Monday 29 December 2014

What a wild ride! Dante’s Camino – Balancing the Extremes



JULY! What a wild ride! Us ladies decided to call this group Dante’s Camino (Dante’s walk or Dante’s way) as we were preparing ceremony food (exotic fruit!) one day. It became really clear to everyone that what we focus on is amplified in our lives, and that it is so important we focus on things that are positive, life enhancing and productive, rather than that which we don’t want in a negative pole vibration. It is our choice and responsibility to choose wisely what we want to make real in our lives. We visited the extremes and came out clear and healed in the end. It was quite a wild ride!

This beautiful group came together and through the thick and thin of it supported each other’s growth in all that needed to be cleared. The first couple ceremonies were indeed cleansing, and then the sweat lodge San Pedro ceremony sealed the deal, cleansing out the deeper negative energies in a profound way. It was very clear the next day how cleansed the group was after the sweat lodge ceremony. It was a breath of fresh air for such an intense cleansing to take place.

The final ceremony was indeed profound and beautiful, with such a change in everyone that we could hardly believe it ourselves how transformed everyone was. NEVER have we had such a blue sky without a cloud in it for the final ceremony like we did that day. Everyone was soooooo joyful it could hardly be contained. It was the day everyone got their wings and could journey back into the world as the angels that they are.
Well done, you beautiful souls of Dante’s Camino! You have walked the extremes and came out balanced and clean in the end. Well done! Continue to choose wisely and lovingly between the dark and the light, and put your attention on love. Thank you for being such a daring, courageous and beautiful group and facing the shadows like warriors of light and love. Love conquers all, as we got to see first hand! Let love be your guide.

Spider Daughter and the Shamans: Private Retreat



Laura Delaney (Spider Daughter) is a graduate of University of Metaphysical Sciences, which is the organization that built Gaia Sagrada Shamanic Center. She just earned her Masters Degree and created a retreat at Gaia Sagrada as her masters project. What a great masters project she did! Twenty people came with her to Gaia Sagrada and had an incredible…experience!
Facilitating a retreat is a visionary idea that takes quite a bit of effort to bring into tangible form. It is more mundane than anyone realizes, glorious as it all sounds. From sending out the announcements, getting the word out, handling emails and questions, lining up the shamans and setting up their transportation, putting it together, overseeing classes and workshops between the ceremonies, and manifesting it from a dream and idea into a real and solid event on the Earth, what a project!
Laura was a wonderful facilitator, a natural at this retreat stuff! She was really nice to everyone while getting it all done, and everyone had a great time and an enlightening experience. Laura got her name, Spider Daughter, during an ayahuasca experience long ago through her connection with the dream worlds, as spiders are the dreamweavers, weaving the web of dreams.
The Ayahuasca shamans she booked, Wareni and Catalina, were wonderful! They sang beautifully, brought lovely medicine from Colombia, and were really good people with beautiful hearts. Wareni is a trance master with his singing, Catalina too, and Catalina also brought with her some of the most beautiful beaded jewelry we have ever seen. Ayahuasca patterns were quite evident in her work!
We booked the sweat lodge shamans for her group, Paulina and Salvador, a beautiful husband and wife shaman team, and wow! What a powerful sweat lodge. They sang beautifully and robustly, had a great male/female balance in the energy of the medicine. The heat cleansed us all to the umpteenth degree!
Well done, Laura! You are quite the master facilitator! What a wonderful event you put together, and the people you attracted and brought with you says a lot about who you are! Beautiful! Don’t be shy, you rock! I will always be in admiration of you, and I am amazed at the beauty with which you create things on the Earth. You have such a big heart and care a lot. You are a rare being in this world and quite the visionary!
All of you who came to Gaia Sagrada for Laura’s private retreat and masters project for University of Metaphysical Sciences, what a beautiful group you are. We will remember you with fondness and you are always welcome back to Ecuador with open arms. You are all very special. Thank you for choosing Gaia Sagrada for this special journey!

Anyone Have A Quinoa or Chia Seed Thresher?



