Healing Iboga Retreat

Iboga Wellness Center is an Iboga retreat center located in beautiful Costa Rica. We also have retreats in different parts of the world, please inquire. Those called to experience this sacred medicine can move through profound life transformations with wholehearted support and care. We are located in the mountains of Costa Rica’s biodiverse South Pacific region.

* Please note – we do NOT work with ibogaine and we do not do treatment of any kind including for drug detoxification.
All retreats are for psycho-spiritual reasons only and not a specific treatment for any illness or condition.

Please contact us for our retreat schedule and events.

Native to Central West Africa, Iboga has been used by the Bwiti people for thousands of years, assisting them in learning about life and being a human on earth.

Retreat info

    
 
 
        
   Donnell Green 
 2024-05-07
 
 
  Top 3 most life changing experiences.  Have never done anything like this and only wish I had found this experience 20 years ago.  Levi and the entire team were more than I imagined.  Felt incredibly looked after and came home centered, refreshed and gentler in my soul. Imagine I will be back. Thank you Levi, James and Carlos! ❤️
  
 
       
   Tracy Bussey 
 2024-04-25
 
 
  Coming to Iboga Wellness Center has been the most important decision I have made for myself. I came after hearing of Iboga and its healing properties five years ago. I have always had anxiety, even as a little girl. But in the past five years it has become debilitating. I no longer could control my thoughts. I couldn’t sleep without listening to the calm app or some type of distraction from my thoughts. I knew I needed to do something to regain my life. I found The Wellness Center online and had a real connection with Levi. I am so grateful I was lead to Levi. He has created a true oasis for everyone who attends. I felt so loved, cared for and safe. Levi and his whole team are simply amazing. Their passion to share the Bwiti culture and Iboga are done with such care and integrity. I felt held in a sacred space. My first ceremony was intense. The next 24 hours were rough, purging a lot. As rough as it was I knew it was exactly what was need in my process. Everyone’s experience is different and what is needed is done through Iboga. Again the staff was incredible, kind, nurturing and supportive. I experienced peace and a clam I never knew existed in the days that followed. I was immersed in the beautiful gardens full of birds to sit and discover a new way of being. I left the Wellness Centre with a clear connection to my soul. The knowledge that I need connection not distraction. The anxiety was simply gone and I wonder if it’s because it never real existed, that it was something my mind had made up. I have lots to still discover and work on to continue down my path of having a healthy mind, body and soul. But I can see the path now. Thank you to Levi all the Staff and to all the beautiful souls I met at the Iboga Wellness Center. 🙏🏻
  
 
       
   Sarah Griswold 
 2024-04-25
 
 
  Everything about this center and this experience is in beautiful perfection and love. The entire week is structured to bring about profound growth and release. The retreat center, medicine, and entire staff creates an incredibly safe, supportive, and loving container and I will be recommending everyone I know to attend a retreat here as well as returning myself. So much Gratitude and Love to Levi, the entire staff and the beautiful Iboga medicine!!!
  
 
       
   Vijay Dukkipati 
 2024-04-21
 
 
  This place was the most magical experience of my life, bar none. The amount of gifts I received: the quitting of my addictions, the cessation of my negative thoughts, the curing of my attention issues and ruminating traumatic thoughts. I thought something like this was impossible, but it's real. And it is right here. God bless this place. The most powerful thing I ever did in my life. The staff are wonderful. The food is fantastic. The location is splendid. You are incredibly well taken care of and safe.
  
 
       
   Holly Cunefare 
 2024-04-01
 
 
  I highly recommend trusting IWC to facilitate your transformative experience.  It's absolutely worth the trip.
  
 
       
   Samantha M 
 2024-02-24
 
 
  I left IWC a few days ago and am still in CR integrating my experience. If you are called to meet Iboga, this retreat is an excellent choice. Levi brings such a kind and gentle spirit that allowed me to feel comfortable and safe from day 1. All of my needs were met and the staff goes above and beyond to take care of you. The food is wonderful, the property is beautiful and filled with peace, and the energy here is very grounding.

Take into consideration that the medicine works differently in all of us. That is a lesson I learned while here. Be open to whatever may happen and trust in the medicine. Levi does an excellent job of teaching the way of the Bwiti and allowing guests to find their way throughout the experience, while also providing support when needed.

After a few days of being in the outside world I can already feel the difference in myself. I am more connected to nature, I feel less anxious, and very motivated to make positive change in my life when I get back home. Iboga gives you the truth to how to make your life better, then it’s up to you to take action.

