April 3 – 16 2010 SHAMANIC PRACTITIONER AND HEALER DIPLOMA

This unique course condenses a whole year of normal practitioner training into a two-week residency, saving you time and money and ensuring that you qualify more quickly. It is ideal for those who wish to learn shamanic skills so they can incorporate them into their lives and/or those who would like to act as guides and healers for others, helping them to find their own soul pathways.

It begins with an introduction to shamanism, its methods and practices, including little-known and seldom-taught techniques from a range of shamanic cultures, and builds to a deep and detailed exploration of shamanic healing including soul retrieval, spirit extraction, energy balancing, shamanic counselling, future-seeing and Earth and community healing using specialist techniques which are not taught on any other shamanic training programmes.

A Diploma is awarded on completion and graduates have the opportunity to add their names to The Four Gates healer referrals list.

April 28 – May 2 2010 TRIBAL SPIRIT

Shamanic Skills, Medicine Plants and Survival Arts
The prophecies of many cultures speak of a time of coming change when our current ways of living will no longer serve us. More recently scientists and economists have been giving us the same message and some have calculated that the world’s energy resources will be depleted within 30 years, impacting our ability to grow food, to transport it and even to cook and to heat our homes. James Lovelock, the renowned earth scientist and originator of Gaia Theory, writes that the world is now entering a period of “unprecedented change” and to prepare for it we must become ‘tribal’ people again and learn the skills and medicine ways of our ancestors.

This workshop gives you some of the skills we may all need in this changing world. Participants are shown how to connect to nature through methods of special shamanic consciousness in order to find allies, medicine plants, food and shelter, and how to understand the signs of the natural world. Instruction is also provided in how to track for medicines and foods, including the key methods used by shamans to find edible and healing plants. Practical arts are also taught including camp and shelter-building, making fire, and creating tools and utensils from natural materials.

At the end of the course participants will have a better understanding of nature and its allies, be more at one with the land and its bounty, and know the key elements of survival and tribal community life.

May 8 – 12 2010 THE RETURN OF THE SERPENT

Plant Spirit Shamanism and the Vine of Souls

On this workshop we explore our connection to nature and the folkways, medicines and wisdom of our ancestors as we restore balance to our souls through the healing and visionary powers of one of the world’s greatest teacher plants.

Participants learn practices of plant spirit shamanism, including methods for connecting to and working with our guides and allies in nature, how to recognise and prepare healing plants, give and receive blessings, and aspects of soul healing and retrieval using plants, herbs and flowers. Two sacred vine ceremonies are included.

For more information visit www.thefourgates.com

The retreat is organized by Luzclara, a Chilean medicine woman, shamanic practitioner, ritualist and sound healer, whose life is dedicated to healing and to being respectful to Pachamama, Mother Earth. She is also devoted to helping women wake up to discover their Divine Feminine nature.

Here are some details about the ayahuasca retreat as described on Luzclara’s website:

Accompanied by Luzclara, Arturo Pie Grande and our group of horsemen and assistants, we will travel by horse and mules to our base camp in the Chilean Andes Mountains at 8.000 ft. There we will camp for 5 days among the condors, deep valleys and vast fields of wild flowers with crystalline pools of waters. In this spectacular environment we will do an ayahuasca ceremony, sweat lodge and there will be time for shared circles of expression and celebration, ceremony, healing, horse riding to a beautiful cave, as well as solitary questing. The remaining days will be spent on Luzclara’s “Luz Del Maipo” center in the village of San Alfonso, nestled between high mountains alongside the roaring rapids of the Maipo River. Here we will do sound healing in the Goddess Temple, traditional cleansings with eggs with diagnosis, transmition of the Rites of the Way of the Shaman from the Q’ero nation from Peru and finally a ceremony to celebrate our work together.

The price for the retreat, at $2,500, seems very reasonable for this high quality ayahuasca experience.

Anyone who would like further details, or to sign up for this ayahuasca journey should go to http://dancecontinues.blogspot.com/2008/10/ayahuasca-journey-in-to-ndes-of-chile.html

Here is a link to Buy Ayahuasca Vine from a Reputable Online Source.

“Shamanism as a science of the spirit and nature provides a bridge through which we can reconnect with the natural world and with our heritage as spiritual beings,” says Carlos Tanner, long-time student and apprentice to the Peruvian shaman and healer don Juan Tangoa.

