What you seek is seeking you.
What you seek is seeking you.
Ayahuasca openS the door
Dietas LEAD you DEEPER WITHIN
Dietas LEAD you DEEPER WITHIN
The "Sama" or Dieta with Teacher Plants stands as an ancient discipline from the depths of the Ancestral Peruvian traditions.
A journey of self-introspection and shamanic learning requires specific dietary and behavioral disciplines, allowing participants to purify themselves and intimately bond with a chosen "teacher" plant as an ally for life.
In the Shipibo tradition, this practice is known as "Sama"
(La dieta de la medicina tradicional), and we will use this term as it comes from the Shipibo language.
UPCOMING
DIETA’S DATES
DIETA’S DATES
Teacher-Plant
Dietas
Dietas
- 10-Day Program All Included;
- 3 Ayahuasca Ceremonies;
- 8 nights Teacher Plant Diet;
- Lineage-Holding Master Shaman;
- Therapist on-site;
- Preparation & Integration
All included cost:
- Private Room - 3500€ p/p
- Private Bungalow 4000€
Upcoming Programs:
- February 16-25
- May 16-25
Please be aware that as we work with powerful plants, we should be flexible with the schedule we set up.
Each group is different and the process we will be going through together will be unique.
That is why the itinerary below is intended to give you an idea but it can be moderated on the retreat to maximize your results.
Each group is different and the process we will be going through together will be unique.
That is why the itinerary below is intended to give you an idea but it can be moderated on the retreat to maximize your results.
Itinerary
10-day Teacher Plant Diet
10-day Teacher Plant Diet
Day 0 – Arrival in Pucallpa (the day before the program starts)
Participants arrive in Pucallpa.
🛏️ Note: Accommodation for this night is not included and should be arranged individually.
Recommended hotels:
• Manish Hotel Ecológico – Comfortable cabins with a jungle feel, quiet and surrounded by nature.
• Costa del Sol Wyndham Pucallpa – A classic, modern hotel in the city center.
🚐 Group pick-up will take place only from Costa del Sol Wyndham on the morning of Day 1.
If you're staying at Manish or elsewhere, we can help arrange a local motocarro (tuk-tuk) to the pick-up point.
Cost: 15 soles (approx. $4 USD), paid directly to the driver.
Day 1 – Welcome & Orientation
10:00 AM – Group pick-up from Costa del Sol Wyndham
12:00 PM – Arrival at the APL Center, welcome, and camp tour
1:00 PM – Lunch
4:00 PM – Group meeting: introduction to the Sama process, protocols, and Q&A
7:00 PM – Dinner
Day 2 – Opening the Sama
8:00 AM – Flower bath
9:00 AM – Official opening of the Sama
12:00 PM – Meal for participants
6:00 PM –
Ayahuasca Ceremony to connect with the plant
Day 3 – Deepening the Sama
6:00 AM – Morning plant drink
12:00 PM – Meal
6:00–7:00 PM – Individual energetic protection with the Onanya
Day 4 – Deepening the Sama
6:00 AM – Morning plant drink
12:00 PM – Meal
6:00–7:00 PM – Individual energetic protection with the Onanya
Day 5 – Ayahuasca Ceremony
6:00 AM – Morning plant drink
12:00 PM – Meal
7:00 PM – Ayahuasca Ceremony – Realignment and deepening your process
Day 6 – Deepening the Sama
6:00 AM – Morning plant drink
12:00 PM – Meal
6:00–7:00 PM – Individual energetic protection with the Onanya
Day 7 – Deepening the Sama
6:00 AM – Morning plant drink
12:00 PM – Meal
6:00–7:00 PM – Individual energetic protection with the Onanya
Day 8 – Ayahuasca Ceremony & Closing
6:00 AM – Final plant drink
12:00 PM – Meal
7:00 PM – Ayahuasca Ceremony – Closing of the Sama and placing Pana (spiritual protection)
Day 9 – Integration & Cultural Immersion
8:00 AM – Flower bath
9:00 AM – Meal
1:00 PM – Lunch
2:00 PM – Group integration circle
4:00 PM – Shipibo traditional handicrafts activity
6:00 PM – Dinner
Day 10 – Departure
8:30 AM – Meal
10:00 AM – Group photo with the Onanya and fellow participants
11:00 AM – Transfer to Costa del Sol Wyndham Pucallpa
Participants arrive in Pucallpa.
