Matthias

DON’T LOOK ANY FURTHER!! Preamble When my husband asked me to come with him to an Ayuhasca Retreat in Brazil I was first quite reluctant. Brazilian Jungle? Me? At my age? Hmmm….. Traveling across the Atlantic to get eaten up by mosquitoes while I could enjoy myself in a Fife-Star resort somewhere in Europe? I thought my „wild years“ where gone long time ago and therefore was not particularly interested in a revival. However, since my husband was already going for the third time I trusted him and went with him. As a matter of fact the two previous retreats at SpiritVine had changed his life in such a profound and positive way that was almost miraculous and I was a speechless witness of that change. I will be eternally grateful to him for insisting for me to come with him since my experience at SpiritVine has opened my eyes and heart, has changed my perception of myself and the world in a way I would honestly not have expected at all. That is why I am writing this review. The Compound First things first: The beauty of the center and its setting has blown me away. The Spirit Vine Center is located near the surf town Itacaré in Bahia, Brazil, with all its pristine beaches. It is harmoniously nestled in the „mata atlantica“ – a jungle-like forest. The compound is secluded enough to cut you from all man made noises so that you are able to immerse in the odors, sounds and magic of the jungle but is still close enough to all amenities of civilizations should a need arise. Arrival and departure is therefore easy and very comfortable which was important to me. You arrive with the plane in Ilheus, take a taxi and 1 hour later you are at the gate of SpiritVine. The whole trip from Europe has not taken more then 16 hours.The Center itself is nestled in a forest clearing. It is composed of 7 to 8 private wooden bungalows each of them separate enough to enjoy privacy, all with their private bathrooms and hot water, a meeting and restaurant center, a ceremony temple and a pond with a deck, where you can swim and relax. You have access to WIFI if you need to communicate with the world. Everything is very well maintained and clean. The food is mouthwatering and the service impeccable. The Hosts Silvia and Rohan are very experienced hosts. They are loving, supportive, friendly and caring but never overbearing. They would be there for us when we needed them but otherwise let us be when we needed space. They would attentively listen to us, let us express our emotions but never interfere in our private process unless we wanted them to. They would make us feel at home and welcome us in their family but never impose on us. Thank you very much to both of you for this elegant mix of presence, care and discretion. The Experience Ayuahasca is an age-old medicinal and visionary plant, used by the native tribes for hundreds if not thousands of years. The ceremonies in the beautiful temple accompanied with mind- and heart openin music has brought me deep insights about questions like who and what I am, has shown behavioral patterns of mine of which I was not aware, has given me a new perspective to life itself and my relationships with other persons and last not least … has shown me how real bliss feels like. Thank you. Conclusion I will come again to SpiritVine simply because I could not imagine making this deep and intimate experiences in a better setting and with kinder hosts. I can warmly recommend it to everyone.