“In a modern world facing widespread political and economic instability and major environmental crises, the age-old practice of shamanism and especially the remarkable healing and therapeutic properties of ayahuasca (the sacred plant medicine utilised for millennia by the traditional healers of the Amazon) is receiving increasing attention. However a common question for those individuals who wish to experience or study Amazon shamanism in a traditional context is, “How do I begin?”

For many, the prospect of leaving home and traveling thousands of miles to the Amazon jungle in order to find a shaman can be daunting. Even putting aside the questions of creature comforts and language barriers, other more serious questions arise: “Which shaman do I choose to study with from the seeming hundreds or even thousands?” Questions of trust, ethics, safety and integrity also become paramount.

The Amazon Curandero Seminar comes as an answer to these questions as well as to the ever-growing collective attraction of these ancient traditions. Its aim is to provide a solid hands-on introduction and training in Amazon shamanism and ayahuasca-healing in a traditional context all the while under expert guidance and supervision within a supportive group environment.

The focus is on direct participation and experience. At the core of the Seminar are six experiential workshops which cover the main topics central to the practice of curanderismo. The topics include:

1) Ayahuasca: Its traditional role, use, purpose and preparation.
2) Healing Tools: The chakapa, incenses & baths.
3) Medicinal Plants and Plant Spirits
4) Icaros: The sacred healing songs
5) Animal Spirits and Power Animals
6) Mapachos & Perfumes

For a personal and intimate learning experience, seminar participants will be divided into small groups and rotate through the workshops. Each workshop will be led by one of the six Curanderos who make up the core faculty of the Amazon Curandero Seminar, each of whom is a recognised expert or specialist in a different technique.

The Seminar faculty itself is comprised of the most highly respected and dedicated healers in Iquitos, all of whom demonstrate a strong desire and passion to share their wisdom.

Detailed information on each workshop and biographies of the curanderos can be found at their website, http://www.curanderoseminar.com.

In addition to the core workshops, participants will have the option of participating in three ayahuasca ceremonies with a curandero of their choice from the Seminar faculty. In these ceremonies participants will be able to apply the skills and knowledge taught during workshops, while under the supervision of their shaman.

The Amazon Curandero Seminar will be held at the Hotel Sol del Oriente in Iquitos, Peru. This new hotel has all the furnishings and amenities you would expect to find in any cosmopolitan city, including air-conditioned rooms, gourmet restaurant, swimming pool, exotic gardens, and even a small zoological park.

During the conference the hotel will be transformed into a live-in community. As well as the central curriculum of workshops and ceremonies, other activities will be available including morning yoga & meditation programs, aromatherapy and massage as well as an expressive arts room and a mini-theatre where films on related topics will be screened. In addition, an arts and crafts tent will be erected where talented local artisans will have their works on display.

Reservations for the seminar are required, and early registration is recommended. Due to the intimate nature of this event, the Seminar space is only available for a maximum of sixty participants. Places will thus be filled on a first come first served basis.

As a prelude to the Amazon Curandero Seminar Carlos Tanner will be co-hosting a series of eight teleseminars which will discuss in depth the topics related to the study and practice of Amazon shamanism. The teleseminars will include as guests the curanderos and healers from the Seminar faculty and a full running translation will be provided. These teleseminars are free and listeners will also have the opportunity to submit questions to the curanderos before and during these events. For more information and to register for these free teleseminars please see the Amazon Curandero website, http://www.curanderoseminar.com.

About Carlos Tanner: A graduate of Philosophy and Art from the University of Massachusetts, he is a student and apprentice to the Peruvian shaman and healer don Juan Tangoa. In 2004 Carlos together with his teacher co-founded Ayahuayra (Spirit of the Wind) an organization dedicated to the study and practice of curanderismo and plant spirit medicine.

by Howard G Charing

A dedicated program in the Andes and the Amazon rainforest, which is focussed on an inner and deep self-exploration and encounter with the spiritual power of the land. This is an adventure into the magical world of the Andes, the Rainforest, and a transformative experience of the ancient mystical rituals of the plant spirit medicines.The Amazon (Ayahuasca) section of this programme will take place in the Mishana Private Retreat Centre where we have 57 Hectares (140 acres) of land with a lodge in the Allpahuayo Mishana Nature reserve.

