HEURISTIC ADVENTURES - PERU
A Journey of Spiritual Healing through Traditional Medicines, Vistas to feed the heart, and Andean Trekking
The fifteen-day Peru program is one of a kind. This journey takes you into the Amazon jungle region at sea level on the Equatorial plane then on to the majestic magic of the Andes, to Cusco at 11,000 ft. elevation!
Our journey begins in the lush basin of the Amazon in the northeast region of Peru. In the not too distant past the Amazon was home to over 10 million people living in harmony with the land. Those numbers have been drastically reduced by disease and slavery and although hundreds of tribal dialects have been lost those who survived are once again finding some footing. Through the efforts of organizations whose sole purpose is to help protect tribal lands from exploitation by oil and mining interests, and developing sustainable practices that provide financial stability, some of these tribes are gaining ground. Tribes are reliant on international travelers taking an interest in learning how people and the earth benefit from living together in harmony.
For the last fifty years botanists have been diligently working to catalog the largest concentration of plant species in the world. Estimates are over 100,00 plant species can be found here and beyond cataloging these plants Ethno-botanists have scrambled to learn of these plants benefits and healing properties from the fast disappearing Curanderos and Curanderas, one who heals with plants. These healers carry not only information passed through the generations of their kind, but more importantly, the spiritual art of being able to listen and learn from the plants themselves.
During our adventure in the Amazon we will stay with a well-known Curandero. For those who are interested there is the option to participate in the ancient Amazonian tradition of exploring and expanding your spiritual depth through preparation of plant medicines for the purpose of spiritual journey. One medicine is Bobbinzanna, called the heart opening medicine, another, Ayahuasca is said to be the actual Spirit of the Mother that is taken in a ritual setting for spiritual healing.
Our gateway into the Andes is through the surprising city of Cusco, which serves as base of operations for the rest of our Shamanic journey. Here we've had some of the best hot chocolate in the world at a quaint, second story bistro overlooking the city's bustling main square and 600 year old cathedral spires. Once the hub of the Inca Empire, Cusco, is a vibrant causeway of international panache, where the colorful comings and goings of indigenous people, world travelers, local markets, exquisite alpaca clothing and incredible cuisine are nestled in 12th century walls of the Inca Empire.
Our journey reveals the grandeur of the Incas, whose brief reign remains one of the most influential in the world to this day. Their innovative architecture, farming and spiritual arts endure as one of the most advanced civilizations in history. Here you may receive some initiation into the spiritual art of the Hartung Karpay at sacred sites in and around Cusco, Pisac and Machu Picchu or walk the trails well worn by Incas and now pilgrims of all faiths.
We've included a day with a highly successful, local, microfinance loan center that funds indigenous women as well as their communities. This organization generously provides an opportunity to visit a rural settlement with families eager to share their homes, cuisine and how they are utilizing financing in alignment with their heritage. On this day we cross cultural differences to share the global commonality of family life. This day is a favorite with our travelers and is sure to open your heart.
At this point in the journey the group will divide into two groups. One group is comprised of those who want to take a one or two overnight hiking trip along the infamous Inca Trail, which reaches heights of 15,000ft. This is a breathtaking trek, free of phone wires and other civilized trappings, into the timelessness of this ancient land. Experienced local guides and a member of your travel team will join with you, providing nearly all essentials for this epic experience. There are porters available should you request one.
The other group will venture on to Pisac, a once thriving Inca settlement that is older than Machu Picchu and in the most pristine state. We will delve deeper into the level of consciousness the Inca's used in their daily lives; how all elements of nature were incorporated as essential components to creating harmony between body, mind and spirit, and how that encouraged a level of consciousness that contributed to the exponential spread of the Empire in such a short period of time. Experiencing a variety of rituals and receiving some of the sacred initiations, the group will delve into the spirit-world through a variety of rich indigenous and foreign methods led by local Andean Priests and our guide Alex Merrin. The deep spiritual initiations and work with Alex Merrin and Andean Priests will be both challenging and insightful.
