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

Rainforest Medicine Gatherings: An In-Depth Review for Yagé Councils on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Rainforest Medicine Gatherings, run as the “Rainforest Medicine Council,” are week-long plant medicine retreats led by ethnobotanist Jonathon “Sparrow” Miller Weisberger, author of Rainforest Medicine, at his Ocean Forest Ecolodge, formerly Guaria de Osa, on a roadless beach south of Drake Bay, according to the lodge’s program pages. This is the same operation as our Ocean Forest Ecolodge review. Councils combine sunrise and overnight ceremonies with “sacred ancestral rainforest plant medicines,” which he has called yagé in the Secoya tradition, for $1,600 to $2,900 a week. Against that, booking pages never name the brew, no medical screening, medical staff or emergency plan is published for overnight ceremonies hours from a hospital, a 2019 page made all payments non-refundable, no participant reviews exist anywhere, and Costa Rica’s Health Ministry called such rituals unauthorized in 2025.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Ocean Forest Ecolodge, Playa Rincón de San Josecito, south of Drake Bay, Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, per its Retreat Guru page.
• Approach: Seven-night councils with two 3 am sunrise “renewals” and two overnight ceremonies, a dieta with fasting days, copal and flower cleanses, yoga, integration circles and ethnobotany walks.
• Suitable For: Nature-focused guests, only after getting the medicine named, screening rules, medical cover and an evacuation plan in writing. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: Seven nights $1,600 to $2,200 (2019 to 2021) and $2,900 (2022 to 2023); ten-day retreats $1,850 to $2,700 (2025 to 2026); transfers about $200 extra. A 2019 page said “All payments are non-refundable,” with 50% credit if cancelled more than 21 days ahead, per the program page.
• Overall Assessment: An experienced ethnobotanist with Secoya ties and a well-reviewed lodge, offset by an unnamed medicine, no published screening or medical cover at a remote site, no participant reviews and ceremonies continuing after the Ministry’s warning. Directory evaluation: C+.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

The positive picture. Lodge guests praise wildlife, staff, fresh food and the secluded beach. An independent guest blog describes a frightening but ultimately meaningful ceremony with strong group support. Unverified.

The negative feedback. Lodge reviews mention no air conditioning, heat, bugs, basic rooms for the price, rooms that did not lock and rip currents. The same blog describes a participant who became cold and immobile and needed help, and the writer taking two extra cups. Unverified.

Who is writing the reviews. No review from a council participant appears on any platform; ratings describe lodge stays and tours. 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 the Rainforest Medicine Council, Ocean Forest Ecolodge, Guaria de Osa, Jonathon Miller Weisberger, integration therapist Gerard Artesona and the Secoya elders he names.

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

Our earlier profile found no incidents.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Screening and medical support. Applicants fill in an application whose contents are not published, then receive a dieta protocol. No contraindication list, medical staff or emergency protocol appears on any program page; the only health professionals listed are a massage therapist and an acupuncturist. Overnight ceremonies take place on a beach reached by boat from Sierpe or by jeep and a walk from the Drake Bay airstrip.

What is served. Pages say “alkaline rich rainforest medicines” at sunrise and “sacred ancestral rainforest plant medicines” overnight. In 2021 he promoted yagé ceremonies at the lodge on the Rune Soup podcast. The sunrise medicine is not identified.

Who runs it. Miller Weisberger says he lived among the Secoya (Siekopai) in Ecuador from 1995 to 2000, has convened councils since 1996 and was entrusted by elder maestros to share the practices. Secoya elders led ceremonies at the lodge in 2012 and 2013; pages since 2019 cite their teachings but list no elders attending. No Costa Rican or US entity was found.

Status. The latest council page found is January 2023. The lodge is open, 2025 and 2026 WeTravel retreats name no ceremonies, and his podcast announces councils into January 2027, as our Ocean Forest review notes.

Legal context. In January 2025 Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health warned that ayahuasca lacks sanitary registration and that healing rituals are unauthorized, as the Tico Times reported.

Corrections to our earlier profile. Prices are $1,600 to $2,900 a week, not $1,500. Secoya elders are confirmed only for 2012 and 2013, and Miller Weisberger leads councils himself. No AyaAdvisors or Retreat Guru reviews exist, so the “deeply cleansing” quote, praise for the dieta protocol and the “biologically intense” description remain unverified. Dates are published for 2025 and 2026. The Osa Peninsula ecolodge, rainforestmedicine.net as the operator’s site, the dieta, sunrise renewals and the intensity reported by one guest are confirmed.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

No screening or contraindications are published. 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

Secoya-style yagé, by the organizer’s own description. Ayahuasca, called yagé in Colombia and Ecuador, combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains. Guayusa and cacao teas, copal and flower baths are also used.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: A beachfront rainforest lodge with ethnobotanical gardens near Corcovado National Park.
• Rooms: Shared bungalows with fans and mosquito nets; private rooms cost extra.
• Style: Secoya-derived ceremony led by a US ethnobotanist, with yoga, art therapy and integration work.

Practical guidance: Fly to Drake Bay or take the boat from Sierpe; transfers are not included.

Should You Book?

Only after getting the medicine named, screening rules, medical cover, an overnight evacuation plan and refund terms in writing, and accepting the legal risk. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

The councils began at Guaria de Osa by 2012, when guests paid $1,200 to $2,000. Recent facilitators include integration therapist Gerard Artesona and Kichwa guide Walter Grefa. 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: Councils include integration circles; 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

Retreats are listed on the lodge’s WeTravel page. 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.