Nimea Kaya Ayahuasca Retreat & Healing Center

This place changed my life.

I never believed I would be able to make friends after only 9 days but I did.

The level of care from every single facilitator here is beyond amazing. They are so very knowledgable and calm and warm, I instantly felt like home after the first hug.
The food and the accommodation are incredible too and we had coconuts and fruits at our disposal all day/night long.

During every single ceremony myself and the group felt incredibly safe and able to fully experience the medicine as a result of this.

If you decide to go with Nimea Kaya I promise you’ll thank the universe for guiding you there. You’ll see why.

I miss every single one of you already. xxxxx

I love, love, love Nimea Kaya! Jill and her team are such beautiful souls for providing such an incredible place to experience Ayahuasca.

*Attention to detail, from the moment I was picked up from the airport to the moment I was dropped off, I felt the love and caring intention put into everything; every day was magical. I felt supported and encouraged while I did the inner dive.
*Beautiful balance of group activities and alone time to process.
*Meals are beyond delicious and there's also plenty of tea and fruit to snack on.
*Rooms are comfy and having gone three times, I have always felt at home.
*I appreciate the respect Nimea Kaya has for the land, the spirit of the plants.
*The ceremonies themselves are powerful, and the facilitators are the perfect amount of supportive and also allowing you the space to move through the energies.
*The plant walk, the joy of making your own brew, the painting, the water tower talks, the Shipibo art fair, the connections you make with the other participants... that's all added joyful moments to the experience that I get to keep in my heart forever.
*The support you are given after the retreat is lovely as well.
Thank you Nimea Kaya!

It is hard to put into words how profound my experience at Nimea Kaya was. I have never felt more supported, seen, understood and free to be authentically me. It has simply changed the trajectory of my life in the most humbling way possible. The staff and volunteers were incredible, thoughtful and really in tune to what the guests at the center were experiencing and were present every step of the way. Truly and incredible place. A safe place to grow, heal, learn and expand. What a gift! Endless gratitude for this center and their beautiful team.

My experience at Nimea Kaya was beautiful. After spending a few days doing some research to understand which retreat centre should I go to, I decided this was the place I resonated with the most. This was due to an intuitive harmony I felt between safety and confort on one side, but also to be surrounded by majestic nature where the Ayahuasca vine grows. I confirmed this as soon as I step on these grounds.
From a personal perspective, this experience was profoundly what I needed, to wake up from what it seemed to be a long dream dwelling in the unconscious. As an extension of the universe the plant has healed my vibration physically, emotionally and spiritually, together with offering many learnings and information that cannot be easily expressed in writing.
Typing this just over a year from my first ceremony and I am still feeling so grateful with the Maestros, the facilitators and native personnel at the centre who were always there to help me navigating through the unknown. I felt supported, loved and cared for in every aspect, during my stay at Nimea Kaya and also later, through the Post-Retreat integration.
I am thankful to have had the opportunity to experience it.
Con amor,
Gabriel :)

Nimea Kaya came into my life quite divinely and I live in continuous gratitude for this retreat center daily. So much so, after the healing I went through with them, my dad decided to go down from the States to do the work for himself. Not only is the space beautiful and serene, the staff couldn’t be better. They are there to support the guests, but also leave them be if needed. I never felt bombarded, overwhelmed, or pressured while at Nimea Kaya. The energy is light and oozes unconditional love and support. This is a true healing center. The work continues after you leave, and the facilitators and other retreat guests continue to support each other outside of the center. It’s been a year since my retreat, and I can say that I made the right decision to heal through the medicine at Nimea Kaya. I urge you to seriously consider this space if it’s being called to you because though this work is very personal, this center will be the right place for you.

A friend of mine had recommended Nimea Kaya and the moment I looked at the website, I saw myself being there. It was a gut feeling, probably something you are in contact with anyhow if you are looking into doing an Ayahuasca ceremonial experience. For me the most important thing was the feeling of safety and I had already heard from my friend that the staff was unbelievable. I can honestly say that it feels that I owe my life to some of them. The professional and loving care you are given is the thing that stays with me forever. So do the facilitators who feel like family to me now. Nimea Kaya is the perfect combination of luxury and being deep in the jungle connected to nature. I strongly believe that my experience was shaped by being as close to nature as I could but still have a comfortable bed and some other facilities. The food is unbelievable and every day I wish I had food like there. It certainly added to the experience, kept us safe and energized. The facilities and setup of the entire Retreat Center is so beautiful, so calm, again has the right amount of luxury you need but still feels so connected to nature. I could write a book about the ceremonies, the shamans, the (spirit) animals (!!!), the activities, integration circles and ongoing support of the staff, but I guess, loving, safe, like family, super comfortable (well except what you have come there to go through), very transformative can describe it a little. I 100% recommend Nimea Kaya to everyone. I will never forget my stay and I am forever thankful and still blown away by what happened there. I am currently integrating and very thankful to the guidance for that by the facilitators and the community. (May 2019)

