RETURN TO THE WOMB

Deeply in tune with the natural world and a humble steward of the Earth, Andrea brings a nurturing and grounding energy to all aspects of her work. She is passionate about helping folks reconnect with the Earth and with themselves through a variety of earth-based modalities, like herbalism and pottery. She has been on a journey of self-discovery and healing with sacred plant medicines for seven years. Committed to holding space for others’ healing journeys, she has been holding space for plant medicine journeys for three years; with Wachuma in the Sacred Valley, and with Ayahuasca at Nimea Kaya Healing Center in Pucallpa. Dedicated to establishing authentic and lasting connections with the locals of this land, Andrea acts as our intercultural bridge between the Western world and the indigenous Shipibo & Quechua communities with whom we work.

Candace is a medicine woman, ecstatic dance DJ, and a trauma-informed space holder. She is trained in Kambô, Reiki, and Mayan womb massage. She is currently based in Peru but spends a few months each year traveling to other sacred parts of the world to more deeply immerse herself on a healing path with plant and animal medicines. For the past 5 years, Candace has been a facilitator at an Ayahuasca retreat center (Nimea Kaya) in Pucallpa, Peru, working closely with the Shipibo-Konibo and supporting people on their healing journey with this sacred medicine. Candace holds a deep reverence for sacred medicines; she gives gratitude to the indigenous peoples for being the guardians of this ancestral wisdom and for opening their hearts to us to help us heal and transform.

Ariel is a midwife of intimacy and connection, dedicated to walking with people back to their bodies, their hearts, and their souls. Ariel is trained as a sexological bodyworker, somatic sex educator, and psychedelic therapist; all in service of supporting people in their journey to sovereignty, embodiment, sexual wholeness, and freedom. She weaves together spiritual and western teachings, integrating the wisdom she receives from the consciousness of the medicines and elements she sits with and western knowledge on working with the nervous system and trauma. Ariel values pleasure and expanded states of consciousness as potent medicine with transformative potential. She walks the shamanic path in service to the earth and plant medicine.

Maestra Rosenda was born and raised in the Shipibo village of Santa Isabel de Bahuanisho, Ucayali and comes from a long line of healers in her family. After participating in ceremonies under the guidance of family members in her twenties, Maestra Rosenda felt called at the age of 30 to begin her dieta journey into shamanism and become a healer herself. She has since worked in multiple well-renowned Ayahuasca centers in Iquitos and Pucallpa. Maestra Rosenda is passionate about her ancestral roots in healing, and continues to diet many plants each year to expand her knowledge and healing abilities. With over 20 years of experience working with the ancestral medicine Ayahuasca, Maestra Rosenda brings a beautiful feminine energy to ceremony which permeates participants through her magical medicine songs.

Maria is Rosenda’s cousin, from the Limón Jena village outside of Pucallpa. Maria and her husband are both trained curanderos who have traveled to many countries offering healing ceremonies together. Like Rosenda, Maria also comes from a line of healers in her family and was raised to be a curandera by her father, Maestro Jorge Lopez, and her mother, Maestra Maria Gordon. At the age of 30, she went on to apprentice with Maestro Guillermo Arévalo where she first developed a relationship with Ayahuasca by cooking the medicine for a few years before doing her first dieta. With over 15 years of experience working with Ayahuasca, she continues to diet many plants of the Amazon to expand her wisdom, knowledge, and ability to heal. It is a privilege to go into ceremony with Maestra Maria and receive her beautifully-sung heartfelt medicine songs.

Suzanne’s connection with Peru began in 1985 when she moved to the country from Australia. Her gift of wisdom and insight has assisted many individuals to reconnect with themselves, their life purpose, and their dreams. She has a diverse background in healing, counseling, and teaching, which spans 30 years. She has been working with San Pedro for herself and others for over 16 years, constantly amazed by the medicine’s wisdom, gentleness, and continued relevance to where we are now on the planet. Suzanne employs a holistic, integrative, transpersonal approach and has a direct and efficient style as she works with the individuals’ souls to support them on their path of transformation. Suzanne strongly believes that in these transitionary times the most courageous thing we can do is to explore and become our true selves.

JoLyn is a food alchemist and kitchen herbalist that creates high-vibrational food by infusing prayer and intention into every meal and using high-quality, local, and organic ingredients. She will be cooking all of our dieta-friendly nourishing meals during the retreat and delighting us with her infectious personality.