🛏️ Note: Accommodation for this night is not included and should be arranged individually.
Recommended hotels:
• Manish Hotel Ecológico – Comfortable cabins with a jungle feel, quiet and surrounded by nature.
• Costa del Sol Wyndham Pucallpa – A classic, modern hotel in the city center.
🚐 Group pick-up will take place only from Costa del Sol Wyndham on the morning of Day 1.
If you're staying at Manish or elsewhere, we can help arrange a local motocarro (tuk-tuk) to the pick-up point.
Cost: 15 soles (approx. $4 USD), paid directly to the driver.
Day 1 – Welcome & Orientation
10:00 AM – Group pick-up from Costa del Sol Wyndham
12:00 PM – Arrival at the APL Center, welcome, and camp tour
1:00 PM – Lunch
4:00 PM – Group meeting: introduction to the Sama process, protocols, and Q&A
7:00 PM – Dinner
Day 2 – Opening the Sama
8:00 AM – Flower bath
9:00 AM – Official opening of the Sama
12:00 PM – Meal for participants
6:00 PM –
Ayahuasca Ceremony to connect with the plant
Day 3 – Deepening the Sama
6:00 AM – Morning plant drink
12:00 PM – Meal
6:00–7:00 PM – Individual energetic protection with the Onanya
Day 4 – Deepening the Sama
6:00 AM – Morning plant drink
12:00 PM – Meal
6:00–7:00 PM – Individual energetic protection with the Onanya
Day 5 – Ayahuasca Ceremony
6:00 AM – Morning plant drink
12:00 PM – Meal
7:00 PM – Ayahuasca Ceremony – Realignment and deepening your process
Day 6 – Deepening the Sama
6:00 AM – Morning plant drink
12:00 PM – Meal
6:00–7:00 PM – Individual energetic protection with the Onanya
Day 7 – Deepening the Sama
6:00 AM – Morning plant drink
12:00 PM – Meal
6:00–7:00 PM – Individual energetic protection with the Onanya
Day 8 – Ayahuasca Ceremony & Closing
6:00 AM – Final plant drink
12:00 PM – Meal
7:00 PM – Ayahuasca Ceremony – Closing of the Sama and placing Pana (spiritual protection)
Day 9 – Integration & Cultural Immersion
8:00 AM – Flower bath
9:00 AM – Meal
1:00 PM – Lunch
2:00 PM – Group integration circle
4:00 PM – Shipibo traditional handicrafts activity
6:00 PM – Dinner
Day 10 – Departure
8:30 AM – Meal
10:00 AM – Group photo with the Onanya and fellow participants
11:00 AM – Transfer to Costa del Sol Wyndham Pucallpa
For many, Ayahuasca provides a brief introduction to the broader field of shamanic practice. The experience can open perspectives on self-reflection and psychological processes, shedding light on aspects of the inner world that are not always accessible in daily life. Its insights, however, are often just the starting point; deeper understanding emerge through systematic engagement, such as plant dietas and long-term discipline.
Building on the introduction offered by Ayahuasca, Sama provides a more focused and intimate immersion into Shipibo tradition. Through the practice of plant dietas, participants engage in sustained self-reflection, cultivate discipline, and gradually access layers of traditional knowledge that support both learning and personal transformation.
While Ayahuasca may introduce the path, Sama allows you to engage with the systematic body of traditional knowledge preserved within Shipibo culture.
AYAHUASCA
SAMA (DIETA)
WHAT IS THE PROCESS
OF SAMA?
Onanya chooses a suitable teacher plant based on the individual's needs.
Choosing a Plant:
Committment:
Participants live in simple huts in solitude within the rainforest and follow a strict diet. The process also includes sexual abstinence, limited exposure to sunlight, and minimal social interaction, creating the conditions necessary for focused work with the plants.
Duration:
Dietas may last from one week to several months, depending on the tradition and the individual’s intention. Our 14-day Sama offers a balanced approach - long enough to engage meaningfully with the practice, while remaining accessible and safe for those without priornexperience.
