Frequently asked questions

WiFi internet is available for free at the center. We use basic STARLINK satelital connection for internet. Cellphone coverage is not available right in the center, but it is available approximately 10 minutes walk from us.

Because of the elevation of our retreat center (about 600 meters above sea), ve have very few, almost non-existent mosquitoes and malaria is practically non-existent. There are malaria-risk regions in Ecuador, situated in the lowlands of the Amazon – we are not one of them. Because of the toxicity of the anti-malaria pills, we suggest you think well before taking this medication in a low-risk area such our center.

The private transport from Quito/airport and is available for an additional fee, that is specified in the event registration form, where you can also specify whether you need it.

The maximum number of participants in the retreat and ceremony is 12 people. The usual group size is 6 people. We make sure the retreat is highly individual and everybody receives personal attention from the shaman, including a private cleansing session lasting 15-30 minutes, and sharing session the next day, with all questions answered. If needed, an English-speaking trained facilitator is available to you both before and after a ceremony.

If you don’t want to drink the ayahuasca brew, you are still much welcome to participate in the retreat, as we believe you can still greatly benefit from it. In the kichwa culture, it is common that the native people participate in the healing ceremonies where only shaman drinks ayahuasca. Most people are not fit or ready to drink it. The indigenous people of the Amazon believe that it is not necessary for the patient to drink. The shaman drinks to see the spirits and to help the person energetically by performing the “limpia” or cleansing ritual, or “curación” healing ritual. Even if you don’t drink Ayahuasca, you can still participate in the Ayahuasca ceremony, be with us in the temple, feel the energy of the circle and receive the individual cleansing ritual from the shaman.

We host 10-day and ocassionally 5-day retreats only. It is because one ceremony has proven to be not enough for most people to receive the full benefits of the medicine and reach deep levels of healing. Ayahuasca affects each person differently. In the first ceremony, we can observe your reaction to the brew and establish an optimal dose. The shaman also works to prepare each person energetically during the first ceremony. The first night is often a cleansing one. In your second ceremony, everybody is more prepared, energetically adjusted, trusting and relaxed to be able to enter fully into the Ayahuasca medicine space and receive the desired results. The ideal number is 4 ceremonies.

We don’t. Please withdraw everything you need prior to your arrival at the center to pay in cash. Please make sure you request that our driver make a stop for you to withdraw money from a cash machine. There is no cash machine in Santa Clara.

In case of any emergency, it takes us approximately 20 minutes to get a person to the nearest medical attention center in Santa Clara, or 45 minutes to get to the modern hospital in Tena  (recently upgraded in 2019). There is always a truck ready at the entrance to the center during ceremonies. We have not had any emergency since our foundation in 2008. The center is also equipped with first aid kits and has a person certificated in providing basic first aid if necessary.

Sananga is a powerful rainforest medicine of the Kichwa people. Applied to one’s eyes, it sharpens the vision and heals the sinuses, but it also brings a sense of deep peace and tranquility into one’s soul, creating a powerful protection from negative energies. Drops of this medicine are made from Tabernaemontana, which is found around us in the jungle. This assures its freshness and strength. Read more about the Sananga drops here.

We do not. San Pedro cactus is a powerful mind-altering plant and its best if you take it on a different occasion. Working with another shaman and taking San Pedro during your Ayahuasca experience may disturb your process with Ayahuasca. Both Ayahuasca and San Pedro are powerful medicines that can have a very positive impact on our lives, but we honor and respect them by giving each of them a separate time-space. This ensures the process is safe and grounded. We do not want to alter your energies quickly after the Ayahuasca ceremony. This provides a long-lasting positive effect and allows you to understand and properly implement all teachings you receive during your Ayahuasca retreat.

During the history of Feather Crown, we have been working with certified and non-certified shamans, including the very leaders of ASHIN (Association of Indigenous Shamans of Napo Province) and CYRAE (Advisory Board of the Shamans of the Ecuadorian Amazon), bodies who provide certifications to shamans of the Amazon helping them to find more work and protect their indigenous rights. In the Amazon, only a small percentage of shamans, perhaps 5%, are certified. There are excellent shamans who do not have any licenses, and there are licensed shamans whose conduct is harmful to clients. In short, a license does not prove anything and we dissuade from relying solely on some piece of paper.

We do not require shamans to have formal licenses. We require that a shaman has proven ethical conduct and skill during many years of work. Shamans who work at Feather Crown are hand-picked and proven. They belong to an indigenous tradition and have received proper training and instruction from elders. They are a part of our ayllu (term in kichwa, which means “extended family”). We took a good time to observe not only their ceremonial skills, shamanic power, and ability to lead and guide people through intense Ayahuasca experiences but also their kindness, openness, willingness to share and teach, explain their work as well as seriousness and reliability.

Feather Crown shamans are excellent and one of the most sought in Ecuador, not because of their license, but because of their tested and proven abilities.

You will make people happy by bringing them some AAA and AA rechargeable batteries, headlamps, and waterproof flashlights. You can make children happy by bringing colors and coloring books, footballs, pocket knives, notebooks, Spanish educational / stories / comic books, dolls. Women appreciate utensils for the kitchen. Please do not bring nonfunctional things.