Shipibo Plant & Cultural Immersion
- Root & Bloom
- Shipibo Plant & Cultural Immersion
Return to the heart
Shipibo Plant & Cultural Immersion
29 September – 11 October 2026 • Pucallpa, Peru
Join a 12-day Shipibo Ayahuasca (Oni) retreat in Peru with Grandmother healers, cultural immersion, sacred plant ceremonies & authentic Amazonian healing.
🌿 4 traditional ceremonies
🌿 Cultural immersion with the Mahua family
🌿 Individual healing & consultations
🌿 Private accommodation in the Amazon
🌿 Intimate group of max 9 participants
This retreat is for you if…
✓ You feel called by the spirit of the Amazon
✓ You have a strong intention for healing on a physical, spiritual and mental level
✓ You want authentic connection with Indigenous wisdom
✓ You wish to deepen your relationship with sacred plants
✓ You’re on the journey of opening your heart and feel ready for a life-changing experience
✓ You want to develop your gifts
Whether you’re new to ceremony and plant wisdom, or experienced – you’re welcome and we will meet you where you are. ♥︎
Offer
What to expect?
An intimate journey into ancestral Shipibo healing, culture & plant medicine
🌿 Come home to the song of the Earth.
This 12-day retreat is an invitation to sit with the sacred medicine of the Grandmother Vine in her native rainforest home, with the original guardians of these sacred plant medicines. Here you can listen deeply, reconnecting with your essence and remembering what it truly means to be alive in every cell of your body, heart, soul.
Dive deep into Shipibo culture, held within a safe and intimate group. The Shipibo Grandmother-Healers will share their knowledge of medicinal plants, sacred songs, traditions and stories with you.
We gather on the land of Jakon Rate, devoted to healing, ecology, spirituality, indigenous land rights and plant wisdom.
Are you ready to discover more deeply who you are — and what you’re here to do?
All about the Grandmothers, our maestras
the Mahua family
Manuela Mahua comes from a long-standing family lineage of Shipibo-Konibo healers. She began apprenticing with her father at 13 and now brings 60+ years of experience with her ancestral medicine. She heals and teaches both community members and visitors, sharing her knowledge of the natural pharmacy of her land.
Manuela cares deeply for all of her students. Her own life story brought her a lot of challenges, heartbreak and grief to overcome. This gave her the wisdom to guide others through these transformative human processes. She embodies her Shipibo name Jakon Rate — truly a Life-Giving Good Surprise for all who meet and learn with her.
Robertina Mahua, eldest daughter of Pascual Mahua, is a Noyá Ráo maestra who began her medicine path at 52, motivated by family healing. After being part of the work of her father, uncles, and cousins, she committed to a dedicated study with the sacred plants. She is also a bonesetter and works with different plants & modalities.
Her Shipibo name Bawan Yabi (Green Parrot) is reflected in her powerful and healing songs where you can feel all the colours of the rainforest.
Delia Mahua is a midwife and medicine woman who learned from her maternal-grandmother. She is Manuela’s cousin and the sister of Robertina. Delia’s care, kindness, and beauty touches all those she meets and she is truly a tsiri ainbo, a ‘beautiful woman who always does what is right’.
Delia will be our cook, and she prepares our plant remedies. Her Shipibo name 'Soi Same', Soft Beauty, speaks about her beautifully soft nature.
“The Amazon speaks in the language of rivers, trees, and ancient songs — a wisdom older than words.”
Central to this experience are the sacred ceremonies guided by the wise Grandmothers (also known as Yoxánbo) from the Shipibo people. The Shipibo-Conibo people are ancestral stewards of the Amazon and carriers of ancient plant medicine wisdom / technology. Their work is based on their profound relationship with the forest and the icaros (healing songs/prayers) that they receive from the plants. Their language is profoundly entwined with the plant world.