We grew LOTS of quinoa, that life affirming and vitality creating grain that has lots of protein, vitamins and minerals, including some omegas, much better than rice for whatever grain needs we have! You can use it in place of rice so that there is more nutrition in your meal, make gluten free bread with it, everything! We grew about 6 acres of it! (3 hectares). NOW we have to figure out how to thresh it and get it ready for consumption…

We were going to do it by hand but now realize that is going to take way too long. Now we are trying to find a good thresher, a machine that takes all the seeds out of the stalks and gets it ready for the next step. We have tried to find someone here in Ecuador who can rent a threshing machine to us, but no such luck! They are all in Bolivia, the country that grows most of the quinoa that is in the world.
The quinoa grows terrific here in the Andes of Ecuador, as it is a native plant to the Andes. It likes the warm days and the cool nights, so we have the perfect climate. We are also trying our hand at Chia seeds, and we will soon find out how well Chia seeds grow here. Some say that when Chia seeds are grown at these higher altitudes it has more nutrients.
One friend who grew Chia at a thousand feet lower said get ready to have a battle with the birds! They LOVE chia seeds and can clean out a whole field worth of chia seeds in no time. He said when the Chia seeds are ready we have to grab them right away or the birds will eat them all! I don’t mind sharing some with the birds, but hey, leave some for us!!!
We are finding that the only place to buy one of these threshers is in China! Yikes! I have never tried to order a big industrial machine from China, have you? Oh boy! More learning curve. However, we need to have our own thresher because it can thresh not only quinoa, but also chia, sesame, and lots of other things.
We will be able to help all our neighbors grow and sell quinoa and chia if we have a thresher because then they will be able to process all their crops with us helping them. It could a whole new business enterprise for all our neighbors on the surrounding mountains. They have been watching our quinoa endeavor closely, with lots of curiosity as to how it would work for them if it works for us.
If you can fit a big quinoa thresher in your suitcase when you come, let us know!!! (just kidding!)

June Ayahuasca Retreat Went Awesome!



Another one of those beautiful soul families came through here! We are naming them Los Primeros (The Firsts) since they were the first to try out our new ceremonial pavilion for the outdoor San Pedro ceremonies. What an awesome new ceremonial gazebo we have now. We used it and it works perfectly! The energy in there is so sweeeet!

We had yet another transformative and amazing retreat, with huge changes for everyone and new directions becoming clearer for all who were at a crossroads in life. Ayahuasca shows the way, and San Pedro gives you the power to make it happen. Go!

Everyone had so much fun, too. Lots of laughter, lots of jokes, and yes, there were serious moments too, with tears of grief, sadness and even joy at the new beginnings that were to begin when returning home. Hurts from the past were let go, anger at how things went in life were put to peace, and love was embraced by all as they look now at life from a different perspective.
What a diverse group the June retreat group is. People from Europe, Australia, USA, Korea, Nicaragua, and probably some other places I am forgetting to mention. Everyone in these groups come from so many different cultures, backgrounds and histories. It is wonderful how we get to see the world coming together right here at Gaia Sagrada. Who says peace isn’t possible in the world? We are all the same, really. Everyone just wants to be happy!
We will miss you all, and will always remember you as Los Primeros, the first to try out the new San Pedro ceremonial gazebo! Thanks for breaking it in and starting the vortex of energy that is there for all to enjoy as time comes to pass in the future. Thanks for sharing all your talents, the yoga, the rumba, the music, and the love!

Laugh instead of Cry: Raging Bull Episode!