Dates In 2008 we will be holding two Retreat programmes, our dates are;

Retreat Programme 1. March 8th – 14th incl. – San Pedro, Coca , and the Spiritual Traditions of the Andes. March 15th – 29th incl. – Amazon Retreat, Ayahuasca, and Plant Spirit Medicines.

Retreat Programme 2. July 19th – August 2nd incl. – Amazon Retreat, Ayahuasca, and Plant Spirit Medicines. August 3rd – 9th incl. – Optional Extension week.

Retreat Programme 1. March 8th – 14th incl. As a prologue to the Amazon retreat this optional week expands on our work with the shamanic tradition of the Andes. Working with San Pedro Maestro Shaman Juan Navarro, and Coca Leaf Diviner & traditional Healer Doris Rivera Lenz. This is an opportunity to experience the rich and powerful spiritual legacy of the Andean civilization which is only now being properly recognised after 500 years of obscurity

The Andean Venue: Santa Eulalia

Santa Eulalia is a tranquil valley lying one hour inland from Lima at around 800 meters. Although surrounded by very dry hills, irrigation enables lush gardens to flourish all the year round and there is usually sun and pleasant temperatures. The valley is 50 Km North of Lima and is regarded as the gateway to the central Andes. The valley is home to many species of birds including endemic varieties, and the area is a highlight for bird-watching tours.

Our Lodge consists of about a dozen bungalows with cooking facilities (so we can make our own teas and coffees etc) set in attractive gardens where we can conduct our meetings and ceremonies. Food is good and largely vegetarian. There are also excursions to visit local caves, and ruins.

The Maestros we will be working with at our Andean Retreat

DORIS RIVERA LENZ

Doris has lived in Cusco for many years conducting ofrendas and reading coca leaves for dozens of people every week – both local as well as from far flung places. She has worked with many of our Eagles Wing groups on Peru journeys so far.

The coca leaf has been sacred to Andean people since the dawn of pre-Colombian civilization. When asked about the source of the information she divines from them, she says:

“They give me such a powerful awareness it is as though an energy comes into me from just touching them. I invoke Mother Nature and the spirit of the coca, and with just seven leaves, the answer comes, as though through an open doorway.”

Healing diagnosis An ancient method of diagnosing illness, still common in Peru, is to rub an egg over the body of the patient. Doris is gifted in this tradition and will prescribe remedies which include medicinal herbs.

The ofrenda After preparation we will take part in a dawn ‘ofrenda’ which is the most important ceremony used by Andean Indians to relate with Mother Earth. There will be talk and discussion about such ideas as Pachacuti (the Andean concept of time), Andean myths, and healing methods, also practical healing and divinatory sessions plus the opportunity of private sessions with Doris.

JUAN NAVARRO

We will work again with maestro Juan Navarro to meet the spirit of San Pedro, a gentle and powerful healing medicine, which was of central importance to early pre-Colombian civilizations, such as the Chavin, 800BC, and the Mochica, 500AD. To these primordial people the cactus itself was considered the God Achuma.

Juan Navarro was born in the highland village of Somate, department of Piura. He is a descendant of a long lineage of healers and shamans working with the magical powers of Las Huaringas. These Sacred Lakes stand at 3,500 meters and have been revered since earliest Peruvian civilization.

During the all-night sessions Juan works untiringly with his two sons in an intricate sequence of processes, including invocation, diagnosis, divination, and healing with natural objects, or artes. The artes are initially placed on the maestro’s altar or mesa, and are an astonishing and beautiful array of shells, swords, magnets, quartzes, objects resembling sexual organs, rocks which spark when struck together, and stones from animals’ stomachs, which they have swallowed to aid digestion!

The Amazon – Ayahuasca, Plant Spirit Shamanism, and Yoga Retreat

Our lodge is located directly on the river which is part of a 58,070 hectare nature reserve. Due to a combination of geological factors and diverse soil types, the reserve supports a unique community of plant and animal species. It is the ‘jewel’ in the crown for bird-watchers and contains dozens of species which are unique to this area. The Reserve contains one of the highest biodiversities known in the Amazon basin. The Lodge is located directly on the Rio Nanay which is a tributary of the Amazon River. Our lodge is situated in-between two bends of the river giving an amazing panoramic view . We have our own boat so trips can be made to some interesting, and extraordinarily beautiful places along the river.

