Gabonese elders
They travel from Gabon to lead the ceremonies. They are not advisers to a Western programme. This is their tradition, run the way it is run at home.
Bwiti iboga retreat · Brazil
Authentic indigenous iboga initiation retreat.
A communal Bwiti iboga retreat in Brazil, led by Gabonese elders. Two ceremony nights, carried from dusk to sunrise by live music.
In Bwiti, the first night has a name. The Night of Death.
It is the night for what has to be put down. The second night asks what will stand in its place.You might be here because
- A long season of pressure has cost more than you say out loud.
- Something ended, or needs to, and you have never marked it.
- You are done with the wellness version. You want the real one.
Nobody here will promise you an outcome. What we can offer is a real rite of passage, held by the people it belongs to, and a whole community supporting you.
Who holds it
Held by people, not a programme.
Iboga can be shipped anywhere. Bwiti cannot. What makes a ceremony a Bwiti ceremony is the presence of elders who were initiated into it themselves, in Gabon, and who carry the songs, the sequence, and the judgement the sequence requires.
- PopoLandri Ekomie-Obame. Bwiti priest from Cocobeach, Gabon, initiated by his mother, and a doctor of ethnology.
- Cedric AkumaBwiti master and master harpist from Gabon. He guides the ceremony.
- Charles & TatianaYour contact before and after. Integration support, and in training in the tradition themselves.
You do not do this alone.
~15participants
~20people supporting the ceremony
A retreat usually brings together around 15 participants and around 20 ceremony supporters: elders, musicians, initiated assistants, and hosts. More people are holding the night than going through it. Bwiti is a communal practice, and it is held that way here.
Live music
The ngombi harp, the mougongo, rattles and voice, played live for hours and responding to what is happening in the room.
A beginning and an end
Fasting, cleansing, herbal baths, silence, and two named ceremony nights. We follow the structure instead of rewriting it for a modern audience.
How the days run.
Stay five nights for the ceremonies and rest, or ten to include the integration days at a second location.
Day one
Settle in
Arrive, meet the community, eat lightly, and sleep. Nothing is asked of you yet beyond arriving properly.
Day two
First ceremony
The Night of Death, the night for what has to be put down. The ceremony runs through the night with live music.
Day three
Second ceremony
The Night of Rebirth. The same rhythm and the same music. Where the first night clears, this one asks what will stand in the space.
Day four
Rest
Sleep, food, and quiet. Most people sleep a great deal.
Day five
Transition
The group moves to a new location for the integration days.
Days six to ten
Integration
For those staying ten nights: slow days, good food, time in nature, and integration support while the experience settles.
2027 dates
Three retreats, three places.
Choose five nights or ten. Your place is confirmed after a conversation with us and medical screening.
Alto Paraíso de Goiás
Begins February 12
On the high plateau of the Chapada dos Veadeiros: canyons, waterfalls, and quartz-bright rivers.
Joanópolis, São Paulo
Begins April 9
In the forested hills of the Serra da Mantiqueira, among streams and waterfalls.
Bahia
Begins May 7
In Bahia, in Brazil's northeast. Venue details are shared when we speak.
Photos: Chapada dos Veadeiros by Marcelo Camargo / Agência Brasil (CC BY 3.0 BR); Joanópolis by João Batista Shimoto (CC BY-SA 3.0); Serra do Conduru, Bahia by Paulo P. Paiva (CC BY-SA 4.0). All via Wikimedia Commons.
Ceremonies are held in Portuguese, with translators for English speakers. Once you are initiated, you can return for future retreats at a reduced cost.
Before and after are part of it.
Make room
Medical screening, a WhatsApp group with your retreat community, and two preparation calls in the month before you travel.
PreparationMade for this work
Sites in Brazil set up for iboga retreats, with a bed for everyone and delicious, natural, vegan food.
LocationReturn slowly
The WhatsApp group stays open and two integration calls follow. Initiated, you can return to future retreats at a reduced cost.
Integration
The plant itself.
Iboga is a shrub from the forests of west-central Africa. It flowers, it fruits, and it takes years to mature. The medicine is the bark of its root.
In Bwiti it is not treated as a substance. It is treated as a teacher, and approached with preparation and respect.
What is iboga?
Living iboga in fruit.
Free guides
Not ready to talk yet? Start by reading.
Three plain guides, free, with no form to fill in. Read them before you decide anything, including whether to speak with us.
Begin with a quiet conversation.
The application is not a sales funnel. It is a first step toward understanding timing, intention, readiness, and whether this retreat is the right fit for you.