I have returned for a 3rd time and it just keeps getting better and better. Nimea Kaya is a sacred place for sure. From the ground up, this operation truly covers every detail from providing a safe place to experience the medicine in union with shamans to the living quarters, which are quaint and comfortable. The food is amazing and prepared with so much love! A spiritual haven for anyone looking to transform themselves and experience magic in the jungle. There are no real words to define what this opportunity has afford me in my journey. I am so grateful.

Impossible though it may be to put into words how enriching my experience was at Nimea Kaya, I'm going to try. I was fortunate enough to have taken a retreat back in Sept-Oct of 2018 and am just now writing this review, but this enchanted and beautiful place has been in my heart ever since and fondly recalling the experience brings a smile even to this day.

Traveling to another country to partake in medicine as powerful as this with guests who were strangers only the day before is no small thing, but great strides are taken to ensure that guests are comfortable, safe, and in the proper mindset for doing this kind of heavy work. Every aspect of Nimea Kaya has the feeling of being lovingly and carefully curated for the maximum healing potential of the guest, and that's precisely because every aspect has been. This includes the ceremonies, the shamans, the incredible meals, accommodations, heart circles, integrations, and the constant outpouring of love and support from the owners, facilitators and guests.

The great Mother Spirit felt particularly close here in this place. In fact, during the very first ceremony in the Maloka as I was lying there in the darkness and admittedly terrified at what to expect after gulping down that sickly sweet tea, the Mother showed herself to me and lovingly embraced me the very moment the medicine took hold. I believe it was a way to calm my nerves and establish trust for the work that was to come.

The work comes in various forms of purging, and mine was mainly through heavy yawning and sweating. I found that the work was necessary because it served to physically and mentally cast off that which was no longer serving me in order to bring me back to my true self. The authentic, joyful self before the pain and trauma created the numbness and the defense mechanisms that I had mistaken through the years to be who I am.

I felt ALIVE again, and although tapping into this ceremonial realm of energy felt foreign at times, it had a familiarity to it as if I was returning to something primal and ancient; something powerful that had been forgotten. It's a rare and powerful gift to feel and see what lies at the source.

I cannot recommend this facility and the experience highly enough. I will be back someday. Until then, many blessings and thank you for the work you do here.

Nimea Kaya is a beautiful space for authentic, vulnerable, and committed self healing. A place that works with ayahuasca with respect and reverence. A place where safety and support are ensured, and there’s a lot of love everywhere! Thank you Nimea Kaya for my retreat and my volunteering experience. 🙏🏻

Unfortunately, there's a character limit, so please look up the full review on TripAdvisor, but suffice to say:
Glad you’re reading this review. Along with 19 other participants (so 20 in all) I attended the 9 day Ayahuasca retreat at Nimea Kaya retreat center, Pucallpa, Peru in November 2019.

As I see it, these are the components of an Ayahuasca retreat, more or less in order of importance:

• Initial contact and website
• Brew
• Shamans
• Ceremonial space
• Facilitators
• Ceremony
• Schedule
• Activities
• Food
• Facilities
• Location
• Follow-up

and then at the end of the review I say:

So there you go, out of 12 categories I have rated Nimea Kaya as 10/10 or better in 11 of those categories. So 118 out of 120. There are other retreat centres in Peru doing amazing work and I encourage you to feel into those also. This is what’s on offer at Nimea Kaya.

Gracias Madre Ayahuasca, gracias Nimea Kaya, gracias Pachamama.

