IN THE HEART OF THE AMAZON JUNGLE
Journey with Keepers of Indigenous Shipibo Plant Medicine Tradition
14-day Ayahuasca Immersion in the Amazon Jungle
August 4th - 17th, 2025
Iquitos, Peru
RETURN TO NATURE
The Amazon rainforest holds wisdom that transcends time. Beneath its branches, traditions of healing and transformation
have been preserved for generations.
This gathering invites you into relationship with these sacred traditions, held in a container that honors both ancient practice and modern needs. In communion with the forest, our work weaves together sacred ceremony, indigenous plant spirit healing, community, and supportive coaching to hold space for personal insight and collective healing.
Our foundation rests in respect for the plants, the people, the land, and the processes that make this sacred work possible.
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Dates: August 4-17, 2025
Location: Retreat center near Iquitos, Peru
Cost: $2,450
Includes:
- 6 Ayahuasca Ceremonies with indigenous healers
- Transfers to/from Iquitos Airport and the retreat center
- All ceremonies and consultations
- English/Spanish translation
- All meals and housing
- Guided jungle walk
- One pre and one post-retreat one-to-one phone Shamanic Coaching session with Tracy
- Two pre-retreat group preparation sessions integration sessions (Zoom)
- Two post-retreat group integration sessions (Zoom)
WHY THIS RETREAT IS DIFFERENT
Intimate and Personalized: With a small group size (max 10 participants), you receive personal attention from both the healers, Tracy, and support staff, allowing for deep, individualized work.
A Comprehensive Healing Journey: This retreat combines traditional plant spirit medicine with ongoing support before and after the retreat through pre- and post-ceremony integration sessions. This journey includes:
- Two pre-retreat Zoom integration sessions to prepare your container
- Two post-retreat Zoom integration sessions to support your continued process
- Two personal coaching sessions with Tracy (one before and one after the retreat) for individualized preparation and integration
- Private consultations with Tracy and group sharing circles during the retreat
- Additional staff and facilitators on the retreat for support
Cultural Immersion: Experience authentic Shipibo healing in the heart of the Amazon, working closely with experienced indigenous healers who bring their deep wisdom and spiritual practices into every ceremony.
Holistic Support: Beyond the ceremonies, we offer a nourishing environment with healthy meals, a comfortable setting, and the safety of expert guidance throughout your journey.
AYAHUASCA
Ayahuasca is a potent psychedelic plant medicine used by indigenous peoples of the Amazon for spiritual and healing purposes. It's made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and Psychotria viridis (chakruna) leaves, which together create a brew containing dimethyltryptamine (DMT). This compound opens the mind to altered states of consciousness, rich visions, and deep introspection. Ayahuasca is also a purgative - it often causes physical cleansing through vomiting or intestinal release, which isn't just a side effect but actually an essential part of the healing process.
But Ayahuasca goes beyond its biochemical components or label as a psychedelic. From the indigenous perspective, it's a sentient intelligence - a plant spirit medicine with its own wisdom and consciousness. Those who engage with this medicine deeply respect its ability to guide personal insight, emotional release, and spiritual growth.
Among the many who work with Ayahuasca in the Amazon, the Shipibo people stand out as true masters in communicating with the spirit of Ayahuasca and other nature spirit allies of the jungle. Their ability to call in the plant's spirit through sacred songs called icaros helps direct the flow of the medicine, offering protection, healing, and clarity. These potent songs are key to the ceremonial work, guiding participants through their journeys and opening pathways for deep transformation.
In ceremony, the medicine and the curandero's presence work together, helping those journeying to explore their subconscious, release trauma, and gain clarity about their life's path.
WHAT IS PLANT SPIRIT MEDICINE?
In the Shipibo way of seeing the world, plants are much more than just physical matter with chemical or medicinal properties. They are living, aware beings that we can form real relationships with. Plant spirit medicine grows from this understanding, creating a practice of communion rather than consumption.
For the Shipibo, every plant possesses a spirit (ibo) with its own intelligence, personality, and healing gifts. These plant spirits can teach, guide, and heal when approached with proper respect and preparation. The relationship between healer and plant begins through dieta (sama). This practice of sama involves extended periods of isolation and restricted eating while building connection with specific plant teachers. This is much more extensive than the diet undergone by participants in preparation for working with Ayahuasca.