Integration:
After completing the dieta, participants enter a period of integration in which foods are gradually reintroduced and regular activities resumed. This phase is essential for consolidating the insights and personal growth that emerged during the Sama
APL RETREAT
SHIPIBO ONANYA
SHIPIBO ONANYA
Maestro Sani
Over 30 Years of Practice
Over 30 Years of Practice
Life-Long Experience: With over 30 years dedicated to sacred plant medicine, Sani carries a rare depth of mastery, presence, and unwavering devotion to the healing path.
Respected Elder: As a recognized member of ASOMASHK, the Shipibo Healers’ Association, he embodies the highest standards of ancestral ethics and spiritual integrity.
Master Plant Authority: Shaped by decades of dieta and communion with Teacher-Plants, Sani’s work reflects profound sensitivity, precision, and alignment with Shipibo cosmology.
Sacred Lineage: A Shipibo Onanya from the Pucallpa region, Sani honors and continues the powerful legacy of his grandfather - a local healer of the highest rank, titled Muralla.
Respected Elder: As a recognized member of ASOMASHK, the Shipibo Healers’ Association, he embodies the highest standards of ancestral ethics and spiritual integrity.
Master Plant Authority: Shaped by decades of dieta and communion with Teacher-Plants, Sani’s work reflects profound sensitivity, precision, and alignment with Shipibo cosmology.
Sacred Lineage: A Shipibo Onanya from the Pucallpa region, Sani honors and continues the powerful legacy of his grandfather - a local healer of the highest rank, titled Muralla.
Teacher plant dietas can only be undertaken under the guidance of an experienced Onanya and within the Amazonian jungle.
The presence of the plants in their native environment is essential: it is from this land, its ecology, and its living tradition that the dieta draws its strength.
Removed from this context, the practice loses its effectiveness.
Teacher Plant Dieta:
Unlocking the Secrets of Sama (Dieta)
Unlocking the Secrets of Sama (Dieta)
The Role of a Shaman in Ceremony:
Why is it so important?
Why is it so important?
Ayahuasca “Bad Trip”:
Maestro Sani Explains
Maestro Sani Explains
WHY PLANTS
ARE TEACHERS?
Ancient Knowledge: Within Shipibo cultural frameworks, teacher plants are conceptualized as repositories of ancestral knowledge concerning the natural environment, human life, and the wider cosmos. They are engaged with as relational beings, rather than inert biological matter.
Therapeutic Applications: A number of these plants also possess pharmacological and therapeutic properties. Onanya acquire expertise in their preparation and use through extended apprenticeship, which enables them to work with these plants in both ritual and practical contexts.
Instruction and Guidance: Teacher plants are further understood to play an instructional role. Through the practice of dietas, they are considered to transmit knowledge, cultivate self-reflection, and support processes of learning and transformation within the Shipibo apprenticeship system.
Therapeutic Applications: A number of these plants also possess pharmacological and therapeutic properties. Onanya acquire expertise in their preparation and use through extended apprenticeship, which enables them to work with these plants in both ritual and practical contexts.
Instruction and Guidance: Teacher plants are further understood to play an instructional role. Through the practice of dietas, they are considered to transmit knowledge, cultivate self-reflection, and support processes of learning and transformation within the Shipibo apprenticeship system.
In Shipibo tradition, teacher plants, vines, and trees are understood not simply as biological entities but as repositories of knowledge and sources of guidance.
They are considered essential interlocutors in the process of learning and apprenticeship, mediating between the human practitioner and the wider cosmological framework in which shamanic practice is embedded.
They are considered essential interlocutors in the process of learning and apprenticeship, mediating between the human practitioner and the wider cosmological framework in which shamanic practice is embedded.
WHAT DO YOU
WANT TO LEARN?
WANT TO LEARN?
Click on a Plant
to learn more.
to learn more.
REQUIREMENTS
FOR PARTICIPANTS
FOR PARTICIPANTS
Before you apply make sure your are matching
the following requirements:
the following requirements:
- Commitment to a Strict Diet:Sama involves refraining from most food products, sexual activity, drugs, alcohol, entertainment, and social interaction. It’s a commitment to a disciplined lifestyle during the dieta.
