What a week at Rythmia involves: programme, price, screening and who it is not for

The week

Rythmia's pricing page lists what the 7-night programme includes (Rythmia, own site, 29 Oct 2026):

• 4 ayahuasca ceremonies, each optional
• 7 nights in the resort
• 21 organic farm-to-table meals
• 3 sessions of Michael Beckwith's "The Answer Is You" and 1 of Gerard Powell's "About Your Miracle"
• 2 medical evaluations by staff physicians
• 6 yoga, 3 breathwork and 2 meditation classes
• 1 healing massage and 2 hydrocolonic cleanses
• Lifetime access to the RLife app

Rythmia says its ceremonies are led by shamans and healers who have all worked in ceremonies there for five years or more, and that the Wednesday ceremony is led by its female shamans; Thursday is a yage ceremony, a related Amazonian brew, and rape, a tobacco snuff, is optional (Rythmia, own site, 29 Oct 2026). The team it names is: Founder and CEO Gerard (Gerry) Powell; Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jeff McNairy; a resident team of shamans and healers trained in Amazonian, Eastern and Western traditions; physicians and nurses on site 24/7.

Groups are large by retreat standards. Rythmia told Peyote.com in October 2026 that its ceremonies usually have 30 to 40 guests, with groups of 80 or more a couple of times a year, and that it has seen better outcomes with larger groups. The other Costa Rica centres that publish a group size cap theirs at between 11 and 22 guests (the comparison).

The centre is in Hacienda Pinilla, near Playa Avellanas and Tamarindo, Guanacaste. In its own description: private casitas in a gated resort community near three beaches; saltwater pool, spa, gym, steam room and volcanic mud baths (Rythmia, own site, 28 Sep 2026).

What it costs

The pricing page says the 7-night programme starts at $4,900 and that the final price depends on the room you choose (Rythmia, own site, 29 Oct 2026). That is $700 a night at the starting price, against a median of $611 a night across the 9 Costa Rica ayahuasca centres that publish a price.

The same page says this about paying for the ceremonies:

“All monies paid for the plant medicine ceremonies are paid to a third party, unrelated to Rythmia, on-site in Costa Rica. This payment is optional, and is only due to the third party if the client chooses to participate in the plant medicine ceremonies.” (Rythmia, own site, 29 Oct 2026)

The page does not say whether that payment is part of the starting price, and gives no amount for it. It also does not mention flights, airport transfers, or deposit and cancellation terms. Ask Rythmia about all of these in writing before you pay anything.

How screening works, in Rythmia's words

• Its safety site describes “intensive 3-stage medical and pharmacological screening for every single guest”, medical staff on site around the clock, and one staff member for every four guests (Rythmia, own site, 29 Oct 2026).
• Its FAQ describes two stages: a written medical questionnaire, reviewed by the clinical team when you book, then an in-person evaluation by staff physicians when you arrive. The two pages count the stages differently (Rythmia, own site, 29 Oct 2026).
• The FAQ says a clinical team of doctors, registered nurses and emergency technicians is on site 24 hours a day, and names two staff physicians, ten registered nurses and two emergency response technicians, at least one of whom is at every ceremony (Rythmia, own site, 29 Oct 2026).
• On medication, the FAQ says that “those taking SSRIs, antidepressants, MAOIs, or CNS depressants must complete a cessation period with the proper taper protocol”, that prescription medicines should be stopped at least 2 to 8 weeks before, and it lists 30 days for all antidepressants and antipsychotics (Rythmia, own site, 29 Oct 2026).
• Independently: Costa Rica's Ministry of Health issued Rythmia a sanitary permit as a medical centre (DARS SC-2020-0372). When the Ministry asked the Procuraduria General de la Republica to annul it in 2025, the Procuraduria said it could not, and the permit stood (CR Hoy, 27 Feb 2025).

Rythmia's stop periods are its conditions for attending, not medical advice for you. Stopping an antidepressant or antipsychotic is a decision for the doctor who prescribed it, and stopping some medicines quickly carries its own risks.

Who Rythmia says it is not for

“Rythmia is not suitable for individuals with epilepsy, diabetes, heart or cardiovascular conditions, liver or kidney disease, or active psychiatric disorders. Pregnant and nursing women are excluded.” (Rythmia, own site, 29 Oct 2026)

Independent sources add to that. The research below points to people with a personal or family history of psychosis or mania, not only an active disorder, and to anyone on an SSRI or another serotonergic medicine. Raise each of these at screening even if no one asks.

• Serotonin syndrome with SSRIs and other serotonergic drugsSerious risk

  The MAO-inhibiting harmala alkaloids in ayahuasca combined with SSRI antidepressants may induce a serotonin syndrome with a potentially grave outcome. ICEERS states that combining MAOIs with SSRIs or other serotonergic medications is contraindicated. (Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 1998; ICEERS, 2026)

• Other contraindicated medicines and supplementsSerious risk

  ICEERS lists antidepressants and other psychotropic medications, drugs metabolised by certain cytochrome enzymes, and any medication that interacts with MAO (including MAO inhibitors) as potentially contraindicated, and names St John's wort and Ginkgo biloba as contraindicated herbal supplements. It advises avoiding alcohol, stimulants, opioids and other drugs in the days or weeks before a session. (ICEERS, 2018)

• Stopping medication before a ceremonySerious risk

  ICEERS says contraindicated medications such as certain antidepressants may need to be stopped at least two weeks before a session, but only under strict medical supervision because abruptly stopping psychiatric medication can be dangerous. It also warns that stopping medication for a chronic illness to take ayahuasca can itself be dangerous. (ICEERS, 2018)

• Blood pressure and heart conditionsWorth knowing

  In a placebo-controlled trial, diastolic blood pressure rose significantly at the high ayahuasca dose (9 mm Hg at 75 minutes), while systolic pressure and heart rate rose moderately and non-significantly. ICEERS advises that people with serious cardiovascular conditions should not take ayahuasca. (Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 2003; ICEERS, 2018)

• Psychosis and personal or family psychiatric historySerious risk

  A systematic review found case reports of psychotic episodes after ayahuasca or DMT, several in people with a personal or possibly family history of psychosis or mania, and concluded that people with a personal or family history of any psychotic illness or non-psychotic mania should avoid hallucinogens. ICEERS describes ayahuasca as contraindicated for people with severe psychiatric disorders, particularly those prone to psychosis. (Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology, 2017; ICEERS, 2026; ICEERS, 2018)

Ayahuasca and antidepressants: what the sources say · Check a medicine against ayahuasca · Screening questions to ask a centre

The legal position in Costa Rica

Law 8204 controls DMT but does not name ayahuasca or the plants it is made from. On 27 January 2025 the Ministry of Health warned that ayahuasca and ibogaine products have no sanitary registration and are not authorised for therapeutic use, noted that DMT is a controlled substance, and advised against advertising them. There is no licensing regime for retreats, so centres operate in a legal grey area rather than on a clear legal basis.

If you decide to go

Read the full profile first: it carries every source, the legal footing, and reviews from Peyote.com readers once there are any. Other Costa Rica centres are in the side-by-side comparison.