ROUGH OUTLINE:

 

⬜ ARRIVAL DAY IN IQUITOS

• Ground transportation service from Iquitos Airport to Hotel.

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⬜  DAY 0 (TRAVEL DAY TO JUNGLE TOWN)

14:00 Ground transportation service from Hotel to the Office.

• Final Gear Adjustments, and Safety Brief.

• Lunch in the Office before departure.

15:30 Departure from the Office to the Iquitos River Port.

17:00 Navigation starts on the Amazon River to 1st Disembarkation Destination (about 200 km or 124 mi).

10:00-11:00 Arrival at 1st Disembarkation Destination (River Port).

• Meet with other members of our team.

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⬜  DAY 1

00:00 Navigation on Slow Boat Starts to 2nd Drop-off Jungle Destination (about 25 km or 15.5 mi).

• Hiking through the jungle until we reach our Base Camp to rest for the night.

• Breakfast with the team.

• Intro brief about all three phases of our retreat.

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⬜  (WEEK 1) INDIGENOUS CULTURAL IMMERSION "CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS" 

The first impression that every participant will experience from day one is to find themselves completely immersed in a very basic, humble and unmatched indigenous lifestyle within very disconnected Amazonian territories. Here in these corners of the world, when both hunters and fishermen decide to isolate themselves from their families towards the depths of the jungle, and with the sole objective of supplying themselves with food to maintain their subsistence, the first thing they undergo is to go through an intense "Preparation Phase" that involves two fundamental parts. The first part of this preparation phase will consist of the cultivation of their lands, then their harvest, followed by a sustainable cyclic activity of replanting them, and as the culmination of this activity, a process of transformation of each of the products obtained. It will be in this process where very ancient knowledge will be used to convert many of these products into other different food variants, so that only then can they be consumed within indefinite periods, including cereals and carbohydrates suitable to withstand long trips, and at any temperature. 

 

It is through this same phase that each participant will engage and focus on a very well-selected number of traditional and essential activities. Taking this entire first phase of learning and practice very seriously will be vital, it will be a segment full of rich knowledge transmitted by many generations over time, and that has managed to keep many who have acquired it alive to this day. This important workshop full of knowledge that we will provide will undoubtedly allow us all to stay alive during prolonged isolation of any kind that may lie ahead. Without obtaining these previously prepared cereals and carbohydrates, indigenous people would not provide the necessary combination and nutritional support to their daily diets with the meats and fish obtained during their hunting and fishing trips.

 

The harvest of the traditional “Mambe” It will be our star opening activity of many more important ones to come that visitors will participate in, followed by the preparation of the same. The main purpose of this activity will be to supply the entire group for other challenging activities ahead. The consumption of Mambe will be something very common to appreciate throughout our stay, and at some point, we will be able to understand its importance among hunters, fishermen, and gatherers of certain ethnic origins. Those who consume this Master and Sacred Plant at any time of the day, it is because of its natural energetic stimulant found in its main ingredient “The Coca Leaf”, used for the strenuous land work that the jungle demands. We will understand its ancient uses in more depth during week 2.

 

The following activities performed as a group next will require a selected group of men and women from the indigenous communities around:

• 1-On-1 LandWork On Traditional Wild Foods - Cultivation of land fields, harvest/extraction, replantation, and elaboration of long-lasting consumable products (grains, carbohydrates, and drinks) suitable to withstand several weeks and even months as well as high or low temperatures when are carefully packed and stored.

• 1-on-1 Workshop On Traditional Arts and Crafts - Search, identification, and extraction of natural materials since we'll be learning to elaborate traditional arts and craft which could include basket making, clothing construction, candle making, and wooden or clay utensil and pot construction. 

 

River Navigation trip to meet, greet, and spend quality time with another  indigenous family in voluntary isolation who lives in a very traditional way. The following activities will be performed with them during the 2 days of river navigation escape:

• 1-on-1 Workshop On Primitive Traps and Artifacts -  Construction of different animal traps, natural rope for general use, identification of firewood, search, and the extraction of jungle materials for the construction of artifacts for artisanal ancestral fishing.

