Full Retreat Information for:

St. George (area), Utah – April 18th - 20th, 2025

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This page will walk you through everything you need to know for this retreat including:

If you have any questions at all you can respond to this email or text message 909-471-3248. We will be happy to help you navigate this process.

Retreat Overview

This retreat is a collaborative effort of Hummingbird Church, the indigenous Shipibo leader Maestro Don Gaspar Rengifo, and AyaWaken Church. This retreat is limited to 30 participants and will be filled on a first-come first-serve basis.

You will check-in to retreat between 5 PM and 7 PM on Friday. We will be checked out of the location by 3 PM on Sunday.

We will hold 2 nighttime ayahuasca ceremonies on Friday and Saturday night. In addition to ayahuasca we may be serving the medicines of kambo, sananaga, rapeh, ambil, and mambe. During the weekend we will also offer a variety or workshops and activities to help you with your process both in and out of ceremony.

You will be served 5 vegan meals, as well as provided with water, tea, coffee, and electrolytes. If you are a particular eater, please feel free to bring your own food or snacks.

We will begin our ceremonies indoors inside of a large retreat center. You will be able to go outside during ceremony as well. The property has beautiful places to venture outdoors and connect with the Earth.

Our female staff will help female participants and our male staff with help male participants. If a male’s assistance is ever needed to carry or assist a female, a female staff member will also be present. Men and women will be on separate sides of the room during ceremony as well as when sleeping in the ceremony tent.

You will be provided with a meditation chair and a yoga mat for ceremony, as well as a pillow and blankets if needed. Other supplies for ceremony that we will provide you with are a purge bucket, eye mask, journal, and other basic comfort items.

Please feel free to bring any instruments if you wish to share, as there will be time during the retreat to share your music with others.

How to Pay the Deposit

An invoice for the $250.00 non-refundable, non-transferable deposit will be sent shortly. You'll have 7 days to secure your spot.

If additional time is needed to think about attending or make payment, just let us know. We can leave your deposit invoice open until the retreat fills. Just be aware that you will receive reminder emails from our system that you have an open invoice. If you want to close your invoice at any time that is also okay, just contact us and we will delete it from the system.

If you selected a room upgrade, and if it is available, you will be charged for this fee on your deposit invoice. This fee is also non-refundable and non-transferable.

Check your spam folder if you do not receive your deposit invoice within 5 minutes of this email.

Deposit invoices are sent out by QuickBooks and may get flagged as spam. You can also respond to this email and we will send you a direct link.

Important Dates and Times

● You have 7 days from the date of this invoice to pay the deposit invoice

● April 2nd, 2025, at 6 PM PST / 8 PM CST / 9 PM EST, we will be having the Pre-Retreat Zoom Meeting, this will be recorded and sent out after the meeting takes place.

● April 4th, 2025, your final payment of $850 is due

● April 10th, 2025, the last day to be eligible to transfer any amount paid in excess of the $250 deposit to another retreat if you are unable to make this one. If you cancel after this date, the entire amount paid will be forfeited without credit or refund.

● April 11th, 2025, start following the diet instructions provided in this email

● April 15th, 2025, absolutely no drugs, alcohol, marijuana, and all prescription drugs and supplements with negative interactions with MAOIs or numbing effects to ayahuasca must be completely out of your system. You must be through any withdraw symptoms at this time as well.

● April 18th - 20th, 2025, the retreat takes place at this time.

● Check in will be between 5 PM and 7 PM on Friday, do not arrive prior to this time.

● Check out will be on Sunday after lunch at 12 PM, you are free to leave anytimeSunday at any time before 3 PM.

● April 22nd, 2025, at 6 PM PST / 8 PM CST / 9 PM EST, we will have our retreat specific Zoom Integration Meeting with Michael Vasconez. This will be recorded and sent out after the meeting takes place.

● Every Wednesday at 7 PM PST / 10 PM CST / 11 PM EST, we have weekly Zoom community check-ins to provide support to our community.

