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

Bigger Life Adventures: An In-Depth Review for an Ayahuasca Recovery Retreat at Lake Atitlán, Guatemala

Bigger Life Adventures is a US sober-travel and yoga company run since 2018 by Carrie Hoffman and Zach Minnich, who say they are in long-term addiction recovery, that sells a six-day “Plant Medicine for Recovery” retreat at Casa Floresta near San Marcos La Laguna on Lake Atitlán, with two ayahuasca ceremonies served by The Forest Path, led by Jayaji with Hayley Saraswatī, per its retreat page. The founders interview every applicant and lead yoga and meditation; they do not serve the medicine. Against that, the retreat targets people in addiction recovery and first-timers with no medical staff, no published medical questionnaire beyond an SSRI warning and no emergency plan, its refund terms contradict its BookRetreats listing, it says there are no laws against ayahuasca in Guatemala, and none of its reviews describe this retreat.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Casa Floresta, a boat-access lakeside retreat venue near San Marcos La Laguna, Sololá, Guatemala, with lodging in its casitas and neighboring rental houses; the company is based in the United States.
• Approach: Two ayahuasca ceremonies with live music led by The Forest Path, plus rapé, a closing cacao ceremony, sauna, plant bath, sound healing and daily trauma-informed yoga and breathwork.
• Suitable For: People in stable recovery who want a structured group trip and will arrange their own medical screening. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $2,250 shared, $2,750 private single or $4,450 for a private room for two, for 23 to 28 January 2027, with a $400 deposit. Its cancellation policy says all deposits and payments are non-refundable, while its BookRetreats listing offers free cancellation and a different deposit.
• Overall Assessment: Experienced, named hosts and an established ceremony provider, offset by a vulnerable target group with no medical cover, conflicting terms and overstated legal claims. Directory evaluation: C.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Its BookRetreats organizer profile shows 4.90 from 12 reviews from 2022 to 2026, praising kind hosts, food and yoga, but none is about the Guatemala ayahuasca retreat and the same pool appears on every listing and on a duplicate profile. Older reviews on BookYogaRetreats cover its Arizona trips. The ceremony provider, The Forest Path, has 4.90 from 40 reviews on Retreat Guru; see our Forest Path profile for its record. No reviews of 3 stars or lower were found for Bigger Life Adventures. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and English and Spanish-language news for reports involving Bigger Life Adventures, Carrie Hoffman, Zach Minnich, The Forest Path, Jayaji, Hayley Saraswatī and Casa Floresta.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: None found. The founders say their earlier business, Grand Canyon Eco Retreat in Arizona, closed in 2024 after its county denied a permit, per their own account.

Business registries were not checked and other ceremony staff are named only by first name, so this absence offers limited assurance.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Hoffman and Minnich describe themselves on their founders page as a yoga teacher and Ayurvedic counselor and a Reiki practitioner and chef, both with wilderness first responder certificates. The ayahuasca is served by The Forest Path, whose leaders describe their training on Casa Floresta’s team page without naming an indigenous lineage. No legal entity is shown for any of the three businesses.

Screening and medical support. Every applicant has a pre-interview call and may be declined, and guests are told to stop alcohol, drugs, antidepressants and other plant medicines for an unspecified period. No medical questionnaire, heart, blood pressure or psychiatric exclusions, medical staff or emergency plan is published. The venue is reached only by boat, about 15 to 35 minutes from Panajachel, and no hospital route is given. A company blog says it does not believe anyone would relapse from ayahuasca itself.

Status. Operating, with its next ayahuasca retreat in January 2027.

Legal context. Guatemala’s drug law does not name ayahuasca, but DMT falls under its controlled substances and the brew’s status is unclear, with retreats operating openly, per Wikipedia. The company’s claim that there are no laws against ayahuasca in Guatemala overstates this.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

People in early recovery may also be taking medications or have psychiatric histories that interact badly with ayahuasca; ask for a written medical questionnaire 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 served by The Forest Path, whose source is not stated. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: A private cove on Lake Atitlán at about 1,560 meters, with volcano views and a dock, per Casa Floresta.
• Rooms: Casitas and rental houses with private bathrooms; plant-based meals and snacks.
• Style: A sober-travel yoga retreat for 14 to 18 people with two ceremonies at its core.

Practical guidance: The company says shared shuttles from Guatemala City airport, about three hours away, are arranged, while its BookRetreats listing says transfers are not included; confirm before booking.

Should You Book?

Possibly, after the gaps are filled. Ask in writing for the medical questionnaire, the exclusion rules for heart and psychiatric conditions, who on site is trained beyond first aid, the evacuation plan by boat, which refund terms apply, and whether Forest Path’s own screening applies. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Bigger Life Adventures presents itself as travel for people in recovery and the sober-curious, built on the founders’ own sobriety. 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

The retreat is listed on its website. 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.