One ceremony, held with live medicine music
This is the part most women are nervous about. Here is what actually happens, in plain terms.
Before you come
The following are contraindicated: antidepressants (such as SSRIs or MAOIs) or antipsychotic medications, psychiatric conditions or family histories of certain mental health disorders, surgery within the past three months, heart conditions, uncontrolled high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes, epilepsy, active addiction, or pregnancy. If any of these apply to you, participation may still be possible. Please <a href="/contact/" class="underline underline-offset-2">message us</a> so we can better understand your situation.
The following are contraindicated: antidepressants (such as SSRIs or MAOIs) or antipsychotic medications, psychiatric conditions or family histories of certain mental health disorders, surgery within the past three months, heart conditions, uncontrolled high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes, epilepsy, active addiction, or pregnancy. If any of these apply to you, participation may still be possible. Please <a href="/contact/" class="underline underline-offset-2">message us</a> so we can better understand your situation.
If any of these apply to you, participation may still be possible. Please <a href="/contact/" class="underline underline-offset-2">message us</a> so we can better understand your situation.
Read this first
Every woman goes through a safety assessment before a place is confirmed. Some women are told no.
Contraindications include antidepressants such as SSRIs or MAOIs, antipsychotic medications, psychiatric conditions or a family history of certain mental health disorders, surgery within the past three months, heart conditions, uncontrolled high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes, epilepsy, active addiction, and pregnancy.
If any of these apply to you, message us before you do anything else. Sometimes there is a way forward and sometimes there is not.
Never stop or change prescribed medication on your own. Speak to your prescribing doctor, and give it far more time than you think you need.
Portals is a ceremonial and educational retreat, not a medical or therapeutic service. We do not diagnose, treat or cure any condition.
Who holds it
Pamela was born in Mexico and began her shamanic path in 2006 with the Church of Santo Daime. She has trained with the Red Path, through vision quests, and with Shipibo masters in Peru.
She has facilitated at the Sacred Valley Tribe Center for several years, and works with a blend of music and sacred medicines.
In her own words: “With the support of the great spirit, I share the sacred medicine of Ayahuasca to help connect people with their internal teacher — deepening the subconscious, transforming patterns, and reaching inner peace and harmony.”
The night
It begins in the evening and runs into the early hours.
You have your own space, a mat, blankets and somewhere to be sick if you need to be. Purging is normal and nobody will be embarrassed on your behalf.
There is live music through the night. Music is not decoration in a ceremony — it is the thing that gives the night shape and holds people when it gets hard.
Facilitators are awake and present the whole time. If you need someone, you say so and someone comes.
Experiences vary enormously. Some women find it gentle. Some find it difficult. Some feel very little on the night and find it arrives days later. All of these are ordinary.
Why only one
Retreats that stack ceremonies back to back give you very little time to process anything in between.
One night, with days on either side to prepare and to make sense of it, is a different shape of week. It asks less of your body and gives you more to take home.
The morning after
The following morning is quiet by design. You sleep, you eat, you say very little.
Then guided somatic integration and a sharing circle, so what came up has somewhere to land rather than sitting unspoken.
Who holds it
You're in experienced hands.
Cohost of Portals
Sound healer, shamanic guide, and visionary artist
25+ years of international impact through global retreats, sacred ceremonies, workshops and sound initiations that have transformed 5,000+ lives.
A multi-degree scholar with Fine Arts, Community Arts Education, and Psychology degrees. Trauma-informed facilitator trained in 500hr Art-Psychotherapy, Reiki, Somatic Integration, Shamanic Healing, Sound Therapy, and more.
Cohost of Portals
Musician, entrepreneur, and operator
8+ years of experience growing and building the operational backbone of 4+ successful businesses.
Debbie brings her experience to co-create exceptional experiences for guests at Portals, and shares music that brings people together — bridging the spiritual and the material realm.
Medicine Woman
Ayahuasca ceremonialist
Born in Mexico, Pamela began her shamanic journey in 2006 with the Church of Santo Daime. She has led ceremony with music and sacred medicines for thousands of people around the world.
Trained by the Red Path, vision quests, and Shipibo Masters in Peru. She has facilitated at the Sacred Valley Tribe Center for several years, holding ceremony within its community programs.
“With the support of the great spirit, I share the sacred medicine of Ayahuasca to help connect people with their internal teacher — deepening the subconscious, transforming patterns, and reaching inner peace and harmony.”
Medicine Woman
Temazcal guide
Since 2018 Gabriela Coatl has studied and practiced many disciplines of the ancient spiritual, esoteric, energetic and healing traditions for the body, soul and mind.
She is currently the leader of the Hekxaloc Spiritual Development and Healing Center as a Medicine Woman, offering holistic and integrative therapies, teaching spiritual development courses, and providing the sacred medicine of the Temazcal. Her objective is to be able to cooperate with the awakening of humanity to a higher and respectful consciousness for the preservation and healing of the planet and of all human beings.
In their words
“The retreat gave me a sisterhood I didn’t know I was missing.”
I feel nourished, full of love, and very relaxed. The quality of women who led and attended were full of wisdom and personality.
The dynamic at the end, filled with harmony, love, and connection, illustrated the retreat’s essence perfectly.
If you are feeling stuck, broken, exhausted, or simply in need of refuge and connection, go to the Portals Retreat. It’s a beautiful opportunity to reconnect with your wholeness.
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Questions
One, across the seven days. The other six days are sound, movement, art, voice, temazcal, integration and rest. That balance is deliberate — one honest night with days around it to absorb it.
Ayahuasca is contraindicated with antidepressants such as SSRIs or MAOIs and with antipsychotic medications. It is also not recommended with psychiatric conditions or a family history of certain mental health disorders, surgery within the past three months, heart conditions, uncontrolled high blood pressure, uncontrolled diabetes, epilepsy, active addiction, or pregnancy. We assess every woman before confirming a place. If any of these apply, message us and we will talk it through.
Occasionally, Ayahuasca will induce purging. Purging is common, and it can take the form of crying, shaking, vomiting, going to the bathroom, or yawning — these are all totally normal, and it can be a relief to experience this kind of release. We are happy to talk you through any concerns you might have.
It happens, and it is not a failure. Some women feel very little on the night and find things surface over the following days, particularly during the integration sessions. The week is built to catch that.
Many of the women who join us have never sat with Ayahuasca before. The safety assessment, the preparation guide, the group call, an experienced ceremonialist with 400+ ceremonies facilitated, and facilitators present all night exist precisely for first-timers.
No, and we will never present it that way. Portals is a ceremonial and educational retreat, not a medical or therapeutic service. We do not diagnose, treat or cure any condition, and anyone who tells you otherwise should worry you.
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What this isJoin the waitlist to receive early bird pricing and the retreat brochure.
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