Jason Heartsong

What can I say about Nimea Kaya?
The fact that I came back after my first visit means a lot to me. When I was called to work with the plant medicine as most of us, I searched the web for reviews and some recommendations about Ayahuasca retreats and after some time my heart was set on NK.
The first thing that I loved about NK even before attending there was the kind words and guidance of Jill Levers (one of the co-founders)regarding different fears and questions that I’ve had about Ayahuasca. There are so many reasons for me to recommend for whoever is interested in deep healing, a true journey to the self and meaningful spiritual experience to come to NK.
The center is located in a magical jungle land with tropical weather, vegetation, sounds of different birds, monkeys, butterflies, sloth and bugs ;).
But the true magic of this place is the ceremonies and the people who make it all happen. There is a very safe and allowing environment, build schedule that prepares the participants for the ceremonies and as the retreat continues also helps to integrate and digest the experience.
The ceremonies are being guided by two shamans each time (female and male) and the center is working with two wise, powerful and amazing pair of shamans, while there are English speaking facilitators that ae always there during the ceremonies and in between to assist and support you.
And don’t get me started about the food! Ohh, I miss those after ceremony breakfasts so much. Peruvian fresh food especially the on that the local women are making in NK every day in their lovely kitchen is a meal to remember. It’s a beautiful opportunity to be around like minded people and create true connections and friendships with people from different countries and different ages.
I feel blessed coming to NK each time and humble for the experience I get, the transformation that it welcomed into my life is priceless and I could never imagine to myself the journey it would take me on. Working with the plant medicine allowed me to step into my own heart, shed away old behavioral and mental patterns that don’t serve the future that I want to build for myself, see clearer my world, to feel the oneness that we are all are. I have traveled across the globe twice and I know that I will continue my work in Peru, looking for the next adventure into my true self.
There is no greater gift one can give to her\himself.

After attending my first Nimea Kaya retreat, I wanted share with Jill, the co-creator of Nimea Kaya, why I chose Nimea Kaya over other retreats. Here was my reasoning. Hi Jill!!! I just got back to Chicago and am already having withdrawals from missing everyone but I’m excited for the process of integration to begin. The reason I’m writing is this, you asked me the other day how I found Nimea Kaya and I just wanted to write it out for you. I get the feeling you are trying to create the potential for more people to find you, so if this can help I will be happy. I studied online for sometime about different retreats and here are the reasons I felt Nimea Kaya was the place for me. First, the number of ceremonies(4) to days(9) at retreat in relation to cost. Three ceremonies seemed too few and more than four seemed too much. Four was the perfect number. Second was the overall professionalism I sensed, starting with your website and the detail of information within it. I found your website by watching YouTube testimonials from people who had attended the retreat. Along that same point were the videos of you speaking about your process of getting to this point of your life. You are so natural and humbly engaging it helped me to trust going to what you had created. The next point, and this might not be the best selling point for Nimea Kaya but it was for me, is that the transportation was so specific. Fly here at this time, fly out at this time, we will pick you up and drop you off at the airport. For some explorers, maybe they won’t want those parameters. I did like it and the fact you made it so easy was great for me. Temple By the Way of Light was my other choice but came across as a little to intense for me. So that’s what it came down to for me, I just wanted to reiterate that information for you. It will benefit everyone if more people can find you and if this helps great. Once again, I had a incredible experience and thank you from the heart for what you have created. If there is ever anything I can do for you just let me know! See ya down the road Jill!

I visited Nimea Kaya from June 26 to July 4, 2019, and it changed my life. The staff were absolute superheroes. They made us feel safe and cared-for the entire time, especially during the ceremonies. The facilitators are not only well-trained but incredibly kind and supportive. They created the perfect atmosphere to allow for real, meaningful growth for all of us. Jill and the entire team at Nimea Kaya truly care about helping you on your journey, and the Shipibo shamans they work with are miracle workers. I don’t speak Spanish and was therefore unable to speak with the shamans, but through their actions during and after each ceremony, they displayed a level of compassionate care that is hard to describe.

The food is mind-blowing. I’m typically eat a meat-heavy diet, but the vegan food prepared at Nimea Kaya was so fresh and nourishing that I didn’t miss meat in the slightest. Since returning home I’ve stuck close to Nimea Kaya’s diet recommendations, and I’ve never felt better.

The activities outside of the ceremonies were beautiful. Yoga, meditation, immersion in nature, interacting with local artisans, a day trip to a local village: it all worked side-by-side with the medicine.

My experience at Nimea Kaya was profound, and if I have the chance to go again, I’ll grab it with both hands.

I attended a 9-day retreat in May and had a wonderful experience both during the ceremonies and outside. The yoga and meditation sessions were really helpful in grounding and preparation for the ceremonies. The shamans and their icaros were amazing, and the manner in which the retreat was conducted was commendable where everyone felt like one strongly connected family for which credit goes to the facilitators. The food and fruit juices served were delicious! I also enjoyed the art & craft fairs and the visionary painting sessions with local artists. We had a really good group of people that came and we continue to be in touch. I'd like to thank Matt, Candace, Ella, Mateo, Saeed and Alan, as well as all the support staff at Nimea Kaya.

