Mai Niti Plant Medicine Healing Centre
Atmosphere
Features
đź’¬ Guests Say
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Authentic Healing: Tripadvisor notes the Shipibo-led ceremonies, with guests calling Maestra Lucila’s approach “magical,” healing deep trauma over 5 weeks, though some found the rustic conditions tough.
Loving Family: Quora praises the family-run vibe in San Francisco, Peru, with Lucila and Maestro Leonardo creating a “safe, nurturing” space, despite basic facilities like cold showers.
Transformative Experience: A 2024 review on a retreat platform highlights the profound impact, with guests feeling “energized and clear” after a month, appreciating the tailored plant dietas, but noting dietary restrictions as challenging.
đźš© Incident Report
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Theft: No reports on Reddit, Quora, Tripadvisor, or Google mention stolen items at Mai Niti.
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Sexual Misconduct: No allegations against Mai Niti’s staff were found in online discussions or ICEERS resources.
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Crime: No police reports or violent incidents tied to Mai Niti were found in Google News, Peruvian media, or retreat forums.
🔍 Critical Notes
Retreats At Mai Niti
Retreats at the Mai Niti center are a little different from other Ayahuasca retreats/centers—here, you’re invited to undergo a personalized process tailored specifically to the issues that you’re facing in life. The owners of the center, Maestro Leonardo and his daughter Maestra Lucila, treat guests with a range of plant medicines—not just Ayahuasca.
On your first ceremony, the shamans will drink Ayahuasca to connect with you energetically—they use this ceremony to decide which plants they’ll give you and what type of process you’ll have in the coming weeks. At some point, they’ll call you up to sit in front of them so that they can sing you an icaro directly to you to both help you heal and for them to understand what’s going on for you (an icaro is an ancient healing song used in Shipibo shamanism to heal guests).
Following this ceremony, they’ll create a personalized plan involving a combination of plant baths, energy work, plant medicines and remedies, plant saunas, and plant purgatives, as well as Ayahuasca and Wachuma to help you heal past the issues you face. During your stay, you’ll periodically connect with the shamans in ceremony, where both you and they will work on your issues and where they’ll also be able to check in with you and see how your process is going (and adjust it accordingly). Guests stay anywhere from 1 week to multiple months at the center to work on various issues. Such as psychological, physical, or spiritual.
The Maestros
In Peru, the term commonly used for shamans is maestro, and healers are commonly referred to as curanderos. Ceremonies at Mai Niti are held under the guidance of powerful male and female healers from the Shipibo Tribe: Maestro Leonardo and Maestra Lucila. Both well known and respected as skilled curanderos in their Shipibo community of San Francisco, the two now work together to bring their healing to the wider world. Compassion is the force that drives them to do the work that they do. Leonardo and Lucila are dedicated entirely to the path of curanderismo.
Maestro Leonardo
(Leonardo has been working with the plants since the age of 12. Now, aged 85, he has over 70 years of experience with plant medicine and ayahuasca.)
Maestra Lucila
(After rigorous training from Leonardo, strict dietas, and many years in isolation, Lucila has followed in her father’s footsteps to become a Maestra.)
The Center
When you step into the Mai Niti healing center, you will be met with the love and compassion that are at the core of the Curanderos work. You will quickly become part of the family, and the curanderos are truly here for you every step of the way in your healing journey.
Mai Niti Healing Center is owned and run entirely by the Curanderos and their family. For this reason, they have the freedom to run the retreats in the way they feel is right in order to bring the deepest level of healing and care to all who come.
The curanderos and their family will be with you every step of the way to ensure that you have a truly transformative healing experience and that you find what you are seeking. Living with them on their land is a truly eye-opening experience in which you will not only have the opportunity to heal and grow but also experience life in symbiosis with nature, the way the Shipibo do.
Ayahuasca Retreats and Plant Dietas
Mai Niti offers authentic ayahuasca retreats that are carefully designed to facilitate profound healing and transformation in the safest and most effective way possible. Retreats are held under the guidance of powerful and skilled Shipibo healers, both male and female, in the way that their ancestors have worked for thousands of years. At the center, the curanderos and family put great care into maintaining a compassionate and supportive environment at all times. This ensures that all participants are taken care of and guided through their healing journeys.
We find that small groups allow for a more impactful and personal healing experience—as such, all ceremonies have an average of 10 and a maximum of 15 guests in attendance. The curanderos work closely with each individual guest and develop a unique treatment plan that is tailored to your specific needs.
During your first ceremony with us, you will drink only a small cup of ayahuasca. In this ceremony, the curanderos will drink ayahuasca for you in order to assess you energetically and determine which plants you will need in the following days and how much ayahuasca you will need for your next ceremony. This allows guests to safely ease into the medicine, instead of being thrown in at the deep end.
Our Ayahuasca & Plant Medicine Retreats and what they include
There are 3 Ayahuasca ceremonies and 1 San Pedro ceremony held per week.
