Ayahuasca Safety, Screening, & Participant Care
Our Approach to Safety
Safety is a practice, not a promise.
Participating in an ayahuasca ceremony is a significant spiritual, emotional, and physical experience. At Inekawa Conscious Awakening Center, we believe participants deserve clear information about screening, medical preparedness, supervision, consent, emergency response, and aftercare before deciding whether to attend.
Every participant completes a multi-step screening process before approval. A Florida-licensed paramedic is physically present at every retreat and ayahuasca ceremony. Participants complete a medical check-in before receiving sacrament, emergency equipment is maintained onsite, and our team follows established safety and emergency-response procedures.
Our retreats are intentionally small, with a maximum of 17 participants and typically 10–12 guests.
Before You Are Approved
What is the screening process?
Every prospective participant begins with an introductory phone call to discuss intentions, readiness, expectations, and alignment with the experience.
If approved to continue, participants complete a detailed health and psychological intake reviewing medications, supplements, medical diagnoses, cardiovascular and neurological history, mental health history, substance use, and other factors relevant to safe participation.
The intake is reviewed by members of our leadership and medical team, including Brad, Kala, and the retreat paramedic.
Completing an intake does not guarantee approval. Additional information or medical clearance may be required when appropriate.
Do you ever require medical clearance?
Yes. Depending on a participant’s medical history, diagnosis, medications, or other risk factors, we may require clearance from a healthcare provider before approving participation.
Participants should always consult their prescribing healthcare provider before making changes to prescribed medications.
Medical & Psychological Contraindications
Who should not participate in an ayahuasca ceremony?
Ayahuasca is not appropriate for everyone.
Primary medical exclusions include:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Congestive heart failure
- Coronary artery disease
- History of heart attack or stroke
- Epilepsy or seizure disorders
- Pregnancy
Primary psychological exclusions include:
- Bipolar disorder
- Psychotic disorders
- Schizophrenia
- Active psychosis
Other conditions may require additional evaluation or medical clearance. Eligibility is determined individually based on the information provided during screening.
Medication & Supplement Review
Do you review medications?
Yes. Participants are required to disclose prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, supplements, and relevant substances.
Our team maintains written medication and contraindication guidelines. Some medications or substances may require discontinuation for a specific period before participation can be considered.
Participants should never discontinue prescribed medication without first consulting the healthcare professional responsible for prescribing it.
Our role is to identify potential contraindications and participation requirements, not to replace medical care.
Medical Personnel & Monitoring
Is an onsite medical professional present for the ceremony?
Yes. A Florida-licensed paramedic is physically present onsite during every retreat and every ayahuasca ceremony and maintains current Basic Life Support certification.
Brad and Kala also maintain current AED and BLS training and certification.
Are vital signs checked before ayahuasca?
Yes. Before receiving sacrament, every participant completes a medical check-in with the retreat paramedic.
We are able to assess:
- Blood pressure
- Heart rate
- Oxygen saturation
- Temperature
- Blood glucose when indicated
If values are abnormal, the participant may be monitored further and participation may be delayed, modified, or declined at the paramedic’s discretion.
Safety takes priority over participation.
Emergency Preparedness
What emergency equipment is available onsite?
Our retreat property maintains:
- Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
- Blood pressure monitoring equipment
- Pulse oximeter
- Glucose monitoring equipment
- Thermometer
- First-aid supplies
- Additional emergency-response equipment
Do you have an emergency-response protocol?
Yes.
ICAC maintains a written emergency-response protocol. During a medical event, the onsite paramedic assumes responsibility for medical assessment and initial response.
If a situation exceeds the scope of care that can appropriately be provided onsite, 911 is contacted.
Brad and Kala maintain supervision of the remainder of the ceremony while designated team members can contact EMS, direct responders onto the property, provide relevant health information, and contact the participant’s emergency contact when appropriate.
What happens if someone loses consciousness or experiences serious symptoms?
Loss of consciousness or another significant medical concern is treated as a medical event.
The onsite paramedic immediately assesses the participant. Symptoms such as chest pain, breathing difficulty, seizure-like activity, significant blood-pressure abnormalities, injury, concerning changes in mental status, or other symptoms outside the expected range of the experience receive prompt medical attention.
When a situation exceeds our onsite scope of care, 911 is contacted.
We do not assume that a serious physical symptom is simply “part of the ceremony.”
How close is emergency medical care?
The nearest emergency department is Orlando Health South Lake Hospital Emergency Department, approximately 13 minutes from the retreat property under normal driving conditions.
Emergency transportation is provided through local EMS when needed.
Psychological & Emotional Safety
What happens if someone becomes psychologically overwhelmed?
Ayahuasca experiences can sometimes include fear, confusion, grief, disorientation, or other challenging psychological states.
Our facilitators remain present throughout ceremony to provide grounding, reassurance, emotional support, and close supervision.
If someone becomes highly distressed, confused, agitated, dissociated, paranoid, or otherwise overwhelmed, they receive direct support from the facilitation team.
When a situation exceeds the appropriate scope of support that can be provided onsite, emergency or outside professional care may be sought.