The lodge is a 2 hour river journey from Iquitos by power boat. We have the dedicated services of maestro shaman Artidoro Aro Cardenas. Included in the program are individual personal healing or consultative sessions based upon your personal needs by our shaman. The maestro will also provide experiential teachings about the fascinating medicinal and psycho-spiritual properties of the local plants. Participants can choose their plant medicine which will be made fresh for them. Our accommodation is in comfortable traditional cabins or tambos (dieting huts), a leaf roof supported by poles and with open sides (the most intimate way to sleep in the jungle). The beds benefit from a comfortable mattress and fly nets when necessary. The tambos are spread out to assure privacy and minimum disturbance from others.

Participants have a choice of using either the cabins in the ‘Casa Grande’ annex or tambos for their retreat. During the day when there are no activities, there will be hammocks to relax in, and you can read, or wander into the forest, or swim in the river (there is a small sandy beach). Our ceremonies and meeting will be held in either the Casa Grande with an open platform on stilts directly on the river with a magnificent view of the rainforest and star filled sky. or our maloca (ceremonial temple), a large circular tambo made of natural materials and shaped like a womb. We will eat our meals in the lodge, the traditional meeting place, where food is cooked on a wood fire.

Single Accommodation One of the unique characteristics of this programme is that we offer single accommodation throughout both in the hotels in Lima, Iquitos, and at our Centre in Mishana. This ensures that participants can obtain the maximum benefit from their encounter with the plants. The Diet really needs to be taken in solitude and personal retreat without distractions. This is a defining characteristic of this programme. Typically other programmes do not offer this and dormitory / shared accommodation is usually the rule. Our Tambos (individual accommodation huts) are all different and are spread out, some with more isolation than others and we also have individual accommodation rooms in the wing of our Casa Grande for those who would prefer being close to the main facilities.

There are photos on the web or I can send pictures on request. Our intention in this journey is to provide the conditions and orientation to enable participants to follow a proper diet, and for it to be as near as possible to what indigenous people have done for thousands of years, (although we can avoid unnecessary hardship, in any case a diet is not a trial of endurance). The diet is a journey of self-exploration and the maestro is there to give support, It is more important that the shaman is an evolved and impeccable person, who will guide us to learn for ourselves and benefit from our experiences in safety.

Participants will undertake to ‘diet’ a plant for a full six to eight days, selecting their plant from a range of options which will be explained by the maestro and depend on individual requirements. Some plants are good for specific ailments as, for example Chuchahuasi for arthritis and other bone conditions, although there is always a magical world opened up by the plant spirit. Other plants have specific spiritual benefits. Chirisanango and Ushpahuasanango, for example, open up the heart and are healing to emotions. Guayusa works very curiously on one’s dreams, affording an experience of being conscious while in fact asleep or dreaming.

The plants used will all be compatible with Ayahuasca so that we can benefit from the plant diet during Ayahuasca ceremonies. There will be a programme of talks, exercises, individual sessions and group meetings without prejudicing the spirit of the diet. This is a way to learn from observation and intimate contact with nature, practical artistic exercises using local materials. We will participate in the gathering and preparation of Ayahuasca, a prolonged ritual in which power is invoked from the planta maestra. We will learn about healing plants and how to find them.

The Shamans We are very delighted to have secured the services of some of the most experienced shamans in the region, during our Retreats we will work with one of the following shamans;, Artidoro Aro Cardenas, Javier Arevalo and Leoncio Garcia.

Artidoro Aro Cardenas We have worked with Maestro Artidoro on our previous Amazon Retreat, and again we were greatly impressed with his knowledge of medicinal and power plants, and his compassion and support for the participants. Although Artidoro is Mestizo he has lived amongst the Ashaninka Indians for many years, and has learned their languages which result in that many of his chants come from a variety of indigenous groups including the Ashaninka, Cashibo, and Capanaua .He has started his own centre near Iquitos.

