added some necessary precautions suitable for the retreats.

In the Itacare area, where we are located, there are very low number of COVID cases.

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.

Brazilian Government Recommendations for COVID-19

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

Travelers must also fill out an affidavit 24 hours before departure acknowledging the health measures that must be complied with during the period that they will remain in the country. You can find the affidavit here.

Prior to leaving Brazil, depending on the requirements of your destination country, you may be required to present an RT-PCR or Antigen test. 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 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. 

We also require all visitors to provide a valid Covid-19 test prior to entering the Center. The Antigen test is only valid for 24 hours and PCR test is only valid for 72 hours. A valid negative test result must be sent by email prior to entering the Center.