Medicine Maker Retreat
a rare chance to help prepare the medicine you'll sit with.
A small group of 7 to 12 guests joins Taita Miguel to help prepare the fresh Crudo Ayahuasca (Yagé) drunk in ceremony. Two mornings, working by hand, in the same way the Camsá lineage has done for twelve generations. Taita Miguel then tests and adjusts the medicine for quality, and you drink what you helped co-create in your second and third ceremonies.
This is not training to become a facilitator. It's a rare invitation to meet the medicine before it meets you.
What real ayahuasca actually is.
Most people who have tried ayahuasca have never had the real thing. Pharmahuasca, reconstituted paste, and counterfeit brews are sold under the same name. Before deciding whether a retreat is right for you, it's worth understanding what's actually in the cup.
In this video, Yasha walks through the three categories of ayahuasca being sold today, the questions to ask any retreat before you go, and a rare form of the medicine that 99% of people have never heard of.
Yasha, founder of MahaDevi
Why this is worth doing: fresh medicine is a different experience entirely.
Imagine taking a fine Italian wine, boiling it down into a thick syrup, shipping it across the ocean in a plastic jar, then adding tap water before pouring it into a glass. Technically, it's still wine. The alcohol is there. Some of the chemistry survived. But anyone who actually drinks wine will tell you that's not the experience. The vitality is gone. The freshness is gone. The place it came from is gone.
Fresh chacruna leaves, hand-harvested for Crudo preparation
Medicine works the same way. Fresh, hand-prepared ayahuasca, made hours before ceremony, with your own hands part of the work, carries a quality reconstituted paste shipped across borders cannot replicate. The chemistry tells the same story: the active alkaloids in ayahuasca shift and degrade the moment the medicine is dried, stored, or transported. Fresh preparation keeps the full molecular profile present and intact.
Most ayahuasca outside the Amazon is dried, transported, and rehydrated. The active compounds survive. The living quality of fresh preparation does not. The Medicine Maker is one of very few retreats in the world where guests participate in preparing the medicine they will drink, and that continuity between making and receiving is part of what makes this so different.
You don't need to have done our Framework course first. What you need to know about ayahuasca, the difference between paste and fresh medicine, between a marketing claim and a real lineage, you'll find on this page.
An invitation, not an apprenticeship.
Most retreats outside the Amazon serve reconstituted paste. Even most retreats inside Colombia serve medicine the participant has never seen prepared. The Medicine Maker is different in one specific way: you participate in preparing the medicine you will drink.
This is not training. It is not a path to becoming an ayahuascero. It is two mornings spent with Taita Miguel and a small group, doing the same hand work the Camsá lineage has done for over twelve generations: cleaning leaves, smashing the vine, mixing, extracting.
Taita Miguel then tests the medicine you helped make and adjusts it to ensure the highest quality. You drink what you helped co-create in your second and third ceremonies.
Every Medicine Maker guest receives the full 7-night MahaDevi retreat, with the hands-on medicine-making woven into the week.
Two mornings. One living process.
The medicine-making takes place over two mornings before ceremonies begin. Day one is the heart of the work. Day two completes it. Together they form a complete preparation in the Camsá tradition.
Preparation
The morning opens with a purification ritual led by MahaDevi facilitators. Sacred smoke is used to open the space and set the intention for what is being made.
Taita Miguel introduces the full process before the work begins.
- 01Purification and protection ritual with sacred smoke
- 02Introduction by Taita Miguel: the tradition, the plants, the intention
- 03Cleaning and cutting the chagra leaves by hand
- 04Smashing the leaves with a wooden mallet until fully shredded
- 05Cleaning and smashing the ayahuasca vine with a wooden mallet
- 06Mixing the plants and setting them to rest overnight
Extraction
Day two is focused. The hard work is done. What remains is drawing the medicine from everything prepared the day before.
The Crudo takes its final form. Taita Miguel tests it and adjusts it for quality before it is served.
- 01Return to what was set to rest overnight
- 02Extraction of the medicine from the prepared plants
- 03Taita Miguel tests and adjusts the Crudo to ensure quality
- 04Closing of the preparation space with Taita Miguel
"The medicine you helped co-create, tested and adjusted by Taita Miguel, is served to you in your second and third ceremonies. The continuity matters."
Measuring the vine before preparation begins
Smashing the vine by hand, no machines at any stage
Mixing the plants after preparation
Fresh Crudo ayahuasca, hours from ceremony
99% of people who have tried ayahuasca have never had the real thing.
Most ayahuasca served outside the Amazon is reconstituted paste: medicine boiled down, dried, shipped across borders, and rehydrated with water before ceremony. The active compounds survive. The living quality of fresh preparation does not.
Paste medicine
Boiled down, dehydrated, jarred, and shipped. Rehydrated with water before ceremony. The form served at most retreats outside the Amazon.
