Ayahuasca Chicago
Ayahuasca Retreat in Chicago, Illinois, USA
FINDING THE RIGHT HEALING ENVIORNMENT
Ayahuasca Chicago - Momentum for Alternative Healing
If you've been searching for ayahuasca in Chicago, it's important to understand that finding the right retreat center and guides will deeply impact your experience. New Life Rising is excited to announce the offerings of our trusted, traditional retreats in the United States, starting in 2026.
Your journey deserves to be held with care and integrity. For those who feel called to ayahuasca in Chicago, it’s essential to choose a retreat that prioritizes safety, tradition, and ethical guidance. Established programs like New Life Rising’s signature ayahuasca retreats in the United States and Costa Rica provide a trusted container, led by experienced facilitators with over a decade of dedication to this work, offering participants the depth, care, and integration support needed for lasting transformation.
Growing Interest in Ayahuasca in Chicago
The cultural hub of Chicago and the progressive ideologies of Illinois have helped make Chicago a popular destination for alternative healing modalities. As psychedelic therapy takes the nation by storm and the healing properties of plant medicine are becoming widely accepted by the scientific community, interest in ayahuasca Chicago continues to grow.
From the Loop and River North to the calmer stretches along Lake Michigan and the city’s diverse cultural districts, interest in ayahuasca ceremonies is steadily growing. It’s important to consider how the ceremonial environment and structure can either enhance or hinder your ayahuasca experience. When researching ayahuasca ceremonies, 'set and setting' and ceremonial guidance are considered the most crucial elements in creating a safe and deeply meaningful experience.
What to look for in an ayahuasca retreat in Chicago:
If traveling to another state or to Costa Rica isn’t possible, but you’re still seeking ayahuasca in Chicago, it’s important to carefully research your options. Finding a ceremonial setting that truly aligns with your needs will help ensure the experience is both safe and meaningful. Some of the key elements to consider include:
Safety Protocols & Medical Screening - Look for retreats that require thorough medical and psychological screenings and have facilitators that are trained in emergency response (CPR, AED use, first aid).
Experienced Facilitators - Ensure that the ceremonial guides have years of training/experience and dedication to ayahuasca traditions, not just weekend shaman.
Ceremonial Container - Small group sizes, retreats that nurture healing and a connection to nature with an appropriate ceremonial container are critical to beneficial experiences.
Integration Support - Ayahuasca is intense and can cause intense shifts in perspectives and worldviews. It is irresponsible to offer 3 back-to-back ceremonies without time to process or provide integration support for such profound and transformational experiences.
Bottom Line: Ayahuasca Retreats in Chicago
Authentic experiences with ayahuasca in Chicago may be hard to find. To offer yourself the highest chances of a therapeutic and healing experience, seek out reputable and dedicated organizations that can support your process from start to finish. For more information on ayahuasca retreats in the United States, schedule an Introductory call and we're happy to help.
New Life Rising's Launch in 2026 - Ayahuasca Retreat USA
New Life Rising, one of the top-rated ayahuasca retreats in the world, is set to bring our 5-star retreat program to Texas, United States at the beginning of Spring 2026. With over a decade of experience in Costa Rica, we have built our program on the pillars of safety, intimacy, tradition, and integration. This expansion aims to make ayahuasca more accessible domestically, eliminating the need for international travel while maintaining the highest legal and ethical standards. New Life Rising’s U.S. retreats will offer a unique opportunity to experience ayahuasca in a traditional and authentic way without traveling abroad to Costa Rica or Peru.
In the United States, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) has provided legal frameworks that protects the right of sincere religious practitioners to use ayahuasca as a sacrament. Under RFRA, certain organizations have been granted exemptions to work with ayahuasca in alignment with their spiritual practice. This evolving legal landscape reflects a growing recognition of plant medicine’s role in healing and spiritual development, and provides a pathway for retreats like New Life Rising to operate with integrity, safety, and respect for both the law and tradition.
Subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to receive updates on our new offerings and locations.
A SAFE, INTIMATE & TRAUMA-INFORMED HEALING EXPERIENCE
This is deep work, done right with experienced facilitators, small groups, and real support.
New Life Rising is honored to be recognized as one of the top-rated ayahuasca retreats in the world. After hosting transformative retreats in Costa Rica for over a decade, we are now bringing our ayahuasca retreat to the United States to share this medicine with those seeking profound healing and growth.
In exploring ayahuasca offerings across the U.S., one thing stood out: most events are condensed into a single weekend, often squeezing two or even three ceremonies into just a couple of nights! Then, before there’s even time to process, participants are sent back home, expected to jump straight into work on Monday. This model leaves little room for reflection, integration, or genuine support.