April 2014 Ayahuasca Retreat: The Crazy Moon Group!
The April 2014 retreat went wonderful! That particular soul family that gathered at Gaia Sagrada, well, they came together on a most interesting date. It was the beginning of the Cardinal Cross, which in Astrology indicates a big change for humanity is coming, hasn’t happened for 2000 years, and now it’s here!
The Cardinal Cross is made up of four red moon eclipses, each 6 months apart, and the first red moon eclipse happened during this retreat.
This is a time when astrologically it is very intense. Therefore this group has been nicknamed The Crazy Moon Group! Now throw in the mix Easter weekend, which signifies the energy of death and resurrection, and that’s an amazing blend of energies for transformation!
There was lots of laughing involved during this retreat, lots of hot-tub get-togethers, and a general sense of well being and joy! It was fun! Several people who at the beginning of the retreat said they get a little too serious and cry too much, well, they got some great happiness therapy at this retreat! Everyone left with a lot of laughter behind them.
The Raging Bull
At the end of the retreat, at the end of the last ceremony (the daytime San Pedro ceremony) Christine had to shoo away a raging bull, a symbolic ending to our last ceremony at the April retreat. It was a perfect manifestation for the ending of that particular retreat. The bull was even jokingly named after one of our participants who was in the circle, kinda like a giant, strong, beautiful bull himself. The bull must have gotten stung by a bee or something because it just started bucking and going wild, off in the distance, like at a rodeo.
At first we all watched with amusement as the bull romped around, with our tiny Ecuadorian grandmother neighbor in her indigenous colorful skirt trying to get him under control. Then suddenly the bull came up the hill our way, noticing us as if for the first time and trying to decide if he wanted to come over and charge at us for the fun of it. Suddenly all of us were ready to climb up the nearby trees because danger was now a moment away!
Christine jumped into action right away, leaving the circle with her poncho, and charged at the bull, shrieking fiercely, raising her poncho to make herself look like a huge bird with giant wings. She shooed the bull off with a few loud yells, just like the protective mother she is.
The bull stopped dead in his tracks with a blank stare as if he’d been quite startled, wide-eyed as she came at him, and then ran away as quickly as he could when he realized Christine wasn’t anything he wanted to mess with. She was crazier than he was, he assessed!
There was never any real danger, as the bull wouldn’t have done much and was pretty tame, but still, it was a little bit of excitement at the end of the last ceremony of the retreat. What a great symbol for all the work we’d done as a group. What a perfect ending to the retreat. It made everyone laugh pretty hard. We have finally calmed the raging bull in each of us, learning how to use power benevolently and wisely. That was a big theme in the retreat. Nothing like a raging bull at the end to seal the deal!
We always let our neighbors graze a few cows on our land. They make great lawnmowers, no fuel, ecologically Earth friendly, can’t beat it. And what great garden compost they make on the other end. You’ll see our grandmother neighbor from next door in her Ecuadorian skirt, we call her affectionately “Abuelita” which means beloved grandmother, moving huge cows around on our property with no problem. It’s sweet to see. Gives you the Ecuadorian experience of the country as it really is with indigenous cultures.

Wake me up when September comes!



This was an interesting month! A really wonderful group of people gathered, all ages, and they were all good sports throughout the retreat. The shamans did a great job working with this group and gave everyone great journeys.

Of course the first ayahuasca ceremony was all about cleansing and releasing, with everyone letting go of the burdens of the world on many levels, physical, emotional and mentally. Lots of purging for those who had some cleansing to do!

The first San Pedro ceremony, all night, blew everyones minds… 

As always, Santiago delivers a magical experience with the magical San Pedro. Much healing took place. Some were overwhelmed but got through it gracefully and realized there was much to heal, and knew there was still more time in the retreat to do so, others embraced the challenge of their healing head on and dove right in,an and cried the tears if any were needed, or released the past in the places where it needed to be let go. In the morning we all welcomed the new day with a fresh new attitude, forever changed.
The third ceremony, the medicine sweat lodge with both medicines, cleansed everyone even more deeply. The shamans Sofia and Salvador carried purifying energy in their songs and prayers, and everything changed. Nothing toxic in a person’s system could remain after this ceremony! Many stayed up until the wee hours of the morning solving the problems of the world, playing a game of picking a new name if they were to have one, and making each other giggle a lot under the stars.

On Saturday everyone went to town for a day in the historic district, what fun! Some went to Banos, the hot springs near Cuenca. Others cruised around town to check out the sites, and of course a yummy meal was had.

The fourth ceremony was the second Ayahuasca ceremony, and wow! Everyone traveled really far and had big visions this time. After the previous three ceremonies, everyone was primed and ready to go really deep into themselves. Not much vomiting this time around, either! Everyone is really clean now!
The fifth and final ceremony, the second San Pedro ceremony, was the magical ending everyone was looking for, with a beautiful close the retreat. This is where the final release came, and the final opening to the answers from within, making a new way of being in the world now the norm. Happy birthday everyone!
Everyone always leaves Gaia Sagrada with an experience they will never forget. Everyone leaves with answers they never thought they would have, or give up on really needing to know because now life can be lived in a whole new way, moment to moment, awake and aware in the ever unfolding now moment. Life takes care of itself when you can live this way!

Ping Pong Ball Sized Hail Stones in Ecuador!



