Plant Medicine & Somatic Healing Retreat in the Ecuadorian Andes

The retreat is held at Deanna's retreat centre in Loja province, Ecuador, a property set in a lush Andean valley with therapeutic gardens, a pool, a shared kitchen and outdoor terraces. There are three ceremony days during the eight-day stay — one each for psilocybin, San Pedro and ayahuasca — and each one is followed by a dedicated integration day. The medicine itself is grown and prepared on site by Deanna, which is unusual for this kind of retreat; most centres source from outside suppliers.

A typical day outside ceremony is gentle. Mornings often start with functional movement or somatic awareness work with Heather, followed by breakfast. There's yoga offered at points through the week, including ahead of the San Pedro journey. Some days include group circles where people talk through what came up in the previous ceremony, and there's a group meditation session built around shifting from doing to feeling. Afternoons are largely open — you can swim, journal, walk the gardens, spend time with the animals, or take the private path from the property into the city of Loja. Massage is available as an add-on on selected days.

The retreat caps at eight guests, which means the facilitator support is genuinely one-to-one when needed and nobody gets lost in a big group. Heather brings a specific skill set for this: she's a licensed massage therapist, a certified continuing education provider for therapists across the US, and has taught Pilates, HIIT, kickboxing, dance and functional training since she was a teenager. Her role here is helping people physically integrate what happens in ceremony, using bodywork and movement rather than talk alone.

The Loja location matters too. It sits around 2,000 metres up in the Andes, so the climate is mild and spring-like year round rather than tropical, and the city itself is safe, walkable and well off the main tourist trail. Waterfall hikes are a short distance from the property, and the included excursion into Loja covers the cultural side of the week. Meals are kept light and mostly vegetarian to support the medicine work, with Ecuadorian dishes, soups, salads and fruit featuring throughout, and heavier foods limited.

What makes this different from a standard ayahuasca retreat is the combination of three medicines in one container, the paired integration days, and the pre-arrival and post-return online sessions. You speak with the team before you travel to set intentions, and again privately after you're home to work through what came up. The remaining balance is due on arrival, and the deposit is refundable up to one day before the start date.

What's included

- Airport pickup and drop-off - 7 nights accommodation in a private room - 3 daily meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - Water, tea and coffee throughout the day - 3 plant medicine ceremonies (psilocybin, San Pedro/Wachuma, ayahuasca) - Personal integration support - Online preparation sessions before arrival - Private integration sessions after you return home - Dance and movement meditations - Excursions and activities - 1 hour treatment - Nature hikes with a trusted guide - Transportation during the retreat

What's not included

- Flights - Travel insurance - Visa fees - Additional activities not included in the itinerary - Optional 60-minute massage add-on