On April 13th I will embark on a two-week journey to Peru, where I will participate in a 7-day Ayahuasca Retreat in the Amazon Rainforest, near Iquitos. My second week will be spent integrating myself back to reality in Cusco, in the Andes Mountains, complete with a two-day excursion to Machu Picchu!
If you are unfamiliar with it, I encourage you to learn more about Ayahuasca (Vine of the Soul), including the benefits and risks. I have thoroughly researched Ayahuasca, and I'm taking all the necessary steps to ensure a safe and beneficial experience.
While it varies by person, here's an example of a typical Ayahuasca experience
I have known about Ayahuasca and it's healing powers for more than five years, but I never really had the urge to participate in a ceremony or retreat. I was prompted to book my trip after reading/listening to the book Worth the Fight, by Matt Simpson. It was a quick read, and hard to put down/pause, as Matt is a great writer and storyteller. Matt's journey to find himself and more purpose in his life was very inspiring, and indirectly gave me a nudge to further pursue more healing and purpose in my own life. Matt lives in Chicago and shares my mission of wanting to help heal humanity through passionate pursuits. His story is amazing! Following an informational hour-long video call with Matt, I knew I was going on this trip, and quickly booked the retreat. Mind you, a couple weeks before this, participating in a Ayahuasca retreat was not even on my radar, but it quickly felt like this was something I needed to do, more than wanted to do.
Heading to Peru!
Week 1 - Retreat in the Amazon
I arrive in Peru on the April 14th and will stay one night in Iquitos, with a balcony overlooking the Amazon River, before heading to my retreat on Monday the 15th.
My retreat will take place (April 15-21) at Hummingbird Healing Center, located an hour outside of Iquitos. The center was founded in 2010 and encapsulates The Hummingbird Spirit. Even though it was by recommendation from Matt's book, after doing my own research, I knew it was the right place for me to embark on this journey of healing for the Soul.
Hummingbird provides a great explanation of an Ayahuasca Retreat at their facilities. It goes well beyond simply ingesting Ayahuasca. I will be participating in a 7-day Retreat, complete with three Ayahuasca ceremonies and one San Pedro (Wachuma) ceremony. I understand the magnitude and intensity of Ayahuasca, and the rollercoaster ride it can provide with each healing session. While I feel prepared, I am still preparing up until the day I arrive. I know the more I prepare, the more likely I am to have a positive and profound healing experience. The center's proprietor Jim also shared with me, "We have had many psychologists and psychiatrists here, and all have said they believed they would be much more effective in their work." So, this retreat can not only help benefit my own life, but those of my clients as well. 😊
I look forward to sharing more about the my retreat before and after, and potentially during. I appreciate you taking the time to follow my journey and learn more about the wonders and healing power of Ayahuasca plant-medicine. While the retreat is where the Ayahuasca ceremonies happen, the integration work afterward is just as important and revealing as the ceremonies themselves. This is why it's referred to as working with Ayahuasca, and not just taking it. So the ceremonies are just the beginning.
Week 2 - Cusco
Cusco, Peru Main Square
The second week (April 21-27) of my journey to Peru will take me to Cusco, the former capital of the Incan Empire. Matt recommended I spend another week in Peru if I could, to help initiate the integration back into reality. I'm grateful to have the time off from work. I will be staying steps away from the city center, at Hotel Arcangel. My first full day I will take a personal 4-hour walking tour of Cusco with a local guide, Bryan Wilbert Q, who I have already interacted with on Facebook.
See what it's like to walk around Cusco (First 90 seconds)
I will spend the first few days exploring Cusco and all the sights/sites and culture it has to offer, especially the people and the food! I may take a day trip to Humantay Lake Tuesday or Wednesday. I also plan on using recommendations from my tour guide on Monday to plan other things I may do in Cusco.
Historic ruins of Machu Picchu
My final two full days in Peru I will be taking an excursion to Machu Picchu, which includes a tour through the Sacred Valley on Thursday. I will stay the night in Machu Picchu and spend the day there on Friday, exploring the wonderous sights and ruins. From what I gather, this should be a perfect finale for the end of my trip to Peru. I will head home on Saturday the 27th.
Stay tuned for upcoming blog posts about my trip!