Miracles Do Exist: 8-week Ayahuasca Retreat in Mexico

“Your soul will get you through tough times with no money, better than your money will get you through times with no soul.”

– Gerard Armond Powell

Just over two months ago, I found myself standing in the middle of a rainforest outside Tulum, Mexico, thinking, “What did I get myself into?”

Twenty years earlier, Mags and I began exploring the world of Ayahuasca, searching for the right place and time to try it. But anyone who knows Mags knows that meant a massive checklist. At the top: value, authenticity, sincerity, not overcrowded, and most importantly, safety, especially for women.

For eighteen years, nothing quite lived up to everything we wanted. So Ayahuasca remained on the back burner, until the 2023 Psychedelic Science conference, when our dear friend Evan told us about Kumankaya, and his friends, the founders, Remi and Ashley. It seemed that we (well, Evan) found our perfect place.

Kumankaya ceremony space (maloka)

And so, on July 27th, there I stood, an Ayahuasca virgin, committed to eight weeks: two plant dietas (four weeks with the mighty Shihuahuaco tree, and two weeks with the loving Marosa), two weeks of soul recovery, and thirty-two ayahuasca ceremonies ahead of me.

Why such a big commitment? Because I didn’t see any other way. I carry a long history of physical trauma, psychological and emotional abuse, as I fear many of us do. I’ve explored healing modalities around the globe. Some helped a bit, others disappointed, and now, it was Ayahuasca’s turn.

The ceremony is at the heart of the experience. The medicine (Ayahuasca) is, at its core, and its rhythm, its beat is provided by the practitioners, in this case, Remi and Ashley, and their icaros – shamanic songs used to guide the healing process.

Inside the maloka

My first ceremony was… nice. It began after dark (as they all do) and lasted until one or two in the morning. A little nausea (not a fan), a little buzz (cool), a few visions (very cool), but honestly, I’d have preferred mushrooms at Red Rock while listening to The Doors. Still, I was glad I tried it. Only thirty one more to go.

But on that second night… Like each that would follow, you sit before Ashley or Remi, or sometimes both, as they sing a personalized icaros for you. Remis voice, powerful and enchanting. Ashley’s, haunting and mystical. These icaros guide the medicine in healing and cleansing you. That night, I sat before Ashley, and she was determined to, as she put it, get me “online”. And boy, did she ever. I felt things in my body I can’t begin to explain. The visions were psychedelic, but also full of clarity, wisdom, and guidance. As a matter of fact, over time as I intensified my focus on the latter, the former toned down to aid in this journey. At the close, I walked out of the maloca (the ceremonial space) and said, “Holy shit! This is the real deal.” In the words of William Blake, my doors of perception were cleansed, and the ride was about to begin.

My tambo at Kumankaya

Dining room

The common area

In the weeks that followed, I experienced emotional, psychological, and physical changes that exceeded anything I could have imagined. The emotional and psychological shifts may be subjective, but the physical ones are undeniable.

These three examples stem from a motorcycle accident I had thirty-five years ago, and no modality, including modern science, had managed to alter them.

1) I have not been able to read (due to severe brain damage) any better than an eight-year-old, and not a clever eight-year-old at that, and any word beyond two syllables would stop me in my tracks. Less than three weeks at Kumankaya, and I read normally again.

2) My right wrist (having been shattered) and for all those decades only rotated 60%. During one of the Icaros, I felt a rapid popping in my arm. Immediately, I regained a full range of motion.

3) A large deformity on my inner upper thigh (where I surged forward against the gas tank on impact) completely disappeared.

These changes were truly miracles, but only scratched the surface of all the subtle changes that permeated my entire being and will be seen in the man I become.

Ina, one of the resident doggies

Mowgli thinks he’s the boss

Always looking for people who approach their work with pure intent and a desire to serve the greater good makes for a lonely pastime. I can count on one hand the true examples I’ve seen, with a finger left over to point at those who fall short, including myself.

But Kumankaya lives up to my (perhaps unreasonable) expectations like no other.

Remi, once a Christian monk in France for twenty years, and Ashley, a university professor in the U.S., brought with them a deep Western understanding and fluency in English. They met in Peru while studying with a legendary shaman, Remi already far along his plant medicine path. Love found them there, and their lives braided together around Remi’s vision, which would become Kumankaya.

Kumankaya is intentionally small and intimate so everyone gets the attention they need. The maloca holds no more than 14 guests. Other places often host multiples of that. Remi and Ashley make themselves available far beyond expectations, and being there felt more like family than, well, my family.

Despite the quality, they keep prices lower than anywhere else I’ve looked. That’s intentional. They want to be accessible to those who truly need healing and even offer scholarships for those who can’t afford it.

One caveat: this is not a spa, or a weekend “Ayahuasca experience” for fun. This is the real deal, for those who wish to heal and evolve.

But if you do want or need a little pampering, there is Ananias, who gives some of the best massages I’ve ever had. I’m not big on massages, but I tried one… and ended up getting four. My favorite? 80 minutes, deep tissue and relaxation combo for $60 USD.

Kumankaya was built with care and love, and you feel that in everything they do. From the staff led by Consuelo and facilitators (the amazing Eric and Joshua, while I was there) who assist Remi and Ashley and are on call for your every need, to the other guests – the most extraordinary group of random strangers I’ve ever met.

My childhood was chaotic and as a lifelong nomad, the only sense of home and family I’ve ever known is with Mags, and now, Kumankaya.

Thank you to the place, the people, the experience… and for my new life.