I am so grateful for my time at IWC. Thank you Levi, Lana, James, Carlos, Haseeb, and the rest of the staff for taking excellent care of me during my time here! Bassé!
  
 
       
   gabeybabey 
 2023-11-28
 
 
  I visited iwc 6 months ago and to this day I am still receiving benefits from the week I was there. I arrived with zero expectations and did not know what I was going to get out of my retreat going into it. Different things that have entered my life thinking that they were normal or nothing wrong with the things I were doing. I was able to learn these bad habits that I thought were normal were hurting myself and affecting me negative way. When arriving at iwc, I remember how annoyed I was just by hearing the sounds of the birds chirping. When leaving, I was at peace with the nature  noises. I was able to see how disconnected I was with the natural world due to the witchcraft that’s taken over my life. I had a spiritual experience with the medicine.

The staff on board was absolutely amazing. Going across the country to do something I haven’t done before was a little nerve racking. Being able to trust the staff was a big relief. Each and everyone went over the top to ensure we were taken care of. The food provided was so fresh on a different level and the chef was phenomenal. I left iwc a different person from when I arrived there. Very thankful I had the opportunity to do Iboga at such a young age. I learned so much about myself and the world the week I was there.
  
 
       
   Ethan Bregman 
 2023-11-16
 
 
  I recently returned from IWC and an experience that was so far beyond my expectations. The set, setting, environment and everything that came with it was flawless.  The ceremonies were conducted beautifully and with the utmost care. The facilitators were present and supportive. I highly recommend IWC to anyone who is ready to take this journey.
  
 
       
   Melonie Packer 
 2023-10-04
 
 
  I am truly grateful for the staff at the Iboga Wellness Center. It was a beautiful and unique experience. My husband and I couldn’t have chosen a better place to come for our treatment. I have a light coursing through my mind and body that has never left me. Good things are finally happening; I have hope! I can’t wait to bring my children here. Thank you so much!
  
 
       
   O R 
 2023-09-26
 
 
  I have been back home one week from IWC and it is impossible for me to fully express into words how grateful I am to every member of staff and to Iboga. I felt very safe going into my first experience with plant medicine at the IWC. Everything was very well explained and I knew I could just focus on letting go as much as possible my fear and anxiety that I had been carrying around with me for years.

IWC is a beautiful place, in a beautiful country. The perfect setting for the healing work that happens there. My experience was one of the most difficult in my whole life but only because of the work the medicine had to do in me to help and heal me. I arrived to IWC as a person struggling to cope with life and my heavy history, and I left IWC as a completely different person. The same person but lighter, happier, my fear and anxiety have almost completely gone! I am still processing and integrating my experience with Iboga, and every day I am feeling better and more clarity in my mind and my heart. My vision is so crystal clear, it's unbelievable. I can now fully inhale and for the first time in years and breathe fully without the restriction I felt I had in my chest.

It feels like a miracle, I would 100% go back again. I appreciate every single member of staff at IWC. Thank you so much for what you do! It was a pleasure to meet you all and to experience the retreat even though it was difficult for me. The food was incredible too, I'm very grateful for being so well fed as I'm Vegan.

I'll miss the beautiful evenings round the fire, learning about the history and traditions of the Bwiti tribe and Iboga. Overall a very positive experience for me, very smoothe travelling to and from Costa Rica. I feel blessed to have had this experience and the healing coming from the process. Thank you! Ollie
  
 
  
  
 
 
   Google rating score: 5.0 of 5, based on 77 reviews

Click here to view | Google rating score: 5.0 of 5, based on 83 reviews

Who we are

We are dedicated to providing a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment for your Iboga journey. Our mission is to help you unlock your inner potential, heal past traumas, and step into a life of clarity and purpose. Our lead iboga healer is Levi Barker who has been working with ibogo for 15+ years and is regarded as an expert in the field of Iboga.

Located in Costa Rica’s lush Southern region, we are the longest-running Iboga retreat center in the Western Hemisphere. For the past 10 years we have helped 1600+ people improve their lives. We also do retreats in other parts of the world.

The main retreat house has 8 bedrooms, located on 6 acres full of mountain views. The property is full of fruit trees and lush grounds and the perfect place to get balanced.

tabernanthe iboga botanical illustration showing leaves fruit flowers and roots

What is Iboga and what is it used for?

Iboga root bark is a powerful natural plant medicine derived from the Tabernanthe iboga plant, and has been traditionally used for spiritual and healing purposes. In recent years, it has gained attention for its potential benefits in treating mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Users also report significant physical healing for a variety of conditions.