Javier Arevalo We have worked with Javier many times on our Retreats, we also brought him to the UK for a special Amazonian Medicine camp in 2002. We are greatly impressed and moved by his dedication, and his commitment to the demanding rigours of an Amazonian shaman.It is fair to say that everybody who has worked with Javier has been touched by his kindness, compassion , humour, and spirit

Leoncio Garcia The Shipibo maestro is now in his mid 70’s with the appearance of a man in his 50’s. He was born in the Shipibo community of San Francisco by Yarina Cocha (an oxbow lake near Pucullpa). On a number of occasions he has worked with medical doctors in various cities in Peru. Don Leoncio also founded a healing centre near Nina Rumi on the Rio Nanay.

Benjamin Ochavano Is a traditional Shipibo (elder shaman). He is in his late seventies. His chants (icaros) sung in the Shipibo language are extraordinary, beautiful and powerful.

About the author: Howard G. Charing, is an international workshop leader on shamanism. He has worked some of the most respected and extraordinary shamans & healers in the Andes, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Philippines. He organises specialist retreats to the Amazon Rainforest. He is the author of the best selling book, Plant Spirit Shamanism. Visit www.shamanism.co.uk for more details about our Retreats

by Howard G Charing

Ayahuasca & Plant Spirit Shamanism – Amazon Retreat

November 10th – 24th 2007 Optional Extension Week – November 25th – December 1st 2007

A dedicated programme in the Amazon rainforest, which is focussed on an inner and deep self-exploration and encounter with the power of the rainforest. This is an adventure into the magical world of the rainforest, and a transformative experience of the ancient mystical rituals of the plant spirit medicines. This programme will take place in the Mishana Private Retreat Centre. We have 57 Hectares (140 acres) of land with a lodge in the Allpahuayo Mishana Nature reserve.

Our lodge is located directly on the river which is part of a 58,070 hectare nature reserve. Due to a combination of geological factors and diverse soil types, the reserve supports a unique community of plant and animal species. It is the ‘jewel’ in the crown for bird-watchers and contains dozens of species which are unique to this area. The Reserve contains one of the highest biodiversities known in the Amazon basin. The Lodge is located directly on the Rio Nanay which is a tributary of the Amazon River. Our lodge is situated in-between two bends of the river giving an amazing panoramic view . We have our own boat so trips can be made to some interesting, and extraordinarily beautiful places along the river.

The lodge is a 2 hour river journey from Iquitos by power boat. We have the dedicated services of maestro shaman Artidoro Aro Cardenas. Included in the program are individual personal healing or consultative sessions based upon your personal needs by our shaman. The maestro will also provide experiential teachings about the fascinating medicinal and psycho-spiritual properties of the local plants. Participants can choose their plant medicine which will be made fresh for them. Our accommodation is in comfortable traditional cabins or tambos (dieting huts), a leaf roof supported by poles and with open sides (the most intimate way to sleep in the jungle). The beds benefit from a comfortable mattress and fly nets when necessary. The tambos are spread out to assure privacy and minimum disturbance from others.

Participants have a choice of using either the cabins in the ‘Casa Grande’ annex or tambos for their retreat. During the day when there are no activities, there will be hammocks to relax in, and you can read, or wander into the forest, or swim in the river (there is a small sandy beach). Our ceremonies and meeting will be held in either the Casa Grande with an open platform on stilts directly on the river with a magnificent view of the rainforest and star filled sky. or our maloca (ceremonial temple), a large circular tambo made of natural materials and shaped like a womb. We will eat our meals in the lodge, the traditional meeting place, where food is cooked on a wood fire.

Single Accommodation One of the unique characteristics of this programme is that we offer single accommodation throughout both in the hotels in Lima, Iquitos, and at our Centre in Mishana. This ensures that participants can obtain the maximum benefit from their encounter with the plants. The Diet really needs to be taken in solitude and personal retreat without distractions. This is a defining characteristic of this programme. Typically other programmes do not offer this and dormitory / shared accommodation is usually the rule. Our Tambos (individual accommodation huts) are all different and are spread out, some with more isolation than others and we also have individual accommodation rooms in the wing of our Casa Grande for those who would prefer being close to the main facilities.

