EXPLORE THE HEALING POWER OF AYAHUASCA
Nihue Rao Centro Espiritual - Iquitos, Peru
Every experience, particularly in childhood, leaves an imprint beyond memory—settling into the body, shaping perception, influencing emotion. Unprocessed pain, inherited patterns, and habitual coping mechanisms can quietly accumulate, showing up as physical tension and illness, emotional dissonance, or a sense of being stuck far from the life you feel called toward.
Within certain ancestral traditions, plant medicines have long been approached as mirrors and teachers—ways of meeting these inner imprints with clarity and reverence. Ayahuasca and master plant practices are understood not as quick fixes, but as catalysts that can illuminate what has been carried for too long, offering the possibility of release, insight, and reorientation.
The intention behind this work is simple: to support moments of profound remembering—where burdens soften, perspective widens, and life can be met anew, with greater lightness and presence.
Ek Balam, Yucatán, MEXICO
Our retreats are held in a small village near the well known archeological site Ek Balam and the astonishing Xcanache Cenote. Our ceremonies take place in a maloka nestled in the jungle on land that was a part of the Mayan (Ek Balam) territory from 300 BC to 900 AD. This setting supports a distinctive approach to healing—one rooted in an authentic relationship with the local village, a tranquil connection to water and land, and a felt sense of Source. Time together will also include optional community activities in the village, as well as excursions to nearby cenotes and archeological sites.
The retreats run every week, Wednesday to Monday, starting the week of January 6th to 11th, 2027 and running to the second week of March (March 10th to 15th). Each retreat is 5 days long.
January - March 2027
Each retreat will involve 2 ayahuasca ceremonies, two group integration gatherings, and two 1-on-1 sessions (one in-person session, geared towards energy clearing and ceremony preparation, and one post-ceremony integration session).
You may also request an additional ceremony for yourself or group. Bufo and mushroom ceremonies are also available under specific circumstances. Details available upon request.
There will be ample opportunity for rest and integration in your cabin or suite at Ek Balam. Fundamentally, these retreats focus on specific areas of energetic cleaning and healing, as well as on deepening an individual’s relationship with both ayahuasca and themselves.
These retreats are ideal for those seeking energetic work / cleaning, a levelling up as a practitioner of an energetic or therapeutic modality, family and community continuity and the development of leadership practices from the inside-out. These retreats are also designed for individuals who are new to the medicine and “inner work” in general.
THE RETREATS
If you choose to go deeper into your spiritual process, you can remain for more than one week and diet a plant or energy that is aligned with you and your path.
Mark works with very specific plants and energies that foster self-actualization, leadership and community actualization (once the light is sufficiently lit within it tends to shine outwards and support the manifestation and alignment of family and community).
If you would like to hear more send us an email or text to set up an online conversation.
Dieting / going deeper
We are located two hours from the Cancun airport. When you book a retreat we will help you find your way here either by hired car, taxi or bus to Valladolid and a local “Colectivo” (shared van) to the Ek Balam Retreat Center.
Getting to Ek Balam
The overall cost varies depending on the accommodations one chooses, transportation and how long one chooses to stay. Retreat packages start at $1100US not including transportation.
cost
ACCOMMODATIONS
Local Cabana (more cost effective and good for going deeper and dieting).
Ek Balam Eco Village (check for availability)
Your accommodation and space for rest and recovery will be in either a local cabana or in the beautiful 1 acre Ek Balam Eco Village. Here we will gather for integration, meals and one-on-one sessions.
Ek Balam Jungle and Ceremony space
Mark and Kristina after a Temazcal, 2023
Mark and Tara preparing for ceremony
Testimonial:
“I’ve just returned from a retreat with Mark and Tara, and it’s difficult to put into words how profound the experience was. From the very first ceremony, it was clear that their work is guided by deep integrity, humility, and a genuine devotion to the medicine. The space they hold is unmistakably heart-opening—safe, grounded, and infused with care.
The ceremonies themselves were extraordinary. The Shipibo icaros and medicine songs were unlike anything I’ve encountered before—precise, powerful (to say the least). Each song felt purposeful, as though it was meeting something specific within me, opening pathways inward that I hadn’t been able to access before. Through their guidance, I was able to go deeply into myself and touch a level of healing that felt real, embodied, and lasting.
What stood out most was the authenticity of the work. This did not feel commercial or diluted—it felt rooted, traditional, and true. I left with a sense of clarity, renewal, and trust in the path I’m walking. I know I’ll be returning to continue the journey.” - Luke