Our Marakame’s first language is Wixárika (also known as Huichol), the Uto-Aztecan language of his people. He also speaks Spanish as a second language.

Translation will be available to make all information available in English and Spanish for our participants.

Everyone attending the ceremony will be served the medicine. How much you take is entirely up to you. You are welcome to take as much or as little as you like.

Folks who have heat intolerance, claustrophobia, or other contraindication to the sweat lodge are of course welcome to sit outside of the temazcal during the ceremony. You’re also welcome to sit by the door and exit the temazcal at any point during the ceremony; nobody will be offended if you don’t stay for the whole ceremony.

The active chemical in peyote is mescaline. Anecdotally, we haven’t seen any harmful interactions between mescaline and most antidepressant drugs, although people who are taking Monoamine Oxidate Inhibitors (MAOis), anti-psychotics, or mood stabilizers should not consume peyote. Please consult your prescribing physician for guidance.

We recommend that people with heart conditions and other fragile states consult with their doctors before consuming peyote.

The active chemical in hikuri is mescaline.

We recommend that people with heart conditions and other fragile states consult with their doctors before consuming hikuri.

People with the following conditions may not be good candidates for using mescaline:

Cardiovascular Issues: Mescaline can increase heart rate and blood pressure, making hikuri particularly risky for individuals with pre-existing heart conditions, hypertension, or a history of stroke.

Mental Health Disorders: People with schizophrenia, psychosis, severe anxiety, or bipolar disorder may experience exacerbated symptoms or adverse psychological reactions, including hallucinations, paranoia, and delusions.

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: The effects of mescaline on a developing fetus or nursing infant are not well understood. While indigenous women regularly consume hikuri, there are no clinical studies proving the safety of this practice.

Liver Conditions: Mescaline is metabolized in the liver, so individuals with liver disease or impaired liver function may experience heightened adverse effects or toxicity.

Medication Interactions: Hikuri can interact with various medications. Talk with your prescribing doctor for details.

Seizure Disorders: Individuals with epilepsy or other seizure disorders may be at increased risk of seizures due to the psychoactive effects of mescaline.

The Marakame regularly goes on pilgrimmage to the Wirikuta Desert to make offerings, plant seeds, and harvest medicine. When he cuts the hikuri cactus, he is careful to leave the root structure in place, so that the plant may regenerate.

He then dries and grinds the medicine into powder, and combines the powder with other batches he has harvested. This means the medicine we take during the retreat will include some cacti he harvested last year, 10 years ago, and everything inbetween.

The Marakame has received permission from his community to share the medicine with our group.

In return, Right to Heal is partnering with the community to purchase land in the Wirikuta desert, so that the medicine cacti growing there may be protected from the harms of the encroaching mining industry.

People of all skin colors and ethnic backgrounds are welcome at our ceremonies. The Marakame is happy to share this medicine “with my brothers and sisters of all cultures,” as he says.

Yes, this retreat is legal.

Article 195 bis of the Federal Penal Code respects the use of hikuri for traditional spiritual practices or ceremonies when administered by authorized indigenous medicine carriers. The Marakame who will be leading the hikuri ceremony has this official permission (with documentation), as well as the blessing of his community.

Because our profits go entirely to the Wixarika community, we are not in a position to offer discounts or scholarships to this event.

To stay within legal requirements, the retreat fee does not include the substance itself.

The medicine is transported, handled, and administered by a local curandero or Marakame. This is required by Mexican law.

Credit card processing companies also cannot by law process payments for this substance.

Therefore, we ask that you bring cash (in USD or pesos) and plan to make a separate, donation for the substance itself. Nobody will be turned away for inability to pay.

Right to Heal (RTH) is a non-demnominational, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to integrative mental health. 

We provide people around the world with virtual sessions to help them reclaim their mental and physical health. We also mentor doctors and industry developers on what’s new in the field and what works.

RTH is proud to host plant medicine retreats throughout the year, including retreats that feature psilocybin-containing mushrooms, ketamine, and hikuri.

While the scope of RTH’s education, empowerment, and advocay work includes psychedelic medicines, RTH does not exclusively focus on psychedelics. Nutrition, functional medicine, environmental influences, and lifestyle practices are all at the center of RTH’s mission.

Drop us a line at retreats [at] righttoheal [dot] com with questions.

Please note that our email address has two T’s next to each other!

After applying to join us, we’ll schedule a 15-minute meet-and-greet video call, so you’ll also have time to ask questions then.