Mark

My recent journey at Our Heart Centre with Angy-Lee, Gina, and the whole team was truly transformative. This was my second Ayahuasca retreat, and it was nothing short of life-changing. From the compassionate support to the calm professionalism they displayed, Angy-Lee, Gina, and Paul created a space where I felt truly safe, guided, and understood.

Their profound insight and gentle encouragement were invaluable during some of the most intense moments of my journey. I experienced a powerful sense of rebirth, clarity, and connection that I am still processing and will carry forward for a lifetime. I can’t thank them enough for the kindness and wisdom they bring to this work; it is rare to find people so dedicated to healing others with such authenticity and respect.

For anyone considering a deeper dive into self-discovery, Our Heart Centre provides a sate, nurturing space to explore and heal in ways you can hardly imagine. Thank you, Angy-Lee, Gina, Paul, and everyone at Our Heart Centre, for giving me this incredible gift of transformation.

Makgabo

My friends and family have always come to me for advice. I’ve always been eager to help, but after the ayahuasca ceremony I feel like I give better advice

Ayanda

Our heart center is my home away from home. It’s a safe place to express yourself fully and freely. They are so welcoming, friendly and supportive. Angie-Lee and her team are the best.❤️

Khauhelo

My Ayahuasca Retreat Journey : Tree of Life July 18th to 20th 2025.

I first heard about ayahuasca back in 2015. Some colleagues shared their experiences of plant medicine — encounters with entities, visions of snakes, and other strange imagery. Their stories fascinated me, and from that moment I felt a deep curiosity about ayahuasca. I wanted to know what it would be like to experience it myself.

Nearly a decade passed before I could actually take that step. In 2024, my curiosity returned and I began looking into retreats, but most were abroad and too expensive. By early 2025, however, the pull had grown stronger. In February and March, I asked around to see if I could find a retreat locally, but nothing came of it.

Then in March, just after wrapping up a major project, I fell ill. My left side weakened — my hand and leg almost paralyzed. It was frightening, as if my body was warning me not to ignore the signs any longer. That health scare forced me to reflect on my life, my choices, and the kind of healing I truly needed.

In April, during my illness, I held a thanksgiving for my ancestors on my birthday and later felt the urge to visit their graves in May. Then in June, almost out of nowhere, I began a long water fast. Around the same time, thoughts of ayahuasca came back strongly, along with my search for life’s deeper meaning. I knew I needed something different. I felt the call of plant medicine.

So, I began doing my own research of local ayahuasca retreats — and that’s when I discovered Our Heart Center in Midrand. They were offering a two-night ayahuasca weekend retreat in July. It felt like a calling. The timing felt perfect, as if everything had lined up for me. I immediately sent them a request and enquired about the upcoming retreats. When I applied, I learned the retreat was already full for the July weekend, as places were limited. I was placed on standby, but miraculously, someone dropped out — and I was in.

By then, I had already started following the dieta and lifestyle changes usually recommended before an ayahuasca journey, without even realizing it. It felt as if the universe had been guiding my preparation.

I had been carrying so much pain: I lost my father in 2020, and from 2022 to 2024, each June brought the devastating loss of a nephew — three young lives gone, one after another. Then, in January 2025, I lost one of my closest friends, someone I never imagined I would bury so soon. His passing shattered me. Alongside these personal losses, I was also navigating a toxic work environment. On the surface, my career looked successful, but behind the scenes, it felt as though life was tearing me apart. I knew I needed a different kind of healing. Something beyond what I had tried before.

And so I surrendered to the whispers of plant medicine that kept calling me. I was both excited and scared of the journey ahead.

Preparation

Before attending, we were asked to follow a dieta, complete questionnaires, and do certain practices to help us understand plant medicine and its sacred purpose. Part of the preparation included meditation, journaling, recording dreams, and humming. These steps, though they might not make sense at first, prepare your body, mind, and spirit for the medicine. They create the foundation for a meaningful retreat.

Friday Night – First Ayahuasca Ceremony

When the day finally came, I was the first to arrive at Our Heart Center. The place immediately struck me as mystical and serene. I felt ready to face my fears and open myself to healing. I was warmly welcomed by Gina, and soon met Angy – Lee and other facilitators — Marco, Andrew, and Paul. One by one, fellow participants arrived — some from across the country, and even as far as Spain. It became clear that we had all been called to this sacred place at this exact time, gathered for a healing of special purpose.