The two groups will reconvene in Urubamba, the valley connecting Cusco and Machu Picchu. Here we will rest, share our stories and meet with more fascinating local folk that will take us on more profound journeys of the Spirit, with another opportunity to experience San Pedro, another spiritual medicine, facilitated by an experienced Curendero.
The journey on to the town of Agua Caliente, situated at the feet of Machu Picchu and his consort Phutu Kusi, Flowering Joy. Just being in the presence of these peaks is a once in a lifetime sentient experience. Feel your excitement build as we bus the switchbacks up the mountainside to the enduring citadel of Machu Picchu. There is a vast difference between seeing pictures of this extraordinary place and feeling the vast, awe- inspiring spiritual power of this place. Over 500 years old, this city sat in virtual silence for nearly 400 of those years before being reintroduced to the world in the 1950's. It is a wise and timeless monument, gracefully moving over a mysteriously profound landscape.
We will have the better part of three days to feel the grandeur here. We've designed this visit to offer you opportunities to fully experience this most mystical wonder. The citadel has one of the oldest known buildings dedicated to charting the course of the sun and moon - the two most significant aspects of the Incan calendar. Machu Picchu is thought to have been a sanctuary or temple inhabited by high priests and the "Virgins of the Sun" (chosen women). There will be hikes offered just outside the citadel itself to the Temple of the Moon, and the House of the Inca that offer stimulating spiritual surprises, as well as the highest point where we will find an altar used in ritual to connect with the cosmos. The hikes are optional as is participation in the ritual activities that will be offered.
We will take the train back to Cusco and have a full day to make those final purchases that were scoped out earlier in the trip and have our closing ceremony. We are thrilled to share the connection made with Q'ero indigenous people for these closing ceremonies. A Q'ero Shaman will engage a despacho ceremony, calling in the spirits to watch over an blessing each of us. The Elder will also be available to give you a personal reading if you choose.
Program Dates:
July 13 - 28, 2010Group Size:
A maximum of 9 women and men.Itinerary:
For an itinerary please click on and download our informative .pdf here.Cost:
USD $3,500.
Price includes all activities once in Peru.
Price is not inclusive of international airfare.
Facilitated by: Alex Merrin.
Assistant & Translator: Elizabeth.
Called in 1989 to share what I was learning morphed into a private practice that serves others in breathing life into their own wild Self. Using training, personal experience, ceremony and the practices of indigenous culture to evoke healing is one of life's greatest joys.
As for leadership style, you will find me nurturing through support rather than coddling. I believe wholeheartedly in women's intuition and work to encourage women to learn the subtleties of their knowing. Most of us did not grow up with a Mother who fostered our deep knowing by reinforcing the use of mistakes as opportunities to hone intuition and better learn the voice of the ego. International travel can be difficult as we extend beyond the edges of our known universe and face the fears of our own shadow. But energy is energy and energy feels good, resisting energy feels bad. This marvelous opportunity of travel with kindred Spirits can be just the ticket to greater Self discovery and living in the flow.
There were many gifted programs, mentors and friends that shed light on the path through the dark lands. I thank Gerry Jones for introducing me to the vast beauty of India and dedication to Vipassana meditation; Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks, of the Hendricks Institute, who saw my potential. After years of apprenticeship I accepted their invitation to co-facilitate and design the Conscious Loving trainings and seminars. I thank Jacquline Mandell for bringing me to my knees with the Ngondro practice of Tibetan Buddhism; the lineage of ancestors who dared to pass on the sacred ceremonies of Sun Dance, Hanbleyce (vision quest) and Inipi (sweat) ceremonies so I too could honor a vision and fulfill my personal destiny; and to Don Rober Acho, my Peruvian teacher, Curandero and Vegetalista, and the wildman in Bradford Keeney for their adept skill at opening yet another portal for me to walk through."
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