6-day Retreat with the Madhá and Yawanawa tribe in Bahia, Brazil - AWAKENING OF THE VOICE
6-day Retreat with the Madhá and Yawanawa tribe in Bahia, Brazil - AWAKENING OF THE VOICE
Up to 30 in group
October 9 - 14, 2026
Retreat Highlights
- ayahuasca ceremony
- individual session of voice opening
- chants class
- diet
- kambo
- sananga
- rapé
- herbal bath
- wisdom circle
- waterfall
About this Retreat
Pajé Maná Madhá received from his own people the name “Saint.” He is a great spiritual leader. As explained by Putanny and Biraci Nixiwaká, leaders of the Yawanawá people, Maná and his wife Ratsuhá are regarded as “people from 500 years ago” and as “royalty” in the realm of spirituality. He received a traditional training that today only a few pajés still carry, with deep knowledge of medicinal plants and a powerful spiritual healing technique, capable of materializing illness in order to remove it from the patient’s body. Known for healing serious illnesses, Maná works on both the physical and spiritual dimensions.
Ratsuhá is a female spiritual leader with a rare traditional training, a specialist in childbirth who carries knowledge that today only a few healers still possess, and she has already accompanied over 2,800 births. Together with her husband, she works in healing sessions according to the Madhá tradition and takes part in the transmission of knowledge through the spiritual practice called Opening of the Voice, a rigorous process that involves body techniques, ritual use of tobacco, specific dietas, and that imprints the learn ing of the songs into the apprentice’s body.
Runuiná is a musician, composer, and young Yawanawá-Pupykary leader, son of Vesku Yawanawá and Antônio Apurinã, and a guardian of the ancestry of his people. He has dedicated himself from an early age to Indigenous musicality and has been a student of Pajé Maná for more than ten years, learning from him prayers, songs, and traditional healing arts. He composes his own songs by translating Pajé Maná’s traditional Saitis — originally performed exclusively with the voice — onto the guitar.
Vesku is a Yawanawá female leader living in an Apurinã village, devoted to strengthening Indigenous culture, with a special focus on women and the use of medicinal plants. Sister to spiritual leader Putanny, she carries the legacy of her grandfather, a great healer who knew many medicinal plants. A student of midwives and women healers, she is also a guardian of Yawanawá songs, stories, and ancestral knowledge, learned since her childhood. At her home, she is building a medicinal plant pharmacy as well as a seed bank, dedicating herself to preserving Indigenous knowledge and medicine.
Details of this retreat
Together with the Yawa-Madhá delegation, we invite you to a 6-day immersive retreat focused on opening the voice and connecting with your true essence, through the medicines of the forest and the ancestral wisdom of the Madhá/Kulina people.
The Kulina Madhá are an Indigenous people in recent contact with non-Indigenous society, known for preserving very ancient spiritual practices that have been kept alive through healing lineages.
In the Madhá tradition, the Opening of the Voice is a spiritual transmission practice conducted individually by pajé (shaman) Maná.
In this process, the “Spirit of the Voice” is planted in each participant, supporting the development of listening to both our inner and outer voice, the expression, and the learning of traditional chants.
The retreat takes place within a specific dieta, with food prepared especially for this purpose, also focused in the removal of energies that hinder the voice, listening, and learning.
The Kulina Madhá are an Indigenous people in recent contact with non-Indigenous society, known for preserving very ancient spiritual practices that have been kept alive through healing lineages.
In the Madhá tradition, the Opening of the Voice is a spiritual transmission practice conducted individually by pajé (shaman) Maná.
In this process, the “Spirit of the Voice” is planted in each participant, supporting the development of listening to both our inner and outer voice, the expression, and the learning of traditional chants.
The retreat takes place within a specific dieta, with food prepared especially for this purpose, also focused in the removal of energies that hinder the voice, listening, and learning.
Schedule
09/10
Opening circle and traditional chants
10/10
body painting + wisdom circle +
ayahuasca ceremony
11/10
Kambô + traditional chants class +
wisdom circle with hapé
12/10
herbal baths + traditional chants class + wisdom circle with hapé and sananga
13/10
daytime ayahuasca ceremony in the forest
14/10
traditional chants class + wisdom circle +
closing sharing circle
Opening circle and traditional chants
10/10
body painting + wisdom circle +
ayahuasca ceremony
11/10
Kambô + traditional chants class +
wisdom circle with hapé
12/10
herbal baths + traditional chants class + wisdom circle with hapé and sananga
13/10
daytime ayahuasca ceremony in the forest
14/10
traditional chants class + wisdom circle +
closing sharing circle
Note: Schedule is approximate and may change
Getting Here
Directions
How to Reach Us
The best and closest airport is Ilhéus (IOS) - Jorge Amado Airport.