- Ability to Refrain from Pharmaceutical Medication:Participants cannot engage in a dieta while taking pharmaceutical medication. Ensure your physical and mental health permits a break from all medications, as confirmed by your doctor.
- Willingness to Diet without Modern Amenities:Sama experience excludes access to electricity, internet, and television for the profound connection with the Amazon. Participants must be prepared to depart from their daily routine and fully immerse themselves in the Sama process.
- Mental Preparedness for Spiritual Encounters:During the Sama, participants might vividly sense or see spirits around their hut, experience visits in dreams, and have intense spiritual encounters. Mental readiness for these profound experiences is essential.
One of a kind
ACCOMODATION:
✩ COMFORTABLE ROOMS
Each house includes two double rooms with private bathrooms and rainforest views. Private stays are also available.
Sizes: 36–57 m² (with terrace)
✩ HIGH-END BUNGALOWS
Spacious, elegant bungalows, private or shared between two participants, offer premium comfort and ample living space.
Sizes: 55–68 m² (with terrace)
✩ FACILITIES
Each house includes two double rooms with private bathrooms and rainforest views. Private stays are also available.
Sizes: 36–57 m² (with terrace)
✩ HIGH-END BUNGALOWS
Spacious, elegant bungalows, private or shared between two participants, offer premium comfort and ample living space.
Sizes: 55–68 m² (with terrace)
✩ FACILITIES
- Hot shower
- Private bathroom
- Safe box
- Fan
- Desk & chair
- Wardrobe
- (Bungalows also include dining table, coffee table, armchairs & couch)
In the Heart of the Amazon
Room
With a private bathroom
House with 2 separate rooms
Both rooms have private bathrooms
Bungalow
Features 2 single beds and a private bathroom
Bungalow
Private or Shared
Have Questions?
We’re Here for You
It's natural to feel unsure-that’s where we come in!
Reach out to us and take the first step toward your journey with confidence.
Reach out to us and take the first step toward your journey with confidence.
WHAT’S APP
Message us to receive all the information to what’s app.
Fill in the form and we will set up time for a call.
REQUEST A CALL
Write us an email and we will respond swiftly.
EMAIL US
THERAPY BASED
SUPPORT TEAM
On-site retreat therapist
Leading Facilitator
Leading Facilitator
Lindsay
Boris
Sasha
- Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling from Saint John Fisher University in New York
- Licensure for diagnosis and treatment planning
- Certificate in Ecopsychology by Pacifica Graduate Institute
- Clinically Certified Adventure Therapist by Association for Experiential Education
- Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist Individual by Trauma Institute International (in process)
- Trauma informed Facilitator and Mindfulness coach.
- Started journey with Amazonian Plant Medicine in Peru in 2013.
- Worked with traditional healers and participated in Ayahuasca and other plant medicine ceremonies.
- Deepened shamanic tradition knowledge through Teacher-Plant dietas, becoming a skilled practitioner.
- Blends traditional wisdom with modern neuroscience for a unique Ayahuasca usage perspective.
- Established APL Shamanic Journeys retreats, facilitating transformative experiences for thousands individuals globally.
- Trauma Informed Facilitator and Mindfulness coach.
- Embarked on Ayahuasca journey in the Amazonian rainforest in 2013.
- Worked alongside Shipibo, Achuar, Cocama, and Ashaninka and mestizo curanderos.
- Spent over a year in isolation on Sama practice, learning from plants and enhancing understanding of Ayahuasca's healing power.
- Passionate about melding traditional wisdom with modern psychological methods.
- Founded APL Shamanic Journeys to aid individuals in achieving health, happiness, and harmony via Ayahuasca's transformative power.
The guiding team is the heartbeat of the Master Plant journey.
They lay the foundation, hold the space for both personal and collective unfolding, and gracefully close the arc of transformation - ensuring each participant feels seen, supported, and deeply fulfilled.
Chirik Sanango:
Wise Warrior
Wise Warrior
Chirik Sanango (Brunfelsia grandiflora) is a shrub native to the Western Amazon, widely recognized in Shipibo and other indigenous traditions as a principal “teacher plant” (rao). Its role extends beyond pharmacological use, embedding it deeply within the cosmological and therapeutic systems of the region.