Ceremony Supervision
Are participants ever left alone during ceremony?
No.
Participants remain within the designated ceremony space during formal ceremony hours, generally about four hours.
If someone requires additional support, a team member remains with them. When closer supervision is needed, we prefer to have two team members present.
Participants do not independently leave the ceremony area while ceremony is active, and the pool remains closed during ceremony.
How many participants and facilitators are present during ceremony?
Our retreats are intentionally small:
- Maximum retreat size: 17 participants
- Typical retreat size: 10–12 participants
Every ceremony includes at minimum:
- Two lead facilitators
- One licensed paramedic
- Multiple trained support volunteers
- Additional guardians when appropriate
New volunteers are supervised and are not given independent responsibility before they are prepared for it.
Facilitator Experience
Who leads Inekawa ceremonies?
Brad Sterner serves as Spiritual Director and Leader of ICAC. Since 2021, he has served in more than 500 ayahuasca ceremonies and oversees the spiritual and ceremonial direction of ICAC.
Kala Hall serves as Lead Facilitator alongside Brad and has worked in approximately 300 facilitated ceremonies, with a primary role in preparation, screening, ceremony support, and integration.
Our facilitators are developed through extensive hands-on ceremonial experience and supervised training.
Consent & Ethical Boundaries
What is your policy regarding physical touch?
We generally prefer a hands-off approach unless supportive, grounding touch is appropriate or necessary.
Consent is discussed before ceremony, and participants may communicate that they do not wish to be touched. Whenever circumstances allow, permission is requested before supportive physical contact.
Immediate safety situations may require intervention to prevent harm.
What are your policies regarding sexual boundaries?
ICAC maintains a zero-tolerance approach toward sexual harassment, sexualized touch, and inappropriate conduct during retreat.
These standards apply to facilitators, staff, volunteers, guardians, and participants.
Spiritual vulnerability should never be used as an opportunity to cross another person’s boundaries.
Participant Safety Rules
Are alcohol, drugs, or weapons permitted?
No. ICAC retreats and the retreat property are:
Alcohol-free.
Drug-free.
Weapon-free.
Participants are expected to follow these requirements throughout their stay.
Can participants drive after ceremony?
No. Participants remain on-site all weekend during the retreat and sleep in retreat accommodations.
If a participant must leave the retreat, participant must remain onsite for a minimum of approximately six hours after ceremony concludes and must check out with the retreat medic before leaving.
If there is any concern about someone’s condition, they will not be cleared to drive.
The Ayahuasca Sacrament
What is in the sacrament?
Our sacrament is prepared using:
Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis, commonly known as chacruna.
No additional psychoactive admixture plants are added.
Brad and Kala prepare the sacrament from known sources. Sacrament batches are tracked and stored under controlled and locked refrigerated conditions.
How is dosage determined?
For participants sitting with us for the first time, the initial serving is intentionally conservative so our team can observe the individual’s response.
Additional servings are individualized based on the participant’s response, experience, physical and emotional presentation, facilitator observation, and relevant medical considerations.
Participants are never required to take an additional serving and may always decline.
Preparation & Integration
How are participants prepared before retreat?
Approved participants receive a preparation and integration guide covering diet, medications, supplements, substances, hydration, caffeine, sleep, retreat expectations, and physical and emotional preparation.
A more detailed orientation is provided onsite before the first ceremony.
What integration support is available afterward?
Integration is part of the retreat process.
Participants receive at least two structured integration sessions during retreat. Participants also have access to 2–3 free weekly online integration groups offered through Inekawa Foundation.
Participants may also contact our team if they are having difficulty integrating their experience. When concerns exceed the appropriate scope of spiritual or peer support, we encourage appropriate medical or mental-health care.
Continuous Safety Review
Does Inekawa review medical or psychological incidents?
Yes. Significant incidents are documented and reviewed by our team to evaluate what occurred, how the team responded, what could be improved, and whether screening practices, policies, or procedures should be updated.
Our safety protocols continue to evolve with our experience.
Questions We Encourage You to Ask Any Ayahuasca Organization
Before choosing where to participate, ask:
- What medical and psychological screening do you require?
- Who reviews medications and health history?
- Is a licensed medical professional physically present during ceremony?
- Is an AED onsite?
- What happens during a medical emergency?
- Have any participants, staff, or volunteers been injured during your retreats or ceremonies? If so, what happened and what changes were made afterward?
- How many people participate in each ceremony?
- How many facilitators and support people are present?
- Are participants ever left alone?
- What are your policies regarding consent and physical touch?
- What safeguards exist around sexual boundaries?
- What exactly is contained in the sacrament?
- Can participants decline additional servings?
- What integration and aftercare are available?
You deserve specific answers before entrusting any organization with your physical, psychological, and spiritual wellbeing.
Ready to Learn More?
If you feel called to explore a retreat with Inekawa, we invite you to learn more and take the next step at your own pace. You can schedule an introductory call to speak with our team, ask questions, and learn more about the screening process, or explore upcoming retreat dates, accommodations, and availability.