Fall Shipibo Ayahuasca Retreat
November 6–9, 2026 | Hempstead, Texas
Beloved Soul Family,
You are warmly invited to gather with us for three nights of sacred ceremony held within the Shipibo tradition, guided by Maestro Carlos Chávez of the Peruvian Amazon.
This retreat is an invitation to walk the path of remembrance with Ayahuasca and the sacred amphibian medicines, ancient teachers of the Earth that may open pathways into deep healing, expanded awareness, and greater alignment with Spirit.
This journey is for those who feel the call rising from within; those ready to listen beyond the surface of the mind, explore the deeper landscapes of consciousness, and meet what is ready to be witnessed, understood, and transformed. It is a space to reconnect with Great Spirit, our Earth Mother, and the living intelligence that moves through all of creation.
It is my deepest honor to welcome Maestro Carlos back to Texas and to create a loving, grounded, and intentional container where each soul may feel supported throughout the experience. Together, we enter ceremony in reverence, allowing the medicine, the icaros, the land, and the presence of community to meet us exactly where we are.
Together, we walk the Beauty Way, returning to the Truth of who we are and restoring our sacred relationship with ourselves, one another, and all of life.
Retreat Dates
Friday, November 6th
Saturday, November 7th
Sunday, November 8th
Departure Monday, November 9th
You may attend one, two, or all three nights. Those attending the entire retreat will be held within the unfolding of a three-night ceremonial journey, allowing each ceremony to build upon and deepen the work of the night before.
Location
Hempstead, Texas
The exact address, arrival instructions, and retreat memo will be provided approximately one week before the retreat to all confirmed participants who have completed their deposit, intake forms, and consultation.
Our retreat will be held on more than 500 acres of private land outside Hempstead. The property offers beautiful open space, privacy, and an opportunity to connect deeply with Mama Gaia throughout the weekend. Zebras, horses, cattle, buffalo, pigs, and other animals are lovingly tended on the land, adding to the living presence and unique beauty of this space.
We have established a beautiful relationship with the souls who care for this property, and it has become a space where our visiting maestros feel comfortable serving and carrying out their sacred work.
Ayahuasca ceremonies will be held outdoors beneath the night sky and within sacred darkness, weather permitting. The home also offers a spacious communal living area where the furniture will be cleared so participants may create comfortable sleeping spaces with their ceremony mats, bedding, and blankets. You are not required to bring a tent unless you prefer camping outdoors.
If you would like to bring a camper or trailer, please contact me in advance so we can make the appropriate arrangements.
Guided by Carlos Chávez
Shipibo Maestro and Wisdom Keeper
Carlos Chávez is a devoted son of the Amazon and a master curandero within the Shipibo lineage. His life has been shaped through more than three decades of communion with Ayahuasca and the sacred Master Plants of the jungle.
Carlos comes from a lineage of healers who walk in prayer and relationship with Pachamama. Although he carries generations of wisdom and profound experience, he serves with remarkable humility, warmth, and joy. To be in his presence is to feel deeply held while also being reminded of the beauty, simplicity, and sacredness of life.
In the mountains surrounding Tarapoto, Peru, Carlos tends a sacred medicine space where he carefully prepares Ayahuasca through prayer, devotion, and precision. Each preparation is approached as ceremony, honoring the intelligence of the plants, the wisdom of the jungle, and the lineage entrusted to him.
Carlos carries a powerful gift of vision that allows him to perceive the subtle places where energetic and spiritual imbalances may be held. Within the Shipibo tradition, one of the curandero’s most sacred healing instruments is the icaro, a medicine song received through direct relationship with the plants.
Throughout ceremony, Carlos works through these sacred songs to guide the movement of the medicine, cleanse dense energies, restore harmony, and perform what is understood within the tradition as spiritual surgery. When Carlos sings, it often feels as though the intelligence of the jungle itself is moving through the ceremonial space.
It is also a profound honor to share that the medicine we will receive was prepared by Carlos and me during my most recent Master Plant dieta in Peru. I participated in the full process of cooking this medicine in the jungle, tending the fire, working with the plants, and preparing each stage through prayer and devotion.
To now bring this medicine home and share it with our community carries a meaning that is deeply personal to me. It is medicine born through living relationship with the plants, the jungle, the Shipibo tradition, and the prayers carried throughout its preparation.
To sit in ceremony with Maestro Carlos is to be guided by generations of wisdom and invited into a profound relationship with healing, humility, joy, and remembrance.
Stephanie DeLeonardis
Shamanic Guide of Kambo & Bufo Ceremonies
Stephanie serves as a bridge between ancient medicine traditions and the modern seeker, holding a grounded, heart-centered container for Kambo and Bufo ceremonies.
Through her devotion to integrity, safety, and soulful guidance, she creates a space where participants may feel seen, supported, and lovingly accompanied throughout their ceremonial journey.
Stephanie has spent nearly a decade walking in relationship with sacred Earth medicines and was initiated into serving the sacred toad medicine within the Seri of Comcaac Nation, community of Punta Chueca. She is also an IAKP-certified Kambo practitioner and has devoted her life to supporting others through purification, awakening, integration, and the remembrance of our Divine nature.
Retreat Schedule
Friday, November 6th
Arrival: Please arrive no later than 7:00 PM so you have time to settle into the space, prepare your bedding, and connect with the other participants.
Opening Circle: We will gather for introductions, prayer, intentions, ceremonial preparation, and guidance before entering ceremony.
Ayahuasca Ceremony: Ceremony will begin after sunset and will be held outdoors in sacred darkness. Please allow four hours for the ceremonial journey.
