SACRED WISDOM RETREAT
including two ceremonies with Pajé Maná of the Shanenawa Tribe
in Samara, Costa Rica
August 18th - 25th 2026
⟢ Ancient wisdom & sacred ceremonies
⟢ Yoga, breathwork, and other daily practices
⟢ Luxurious accommodations and nutritious meals
⟢ Preparation to anchor you on this journey
⟢ Integration support before and after ceremony
and so much more…
A return to the wisdom of the Earth, and a remembrance of who you are.
Join Laura Waite for a Sacred Healing Retreat in Costa Rica. Held at the serene Casa Luna, this experience brings together the ancestral plant medicine traditions of the Shanenawa people with the grounded presence of yoga, bodywork, and energy healing.
Pajé Mana, a spiritual leader of the Shanenawa tribe in Brazil, carries deep ancestral knowledge and walks with powerful healing songs, sacred tobacco, and Nixi Pae (ayahuasca). Together with Laura Waite, intuitive healer and yoga teacher, they will guide you through a journey of cleansing, reconnection, and renewal.
Each day will offer space for integration and presence, through gentle movement, nutrition, breath, and stillness. You’ll be held with care as you move through what arises, supported by community, nature, and ceremony.
This retreat is for those feeling called to work with plant medicine in a deeply intentional way. A space to release what no longer serves, to open to spiritual insight, and to reconnect to the truth that lives inside of you.
all inclusive, starting at $3,225
“Plant medicine had been calling me for years, but the timing had never felt right. This retreat changed that. I was met with so much love, intention, and care—from the moment we arrived to the final day. And now, I see the medicine not just as something I took in ceremony, but something I carry with me. In my heart. In my daily life”
– Matt, Shanenawa retreat 2024
DAY 1, August 18th
Arrival
Opening ceremony
Welcome dinner
DAY 2, August 19th
Morning yoga practice
Cold plunge
Hike to waterfall
Rapé ceremony
DAY 3, August 20th
Kambo ceremony
Pool & rest
Personal development
Medicine music & movement
DAY 4, August 21st
Breathwork
Cold plunge
Departure for ceremony
First ceremony with the Shanenawa tribe
DAY 5, August 22nd
Medicine integration circle
Second ceremony with the Shanenawa tribe
DAY 6, August 23rd
Return to Casa Luna
Massages
Cacao & sound ceremony
DAY 7, August 24th
Morning yoga practice
Cold plunge
Integration
Closing ceremony & dinner
DAY 8, August 25th
Breakfast & Departure
“Leaving the retreat, I feel a sense of such transformation in me that I know that this is just the beginning, and I'm kind of excited for the what unfolds in my path ahead.”
– Laura, Shanenawa retreat 2024
“It was such deep and personal experience, beyond words”
- Kasia, Huni Kuin retreat 2025
“Sitting next to Laura in ceremony, I witnessed the deep relationship she has built with the medicine. She was called to this work, and it is undeniable that she is meant to guide people on this journey. She is strong, she is loving, and she is one of the most honest people I have met.”
– Bree, Huni Kuin retreat 2025
REGISTER
starting at $3,225 USD
$500 non-refundable deposit due at registration
Final balance will be due in June 2026
Includes the following:
Travel & Logistics
🏨 5 nights at Casa Luna in the hills of Samara
🛖 2 nights at ceremony location
🍲 All meals, organic, local, and freshly prepared
🤸🏻 Local outings to the beach, waterfall, and much more
💆 1-hour massage
👥 Intimate group (4-8 people - see details in FAQ)
Ceremonies & Teachings
🦜 Introduction to the Shanenawa ways of healing
🌱 2 Master Plant Ceremonies
🐸 Kambo, Rapé, and Sananga
🌸 Yoga, Breathwork, and Cold Plunges
🪘 Medicine music & Sound Healing
🙏🏽 Pre-retreat preparation and intention setting
🤍 Post-retreat integration
Book with a $500 deposite due today. Final balance due by June 15th
“I had fear and anxiety before coming. And I had all the excuses: time, money, uncertainty. But something in me knew—this was the moment. And I’m so glad I said yes. What I gave to this retreat, I received back tenfold. The depth of healing, the community, the love… it’s something I will never forget.”