● You have 7 days from the date of this invoice to pay the deposit invoice

● April 2nd, 2025, at 6 PM PST / 8 PM CST / 9 PM EST, we will be having the Pre-Retreat Zoom Meeting, this will be recorded and sent out after the meeting takes place.

● April 4th, 2025, your final payment of $850 is due

● April 11th, 2025, start following the diet instructions provided in this email.

● April 18th - 20th, 2025, the retreat takes place at this time.

● Check in will be between 5 PM and 7 PM on Friday, do not arrive prior to this time.

● Check out will be on Sunday after lunch at 12 PM, you are free to leave anytime Sunday at any time before 3 PM.

● Every Wednesday at 7 PM PST / 10 PM CST / 11 PM EST, we have weekly Zoom community check-ins to provide support to our community.

Pre-Retreat Zoom Meeting

Date and Time:

Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025, at 6 PM PST / 8 PM CST / 9 PM EST

Meeting ID:

824 2918 4588

Meeting Password:

045256

Zoom Meeting Link

Making Final Payment & Payment Options

Shortly after making your deposit, you will receive an emailed invoice for your final payment. Please note that final payment is not due
until April 4th, 2025.

We will also send payment reminders as we approach the due date.

The total cost of this retreat is $1,100, your $250 will be credited towards this amount. Your final invoice amount will be for the amount of $850.

You can break out your payments on this invoice and make payment using different sources. Open the emailed invoice and select “Edit”. This will allow you to edit payment amounts and funding sources. Your invoice will keep track of the payments made.

If additional time to pay is need, please just communicate with us and let us know when you would like to make payment by. You can text message us at 909-471-3248 or email us at: [email protected]

Air Travel Info

We offer pick-ups from St. George Regional Airport (SGU) at 3 PM and 5 PM on Friday. St. George is about 45 minutes from the retreat center.

We can also pick you up at 3 PM or 5 PM from any bus stop in the city of St. George, Utah. If you are considering taking a bus from Las Vegas to St. George, you can locate the schedule at: www.FlixBus.com.

You can arrive at any bus station in St. George, and we will get you.We will collect flight and bus information as we get closer to the retreat date.

We will do return trips to the airport and bus stops on Sunday at 1 PM. If you need to leave sooner on Sunday, that is not a problem, we will accommodate you, however our retreat officially ends after lunch on Sunday, which will be around 12:30 PM.

You are welcome to stay at the location until Monday morning if you are flying out in the morning or wanting to stay an extra night. There is no additional cost. We will take you to the airport no later than 10 AM if you are staying until Monday.

If you are flying into Las Vegas, Nevada, you will need to get yourself to the retreat center, which is about a 3 hour drive. If you take a bus to St. George from Las Vegas, we can get you at 3 PM or 5 PM on Friday. We will return you to the bus station on Sunday or Monday, following the same times stated above for those flying to SGU.

Medication and Health Information

Prior to the retreat, please ensure you are off antidepressants, mood stabilizers, anxiety, sleep, lithium, any other MAOIs, ADD/ADHD medications, and all other medications and supplements that have negative interactions with MAOIs or numb the effects of ayahuasca.

Consult with your doctor to establish a safe protocol for tapering off, considering the time required for medications to leave your system. This precaution is for your well-being, as ayahuasca contains MAOIs, which may pose serious risks when combined with certain medications.

Please continue usage of any medications that do not have negative interactions with MAOIs or numb the effects of ayahuasca.

You also need to discontinue the usages or drugs, substances, and medication that numbs the effects of ayahuasca. If you are habitually smoking marijuana or drinking alcohol, you must stop this prior to the retreat, or you run the risk of not feeling much from the ayahuasca.

If you cannot stop taking Benzodiazepines for at least 1 week before the retreat then you are wasting your time and money by coming, as you will likely not be able to even connect with ayahuasca. The longer you can go without the better, but at a bare minimum this has to be at least 3 days, we recommend at least 1 week, and we highly recommend 2 weeks.

If you are struggling with addiction then please just do the best you can, but you cannot be in withdrawal when you arrive to retreat.

