AYANI VILLAGE
Deep in the heart of the Amazon rainforest lies our Indigenous village, home to the Shanenawa people, a community rooted in ancestral wisdom, spiritual healing, and a deep connection to the forest. Our village is guided by female leadership, honoring the strength, intuition, and resilience of our women, who continue to preserve and transmit our traditions with care and purpose.
For generations, we have followed a respected lineage of shamans in Brazil, healers who work in deep harmony with the sacred medicines of the forest. Over the years, our community has opened its doors to those seeking healing and reconnection through traditional retreats, ceremonies, and teachings. These retreats are not just experiences — they are invitations to transform, to listen, and to remember the ancient knowledge that lives within all of us.
Our practices are deeply rooted in respect for the Earth, the spirits of the forest, and the guidance of our ancestors. Through prayer, song, medicine, and community, we offer a safe and sacred space for healing, reflection, and renewal.
Here, the forest is not just our home — it is our teacher. And through our work, we aim to protect it, share its wisdom, and strengthen the spiritual bridges between our people and the world.
Safe Ayahuasca Retreats & Plant Spirit Healing
All of our ayahuasca retreats are guided by the Ayani Family, a team of deeply experienced male and female healers from the Indigenous Shanenawa tradition. Our remarkable group of practitioners brings together centuries of combined wisdom in the ancestral practice of ayahuasca medicine.
They are accompanied by well-prepared and culturally sensitive Western facilitators, who serve as essential bridges between the traditions of the healers and the needs of our guests.
With great care and years of hands-on experience supporting all of participants, the village has developed a variety of carefully structured healing programs. These take place in our serene rainforest location, approximately two hours from the city of Feijo, Brazil, by boat and trail. We view each retreat as a sacred journey and are fully committed to offering a safe, respectful, and supportive environment for deep healing and personal transformation.
Over time, the Village has been recognized by many of our guests as a place of profound renewal — often described as a space for spiritual rebirth. Our work with plant medicine frequently initiates a deep awakening process, leading to years of inner growth and expanded self-awareness.
The Shanenawa tradition of plant-spirit medicine, known as shamanismo, offers a profound opportunity to realign with your true essence — fostering deeper harmony within yourself, your relationships, and your connection to the natural world in its most original and sacred form.
By working through emotional wounds, energetic blockages, and both personal and ancestral traumas that often underlie suffering, ayahuasca — in combination with the guidance of the Shanenawa healers — supports you in reclaiming authorship over your life.
This process encourages a return to inner equilibrium, clarity, and a renewed sense of meaning and fulfillment in your life’s path.
The retreats include:
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Ayahuasca ceremonies
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A series of differents traditional practices, subject to individual needs
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A nutritional, balanced, tasty ayahuasca dieta friendly
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Consultations and ongoing guidance from the healers
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A strong focus on how to process and integrate ayahuasca healing, both during and after retreat
Tribe Values
Forest is Family
For the Shanenawa, the forest is not a resource to exploit, but a living being, a home, a teacher, and a sacred place, homeland of all their culture. The Earth (and all its beings: trees, rivers, animals) is treated with the same care and respect one gives to family. The health of the land/habitat is inseparable from the health of the people.
We are all One
There is a deep belief that humans, animals, plants, spirits, elements (like water, wind, fire), and ancestors are all related. Nothing is truly separate. What affects one affects the others. This interdependence drives ethical practices: not over‐harvesting, sharing, honoring plant medicine and animals, maintaining balance.
A Ceremonial Life
Ceremonial life, through ayahuasca, rapéh, sacred plants, songs, rituals, is central. It is how the tribe connects with ancestral knowledge, heals physically and spiritually, receives guidance, and remembers their identity. Ceremonies mark important moments and keep the Shanenawa wisdom alive.
Wisdom and Respect
Ancestral wisdom, passed orally through stories, songs, myths, rituals, is treasured. Elders and spiritual guides are key keepers of knowledge—of medicinal plants, of cosmology, of ethics. Also, there is humility before what has been learned before, and openness to dream, to listen (to spirits, to the forest, to ancestors).
Community
Decisions are often collective, not individualistic. The welfare of the tribe/community is placed above personal gain. Leaders, elders, shamans guide, but usually in consultation, through gatherings, discussion, sometimes long periods until agreement. Sharing of food, of labor, of knowledge, of medicines is common.
Reciprocity
Indigenous Amazonian groups often emphasize that what is taken from nature must be given back, in some way. It is not enough to use; one must maintain, protect, and restore. Every member has responsibility: to the land, to the forest, to future generations. This is not a duty but a lived relationship.
Safety and Support
Our ayahuasca healing retreats are designed with a strong commitment to safety, care, and compassion. We aim to provide a secure and supportive environment, with expert guidance throughout the entire healing process — from initial preparation to post-retreat integration.
Before the retreat: We implement safety measures in the Amazon, including comprehensive medical screening. We want to ensure that each participant is truly ready and able to engage in the work safely. Once accepted, participants receive thorough instructions on how to prepare for their retreat and begin the path of personal transformation with ayahuasca.
During the retreat: Care is at the core of everything we do. Each guest receives personalized attention as one of the family, this care and integrity creaes a safe space for your healing journey.
After the retreat: Working with plant medicine often sets in motion a long-term process of awakening and integration, which can bring both insights and challenges. We offer ongoing support to help you navigate this journey once you're back home. This includes one-on-one integration support.
Shanenawa Culture
At Ayani Village, we cultivate a nurturing and inclusive atmosphere where every person is deeply respected, supported, and acknowledged throughout their healing path.
What Sets Our Community Apart?
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Healing as a Collective Journey: We understand that true healing ripples outward — it not only transforms the individual, but also strengthens families, communities, and our shared connection with the Earth.
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Blending Tradition with Comfort: While we stay deeply rooted in the sacred practices of Indigenous medicine, we also provide essential modern comforts. This thoughtful balance creates a healing space that is both grounded in tradition and supportive of contemporary needs.
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Connection and Community Spirit: We encourage meaningful connections through sharing circles, group experiences, and open-hearted dialogue. A sense of unity and belonging is central to everything we do. Our approach is filled with joy, devotion, and purpose — knowing that each moment is a chance to walk beside others on their path toward healing and wholeness.
Shamans: Guardians of Anciente Wisdom
Shanenawa Shamans preserves an ancestral lineage of sacred plant medicine knowledge. For countless generations, the Tribe have worked in deep communion with Ayahuasca, faithfully carrying forward the traditions entrusted to them by their forebears.
These dedicated healers have devoted their lives to working with powerful teacher plants such as Ayahuasca and Rapé, offering deep healing and spiritual insight to those on the path of personal and spiritual transformation.
Part of the shanenawa healing process occurs with:
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Pakari - or the tradicional song of an ancestral lineage
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Shanenawa cosmology
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The healing through animals and spirits of the forest
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A group of experienced healers, using medicines
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Dedication to Tradition: sacred healing practices of the Amazon, approaching each ceremony with authenticity.
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Whole Person Healing: The work embraces a complete vision of wellness, supporting the emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects of each person through ancestral medicines, love and compassion.
