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Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (November 2026). They will be updated if Ankara Ayahuasca Church submits its own information.

Ankara Ayahuasca Church: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Ceremonies in Oakland, California, USA

Ankara Ayahuasca Church, also listed as The Ankara Church of Wellness, is an Oakland, California group that sold ayahuasca ceremonies and three-day retreats with two ayahuasca sessions, breathwork and yoga at unnamed California venues for a “donation” of $950 to $1,500, per its own 2021 Meetup listing. It required a screening form and interview. Against that, its founder is known only by a first name, no facilitators, medical staff, emergency plan or refund terms were published, it shows no legal entity or DEA exemption, its only independent rating is 1.8 out of 5 with repeated complaints about kept payments and poor supervision (unverified), and it appears to have closed.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Oakland, California, USA, with retreats at undisclosed California venues and reportedly in Mexico or Guatemala; no address was published.
• Approach: A self-described church holding ayahuasca ceremonies with breathwork, meditation and yoga.
• Suitable For: No one; it appears to be closed and complaints describe unreliable operation. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: A “donation” of $950 to $1,500 for a three-day retreat in 2021, with the medicine described as free; reviewers mention about $100 per session. No refund policy was published.
• Overall Assessment: An unexempted, anonymous church with uniformly negative reviews about money and supervision, now probably closed. Directory evaluation: D-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Its Safe Ceremonies listing shows 1.8 out of 5 from reviews posted between 2021 and 2025, all negative in substance (unverified). Reviewers say payments were kept when the founder cancelled, refunds and products were never delivered, a retreat was disorganized and skipped advertised activities, an attendee nearly fell and hit their head because staff were not paying attention, and a first-time participant was left alone. One reviewer said the first ceremony was a breakthrough and another called the founder kind but unreliable. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and news for reports involving Ankara Ayahuasca Church and The Ankara Church of Wellness.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: Four reviewers allege kept payments, unpaid refunds or undelivered products (unverified).
• Legal action: None found.

The founder’s surname is unknown and court records were not checked, so this record is incomplete. A 2020 Oakland police raid involved a different church.

If you have experienced or witnessed an incident with this center, please report it confidentially.

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Reviewers name the founder only as Gabby and say she was not a shaman. A competitor’s article says it was run by Indigenous women of color and brought Shipibo maestros to Mexico, but no one is named. No company or nonprofit registration was found.

Screening and medical support. A screening form and interview were required, but no contraindication list, medical staff or emergency plan was published, and venues were undisclosed.

Status. Probably closed; its last dated event was in July 2021, its Meetup groups are deleted, and Safe Ceremonies marked it permanently closed in October 2026 (unverified).

Legal context. DMT is outlawed for most purposes under the US Controlled Substances Act, and only specific churches such as the UDV have won religious exemptions in court, per Wikipedia; the government has recognized only a handful of groups, per Wikipedia. Ankara is not among them.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Ask any US ayahuasca church for its legal basis, written screening rules and refund terms before paying. ICEERS notes that ayahuasca’s MAOI component makes it dangerous with SSRIs and other serotonergic drugs and that it is contraindicated for people prone to psychosis. Never stop a psychiatric medication to qualify for a ceremony without your prescriber’s guidance.

🧪 Brew Substance

Ayahuasca it described as “true Ayahuasca (no analogs, no fillers)”; its source was not published. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Undisclosed venues in California; one reviewer describes a hot warehouse.
• Rooms: Donation tiers varied by accommodation; no details were published.
• Style: An urban church model with breathwork, yoga and a donation-based fee.

Practical guidance: No venue or transport details were published.

Should You Book?

No. It appears to be closed, and reviewers describe kept payments and poor supervision. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Ankara presented itself as a plant-centered healing ministry guided by the principle “soul over matter”. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go: Disclose every medication and condition in writing and plan any change with your own doctor. After you return: Arrange support from a qualified therapist at home. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any center.

Pros & Cons

Book Your Ceremony

Its last known listing was on Meetup. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.

Last reviewed November 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified medical professional.