If you are in active drug withdrawal when you arrive to retreat, you will be asked to leave the site. Drug withdrawal includes prescribed medication, street drugs, and alcohol. We are not a hospital or a detox center, we cannot accommodate you. You will be given a 50% credit towards a future retreat. You will not be refunded.

If you are taking Ozempic or any GLP1 medications, please be aware that food stays in your stomach much longer than normal. So please eat soft food and light the days of ceremonies.

It is YOUR responsibility to properly prepare for retreat as well as educate yourself on medication and medical condition risks.

Be responsible, honor your word, and do not put your life at risk. Your safety and spiritual journey are of utmost importance to us, and we appreciate your understanding in adhering to these guidelines. You can find our medication guidelines by referencing the document linked below.

It is YOUR responsibility to determine if your medication is safe to take with ayahuasca or has contraindications with MAOIs or numb the effects of ayahuasca. Please educate yourself and take this seriously.

If you do not feel comfortable speaking with your physician or would like outside consultation from an expert in this area, we recommend contacting
Dr. Ben Malcom. He can conduct an individual health consolation with you to perform a risk evaluation of mental or medical illness, as well as medication or supplements. His fee is $300, you can book your consolation with him at: www.spiritpharmacist.com

Additional Info About Meds

What to Pack

Comfortable clothing (3 outfits minimum).

A warm jacket for sitting outside at night, if you'd like to go to the fire.

Slip on shoes, toiletries, towels, and a water bottle.

Additional personal comfort items for ceremonies or the weekend.

How to Prepare Mentally

You must be detoxed off of all medication that has negative interactions with MAOIs or numbs the effects of ayahuasca, as well as street drugs, marijuana, and alcohol before arriving to retreat. We cannot say this enough!

Please do NOT fast before retreat.

Eating, sleeping, and staying hydrated are essential to your preparation. Do not deprive your body of salt or electrolytes as part of your ceremony preparation, both are needed by your body to properly function.

Some people choose to refrain from sexual activity leading up to ceremony, this is your own decision to make. We do recommend that if you are having sex outside of a committed healthy relationship, that you consider refraining from that activity for at least 1 week if not 2 weeks prior to the retreat start. This goes for consuming pornography as well.

If you are dealing with a sex addiction then it may not be possible for you to refrain, however just try to do the best that you can.

Please refrain from marijuana, alcohol, and street drugs as long as you possibly can. The more time off of it the better. We recommend a bare ass minimum of 3 days but if you can go 2 weeks without, please do so.

Stop microdosing psychedelics for at least a week before the retreat and do not start again for at least 2 weeks after the retreat.

Do not attempt to prepare for or integrate your ayahuasca experience with psychedelics, this is a huge mistake. You cannot figure out who you are and what you are feeling when you are putting mind altering substances in your body on a daily basis. The best way to prepare for and integrate your ayahuasca experience is absolute sobriety, being well rested, doing things you love, avoiding toxic people and toxic food, time in nature, and spending time with animals (they are the ones that will most understand what you’re going through, and they won’t judge you). Mother Nature is our greatest integrator, and our animal companions provide us with much needed unconditional judgement free love.

Please do not go on YouTube or social media to watch videos of people describing their ayahuasca experiences. This will likely create unrealistic expectations for you, and many influencers and famous people are so full of shit. Educate yourself on what ayahuasca is and make sure you understand why you are doing this. We recommend any practices that help you surrender and trust, as these are the muscles that you need to warm up for ayahuasca.

Many of our participants state that Dr. Joe Dispenza lectures and meditations help them with these areas. Another team member highly recommended the books, "The Body Keeps the Score", by Bessell Van Der Kolk, and the book, "When the Body Says No", by Dr. Gabor Mate.

Sensory deprivation float tanks are also a great way to prepare your mind for the process of surrendering. We also recommend the practices of our original breathwork facilitator, Witalij Martynow, you can find more information regarding his practices and offerings at www.witality.co

And when all else fails, pray! Just try speaking to God.