– Matt, Shanenawa retreat 2024
MEET YOUR GUIDES
Laura Waite
Intuitive Guide | Lightworker | Angelic Channeler
Laura is here as a grounded guide and guardian on your path of healing. For nearly 20 years, she has devoted her life to the healing arts as an intuitive, body worker, energy practitioner, and yoga teacher. Her work bridges the physical and subtle realms, honoring both the intelligence of the body and the wisdom of spirit.
Her relationship with sacred medicine began in 2022, and it was a profound remembering - a return to her truest self. She came to medicine during a pivotal time in her life, after ending a long-term relationship that had slowly disconnected her from her own voice and vitality. What she found through medicine was not an escape, but a reclamation- a return to her heart, her inner authority, and her inherent strength.
For the past two years, Laura has been stewarding and guiding groups and individuals into ceremonial spaces with deep reverence, responsibility, and devotion. The medicine has anchored her more fully into her truth and empowered her to show up in her life and leadership with greater clarity, integrity, and love. She now holds space from a lived experience, offering a container that is both spiritually attuned and deeply human.
Laura has sat in ceremony with multiple medicines and respected facilitators. She feels a deep resonance with the wisdom traditions of the Brazilian tribes, particularly the Yawanawa, Shanenawa, and Huni Kuin. She traveled to Brazil in 2023 and 2024 in Brazil to participate in village celebrations and immersive ceremonial experiences strengthening her relationship to the forest, the lineage, and the spirit of the medicine.
Laura trusts in the healing power of medicine to ignite a remembrance of your true authentic self. Her role is to light a pathway of protection and experience to ensure that your journey home is anchored in love and luminous light.
Pajé Maná
Chief | Scholar | Shaman
Shanenawá People – People of the Blue Bird
The Shanenawà people have lived traditionally on the banks of the Envira River in Brazil since 1940. Considered by all indigenous people as the Doctors of the Forest, they are scholars of medicinal herbs and are renowned for their plant medicine healing.
Giving voice to the Shanenawá nation, Pajé Maná Shanenawá is the chief and shaman of the Kene Merá village. Maná has a degree in Letters from the Federal University of Acre and is a teacher in their village.
For 16 years, through the teachings of ancestral wisdom and their own people's knowledge, Maná was prepared by the village elders to be consecrated as one of the connoisseurs of sacred medicines, one of the Pajés.
Maná travels outside of the village with two objectives: the first, to speak and spread the Shanenawá indigenous cosmovision, the school of spirituality or the school of life, to aid the healing heart of humanity. The second objective: the collection of financial resources to repair everything that was destroyed by a flood that happened in the year 2021, which caused great damage to the physical structures of the community, leaving some important structures completely damaged.
Maná brings in his valuable messages from the forest, from everything that is being forgotten and that needs to be illuminated again. As a Pajé and Cacique, he understands the importance of the collective, of shared decisions, and of prioritizing what is good for everyone demonstrating alternatives of visions and quality of life.
F.A.Q.
WHAT IS AYAHUASCA?
Ayahuasca is a potent psychoactive brew that has been used in indigenous Amazonian ceremonies for spiritual insights and healing for thousands of years. When served as part of a sacred ceremony, it allows us to safely explore our consciousness, confront unresolved issues, and achieve personal growth.
WHO IS THIS RETREAT FOR?
The retreat is open to all adults over the age of 18 who are seeking a unique travel experience combined with spiritual growth.
HOW DO I KNOW IF THIS IS FOR ME?
We strive to bring together a group of individuals for whom this experience is in alignment.
Prior to booking your trip, we can schedule a discovery call with you to answer any questions and make sure that you are a good fit for this retreat.
HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL BE PART OF THE RETREAT?
