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Among the Ashaninka both the drink made from ayuaska and the ritual are called kamarãpi (vomiting, to vomit). The ceremony is always held at night and can last until dawn. An Ashaninka may consume the infusion alone, with his family or invite a group of friends. Generally however the encounters comprise small groups of five or six people. The kamarãpi is characterized by respect and silence, in strong contrast to the animated festivities of the piyarentsi ritual. Communication among participants is minimal and only singing, inspired by the drink, breaks the silence of the night. Unlike the piyarentsi, these sacred songs of the kamarãpi are unaccompanied by any musical instrument. They allow the Ashaninka to communicate with the spirits, thanking and paying homage to Pawa.

The kamarãpi is a gift of Pawa who left them the drink so that the Ashaninka could acquire knowledge and learn how one should live on Earth. The answers to all the questions of mankind are accessible through shamanic learning, acquired through regular and repeated consumption of the drink over the course of many years. The training of a shaman (sheripiari) is however never seen as complete. Whilst his experience confers respect and credibility, he is always learning. It is through kamarãpi that the sheripiari undertakes his journeys to other worlds and acquires the knowledge to treat the misfortunes and illnesses that affect the community.

A cure obtained by means of kamarãpi is only effective for native illnesses, generally caused by witchcraft. The Ashaninka are only able to combat ‘white illnesses’ with the help of manufactured remedies.

The piyarentsi on the other hand has a markedly more festive dimension, although it also possesses economic, political and religious aspects. The ritual constitutes the main avenue for sociability and social interaction among families. During the piyarentsi everything is discussed: marriages, arguments, hunting trips, problems with brancos, projects and so on.

In Apiwtxa the holding of one or more piyarentsi occurs with great frequency, usually at the weekends. The invitation to drink has the character of a social obligation and to refuse is considered an offence. After relying on her husband to dig up the manioc, the wife is solely responsible for preparation of the drink.

Once peeled, washed and boiled, the manioc (kaniri) is placed in a large wooden trough (intxatonaki) where it is broken up with a wooden tool (intxapatari). A small portion is placed in the mouth and chewed until it acquires the consistency of paste, at which point it is thrown back into the trough. This process is repeated with all the manioc. The trough is then covered with banana leaves and the paste is left to ferment for one to three days. The invitation is generally given by the husband who goes from house to house informing all the other household heads that there will be a piyarentsi.

All the Ashaninka in the village take part in the festivities and consume vast quantities of piyarentsi. On these occasions getting drunk is always the objective and a source of pride. The men demonstrate their physical strength by drinking day and night, going from house to house without sleeping. At the height of their intoxication the Ashaninka play music, dance and laugh. They say that they take part in piyarentsi to pay homage to Pawa, who enjoys seeing his children happy. It was during a piyarentsi ceremony that Pawa called his children together, got them drunk and carried out great transformations before leaving the Earth and ascending to the heavens (Mendes 1991: 108).

Nowadays although contact with national society has given rise to new rituals in the form of community meetings, it is still at the piyarentsi that internal and external politics are strengthened. In addition to discussing the everyday business of the community, at the piyarentsi the Ashaninka discuss their projects and build the awareness of relatives recently arrived from Peru, explaining with pride the history of the community and its organization.