If one is looking for an experience of being close to nature in a semi-jungle environment while making our own journeys with the medicine, then you have come to the right place.

Ayahuasca was something that I had heard of in passing before but didn’t know anything about and I didn’t pay much attention to it. It wasn’t until I happened upon a documentary about it that everything started to fall into place. I was intrigued, I knew I had healing to do, physically, mentally and spiritually. But in my busy everyday life, I had just put it on the back burner as we so often do in this western lifestyle. So, I started researching it, watching and reading testimonials, and finding out what this beautiful medicine was all about. I could feel an undeniable pull and I just knew that I was being called to experience her healing. I decided that I was going to make it happen!
That all being said, while doing all my research I also heard/read about the not so great stories of people being taken advantage of while taking Ayahuasca, how finding the right place, the right retreat, is very important. This is an unbelievably strong medicine and if you decide to work with mother Aya you want to make very sure that you are in a safe and loving environment, I can’t stress this enough. So, while looking at different retreats I came across Nimea Kaya and I instantly knew that this was the place for me. Again, it was a deep feeling, I just knew that this was it and within 3 months I was at Nimea Kaya. I attended the Retreat in February of 2019 and what a beautiful and profoundly healing retreat it was.
My intuition did me well. Nimea Kaya was everything I could have imagined and so much more. Jill was so welcoming and easy to talk to leading up to the retreat, it made the beforehand very smooth and less scary seeing as it was the first time I had worked with Ayahuasca. Upon arriving we were met with open arms and open hearts by some of the facilitators and it felt as if they were old friends, so kind and welcoming. This feeling of care and friendship carried on throughout the entire retreat. The love, care and attention that the Nimea Kaya team showed us in and out of ceremony was incredible. They were truly there to help us move through our journeys and hold space for us. I went through some particularly hard times in ceremony, as did many people, and the facilitators were there every step of the way, when it was needed, to help me navigate it all. I felt completely safe and supported the entire time. Between ceremony, integration and every interaction in between, the facilitators were there as our rocks and our guides. An incredible and authentic group of beautiful souls who truly care and want to help.
Now let’s not forget about the Shamans. One of the things I really liked about Nimea Kaya when doing my research was the fact that they held ceremony with a male and female Shaman. I liked the idea of having a balance of masculine and feminine energy. Once again, I have nothing but positive words to say. The way the Shamans carried us through ceremony, their songs, how they pulled us back when we went too far, the work they do is amazing and it was an honor to be able to sit with them and work with the medicine in this way.
I must also mention the absolutely delicious food as well as the other people joining you on this incredible journey. I met some amazing people who will be lifelong friends because of this.
Ayahuasca is a strong and beautiful medicine but also so much more than that, it is a bit hard to put it all into words. I received profound healing from Mother Aya and am so grateful to have had this experience. It is not something to be taken lightly as the highs are high but the lows can be incredibly low and painful. If you are serious about doing the work, going inward, really working through the hard stuff I completely recommend working with her. She will change your life. Everyone will have different experiences but after talking to many people who have worked with Aya the outcome seems pretty unanimous, positive and life changing. If you are ready for this Journey I wouldn’t recommend anywhere other than Nimea Kaya.

I attended a 9 day retreat in Nimea Kaya in may of 2019. I had heard about it from a few friends and was strongly encouraged to go, since this place had a special feel to it.

Since the moment I arrived, I knew I made the right choice. The staff was extremely friendly, the facilities were great and the food was nothing short of amazing. The staff's knowledge and curtsy helped me adapt, feel comfortable and knowledgeable about the process, which was extremely helpful for me on my way to let go and surrender to this amazing process. I felt SUPER SAFE for the entirety of the retreat.

The place really had a special feeling to it, one that is very hard to create artificially or to duplicate. I had some of the most important and meaningful experiences of my life back in Nimea Kaya and a piece of me will forever stay in the jungles of Peru.

Nimea Kaya December 2019 retreat

Of course I will say that Nimea Kaya ,the staff the ceremonies and the shamans were more than five stars can reflect. There is much much more to this sacred place. Safety is everyone's concern, especially if it's your first time. Quickly you will feel at ease when you arrive. The warm greeting , friendly smile the gentle support and understanding.
The miracle dawns on you at your own pace. The feeling of safety grows into the knowledge that I am safe. Not just at Nimea Kaya or the wonderful trip to the village, but where ever you are. The wisdom that is so evident in Jill and Casey and the staff spills over into the life all around you. They teach you without saying a word.
If I were to give any advice to you it would be to follow there instructions before and after the retreat. Approach the retreat with respect and give yourself fully. Very simply open your mind and mother Ayahuasca will open your heart and show you the way home.