• Night conversation meeting with the elders of this traditional group, to listen to their stories about their past and present life in the Amazon. During night talks, “Mambe and Ampiri” are shared as a traditional custom, which is considered an indigenous way of expanding consciousness, conferences/meetings organized  in ancient times to solve problems and issues of importance to the community *war, trials, planning, ceremonies, debates, sharing knowledge, etc.).

 

Week 1 will conclude with a relaxing navigation back to our Center, and carrying out fishing activities and observation of gray and pink river dolphins at the meeting point of the Ampiyacu river with the Yaguasyacu river.  The overnight stays during week 1 will take place between our Center and Visited Village.

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⬜  (WEEK 2) AMAZON MASTER PLANTS 

The plants called Teachers or Masters by the original peoples of America are those that bring us closer to the world of spirits, providing knowledge to those who ingest them. They reveal and show what is usually hidden in us. They are also used for their medicinal properties that relieve or heal certain diseases.

 

Based on Amazonian culture, we could say that they are capable of guiding us to the depths of our Inner being, releasing the potential of the Unconscious Mind and Soul Healing. When this happens we can experience a deep communion with nature, and a broad understanding of those frustrations that on more than one occasion have prevented us from conserving the strength to be present, emotionally and physically healthy in complete harmony with our surroundings.

 

The Sacred Plants are now part of the deep worldview, both of America and of people from different parts of the world, with a tradition that sinks into the very roots of what is currently known as Shamanism. Since thousands of years ago, different ethnic groups have come together in a practice that, although it has changed over the centuries, preserves the original intention: that of introducing ourselves into the internal visionary dimensions that make it possible to transform our present.

 

These practices are supervised by Shamans better known by the locals as Master Healers, in places surrounded by pure nature, where the person is assisted and accompanied in their solitude within a process of physical, emotional, and spiritual connection through master plants that the Shaman or Master Healer assigns based on what he sees and feels through his visions and/or sensitivity.

 

Week 2 will focus on topics that will deal with the spiritual meaning of Master Plants in the Amazon such as Ayahuasca and the spiritual connection with oneself. It will also be a focus for those who want to participate in this mystical diet journey with various other Master Plants including the Sapo or Kambo medicine of animal secretion known by the ancient healers as the animal plant, and by many other indigenous ethnic groups also as the Vaccine of the Forest, and by our experts who recognize Kambo more as a Super Supplement based on the scientific researches and studies of what Kambo truly contains in its secretion and how these cocktail of ingredients can positively benefit the health in the human body.

 

Master of Master Plants with Master Shamans - Search, extraction, preparation, ceremonies, and consumption.

• Ayahuasca - It has been reported that some effects can be felt from consuming the caapi vine alone, but that DMT-containing plants (such as Psychotria) remain inactive when drunk as a brew without a source of monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as B. caapi. It is unclear how indigenous peoples discovered the hallucinogenic properties of the plants used in the ayahuasca brew.

 

Many indigenous Amazonian people say they received the instructions directly from plants and plant spirits. Scientific Name : banisteriopsis caapi Common Names in the Amazon: ayahuasca; yagé; bejuco; caapi; nucnu huasca; shimbaya huasca; nishi; oni; népe; xono; datém; kamarampi; pindé; natema; iona; mii; shillinto; nepi. Over 90 different indigenous tribes in the Amazon Rainforest have developed healing traditions based on the use of ayahuasca.

 

This number becomes even more impressive when one considers the fact that many of these tribes live thousands of miles apart and would appear to have never had contact with each other. Within the philosophy of each tribe, one point remains consistent, which is that they originally learned about ayahuasca and the science of plant medicine from the plants themselves. Both the plant and the medicine prepared from it are called ‘Ayahuasca’.

 

Other Traditional Master Plants with Local Facilitators - Search, identification, collection/extraction, and preparation of the following:

• Mambe or Coca - means “the tongue of God” or “word of life”. It has a feminine energy and represents the woman, as derived from the coca leaf, or mama coca. The ritual of the mambe, the ancestral name of the coca plant, is a unique experience of oral tradition. The mambe gives power to the word and gives us eloquence. By taking Mambe we can connect with the intrinsic wisdom within us, to share it with other participants. It is a ritual where therapy is based on sharing the word and our life experiences, also used to elevate body temperature, energy, and hunger.

