The body
Ease off alcohol, stimulants, heavy food, and sugar in the weeks before. Move toward simple meals, real sleep, and water. Arriving rested is worth more than arriving prepared in any other sense.
Preparation
The retreat begins weeks before you travel.
Preparation and integration are not add-ons to the ceremony. They are the conditions under which the ceremony can do anything at all.
Why It Matters
An unprepared arrival wastes the night.
People who arrive still mid-sprint — inbox open on the plane, one more call from the transfer, body running on coffee and four hours of sleep — spend the first ceremony coming down rather than going in.
The tradition assumes you will arrive already emptied out to some degree. That is what the fasting, the cleansing, and the herbal baths on the first full day are for. But those practices work on a body and a life that has been pointed in the right direction for a few weeks beforehand, not one that arrived that morning.
Everything below is either a safety requirement or something that reliably changes how much of the experience you get to keep.
Medical Screening
Disclose everything. This part is not optional.
Iboga is physiologically active in ways that matter. It affects heart rhythm, and it interacts seriously with a number of common medications and substances. Screening exists because of this, and it is the one part of the process where there is no room for optimism or omission.
You will be asked for a full picture of your health and everything you take, prescribed or otherwise. Nothing disclosed here is judged; things withheld here are dangerous.
- Cardiac history. Any heart condition, arrhythmia, family history of sudden cardiac death, or history of fainting must be disclosed. Cardiac screening is required.
- Medications. Antidepressants (particularly SSRIs and MAOIs), opioids, stimulants, antipsychotics, mood stabilisers, and heart medications all carry interaction risk.
- Never taper alone. If a medication needs to be reduced or stopped before a ceremony, that is done with your prescribing doctor on a planned schedule — never by yourself, and never abruptly.
- Substance use. Alcohol, stimulants, cannabis, and any recreational substance use should be reported honestly, including timing.
- Mental health history. Psychosis, bipolar disorder, and certain other conditions may mean this is not appropriate, or not appropriate now.
- Pregnancy. Not appropriate during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Not medical advice
This page is general information about how the retreat prepares guests. It is not medical advice and does not replace assessment by a qualified clinician who knows your history. Speak with your own doctor about any medication decision.
The Weeks Before
Three things to put in order.
None of this is complicated. It is just easier to do it in advance than to discover on day two that you did not.
The work
You will be unreachable. Hand things over properly rather than leaving them half-covered — an unresolved handover follows you into the temple more reliably than almost anything else.
The question
Come with something honest you actually want to look at. Not a goal, not an outcome to engineer. A question. The tradition responds to sincerity far more than to preparation technique.
We prepare together
Once your place is confirmed you join a WhatsApp group with the rest of your retreat community, and we hold two preparation calls in the month before the retreat. The community starts forming before anyone travels.
Practical
What to bring, and what to leave.
The list is short because the retreat is simple. White or light natural-fibre clothing is traditional for ceremony nights, and you will be told what is expected before you travel.
- Comfortable clothing you can lie down in for many hours, plus something warm for the early morning.
- Light-coloured or white clothing for the ceremony nights.
- A towel, sandals, and a refillable water bottle.
- Any prescribed medication you have been cleared to continue, in its original packaging.
- A notebook and a pen. Most people write a great deal on the rest day.
- Insect repellent and sun protection.
Phones, watches, and electronic devices are not used during the retreat. They are collected on arrival and returned at the end. One member of the team is designated to handle communication in a genuine emergency, and your family will be given that contact before you travel.
Private Consultation
Preparation starts with the first conversation.
Screening, questions, timing, and honest assessment of fit all happen before anything is booked. If this is not the right year for you, we would rather establish that now.