Well here’s something that hardly ever happens in Ecuador. A hailstorm! The November group came in with a bang! So big that most of them had to carry their backpacks and suitcases in the dark down the driveway to the rooms amidst ping pong ball sized hailstones on the ground everywhere! The van that picked them up at the airport couldn’t enter. This happened the day before Halloween. Muuuuaaaahahahahaha, Muuuuaaahahahaha!
All our workers said they have never seen anything like it. We all ran for cover when it started, and everyone was trapped wherever we were until it stopped. It was otherworldly for sure. Hailstones make a lot of noise when they hit the roof, eh? They pattered everywhere like stones falling from the sky. I think someone could have been killed if they were stuck out there with no cover!
Yogi the dog got disoriented and ran around in circles until… Bruce grabbed him and threw him in the kitchen as he passed by. Then Bruce put a chair over his head to run out into the hail and come to see if I was ok. What a sweet guy! He ran through hail to make sure I was ok! What a guy! A hailstone even drew blood on his arm, it hit him so hard. Good thing it wasn’t his head. Might have broken the hail stone!
I was with our foreman who runs the maintenance crew, as we were discussing where to hang some shelves on the walls in some of the rooms in Casa Tranquilo. We both went outside to watch, trapped under the porch of Casa Tranquilo. We both watched with amazement, wondering if the roofs were going to make it. Whew! What a ride! I climbed up into the attic to see how it was going with the roof and it was ok. All the toilet paper was safe!
The Gaia Sagrada pickup truck got some dents on the hood, but nothing too bad. It gives the car character. Kinda like life, huh? The knocks give us character. Nature once again shows us little humans who is boss!
Afterwards we all went around and looked to see how all the roofs were, and a couple sunroofs over the bathrooms and a couple rooms got broken. A few tiles got broken, but nothing too serious. The guys had it fixed in a day. It was worth the adventure of it all though.
Wow! Hail the size of ping pong balls in Ecuador. Who woulda thunk it? This stuff only happens in the north, right? Or the far south. Not at the equator! Boy, I sure wouldn’t have wanted to be out in an open field when that happened. One of the workers stuck his hand out to see how bad it was and he got quite a few bruises, silly guy! No tangling with the ping pong ball sized hailstones, ok?
A big thank you goes out to the November group for all you did to help us clean up afterwards, and what a bang they came in with. This will indeed be a most interesting retreat. The November group blows in like a beautiful squall. All of them are so strong and beautiful. This is unusual weather for Ecuador. Usually it is warm and sunny, but this blew some cold in from the north or something! We are looking forward to working with you, November group. Let’s move some energy and shake it loose!!!!

Legend of the Eagle and the Condor



The Legend of the Eagle and the Condor comes from the indigenous people of South America, particularly Peru and Ecuador shamans. Basically, it states, “When the Eagle and the Condor come together in harmony, there will be peace on Earth.”
The Eagle represents North America and the Condor represents South America. The eagle has to do with thinking, strategizing, mind, and figuring things out, while the condor represents compassion, heart, connection to the Earth, and sensitivity. Neither of these two traits accomplishes everything alone. Together these two aspects work in conjunction to create completion.
Soon will come a time when all races come together, humanity sees itself as One. This balance is so important for the well-being of humanity as a whole. If it is not achieved, humanity will literally undo itself and its own civilization. The way things are run right now, this reality is not sustainable.
The shamans of South America have seen that humanity will indeed come together in both mind and heart. This is what the Legend of the Eagle and the Condor is all about. Those of us who come to South America from the Caucasian nations are ourselves a manifestation of the Eagle and the Condor Legend coming true.
Are you an Eagle too? If so, come to South America and help to manifest this beautiful Legend of the Eagle and the Condor simply by retreating for a while and connecting with nature and your deepest spiritual essence!

Iglesia Serenidad y Paz



Iglesia Serenidad y Paz (Church of Serenity and Peace)

Iglesia Serenidad y Paz holds meditation services at Gaia Sagrada. The name of the church translates as Iglesia (church) Serenidad (serenity) y (and) Paz (peace). This church does not adhere to one particular belief system. All beliefs are invited.

Iglesia Serenidad y Paz Creedo

  • God is One Being, and we are all part of that One Self. As humanity awakens, our Oneness becomes more and more evident.
  • All beings are in the likeness of God. To know God, we must study our own consciousness and go within.
  • God is not outside of anyone or anything. God is the consciousness of all beings and objects, animate and inanimate.
  • We each must take responsibility for the reality we have created and also take responsibility for changing it if we are not happy with it.
  • All are here to expand consciousness and attain the abilities of unconditional love and forgiveness.
  • Freewill is to be honored at all times.
  • All paths to God are valid; all beliefs are welcome.