After the retreat we highly recommend that for at least 2 weeks that you refrain from drugs, alcohol, pornography, violent media, toxic people, toxic food, and situations that “bring out the old you” or the worst in you. Be kind to yourself after ceremony, make time for you! We understand that after the retreat you are likely returning to life in America so avoiding some of the things mentioned might be impossible, however do your best and prioritize yourself.

How to Prepare Physically (Pre-retreat Diet)

Start Following a Week Before Retreat

7 Days Before Retreat

● Drink 2 liters of water a day

● Stop eating red meat and pork

● Stop consuming alcohol, marijuana, and substances that numb the effects of ayahuasca

● No energy drinks, coffee and tea are fine

● Stop having casual sex and consuming pornography. If you are in a healthy loving relationship then we have nothing to say about if you continue to engage in sexual intercourse, that is up to you.

3 Days Before Retreat

● Continue everything listed above

● Ensure all supplements and or medications with contraindications to MAOIs are out of your system. Research the half-lives of any of these substances to ensure they are totally out of your system at least 3 days prior to retreat.

● Go vegetarian or vegan, if possible, no chicken or fish. Eating plant-based foods for 3 days can help prepare your digestive system. If you cannot then just follow the diet mentioned in the 7-day preparation.

● Avoid spicy food and food with excessive amounts of garlic - it is no fun vomiting these up or having heartburn in ceremony.

Day of the Retreat

● Follow all above instructions and stop eating at 3 PM. Juice and fruit is fine until 5 PM.

● If you are on a GLP-1 then be aware that food stays in your stomach longer than normal, so eat light and eat soft foods the day of ceremony.

Your Medicine Carriers for the Retreat

Your medicine carriers for this retreat are the Shipibo Maestro Don Gaspar Rengifo and his longtime assistant Mark Lorello, founder of AyaWaken Church.

Maestro Don Gaspar Rengifo, a 7th generational shaman from the Shipibo tribe, embarked on his spiritual journey at the age of 14, under the guidance of his father. His lineage of shamans extends seven generations, with his ancestors deeply rooted in the tradition of working with ayahuasca and other sacred plants.

After completing school, Gaspar served in the army for two and a half years. During this time, he experienced profound personal losses, including the death of both parents due to a cholera epidemic, and the trauma of witnessing the terrorism of 1988. These experiences deeply affected him, but they also fueled his dedication to the medicine.

After leaving the army, Gaspar was determined to continue his spiritual path to heal from the grief of his parents' deaths and the horrors of terrorism. He narrowly escaped death multiple times: surviving the internal war, a venomous viper bite, and being lost in the wilderness for three days and nights. The healing powers of ayahuasca and other plants became his refuge and guide. He spent over a year in the forest, dedicating himself to intense plant dietas, which included a year and a half of pion colorado, and camalonga, involving rigorous practices like dry and silent diets.

Throughout his life, Gaspar has dieted 233 different plants, mastering their medicinal properties. His journey took him from the jungles of Chanchamayo, where he performed spiritual surgeries, to the city of Pucallpa, and later to Lima, where he helped people with various ailments, including addiction. His reputation as a healer spread internationally, leading him to work in countries such as Mexico, the USA, Chile, Thailand, Canada, Holland, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil.

With over 30 years of experience, Maestro Gaspar is revered as the Gatekeeper of the Ancient Medicine, teaching the ancestral knowledge of the Shipibo. He has mentored many who have gone on to become teachers themselves, yet he remains a firm believer in the continuous journey of learning. His mission, as taught by his father, is to share and pass on the knowledge of his ancestors, preserving the sacred traditions for future generations.

The Retreat Location and Accommodations

The retreat will take place at a retreat center in the small town of Hildale, Utah. The retreat center has all the accommodations you would expect of a home and is very comfortable. Our ceremonies will be held indoors with the option to go outside by the fire.

You will have cellphone reception here and Wi-Fi.

We do like to mention that next door to the retreat center is an infant cemetery, just so you are not alarmed when you arrive. If you are concerned about ghost babies, then maybe try another location.

We will send out the exact address and check-in instructions after final payment has been made, about two weeks prior to the retreat start date.

You can view the retreat center by checking out their website below.

Visit Retreat Center Website