A Deep Dive Into the Real Risks and Responsibilities of Plant Medicine
At Willkamayu Spirit, we are often asked this question—not as a casual curiosity, but as a sincere inquiry:
“Am I ready? Is this safe for me?”
Ayahuasca is not just a plant medicine. It is a mirror, a teacher, a threshold. And like all powerful medicines, it deserves respect—not just while we hold the cup, but in the days, weeks and lifetime that surrounds the ceremony–both before and after.
For those carrying trauma (we believe we all do on a certain level), health conditions, or emotional sensitivities, this question becomes even more vital. In this article, we speak honestly—beyond spiritual romanticism or “viral content” transformation stories—this article is about what it really means to approach Ayahuasca safely and we offer some insight to our process and “gentle entry” options here at Willkamayu Spirit.
Safety Begins Long Before & After the Ceremony
Many who come to us imagine the ceremony as the experience. The moment of awakening. The drink that changes everything. But the truth is: the ceremony is just one chapter in a much longer unfolding.
Safety does not begin when the shaman sings the Icaros. It begins with preparation—with grounded reflection, emotional honesty, and body awareness. How we enter the ceremony sets the tone for how we experience and how we integrate what is revealed.
Can we slow down and make the process one that is sincere? It is so easy to rush into Peru to have an experience and then rush back home to return to our work and responsibilities. But to slow down and sit with what comes up, the fears, the insecurities, the hopes, the dreams–that is where the medicine really takes root into action and change.
The courage to face what the medicine will bring up begins long before the visions that are induced by the drink. And that courage will be called upon in the loving work of integration post-ceremony, too. As Janneke, one of the Willkamayu Spirit founders has said, “preparation, ceremony and integration are not linear in the way we usually think of “1-2-3”, they are circular and rely upon one another for wholeness”.
Screening Protocols: Honesty & Transparency as Foundation
True safety is not simply the absence of harm—it is the presence of right timing, right support, and real relationship with yourself.
We screen each guest not just for physical contraindications (like epilepsy, heart conditions, or pharmaceutical interactions), but for emotional and psychological readiness. Trauma histories matter. Mental health patterns matter.
At Willkamayu Spirit, in order to register for a ceremony and join us here in the Sacred Valley of Peru, we ask that all guests complete our preliminary registration screening. If there are any questions that arise for our team that need additional discussion–we will schedule a call. An intake call is part of our preparation process for everyone who comes for ayahuasca.
Disclosing a health concern or history of mental‑health trauma won’t automatically exclude you from the ceremony or from drinking ayahuasca. It simply means we’ll consult with our medical team to assess any potential risks. If, after that review, we feel it isn’t the right fit, we’ll let you know.
Your honesty in screening simply allows us to ensure that we best understand where you are at, what you are navigating, and what kind of support you will need. It also can inform the serving size for your unique plant medicine journey.
Confronting Ourselves: the Trauma We Bring to Ceremony
We’ve seen it before: someone sits in ceremony too soon. They want to be ready, they want to heal, but the ground beneath them isn’t yet stable.
Suddenly they’re in it—waves of vision, fear, or overwhelm—and there is no exit. You cannot un-drink the medicine. You cannot unsee what has been shown. There is goodness in the medicine, too, so this is not said to be frightening-–but it is the truth of where the medicine can go.
Ayahuasca will open individuals up to receiving information, clarity and visions. It is for this reason that the foundational work of grounding, regulating and showing up to our life (prior to ayahuasca) is so integral to the safety of the ceremony.
When a person drinks the medicine and also has a habit of bypassing and burying their traumas the experience of ayahuasca may feel incredibly uncomfortable and confronting. Janneke adds, “sometimes what comes up within ceremony can be from our childhood, things that were too much to feel, but also, it can be intergenerational not from our own lifetime.” There is much that surfaces within the medicine and this is one of the reasons that we offer integrative inner-child workshops to support guests at Willkamayu Spirit.
This is not said to frighten,, but to center a truth: Ayahuasca does not bypass the nervous system. If you are already dysregulated, dissociated, or ungrounded, the medicine will amplify what is already present. This is why it is so important that people are transparent about mental health and somatic states in the initial Willkamayu screening process.
Sometimes “not right now” is the ceremony that we need to sit with.
Ceremony Without Drinking: The Power of Gradual Initiation
We are one of the few retreat centers in the Sacred Valley that offers the opportunity to join an ayahuasca ceremony without drinking.
This is not a loophole. It is a sacred entry point. Sometimes, witnessing is the medicine. Sitting in ceremony and breathing with the Icaros, allowing your system to feel without ingesting—this alone can initiate healing.
Some of our guests begin with Wachuma (San Pedro), a daytime plant medicine journey that offers a gentler opening for some. But even here, we proceed with care. Some people, like a recent guest with epilepsy, participated in the retreat without taking any plants at all—and still received clarity, connection, and healing.
Your “yes” does not have to look like anyone else’s. If there is doubt—wait. If there is fear—listen. You must be able to sit and face what comes, without forcing your soul to sprint when it still needs to walk.
What About Fear: Resistance Is Part of the Process
We speak often of conscious resistance—the inner voice that says, I’m not sure. But there is also unconscious resistance, buried beneath coping strategies or spiritual bypass.
This is why preparation matters so deeply. We invite each guest into real inquiry before retreat:
- What am I hoping to find? (Intention)
- What am I unwilling to feel? (And do I feel ready to feel that?)
- Where am I avoiding myself and my own inner child?
Once the ceremony begins, it’s too late to ask these questions. But when we ask them before—when we slow down and soften—we build the internal scaffolding needed to receive whatever comes.
It is not uncommon for people to hold fear about drinking ayahuasca. It is wise, even, to find some resistance to the unknown. Often people speak of ayahuasca as this “life changing” event. It would be strange to not hold some kind of trepidation towards the mystery of who you might become.
Having fear or resistance is not an indicator of “not being ready”– you will be the one who has to sit still with your heart and determine if you are ready to breathe into that feeling. To integrate the unknown through making it a known and lived experience.
Because ultimately, this is such an integral part of creating and holding safe space. Having the capacity to remain when things get uncomfortable. Holding the commitment to witness it all–the good and the bad. The inspiring and the unflattering.
In Summary: Healing, Not Heroism
Ayahuasca is not about bravery for bravery’s sake. It is about readiness, relationship, reverence and honesty.
“To choose to sit with ayahuasca is to choose to meet and connect with the medicine. She will not show you what you want, but instead, what you need. This can be humbling and it takes clarity and willingness to remain open and present when things are not going the way we had hoped.” ~ Janneke
If you carry trauma, chronic conditions, or a sensitive nervous system, there is a place for you in this work—but only if the approach honours your whole being. We invite you to go slow. To ask more questions. To explore all ceremonial options. To witness the medicine before asking it to open your soul.
Sometimes, the most healing choice is the one that says, not yet, if that is what is needed.
When the true moment comes—when your system, your heart, and your spirit are aligned—Ayahuasca will still be there. Ready to meet you exactly where you are.
Are you feeling the call? You can connect with Willkamayu Spirit, explore our retreat offerings and complementary therapies. When you feel you are ready, we will be here.
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