Fresh Crudo
Cold-prepared by hand, served within a day of harvesting. Grown on Taita Miguel's own land. Never imported, never dried, never reconstituted.
What you'll work with at MahaDevi is grown on Taita Miguel's own land. Two forms, both prepared fresh for each retreat:
Crudo (cold-prepared)
Prepared without fire. Hand-processed and consumed within a day or two of harvesting. Lighter on the body with less stomach distress, easier to drink, and carries more of the original plant intact than its cooked counterpart. Crudo ferments quickly and cannot leave the jungle. To experience it, you have to be where it's made.
Crudo washes away what no longer serves.
Cooked Yagé
Slow-brewed over fire for many hours. Dense, bitter, and physically demanding. Prepared fresh from plants on the same land, never from imported paste. Available alongside Crudo at every MahaDevi retreat.
Cooked Yagé burns away what no longer serves.
The Medicine Maker preparation focuses on Crudo, the form that 99% of people who have tried ayahuasca have never experienced.
Taita Miguel Mavisoy
Twelve generations of Camsá lineage, in one person.
The same person who guides the Medicine Maker preparation is the person who leads every ceremony. Taita Miguel Mavisoy is a Camsá medicine carrier from Putumayo, Colombia, whose family has carried yagé across twelve unbroken generations, learned from his parents, both healers in the Camsá tradition.
He grows the plants on his own land. He prepares the medicine himself. He is the preparation, the ceremony, and the lineage, present from the first morning of preparation through the final ceremony night.
His brew is known across Colombia and abroad for its notably sweet taste and the warmth of his presence in ceremony.
Meet Taita Miguel
Taita Miguel speaks about the medicine, the lineage, and the work he does at MahaDevi.
More steps.
More time.
More connection.
Most ayahuasca preparation, even within the broader Amazonian tradition, doesn't reach this level of detail. The Camsá process breaks every plant down by hand to a finer level than is standard, specifically to maximize the absorption of the alkaloids.
No machine touches this medicine at any stage. Taita Miguel holds this as a principle inseparable from the quality of what is made. The connection between the person preparing the medicine and the medicine itself is part of the lineage.
Twelve generations of the Camsá tradition have followed the same process, and Taita Miguel and his community have given their permission for this wisdom to be shared with our guests. You are not learning a technique. You are being shown a relationship.
- Everything reduced to fine pieces by hand for maximum absorption
- No machines at any stage, the connection is preserved throughout
- Sacred opening ritual before preparation begins
- Plants grown and harvested on Taita Miguel's own land in Putumayo
- Medicine consumed within days of preparation, Crudo cannot be stored or transported
- Twelve generations of unbroken Camsá lineage behind every preparation, shared with full community consent
- Operates within UMIYAC ethical framework, the Union of Traditional Yagé Doctors of the Colombian Amazon
Is the Medicine Maker right for you?
Taking part in the preparation is hands-on physical work. For the right person, preparing the medicine before drinking it deepens everything that comes after.
This is for you if…
- You want to deepen your relationship with the medicine beyond the cup
- You're drawn to understanding where it actually comes from
- You appreciate the value of learning from a living tradition that has agreed to share its wisdom with you
- You're open to hands-on physical work, including something physically demanding
- You're comfortable working alongside a small group
- This is your first ceremony and you want to meet the medicine before it meets you
- You want the deepest, most authentic version of what MahaDevi offers
This is not for you if…
- Physical work is exhausting or contraindicated for you right now
- You're in an active stage of acute psychological difficulty or recent trauma
- Group activities feel draining rather than grounding
- You're not drawn to ceremonial process or working closely with an indigenous tradition
- You'd rather skip the preparation and just drink
If you're unsure, reach out before booking and we can help you decide.
From people who've sat with us.
Reviews from MahaDevi guests across our 2024 and 2025 retreats.
I sat in ceremony at several ayahuasca facilities in 2025. For me, MahaDevi didn't just stand out; it redefined what an ayahuasca ceremony should be. Some places approach ayahuasca like a volume game: drink as much as possible and brute-force a breakthrough. MahaDevi is the opposite. They tailor each ceremony to you.
Charles G.
Verified guest · Google · Local Guide, 27 reviews
I've been on the healing journey for about 3 years. I've tried many modalities: retreats, kundalini, various mentors. I was beginning to get burnt out and give up on being able to feel free. My experience at MahaDevi was the rebirth of my faith and that permission to finally exhale.
Emily B.
Verified guest · Google · 2025 retreat
My first ceremony was incredibly intense and difficult, but the support I received afterward was life-changing. From the facilitators to Taita's entire team, I felt truly seen and cared for. That level of support was essential for me to process my experience.
Gus J.
