We thought we'd share with you the words of those who have had this experience.

We have many people, from all walks of life, from all over the world, come join us to work with the sacred plants.

It is they who bring the gifts that they received back into their lives, back out to the world.

It is how the plants have a way to voice their message to humanity.




Read ayahuasca stories from some of the people who have been with us over the years.

”I had an absolutely wonderful time here. I found inner peace. The Ayahuasca journeys and the brilliant staff made my stay unforgettable. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for emotional healing, forget the conventional ways and go for this and you will be a new person. Thank you to you all, I will never forget you, ever.”

Susie B. – United Kingdom
Brazil September 2007

”I would like to take the opportunity to say in clear words what your Ayahuasca workshop has done for me. It may be helpful as an orientation for s.o. who has no experience with the tea. Please bare in mind that every word I am about to say has been carefully weighted.

The Ayahuasca has quite literally changed my whole life, my whole psychological structure, and it has a lasting effect!

This workshop is not like most "feel good" seminars where you get euphoric and after a few days everything goes back to normal neurosis. Ayahuasca is the fastest and a super effective form of psychotherapy. For the first time in my 60 years existence I really truly like myself, and the people around me, and I love my life. I have become a happy person.

Taking the tea and going thru the experience is very demanding and it takes some courage, but it is worth it. What happens is that thru the tea the total knowledge of billions of years of biological evolution enters into you and repairs whatever is wrong and crazy and neurotic. Ayahuasca is a fantastic medicine.

So let me express my deeply felt gratitude to you Peter and Ralph and Warinei and the rest of the team. You are doing a fantastic job. I definitely want to come back.”

Ulrich J. – Brazil
Brazil March 2007

”Over the past 2 years I’ve participated in 7 week long workshops with Ralph Miller. Ralph who I affectionately think of as an inter-dimensional tour guide created Heart of the Initiate around 5 years ago as a vehicle to help people approach the sacred inner space of their own Heart. Workshop participants come to a beautiful place on the Brazilian coastline and experience the sacred medicine with the help of a native shaman.

Heart of the Initiate has its workshops at a very private and luxurious eco-lodge with great food and amenities and all of the comforts of home.

In addition to my travels with Ralph, I have worked with other shamans and done other workshops in Brazil, Peru, & Colombia and none that I have experienced can come close to the workshops given by Ralph. Especially for people doing this for the first time.

I have participated in 7 separate workshops meeting many new friends from all over the world and two things come to mind when reflecting on these people and the experiences we had together:

(1) Most all of the participants were serious about conscious growth and had chosen to do the workshop after reading books, attending seminars, and working with healers and gurus of all sorts. But were left wanting something more profound and deeper.

(2) After experiencing an Ayahuasca ceremony for the first time most all of the participants including myself express that the Ayahuasca experience is life changing and that there is nothing anyone could have said or nothing they could have read that would have fully prepared them for the magnitude of the experience."

David B. – United States
Brazil March 2007

”Reading about spiritual awakening and the nature of reality and consciousness is one thing. Actually experiencing it, fully and with paradigm-shattering clarity is another. I am truly humbled and eternally grateful for the gift that I received, one that has opened my awareness and understanding beyond what I could have fathomed possible. I am filled with love for the wonderful people that made the workshop possible, and for Aya, our magical plant teacher. Undoubtedly the best week of our four month South American sojourn. we learned to open our hearts and minds...thank you.”

Brett J. – South Africa
Brazil June 2006

”I have to say it is by far the most important thing I have done in my life. Thank you for your persistence Peter. Ralph’s humour made it all worthwhile, Warinei’s singing and harmonica playing made it all worthwhile, Sarah’s humming during the ceremonies made it all worthwhile, the people I meet made it all worthwhile, Sandra’s massage made it all worthwhile, watching the sunset in the afternoon ceremony made it all worthwhile, Fiona’s and Lazalo’s support and tireless work made all worthwhile, the wonderful food made it worthwhile.

Oh yeah, my incredible meeting with the teacher plant Ayahuasca made it all worthwhile. It has given me a connection with nature and myself that I know I could not have gotten any other way considering the western world of tic tock I live in. In North America we live in a world that promotes fear and separation … what I experienced in Brazil that week can only be described as the opposite of that.

My heart felt thanks to all involved."