Ethnobotanical context: Within Shipibo-Konibo practice, Chirik Sanango is incorporated into Sama (plant dieta) as part of long-term apprenticeship. It is approached not merely as a botanical specimen but as an interlocutor - a plant with which the apprentice develops a relationship of learning, discipline, and reciprocity.
Pharmacological/physical effects: Local specialists attribute to it properties that affect circulation, body temperature regulation, and vitality. Reported effects during dietas include sensations of bodily heat, trembling, and shifts in energy levels, which are interpreted as signs of the plant’s activity within the body.
Role in confronting fears: Among its most distinctive functions, Chirik Sanango is regarded as a plant that works directly with fear. The intense bodily effects it provokes are understood to surface latent anxieties and vulnerabilities. In Shipibo tradition, this is valued not as pathology but as pedagogy: the plant obliges the apprentice to face fear, cultivating resilience, patience, and the ability to remain present under pressure. Rather than eliminating fear, Chirik Sanango transforms the relationship to it, teaching how to endure, integrate, and ultimately draw strength from the encounter. From an anthropological perspective, this may be described as a pedagogical ordeal in which the plant functions as an active agent of knowledge transmission within Shipibo ontology.
Ethnobotanical context: Within Shipibo-Konibo practice, Chirik Sanango is incorporated into Sama (plant dieta) as part of long-term apprenticeship. It is approached not merely as a botanical specimen but as an interlocutor - a plant with which the apprentice develops a relationship of learning, discipline, and reciprocity.
Pharmacological/physical effects: Local specialists attribute to it properties that affect circulation, body temperature regulation, and vitality. Reported effects during dietas include sensations of bodily heat, trembling, and shifts in energy levels, which are interpreted as signs of the plant’s activity within the body.
Role in confronting fears: Among its most distinctive functions, Chirik Sanango is regarded as a plant that works directly with fear. The intense bodily effects it provokes are understood to surface latent anxieties and vulnerabilities. In Shipibo tradition, this is valued not as pathology but as pedagogy: the plant obliges the apprentice to face fear, cultivating resilience, patience, and the ability to remain present under pressure. Rather than eliminating fear, Chirik Sanango transforms the relationship to it, teaching how to endure, integrate, and ultimately draw strength from the encounter. From an anthropological perspective, this may be described as a pedagogical ordeal in which the plant functions as an active agent of knowledge transmission within Shipibo ontology.
Bobinsana:
Song of the Amazon
Song of the Amazon
Bobinsana (Calliandra angustifolia) is a shrub native to the Western Amazon, recognized in Shipibo and other indigenous traditions as a significant rao (teacher plant). Its striking pink blossoms have made it emblematic not only in ecological but also in cultural contexts, where it is often associated with vitality, sensitivity, and relationality.
Ethnobotanical context: Within Shipibo-Konibo practice, Bobinsana is incorporated into Sama (plant dieta) as part of apprenticeship. It is especially valued for its association with the cultivation of empathy, openness, and the capacity to establish harmonious connections. In local discourse, Bobinsana is frequently described as a “plant of the heart,” guiding apprentices toward greater sensitivity in both personal and social relations.
Pharmacological/physical effects: Bobinsana is noted in ethnomedicine for its use as a tonic, with local specialists attributing to it effects on circulation, immunity, and inflammatory processes. Decoctions of its bark and roots are sometimes employed in traditional medicine for rheumatism, joint pain, and general strengthening of the body.
Pedagogical and emotional dimension: Beyond its somatic applications, Bobinsana is understood to act as a teacher in the emotional and relational sphere. Through dietas, apprentices describe experiences of heightened compassion, emotional release, and the ability to engage with others from a position of openness. Rather than being framed in psychological terms, these processes are interpreted in Shipibo ontology as direct transmissions of knowledge from the plant, shaping the apprentice’s character and capacity to work with others.
Anthropological significance: Bobinsana illustrates the way Amazonian medical systems integrate physiological, emotional, and epistemological dimensions. It occupies a place where the body, the emotions, and the broader cosmological order are interwoven, offering insight into how Shipibo understand plants not as passive remedies but as active agents in processes of learning and transformation.
