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Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (November 2026). They will be updated if Céu do Vale da Vida submits its own information.

Céu do Vale da Vida: An In-Depth Review for Santo Daime Ceremonies in Val-David, Quebec, Canada

Céu do Vale da Vida is a small independent Santo Daime church in the forest at Val-David, in Quebec’s Laurentians, registered as a nonprofit in 2018 and led by president Ati Supino, a pen name, with vice-president Jean-Claude Couture, that holds Daime tea ceremonies, called works, for its members, with tea brewed at the Céu Sagrado church in Sorocaba, Brazil, per its church page. It is one of the few Canadian groups granted a Health Canada exemption to serve the tea, per Global News. Against that, it publishes no screening, medical or emergency information, there is no public confirmation that its exemption has been renewed, its leader’s legal name is not published, and it has no reviews.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: A small church in the forest at Val-David, Laurentides, Quebec, Canada; no public address is given.
• Approach: Santo Daime works with hymn singing in Portuguese and French, silent meditation, prayer and dance; it calls itself independent of the main Santo Daime organization and adds Osho-inspired hymns.
• Suitable For: People seeking a legal religious setting in Quebec who are willing to join a church rather than a retreat. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: No prices are published; it offers no retreat packages, lodging, meals or transfers, and its calendar appears to be for members only.
• Overall Assessment: A registered, exempt church with named officers and no incidents found, held back by no public safety information and an unconfirmed current exemption. Directory evaluation: B-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

No reviews were found on any platform, which is expected for a closed-membership church that says it does not recruit. It is not listed on retreat booking sites. No reviews of 3 stars or lower were found. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and English and French-language news for reports involving Céu do Vale da Vida, Ati Supino and Jean-Claude Couture.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: None found.

In a 2019 blog post, Supino responded to Quebec media coverage that linked the exempt churches to a Quebec man’s death at an ayahuasca center in Peru; that death occurred at another center. Supino’s legal name is not published, so it was not searched.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. The church is registered in Quebec as “Église Santo Daime Ceu do Vale da Vida (Cercle Osho Daime)”. Supino says he discovered Santo Daime in 2011, holds a doctorate and taught at Quebec universities (unverified), and names leaders of Céu Sagrado in Brazil as his mentors, per its Santo Daime page.

Exemption. The church says it received a Section 56 exemption in December 2018 and began importing tea in 2019; ICEERS lists it among exemptions granted in 2019. Exemptions run for two years and must be renewed, and no public record of renewal was found.

Screening and medical support. No questionnaire, contraindication list, medical staff or emergency plan is published. A sister church with the same tea source says its exemption requires contraindication screening, per Céu do Montréal; whether the same terms apply here is not public.

Status. Probably active but discreet, with site updates in 2024 and an image added in 2026.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Ask the church directly about its screening rules before attending. 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

Daime tea brewed at Céu Sagrado in Brazil and imported under the church’s exemption. Daime is ayahuasca, combining the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: A wooded village in the Laurentian Mountains, about an hour from Montreal.
• Rooms: No lodging is offered.
• Style: Formal Santo Daime liturgy in a small, mostly French-speaking congregation.

Practical guidance: Contact the church before travelling; it does not run public retreats.

Should You Book?

Possibly, for people drawn to a religious practice. Ask in writing whether its exemption is current, how newcomers are screened, who is trained in first aid during works, and what happens in an emergency. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Céu do Vale da Vida presents itself as “the little Santo Daime church in the forest of Val-David”. 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 church can be contacted through 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.