Spirit Vine Center was co-founded by Silvia Polivoy with the intention of honoring a call she received from the jungle more than three decades ago. Today, the center is located within the Atlantic Forest on the northeastern coast of Bahia, Brazil, where protecting and restoring the surrounding forest remains an important part of its purpose.
For Spirit Vine, sustainability is not simply about reducing environmental impact. It is about developing a respectful relationship with the land, protecting the forest, and creating a place where people can experience a deeper connection with nature.
A Call from the Jungle
Why honor a call from the jungle?
More than 30 years ago, Silvia traveled to the Amazon to begin learning about ayahuasca with Indigenous shamans. During her first experience, she had a profound vision and what she understood as a telepathic message about the importance of protecting the jungle.
At the time, the idea seemed strange and almost impossible to put into practice.
More than a decade later, Silvia realized that protecting the rainforest did not necessarily require changing the world all at once. It could begin with protecting one piece of it.
That is what she did.
She began by acquiring and protecting a portion of Atlantic Forest that eventually became the land where Spirit Vine is located. Over the years, the protected area grew to approximately 39 acres of forest.
Spirit Vine was created as a school of consciousness and a place where people can reconnect with themselves, nature, and a deeper sense of interconnection. Thousands of people from around the world have visited the center over the years, many arriving with a desire to explore consciousness and understand themselves in a new way.
For many participants, the experience of spending time in the rainforest, combined with the ceremonial use of ayahuasca, can deepen their awareness of the natural world. The forest is no longer experienced simply as scenery surrounding the retreat, but as a living ecosystem of which we are a part.
This perspective is central to the way we approach sustainability at Spirit Vine.
Building in Harmony with the Forest
From the beginning, there was a clear intention to create a retreat center that would coexist as harmoniously as possible with the forest.
Ecological considerations were incorporated into the planning and construction of the accommodations, with attention to the placement of each bungalow, the choice of materials, natural ventilation, shade, and the existing vegetation.
Each bungalow was positioned carefully to provide guests with a strong sense of connection to the forest while maintaining comfort and privacy. The buildings were designed to take advantage of the tropical climate and natural airflow, helping maintain comfortable temperatures without relying on air conditioning.
Air conditioning is available in one bungalow for guests who require a cooler environment.
The surrounding landscape is also part of our approach to conservation. We have planted native and threatened species, including Pau-brasil (Paubrasilia echinata), Brazil’s historic national tree; Jacarandá-da-Bahia (Dalbergia nigra); Jussara palm (Euterpe edulis); and many other trees and plants that contribute to the biodiversity of the property.
Fruit-bearing trees provide food for monkeys and other animals, while flowering plants attract hummingbirds, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Rather than treating landscaping as purely decorative, we seek to create and maintain habitats that support the wildlife living around us.
Eucalyptus is one of the primary woods used in some of our construction. When sourced responsibly, eucalyptus is a fast-growing renewable timber that can be appropriate for construction. We also use light-colored concrete finishes in some structures, which can help reduce heat absorption under the intense tropical sun.
Water Conservation
Water is an essential part of life in the rainforest and an important consideration in our sustainability practices.
Spirit Vine has access to fresh water for everyday needs, including showers, irrigation, and cleaning. We also built a large stone reservoir that collects rainwater and groundwater, with a capacity of more than 120,000 liters (approximately 31,700 gallons).
The center also has its own well, providing clean drinking water without the need for additives.
Managing water responsibly allows us to make better use of the natural resources available on the property while reducing unnecessary waste.
Renewable Energy
Solar energy is another part of our ongoing sustainability efforts.
Solar panels generate electricity from a renewable energy source, helping reduce our reliance on conventional electricity and supporting our long-term goal of operating in a more environmentally responsible way.
Our approach is practical rather than based on the idea of achieving sustainability through a single technology. We continue to look for ways to combine renewable energy, responsible water management, appropriate building practices, organic cultivation, and forest conservation.
Regenerative Practices at Spirit Vine
Sustainability at Spirit Vine extends beyond buildings and infrastructure. It is also reflected in the way we cultivate food, care for plants, and work with the land.
Our organic garden provides some of the vegetables, fruits, and teas that grow well in this climate and are served to our guests. We also produce our own organic compost, returning organic material to the soil and creating a more circular system for growing food.
We cultivate our own ayahuasca plants, including Banisteriopsis caapi, the ayahuasca vine, and Psychotria viridis, commonly known as chacruna. These plants are used in the preparation of the ayahuasca served during our retreats.
They are grown and harvested with care, with the intention of taking only what is needed and avoiding unnecessary waste.
More broadly, we work with the natural environment rather than treating it simply as a resource to be consumed.
Protecting the Atlantic Forest
Protecting the forest has always been part of the vision behind Spirit Vine.
What began as Silvia’s individual effort to protect a piece of Atlantic Forest gradually became a broader collaborative initiative. Over time, other people who shared the same concern for the forest and its inhabitants joined the effort.
Renata, Hans, Thomas, Ewa, and Silvia came together to create FloraTerra, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing together people who want to contribute to the protection and restoration of the Atlantic Forest.
The goal is to acquire, protect, and restore areas of forest whenever possible, helping preserve native vegetation and habitat for the many species that depend on these ecosystems.
The Atlantic Forest is one of Brazil’s most biologically rich ecosystems, yet it has been heavily reduced and fragmented over centuries of human development. Protecting remaining forest and restoring degraded areas are therefore important parts of long-term conservation.
For us, conservation begins with protecting the forest that is already here while also looking for opportunities to restore what has been lost.
Looking Ahead
Our sustainability efforts are ongoing.
We continue to look for practical ways to reduce our environmental footprint, make responsible use of local resources, expand our regenerative practices, improve water and energy management, and protect more of the surrounding forest.
For Spirit Vine, sustainability is not a marketing concept or a single project. It is an evolving commitment to the land that has supported us for many years.
We believe that protecting nature begins with a relationship of respect. When people spend time in a living forest, experience its complexity, and develop a deeper connection with the natural world, that relationship can become a source of greater environmental awareness and responsibility.
The forest is not simply the place where Spirit Vine happens to be located. It is part of the reason Spirit Vine exists.
There is still much more to do, and we hope to continue expanding these efforts in the years ahead.
If you would like to learn more about sustainability at Spirit Vine, our forest conservation initiatives, or ways to support the protection and restoration of the Atlantic Forest, please reach out to us.
About the author:
Silvia Polivoy, Ph.D. in clinical psychology. Specialized in modifying states of consciousness, co-founder of Spirit Vine Retreat Center in Bahia, Brazil.