We strongly recommend flying here. Your included airport transfer will be arranged to and from this airport.
While Salvador (SSA) is a larger international airport, it is a 5-6 hour drive away. If you fly into Salvador, you would need to arrange your own separate transportation to Ilhéus (via a short domestic flight or a bus) to meet our shuttle.
The best and closest airport is Ilhéus (IOS) - Jorge Amado Airport.
We strongly recommend flying here. Your included airport transfer will be arranged to and from this airport.
While Salvador (SSA) is a larger international airport, it is a 5-6 hour drive away. If you fly into Salvador, you would need to arrange your own separate transportation to Ilhéus (via a short domestic flight or a bus) to meet our shuttle.
Accommodation
Imagine waking to the song of the birds, breathing the pure forest air, and feeling the vital energy that pulses all around you. At Oca Yary, each accommodation is a portal to this deep immersion in nature. Accommodation in the Chalet, Camping or inside the Oca on hammocks are available.
STAR: You bring your own tent and sleep under the thousand‑star skies of Oca Yary. We offer a camping area with access to a changing/bathroom area, for a simple and grounded experience close to the earth.
ANCESTRAL: Hammock stay in the Central Oca, a unique experience of returning to the roots by sleeping under the beautiful Xiguan Oca. For those who want a truly ancestral, communal and singular experience.
SOLO NATURE: Private room at Casa Natureza, farther from the Central Oca, also merged into the forest with direct access to the river in the backyard. A more intimate and quiet space for solo travelers seeking privacy, rest, and a deep nature retreat.
NATURE: Bed in a shared room at Casa Natureza, a bit farther from the Central Oca, fully embraced by the forest with direct access to the river in the backyard. Ideal for those who enjoy tranquility, water, and a deeper connection with the surrounding landscape.
COLIBRI: Bed in shared bungalow in the middle of the forest, with a private bathroom, just a short walk from the Central Oca. A cozy experience surrounded by the Atlantic Forest, perfect for those who want comfort while staying immersed in nature.
Venue & Amenities
A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi
Spa
Sauna
Pool
Towels
Free Parking
Kitchen
Tour Assistance
Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea
Cafe
Restaurant
Fitness Center
Yoga Studio
Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent
YARY is a Holistic Center located in the village of Serra Grande, between Ilhéus and Itacaré, Bahia, Brazil.
Surrounded by the Atlantic Forest, next to the Tijuipe river with a beautiful waterfall and close to the beach, we are in the region called Cacau Coast, also known for its stunning natural beauty.
Connect with nature in a simple and ancestral way.
Here, the journey of self-discovery unfolds as you open inner pathways, leading to a deep renewal of your mind, emotions, body, and spirit.
Surrounded by the Atlantic Forest, next to the Tijuipe river with a beautiful waterfall and close to the beach, we are in the region called Cacau Coast, also known for its stunning natural beauty.
Connect with nature in a simple and ancestral way.
Here, the journey of self-discovery unfolds as you open inner pathways, leading to a deep renewal of your mind, emotions, body, and spirit.
Meals
Menu Types
Vegan
Vegetarian
Pescetarian
Ayurvedic
Includes Meat
Organic
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Nut Free
Vegetarian and Local Organic food.
What's Included
- Your all-inclusive journey is designed for complete peace of mind.
- It covers:
- A fully guided 6-day retreat experience
- Individual session with Pajé Maná for opening the voice
- All activities guided by the Madhá and Yawanawa people: 2 ayahuasca ceremonies, 1 Kambo, 3 traditional chants class, 2 wisdom circle with rapé, body painting, herbal bath.
- Complete Diet-Based Nutrition to support the voice opening with three nourishing meals served daily
- 7 nights accomodation (the price changes depending on the type of accommodation you choose)
- Round-trip ground transportation from Ilhéus (IOS) airport
- A profound journey of self-discovery and connection
What's Not Included
- Airfare
- It's possible to book an individual healing session with Pajé Maná
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