Ethnobotanical context: Within Shipibo-Konibo practice, Bobinsana is incorporated into Sama (plant dieta) as part of apprenticeship. It is especially valued for its association with the cultivation of empathy, openness, and the capacity to establish harmonious connections. In local discourse, Bobinsana is frequently described as a “plant of the heart,” guiding apprentices toward greater sensitivity in both personal and social relations.
Pharmacological/physical effects: Bobinsana is noted in ethnomedicine for its use as a tonic, with local specialists attributing to it effects on circulation, immunity, and inflammatory processes. Decoctions of its bark and roots are sometimes employed in traditional medicine for rheumatism, joint pain, and general strengthening of the body.
Pedagogical and emotional dimension: Beyond its somatic applications, Bobinsana is understood to act as a teacher in the emotional and relational sphere. Through dietas, apprentices describe experiences of heightened compassion, emotional release, and the ability to engage with others from a position of openness. Rather than being framed in psychological terms, these processes are interpreted in Shipibo ontology as direct transmissions of knowledge from the plant, shaping the apprentice’s character and capacity to work with others.
Anthropological significance: Bobinsana illustrates the way Amazonian medical systems integrate physiological, emotional, and epistemological dimensions. It occupies a place where the body, the emotions, and the broader cosmological order are interwoven, offering insight into how Shipibo understand plants not as passive remedies but as active agents in processes of learning and transformation.
Ajo Sacha:
Shielding Spirit
Shielding Spirit
Ajo Sacha (Mansoa alliacea) is a woody vine native to the Amazon, widely recognized in Shipibo and other indigenous traditions as both a medicinal and a teacher plant.
Clearing saladera: In local ethnomedical systems, Ajo Sacha is frequently used to counter saladera — a state of misfortune, stagnation, or blocked energy. It is considered to cleanse these accumulations, restoring balance and opening the way for new opportunities.
Creating inner space: Beyond its cleansing role, Ajo Sacha is understood to create inner spaciousness. It helps to release melancholy, heaviness, and the residue of past emotional experiences. In Shipibo practice, this is not framed as symbolic but as an active teaching: the plant enables the apprentice to “digest” unresolved emotions, transforming them into clarity and resilience. This process generates the internal space necessary for growth, renewal, and purposeful action.
Anthropological perspective: Ajo Sacha exemplifies how Amazonian plant knowledge integrates bodily, emotional, and cosmological dimensions. It is approached not merely as a remedy but as an active agent that supports emotional digestion, liberation from saladera, and the cultivation of inner equilibrium.
Clearing saladera: In local ethnomedical systems, Ajo Sacha is frequently used to counter saladera — a state of misfortune, stagnation, or blocked energy. It is considered to cleanse these accumulations, restoring balance and opening the way for new opportunities.
Creating inner space: Beyond its cleansing role, Ajo Sacha is understood to create inner spaciousness. It helps to release melancholy, heaviness, and the residue of past emotional experiences. In Shipibo practice, this is not framed as symbolic but as an active teaching: the plant enables the apprentice to “digest” unresolved emotions, transforming them into clarity and resilience. This process generates the internal space necessary for growth, renewal, and purposeful action.
Anthropological perspective: Ajo Sacha exemplifies how Amazonian plant knowledge integrates bodily, emotional, and cosmological dimensions. It is approached not merely as a remedy but as an active agent that supports emotional digestion, liberation from saladera, and the cultivation of inner equilibrium.
Chuchuhuasi:
Pillar of Strength
Pillar of Strength
Chuchuhuasi (Maytenus krukovii / Maytenus macrocarpa)
Chuchuhuasi is a towering Amazonian tree recognized in indigenous traditions for its strength, resilience, and grounding presence. With its deep roots anchored firmly in the earth and its trunk rising straight toward the sky, it symbolizes stability, continuity, and the bridge between the material and the spiritual.
Cultural context: The bark and roots are traditionally prepared as decoctions or tinctures in contexts where vitality, stamina, and recovery are needed. Chuchuhuasi is valued as a fortifying plant, supporting mobility, circulation, and overall vigor, especially during periods of strain or fatigue.
Phytochemistry and physical effects: Modern analyses have identified triterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and antioxidant compounds in Chuchuhuasi, which are associated in pharmacological literature with anti-inflammatory and strengthening properties. These findings resonate with its long-standing role as a tonic for energy and endurance.