Users report profound experiences that bring clarity and a renewed sense of direction in life. This transformative process helps individuals break free from negative thought patterns and develop healthier, more positive habits. The introspective journey facilitated by Iboga allows for deep emotional healing and a clearer understanding of one’s path forward.

Scientific studies have highlighted Iboga’s neurogenic properties, particularly its ability to promote neurogenesis and the expression of Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (GDNF). Neurogenesis, the process of generating new neurons, is crucial for learning new habits and fostering positive changes in thinking. By enhancing neurogenesis, Iboga can help individuals overcome depression and other mental health challenges, facilitating recovery and personal growth. The increased GDNF expression further supports neural health and resilience, reinforcing Iboga’s potential as a powerful tool for mental and emotional healing.

Learn about the science of iboga

Users have found Iboga is helpful for the following issues

Depression
Anxiety
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Substance & Non Substance Addictions
Mental Clarity and Cognitive Enhancement
Emotional Healing and Trauma Processing
Spiritual and Personal Growth / Peak Performance
Behavioral Change and Habit Interruption
Neuroplasticity, Brain Health & TBI injuries
Sleep Quality and Patterns

Iboga retreats offer profound benefits for individuals grappling with depression, anxiety, and PTSD. The powerful psychoactive properties of iboga can facilitate deep introspection and emotional release, helping individuals uncover and process underlying causes of their mental health struggles. This can lead to significant reductions in depressive and anxious symptoms, as well as a decrease in PTSD-related flashbacks and hypervigilance. The retreat setting, often designed to provide a nurturing and supportive environment, further enhances the healing process by offering a safe space for participants to explore and resolve their emotional pain.

For those struggling with non-substance addictions such as internet, sex, eating disorders iboga retreats can be transformative. Iboga may reset neural pathways associated with mental addiction, reducing cravings. This neuroplasticity effect helps break dependency cycles. Our retreats provide deep life coaching, addressing both physical and psychological aspects, promoting lasting behavioral change. *Please note we do not do any acute drug detoxification, treat or diagnose any condition, this content is informational only Many in todays age have an internet addiction, sex or porn addiction, overeating, bulimia but the worst the habit of negative thoughts and negative beliefs we create about selves.

Beyond specific mental health issues, iboga retreats may enhance mental clarity, cognitive function, and emotional healing, crucial for personal growth and peak performance. Participants frequently report improved mental acuity and renewed motivation. The introspective nature of iboga fosters profound spiritual insights and deeper self-understanding. Additionally, the process aids in trauma processing and emotional healing, improving sleep quality. By enhancing brain health and encouraging neuroplasticity, iboga can support our overall well-being and can has been shown to aid recovery from traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

Pura Vida and Bassé
Pure Life (Spanish) and Truth (Bwiti)

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Iboga vs ibogaine, what’s the difference

Iboga	Ibogaine
Natural plant based medicine	Extracted or Synthesized
Whole being healing uses	Focus – opiate addiction
Contains 30+ alkaloids	1 Alkaloid
Longer 16-30 hours	Duration 8-16 hours
Individually dosed	Dosed on body weight
Curated setting	Medical procedure

At Iboga Wellness Center, we exclusively use Iboga root bark and its Total Alkaloid (TA) extracts rather than Ibogaine, which is typically utilized in drug detox programs.

Key Differences: Ibogaine is a single, isolated alkaloid from the Iboga root. In contrast, TA and root bark contain Ibogaine plus 30+ other healing alkaloids. These additional alkaloids are crucial for a comprehensive psycho-spiritual journey, maintaining the full spirit and healing power of the Iboga plant.

While Ibogaine is effective for physical detox, Iboga root bark and TA extracts provide both physical and spiritual cleansing. The iboga medicine we use is sustainably grown and ceremonially harvested in the jungles of West Central Africa and we ensure it is of the best quality and sustainably harvested.

Without them, the spirit of the plant is no longer in its whole form, and cannot be accessed fully.

Learn More About Iboga vs Ibogaine

But we recognize the need for balance. Our sessions have been tailored to merge ancient traditions with the needs of those living in today’s modern world. The blending of the Bwiti tradition with a Western awareness makes for a very consistent success rate. At our center, guests can enjoy rich comforts and amenities, as well as personal guidance and conscious, whole-being nourishment throughout the retreat. This cultural mergence is an approach to healing that nurtures a full reset, giving guests the space and support to develop a clear understanding of who they are, determine what they want from their lives, and leave with the proper tools for making changes.

