Ananda Lodge

This experience at Ananda changed my way of being. I learned to trust and value myself. I was held in space gently and intentionally, and felt challenged to merge this experience with my old thoughts. I learned a great deal about how to protect my spiritual being and continue to evolve. Everything during my stay was attended to with great compassion.

I came in search of 'freedom' and I left realizing freedom is within me. I gave all of my attention to this experience. From the moment it was brought to my attention as a possibility to it's continuing manifestation. My experience was profound and personal. I felt safe and supported throughout my time at Ananda. If all you did was come to partake of Chef Camilo's amazing food and sleep in your luxurious room you'd leave satiated. A special thank you to Norwin who was there for us each night and in the early morning with coffee-thank you. The facilitators are world renown. My journey was transformative. It's beyond what I have words for. What I can say is that I gave myself to the process, I trusted, and the experience I received was once-in-a-lifetime gift. My intention was to find 'freedom'. I left understanding freedom is inside me. The medicine continues to work in my life since leaving my experience at Ananda in incredibly positive ways. Beyond freedom, I am newly in love with my life. I am living in the moment. I am feeling kinder and more patient and loving to others. I found gratitude, acceptance and peace. Thank you Kimberly, Dana [Day-na] and Dana [Dahna].

I attended the 8 day women’s reclamation psilocybin retreat sep 2026 and HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend Ananda lodge for your next spiritual and psychedelic experience. The accommodations were gorgeous, comfortable, immaculate and restorative. The private chef Camilo creates pure magic in the kitchen and I am forever grateful for the intentionality he pored into every meal. The ceremony space was enchanting and full of life and the 3 separate journeys were all different but aligned with the elemental and chakra themes we were learning about. My favorites: a cacao ceremony with a wonderful local woman’s named Marien (hope I spelled her name correctly), sound bath and rhythmic explorations by co-owner Kimberly, live music during the final ceremony, water color art class with a talented local artist name Sophie, live music during the final ceremony and 2 trips to the beach to swim and let the waves wash away anything that was no longer serving us. Kimberly, Dana H and Dana M were the BEST medicine women I could have ever hoped for and will always be in my heart. They will forever be in my heart. They created such a sense of safety, and understanding, that I believe is unmatched. Their knowledge of the medicine and all things within their unique powers are beyond description. They introduced me to all of the possibilities in the world that I’ve been previously unaware of and can’t wait to explore.

As an army veteran who flew helicopters in 3 different combat deployments to Iraq spanning 3 years of my 27 year career, I came to Ananda feeling stressed, discouraged, in physical pain and burned out. I’m leaving with so much lightness, the ability to help regulate my own nervous system through tools I learned, more in tuned with my body and a little less pain and a reset nervous system. I used to call all of this “woo-woo” but now it’s just pure God given magic that we all have access too. Don’t hesitate to inquire about their military and first responder scholarships if money is a barrier. I can’t recommend this enough! It’s way better than any talk therapy of medicine I’ve ever experienced.

I have been to numerous medicine retreats, sat with facilitators across the world, and I have led preparation and integration programs for over 120 people. From start to finish, this is the best retreat experience I've ever had. And if I may be so bold, it's the best possible retreat experience available on the market today.

It begins with the owners, Kimberly and Jason. It's quite obvious they have put their entire heart and soul into building this place, and now that it is built, they have turned their huge hearts towards the people they serve. The amount of care and attention to detail is unparalleled. So much of an experience with plant medicine depends on the safety of the container. You have to be able to fully surrender into the moment and trust the process you're going through. Kim and Jason made this easy. The other facilitator they brought in, Dana, was also highly knowledgeable and an incredible coach throughout.

The ceremonies themselves were varied and different, ranging from a traditional evening ceremony to an extended ceremony at dawn with sound healing and numerous instruments to a ceremony facilitated by musicians and healers brought in from Colombia. This planned variation was beautiful and allowed me to go deeper into myself than ever before.

When not in ceremony, the pacing of the retreat was perfect. We had powerful integration sessions the days following ceremonies, which included group shares and dyad work, along with guided meditations. They also brought in external facilitators for breathwork (INCREDIBLE), cacao ceremonies, and optional massage, reiki, spinal alignment, and other services.

The food they served was easily the best food I have ever had in a retreat setting and some of the best food I've ever had in my life. The chef, Camilo, put his heart into every meal and connected what he was serving to the unique needs of each individual as well as the timing of food with ceremonies i.e. lighter, refreshing food surrounding ceremonies and heartier food when possible.

The setting was absolutely beautiful and exactly the kind of place that allows you to actually slow down and actually take the time necessary to work on yourself. And it was facilitated by true professionals with huge hearts. I can't recommend this place enough and it comes with my absolute highest praise. Whether you are new to the space or not, if you are interested in sitting with plant medicine, you should explore the options here.

Ananda Lodge is as special as they come.

My journey with Ananda Lodge began in Costa Rica, where I had an experience that touched me deeply and gave me enormous trust in the people, the medicine, and the intention behind this beautiful community.
I could not have imagined then that Ananda would eventually open another door for me—this time leading all the way to the Sacred Valley of Peru and The Source.
From the moment this journey was offered to us, Ananda Lodge helped organize and support everything leading up to our arrival in Peru. We were then welcomed into the care of the incredible team at The Source, where what unfolded became one of the most profound and unique experiences of my life.
I will always be grateful to Ananda for creating that bridge.
There are retreats that offer you an experience, and then there are communities that somehow become part of a much longer journey. That is what Ananda has become for me. My experience didn't simply begin and end with a ceremony in Costa Rica. It continued—through relationships, trust, support, and eventually an invitation to travel halfway across the world and go deeper.
The retreat in Peru challenged me, opened me, humbled me, and invited me into parts of myself I hadn't known I was ready to meet. The beauty and energy of The Source, the medicines, the facilitators, and the people with whom I shared this journey have left something in me that I know I will carry for the rest of my life.
And none of it would have happened for me without Ananda Lodge.
What I appreciate most is the feeling that Ananda isn't simply organizing retreats. They are creating community and continuity—connecting people with experiences, teachers, places, and opportunities for healing and discovery that extend far beyond one ceremony or one location.
I returned from Peru with immense gratitude for The Source, but also with an even deeper appreciation for the path that brought me there.
Thank you, Ananda Lodge, for opening that door. Thank you for the care that began in Costa Rica and followed us all the way to Peru. And thank you for being part of a journey that continues to unfold long after the ceremonies have ended.
Some doors change the room you're standing in. Others show you an entirely new landscape.
For me, Ananda has done exactly that. ❤️