I attended Nimea Kaya earlier this year in June, 2019 at a whim of faith and referral from someone I trust. It was a few months of preparation and dieta before the day had finally come where I would embark on a journey into the unknown. Upon arriving to the airport, I was greeted with friendly smiles and hugs from the facilitators. The hospitality and friendliness was unexpected and incredibly warming as I think most of us (who were attending for the first time) were probably feeling nervous to some degree.

Once we arrived to Nimea Kaya, everything was incredibly seamless in the way the itinerary had been organized. From heart circles, to integration circles; the facilitators did such an amazing job at co-creating a safe space for all 20 of us to be as stress-free, worry-free, and feeling as safe as possible throughout the 9-day retreat.

Each facilitator brought a unique touch to the overall experience and energy of the place. They spoke and move with grace and so much heart. Integrating and processing the ceremonies is often difficult to our own perceivable mind, let alone trying to intellectualize it into words for others to comprehend. But with each integration circle and activities, there was never a moment where anyone felt judged or misunderstood. It was truly, truly a co-created safe space for all of us.

The conversations I had with others proved that people have had some negative experiences in the past with other retreats around the world–that’s not to scare you, but to insist that research is important. Those who had chosen to come to Nimea Kaya had done the work and had chosen with intention and I can see why.

The foods prepared were made with so much love; each meal nourishing to our mind, body, and spirit. I have never been so taken care of and eaten such delicious food during a trip of sorts. We took a trip out to the Shipibo Village during our stay and I mention this because the moment we got back to Nimea Kaya, everyone felt this huge sense of relief in knowing that the energy of our home was peaceful and safe compared to the short trip outside which speaks a lot about their location overall. It truly felt like home. And I miss it still.

Every time I am asked of a place of recommendation, there is no hesitation. Nimea Kaya. Because to embark on a journey within the depths of oneself, to sit with Ayahuasca (something most of us are unfamiliar with), is a choice of ceremonial surrender and trust. And it’s incredibly important to be able to know that you are 100% protected and safe when in the unknown.

After taking part in Nimea Kaya’s June/July 2019 ayahuasca retreat, I cannot recommend the program, center and collective team of healers, facilitators, organizers more wholeheartedly. The incredible amount of love, support and intention that everyone involved uniquely offers, builds the sense of safety that makes it possible to do this powerful work -- in trust and in depth. The center infrastructure itself also provides a strong sense of safety, living in both comfort and harmony with the Amazon. The program includes four thoughtfully scheduled ceremonies over nine days of retreat, but every moment at Nimea Kaya was part of co-creating a shared and connective experience far greater than ourselves. The integration circle conversations and personal stories shared over meals, activities and down-time were as integral a part of the experience as any. Being a woman, one of the many things that drew me to Nimea Kaya was knowing that female and male shamans worked together here in pairs. Now on the other side of the experience, I am so grateful for the balance of energy that this framework brought to each ceremony. And for the dynamic and complementary differences between the two sets of shamans we had the privilege of working with. I walked away from Nimea Kaya feeling like I had fully received the gift of all that I sought in coming. And I look forward to returning again some day in growth, wellness, connectivity and expansion.

I am very happy to have chosen Nimea Kaya Healing Center for my first Amazon experience with Ayahuasca medicine. I attended August 3rd-11th 2019. I would absolutely choose NK again and I do hope to return. I heard about NK via word of mouth and was able to speak to a prior participant about their positive experience. My interest in Nimea Kaya further grew after looking over the website and through email exchanges with Jill. All of my questions very answered with patience and clarity and the photos suggested a very nurturing, balanced and safe place. Once arriving at NK I felt like I was truly among family. And my hopes were confirmed. This feeling of being with family included everyone at the Center- all of the Staff, the Shamans and even the Plants and Animals. The food was amazing and so healthy. The ceremonies were held with such integrity and love. I really liked the balance of masculine and feminine with both a male female Shaman. The flower baths were beautiful. The activities each day were enjoyable and supported the overall experience. From the moment I signed up I felt nurtured, guided and supported. Even now I continue to be. I appreciate Nimea Kaya’s focus on integration as well. Nimea Kaya so lovingly facilitated a shift in my Soul and I am grateful. I could not have asked for a better experience. I can without reservation recommend Nimea Kaya as a excellent Center for working with the Medicine.
With deep sincerity, Pearish