Wednesday 2 July 2014

Work Exchange at Gaia Sagrada



Our work exchange program is a great experience! Four work exchange positions per month are open. Gaia Sagrada sleeps 46 people.
Pay only $35 per week to be here and work 25 hours per week for housing, food and all activities except ceremonies. (Ceremonies extra.)
During retreats, it’s fun, exciting, and you’ll meet great people from all over the world. You’ll meet a whole new set of lifelong friends. The retreats are a transformational experience with a lot of magical experiences for everyone. You are welcome to sit in on the sharing sessions and be part of it all.
Between retreats it is just you and a few people, very restful. Between retreats everyone buys and cooks their own food and just relaxes when no retreats are happening, no pressure! Some preparation in the kitchen is done for the next retreat, gardening, changing out rooms, painting stencils on the walls, and other non-time sensitive work. Use this time for writing, relaxing, hanging out, and self introspection. Then we kick it into high gear again during the retreats!
Work exchange commitment is a minimum of 2 months. On your tourist visa you can stay as long as 3 months in Ecuador.  If you want to stay longer, you can apply for a visa extension and stay for a total of 6-9 months per year in Ecuador. For more information, Passport and Entry.
Duties include:
Cooking during retreats
Kitchen cleanup and food prep
Keeping the center neat and clean
Starting campfires, sauna fire and woodstove fires
Gardening, spa, helping guests
Helping during shamanic ceremonies
Facilitate a yoga class during retreats if you want to put hours in that way
What you get:
Dormitory housing
Food during retreats (buy and cook your own food between retreats)
Spa: hot tubs and sauna
Use of community center and grounds
Living in a beautiful country setting in the Andes
Wifi

Shamanic Ceremonies

If you want to participate in the ceremonies, there are two ways you can do this.
If you want to do all the ceremonies in the first month you are here, sign up for the retreat and do the $200 discount of 25 hours per week work exchange ($875 dorm – $200 = $675). Must come a little early and stay a couple days after in order to do most of the hours before or after the retreat when we really need your help. This is the short work exchange option for two weeks. Then stay for more work exchange time if you like.
If you don’t have the money to do a full retreat when you first come and you can commit to two months, work the first retreat and then sign up for ceremonies in the second retreat for the special work exchange price of $95 per ceremony on your second month. We are limited on space, some retreats are more full than others, but we will always try to find room for you!

Let’s Get To Know Each Other

First 2 weeks is a trial period in which either party, you or Gaia Sagrada, can nullify the agreement and part ways. If it doesn’t work out for you here, you can leave, or if there are problems, we reserve the right to ask you to leave, so be nice to everyone!
We are looking for people who get along with others, don’t create drama, and are helpful and supportive to Gaia Sagrada’s vision. These retreats create a true family atmosphere where everyone feels supported, safe and nurtured. If you have a good heart, a good attitude and some humor, you’ll fit right in!

Why Choose Gaia Sagrada?



You have many choices for your Ayahuasca journey, so how do you choose between so many? Here are some points about Gaia Sagrada that can show you where your money goes, what our purpose is, why it is one of the safest places on Earth to experience this, and where our true motives are.

Good karmic use of your money is very important if you want good things to come back to you. Instead of picking a center where someone is getting rich, consider a non-profit like Gaia Sagrada who uses proceeds to help the Ecuadorian community around them and keeps prices AT COST as a non-profit should.
We do not believe these sacred traditions are for making a bunch of money. We believe these sacred traditions are coming to the awareness of Western civilization because it is time for a big change in the world. We are here to be in service to that.
Our karmic account is the one we care about! It is what you have done in this world that counts on the other side.
Here at Gaia Sagrada we walk the dimensions as a way of life, so we know full well what is truly important on Earth, and it sure isn’t money! It is all about how many people we have been in service to in ways that have helped them transform, thus changing the world, one person at a time.
Through University of Metaphysical Sciences we have helped hundreds of thousands in the world, and through Gaia Sagrada we take people to the next level, beyond “learning” and gathering knowledge. This is all about direct experience with spiritual worlds within. It is one thing to learn about spiritual concepts, but a whole different thing to experience them directly. We are in service to that.

1. AT COST, Non-Profit Prices

Another reason to choose Gaia Sagrada for experiencing your journeys in healing is that we offer AT COST, non-profit prices. Not even the directors of the center are paid a dime! Most people on staff are here only in trade for housing and are not gaining financially from these sacred traditions.
Even though everything in Ecuador costs three to four times more than Peru, we still offer lower prices than almost every center in Peru, or even the world for that matter. Our prices truly are at cost. If there is anything left over, we give it to the Ecuadorian community around us in order to improve their quality of life, like fixing their school, roads, and water systems.

