Ayahuasca doesn’t just give you what you want; it shows what you need to see.
I first sat with this plant medicine at the start of my corporate sabbatical, 8 years ago. I needed a confirmation I’m going the right way in life…
…I got my confirmation. But the plant also gave me homework that took 8 years to complete.
It wasn’t until my time in Pisac, Peru earlier this year, I felt the calling again.
Surrounded by mountains I found a retreat centre and community, Sacred Valley Tribe that was known locally for its deep respect for this plant. Under the full moon and guidance of Milagros and Nacho – guardians of this plant medicine – I took yet another glimpse into the depth of my universe.
There was something so deeply human to sit in darkness only illuminated by the streaming moonlight through the cupola of the temple. Silence coloured only by the medicine songs – ikaros – and sounds of guitar and chakapas, invoking, inviting the medicine to do its work…
Milagros has been a guardian of ayahuasca for over 24 years and co-founded Sacred Valley Tribe alongside her late husband, Diego. Her journey with the medicine began in her late 20s, transitioning from life as a courtroom lawyer to working with the vine. Since then, ayahuasca has remained her steadfast companion through the milestones of her life – love, motherhood, the birth of her children and community, grief, and widowhood.
As Milagros shares in this interview, ayahuasca meets you exactly where you are. And because you are always changing, so is the experience. It invites you to embrace your wholeness – your light and your shadow, your joy and your grief.
During my last ceremony, something shifted profoundly. For years, I did deep shadow work, looking at my pain and embracing the discomfort…
…But joy? That was something I didn’t know how to handle. Ayahuasca showed me that it’s safe to feel joy – not as something fleeting or fragile, but something I trained my nervous system to feel when doing the heavy shadow work. “Joy is worth the pain that may follow,” – Milagros remarks during our interview.
Ayahuasca isn’t a simple experience.
It’s not about escaping reality but looking at it with new eyes.
Milagros emphasises that a ceremony is nothing but a reflection of life. The same wisdoms and truths apply – “let go”, “free yourself from attachment”, “move through life”… But those are only as meaningful as what you do with them afterwards.
Integration and taking steps is just as important as flying into an exotic location to take a psychedelic brew. Path to wholeness isn’t linear. It’s messy, layered, and ever-changing, just like you. And ayahuasca will meet you exactly where you are on that path…
To find out more about Sacred Valley Tribe community and retreat centre, visit their website.
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