We will sit in ceremony in this ancient tradition 4 times during our retreat. This offers an opportunity for deep listening, connecting with the subconscious and spiritual healing. The maestras are experienced in bringing healing for the physical, emotional, spiritual and mental bodies. When we commit to a process of several ceremonies, the plants work differently with us and allow us to go to deeper layers, step by step. 🌿 It is also important to know that it is no obligation to drink the medicine. You are allowed to sit in ceremony and will still receive the healing songs that the grandmothers will channel for you. This is how it was done by the Indigenous people originally as well.
This is a beautiful opportunity to sit in authentic Shipibo lineage. You will be guided, supported, and held in a safe, respectful, and traditional way. We will organize individual preparation talks in advance as well as integration support to support you in bridging these teachings to your daily lives.
While working with the Plants in this way, we enter an ancient relationship between the Shipibo people and the plants. They give us the opportunity to enter the portal of their connection and receive healing. For this to be a truly authentic experience, we find it important to also honour the culture that this originates from.
Therefore, as part of this retreat, you are invited to take part in cultural activities and connect with the roots of this Indigenous tradition.
In this retreat, you will be immersed in Shipibo culture through ...
- Storytelling
- Language workshop (the sacred language holds the Shipibo cosmology)
- Song workshops
- Ceramics & Embroidery workshop
- Traditional food & plant preparations
- Shipibo market with traditional artworks
- Connection with the land and the family ♥︎ 🌿
Oni is the ancestral medicine of the Shipibo people, made out of two plants: Nishi (Caapi) & Kawa (Chakruna). Also known as ‘Ayahuasca’, Oni is its indigenous name, meaning ‘Wisdom’.
In ceremonies guided by the maestras, each participant receives an individual icaro (sacred song channeled through the plants) and healing - whether you drink the medicine or not. Together, we will have the privilege of sitting in 4 ceremonies. This will allow each participant to go through a profound process, with guidance on each part of the path, reaching a deeper understanding of oneself and of the work with the plants.
Also for those who feel called to participate but not to drink the medicine, deep healing will occur. Traditionally, Shipibo healers would drink the medicine but the ceremony participants would not. Only the fact of receiving the icaro, tailored and channeled for you especifically and with its source in the medicine, is enough to bring forth enormous healing.
Myrah will be with you this whole journey, in the preparation process and in the integration process, and during the trip. Myrah has been working with this family for 7 years and developed a relationship based on trust, love and respect with her teachers, now opening this field for others too.
About Myrah
Myrah, founder of Aruna Healing Arts, has a longstanding relationship with Manuela, Robertina and Delia. After starting her own healing journey with them 7 years ago, she embarked on a deep study with the plants and Indigenous healing modalities. She has been walking the Medicine Path, immersing herself in plant wisdom and spiritual traditions. She spends yearly time with the Shipibo grandmothers, learning with the plants under their guidance. Myrah’s work is rooted in shamanism, voice opening, creative expression, and profound connection with plant and nature spirits.
Very dedicated to healing of humanity & Earth, Myrah has guided 10+ retreats, 30+ ceremonies and 2 trips to Peru, in service to the wider Web of Life. The path of the plants connected her with a deep source of joy, that she wishes to share with others.
See more about her and Aruna Healing Arts on Facebook or Instagram.
Facilitation at the center
Apart from Myrah's presence, there will be at least one facilitator working with the maestras. This person is someone working and living with them semi-permanently, speaks English and will be of great support before, during and after the retreat. There is also a Shipibo-speaking facilitator on site, usually a cousin of the Maestras, who can translate Spanish-Shipibo is of great support.
4 Oni ceremonies guided by Grandmother-Healers with 60+ years of wisdom
Sacred song & language classes in Shipibo
Personalized plant treatment & healing baths
Ceramics & embroidery workshops
Medicinal plant walk in the Amazon
Individual consultations with the maestras
A small group of max 9 people — with individual and group support from arrival to return home
- A stay in an individual 'tambo' (house) with your own shower and toilet
- Healthy meals cooked with love by Delia
- Sharing circles and check-ins
- Experienced guidance & integration support with 1:1 sessions (online)
- 2 nights at a beautiful ecolodge, to have a day of preparation/arrival before going to the Shipibo, and a day of closing/integration after.
