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

Healing Center Shanayoy: An In-Depth Review for Yagé Retreats in Sibundoy, Putumayo, Colombia

Healing Center Shanayoy is an Indigenous-led yagé (ayahuasca) center on the Kamëntsá reservation in Vereda Tamabioy, Sibundoy, Putumayo, Colombia, led by Kamëntsá yagecero Taita Juan Bautista Agreda Chindoy with US facilitator Erika Salazar, that runs 9 to 11-day “Return to the Origin” retreats with three ceremonies, per its retreats page. Its taita comes from a documented healing family and the center is tied to a US church that funds community projects. Against that, no retreat price is published, a $1,000 deposit is non-refundable, no contraindication list, named medical staff or emergency plan is published, and it has no independent reviews.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Rooms and a maloca on a mountainside in Vereda Tamabioy, Sibundoy, in the Sibundoy Valley of Alto Putumayo, Colombia; no address or GPS is published.
• Approach: Kamëntsá yagé ceremonies with plant baths, energy healing, counseling, yoga and visits to hot springs and artisans.
• Suitable For: Guests seeking an Indigenous-led setting who arrange their own medical screening. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: No retreat price is published; a $1,000 deposit is required, with 20% off for paying in full four months ahead. Payments can be transferred to a later retreat, and pickup from Pasto airport is included.
• Overall Assessment: A lineage-holding Kamëntsá taita and community ties, offset by hidden prices, unclear medical arrangements, no independent reviews and contradictory listings. Directory evaluation: C.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

No independent reviews were found; Retreat Guru shows none, and its own site shows video testimonials. A 2024 Ecoversities account by a resident intern describes yagé ceremonies, plant baths and a medicinal garden at the center. 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 Spanish-language news for reports involving Shanayoy, Taita Juan Bautista Agreda Chindoy, Erika Salazar and Celina De Leon.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: In October 2010 Taita Juan was detained at Houston airport carrying yagé on his way to lead ceremonies in the US; charges were dropped in November 2010 and he was deported, per El Espectador and Erowid. No other legal matters were found.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Taita Juan, born in Sibundoy in 1968, is the son of yagecero Taita Martín Agreda, per a 2013 academic interview co-written by his apprentice. The site calls him a four-time governor of the Kamëntsá council while Retreat Guru says three terms (unverified). In the same interview he claimed to have cured cancer and HIV; these claims are unsupported. The center is linked to Circle of Sacred Nature, a US church whose founder, his longtime apprentice Celina De Leon, also leads retreats in his lineage at Posada Natura in Costa Rica, per the church’s projects page. No Colombian legal entity is shown.

Screening and medical support. The site mentions pre-retreat screening and a doctor “on call” for emergencies, but names no doctor and publishes no contraindication list or emergency protocol. Its preparation guidance says only that some foods and medicines interact with yagé. The valley sits above 2,000 m, and higher-level hospitals are in Pasto (unverified).

Listings. Its own site says groups are capped at 12 in one place and 14 in another, and its Retreat Guru page lists a pool, spa and sauna that its own facilities page does not describe.

Status. Likely operating, with dates listed into 2027; the latest outside evidence of activity is the 2024 residency.

Legal context. Colombia has no specific law permitting or prohibiting yagé, per ICEERS, and Indigenous traditional use has the strongest protection.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Ask for the full contraindication list before paying the deposit. 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

Yagé prepared and served by Taita Juan in the Kamëntsá tradition. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Cool Andean valley on the edge of the Amazon, on a mountainside near a river.
• Rooms: Private single rooms, most with shared bathrooms; meals cooked by the taita’s family.
• Style: Indigenous Kamëntsá ceremonies with bilingual facilitation.

Practical guidance: Fly to Pasto (PSO); pickup is included.

Should You Book?

Possibly, for guests who want an Indigenous-led setting. Ask in writing for the full price, the contraindication rules, the name and location of the on-call doctor, the emergency plan and hospital route, and which entity takes your payment. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Shanayoy presents itself as a place to “return to the origin” through Kamëntsá medicine and community. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go: Disclose every medication and condition in writing, plan any change with your own doctor, and allow time to acclimatize. 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

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Last reviewed November 2026.

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