There are photos on the web or I can send pictures on request. Our intention in this journey is to provide the conditions and orientation to enable participants to follow a proper diet, and for it to be as near as possible to what indigenous people have done for thousands of years, (although we can avoid unnecessary hardship, in any case a diet is not a trial of endurance). The diet is a journey of self-exploration and the maestro is there to give support, It is more important that the shaman is an evolved and impeccable person, who will guide us to learn for ourselves and benefit from our experiences in safety.

Participants will undertake to ‘diet’ a plant for a full six to eight days, selecting their plant from a range of options which will be explained by the maestro and depend on individual requirements. Some plants are good for specific ailments as, for example Chuchahuasi for arthritis and other bone conditions, although there is always a magical world opened up by the plant spirit. Other plants have specific spiritual benefits. Chirisanango and Ushpahuasanango, for example, open up the heart and are healing to emotions. Guayusa works very curiously on one’s dreams, affording an experience of being conscious while in fact asleep or dreaming.

The plants used will all be compatible with Ayahuasca so that we can benefit from the plant diet during Ayahuasca ceremonies. There will be a programme of talks, exercises, individual sessions and group meetings without prejudicing the spirit of the diet. This is a way to learn from observation and intimate contact with nature, practical artistic exercises using local materials. We will participate in the gathering and preparation of Ayahuasca, a prolonged ritual in which power is invoked from the planta maestra. We will learn about healing plants and how to find them.

The Shamans We are very delighted to have secured the services of some of the most experienced shamans in the region, during our Retreats we will work with one of the following shamans;, Artidoro Aro Cardenas, Javier Arevalo and Leoncio Garcia.

Artidoro Aro Cardenas We have worked with Maestro Artidoro on our previous Amazon Retreat, and again we were greatly impressed with his knowledge of medicinal and power plants, and his compassion and support for the participants. Although Artidoro is Mestizo he has lived amongst the Ashaninka Indians for many years, and has learned their languages which result in that many of his chants come from a variety of indigenous groups including the Ashaninka, Cashibo, and Capanaua .He has started his own centre near Iquitos.

Javier Arevalo We have worked with Javier many times on our Retreats, we also brought him to the UK for a special Amazonian Medicine camp in 2002. We are greatly impressed and moved by his dedication, and his commitment to the demanding rigours of an Amazonian shaman.It is fair to say that everybody who has worked with Javier has been touched by his kindness, compassion , humour, and spirit

Leoncio Garcia The Shipibo maestro is now in his mid 70’s with the appearance of a man in his 50’s. He was born in the Shipibo community of San Francisco by Yarina Cocha (an oxbow lake near Pucullpa). On a number of occasions he has worked with medical doctors in various cities in Peru. Don Leoncio also founded a healing centre near Nina Rumi on the Rio Nanay.

Benjamin Ochavano Is a traditional Shipibo (elder shaman). He is in his late seventies. His chants (icaros) sung in the Shipibo language are extraordinary, beautiful and powerful.

About the author: Howard G. Charing, has worked some of the most respected and extraordinary shamans & healers in the Andes, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Philippines. He organises specialist retreats to the Amazon Rainforest. Author of Plant Spirit Shamanism (Destiny Books USA).

Visit the website for info about our Andean & Amazon Ayahuasca Retreats

We are pleased to present a dedicated programme in the Amazon rainforest, which is focussed on an inner and deep self-exploration and encounter with the power of the rainforest. This is an adventure into the magical world of the rainforest, and a transformative experience of the ancient mystical rituals of the plant spirit medicines.
This programme will take place in the Mishana Private Retreat Centre. We have 57 Hectares (140 acres) of land with a lodge in the Allpahuayo Mishana Nature reserve. Our lodge is located directly on the river which is part of a 58,070 hectare nature reserve.
The uses of powerful hallucinogenic plants such as Ayahuasca and San Pedro have been developed by indigenous peoples and early civilizations over thousands of years, and their effects are highly dependent upon the context of the ceremony, the chants and the essential personality of the shaman, all of which can vary with surprising results.
Diverse urban uses have emerged recently and a few of these are spreading, while some traditional shamans travel the world, thus Ayahuasca is gaining recognition in Western civilization. But what really is the potential of these ancestral plants, and how can we get the most out of them?
In this special workshop – shamanism retreat, the Peruvian maestro ayahuasquero Alonso del Rio will be with us for 10 days and hold ceremonies with both Ayahuasca and San Pedro. Alonso will open us to a different dimension from working with a traditional shaman. He has both an Amazonian and Western background and is therefore well placed to understand the problems of modern people and help them to greater self knowledge.
He will share his wealth of insight into Amazonian and Andean cosmology in a series of meetings with time for discussion and questions. Apart from the ceremonies, he will be offering a choice of two plants to diet: tobacco and guayusa. Both of these work with your dreams, making them more conscious and ‘real’, in order to rest the rational mind and explore more deeply inwards.
About the maestro