- Early Bird until 1 June: € 2250
- Regular price: € 2450
- Social price: €2100 (available for 2 participants — apply with a motivation)
→ Includes everything listed above. Flights not included.
→ A deposit secures your place and will be made directly to the Medicine centre, under their cancellation policy.
Max 9 spaces available to keep the group intimate and supported.
If the contribution is an obstacle to you, please contact us to see what is possible.
To apply or reserve your place, send a message via Instagram @myrahsanne / email me at myrahv@hotmail.com / Whatsapp to +32494499311
MAX 9 SPOTS
This retreat is open to all who feel the call. We recommend to have an initiatory call with us to get clear on your intention for this highly personal journey.
You’re invited to fill in a short application form. for us to get to know you and your needs.
Do I need experience with plant medicine?
No experience is needed. This retreat is open to all who feel the calling. You’ll be guided every step of the way.
Is this a dieta retreat?
No, this is not a traditional dieta, but the food offered will be supportive for the work with the plants.
Will there be time to rest?
Yes. Rest, spaciousness, and jungle time are integral to the retreat. We move gently and also invite you to listen to your own body and energy system.
Are the plant ceremonies optional?
Yes. All participants are supported in choosing what feels right. The Maestras and our team hold space with care and respect. Of course, we do recommend to participate in all ceremonies - this will be very supportive for your process. It is however optional to drink the medicine - you can be present without drinking and this way you do receive the healing chants - these hold the true keys for transformation.
Is it safe for solo travelers?
Yes. Many of our participants come alone. The group is small, and we create a supportive, family-like field.
What to Bring
- Light, breathable clothing for jungle climate
- Swimwear, towel, and sandals
- Natural mosquito repellent
- Flashlight or headlamp
- Journal and pen
- A small altar item (optional)
- Personal items and any essential medications
- An open heart and respectful presence
A more detailed list will be shared after registration.
We will provide mats and ceremony materials. You do not need to bring your own.
Testimonials
"The Return to the Heart retreat in Peru was a profound turning point in my life. I felt as though I had experienced a complete reset—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I returned home feeling lighter, with old wounds and emotional burdens finally released. Challenges that once deeply triggered me are now met with softness and acceptance. Even through the unexpected loss of my beloved horse shortly after the retreat, I felt a deep sense of trust in life and the feeling that a new chapter was beginning. The retreat was thoughtfully organized and created a safe, nurturing space for deep personal growth and healing. Alongside the individual inner work, the group practices and ceremonies fostered a powerful sense of connection and collective support. The experience will stay with me forever—it truly brought me back to my heart.
The Return to Heart retreat in Peru has been a truly beautiful experience. It offered me a deep connection with the Earth and the land of the Amazon, and a unique opportunity to truly live within the culture. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to live an authentic and immersive experience. The facilitators were very supportive, offering good practices and guidance that helped us connect more deeply with ourselves and our environment, and to prepare inwardly for ceremony. The ceremony with the Shipibo grandmothers was very unique and authentic. You are invited into a true ceremonial space, carried in a tradition that has been carried on for many many generations. It was gentle and held with great wisdom, allowing us to feel fully carried throughout the experience. will take with me the amazon part of Peru. I had never been, it’s very lovely. It will be in my deep memories of my heart. The connection to the land, the people, and the animals was very authentic alive. It was not something observed from the outside, but something we were part of, fully immersed in the land. utside, but something we were part of, fully immersed in the living land of Peru.
It was a pleasure to participate in this retreat, organised by Aruna Healing Arts and accompanied by Michael. I would like to express my gratitude to you both. The experience was very profound and offered many insights into myself. There is so much to learn, experience, and integrate on this kind of journey, and it feels essential to be well supported and held throughout the process. If you feel the call to participate, I would say: don’t hesitate.