Rasa Healing Center
Atmosphere
Features
Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (November 2026). They will be updated if Rasa Healing Center submits its own information.
Rasa Healing Center: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Medellín, Colombia
Rasa Healing Center was a small family-run yagé center in Santa Elena, the rural district just east of Medellín, Colombia, led by “Dr. Rasa,” a naturopathic doctor (ND) who appears to be Rasa Nikanjam, with her husband Gustavo, according to its AyaAdvisors listing. The listing says it began in Canada in 2013 and moved to Colombia in 2015, with ceremonies from Amazonian brew, temazcal, yoga and meditation for up to ten people. Against that, the only review dates from January 2017, it has no website, prices, refund terms, medical screening or emergency plan, its “Dr.” title is a naturopathy credential rather than a medical licence, and an older contact listing gives an address in Montezuma, Costa Rica, where no ceremonies are documented. It is probably inactive.
🎯 At a Glance
- Locations: Vereda Mazo, Santa Elena, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia, per a 2017 review; an older contact listing gives Montezuma, Costa Rica.
- Approach: Yagé ceremonies in a family home with temazcal, yoga, meditation, forest walks and naturopathic therapies.
- Suitable For: No one until the operator shows it is active and puts its location, prices, screening and medical cover in writing. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
- Costs: No price is published anywhere; our earlier $1,500 figure has no source.
- Overall Assessment: A warm family setting in one old review, offset by no sign of activity since 2017, no published safety information, an unverified credential and conflicting locations. Directory evaluation: D.
💬 What Guests Are Saying
| Platform | Rating | Reviews | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AyaAdvisors | 5.0 / 5 | 1 | January 2017; listing not claimed |
| Open Mind Trips | None | 0 | Operator-written listing |
The positive picture. The single review praises the quiet green mountains, a welcoming family, meditation, yagé, yoga, temazcal and excellent Persian home cooking.
The negative feedback. None published.
Who is writing the reviews. One review exists, and its display name differs from the name signed in its text. Both directory descriptions are written by the operator. 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 Rasa Healing Center, Rasa Nikanjam and Gustavo.
- Deaths and serious injuries: None found involving this center.
- Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
- Theft and fraud: None found.
- Legal action: None found.
In October 2021 a man died in another hamlet of Santa Elena after a plant and tobacco “healing” drink from a visiting curandero, as El Colombiano reported; no center was named and nothing links it to Rasa. 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. No medical questionnaire, contraindication list, medical staff or emergency protocol is published. The center’s doctor is a naturopath: 2014 Ontario library listings describe “Dr. Rasa Nikanjam, B.Sc. ND” as an Ontario licensed naturopathic doctor, a credential that does not license medical practice and that we did not confirm in the regulator’s register. The brew is said to be prepared by Amazonian shamans who are not named.
Status. No dated activity appears after the January 2017 review. In August 2019 a Costa Rican professional network newsletter described Dr. Rasa offering naturopathy, acupuncture and energy healing from her home in Grecia, Costa Rica, with no ayahuasca mentioned. No closure has been announced.
Legal context. Colombia has no law permitting or prohibiting yagé, which is governed indirectly through Indigenous rights, according to ICEERS. Medellín’s ombudsman has warned about unregulated “ancestral tourism” in Santa Elena, as El Colombiano reported in 2023.
Corrections to our earlier profile. The documented ceremonies were in Santa Elena, Colombia, not Montezuma, Costa Rica; the Montezuma road address in our earlier contact details is unverified and no Retreat Guru listing or review exists. Gustavo is described as Dr. Rasa’s husband, not as a facilitator. No price is published, so $1,500 remains unverified. The Andean setting near Medellín, the family atmosphere, Persian cooking by Dr. Rasa’s mother, the Canada 2013 and Colombia 2015 history, sparse reviews and the lack of recent guest experiences 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
Yagé made from the ayahuasca vine and chakruna by a “traditional Amazonian method,” per the operator. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.
📍 Location, Setting & Style
- Setting: Pine and eucalyptus forest in the Andean hills above Medellín, near Rionegro airport.
- Rooms: Shared rooms in the family home.
- Style: Yagé and temazcal alongside yoga, meditation and naturopathy.
Practical guidance: The 2017 review describes taking the bus from Medellín to Santa Elena; no transfers are mentioned.
Should You Book?
No, not until the operator confirms it is active and puts its location, prices, screening, medical cover and an emergency plan in writing. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.
The Team & Story
A naturopathic clinic named Rasa Healing Centre is listed in Richmond Hill, Ontario, which fits the operator’s account of starting in Canada. 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
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Small family setting | No sign of activity since 2017 |
| Groups of up to ten | No screening, medical staff or emergency plan |
| Close to Medellín | Naturopath, not a physician, as the “doctor” |
| No incidents found | No website, prices or terms; conflicting locations |
Book Your Ceremony
No website or booking page is published. 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.