Chuchuhuasi is known for its ability to support structure and strength, both physically and symbolically.
As a great Amazonian tree with deep roots anchored firmly in the earth and a tall trunk rising straight toward the sky, it embodies resilience and balance. For those in dieta, it represents the connection between the material and the spiritual, helping them remain grounded throughout their experience.
Additionally, Chuchuhuasi is associated with healing across generations and with reproductive balance, linking personal renewal to continuity and vitality.
Chuchuhuasi is a towering Amazonian tree recognized in indigenous traditions for its strength, resilience, and grounding presence. With its deep roots anchored firmly in the earth and its trunk rising straight toward the sky, it symbolizes stability, continuity, and the bridge between the material and the spiritual.
Cultural context: The bark and roots are traditionally prepared as decoctions or tinctures in contexts where vitality, stamina, and recovery are needed. Chuchuhuasi is valued as a fortifying plant, supporting mobility, circulation, and overall vigor, especially during periods of strain or fatigue.
Phytochemistry and physical effects: Modern analyses have identified triterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and antioxidant compounds in Chuchuhuasi, which are associated in pharmacological literature with anti-inflammatory and strengthening properties. These findings resonate with its long-standing role as a tonic for energy and endurance.
Chuchuhuasi is known for its ability to support structure and strength, both physically and symbolically.
As a great Amazonian tree with deep roots anchored firmly in the earth and a tall trunk rising straight toward the sky, it embodies resilience and balance. For those in dieta, it represents the connection between the material and the spiritual, helping them remain grounded throughout their experience.
Additionally, Chuchuhuasi is associated with healing across generations and with reproductive balance, linking personal renewal to continuity and vitality.
Toe (Datura):
Portal to the Ethereal
Portal to the Ethereal
Toe (Brugmansia spp.)
Intense power:
Toe is recognized across the Amazon as one of the most potent and dangerous plants. Within Shipibo and other indigenous traditions, it is regarded with great caution and respect. Its effects are considered profoundly transformative but also highly unpredictable, which is why it is never approached casually. Only experienced Onanya (Shipibo healers) may work with it, and always within strict ritual frameworks.
Cultural and ritual context:
In traditional practice, Toe is not part of ordinary dietas. It is reserved exclusively for advanced healers, who may use it in controlled contexts to expand perception, communicate with spirit allies, and access knowledge that is otherwise inaccessible. Its visions are described as intense and overwhelming, demanding great mastery and discipline to navigate safely.
Anthropological perspective:
Anthropological accounts consistently emphasize that Toe functions as a plant of exceptional power but also exceptional risk. It is conceptualized as a conduit to other realms of existence, but in Shipibo ontology it can only be engaged responsibly by trained healers who possess the knowledge to open, guide, and close such encounters. For apprentices or participants, the use of Toe is strictly prohibited.
Intense power:
Toe is recognized across the Amazon as one of the most potent and dangerous plants. Within Shipibo and other indigenous traditions, it is regarded with great caution and respect. Its effects are considered profoundly transformative but also highly unpredictable, which is why it is never approached casually. Only experienced Onanya (Shipibo healers) may work with it, and always within strict ritual frameworks.
Cultural and ritual context:
In traditional practice, Toe is not part of ordinary dietas. It is reserved exclusively for advanced healers, who may use it in controlled contexts to expand perception, communicate with spirit allies, and access knowledge that is otherwise inaccessible. Its visions are described as intense and overwhelming, demanding great mastery and discipline to navigate safely.
Anthropological perspective:
Anthropological accounts consistently emphasize that Toe functions as a plant of exceptional power but also exceptional risk. It is conceptualized as a conduit to other realms of existence, but in Shipibo ontology it can only be engaged responsibly by trained healers who possess the knowledge to open, guide, and close such encounters. For apprentices or participants, the use of Toe is strictly prohibited.
Uchu Sanango:
Release of Yesteryears
Release of Yesteryears
Uchu Sanango (Tabernaemontana sananho)
Origins and attributes:
Uchu Sanango is a shrub native to the Western Amazon and regarded in Shipibo and other indigenous traditions as a powerful rao (teacher plant). It is considered one of the more demanding plants within the dieta system, reserved for those with prior experience and not recommended for beginners.
