YOUR SAFETY IS OUR HIGHEST PRIORITY

At Casa Galactica, we create and adhere to stringent safety protocols, trauma-informed standards of care, professional ethics and codes of conduct, and Covid-19 protocols to ensure your utmost health, safety, and well-being on your healing journey with us.  You can rest assured that we have everything in place to provide the highest level of care possible to embark on this deep transformational journey with ayahuasca and medicinal plants.

 

 

SAFETY PROTOCOLS:

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• We are trained ceremony leaders within what we recognize as the "Noya Rao lineage" of plant spirit healing.  This is a beautifully non-dual, multi-dimensional and welcoming lineage of souls, spirit, plants, trees, and beings whose sole healing intention is that you discover and know the truth of who you are at the core of your being.

• We are adept multi-dimensional healers and professional channels, here with spirit in service to your highest healing, good, and purpose.

• We are first aid trained, and we have a comprehensive first aid kit and supplies on site at all times.

• We follow safety protocols throughout the retreat, immersion, or private ayahuasca ceremony to ensure your mental, physical, and emotional safety for the duration of your stay with us.

• We´ve created an in-depth pre-screening process and Preparation Package for retreats, immersions, and private ayahuasca ceremonies in accordance with the ICEERS (The International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research & Service) guide, "Towards better Ayahuasca Practices", to ensure that participants are properly prepared, educated, and informed.  We also provide a private, online Pre-program Preparation Session on how to prepare for your retreat, immersion, or private ayahuasca ceremony and to discuss medical conditions, medications, and your personalized treatment plan.

• We provide comprehensive medical guidelines, retreat diet guidelines, ceremony diet and preparation guidelines regarding what to expect and how to best prepare for your retreat, immersion, or private ayahuasca ceremony.

• We have an emergency protocol in place for any medical emergency that may arise, which includes 24-hour transport to a private health clinic or hospital in Cusco (a 45-minute journey)​.

• We have excellent cell network coverage at our Center in case of emergency​​.

• We serve pure, traditional ayahuasca brew – containing only the Ayahuasca and Chacruna plants - with no admixtures (admixtures are additional components that can cause complications and adverse reactions with participants)​.

• We limit our retreats, immersions, and private ayahuasca ceremonies to small, intimate groups with a maximum of 4 participants, which means there is a ratio of 1 ceremony leader to 2 participants at all times.

• We, the ceremony leaders, Michael and Jamie, are available 24/7 during your retreat, immersion, or private ayahuasca ceremony for care and support, no matter how big or small the need.  We are available before, during, and after ayahuasca ceremony to help participants process through their experiences.  After ayahuasca ceremony, we ensure that  everyone is feeling grounded, safe, stable, and secure.  Our home is adjacent to the Center and we provide you with walkie-talkies in your room, should you need us during the night.

• We provide a comprehensive Integration Package to ensure that you have all of the support you need to reintegrate back into your life at home, including post-ceremony Sharing & Integration Circles and private Post-program Integration Sessions.  We also host a free, monthly online Sharing & Integration Circle community via Zoom video-call that is accessible to all participants.

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TRAUMA-INFORMED STANDARDS OF CARE:

 

• We facilitate every retreat, immersion,  private ayahuasca ceremony and private bufo alvarius ceremony with an emphasis on the following trauma-informed care tenets: safety; choice/agency; collaboration; trustworthiness; peer support and mutual self-help; and empowerment.

• We recognize the complex nature and effects of trauma, and we promote resilience and healing.

• We recognize and teach qualities, skills, and tools that allow people to overcome the most devastating trauma, and not just survive, but evolve into higher densities of experience and find new purpose and meaning in their lives.

• We provide a "3-point process" for trauma screening of all participants, ensuring that we have a clear and comprehensive understanding of a participant´s trauma history and encouraging normalization and disclosure of trauma as a powerful act of healing.

• We provide a balance of male and female facilitation and a coherence of masculine and feminine energy in our interactions and engagements with participants during our ayahuasca retreats. Bufo Alvarius private ceremonies are faciliated solely by Michael.

• We cultivate and maintain "professional distance" at all times during retreat, immersion, or private ayahuasca ceremony, meaning that all interactions and engagements with participants occur within the appropriate work environment and context, as the participant´s care and support needs are our sole focus.

• In all activities, ayahuasca ceremonies, and additional medicinal plant treatments, when physical touch is perceived to be necessary, we always state the purpose and obtain consent or permission from the participant before engaging or interacting with physical touch.

• We share in-depth information about what you can expect in regards to all activities, ayahuasca ceremonies, and additional medicinal plant treatments.

• All activities, ayahuasca ceremonies, and additional medicinal plant treatments on retreat and immersion are absolutely voluntary, and it is each participant´s free will choice to participate.

• Participants are provided with clear guidelines about their rights and responsibilities in the Ayahuasca Retreat Terms & Conditions of Purchase and the Ceremony Terms & Conditions of Purchase and Bufo Alvarius Terms & Conditions of Purchase

• We clearly communicate, respect, and adhere to our own interpersonal and professional boundaries, and we mutually inquire about, respect, and adhere to the expressed interpersonal and professional boundaries of our participants.

• We actively support, guide, and encourage participants to access and utilize their own internal wisdom and personal experience to strengthen their own inner authority.

