My experience attending my second medicine retreat through Cale was nothing short of sacred. In three days I was amazed at how much transformation could come to the surface of my being. I was held in safe commmunity with intention, presence, and loving awareness. I learnt plenty of my self, right- relation, and plant medicine through an experienced Shaman and helpful allies. I felt the perfect balance of structure and freedom- completely at ease to rest, play, and integrate my experience. Three months later I find myself in Peru, a doorway that was opened from my time in the retreat that continues to guide me in beauty. I look forward to my return & reccomend this opportunity to anyone who feels called.
Mya C.
Healing is hard! So hard! Going into my 3rd ayahuasca ceremony, I knew what to expect…boy, was I wrong. I found a place more full of love, kindness, and the most compassionate support I’ve ever experienced. Previous ceremonies have been difficult for me. Full of fear, pain, and a new sense of trauma. Lakeborn Retreats is a beautiful balance of doing the work of healing and relaxing to a new level of unwind.
Give yourself this gift! An unforgettable experience that you will carry in your soul throughout a lifetime…and beyond! You deserve it! Much love to Lakeborn Retreats!
Hannah M.
I was nervous going into my first ceremony because I wasn’t sure what to expect of my journey that awaited me. During my time at the retreat, I’ve never felt more comfortable and supported with the group of people that surrounded me.
Ashley S.
I vomited three ceremonies in a row. 10/10 would do again.
Anon
Being in the medicine is not a silver bullet, but Lakeborn gives you one of the best opportunities to rediscover who you are. It's a truly unique experience provided by some of the biggest hearts out there.
Spencer S.
After traveling across the country, it was great to feel genuinely welcomed and deeply cared for by Cale’s team.
From the food and setting, to the thoughtful support around integration and processing, their intentionality shown through.
And under Mark’s guidance and care during the ceremonies,I felt safe, held, and respected every step of the way, even as a first-timer coming into this work.
- Lenny B.
This retreat was a truly beautiful and transformative experience for me. It took place in a stunning location and was exceptionally well organized, with a thoughtful and well-balanced program.
Each day offered something different — breathwork, yoga classes, sound baths, an absolutely divine massage, delicious and nourishing food, and, of course, deep and meaningful work during the ceremonies.
I met so many wonderful, diverse, and inspiring people there, and I’m happy to say that I’m still in touch with some of them.
I felt deeply supported, safe, and cared for throughout the entire retreat. I’m incredibly grateful to Cale Matchett and Lakeborn Retreats for creating such a beautiful, intentional, and heart-opening experience. I would wholeheartedly recommend this retreat to anyone seeking deep inner work, connection, and renewal.
Olesya P.
I arrived at this retreat completely overwhelmed and emotionally raw. From the very first moment, I felt something shift. I was seen, truly heard, and held in a way that felt deeply loving and safe. There was an immediate sense of peace in the environment itself: warm, gentle, and welcoming. Like I could finally exhale.
The food was not only healthy and nourishing, but prepared with care and intention—you could feel it. The people drawn to this space were beautiful souls: open, kind, and genuine, which made the experience feel even more held and supported.
I’ll be honest—I didn’t want to participate in the yoga or the sound healings at first. But those practices turned out to be nothing short of magical and became an integral part of my healing. The nights were especially profound. I was supported and comforted through some extremely difficult discoveries, never feeling alone as I moved through them.
I will be eternally grateful that I was able to attend this retreat. It changed me. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking clarity, deep healing, or simply a more honest relationship with themselves.
Joyce H.
Having sat with Cale in multiple ceremonies, I can honestly say each experience has been deeply transcendental. He shows up fully; strong, grounded, and genuinely vulnerable. That presence directly shapes how the medicine unfolds. The way he holds space is both steady and compassionate, creating an environment of trust and openness for everyone in the room.
Sitting with the medicine with him, in such an intentional and beautiful space, was a true honor. You can feel the care, respect, and integrity woven into every part of the experience.
Felipe D.
I live in Mexico, and my friends were really surprised when I decided to go to Atlanta for my first Ayahuasca ceremony. For me, the “who” was more important than the “where.”
It was my first time and, to be honest, I was a little nervous. I will never regret my decision. Cale, the host, and Mark, the Shaman, made me feel at home. I felt safe, comfortable and protected every single moment.
Cale took care of every single detail, the food and the activities around the ceremony. And Mark went above and beyond to help every one of us. Both of them understand the importance and seriousness of this ceremony and they really care about the people there, every single one.
The whole experience was unforgettable, enriching, intimate and helpful. I couldn't get tired of recommending Lakeborn. You might arrive as a guest, but for sure, you´ll leave the retreat being part of a new family.
Andrea C.
TESTIMONIALS
a message FROM GASPAR
A fundamental part of our teaching is to share our natural and traditional way of living in complete harmony with Mother Earth, which is the logical result of the proper use of the master plants.
The people who guide this work with medicinal plants have many years of experience in the use of master plants and in the study of the human psyche.
We work with the most ancient tradition of healing through medicinal plants. Our ceremonies are conducted in the traditional way.
Our first expressions of gratitude are to the teachers Xawan Beso and Barrin Mane, who instructed us in the art of sacred medicine that we call ayahuasca.
GET TO KNOW GASPAR
My name is Gaspar Rengifo. I am a curandero and teacher. I work independently with medicinal plants, using master plants such as ayahuasca and others from the Amazon that we cultivate in our medicinal garden.
We use these plants to treat people with all kinds of illnesses, as well as those who are on a spiritual path or in spiritual search.
Ayahuasca is a sacred plant. In ancient times, curanderos and elder masters called it “the television of the forest.” Through it, they healed people in their communities and accessed visions to know how hunting and crops would unfold, or to predict the weather.
Today, ayahuasca is used for therapeutic purposes. I also have the proper preparation to guide a session in extreme situations or during a patient’s crisis.
To be a curandero implies a process of initiation and learning. One never finishes learning to be a curandero, because every experience is a new teaching.
There are different traditional ways to prepare ayahuasca. Traditionally, its vine is mixed with chacruna, the plant that produces the visions.
Today, many people see ayahuasca as a drug, when in reality it is a visionary plant that allows us to enter into ourselves. It shows us how we are internally and emotionally. When working specifically on these levels, a person may enter a state of crisis, crying or desperation, because they relive vividly experiences that deeply marked them.
It is the plant that brings out the pain stored in the unconscious and releases it in some way—through crying, screaming, or vomiting. Only after this release can the person move beyond that state.
It is important that after each experience, the patient speaks with the shaman or teacher, so they can be helped to interpret their visions.
Before drinking ayahuasca, it is always required to cleanse the body, follow a dieta with foods without salt or sugar, and maintain sexual abstinence. The purging vomiting prior to the session frees us from toxins and accumulated disharmonious energies in the body.
My grandparents and my parents, before they passed, prepared me and taught me that I must follow this path and abandon many things in life. I trained through dietas and abstinence, maintaining up to a year of austerity in many aspects.
My parents were my teachers. They taught me what true medicine is—how to heal people through the ícaro, or healing song, applied to the areas where the patient has physical pain or energetic burdens. This is how illness or harmful energies are removed from a person.
When one wishes to go deeper into oneself, this is what happens with the medicine of ayahuasca.
Ready to Heal?
