# Why I Traded My Corporate Suit for Plant Medicine in the Amazon (And You Might Want To Consider It Too) **Related Articles:** [Journey Within: Exploring the Transformative Power of Ayahuasca Ceremonies](https://abletonventures.com/journey-within-exploring-the-transformative-power-of-ayahuasca-ceremonies-in-peru/) | [Why Peru Should Be on Every Traveller's Bucket List](https://thetraveltourism.com/why-peru-should-be-on-every-travelers-bucket-list/) | [Iquitos and the Ayahuasca Gold Rush](https://www.travelpleasing.com/iquitos-and-the-ayahuasca-gold-rush-what-nobody-tells-you/) Three months ago, I was the bloke in the corner office making six figures, popping antacids like Tic Tacs, and wondering why my expensive business degree felt about as useful as a chocolate teapot. Today, I'm writing this from a hammock in Iquitos, Peru, having just completed my third ayahuasca ceremony in as many weeks. Before you roll your eyes and mutter something about another midlife crisis, hear me out. ## The Breakdown That Led to the Breakthrough I've spent the better part of fifteen years climbing the corporate ladder in Melbourne, consulting for companies that shall remain nameless (but let's just say they're household names in the mining sector). The money was good. The stress was extraordinary. The meaning? Virtually non-existent. The final straw came during a particularly brutal quarterly review where I realised I'd been using the same PowerPoint template for three years straight, just swapping out client names and adjusting percentages. That night, I found myself googling "spiritual retreats Peru" at 2 AM while nursing my fourth whisky. Six weeks later, I was on a plane to Lima. ## Why Peru? Why Not Bali or Byron Bay? Everyone's doing meditation retreats in Bali these days. It's become as commercialised as Starbucks, frankly. Peru, specifically the Amazon region around Iquitos, offers something different entirely. This isn't your Instagram-friendly wellness tourism - it's the real deal. The indigenous shamans here have been working with ayahuasca for centuries, not decades. There's a authenticity you simply can't find in the sanitised retreat centres popping up everywhere else. When you're [discovering ayahuasca retreats in Iquitos](https://topvacationtravel.com/discovering-ayahuasca-retreats-in-iquitos-peru/), you're not just booking a holiday - you're signing up for a complete recalibration of your perspective. And let's be honest about something else: the cost. What you'd pay for a weekend wellness retreat in the Blue Mountains will get you two weeks of intensive ceremony work in Peru. The exchange rate alone makes it accessible to people who aren't trust fund babies. ## The Reality Check Nobody Talks About Here's what the glossy travel blogs won't tell you about [ayahuasca retreat healing in the Peruvian Amazon](https://usawire.com/ayahuasca-retreat-healing-in-the-peruvian-amazon-a-journey-to-inner-transformation/): it's not pleasant. At all. The first ceremony had me questioning every life choice I'd made since primary school. I spent four hours convinced I was going to die, followed by two hours convinced I was already dead, followed by a complete ego dissolution that felt like being put through a cosmic blender. Would I do it again? Absolutely. The second ceremony was different. Less terror, more revelation. I saw my entire career path laid out like a board game, and suddenly understood why I'd been so miserable. The third ceremony? Pure bliss. Like every neuron in my brain had been rewired for optimism. But here's the thing - and this is where I might lose some of you - I genuinely believe ayahuasca should be legal everywhere. Not regulated to death like cannabis in some Australian states, but properly legal with appropriate safeguards. The therapeutic potential is extraordinary, and the fact that we're forcing people to travel to South America for this kind of healing is frankly barbaric. ## The Iquitos Experience: Gritty, Authentic, Life-Changing Iquitos isn't pretty. It's hot, humid, and smells like a combination of fish markets and diesel fuel. The infrastructure is... let's call it "rustic." But there's something magical about a city that exists entirely because of the river that surrounds it. I stayed at three different retreat centres during my month here, and each offered something unique. The first was run by a local shaman who spoke exactly four words of English but somehow communicated more wisdom in those four words than most business consultants manage in hour-long presentations. The second centre catered more to international visitors. They had proper bathrooms and meals that wouldn't terrify the average Westerner. Sometimes you need that transition space. The third centre was where everything clicked. Small group, experienced facilitators, and a setting so remote you could hear the jungle breathing at night. ## What This Means for Business (Yes, Really) You might wonder what plant medicine has to do with corporate consulting. Everything, as it turns out. The biggest problem I see in Australian businesses isn't lack of strategy or poor systems - it's disconnected leadership. Executives who've lost touch with their intuition, their purpose, and frankly, their humanity. They're making decisions from spreadsheets instead of wisdom. After working with ayahuasca, I can spot these disconnected leaders from across a boardroom. They're the ones obsessing over quarterly metrics while their teams burn out beneath them. They're optimising for efficiency while their company culture dies a slow death. This isn't new-age nonsense. This is practical business intelligence. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs I know have done this work. They just don't talk about it at networking events because it makes people uncomfortable. But privately? They'll tell you it transformed their decision-making capabilities. ## The Integration Challenge Coming back to Australia has been the hardest part. You can't exactly put "plant medicine ceremonies" on your LinkedIn profile or mention it during client meetings. The cognitive dissonance is real. I've been back in Melbourne for six weeks now, and I'm slowly rebuilding my consulting practice with a completely different approach. Instead of selling efficiency improvements and cost-cutting strategies, I'm helping companies rediscover their purpose and reconnect with their values. Sounds fluffy? My first client increased employee retention by 40% and saw their customer satisfaction scores jump by 23 points. When leadership operates from clarity instead of fear, everything improves. ## The Practical Stuff If you're seriously considering this path, here's what I wish someone had told me: Book at least two weeks. One week isn't enough to process what you'll experience. Three weeks is ideal if you can manage it. The first ceremony opens the door, the second teaches you how to walk through it, and subsequent ceremonies help you integrate the lessons. Research your retreat centre thoroughly. There are cowboys operating in this space, just like any other industry. Look for places with experienced facilitators, medical support, and proper integration programmes. Prepare mentally and physically. This isn't a holiday. Come with specific intentions about what you want to address or understand about yourself. Budget for the full experience, including flights, accommodation, and some recovery time when you return. You'll need it. Most importantly, don't expect to come back and slot seamlessly into your old life. You won't be the same person who left, and that's exactly the point. ## The Bottom Line I'm not suggesting everyone should quit their jobs and drink ayahuasca in the Amazon. But I am suggesting that if you're feeling stuck, disconnected, or like you're sleepwalking through your professional life, traditional solutions might not be enough. Sometimes you need to travel 15,000 kilometres and sit with plant medicine in the jungle to remember who you actually are beneath all the roles and expectations and quarterly targets. Will I go back? Definitely. Am I a better consultant because of this experience? Without question. Am I insufferably preachy about plant medicine now? Probably. Do I care? Not particularly. The work continues, both in boardrooms and jungle clearings. And honestly, they're not as different as you might think. --- *The author completed his ayahuasca ceremonies at licensed retreat centres in Peru. This article reflects personal experience and should not be considered medical or legal advice. Always consult healthcare professionals before considering plant medicine work.*