Verified guest · Google · Local Guide, 37 reviews
Whether you are new to this journey or a seasoned veteran, MahaDevi Putumayo is absolutely the place you want to be. From the first discovery call, I knew I was called to the right place. I came down basically as a stranger and left with new family. This was a really big step in the beginning of my healing journey.
Jonny
Verified guest · Google · 4 months ago
Ania and Yasha work seamlessly together over the course of the week (and beyond) to ensure the highest possible level of comfort, healing, growth, reflection, and integration for all retreat-goers, and the results are uniquely priceless. Highly, highly recommend.
Sam McClure
Verified guest · Google · 7 months ago
I attended the July 2025 retreat. This was my first such experience and I was admittedly nervous. Yasha and Ania went above and beyond to acknowledge my trepidation and alleviate it. I felt I was in good hands immediately, and that feeling has only continued to increase since that initial meeting.
Chad Dixon
Verified guest · Google · 9 months ago
Hear from past guests.
Two recent guests speak about what their retreat meant to them, on camera, unscripted.
Emily
Verified guest · 2025 retreat
John
Verified guest · 2025 retreat
The people who've sat with us.
A handful of the cohorts who've shared a week with us in Putumayo.
Read more reviews on Google and across the web. We don't curate the easy ones.
Where you'll be.
MahaDevi is located near Mocoa in Putumayo, in a cooler, low-mosquito zone, not a remote jungle camp. The setting is designed for deep healing work, with enough comfort that you can fully surrender without distraction.
- Private cabins with modern design, hot showers, and electricity
- Pool, cold plunge next to the Mocoa river, and a private waterfall
- All meals included, nourishing and locally sourced
- Wi-Fi and 24/7 on-site security
- Hospital José María Hernández 30 minutes from the retreat
- Two-way airport transportation included
The hike to Fin del Mundo.
Mid-week, before the second ceremony, the whole group hikes to Fin del Mundo, "the end of the world", a waterfall that drops off a cliff edge into the cloud forest below. The water, the cold air, the silence, all of it sets the body up for the night ahead.
The walk is part of the retreat, included in every date. The video below is the best way to see what this place actually looks like.
Fin del Mundo waterfall, Mocoa, Putumayo
Available Retreat Dates
Our 2026 Medicine Maker retreat windows in Putumayo. Every guest has a private room and a place in the hands-on medicine-making. Spots are limited to 7 to 12 guests per retreat.
Take the full Medicine Maker brochure with you.
A complete document covering everything about the retreat. Designed to be read slowly, on your own time, somewhere quiet.
- Yagé vs. ayahuasca, and why the name changes at the border
- Crudo vs. cooked Yagé, and fresh medicine vs. paste, explained
- Camsá lineage and Taita Miguel's full story
- The two-morning Medicine Maker preparation, step by step
- Your seven-night week, day by day
- Supporting plant medicines: Rapeh, Sananga, Mambé, Ambil, Cacao
- Where you'll be, who's behind it, and the safety framework
- Pricing and what's included
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Pricing.
One all-inclusive price. Every Medicine Maker retreat is a complete 7-night retreat with all ceremonies, the hands-on medicine-making, meals, transport, and 45 days of preparation plus 90 days of integration. Every guest has a private room. Choose the setting that suits you.
- 7 nights, 8 days in the Putumayo
- 3 Ayahuasca (Yagé) ceremonies with Taita Miguel, plus an optional 4th Crudo ceremony
- Hands-on Crudo medicine-making over two mornings with Taita Miguel
- The medicine you help co-create, tested and adjusted by Taita for quality, served in your 2nd and 3rd ceremonies
- All meals and private accommodation
- Two-way airport transport from Mocoa
- Fin del Mundo waterfall hike
- Hapeh, Sananga, Breathwork & Cacao
- 45 days preparation support
- 90 days integration support
- Harm reduction support with psychologist or psychiatrist if needed
- Access to our integration & preparation portal
- Everything in the full Medicine Maker retreat, plus:
- Our premium private room
- A private jacuzzi
- The most comfortable setting on the land
All rooms are private. From $3,850 per guest, all-inclusive. There is no separate add-on fee.
Safety and medical screening.
MahaDevi requires comprehensive medical and psychiatric screening before any participant is accepted. The framework below applies without exception.
Before the Retreat
Up to 45 days of structured preparation including group calls, breathwork, and full medical and psychiatric screening before acceptance.
During Ceremony
Trained facilitators present throughout all ceremonies. Hospital José María Hernández 30 minutes from the retreat.
After the Retreat
90 days of post-retreat integration, one-on-one sessions, and lifelong community access. Access to our integration & preparation portal.
Want to learn more before booking?
The Ayahuasca Framework is our free 9-video course. It covers what ayahuasca actually is, the Camsá lineage that has partnered with us and agreed to share this knowledge, the science of how it works, the real risks, and a structured readiness self-assessment. Under 90 minutes total.