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PROFESSIONAL ETHICS & CONDUCT:

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• At Casa Galactica, we say in Spanish that, "El pasajero es primero."  This translates to,"The participant is of primary importance."  This means that all employees, apprentices, staff, volunteers, and participants who participate in our retreats are to behave in a professional manner that places the highest safety, health, healing, and well-being of the participants above all else.  This also means that every interaction, engagement, conversation, and healing session with the participants are to be entered into with kindness, compassion, respect, love, and professionalism.  The following behaviors are considered unprofessional, will not be tolerated by Casa Galactica, and will be considered grounds for termination of employment or expulsion from the retreat, immersion, or private ayahuasca ceremony: excessive cussing; using derogatory words or language; forcing a participant to take a medicine or participate in a talk/workshop; disrespecting others; threatening others; stealing; having sex; masturbating, exposing yourself, asking participants for money; engaging in "triangulation" dynamics; or any other unprofessional behavior.

• We commit to non-discrimination, and we do not exclude people from our retreats, immersions, private ayahuasca ceremonies, or employment on the basis of race, skin color, national or ethnic origin, cosmic origin, ancestry, age, religion or religious creed, disability or handicap, biological sex, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, genetic information, marital status, or any other discriminatory characteristic or reason.

• We have a zero tolerance policy for sexual harassment in any form.  Sexual harassment is harmful, constitutes discrimination, and is illegal.  For the purposes of this policy, “sexual harassment” is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.  Sexual harassment may include a range of subtle and not-so-subtle behaviors and may involve individuals of the same or different biological sex or gender. The following behaviors are considered sexual harassment, will not be tolerated by Casa Galactica, and will be considered grounds for termination of employment or expulsion from a retreat, immersion, or private ayahusca ceremony: unwanted romantic advances or propositions; unwanted sexual advances or requests for sexual favors; sexual jokes and innuendo; verbal abuse of a sexual nature; commentary about an individual’s body, sexual prowess, or sexual deficiencies; leering, whistling or touching; insulting or obscene comments or gestures; display of sexually suggestive objects or pictures; and other physical, verbal or visual conduct of a sexual nature.

• We also strictly prohibit any other harassment on the basis of any other discriminatory characteristic or reason. Under this policy, harassment is considered verbal, written, or physical conduct that denigrates or shows hostility, disdain, or aversion toward an individual on the basis of race, skin color, national or ethnic origin, cosmic origin, ancestry, age, religion or religious creed, disability or handicap, biological sex, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, genetic information, marital status, and that: a) has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive healing and/or work environment, b) has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s experience, healing process, or work performance, or c) otherwise adversely affects an individual’s healing and/or employment opportunities.  Harassing conduct includes epithets, slurs or negative stereotyping; micro-aggressions; threatening, intimidating or hostile acts; denigrating jokes and comments; and written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual or group that is placed on walls or elsewhere on the employer’s premises or circulated in the workplace, on company time, or on social media sites.

• All Casa Galactica employees, apprentices, staff, volunteers, and participants, and third parties are expected to join with and uphold these commitments to creating an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment.

• Casa Galactica will take all available steps to promptly, thoroughly, and impartially investigate and address reports of discrimination, including discriminatory harassment and other harassing misconduct, by and against our participants, employees, apprentices, staff, and volunteers.

 

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COVID-19 PROTOCOLS AYAHUASCA RETREATS:

 

• Each participant is required to understand, agree, and adhere to Peru´s COVID-19 rules, laws, and regulations for travel to, within, and from Peru.  Participants can visit the US Embassy in Peru to stay updated.

• Each participant will take a Covid-19 antigen rapid test upon arrival at our center for the ayahuasca retreat or immersion.

• Each participant will read and sign a Declaration of Health upon arrival at our center for the retreat, immersion, or private ayahuasca ceremony.

• We provide Covid-19 antigen rapid tests at the center on an as needed basis.

• We limit our retreats to a maximum of just 4 participants.

• It is at the sole discretion of each participant whether to wear a mask and practice social distancing, or not.  We strongly suggest that you continue to wash your hands regularly and use disinfectant spray.  You are asked to please respect and adhere to the expressed boundaries of all participants and Casa Galactica employees, apprentices, staff, and volunteers in regards to their preferred personal health practices.

• We provide a disinfectant plant spray, made with medical grade alcohol, in unlimited supply, for voluntary personal use for all of our participants.

• During retreats and immersions, we provide daily cleaning and disinfecting of your private room, shared bathrooms, public spaces, and kitchens.

• In the event that a participant gets sick and tests positive for Covid-19 during the retreat or immersion, or upon arrival to the retreat center, the infected participant will be relocated immediately to your own private room at another nearby lodging facility and required to self-quarantine for the duration of the retreat or immersion.  We will remain in contact with you via walkie talkie, check in regularly, provide ample drinking water, 3 meals per day to the room, and bring medication as needed.  In the event that a participant experiences a severe case of Covid-19, we will arrange an ambulance for transport to a local hospital or clinic in Cusco.  We will remain in contact with you throughout your hospital stay, coordinate with your emergency contact in your home country, and provide additional support as necessary.
  
  
  
  COVID-19 PROTOCOLS BUFO CEREMONY:
  
   

• Each participant will read and sign a Declaration of Health upon arrival at our center for your private Bufo Alvarius Ceremony and confirm that you have not been ill with Covid-19 within the last 14 days to be able to particpate in the Bufo ceremony.

 

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