Saturday, November 7th
We will begin the morning slowly with breakfast, rest, and an integration and sharing circle.
Optional Kambo and Bufo ceremonies will be offered during the day for those who have been screened and feel sincerely called to receive them.
Kambo Ceremony: Approximately 9:00 AM
Bufo Ceremony: Approximately 12:00 noon
Ayahuasca Ceremony: After sunset
There will be time throughout the afternoon to rest, journal, walk the land, connect with the animals, and prepare for the evening ceremony.
Sunday, November 8th
We will again begin with breakfast, rest, and space for reflection and integration.
Optional Kambo and Bufo ceremonies will be available for those who have been appropriately screened and approved to participate.
Kambo Ceremony: Approximately 9:00 AM
Bufo Ceremony: Approximately 12:00 noon
Ayahuasca Ceremony: After sunset
Our final evening ceremony will offer an opportunity to bring the weekend’s journey into greater understanding, embodiment, and completion.
Monday, November 9th
We will close our time together with breakfast and a final integration and sharing circle. Please allow yourself time to leave slowly and intentionally rather than rushing immediately back into the movement of everyday life.
Check-out will be at 11am.
Retreat Contribution
Ayahuasca Ceremony: $333 per night
Your contribution includes:
Ayahuasca ceremony and medicine
Ceremonial guidance from Maestro Carlos
Meals and breakfast
Camping or communal indoor sleeping space
Morning integration and sharing circles
Continued integration support following the retreat
You may choose to participate in one, two, or all three nights.
Optional Kambo & Bufo Offerings
Kambo and Bufo ceremonies will be offered on both Saturday and Sunday for participants who have completed the appropriate screening and consultation.
Kambo Ceremony: $200
Bufo Ceremony: $250
Bundle for Both Medicines: $400
Participation in these additional ceremonies is entirely optional and will be determined individually according to readiness, medical considerations, and the overall unfolding of your retreat experience.
Lodging Options
Camping and communal indoor sleeping space are included in the retreat contribution. A limited number of beds are available for an additional nightly contribution.
Bedroom 1: Shared Room with Bathroom
Queen bed 1 in shared room: $75 per night
Queen bed 2 in shared room: $75 per night
Queen bed 3 in shared room: $75 per night
Bedroom 2: Private Room
Queen bed in private room: $100 per night
Bedroom 3: Private Room
Queen bed in private room: $100 per night
Bedroom 4: Shared Room
Twin bed 1 in shared room: $50 per night — SOLD OUT
Twin bed 2 in shared room: $50 per night — SOLD OUT
Lodging is limited and will be reserved in the order deposits are received. Please include your preferred lodging option and the nights you will be attending with your payment note.
What to Bring
Ceremony mat, bedroll, sleeping bag, or mattress
Pillow and blankets
Warm clothing and comfortable layers, as body temperature may fluctuate during ceremony
Comfortable clothing suitable for outdoor ceremony
An offering for the altar, such as tobacco, flowers, herbs, a candle, or crystals
Journal and pen
Water bottle and personal ice chest, if desired
Red flashlight or headlamp
Mosquito repellent
Personal toiletries and any necessary medications
Fruit, snacks, or food to share with the tribe
An open mind and heart
A more detailed packing list and preparation memo will be sent to confirmed participants before the retreat.
Preparation and Screening
Every participant must complete an intake form, liability waiver, and private consultation before being approved to attend. Complete honesty regarding medications, supplements, physical health, mental health history, and recent medicine experiences is essential for your safety and the integrity of the ceremonial container.
Certain medications, health conditions, and combinations of substances may not be compatible with Ayahuasca, Kambo, or Bufo. Please do not discontinue any prescribed medication without first consulting the qualified medical professional who prescribed it. Further preparation instructions will be discussed during your consultation.
In the days leading into retreat, you are encouraged to begin simplifying your food, energy, and environment. A light dieta may help prepare the body and mind by reducing heavy foods, alcohol, recreational substances, overstimulation, and unnecessary distractions.
Preparation is not about perfection. It is an act of devotion that allows us to enter ceremony with greater clarity, respect, and receptivity.
If this is your first experience with these medicines, a consultation is required before submitting your final payment.
Integration
One of my earliest teachers shared with me that ceremony does not end when we leave the ceremonial space. The spirit of the medicine remains alive within us, continuing to move, teach, and unfold through our everyday lives. In many ways, leaving the circle is where the ceremony of your life truly begins.
Each morning, we will gather for an integration and sharing circle where participants may speak about what arose, ask questions, and receive support in understanding what continues to move through them.
A complimentary Zoom integration circle will also be offered approximately one week after the retreat. This will provide another sacred space to reconnect, share what has continued to unfold, and receive support as you weave the teachings of the weekend into your daily life.
Payment Details
A $133 non-refundable deposit per night is required to reserve your space.
When submitting your deposit, please include a note specifying:
Which night or nights you will attend
Your preferred lodging arrangement
Whether you are interested in Kambo, Bufo, or both
The remaining balance must be paid in full before the retreat begins.
Zelle: stephanie@curalma.com or 832-589-9354
Venmo: Stephanie DeLeonardis
PayPal: Stephanie DeLeonardis
Spaces are limited so we may preserve the intimacy, safety, and integrity of the ceremonial container.
If you feel the call, I welcome you into this sacred space and into a weekend of prayer, healing, remembrance, and communion with Spirit.
May we arrive with humility, listen with open hearts, and allow the medicine to reveal what we are ready to receive.
In service to Divine Love,
Stephanie DeLeonardis