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

Intertwining Medicines: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats in the Sacred Valley, Peru

Intertwining Medicines runs Shipibo-led ayahuasca retreats in the Andean village of Arín, near Calca in Peru’s Sacred Valley, and now at a second, unnamed venue in the Amazon reached from Tarapoto. It was founded by Lacey Luna, an American yoga teacher and Shipibo apprentice, with lead facilitator Todd Michael Roberts, both formerly at Temple of the Way of Light and Soltara by their own account. Seven-night retreats with four ceremonies cost $4,200 to $5,500, five-night women’s retreats $2,650 to $3,550, for groups of up to 10, with psychological screening from a medical form and six follow-up integration calls. It has operated since at least 2021 and lists dates into 2027. Against that, there are no independent reviews on any platform, no doctor or nurse on staff, no published emergency plan, altitude or nearest hospital, no named contraindicated drugs, no legal entity or refund policy, and its site links ayahuasca to healing cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and brain injury.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Arín, Calca district, Cusco, “at the foot of Pitusiray Mountain,” about 90 minutes from Cusco airport, according to its travel page; plus an Amazon venue with a spring-fed pool near Tarapoto, whose town is not named.
• Approach: Shipibo ceremonies with icaros, a vomitivo, flower baths, a Q’ero despacho, restorative yoga, mindfulness and pranic healing, plus two-week plant dietas for returning guests.
• Suitable For: Adults seeking a small, Shipibo-led retreat with integration support, after confirming medical cover and an emergency plan at altitude in writing. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: $4,200, $4,500 or $5,500 for seven nights by room type, $3,650 or $4,550 in the Amazon, and $2,650 to $3,550 for the five-night women’s retreat, according to its retreat page. Extra integration calls are $150 an hour. No deposit or refund policy is published.
• Overall Assessment: An established small-group format with screening, integration calls and licensed therapists, offset by no medical staff or emergency plan, unsupported serious-disease claims, no independent reviews, no legal entity or refund terms, and an unclear roster of maestros. Directory evaluation: C+.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

The positive picture. Testimonials praise small groups and personal attention, emotional and trauma healing, the Shipibo maestros, integration calls, food and the resident dog; one guest says the founder checked dosage after each ceremony.

The negative feedback. No independent reviews exist. One 2024 testimonial describes “serious trepidation” and feeling unravelled before, during and after the retreat, framed as growth.

Who is writing the reviews. Only the operator: one multi-year testimonial comes from a guest who did a yoga work exchange there, and another from a repeat guest. 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 Intertwining Medicines, Lacey Luna, Todd Michael Roberts, Robert Bonazoli, Sean Chiddy, Maestro Nelson and Maestra Orfelinda.

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

A US tourist died after an ayahuasca session at a lodge in Loreto in June 2025, as BioBioChile reported; that case does not involve Intertwining Medicines. Our earlier profile found no incidents.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Health claims. Its ayahuasca page says “some people work with this medicine to assist in ongoing healing process from types of cancer,” along with autoimmune disorders, arthritis, brain injuries, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and its testimonials page pairs a guest video with the line “Currently there is no cure in Western medical care for CTE.” No evidence is cited. People with these conditions often take medications that can interact with ayahuasca, and no contraindicated drugs are named.

Medical cover. No physician or nurse is listed. The founder holds a Red Cross CPR and first-aid certificate; the team includes psychologists and psychotherapists who report licenses in Australia, the UK, Canada and the US, not Peru. Travel insurance with medical cover is required. No emergency protocol, nearest hospital or altitude is published.

Who runs it. No Peruvian RUC, company name, terms of service or refund policy appears anywhere. Retreat Guru lists A/C, a pool, sauna and gym that the operator’s own photos do not show.

Shifting details. Pages give group sizes of 5 to 10, 6 to 10, 8 to 10 and a maximum of 6, and combined team experience of “70+ years” and “nearly 50 years.”

Legal context. Ayahuasca is legal in Peru, where traditional use is national cultural heritage, but retreat centers are not licensed, according to ICEERS.

Corrections to our earlier profile. Seven-night retreats now cost $4,200 to $5,500, not $2,799. Maestro Nelson (Shipibo name Isa Sina), named as leader in our earlier profile, appears in testimonials through April 2025 and a September 2026 listing, but the current team page names Maestros Wilder, Damian and Luz; his surname was not found. The team’s experience is stated as 70-plus or nearly 50 years, not over 60. Lodging is on site, not off site. Praise on Quora and a Retreat Guru comment that fasting was tough remain unverified; Retreat Guru shows no reviews. The Sacred Valley location, four ceremonies over seven nights, Todd Michael Roberts, Lacey, Robert Bonazoli for men’s retreats, the maloka, plant baths, vomitivo, four to six hour ceremonies with fasting, screening from a medical form and the CTE testimonial are confirmed as the operator’s own claims.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Guests complete a medical form followed by a psychological screening, and the operator says ayahuasca “can trigger certain underlying psychiatric conditions” and is “strongly contraindicated against some pharmaceutical drugs,” without naming them, according to its ayahuasca page. 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

The operator says its brew contains only chacruna leaves and the ayahuasca vine and is cooked by its healers. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains. Dietas use master plants such as piñón colorado and ceremonial tobacco; no kambo, rapé, bufo, San Pedro or psilocybin is offered.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: An Andean village near waterfalls below Pitusiray, with gardens, hammocks, fireplaces and outdoor hot tubs; the Amazon venue sits by a river.
• Rooms: Private bedrooms with king beds in a shared house, rooms with private bath and balcony, or deluxe bungalows with tub and kitchenette.
• Style: Shipibo ceremonies in a maloka alongside yoga, mindfulness and a Western trauma-informed team; gluten-free, dairy-free organic meals.

Practical guidance: Free group transport runs from a Cusco collection point, or from Tarapoto for the Amazon venue. Arrive in Cusco a day early to adjust to altitude.

Should You Book?

Intertwining Medicines suits guests who want a small Shipibo-led retreat with structured integration. Before booking, get the emergency plan, nearest hospital, list of contraindicated drugs and refund terms in writing, and confirm which maestro will lead. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Lacey Luna says she trained as a yoga teacher from 2009, worked at Temple of the Way of Light from 2018 and Soltara in 2022 and 2023, and has apprenticed in the Shipibo tradition since 2019. Todd Michael Roberts’s bio cites about five years facilitating at Temple of the Way of Light and directing retreats at Soltara until 2023. Robert Bonazoli, a Boston psychotherapist licensed in four US states, co-leads men’s retreats; Sean Chiddy and Carolyn Shaw are listed as psychologists. The site’s copyright dates from 2020. 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: Use the included integration calls and 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

Intertwining Medicines books through its website, with retreats listed into November 2027. 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.