Alonso is a powerful maestro who interweaves Shipibo and other icaros with sacred music of his own to lead you on your journey; he is both a talented musician and an inspiring communicator of the Amazonian shamanic world. He first came into contact with ayahuasca in 1979 after spending three years working with huachuma (San Pedro). This was when he met Don Benito Arevalo, a grand Shipibo shaman with whom he developed a long relationship, and who gave him his first teachings in ayahuasca and other medicinal plants.
Later, taking ayahuasca alone as part of his traditional teaching, he says: “I didn’t feel comfortable reproducing the chants that I’d learned with my maestro, so one night I picked up my guitar and began to play what came to me and the result was surprising. From then on I was never without my guitar at ceremonies and over the years many songs came to me, set to different rhythms for ceremonies and incorporating teachings and revelations from the medicine itself.” He has published three CDs to date. Alonso lives in the sacred valley of Cusco where he runs a healing centre and a primary school for local children.
Our accommodation is in comfortable traditional cabins or tambos (dieting huts), a leaf roof supported by poles and with open sides (the most intimate way to sleep in the jungle). The beds benefit from a comfortable mattress and fly nets when necessary. The tambos are spread out to assure privacy and minimum disturbance from others. Participants have a choice of using either the cabins in the ‘Casa Grande’ annex or tambos for their retreat.
During the day when there are no activities, there will be hammocks to relax in, and you can read, or wander into the forest, or swim in the river (there is a small sandy beach). Our ceremonies and meeting will be held in either the Casa Grande with an open platform on stilts directly on the river with a magnificent view of the rainforest and star filled sky. or our maloca (ceremonial temple), a large circular tambo made of natural materials and shaped like a womb. We will eat our meals in the lodge, the traditional meeting place, where food is cooked on a wood fire.
Single Accommodation
One of the unique characteristics of this programme is that we offer single accommodation throughout both in the hotels in Lima, Iquitos, and at our Centre in Mishana. This ensures that participants can obtain the maximum benefit from their encounter with the plants. The Diet really needs to be taken in solitude and personal retreat without distractions. This is a defining characteristic of this programme. Typically other programmes do not offer this and dormitory / shared accommodation is usually the rule. Our Tambos (individual accommodation huts) are all different and are spread out, some with more isolation than others and we also have individual accommodation rooms in the wing of our Casa Grande for those who would prefer being close to the main facilities. There are photos on the web or I can send pictures on request.

Excursions
There will be opportunities to make night time dugout canoe fishing trips with Pedro our hunting guide and power boat trips along the river. There will also be a resident craftswoman to demonstrate and teach us to make the unique Amazonian crafts and textiles.

About the author: Howard G. Charing, is an accomplished international workshop leader on shamanism. He has worked some of the most respected and extraordinary shamans & healers in the Andes, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Philippines. He organises specialist retreats to the Amazon Rainforest He is the author of the best selling book, Plant Spirit Shamanism (Destiny Books USA). Website http://www.shamanism.co.uk

Buy ayahuasca leaves or vines online.

A participant in this adventure may have the opportunity to meet natives from the village, who may sometimes offer to help fetch supplies and luggage from the boat dock, through the jungle, to the shaman’s camp, where the ayahuasca experience will soon commence.

It has been said that there are two parts of a person’s life: before they go on an ayahuasca retreat and afterwards. This is because it can truly be a life changing experience. But it is vastly different from typical entertainment vacations for tourists. This transformational travel, organized for mature adults who have a sincere desire to learn more about the ancient wisdom of traditional cultures as well as gaining spiritual insights and holistic personal growth.

Preparation for the ayahuasca experience is also an important factor. Group members should not be instructed very much about what to expect, because every person’s experience with the herbal tea is unique.