2. Good Karmic Use of Your Money

If you want your money to go to a good cause, instead of making someone rich on shamanic medicine ceremonies, Gaia Sagrada is the place to put your money to work on something good in the world. Correct karmic use of money is very important. Many people don’t think about where their money goes, but the universe is keeping track of what you do with your money and what it creates in the world! Your effect on the world will be shown to you when it is your time to cross over. Make sure it is a shining light!
Yes, there are well recognized centers with lots of media coverage and huge price tags for their retreats, but what do they do for the indigenous South American community around them? Not much. For the most part they are getting rich offering this sacred tradition to you, and that is not the best karmic use of your money.
We use our proceeds to assist the Ecuadorian community around us, like fixing their school, water systems, improving their roads, giving micro loans for them to start businesses, giving jobs to the locals, and much more. If you want your money to make a difference in South American lives, instead of going into someone’s pocket and making them rich, Gaia Sagrada is a wise karmic choice.

3. Shamans in Ecuador are Certified, Must Prove Training

Shamans cannot practice in Ecuador without certification and approval by the proper agencies and the government in Ecuador. This is the only country in South America that requires that shamans prove that they have done the proper training and that they have the abilities, skills and integrity necessary to practice their trade. In some other countries in South America, anyone can call themselves a shaman and open up shop, whether they know what they are doing or not.
We ONLY work with certified and qualified shamans. We require our shamans to have the proper certifications, credentials and education, which takes years and years to attain. Our shamans are truly committed to their trade and have done what is necessary to truly be called a shaman and do this work. If you want to work with good shamans, Gaia Sagrada is your place!
If you look into any center in Ecuador, make sure the shamans are certified by the shamanic organizations and registered with the government. There are some places where shamans who are not qualified practice shamanism do so, even in Ecuador, so make sure you only work with an organization who has qualified shamans in Ecuador.

4. Medicine is SAFE, Traditional and PURE!

The problems that arise in some situations where someone has died or been harmed by shamanic ceremony medicine is because untrained shamans mix in other things that should not be in the medicine in order to make it more intense or last longer. This is not good. The hundreds of different substances that are sometimes mixed into the medicines are dangerous, a mystery, and they do not tell you they are mixing other substances into the medicine.
Datura (Toe), for instance, is often mixed into non-traditional medicines and literally can kill people, it is very toxic, and some people are even allergic to it. Datura causes nightmaric and intense experiences. Nicotine mixed into the medicine can be a detriment as well, especially if someone cannot handle high doses of nicotine. These are just a couple of different examples of what can go wrong when other things are mixed into the medicines that should not be there. Often, Ayahuasca is blamed, but it is actually what has been mixed into it that shouldn’t be there that is the culprit when something goes wrong.
Here at Gaia Sagrada our shamans are under contract to only use the traditional ingredients, and NOTHING ELSE! The Ayahuasca consists ONLY of the vine and leaves that are meant to be in it. San Pedro medicine is ONLY the cactus. Nothing else is mixed into the medicines. You are getting the true and pure experience of the medicines as they were meant to be taken, no funny business! This provides for a safe and secure experience with the medicines.

5. Modern Housing & Facilities, Comfort = Focus

For your inner journey, you might want to pick a place that has modern, clean housing with all the creature comforts. This way you aren’t distracted and can stay focused on what is going on within you. Most centers are pretty rough, practically camping, don’t have electric, water is questionable, don’t even have internet, there are mosquito and insect problems, it’s hot and humid, and the jungle isn’t exactly quiet at night! Most centers offer communal or shared housing, whereas Gaia Sagrada offers private rooms and even apartments for couples.
Here at Gaia Sagrada you can focus on your inner journey and not have to deal with physical discomfort. All facilities are modern and new, there is no roughing it, and you can even enjoy the sauna and hot tubs for a really luxurious experience. Treat yourself to something great for an at cost price. It just doesn’t get any better than this!
If you want to do a jungle excursion, do it! The jungles are beautiful natural places, so enjoy them before or after your shamanic retreat, make some time for that. You won’t mind roughing it a little when you are focused on your outer journey rather than your inner journey!

