PREPARE & PLAN
Safety Protocols
Working with Plant Medicine can be physically, emotionally and psychologically demanding. At Chaka Runa, safety begins before you arrive and continues throughout your program.
Our approach combines careful screening, clear preparation guidelines, experienced ceremonial support, medical oversight and practical emergency planning.
During our Amazon Dietas, Don Gino is supported by an experienced team that remains present throughout the ceremonies and the wider program, so participants can receive attention and assistance whenever needed.
This page explains the measures we use to reduce risk and create a protected, respectful environment for everyone taking part.
“We bridge you safe and gently.”
— DON GINO
CAREFUL SCREENING — EXPERIENCED TEAM — MEDICAL OVERSIGHT — CLEAR PROTOCOLS
PREPARE & PLAN
Safety Protocols
Working with Plant Medicine can be physically, emotionally and psychologically demanding. Our safety measures begin before you arrive and continue throughout your program.
Our approach combines careful screening, clear preparation guidelines, experienced ceremonial support, medical oversight and practical emergency planning.
During our Amazon Dietas, Don Gino is supported by an experienced team that remains present throughout the ceremonies and the wider program, so participants can receive attention and assistance whenever needed.
These measures help reduce risk and support a respectful environment for everyone taking part.
"We guide you into the mother’s realm as safely and gently as possible."
- DON GINO
CAREFUL SCREENING — EXPERIENCED TEAM — MEDICAL OVERSIGHT — CLEAR PROTOCOLS
BEFORE YOU ARRIVE
Safety starts with careful preparation
Our safety process begins before you travel to Peru.
Every participant completes an application and screening process so we can better understand their health, medications, psychological wellbeing and general suitability for the program.
Our Preparation Guidelines, application process and program conditions work together to reduce avoidable risks and help you arrive informed and prepared.
.png)
APPLICATION
SCREENING
APPROVAL
PREPARATION
ARRIVAL
Before your program, please make sure that you:
01
Provide complete and accurate information during your application
02
Tell us about relevant physical or psychological health conditions
03
Inform us before travelling if you start a new medication, become ill or injured, or experience a significant change in your physical or psychological wellbeing after approval.
04
Disclose all medications, supplements and recreational substances you use
05
Follow the Preparation Guidelines provided for your program
06
Contact us before travelling if you are uncertain about a medication, condition or preparation requirement
If a new medication, illness, injury or significant change in your physical or psychological wellbeing occurs after approval, please let us know before you travel.
In some situations, participation may need to be postponed or declined. This decision is made with your safety as the priority.
EXPERIENCED SUPPORT
A team that stays close throughout the process
The team pays close attention to participants throughout the ceremony, looking for signs that someone is struggling or needs support.
During the Amazon Dietas, Don Gino is supported by an experienced team of facilitators and assistants who know the work, understand the ceremony environment, and are ready to respond when someone needs help.
During ceremonies
Ceremonial assistants
on site
3 to 5 ceremonial assistants are present inside the Maloca. Two additional assistants remain outside.
Conducted in English
The entire program and all guidance are conducted in English. Icaros and medicine songs are sung in their traditional languages.
Careful observation
Participants are observed throughout the ceremony so the team can identify when someone is struggling or does not appear to be in a good space.
Help available
Support is available when someone needs help moving around, feeling more settled, communicating what they need or simply having someone nearby.
The purpose of this support structure is not to interfere with each participant's individual process, but to remain attentive and available while the work unfolds.
“We cook with the Chaka Runa Recipe”
- DON GINO
WHAT IS IN THE MEDICINE
We know exactly what goes into our brew
The Ayahuasca served during our ceremonies is prepared by Don Gino through a traditional ritual process informed by the Mestizo and Shipibo traditions of the Peruvian Amazon.
Our brew contains:
Ayahuasca vine
Banisteriopsis caapi
Chacruna leaves
Psychotria viridis
Chagropanga leaves
Diplopterys cabrerana
No other plants or substances are added to the brew.
Knowing how the medicine is prepared and what it contains is an important part of our safety approach. Participants are told what they are working with and can ask questions about the medicine before the ceremonies.
HELPFUL LINK
DURING THE CEREMONY
Careful dosage, clear guidance and attentive support
Safety during an Ayahuasca ceremony begins before the medicine is served.
Before the first ceremony, participants receive a clear briefing and practical guidelines. We explain what may arise, how to approach difficult moments, when to ask for help and how to work with the experience, including when it feels overwhelming.
Dosage is approached carefully and individually. Not everybody responds to Plant Medicine in the same way, and more medicine does not necessarily mean a better or deeper experience.
We would rather offer a gentler experience than give someone too much medicine and overwhelm them.
“Safety First - No Running!”
- DON GINO
Don Gino’s experience with international participants
With Peruvian and Italian roots, experience living abroad and years of guiding international participants, Don Gino is familiar with the expectations, questions, concerns, fears, psychological patterns and emotional difficulties people may bring into a ceremony. This experience informs his approach to individual guidance and dosage, including when to proceed more gently.