Guests are invited to join us for anywhere between 6 days and 120 days.
The retreat center is open all year round (apart from occasional breaks when we travel to Europe or Cusco—enquire for further details), so there are no set retreat dates—you are welcome to join us on any date and stay as long as desired/required /advised.
What’s included?
3 Ayahuasca ceremonies per week (1 introductory ceremony, where you’ll drink a small amount of Ayahuasca)
1 San Pedro ceremony per week
Treatment with Healing and Teacher Plants
Plant baths
Plant saunas
Nutritious vegetarian food
Private bedroom with a double bed
1-to-1 meeting with Shamans whenever required
Personal treatment plan
We sometimes take part in activities also; depending on the dates you join us we may:
Go on a boat tour along the local rivers.
Explore the local jungle.
Learn how to make Shipibo crafts.
Guests who would prefer to adhere to a noble silence can be provided with the space and privacy required to do so.
Retreat Pricing
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8 Day Ayahuasca Retreat (8D/7N)
Personalised healing retreat or 3 Aya ceremonies, 1 Wachuma/San Pedro ceremony*
$1000 USD
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15 Day Ayahuasca & Plant Medicine Retreat (15D/14N)
Personalised healing retreat or 6 Aya ceremonies, 2 Wachuma/San Pedro ceremony*
$1700 USD
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22 Day Ayahuasca & Plant Medicine Retreat (22D/21N)
Personalised healing retreat or 9 Aya ceremonies, 3 Wachuma/San Pedro ceremony*
$2200 USD
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1 Month Ayahuasca & Plant Medicine Retreat (30D/29N)
Personalised healing retreat or 12 Aya ceremonies, 4 Wachuma/San Pedro ceremony*
$2700 USD
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2 Month Ayahuasca & Plant Medicine Retreat (60D/59N)
Personalised healing retreat or Attend all Ayahuasca and San Pedro Ceremonies*
$5200 USD
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3 Month Ayahuasca & Plant Medicine Retreat (90D/89N)
Personalised healing retreat or Attend all Ayahuasca and San Pedro Ceremonies*
$7800 USD
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4 Month Ayahuasca & Plant Medicine Retreat (120D/119N)
Personalised healing retreat or Attend all Ayahuasca and San Pedro Ceremonies*
$10,400 USD
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Plant Dieta or Master Plant Dieta (Learning / Healing)
Learn from the Shamans & Plant spirits (interview required)
$2700 USD per month
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3 – 4 Month Shamanic Apprenticeship (1 year+ overall commitment required)
Contact us for more information and a discussion with Maestra Lucila
$2700 USD per month
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1 Year Shamanic Apprenticeship (can be done in 3/4 month parts or all at once)
Contact us for more information and a discussion with Maestra Lucila
$2700 USD per month
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Plant Medicine Retreats (no Ayahuasca or psychedelic plants)
All the above retreats without a psychedelic element
$1000/week – $2700/month)
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Healing Retreat (to address physical conditions with no psychedelic plants)
Come to heal with the maestros without consuming medicines
$1000/week – $2700/month)
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Program for seriously ill and unable to work
Contact us for an interview – strictly for those who are seriously ill / unable to work due to their condition
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Please note:Â If the cost of your stay is a barrier, please contact us using the contact form to discuss your possible options.
To avoid any confusion, we count days, not nights, so the 8-day retreat includes your arrival day (on which you can arrive at any time) and departure date (on which you can depart at any time).
While it is recommended by the shamans to stay 15 days or longer for a deeper healing experience, you are welcome to come for any period of time starting at 6 days.
*Please keep in mind that the ceremony counts above are for guidance only (Ayahuasca ceremonies are held three times a week, and Wachuma/San Pedro once a week). The curanderos may recommend a personalized healing process that (if you decide to go ahead) could affect the total amount of ceremonies you attend. This is because some plant remedies and treatments that may be prescribed will potentially require a break from Ayahuasca/San Pedro (Huachuma) ceremonies.
Shamanic Apprenticeships
Mai Niti also offers shamanic apprenticeships—these are between 90 days (when done in parts) and 1 year+ long. Get in touch for more information.
Long term stays / Healing Dietas / Masterplant Dietas
If you wish to heal deeper or physical issues, you’re advised to book a free Skype consultation with Maestra Lucila.
The plant dieta is at the core of all Shipibo healing practices. The dieta is a way in which one becomes open to receiving the knowledge and healing of the sacred plants known as master plants. The dieta is the process by which one can come into communion with the plants.
Healing
Ayahuasca and master plants can help to bring about profound healing of one’s body, mind, and spirit as well as a transformation of one’s life and an awakening to one’s true potential. These sacred medicines allow us to access deeper parts of our consciousness and psyche and uncover and uproot the things that block us from living our true potential as healthy, happy, and free beings.