Shipibo healers don't simply "use" plants; they enter into dialogue with them. Through dreams, visions, and direct perception, the plant spirits communicate their healing properties and applications. This wisdom becomes embodied in the healer, who then serves as a conduit between the plant intelligence and those seeking healing.
The Shipibo understanding of illness extends beyond physical symptoms to encompass energetic imbalances, spiritual intrusions, and disrupted relationships with the natural world. Plant spirits can see these invisible patterns, working through the healer to realign energies, extract harmful influences, and restore proper connection.
Central to this practice is the concept of onanya, the accumulated plant wisdom that becomes part of the healer's very being. This knowledge isn't intellectual but experiential, carried in the body and spirit after years of building relationships with plant teachers through ceremony, dieta, and dedicated practice.
A SACRED TRADITION OF HEALING
On this retreat, you'll experience healing work with both female and male indigenous Shipibo practitioners.
Female healers stand as pillars in the Shipibo-Konibo tradition. Throughout generations, these curanderas have cultivated profound relationships with plant allies, developing healing approaches that flow from their unique perspective and wisdom.
These healing traditions are expressed through ceremonial practices that connect participants to the heart of Shipibo wisdom.
You'll hear the intricate melodies of sacred icaros (healing songs) sung into your body, experience the power of plant spirits, and feel the living presence of a healing lineage that has been carefully preserved for generations.
PREPARING FOR THE JOURNEY
Meeting the plants asks for preparation of body, mind, and soul. The work begins long before we gather in the Amazon, as we create space in our lives for transformation.
Travel Preparation
Arriving in Peru:
- You'll need a passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your entry date
- A return/onward ticket is required to enter Peru
- We recommend flying with LATAM or Sky Airline from Lima to Iquitos
- Consider booking your entire journey on one ticket to simplify connections
Meeting Point:
We gather at 1PM on August 4th at the café in Iquitos airport. From there, we travel together to the retreat center.
Preparing Your Mind and Body for the Journey
Physical Preparation: For your safety and to support the depth of your experience, we ask that you follow a certain diet with certain types of foods and activities to include and avoid 10 days before and after the retreat. It is important that you communicate your food allergies, intolerances or preferences so we can design a menu that supports your well-being.
Important: Please inform Tracy upon registration about any health conditions, especially heart issues or blood pressure concerns, and any medications or supplements you're taking. Medications such as antidepressants (especially SSRIs) need to be stopped at least 2 weeks prior (these can create dangerous interactions). Consult with your doctor to discuss the best way to taper off any medications in preparation for this work.
Antidepressants in general are not compatible with the ingestion of Ayahuasca. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) work by raising your serotonin levels. For example Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Citalopram, Paroxetine, etc. Any drug to treat depression, anxiety, insomnia, ADD, blood pressure medicines, cold or cough, anti-allergics, or anti-inflammatories are not compatible with the ingestion of ayahuasca. Also statins, opioids, amphetamines, medicines for nausea, asthma sprays, and recreational drugs.
Inner Preparation:
The container holds best when we arrive with clear intentions. In the weeks before, we suggest:
- Reflecting on your purpose for this work
- Creating space for quietude and self-reflection
- Limiting exposure to electronic media and entertainment
- Practicing mental and emotional hygiene
- Connecting with nature when possible
What To Bring
- Backpack (preferable to a suitcase)
- Headlamp with red light option for ceremonies
- Extra batteries
- Raincoat
- Towel
- Natural soap
- Natural sunscreen
- Sun hat
- Light, comfortable clothing
- Flip-flops or Crocs for daily wear
- In case of diarrhea, natural remedy such as coal
- Travel insurance that includes health insurance
- Rubber shoes/boots can be useful for longer jungle treks, they can be also purchased in Iquitos. They are not necessary.
- Journal, musical instruments, or art supplies if desired
- Sacred objects like crystals or something you like to have on a personal altar if desired
Costs & Payment
- Cost: The total cost for the retreat is $2450 USD. This includes everything for the duration of the retreat from pickup from/return to Iquitos airport: food, lodging, ceremonies, transportation, and integration sessions
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Payment Process:
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A $1000 deposit is due at the time of registration to secure your spot.
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A $500 payment is due 30 days prior to the retreat.
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The final $950 is to be paid in cash USD directly to the retreat center in Peru upon arrival.