This also makes Chaka Runa particularly supportive for people who are new to Ayahuasca or attending their first Plant Medicine retreat. Clear preparation, careful dosage and close support allow participants to enter the work gradually rather than being pushed toward the strongest possible experience.
If someone is struggling during a ceremony, assistants can stay close, help them feel more settled and communicate with Don Gino. During our Amazon Dietas, they can also involve the doctor when medical assessment or support is needed.
Our aim is to help participants navigate their journey with the medicine, with guidance and support throughout the experience.
MEDICAL & EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Prepared for situations that need more than ceremonial support
We prepare for situations in which a participant may need medical assistance during their Dieta.
If further care is needed
During our Amazon Dietas, a doctor can assess participants on site. If someone needs care beyond what can be provided at the retreat center, we arrange transport to an appropriate medical facility.
During our Amazon Dietas:
The retreat center has road access, allowing a participant to be transported if further medical care is required
RESPECT & BOUNDARIES
A safe space also depends on how we treat each other
Participants often go through vulnerable and deeply personal experiences during a Dieta. Respect for other people and their boundaries is therefore an essential part of the safety of the group.
The following behaviour is not accepted
Bullying, intimidation, threatening behaviour, insults or deliberately disrespectful language.
Discrimination of any kind.
Sexual contact, sexual advances or sexually inappropriate behaviour. Sexual activity is not permitted during a Dieta.
Repeated invasion of another participant's personal space.
Violent behaviour or aggressive body language.
Deliberately ignoring boundaries communicated by another participant or by the team.
We ask everyone to respect
Personal and physical space.
Emotional and psychological boundaries.
Privacy.
Consent.
Differences in culture, language, gender, religion and personal background.
The instructions of Don Gino and the Chaka Runa team.
Our team remains attentive to the dynamics within the group and will intervene when someone's behaviour affects the safety or wellbeing of others.
Depending on the situation, a participant may be asked to step away temporarily or may be required to leave the program permanently.
The purpose is simple: everyone should be able to go through their own process without having to protect themselves from the behaviour of another participant.
DURING THE CEREMONY
Careful dosage, clear guidance and attentive support
Safety during an Ayahuasca ceremony begins before the medicine is served.
Before the Dieta, participants receive a clear briefing and practical guidelines that help them understand what may arise, how to navigate difficult moments, when to ask for help, and how to work with the experience rather than becoming overwhelmed by it.
Dosage is approached carefully and individually. Not everybody responds to Plant Medicine in the same way, and more medicine does not necessarily mean a better or deeper experience.
At Chaka Runa, we prefer a participant to feel that the medicine was a little too gentle rather than to give too much and create an experience they are not able to handle.
“Safety First - No Running!”
DON GINO
Don Gino’s experience with international participants
Don Gino has worked for many years with international participants. Being half Italian himself, he understands Western culture and ways of thinking as well as the traditional Peruvian world of Plant Medicine.
He understands the expectations, fears, psychological patterns and emotional difficulties that people may bring into a ceremony. This experience helps him judge how strongly to work with each participant and when it is better to proceed more gently.
This also makes Chaka Runa particularly supportive for people who are new to Ayahuasca or attending their first Plant Medicine retreat. Clear preparation, careful dosage and close support allow participants to enter the work gradually rather than being pushed toward the strongest possible experience.
Throughout the ceremony, the team remains attentive to how each person is doing. If someone appears to be struggling or is no longer in a good space, assistants can stay close, help them ground, communicate with Don Gino, or involve the doctor when needed.
The aim is not to push participants toward the strongest possible experience. It is to create the conditions in which they can work with the medicine while remaining supported and within a space they can navigate.
MEDICAL & EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Prepared for situations that need more than ceremonial support
Most participants will never need medical assistance during their Dieta, but we prepare for the possibility that someone does.
During our Amazon Dietas:
A doctor is on site and available when medical assessment or support is needed
A fully stocked First Aid kit is available for minor injuries and immediate care
The retreat center has road access, allowing a participant to be transported if further medical care is required
The team has access to communication by mobile phone and internet
Fire extinguishers are available on site
Several security guards are present during day and night
Areas that may present additional risks have clear access restrictions and participants are expected to follow the team's guidance
If further care is needed
Medical assessment on site
If a situation requires medical attention beyond what can be provided at the retreat center, the priority is to assess the participant and arrange transport to appropriate medical care.
RESPECT & BOUNDARIES
A safe space also depends on how we treat each other
Participants often go through vulnerable and deeply personal experiences during a Dieta. Respect for other people and their boundaries is therefore an essential part of the safety of the group.
We expect every participant to respect
Personal and physical space
Emotional and psychological boundaries
Privacy
Consent
Differences in culture, language, gender, religion and personal background
The instructions of Don Gino and the Chaka Runa team
The following behaviour is not accepted
Bullying, intimidation or threatening behaviour
Insults or deliberately disrespectful language
Discrimination
Sexual contact, sexual advances or sexually inappropriate behaviour. Sexual activity is not permitted during a Dieta
Repeated invasion of another participant's personal space
Violent behaviour or aggressive body language
Deliberately ignoring boundaries communicated by another participant or by the team
Our team remains attentive to the dynamics within the group and will intervene when someone's behaviour affects the safety or wellbeing of others.
