Atmosphere

Features

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

Healing Ceremonies Mexico: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Puerto Morelos, Mexico

Healing Ceremonies Mexico is a small jungle retreat at a venue called Elephant on the Ruta de los Cenotes near Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico, run by a European couple, ceremony leader Stanley (“Standa”) and Kundalini yoga teacher Irena (Taran Krishna Kaur), offering 4 to 8-day retreats for two to six guests from $1,090, per its website. It publishes a health declaration and a detailed contraindication list, and guests rate it 4.86 from 48 reviews. Against that, a single week can include ayahuasca twice, psilocybin, kambo and bufo or a smoked DMT blend with no medical staff, the hosts publish no surnames, lineage or company, and its own refund terms contradict its listings.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: A private jungle property at about km 24 of the Ruta de los Cenotes, between Puerto Morelos and Leona Vicario, Quintana Roo, Mexico, per its Tripadvisor listing; no GPS is published.
• Approach: Two ayahuasca ceremonies a week, a daytime psilocybin ceremony, optional kambo and an optional bufo (5-MeO-DMT) or Xanga (smoked DMT) session, plus rapé, sananga, temazcal, cacao, cenote visits, Kundalini yoga, breathwork and integration circles; the 4-day program uses ayahuasca only.
• Suitable For: Adults wanting a very small, home-style retreat near Cancún who meet its screening rules. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $1,090 to $1,190 for four days, $1,390 to $1,590 for six days, $1,690 to $1,790 for New Year and eight-day programs, and $375 to $500 for a private ceremony; the balance is due in cash on arrival. Its own application form says the deposit is “fully non-refundable”, while BookRetreats shows a tiered refund.
• Overall Assessment: Published contraindications, very small groups, airport transfers and strong reviews, offset by many medicines per week with no medical cover, opaque hosts and contradictory terms. Directory evaluation: C.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

BookRetreats shows 4.86 from 48 reviews in 2026, with 44 five-star and one two-star review whose text is not displayed, per its organizer page; the same review pool appears on about 15 near-duplicate listings. Tripadvisor shows 5.0 from 6 reviews from March 2025 to October 2026. Guests praise warm hosts, Stanley’s steady ceremony holding, Irena’s food, small groups and a safe-feeling space, and several are military veterans; one October 2026 guest mentions two days of rain and power cuts. Retreat Guru shows no reviews. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and English, Spanish and Czech-language news for reports involving Healing Ceremonies Mexico, Stanley and Irena.

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

The hosts publish no surnames, which limits this search.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Stanley says he learned ayahuasca and other medicines in Mexico and then learned to prepare the brew in Peru, naming no teacher or lineage, per his BookRetreats profile. Irena, his wife, is a Kundalini Research Institute Level 1 teacher who says she has lived in Mexico since 2012, per her profile. The website has English and Czech versions, but no surnames, company, tax number or terms of service are published.

Screening and medical support. Guests complete a health questionnaire and declaration; listings exclude psychosis, bipolar disorder, SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, benzodiazepines, ADHD drugs, serious heart conditions, uncontrolled high blood pressure, neurological disorders and pregnancy, and say screening is reviewed by unnamed “appropriately qualified healthcare professionals”. No medical staff are on site and no emergency protocol is published. Bufo, Xanga and kambo are given only “after individual assessment”, with no administrator or credentials named. Puerto Morelos has only outpatient clinics; the nearest hospitals are in Cancún, likely 45 to 70 minutes away (our estimate).

Listings. Prices, retreat lengths, group limits of five to eight, ayahuasca ceremony counts and airport travel times conflict across about 20 pages. A draft site claims kambo “strengthens the immune system”. The source of the brew is not disclosed.

Status. Operating, with retreats scheduled from November 2026 into January 2027 and a blog post in November 2026.

Legal context. DMT is controlled in Mexico and ayahuasca at tourist retreats sits in a grey area, per The Psychedelic Journal; Indigenous healers have been arrested importing ayahuasca, per AFP via the Tico Times. The Sonoran Desert toad is a protected species in Mexico, per The Psychedelic Journal.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Taking ayahuasca twice, psilocybin, kambo and 5-MeO-DMT or DMT in one week, without medical staff, is a heavy load on the body and mind. 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

Two house brews called “Cielo” and “Jaguar”, prepared by Stanley; the source is not published, per its ayahuasca page. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Lowland Yucatán jungle on a rural road with satellite Wi-Fi, a ceremonial palapa, temazcal and small pool.
• Rooms: Jungle cabanas and bungalows with air conditioning and a fan-cooled main-house room, per its accommodation page.
• Style: A home-style retreat run by European hosts, mixing Amazonian brew, Mayan temazcal, Kundalini yoga and several other medicines.

Practical guidance: Fly to Cancún; round-trip airport transfers are included. Bring cash for the balance.

Should You Book?

Possibly, if you want a very small group and are cleared under its contraindication list. Ask in writing for the hosts’ full names, which refund terms apply to you, who administers kambo and bufo and their training, who on site is trained in first aid and the emergency plan to a Cancún hospital. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

The couple say they have lived in Mexico since about 2012; the website dates from 2022 and guest reviews from 2023. 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

Dates are listed on its website and BookRetreats. 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.