6. Internet Here!

You even get hi speed internet so you can stay in touch with the outside world!
Although we don’t encourage constant internet cruising while you are here, we want you to have the opportunity to document your experience as you go along, keep in touch with family and friends, and let people experience vicariously through you if you are a Facebook user or blogger.
Your friends and family will most likely be curious. This way you can share your experiences as they unfold and you won’t miss the details!

12-Day Ayahuasca and San Pedro Retreat Prices



For 11 nights/12 days, price includes all food, facilities, hot tubs, wood heat sauna, wifi, community center, ceremonies, movie room, classes, activities, everything! Transportation is $25 one way from the airport to Gaia Sagrada. Airfare not included.
Here are our shamans and staff if you would like to Meet the Shamans

And here are the Dates of Shamanic Retreats 2014

Karma Yoga: 1 hour per day, each participant, keeps our prices low. Work is simple and easy: sweeping, food prep, arranging chairs, watering plants things like that. Don’t worry. We won’t make anyone clean bathrooms! Just a few easy tasks to keep things organized. It brings people together, too!
All bathrooms are shared, no rooms with private baths.

July 12-23, Ayahuasca & San Pedro Shamanic Ceremony Retreat



Here’s the Daily Schedule
And here are the Retreat Prices

Meet the Shamans!

Each of these 12-day shamanic ceremony retreats are an amazing adventure in consciousness, awakening, and healing, working with Ecuadorian shamans with the ancestral medicines Ayahuasca (feminine) and San Pedro (masculine). Incredible experiences take place for every person and the experiences become lifelong memories, not to mention all the new friends you make!

Each retreat is like a soul family that comes together for 12 days and goes through a transformation together. It is impossible not to be a changed person for the better when you leave Gaia Sagrada after one of these retreats. Treat yourself to an amazing experience!

To reserve your space, fill out the Reservation Form, check “Shamanic Ceremony Retreat” and then we will send you a Paypal invoice that you can pay with either credit card or Paypal account, whichever you prefer. If you need another way to pay, simply mention it in the comments section at the end of the reservation form.

We are looking forward to being of service to you in your awakening and healing process! See you soon!

Gearing up for May!



Getting ready for the May 2104 retreat, it’s gonna be great! Another beautiful soul family is coming to Gaia Sagrada for a special time together, one they will never forget!
We were out getting some of the non-perishable supplies today, and stuff for the construction guys.

Building the new Ceremony Pavilion

We’re trying to get a new patio completed that we are going to use for various activities. It’s beautiful and coming along nicely! They are building the rock walls for it right now. The roof is up already, using the antique ceramic roof tiles we had sitting around for three years, time to use them! It’s a giant round gazebo and we’ll be able to light a fire in the middle for ceremonies, it’s so pretty! Lots of space so everyone can spread out.

Quinoa

Some is maturing and finishing, so the ladies are moving through it and cutting everything that needs to hang and dry. What fun to see it start coming in! The quinoa is all turning these beautiful rainbow colors. It’s so pretty! It got really tall in some places, wow! I had no idea this is what quinoa looks like. It is greener and taller and bigger in the places where it gets a lot of water and also where it got a lot of chicken poo fertilizer when it was planted. Look! This is what quinoa looks like when it grows. Did you know? It’s beautiful!


Thursday 20 February 2014

Shamanic Dieta, Ayahuasca Ceremony Preparation, Ayahuasca Retreat


Ayahuasca and San Pedro Shamanic Dieta-
Food Guidelines, Preparation before Ceremony

It is required that you follow the special cleansing diet that is observed in the days and hours before ceremony in preparation, as your body needs  to be clean and ready for this journey in consciousness. Your body  should be  in a natural state for safe experiences with Ayahuasca or San Pedro.
Do not eat the  following foods for at least 3 days before an Ayahuasca retreat or San Pedro ceremony:
§                  Dairy products: milk, cheese, yogurt, sour cream, and eggs  that are not raw
§                  Pickled or fermented foods
§                  Meat or meat products
§                  Salty foods
§                  Sugary or sweet foods, including honey
§                  Chocolate
§                  Caffeine
§                  Hot or spicy foods
§                  Fried fats or oils (raw olive oil is ok)
Refrain from sex (if you can!) for 3 days before Ayahuasca ceremony or San Pedro ceremony. This is part of the shamanic dieta that must be followed in preparation for Ayahuasca ceremony.
DO eat as much of a raw diet as you can, specifically fresh  fruits and vegetables. If you can do this for about two weeks before an  Ayahuasca or San Pedro ceremony, even better! These plant medicines seem to  “know” when you’ve been bad or good in your diet, and your experience will  reflect what is in your body. Make sure your body is a clean vessel in which  this plant medicine and plant teacher can function for your better good. If  your body is not “clean and ready’ for this experience, the plant teacher seems to know somehow.