These sacred plant medicines can be a powerful ally to you if you are seeking any of the following:
- To heal trauma and deep-rooted psychic wounds
- To release unconscious emotional, psychological, and spiritual blockages
- To heal physical and mental diseases at their root
- To release deep-rooted fears and doubts
- To align with one’s soul purpose and calling in life
- To expand and awaken one’s consciousness
- To heal ancestral and family karma
- To uncover one’s innate healing abilities
The Jungle Meets The Andes Retreat
The Sacred Valley of the Incas, Cusco, Peru
The Mai Niti family & team heads to the Sacred Valley of the Inkas, Cusco, for a special retreat exploring both Amazonian and Andean Shamanism. We’ll work with powerful shamans and powerful plant medicines from both the Andean and Shipibo cultures. This retreat is held a few times a year; for more information, check the page here or email us inquiring about The Jungle Meets The Andes.
You can find more information about The Jungle Meets The Andes Retreat in the itinerary here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ULFcHvW2_G7Vu4RfXWkJRklvB3fCGWge/view?usp=sharing
Unverified retreat center at this time
Reviews
I embarked on my journey at Mai Niti Plant Medicine Healing Centre with high hopes of a transformative breakthrough. The natural setting is undeniably breathtaking—a lush, vibrant jungle that instantly transports you to another world. I experienced moments during the ceremonies when the medicine was so potent, I felt like I was unraveling long-buried memories and emotions.
However, my overall experience was somewhat inconsistent. While I did have intense, life-changing insights, I often felt that the integration process was too impersonal. Group discussions, though well-intentioned, sometimes left me feeling like my individual struggles weren’t fully acknowledged. Additionally, the basic accommodations, though eco-friendly, could use a few extra touches of comfort after emotionally draining sessions. In the end, I walked away with some valuable lessons, but also with a sense that the personal support was lacking. If you’re adventurous and self-reliant, you might find the raw power of the medicine here beneficial—but for me, it was a mixed ride.
My week at Mai Niti was a deep dive into my inner landscape. The retreat’s jungle setting is stunning and gives you an immediate sense of isolation from the daily grind—a space where every rustle of the leaves feels like nature’s gentle reminder to slow down. The ceremonies were deeply transformative, stirring up emotions and insights that challenged me to rethink my past.
That said, I found a few areas that could benefit from refinement. While the overall experience was intense and healing, some of the integration sessions felt too brief. I often wished for more one-on-one guidance to help me process the emotional surges that followed the ceremonies. Additionally, the dining experience, though healthy, became a bit repetitive by the end of the retreat. Despite these minor issues, I left with valuable insights and a stronger sense of self. Mai Niti has immense potential, and a few tweaks to its follow-up process would make it even more powerful.
I attended Mai Niti with high hopes of breaking free from years of emotional stagnation. The retreat’s immersive setting—a wild, verdant jungle that vibrates with life—immediately transported me away from the noise of everyday life. The ceremonies were raw and intense, each one pushing me to confront long-ignored truths and process powerful emotions. The facilitators were authentic and supportive, though at times the integration process felt too structured, leaving little room for spontaneous personal reflection. Even so, the overall experience was profoundly transformative, and I left with new insights and a rekindled sense of self-worth. If you’re ready for a deeply honest journey into your inner world, Mai Niti offers an unforgettable experience.
My experience at Mai Niti was nothing short of miraculous. I came with a deep-seated sense of disconnect and a need for renewal, and this retreat delivered exactly that. The setting is spectacular—nestled in the lush wilderness with panoramic views that seem to stretch into eternity. Every detail, from the hand-built eco-cabins to the communal garden where fresh, organic meals were prepared, resonated with authenticity.
The ceremonies were powerful and heart-opening. I vividly recall a session where, amidst rhythmic drumming and gentle chants, I experienced a torrent of emotions that ultimately gave me profound insight into the patterns of my life. The facilitators were warm and deeply knowledgeable, creating an intimate space where vulnerability was not only allowed but embraced. In our integration discussions—sometimes spontaneous and at other times thoughtfully structured—I found an unexpected community of fellow seekers. I left Mai Niti with a sense of clarity and a renewed commitment to living authentically. This retreat is an essential experience for anyone ready to embark on a journey of inner healing.
I arrived at Mai Niti with a heart full of questions and a spirit weighed down by years of stress and emotional pain. From the moment I stepped onto the property, surrounded by dense jungle, cascading waterfalls, and the intoxicating aroma of native flora, I felt an immediate shift. The environment is raw and nurturing at once—a true sanctuary where nature’s pulse beats in sync with your own.
The ceremonies were immersive and intense. I remember one evening, as dusk turned to night, when the medicine unlocked memories I’d long locked away. It was like peeling back layers of protective armor, revealing the vulnerable parts of my soul. The facilitators, with genuine compassion and clear reverence for the tradition, ensured that I felt safe to fully surrender to the process. In the quiet integration circles afterward, I found not only clarity but also a sense of belonging—like I had finally discovered a piece of myself that was missing. Mai Niti isn’t just a retreat; it’s a transformative rebirth that has reawakened my inner light.