Depending on the situation, a participant may be asked to step away temporarily or may be required to leave the program permanently.
The purpose is simple: everyone should be able to go through their own process without having to protect themselves from the behaviour of another participant.
PROGRAM SPECIFIC SAFETY
Safety adapted to each environment.
Our support and practical safety arrangements vary according to the setting and activities of each program.
Amazon Dietas
MAIN REFERENCE PROGRAM
The measures described on this page mainly refer to our Amazon Dietas. These include careful screening, ceremonial support, a doctor on site, first aid equipment, road access, communication and retreat center security.
Sacred Valley Dieta
The Sacred Valley Dieta takes place in Urubamba. Screening, preparation and experienced support follow the same principles as our Amazon Dietas. Hospital care is available in Urubamba if someone needs medical attention beyond what we can provide during the program.
Q’ero Nation Pilgrimage
A doctor accompanies the group into the Q’ero Nation. Participants must arrive in Cusco at least three days before departure to allow time for acclimatization. Preparation also considers each participant’s physical suitability for the pilgrimage, the altitude and the remote mountain conditions.
Mystic Tour
Safety planning is adapted to the itinerary, location and elevation of each part of the journey. Hospitals and medical assistance are nearby throughout all three stages. Participants receive relevant preparation and travel instructions before their program.
You do not need to know how to handle everything that may arise during a Plant Medicine experience. That is one reason the team is there.
What we do ask is that you communicate openly, follow the guidance provided and allow us to support you when you need it.
Before you arrive
During the program
-
Provide complete and honest information during the application and screening process.
-
Tell us about medications, supplements, health conditions and relevant psychological history.
-
Follow the instructions given during the Dieta and ceremonies.
-
Let the team know when you are struggling, uncertain or need support.
-
Respect restricted areas and practical safety rules at the retreat center.
-
Inform us if your health or medication changes after approval.
-
Follow the Preparation Guidelines before arriving.
-
Respect the privacy, personal space and boundaries of other participants.
-
Remain free from alcohol and recreational drugs throughout the program.
-
Speak with the team rather than trying to manage a serious problem alone.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
Safety is something we create together.
Chaka Runa provides the screening, preparation, experienced team and safety structure around the program. Participants also have an important role in keeping themselves and the group safe.
We ask you to:
QUESTIONS ABOUT SAFETY?
Ask before you arrive
If you have questions about your health, medications, psychological wellbeing, preparation or whether a Chaka Runa program is suitable for you, please contact us before travelling.
We would rather discuss a concern in advance than leave an important question unanswered.
Careful preparation, experienced support and practical safety measures help create a setting where you can focus on your own process.
PROGRAM SPECIFIC SAFETY
Safety adapted to each environment
The safety measures described throughout this page primarily reflect our Amazon Dieta, our main program and retreat setting.
Amazon Dieta
MAIN REFERENCE PROGRAM
The safety framework described throughout this page is centered on the Amazon Dieta, including careful screening, ceremonial support, a doctor on site, First Aid equipment, road access, communication and retreat center security.
Sacred Valley Dieta
The Sacred Valley Dieta takes place in Urubamba. Screening, preparation and experienced support follow the same principles, and hospital care is available in Urubamba if medical attention beyond the program setting is required.
Q’ero Nation Pilgrimage
A doctor accompanies the group into the Q’ero Nation. Participants arrive in Cusco at least three days before departure to acclimatize, and physical suitability, altitude and remote mountain conditions are important parts of preparation for the pilgrimage.
Mystic Tour
Safety planning is adapted to the itinerary, location and elevation of each part of the journey, and participants receive the relevant preparation and travel instructions before their program.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
Safety is something we create together
Chaka Runa provides the screening, preparation, experienced team and safety structure around the program. Participants also have an important role in keeping themselves and the group safe.
We ask you to:
Before you arrive
Provide complete and honest information during the application and screening process
Tell us about medications, supplements, health conditions and relevant psychological history
Inform us if your health or medication changes after approval
Follow the Preparation Guidelines before arriving
During the program
Follow the instructions given during the Dieta and ceremonies
Let the team know when you are struggling, uncertain or need support
Respect restricted areas and practical safety rules at the retreat center
Respect the privacy, personal space and boundaries of other participants
Remain free from alcohol and recreational drugs throughout the program
Speak with the team rather than trying to manage a serious problem alone
You do not need to know how to handle everything that may arise during a Plant Medicine experience. That is one reason the team is there.
What we do ask is that you communicate openly, follow the guidance provided and allow us to support you when you need it.
QUESTIONS ABOUT SAFETY?
Ask before you arrive
If you have questions about your health, medications, psychological wellbeing, preparation or whether a Chaka Runa program is suitable for you, please contact us before travelling.
We would rather discuss a concern in advance than leave an important question unanswered.
Our aim is to create a setting where you can focus on your process knowing that preparation, experienced support and practical safety measures are already in place around you.