Ethnobotanical context:
In dieta, Uchu Sanango is associated with processes of release and transformation. It is said to bring unresolved memories, emotional burdens, and latent fears to the surface, requiring the dietero to confront and let go of them. The challenges it presents are considered part of its pedagogy: Uchu Sanango teaches through intensity, obliging the apprentice to cultivate discipline, courage, and endurance.
Experiential and symbolic dimension:
Apprentices describe the plant as creating conditions for profound renewal. By loosening the grip of past burdens, it opens the way for clarity and presence, though this process is often physically and emotionally demanding. Its lessons are understood to strip away layers of resistance, allowing the practitioner to emerge more grounded and resilient.
Anthropological perspective:
Uchu Sanango illustrates how teacher plants are conceptualized as active interlocutors in Amazonian knowledge systems. It is not approached for visions but for its ability to restructure the apprentice through ordeal, making it a plant reserved for advanced stages of apprenticeship rather than an entry point for newcomers.
Origins and attributes:
Uchu Sanango is a shrub native to the Western Amazon and regarded in Shipibo and other indigenous traditions as a powerful rao (teacher plant). It is considered one of the more demanding plants within the dieta system, reserved for those with prior experience and not recommended for beginners.
Ethnobotanical context:
In dieta, Uchu Sanango is associated with processes of release and transformation. It is said to bring unresolved memories, emotional burdens, and latent fears to the surface, requiring the dietero to confront and let go of them. The challenges it presents are considered part of its pedagogy: Uchu Sanango teaches through intensity, obliging the apprentice to cultivate discipline, courage, and endurance.
Experiential and symbolic dimension:
Apprentices describe the plant as creating conditions for profound renewal. By loosening the grip of past burdens, it opens the way for clarity and presence, though this process is often physically and emotionally demanding. Its lessons are understood to strip away layers of resistance, allowing the practitioner to emerge more grounded and resilient.
Anthropological perspective:
Uchu Sanango illustrates how teacher plants are conceptualized as active interlocutors in Amazonian knowledge systems. It is not approached for visions but for its ability to restructure the apprentice through ordeal, making it a plant reserved for advanced stages of apprenticeship rather than an entry point for newcomers.
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WITH US
WITH US
Before & After
the La Dieta
the La Dieta
In this revealing narrative, Celeste recounts her journey, elucidating her state of being before embarking on the 20-day dieta with Chuchuhuasi & Uña de Gato, and the transformative revelations she encountered upon its completion.
Through her personal account, witness the potential metamorphosis that unfolds through engaging in such a profound practice with these master plants.
Through her personal account, witness the potential metamorphosis that unfolds through engaging in such a profound practice with these master plants.
Maestro Anael about Sacha Ajos
Path Of The Onanya
Maestro Pepe "The last Shaman"
Maestro Pepe "The last Shaman"
Maestro Pepe discusses his healer's journey and emphasizes the significance of dieting practices with Teacher Plants in the Amazonian rainforest. Through his words, explore the deep-rooted traditions and the profound impact these practices offer on the path of healing.
Maestro Anael about Sacha Ajos
Ajos Sacha Dieta
Ajo Sacha is often chosen as the initial dieta due to its spirit teaching protection against negative energies-a vital lesson for anyone delving into the spiritual realm. This foundational understanding is crucial as one steps into the world of spirits, setting the stage for a safer and more enlightened exploration.
Maestro Anael about Sacha Ajos
Chiric Sanango Dieta
The spirit of Chiric Sanango is often portrayed as a young warrior imbued with passion and wisdom. Although a strict teacher, the lessons imparted are nothing short of life-changing, offering profound insights and transformative experiences to those who seek its guidance.
Maestro Anael about Cat's claw
Chuchuhuasi Dieta
The spirit of Chuchuhuasi embodies a nurturing female essence, guiding individuals towards opening their hearts to emotions and sharing love with those around them. Engaging with Chuchuhuasi's tender and caring spirit, one can find themselves enveloped in a warm embrace of love and empathy, fostering deeper connections and a more heartfelt existence.
APL's team in Peru with Chuchuhuasi tree