Journal · Field Notes
Field notes from the work.
Honest writing on the medicines, the prep, the integration, and the small ordinary things people don't tell you. Read before you come. Re-read after.
◦ no platitudes ◦ no dogma ◦ what we have actually seen ◦
Guide
·5 min read
The First AI-Bookable Ayahuasca Retreat in Ecuador — Why We Did This
We just became the first sacred-medicine retreat in Ecuador that AI agents can programmatically discover, describe, and help you book. Here's what that means — and more importantly, what it doesn't.
by Harmony Retreats Ecuador · May 4, 2026
Veterans
·10 min read
What Veterans Should Know Before Their First Ayahuasca Retreat — A Veteran's Honest Guide
Written by an Iraq War veteran who runs the veterans program at Harmony Retreats Ecuador. What plant medicine does for combat-related PTSD, what it doesn't, what to expect, and the questions to ask before you trust anyone with this.
John Hasan Khadiyev · April 22, 2026
Guide
·10 min read
Ayahuasca and Depression — What 60+ Studies Are Actually Showing
The peer-reviewed research on Ayahuasca and depression is now substantial. A careful, sober summary of what the evidence supports, what it doesn't, and what it means for someone considering a retreat for treatment-resistant depression.
John Hasan Khadiyev · April 15, 2026
Guide
·11 min read
How to Find a Legitimate Ayahuasca Shaman — The Red Flags That Should Make You Walk Away
The Ayahuasca retreat market has tripled in five years. The number of trained traditional shamans has not. A direct, sometimes uncomfortable, guide to recognizing the difference — written by people who know the ones who actually do this work.
Gabriel Guillén · April 9, 2026
Guide
·9 min read
How Much Does an Ayahuasca Retreat Cost? A Transparent Breakdown
Ayahuasca retreats range from $400 to $10,000+ — and the price tells you almost everything you need to know. A practical breakdown of what each price band actually buys, what hidden costs to watch for, and why our retreats sit where they do.
Gabriel Guillén · April 2, 2026
Guide
·8 min read
When Is the Best Time of Year for an Ayahuasca Retreat in Ecuador?
Ecuador sits on the equator — there are no four seasons, just two. A month-by-month guide to weather, ceremony rhythm, what to pack, and what each window asks of you.
Gabriel Guillén · March 25, 2026
Medicine
·12 min read
Kambo for the Liver, Immune System & Inflammation — A Deeper Look at What the Frog Medicine Actually Does
Beyond the 20-minute purge: what current research and decades of indigenous practice tell us about Kambo's effect on the liver, lymphatic system, gut, immune function, and chronic inflammation. The real mechanisms, the real limits.
John Hasan Khadiyev · March 19, 2026
Preparation
·8 min read
SSRIs and Ayahuasca — The Tapering Conversation Nobody Wants to Have
If you're on an SSRI and considering Ayahuasca, this is the most important article on this site. The pharmacology, the timing, the conversation with your prescriber, and what to do if you can't safely come off your medication.
John Hasan Khadiyev · March 12, 2026
Integration
·9 min read
The 30 Days After — A Real Integration Practice for Plant Medicine
Most of the work happens in the month after you come home — not on the medicine. A licensed therapist's practical guide to landing the experience: what to do, what to avoid, when to talk, when to be silent.
Ana Karina Maldonado · March 5, 2026
Medicine
·7 min read
Tabaco / Mapacho — The Sacred Tobacco of the Amazon and Andes
The tobacco used in indigenous ceremony is not the same plant as a cigarette. It is the most widely used sacred medicine in the Americas — older than ayahuasca itself. What it is, how it's used, and why it matters.
Gabriel Guillén · February 26, 2026
Medicine
·7 min read
Sananga Eye Drops — The Amazonian Vision Medicine Nobody Warns You About
Made from the roots of an Amazonian shrub, Sananga is dropped directly into the eyes — burns intensely for two minutes, and is said to clear vision, focus, and emotional fog. What it is, why we use it, and what to actually expect.
Gabriel Guillén · February 19, 2026
Medicine
·10 min read
Kambo Frog Medicine — A Complete Guide to the Amazon's Deep Cleanse
What Kambo is, where it comes from, what the science says about its peptides, who it's for, who it's not for, what the twenty minutes actually feel like, and what to expect in the seven days afterward.
John Hasan Khadiyev · February 12, 2026
Guide
·8 min read
San Pedro vs Ayahuasca — Which Plant Medicine Is Right for You?
Both are sacred. Both are powerful. They do very different work. A comparison from a circle that holds both — covering tradition, day-of experience, intensity, and who tends to be drawn to which.
Gabriel Guillén · February 5, 2026
Guide
·11 min read
What to Expect from Your First Ayahuasca Ceremony — An Honest Walk-Through
Hour by hour, what actually happens during a traditional Ayahuasca ceremony in the Ecuadorian highlands — from the afternoon arrival through dawn, including the parts most websites don't tell you about.
Gabriel Guillén · January 22, 2026
Preparation
·9 min read
The Ayahuasca Prep Diet — What to Eat, What to Avoid, and Why It Actually Matters
A practical, no-mystique guide to the ten-day prep diet for an Ayahuasca retreat — including the medical reason for each restriction, the complete food list, and what to do if you slip.
John Hasan Khadiyev · January 15, 2026