The retreat portion at Casa Luna will be a small, intimate group of 4-10 people. The plant medicine ceremonies are open to local community, and will likely be a group of 25-30 people.
DO I NEED PRIOR EXPERIENCE WITH PLANT MEDICINE?
Prior experience with plant medicine is not required, and this retreat offers the right container & support for anyone who is ready to dive in for the first time.
WHO IS LEADING THE RETREAT?
The retreat will be led by Laura Waite. The sacred plant ceremonies will be led by Pajé Maná of the Shanenawa tribe.
WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT WILL BE PROVIDED AROUND THE RETREAT?
Laura will host preparation group calls leading up to the retreat, as well as integration calls afterwards. In the 3 days before & after ceremony, during which we will all be staying together at Casa Luna, we will take part in several practices that will support us on this journey, and are a crucial piece of the healing path.
WHERE WILL WE BE STAYING?
5 nights (3 before & 2 after Ayahuasca ceremony) will be spent at Casa Luna. The Ayahuasca ceremonies are held at a retreat centre, and last all night. We will have a surface (cushion or mattress) to rest on during our time in ceremony as well as a shared dorm room (men & women separate) to rest in between ceremonies. You can upgrade to a private room for an additional fee, advanced notice needed.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE PRICE?
ALL CEREMONIES & TEACHINGS:
Introduction to the Shanenawa tradition of Healing through Joy, 2 Ayahuasca Plant Medicine Ceremonies, Opening & Closing Ceremony, Kambo Medicine (served by a trained facilitator), Rapé & Sananga, Daily Meditation, Yoga, Breathwork, Cold Plunges, Medicine Music, Sound Healing, as well as support and guidance for the full 14-day Dieta to get ourselves ready for ceremony, and post-retreat integration with a fully certified team.
TRAVEL & LOGISTICS:
5 nights of private accommodation at Casa Luna, all meals (local, organic, and freshly prepared), a 1-hour massage, local outings to the beach, and much more.
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE?
Airfaire, as well as shuttle to/from the airport is not included. We will help you coordinate with our trusted shuttle driver.
WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING?
We suggest packing light and making comfort a priority. August in Costa Rica can bring on some rain, and we recommend bringing rain gear with you, as well as a warmer layer for ceremony nights (pants & sweater). Otherwise, you will need minimal clothing during your time here (shorts, t-shirts, yoga clothes, bathing suits, tennis shoes and flip flops!)
Participants will receive a suggested packing list prior to departure.
IS COSTA RICA SAFE?
Costa Rica is considered a safe country to visit. Travellers to Costa Rica are recommended to exercise the usual travel precautions (storing valuable items in the room safe, keeping an eye on personal bags while moving around, etc…).
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:
The use of plant medicine and entheogens requires you to take personal responsibility for being well informed of all risks, potential side effects, and interactions.
________________________________________________
NOTE: You will be required to sign a copy of the above Waiver upon arrival at the retreat.
Accepting the Terms & Conditions during registration indicates you have read and accepted the text below.
IN CONSIDERATION OF the covenants and agreements contained in this Agreement and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties to this Agreement agree as follows:
Consideration
Being of lawful age and in consideration of being permitted to participate in the activity described below, having personally reviewed the benefits and potential challenges of Ayahuasca use, the Participant releases and forever discharges the Organizer and the Organizer's partners, heirs, executors, administrators, legal representatives and assigns from all manner of actions, causes of action, debts, accounts, bonds, contracts, claims and demands for or by reason of any injury to person or property, including injury resulting in the death of the Participant, which has been or may be sustained as a consequence of the Participant's participation in the activity described below, and notwithstanding that such damage, loss or injury may have been caused solely or partly by the negligence of the Organizer.
The Participant understands that the Participant would not be permitted to participate in the activity described below unless the Participant signed this Agreement.