That night, Angy – Lee gave us a detailed briefing. She reminded us to come with open minds, to expect the unexpected, and to trust the medicine. She explained that some people encounter entities, snakes, or beings from other realms. Others shake, cry, or purge. Each journey is unique.

Inside the sacred ceremony room, shoes were left outside. We sat on our mattresses, shared our intentions, and offered prayers. Then, one by one, we approached the altar to receive our cup of Mother Ayahuasca from Angy – Lee. The ceremony had begun.

About 30 minutes in, my journey started. My body began moving and shaking, especially on the left side. My feet stamped the ground, my shoulders trembled, and my joints vibrated uncontrollably. At one point, my legs kicked like a galloping horse. It felt as if waves of energy were flowing through me, repairing and awakening every part of my body.

As I surrendered to the medicine, music became my guide. Each note of the piano, each strum of the guitar, each beat of the drum, each song — whether in Spanish, Italian, English, or any of our many official languages — moved through me like a current. The melodies pulled something deep out of me. My head shook violently, my stomach tightened, and every joint was jolted awake. I could feel the medicine searching inside me, finding wounds, and directing itself to places in need of healing.

Throughout it all, Angy – Lee, Gina, Marco, Paul, and Andrew were present. They sang, drummed, and held the space. Their voices — angelic, reassuring, and deeply intentional — worked hand in hand with the medicine.

By the end of the first night, I felt lighter, peaceful, and renewed. I had purged, released, and journeyed for eight long hours. Even when I could not sleep, someone was always there watching over me. That night, I encountered my ancestors. They surrounded me and told me they were proud of me. The pain in my left foot was gone. Something profound had shifted.

Saturday – San Perdro & Second Ayahuasca Ceremony

During the day on Saturday, we participated in a the sacrament of San Pedro, Changa and an inner workshop with maternal and paternal healing exercises. It brought up deep emotions, many tears, and more release. Bonds were healed. Memories revisited.

That evening, the second ayahuasca ceremony began. This time, I thought it would be gentler, but that was not the case.

The night began gently — my mother appeared to me, smiling radiantly. She told me she was proud of me. I also had a deep conversation with my higher self — sometimes even an argument. In the end, we agreed to listen to each other and I was reminded that I am enough, that I am gifted. That revelation alone broke something open in me.

Downloads of wisdom poured through me so many messages — about work, passions I had forgotten, revisiting childhood dreams and talents, relationships and the need to open my heart to love, to repair and strengthen it, to stop people-pleasing and shrinking myself to make others comfortable. I was reminded of who I truly am — a leader. And many other revelations.

My ancestors appeared again, giving me a thumbs up. Messages of healing came, even for my family members.

At one point, I drummed my stomach with my hands to the rhythm of the music, beating harder as the drumbeat rose. It felt like a primal release, an attempt to push out pain trapped inside. Angy – Lee and Gina gently intervened. They held my hands and, with compassion, Angy – Lee whispered: “My brother, you are hurting yourself. We don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

In that moment, something in me broke open. With their hands holding mine, I cried the loudest cry I had released in decades — a cry as deep as the one I let out when my aunt passed away three decades ago. It was a cry of grief, pain, and release. They held me with such tenderness, like angels assuring me it was safe to let go, safe to heal. That cry became a turning point. I could finally release the weight I had been carrying and embrace who I truly am — enough, loved, and seen.

Sunday – Closing and reflections and sharing.

By Sunday midday, the retreat came to a close. My journey with the medicine revealed that I had been carrying so much, and yet within me lies the capacity to heal, to create, and to live fully. Insights into life, love, creativity, herbs, and healing poured into me.

I returned changed — healed, peaceful, happy, and lighter. It was visible. People told me I looked different, as though a great weight had been lifted. Inside, I felt fearless and more in love with myself than ever before.

This retreat has healed me. It is only the beginning of a greater journey with plant medicine. Our Heart Center, you have opened the door — showing me that there is so much more beyond what we think we know. Plant medicine has given me the push to step into the unknown, and I am ready. I walk lighter and freer, healed by the medicine that opened my heart; in releasing the past, I have embraced my true self — whole, seen, and enough.

Deep gratitude to Angy – Lee and the team for holding us with such care — you truly are family.

Post Retreat

A few days after the retreat, I found myself at the mall, waiting for a cab. In my head, music was playing, and without thinking, I began to dance — freely, joyfully, without a care for who might be watching. The old me would have felt self-conscious, shrinking back and worrying about judgment. But the new me? He was dancing — fearless, joyful, unapologetic. This is who I have become: someone lighter, freer, and ready to spread joy in the world.