• Ampiri or Ambil - the grandparents say that the ampiri or ambil is the "Companion of thought", this must always be accompanied by the mambe as it endows and nurtures the power of the word and harmonizes the thought. His character and flavor are stronger since he sees himself represented in the male figure, which provides clarity when listening and allows ordering ideas so that, when it comes to talking, there is always a good reception from both parties. Ampiri or Ambil is a residue obtained from the combustion of tobacco combined with native jungle salt, which can be used for various purposes, including healing rituals, meditation, and spiritual exploration, also used topically on wounds to kill insect larvae, used to treat myiasis, and even used to treat snake bites.

• Sapo or Kambo - better known by some Amazonian ethnic groups as the “Jungle Vaccine” used for many medicinal purposes, such as yellow fever, malaria, snake bites, intestinal cleansing, detoxification of kidneys, liver, pancreas, chronic pain, and more. All these magical and healing benefits obtained by the Phyllomedusa Bicolor frog come mainly from its powerful combined cocktail of multiple bioactive peptides found in its secretion, which therefore function more as a "Super Supplement" and receptor messenger, than as a detoxifier. Its main action once entered into the human body, is to restore the optimal functioning of the cells, awakening them and reminding them of the function they have by nature in our organism by moving the body back into homeostasis.

• Nunu, Rapé or Snuff - another Amazonian sacred medicine. Rapé is used for a variety of purposes, including spiritual cleansing, grounding, and centering. The indigenous peoples believe that the powerful effects can help to clear negative energy, release emotional blockages, and promote a sense of clarity and focus. It is also used in traditional medicine for a range of physical ailments, such as headaches, respiratory problems, and digestive issues. The ingredients used to make rapé can vary depending on the specific tribe or community making it, as well as the intended purpose of the snuff. However, some of the most common ingredients include tobacco leaves, several tree bark, ashes, and medicinal plants such as mint, cinnamon, and eucalyptus (application is optional).

 

Week 2 will initiate with a small dosage/intro session of Kambo/Sapo 24 hours before our first Ayahuasca ceremony, and conclude with a higher dosage/final session of Kambo/Sapo 24 hours after our last Ayahuasca ceremony, all with the combination of fasting phases, diets, and meditation in between. Overnight stays will all take place at our Center.

 

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⬜  WEEK (3) SESSHIN-ZEN STYLE MEDITATION

The purpose of sesshin is to become present in the here and now, connecting with that deep, ungraspable silence within, and allow that silence to inform how we view ourselves and the world around us. Ultimately, the deep sustained attention of the sesshin form helps us see through the illusion of separation and learn to function with wisdom and compassion within this unity that we are. This retreat will begin after two weeks of intimate immersion into the Amazonian culture, coupled with daily formal meditation and a week-long medicinal plant immersion using plants from the surrounding jungle. In this way we will ripen ourselves for the practice of deep meditation, preparing to listen deeply, to bridge the gap between the natural world and our nature, and to awaken our vows for how we want to live. During this time of apparent ecological distress, what is it that this earth wants? What is it that we want? 

 

Sesshin will be held almost exclusively in silence, including break times, meals, etc. Instruction and opportunities to ask questions or seek clarification will be offered daily. The strict silence of retreat invites us to put our conventional personalities aside, so that we may look deeply and carefully at the source of our motivations, thoughts, and actions and recognize the wisdom, freedom, and love that lies at our core. 

 

The first days will include:

• Up to 8 hours of meditation

• A rotation of dharma talks given by teachers, group question and answer sessions, and individual check-ins with the teachers

• Traditional Zen chants, devotional song, and formal prayer

• Communal chores

• Communal meals

• Guided yoga/qigong

• Resting times

 

The retreat will end with a multi-day overnight into the jungle, immersing ourselves even more intimately within the jungle’s womb.

 

 

⬜  FINAL DAY

 15:00 Back to Base Camp from our last breathtaking hiking day to end our journey with a memorable warrior's lunch celebration and gratitude.

 18:00 Motorboat back to River Port Town.

 19:00 Dinner, hang around town and be on standby at river port until boat arrives.

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⬜  DAY 0 (TRAVEL DAY BACK FROM JUNGLE TOWN)

00:00-02:00 River Navigation back to Iquitos starts.

11:00-13:00 Arrival at Iquitos River Port.

• Transfer to Hotel/Airport.

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