Terry G. – Canada
Brazil June 2006

”First of all thank you for everyone who was there in Brazil with me … for each and every one of you contributed to an amazing experience. Secondly, aside from having my heart chakra opened beyond my wildest dreams and having a powerful healing to my knee, which is 100% stronger from before I went to Brazil, my Ayahuasca journey was one of connecting with Peace, Stillness, Beauty, Infinite Creativity and the Oneness of All Things and at the same time feeling an immense humility and gratitude for the sacredness of all life.

The Goddess Ayahuasca is truly remarkable and clearly explains that … Infinite Love is the Only Truth … everything else is illusion. Special thanks to Ralph, Laszlo, Fiona, Warinei, Sara and Margarita for the profound healing that has occurred in my life. I will be forever grateful and empowered.”

Mark B. – United States
Brazil June 2006

"Enjoying my life with my new set of eyes here...This has been without a doubt the most important thing I have ever done in my life."

Sarbdeep S. – United Kingdom
Brazil September 2005

"This workshop far supercedes anything I've ever experienced. Expect your life to change."

Toni P. - United States
Brazil March 2004

"It was a great week, truly the adventure I had asked for. And everything - program, place etc - was very well and in a relaxed way organized. Thank you."

Steven S. – Netherlands
Brazil September 2005

"Thanks for all your support prior to this wonderful journey. You were right in every way that I would panic, but that turned into big belly laughs and total joy and self appreciation. What a truth teller this plant is!"

Alan D. – United Kingdom
Brazil September 2005

"This has been beyond anything I could possibly have imagined. Wow! If I was to liken a transformational workshop to a work of art, this one would have to be the masterpiece. I just arrived home last night and I'm already thinking of returning in November!"

Michael G. – United States
Brazil September 2005

"I had a 'wilde' time last week. It was life changing. I was morphing on my journey back."

Michelle T. – Singapore
Brazil September 2005

"Man, that ayahuasca IS really life changing. I am so grateful I did it although I was very scared both before and during the workshop. Again I really wanna thank you for all your practical help. We were/are a wonderful group supporting each other the whole way through. For my self it was amazing to see the other dimensions and ........ I am speachless. Words just aren't enough but I take that you know what I mean:-)"

Helle & Sophia – Denmark
Brazil September 2005

"Not knowing what to expect I approached Ayahuasca with some apprehension and fear. After the first session fear had been replaced by a very genuine feeling of gratitute and appreciation, and a newfound experience of "love". The week in Brazil was amazing, I did not want to leave. I will be going back in November. I have tears in my eyes when I think of Ayahuasca ... and they are good tears. Thank you Peter, Ralph, Stuart and of course Kajuyali and Warinei and Federico, my newfound family."

Joris V. – Australia
Brazil September 2005

"Thank you so much for not letting me, NOT come to Brazil - you were persistent but did it in a very gentle and loving way. I want to come back to Brazil in November."

Steve M. – United Kingdom
Brazil September 2005

"I really want to thank you for everything, the journey in brazil was the most amazing experience in my whole life, and from that moment I started to understending many things about my life. I feel that this expirience is without time and everything I started to learn is still going on now for the first time I feel the love for the life, for the mother earth and also for me and it's strange but now I'm able to love also when someone is upset with me and every time that I'm passing through the sadness inside my soul, it's different than before because I'm learning that love is everywhere inside."

Alessandro R. – Italy
Brazil June 2005

"Just wanted to say thank you for last week. I had a great time and the impact of the week and the Ayahuasca journeys has been immense. I feel lighter and energetically freer than I've ever felt before. I'm at my most uncomfortable when I'm with a group of people that I don't know and was very conscious during the week of the protective behavior I use to cope with this. However both you and Peter allowed me to be me without judgment and let me move through the week at my own pace."

Fiona P. - Australia
Brazil September 2003

"My fiancé said the after the trip to Brazil I am much calmer and peaceful … I'm also grateful to Ayahuasca for the amazing realizations and insights that I had … I don't think anymore, I know, that the real party begins when the mind stops and also that I have to fight for my right to party! Ralph, you are always in my heart and I know that we come from the same land … the heartland."

Angelos M. - Greece
Brazil September 2003

"I learned about the energy that we all call Love. Up until that point in my life, I only had intellectual concepts about what Love feels like. The closest I had come to feeling this was with my son and bother but only glimpses. After our Aya journeys and the sharing that followed, whenever I hugged someone I could feel my heart chackras spinning with energy. Aya showed me things, she told me things and her medicinal effects were lasting and from within. She also showed me a glimpse of how deep the rabbit hole really goes."

Doreen A. - United States
England September 2002

Read ayahuasca stories from some of the people who have been with us over the years.