That is not how ayahuasca was ever meant to be experienced, nor is it the structure that brings the greatest healing or benefit. It was shocking to see the prevalence of these weekend retreats, and while we understand the temptation to squeeze in a ceremony without disrupting the flow of daily life, cutting corners ultimately does a disservice to your healing process.
With ayahuasca, more does not always equal better, whether in the number of ceremonies or the dosing itself. What matters most is preparation, intention, tradition, time, commitment, and integration. Most important is being held in a safe, ethical container by experienced guides who can lovingly support you through the transformative journey.
Recognizing the need for deeper & supportive healing opportunities, we've decided to bring our signature 6 and 8-day ayahuasca retreats to the United States. These immersions are more than a retreat, it's an experience in reflection, healing, and community.
Join us at New Life Rising Ayahuasca Retreat Costa Rica for traditional ayahuasca ceremonies. It's an opportunity to deeply connect with yourself and heal in a serene environment.
SAFETY
PHYSICAL & ENERGETIC
Safety extends beyond the scope of medical considerations. It includes a protected ceremonial space and energetic safeguarding.
Your safety is our highest priority. From our comprehensive screening protocols to the meticulous preparation of the ceremonial container, you are protected every step of the way. We keep emergency medical equipment on site and our staff are trained in emergency response protocols. Using a trauma-informed approach, we create a protected energetic space and have the knowledge and experience to support even the most difficult experiences.
TRADITION
PERUVIAN MESTIZO TRADTIONS
Trained in the ancient Mestizo healing practices, we bring authenticity along with a balance of masculine and feminine to our space.
We honor a spiritual lineage of highly respected shamans, including our teacher Don Ron Wheelock, and his teachers before him: Don Agustin Rivas Vasquez and Don Jose Coral Mori, who also mentored Pablo Amaringo and Eduardo Luna, the authors of 'Ayahuasca Visions'. Through master plant dietas, Jeanae and Matt have gained powerful spirit allies and work in harmony, expertly weaving a playful balance of masculine and feminine energies.
INTIMACY
12 GUESTS - ONE SHARED PATH
The people you share this experience with will forge lifetime bonds and will impact your experience as much as the medicine itself.
Keeping the groups intimate ensures that we are able to provide everyone with individualized attention and create an atmosphere that feels like family. We also keep our groups small to ensure that we can manage the energetic container of each ceremony. Our retreats have a minimum of 4 facilitators: Our Ayahuasqueros Matthew and Jeanae, who lead the ceremony, along with 2 additional helpers: one female to assist the women and a male to assist the men.
INTEGRATION
MAKING THE HEALING LAST
Respectful, intimate group sharing circles begin the process of integration, and the support continues once you return home.
Our share circles are a place where each guest’s experience is honored and held with respect. We listen in supportive silence, and allow each guest to put words to their experiences, to feel their emotions, and to receive the loving support of their community. However, we know the work doesn't stop there, so we offer two follow-up integration calls, ensuring you have the guidance and connection needed as you navigate bringing your experience into everyday life.
OUR MISSION & VALUES
SINCE 2014
Sharing the magic of this medicine is a great honor and a great responsibility. Ayahuasca has been the catalyst for every great transformation in our lives, and we are committed to guiding others on their journey to healing. We accept people from all walks of life in a non-judgmental environment.
As individuals who have had trauma experiences, we understand the importance of having a safe space that encourages vulnerability for authentic self-reflection and discovery. Healing can be painful, and we are here to support our guests so that they feel seen and held throughout the process.
For more than a decade, we have committed ourselves to this path, and we respect the Peruvian Mestizo traditions that have been handed down from our teacher and his teacher before him. As part of that tradition, we complete master plant dietas that give us the tools necessary to create a protected sacred ceremonial space.
We hope to help you find a renewed sense of peace and joy in your life as you embark on a beautiful journey to uncover your full potential.
What Our Guests Say
"Such a beautiful experience. Matt and Jenae are incredible leaders, they made me feel safe, inspired, and cared for. Watching Matt in ceremony was like watching a new art form that I’ve never seen. The facility was so so so nice. The food was incredible. A perfect retreat. Would love to come back and drink with them again."
Lacey Claire Rogers, Actress & Model
SMALL GROUPS
BECOME FAMILY
Limited to just 14 participants, our retreat provides an intimate setting where genuine connections flourish and enduring bonds are created. By celebrating our vulnerabilities and fostering genuine connections, we embrace the full spectrum of our human experience and together we support each other on the path of healing.
We have carefully tailored our retreat to provide a memorable and therapeutic experience for all our guests. For more than a decade we have been adjusting our ayahuasca Costa Rica program for the most healing benefit.
Our highest priority is making you feel supported, safe, secure, and comfortable throughout the Ayahuasca experience. Explore over 300 review testimonials and videos from past Ayahuasca retreat participants.
Join our next ayahuasca costa rica retreat to have an experience that will change your life!