Psycho-Spiritual Healing

Our Iboga Ceremony

Our plant medicine retreat combines the ancient wisdom of the Bwiti people for people with modern Western problems.

Implementing the traditional African wisdom teachings of the Bwiti is a crucial part of our practice. The sharing of their knowledge — which has been passed down for generations as an oral tradition and cannot be found in books — provides guests with tools to master the mind and live with purpose.

bwiti initiation retreat iboga wellness center

8 Day Psycho-Spiritual Iboga Retreat Overview

Nurturing, organic meals prepared with love by our onsite chef, who is able to meet all dietary needs and requests (there are no dietary or fasting requirements leading up to our retreat)
Bwiti wisdom teachings are shared by providers during a welcome ceremony, at fireside chats, and throughout the week
A private consultation with a provider and staff is held prior to ceremony to discuss intentions, questions, and the journey itself
Two Iboga ceremonies (held on days two and five of our 8-day retreat)
A guided journey during the Iboga ceremony, led by one of our providers
Onsite massage and nature walks (optional)
A spiritual shower and cleansing ceremony is held to release what no longer serves us, and in its space invite what we want into being
Two offsite excursions
Closing talks and integration discussions to assist your healing process upon departure
Follow-up integration phone calls with one of our providers after you return home

Iboga Wellness Center

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Benefits of Iboga

The benefits of Iboga have no boundaries. Each healing is unique and perfect, tailored to what a person has been through and how they need to experience healing in order to move past their trauma. It is common for guests to notice:

A deep and lasting spiritual transformation
A sense of inner peace
An objective discovery of the root cause of pain or trauma, which moves into acceptance, release, and actualized healing
A full body/mind/spirit reset that can eliminate the need for substances, negative behavioral and thought patterns, conditioned beliefs, unhealthy addictions (gambling, pornography, eating disorders, technology, etc.)
A discovery of the underlying causes of depression, PTSD or anxiety, acceptance and release, and a healing of the mind, which results in emotional freedom
For spiritual seekers, Iboga has the ability to reconnect us to our souls and guide us into our own personal spiritual discovery.

We love to connect directly with those who are interested in working with this medicine. Please contact us if you have any questions about the process, our schedule, our center, or anything related to iboga. We never pressure anyone on this important decision. We look forward to speaking with you and helping you on life’s journey!

Iboga Wellness Center

FAQ about our iboga retreat

Is Iboga Safe?
Safety is our top priority. We conduct medical screenings for each person. If you are curious if Iboga is right for you, please get in touch. Approximately 99.99%+ of iboga or ibogaine-related deaths occur during ibogaine drug detox procedures rather than during psycho-spiritual retreats. Iboga Wellness Center has never had a true medical emergency at one of our retreats. Iboga Wellness Center is not aware of any death where iboga only was involved in a psycho-spiritual context.

How Do I Prepare?
Preparing for an Iboga retreat involves mental, physical, and emotional readiness. We provide guidance to ensure you are prepared. At the same time, no one is ever in the perfect place for iboga. Perfection can be the enemy of action. Sometimes we have to take action in the moment to make our life better.
We guide everyone on how to prepare with regards to their plant medicine experience at our retreat and also logistically.

What if I am inexperienced with plant medicines?
It’s perfectly fine if you have never had any prior experience with plant medicines. At Iboga Wellness Center, we welcome individuals from all backgrounds, including those who are new to plant medicine. Our experienced facilitators will guide you through every step of the Iboga journey, ensuring you feel safe, supported, and well-informed. We provide comprehensive preparation and integration support to help you make the most of your experience. Whether you are seeking healing, personal growth, or spiritual insight, our team is here to assist you in your transformative journey with Iboga.

Is Iboga a scary experience?
It is very uncommon to actually feel scared during an Iboga experience. While Iboga is not typically a pleasant experience, it is important to note that an Iboga experience is NOT more than we can handle. The process involves a significant amount of healing in a short period of time, so naturally, things are going to be moving within us. When they are moving, we become aware of these changes. This awareness can be intense, but it is part of the profound healing journey. At Iboga Wellness Center, our experienced facilitators are here to support you throughout the process, ensuring a safe and transformative experience.

At it’s core Iboga is an earth based medicine, and deals with life on earth. Other medicines deal with other dimensions/worlds, whereas Iboga is focused on this life. During an Iboga experience we always know who we are, where we are at and what is happening around us. We don’t lose touch with reality.

See our full Iboga FAQ Here