Temple of the Way of Light

What Temple of the Way of Light does

Temple of the Way Light is a private, for-profit social enterprise that operates one of the longest-running ayahuasca retreat centers in the Peruvian Amazon, founded in 2007 by Matthew Watherston and co-led with Klara Soukalova. The company delivers multi-day plant-spirit healing programs led by an in-house team of advanced-level Shipibo Onanya master healers, with retreats ranging from 8 to 17 days and priced between $2,000 and $5,700 per guest. Programs are bundled to include private jungle bungalow accommodation, ceremonial sessions, floral and vapor plant baths, plant remedies, meals, individual consultations, and a 3-month online Integration Program with community access.

The business runs on a direct-to-consumer model sold exclusively through templeofthewayoflight.org and a retreat.guru booking interface, with guests required to complete a medical and psychological screening process before deposit and acceptance. The Temple is located on a 200-hectare site in the Loreto region, approximately two hours from Iquitos by boat and track, and operates more than 50 buildings across three eco-lodges, supported by permaculture and renewable-energy infrastructure. It employs roughly 70 people on average, including ~15 Shipibo healers and ~50 local staff, with a separate six-person administrative office in Iquitos.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The Temple markets its results with an observational research study (2015-2019) conducted with ICEERS and the Beckley Foundation, and operates a social enterprise model under which 100% of profits are reinvested into Indigenous-led initiatives through its sister nonprofit, the Chaikuni Institute (founded 2013, preceded by Alianza Arkana in 2011). The company has served over 10,000 guests from 33+ countries since inception and continues to publish retreat dates through 2027.

Name

Temple of the Way of Light

Legal name

Temple of the Way of Light

Website

https://templeofthewayoflight.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Temple of the Way of Light operates a traditional ayahuasca healing retreat center in the Peruvian Amazon, offering 8- to 17-day programs led by Shipibo master healers. Since 2007, it has served 10,000+ guests from 33+ countries through bundled retreats including ceremonies, accommodation, and integration support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wellness and Plant-Medicine Retreats

NAICS

Other Traveler Accommodation (72119), All Other Traveler Accommodation (721199), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Ayurveda & Traditional Medicine Retreats (THAGAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Holistic & Alternative Therapy Retreats (Naturopathy, Energy Work) (THAGAMAI), Ayurveda & Traditional Healing (Ayurvedic Retreats, Panchakarma, Herbal Therapies) (THAJAHAE), Rainforest & Jungle Lodges (THAAAHAD)

Keywords

• Ayahuasca retreat programs
• Plant medicine healing
• Shipibo shamanic ceremonies
• Amazon wellness retreats
• Integration and community support

Headquarters

HQ city

Iquitos

HQ country

Peru

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Ayahuasca Retreat Programs: Direct sales of ayahuasca retreat packages ranging from 8-day to 17-day programs. Retreats include accommodation in private bungalows, ceremonies, meals, plant baths, vapor baths, individual consultations, and integration support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Temple of the Way of Light sells multi-day ayahuasca healing retreats in the Peruvian Amazon, conducted by traditional Shipibo-Conibo Onanya (master healers). Retreat packages bundle private jungle bungalow accommodation, ayahuasca ceremonies, plant baths, vapor baths, plant remedies, meals, individual consultations, and a post-retreat 3-month integration program. Pricing per guest ranges from approximately $2,000 to $5,700 depending on program length and specialization (general, women's-only, or healthcare practitioners).

Product overview

Temple of the Way of Light offers traditional ayahuasca healing retreats in the Peruvian Amazon, centered on Shipibo plant-spirit shamanic healing traditions. The core product portfolio consists of multiple retreat programs: the 12-Day 'Living in Alignment' Ayahuasca Healing Retreat and 8-Day 'Stepping into Alignment' retreat as primary offerings; specialized women's retreats (8-day and 12-day variants); and the Healthcare Practitioners retreat designed for medical professionals. All retreats are led by authentic Shipibo-Konibo healers (Onanya/Onanyabo). The Temple provides a bundled offering model where retreats include accommodation in private jungle bungalows, all meals, ceremonies, floral baths, plant remedies, and integration support. A key add-on is the 3-Month Temple Integration & Community Space—an online platform offering guided integration programming, monthly sharing circles, video teachings, and community access. The Temple also partners with Shipibo Rao for extended Traditional Plant Dietas. Pricing ranges from $2,960 (8-day) to $5,500 (Healthcare Practitioners), with all retreats including comprehensive preparation and integration support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stepping into Alignment: 8-Day Ayahuasca Healing Retreat

