Written by guest author George Alvarez. From the UK, George has been on the spiritual path for several years and has drunk Ayahuasca many times in various parts of Peru and South America.
Once you decide to drink Ayahuasca in Peru, you’ll find there are a plethora of options and locations all over the country for a ceremony. Whilst this can seem great from an abundance point of view, sometimes it can be tough to pick between all of the different places, as well as the retreats in each one. Having recently stayed at Jess’s Spirit Of Peace (which is near Pisac - just outside of Cusco), I can now share my experience staying here and why I would recommend it for anyone reading too.
In this guide I will share my experience of when I stayed at the Spirit of Peace retreat in the Sacred Valley region of Peru. This includes the location, how well the ceremonies were organised, the amenities and anything else you need to know if you’re thinking of coming here.
My Experience Staying at Spirit of Peace
Having drank Ayahuasca several times before in Peru, I always headed to the same areas within the Amazon Jungle to do so. However when I heard that Jess had a retreat setup within the towering Andean mountains, my interest was really piqued. Not just for the change of scenery, but also as I felt the culture of the area would also be very different too.
Once I arrived into the region this was immediately confirmed, where locals were very friendly as well as getting to enjoy the epic views. After an hour or so I arrived at Spirit of Peace, where I was welcomed by the staff here and immediately sat to have a much needed lunch that was already prepared for me. I then enjoyed a hot shower before heading up to my private room to unpack my things and start organising myself for the first ceremony.
My plan was to do four ceremonies straight, and this felt like the perfect place to do the work. Not only were the ceremonies well organised (which I’ll come into later), however there was plenty of time to relax the following day where I could quietly integrate anything that I may have learnt or reflected upon the previous night. Jess was also very hospitable, and anything I needed she would attend to immediately - which made me feel like I was in safe hands the entire time.
A Breakdown of My Entire Experience
Below I’ll now cover specifics of my stay at Spirit of Peace, mentioning anything important that I feel necessary to include.
The Staff
I had previously met and drunk with both Jess and Lidia before, however to have the opportunity to privately drink with them both for a week was a real pleasure. Both are very well experienced leading Ayahuasca ceremonies, and shared lots of interesting and helpful advice for me. Sometimes I feel the staff element can be downplayed in favour of the area and experience, however I feel that it’s the most important of all (the glue that holds everything together). 100% recommend the staff here for anyone reading, where you’ll be in both safe and experienced hands.
The Facilities
I’ll admit I was a bit sceptical before coming, since I’ve been to Cusco before and know how cold it can get at night (especially in the middle of July). However at Spirit of Peace I stayed in a private room that was very cosy and warm, where I had a mountain of clean, extra blankets provided in case I needed them. There was also a hot shower which was a blessing, an open garden space for reflection as well as the room I stayed in which was quiet and private (however also still close to the ceremony space which was helpful).
The Ayahuasca Ceremonies
The ceremonies were held within the lounge of the main house, where we could comfortably fit 4-6 people at one time. The smaller space and more intimate environment felt very reassuring, and that help was very close if needed. Jess and Lidia (one of the healers) led the ceremonies, and overall it was really well organised and felt very professional. A personal thing which I loved were the much-needed fruits and hot teas after a ceremony (thanks for that Jess!).
The Location
For me the location is another important factor, where I am far away from noise and can really concentrate during ceremonies. Spirit of Peace is far away from the bustle of Cusco in a peaceful valley, but still is easy to get to. During the day you can easily pop into the town of Pisac to walk around and enjoy the cultural sights, and even hike to the waterfall and up a nearby mountain if you’re feeling it. Perhaps the most special part for me was at night, where the sky was full of bright stars given the air here is so clean.
The Diet (and Preparation Advice)
By far one of the most complicated aspects of preparation, Jess made it very simple to follow which was really helpful beforehand. At the retreat she prepared filling and tasty meals (well, as tasty as they can get without salt or additives!), as well as having snacks on-hand whenever I was hungry. Lidia also brought a Dieta Plant too from the jungle which was a really nice touch which I drank every evening, and there was even a “Plant Bath” which was prepared for me daily too. My appreciation of the diet advice also extends to after the retreat too, where Jess kept in regular touch with me to see how I was feeling and gave me any advice for things I was unsure about.
Overview of My Experience Staying at the Spirit of Peace Retreat
Overall I was really happy to have stayed with Jess at Spirit of Peace in the Sacred Valley region of Peru. Not only is she a wonderful and thoughtful person, she is also very experienced with the medicine and knows how to lead ceremonies well. I also found the facilities and location to be brilliant too, and highly recommend this retreat for anyone looking to take Ayahuasca in Peru!
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