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- Currency: It’s recommended to bring USD, as it is the easiest to exchange in Peru. Please ensure that the cash is not torn or damaged, as it will not be accepted
- Refund & Cancellation Policy: The retreat deposit is 50% refundable if cancelled 30 days or more before the start date. Less than 30 days, if we can fill your spot, your deposit can be deferred to another retreat date
- Extras: You may wish to bring extra cash for purchasing textiles, artwork from the shamans, or optional treatments such as massages
- Additional Expenses: Please note that flights to Iquitos, Peru (via Lima) and any personal travel expenses to and from the retreat center are not included. You may want to arrive in Iquitos the day before. If so, you would cover any additional hotel/transportation expenses.
IF YOU'RE FEELING CALLED
This work asks for openness, courage, and a willingness to meet yourself in new ways. The medicine moves through relationship - with nature and the cosmos, with tradition, with community, and with the deeper currents of your own being.
If you feel called to this journey, reach out. I'm happy to answer your questions and assist with your preparation.
RETREAT PARTICIPANT REFLECTIONS
“Tracy was amazing. She is supportive, compassionate and wise. She helped me find new ways of looking at things in my life and created the perfect healing space.” – Jess
“The work is amazing and was very important and helpful for me! I feel very blessed that I could be here, it’s a big gift from heaven.” – Klaus
“I was able to jump right in and knew I was taken care of. For me an experience of a lifetime with results still to be seen or unfold like Christmas, a new gift every day. I am truly content and feel I can be calm in the midst of chaos. Peace, joy and love can be had for all.” – R.B.
“Tracy, I loved the way you ran our retreat. You took care of us gracefully and with a smile. I never felt uncomfortable approaching you and I am so happy to know you. I am a huge fan of the shaman, they were perfect.” – Mary
"This is my second Ayahuasca workshop in Peru now and I’m pleased to say this is the better experience of the two. I’d definitely come to another workshop hosted by you. The location and food was great and you provided a relaxed, caring and informative environment/workshop." – Steven
Hi, I'm Tracy James
Spiritual Herbalist & Life Coach
Weaving together the transformative threads of shamanism, eco-psychology, leadership, and embodiment
My work with plant spirits is rooted in a profound respect for indigenous wisdom and a commitment to ethical, culturally sensitive practice.
I have experienced firsthand the transformative power of this work. In 2009, my journey led me to the Peruvian Amazon, where I lived and participated in over 15 traditional plant dietas guided by indigenous curanderos from the Shipibo lineage.
These experiences, along with my own plant initiation practices, at home in Marin County, California, have shaped how I listen to my own knowing and to the animate spirits of nature. The challenges and grace I've encountered along the way have informed how I hold space for others to step into this sacred relationship.
With over 20 years as a life and leadership coach and 15 years in psychedelic integration coaching and shamanic practice, I bring a toolkit that bridges the mystical and practical.
As someone of mixed race and diverse sacred lineages, I deeply understand the importance of finding and walking your spiritual path in a way that honors your unique heritage and personal journey.
Drawing from these varied dimensions of experience, I hold a supportive space with guidance and practices to help you enter into your own sacred, reciprocal relationships with plant spirits as conscious beings.
The true magic unfolds when you and the plants begin to find your own sacred dialogue.
Hi, I'm Tracy
My work with plant spirits is rooted in a profound respect for indigenous wisdom and a commitment to ethical, culturally sensitive practice.
I have experienced firsthand the transformative power of this work. My journey has taken me to living in the Peruvian Amazon, where I participated in over 15 traditional plant dietas guided by indigenous curanderos from the Shipibo lineage.
These experiences, along with my own plant initiation practices, have shaped how I listen to my own knowing and to the animate spirits of nature. The challenges and grace I've encountered along the way have informed how I hold space for others to step into this sacred relationship.
With over 20 years as a life and leadership coach and 15 years in psychedelic integration coaching and shamanic practice, I bring a toolkit that bridges the mystical and practical.
As someone of mixed race and diverse sacred lineages, I deeply understand the importance of finding and walking your spiritual path in a way that honors your unique heritage and personal journey.
Drawing from these varied dimensions of experience, I hold a supportive space with guidance and practices to help you enter into your own sacred, reciprocal relationships with plant spirits as conscious beings.
The true magic unfolds when you and the plants begin to find your own sacred dialogue.
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