Quantifiable outcome

• Highly significant improvements in long-term well-being and quality of life demonstrated in research study with ICEERS and Beckley Foundation (2015-2019)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ICEERS (International Center for Ethnobotanical Research, Education, and Service)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Collaborated with ICEERS on a long-term observational research study conducted between 2015 and 2019. The study demonstrated that ayahuasca healing at the Temple provides highly significant improvements in long-term well-being and quality of life, as well as in anxiety, depression, grief, and PTSD. The Temple was the first plant medicine center to collaborate with ICEERS in establishing widely accepted standards for participant screening and evaluation in ayahuasca retreats.
• Beckley FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Collaborated with the Beckley Foundation on a long-term observational research study between 2015 and 2019. The study documented unprecedented results demonstrating the effectiveness of ayahuasca healing at the Temple.
• Chaikuni InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister nonprofit organization founded by the Temple in 2013. Chaikuni Institute focuses on permaculture, regenerative agriculture, environmental justice, human rights, and intercultural education. The Temple's second center hosts Chaikuni Institute's permaculture and regenerative agriculture program. 100% of Temple profits support Indigenous-led initiatives through this organization and its predecessor Alianza Arkana (2011-2014).
• Shipibo RaominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealing center run by Maestro Jose Lopez Sanchez near Pucallpa. The Temple supports Maestro Jose's plant spirit dietas at Shipibo Rao, offering 14-day traditional plant dietas working in the Shipibo tradition. Maestro Jose is one of the Temple's healers who occasionally works at the Temple but is mainly focused on his own center.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Soltara Healing Center: Plant-medicine retreat center offering ayahuasca ceremonies in Costa Rica (and previously Peru) with a similar Shipibo-curated model, multi-day retreat format, and integration program. Directly comparable in offering, target customer, and price point to Temple of the Way of Light.
• Rythmia Life Advancement Center: Costa Rica-based luxury ayahuasca and plant-medicine retreat with all-inclusive pricing, medical oversight, and integration programming. Competes directly with Temple of the Way of Light for international wellness travelers seeking multi-day plant-medicine experiences.
• Nihue Rao Spiritual Center: Peruvian Amazon ayahuasca center led by Shipibo maestro Ricardo Amaringo, offering multi-day ceremonies in the same Iquitos region. Operates the same traditional Shipibo healing model with comparable retreat lengths and pricing.
• Ayahuasca Foundation: Nonprofit plant-medicine organization running ayahuasca retreats in Iquitos, Peru, with a focus on traditional Shipibo healing and Indigenous community reinvestment—directly comparable to Temple of the Way of Light's mission and operating geography.
• Arkana Spiritual Center: Peruvian Amazon ayahuasca and plant-medicine retreat in Iquitos offering multi-day programs with Shipibo healers and integration support. Same geography, similar target audience, and similar Shipibo lineage-based offerings.
• Spirit Vine Retreats: Brazil-based ayahuasca retreat center offering traditional ceremonies with indigenous facilitators in a residential setting. Comparable multi-day plant-medicine retreat model with international clientele and integration focus.
• Gaia Sagrada Retreat: Ecuador-based ayahuasca and San Pedro retreat center offering traditional plant-medicine ceremonies in a multi-day residential setting. Targets the same international wellness-seeker segment with similar pricing and program structure.
• The Hummingbird Ayahuasca Healing Center: Peruvian Amazon ayahuasca retreat center operating near Iquitos with Shipibo healers and traditional ceremonies, offering comparable retreat lengths and integration support to Temple of the Way of Light.

Emerging players

• Beckley Retreats: Mexico-based psychedelic retreat program affiliated with the Beckley Foundation (a research partner of Temple of the Way of Light). Offers psilocybin and other plant-medicine retreats grounded in research—adjacent offering competing for the same scientific-wellness clientele.

Others

• Chaikuni Institute: Sister nonprofit organization founded by the Temple in 2013 focused on permaculture, Indigenous rights, and Amazon regeneration. Ecosystem partner rather than competitor, but operationally intertwined via shared leadership and shared site infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TempleoftheWayofLight
• Instagraminstagram.com/templeofthewayoflight
• Xx.com/totwol
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/temple-of-the-way-of-light

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Temple of the Way of Light