How we hold this work.
MahaDevi operates within the ethical framework of UMIYAC, the Union of Traditional Yagé Doctors of the Colombian Amazon, which unites Kamentsá, Inga, Cofán, Siona, and Coreguaje Taitas around shared ceremonial standards. The medicine is not a product. The ceremonies are not entertainment.
Everything we share, from the medicine to the ceremonial practices to the teachings of the lineage, is shared in full partnership with Taita Miguel and his community, with their explicit agreement and permission. We're transparent about what we offer, honest about what we cannot, and committed to the long-term wellbeing of every person who walks through.
Lineage Integrity & Consent
The ceremony, the medicine, and the songs come from a living tradition shared with us with the full permission of Taita Miguel and his community. He holds that lineage and leads every retreat personally.
Participant Safety First
Full medical and psychiatric screening required. No exceptions. A clinical team is available when needed.
Honest About What This Is
We do not over-promise outcomes. We say no when someone is not ready.
Questions about the Medicine Maker.
- Wait, am I going to learn how to make ayahuasca myself?
- No, and we want to be very clear about this because the name "Medicine Maker" can be misleading. This is not a course on how to prepare ayahuasca and it is not training to become a facilitator, healer, or curandero. It is a rare opportunity to spend two mornings helping Taita Miguel prepare the fresh Crudo Ayahuasca that you will then drink in ceremony, so you arrive at the cup having met the medicine first. The wisdom of preparation belongs to the Camsá lineage. What we're invited to share, with their full permission, is the experience of being part of the process.
- What kind of support do I get before and after the retreat?
- Up to 45 days of structured preparation before arrival including group calls, breathwork, and full medical and psychiatric screening. 90 days of post-retreat integration support, one-on-one sessions, and lifelong community access. Harm reduction support with a psychologist or psychiatrist is available if needed. You also get access to our integration and preparation portal.
- Do I need prior ayahuasca experience?
- No. The Medicine Maker is open to first-time participants. You don't need prior experience with plant medicine to participate in the preparation. For many people, learning about the medicine before drinking it makes the first ceremony more grounded and more meaningful.
- Will I drink the medicine I helped prepare?
- Yes. The Crudo you help prepare is tested and adjusted by Taita Miguel to ensure the highest quality, then served to you in your second and third ceremonies. What you help make, you receive. That continuity is intentional and is part of what makes this experience different.
- Is this physically demanding?
- Day one involves real physical effort, smashing plants by hand for four to five hours. Others are present throughout and people take turns, so it's not solo endurance. But you'll use your body and feel it. If you have physical limitations that make active work difficult, let us know before booking.
- Has Taita Miguel given permission for this wisdom to be shared?
- Yes. Everything Taita Miguel shares with our guests, from the medicine preparation to the ceremonial practices to the teachings of his lineage, is shared with his full agreement and the agreement of his community. You'll see him speak directly throughout our videos. Nothing is taken; everything is offered together, in partnership. This relationship is the foundation of how MahaDevi operates.
- Which dates are available?
- Our 2026 Medicine Maker retreats run July 24–31, August 16–23, September 6–13, November 1–8, and December 6–13. All of them include the hands-on Medicine Maker preparation. Dates are listed in the calendar above. If you're unsure which fits you, reach out and we'll help you decide.
- What's the difference between Ayahuasca and Yagé?
- They're the same medicine, called by different names. "Ayahuasca" is the Quechua name from the Peruvian Amazon and is the most familiar term outside South America. "Yagé" is the name used in Colombia and Ecuador, including by the Camsá tradition. Both are brewed from the same two plants: the Caapi vine and Chacruna leaves (sometimes Chaliponga in Colombia). At MahaDevi you'll hear both names used.
- What is Crudo and why is it only available in Colombia?
- Crudo is a cold-brew preparation of Ayahuasca (Yagé) made without fire. The plants are prepared by hand and must be consumed within a day or two, as Crudo ferments quickly and cannot be stored or transported. It does not exist outside Colombia. At MahaDevi you work with both Crudo and traditionally cooked yagé, both prepared fresh for every retreat.
- Is ayahuasca legal in Colombia?
- Yes. Colombia has never prohibited Ayahuasca (Yagé). There's no legislation restricting its ceremonial use, and the Colombian government has provided institutional recognition of its cultural significance in indigenous practice. MahaDevi operates in a fully legal framework.
Ready to go deeper?
If this is your call, the next step is a conversation. We hear your situation, you hear how we work, and together we figure out whether this is the right fit at this point in your life. Book your retreat or talk to us right here.
Want to read more first? Download the brochure instead
Medical Disclaimer: Ayahuasca is a powerful entheogenic medicine that requires thorough medical screening and qualified supervision. The information on this page is educational and does not constitute medical or legal advice. MahaDevi requires full medical screening of all participants prior to acceptance.