Details of Activity
The Participant will participate in the following activity: Participation in a Sacred Plant medicine retreat in Costa Rica. Participation may include all activities, food, and accommodations as part of the retreat experience, including but not limited to:
Partaking in Ayahuasca or other plant medicine ceremonies
Breathwork and meditation sessions
Workshops, classes and other teachings
Leisure time / Time in nature
All meals and snacks
Accommodations in private or double arrangements
Participation in Preparation call
Participation in Integration call
Online community and resources
Any additional 1-on-1 services coordinated between the guest and the Organizer
Code of Conduct
The Participant agrees to the following rules and stipulations during their time on the Retreat:
Respect the medicine and the traditions we work with
Respect and follow indications and guidelines given by the Organizer
Respect the healing process of yourself and others in the group
Respect the personal boundaries of others in the group
Respect that everyone is undergoing their own experience, and deserves to have their own space, peace and quiet
Please note that disregarding any of these will result in being given a warning or being asked to leave at the discretion of a member of the facilitation team without reimbursement.
The Intolerable Offenses
Sexual harassment toward Participants or staff, including verbal/non-verbal insinuation as well as direct physical contact
Behavior that intentionally puts your own or others’ safety at risk
Repetitive disruptive behavior inside or outside ceremony that creates discomfort for other Participants, or significantly interferes with the healing process of other Participants
The Participant agrees that by participating in any one of these intolerable offenses, they can be sent away without question and without refund at the sole discretion of Organizer. The Participant would be responsible for any additional travel fees.
Fitness to Participate
The Participant acknowledges that the Participant has fully disclosed all known physical limitations, medical ailments, and physical or mental disabilities.
The Participant has/will obtain a medical examination and clearance prior to arrival.
The Participant agrees not to partake in any other psychoactive substances during their stay, with the exception of
tobacco, including but not limited to: prescription medications, recreational drugs, or other plant
medicines/psychedelics (unless given explicit consent by the Organizer)
The Participant acknowledges that:
They are not taking or have not taken any SSRI containing medication for the past two weeks.Please consult with your doctor or medical practitioner prior to starting or stopping any medication.
They do not have any preexisting heart ailments
They are without any preexisting mental health conditions such as Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, or Psychosis
They are of the understanding that there are inherent risks of being in a wilderness environment that may cause injury or death
They are accepting of all risk for the consumption of Ayahuasca or other natural medicines
They may feel worse (mentally, physically, emotionally) during or after as part of their process working with Ayahuasca
Organizer cannot accept responsibility for theft or damage to belongings
Participation in the ceremonies is entirely voluntary and they are free to opt out, if they wish, before the start of the ceremony. However, they must follow the instructions of the facilitators and healers at all times so that safety is not jeopardized.
If they have provided incorrect information or obscured details, that they may be endangering themselves and others and can be expelled from the retreat without question and without refund at the sole discretion of Organizer
Photo & Video Release
The Participant agrees that by participating in this Retreat, they may be captured on photo and video recordings for the purpose of marketing Organizer’s future retreats. Participant hereby waives their right to inspect or approve said material, and acknowledges that they are not entitled to any compensation or royalties with respect to the use of said material.
Full and Final Settlement
The Participant hereby acknowledges and agrees that the Participant has carefully read this Agreement, that the Participant fully understands the same, and that the Participant is freely and voluntarily executing the same.
The Participant understands that by signing this Agreement, the Participant agrees to be forever prevented from suing or otherwise claiming against the Organizer for any property loss or personal injury that the Participant may sustain while participating in or preparing for the above noted activity.
The Participant has been given the opportunity and has been encouraged to seek independent legal advice prior to signing this Agreement.
This Agreement contains the entire agreement between the parties to this Agreement and the terms of this Agreement are contractual and not a mere recital.
Governing Law
This Agreement will be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the state of Quebec, Canada
IN AGREEMENT the Participant has affixed their signature underhand prior to the start of their participation :
_________________________________ Print Participant Name
_________________________________ Participant Sign
NOTE: You will be required to sign a copy of the above Waiver upon arrival at the retreat. Accepting the Terms & Conditions during registration indicates you have read and accept the above.