Ayahuasca Spirit & San Pedro Spirit: Plant Medicine Teachers


Differences Between Ayahuasca Spirit and San Pedro Spirit Plant Medicine Teachers

Ayahuasca is the plant teacher of the Amazon, while San Pedro is the plant teacher of the Andes Mountains. Ayhuasca plant medicine teacher is considered the feminine, healing and knowledge-of-oneself aspect, while San Pedro plant medicine teacher is considered the masculine, expansive and macro-cosmic aspect.
As with all plant teachers / plant medicine families, each has a slightly different effect and feel. One plant teacher is never the same as another plant teacher, and each of them have something to teach us. Ayahusca plant medicine is a very different experience than San Pedro plant medicine.
It is suggested to work with Ayahuasca plant medicine teacher first or at the same time, as San Pedro plant medicine teacher is not as lenient as the vine of the Ayahusca spirit in the healing process, feminine/masculine, Ayahuasca spirit being the feminine aspect.  Some shamans suggest working with Ayahuasca spirit first or at the same time so that the San Pedro spirit medicine teacher experience is more enlightening.

Ecuador or Peru Ayahuasca Retreat? Best Ayahuasca Retreat


Difference Between Peruvian Shamans and Ecuador Shamans?

Ecuador regulates, registers and approves Ayahuasca shamans, making sure
§                  they are properly trained
§                  have proper ethics and integrity
§                  abilities as an Ayahuasca shaman verified by the proper agencies of Ecuador

Peruvian Ayahuasca shamans have no regulation,  checks or balances. Peru Ayahuasca retreats and Peruvian Ayahuasca shamans do not have any approval status to attain, so anyone can call themselves an Ayahuasca shaman in Peru and start an Ayahuasca healing center in Peru, or ayahuasca camp in Peru without any of the proper instruction for being an Ayahuasca shaman in Peru.
This is not to say that Peru Ayahuasca retreats do not have great Peruvian Ayahuasca shamans. There are definitely true Ayahusaca retreats with real Ayahuasca shamans in all of South America. However, in Ecuador, Ayahuasca shamanism is more regulated to make sure Ecuador Ayahuasca shamans are capable and trustworthy in their trade.
Ecuador
§                  Shamanism in Ecuador is regulated, and shamans are registered and determined to be qualified for what they do, with ethical integrity.
Peru
§                  No regulations, anyone who wants to call themselves a shaman can do so and open up shop, no training required
Another difference is that Gaia Sagrada is Comfy!
The Andes mountains offers a comfortable climate. You can sleep in a nice, comfortable bed with all modern amenities at your service. Here you can simply journey into the innermost parts of yourself, and be comfortable while you do so.
Why suffer physically if you don’t have to? If you want to see the jungle, Ecuador has lots of jungle too! You can still make a journey to visit the jungle if that is something you are attached to.
So come to Gaia Sagrada, where Ayahuasca retreats and Ayahuascs ceremonies are offered at cost, no commercialism involved. Ecuador is a country whose Shamans are determined to be capable of their trade before being allowed to offer their services to you!

12-Day Ayahuasca Retreat & San Pedro Retreat – Daily Schedule


5 Ceremonies during this 12 day Ayahuasca Retreat and San Pedro Ceremonies

$875 dorm
$975 shared room
$1175 private room
Our Retreats are At Cost, Non-Profit
We are not in this for money, we are in it for the awakening of humanity!
In order to offer a balanced healing experience, you receive both Ayahuasca ceremony (feminine) and San Pedro ceremony (masculine). The amount of healing ceremonies are: 2 Ayahuasca ceremonies, 2 San Pedro ceremonies, and 1 ceremony of both Ayahuasca and San Pedro mixed, which is quite an enlightening experience!

Wilca (Yopo) Ceremony

On occasion you will receive the optional elusive and difficult to find Wilca medicine. Wilca is the mother of all medicines, according to the shamans. This is a short, very powerful experience (half hour to an hour). If the shaman has it to offer, you can pay a little extra for this experience ($25). Read more about Wilca medicine here.
This is a magical journey through consciousness that will change your life forever. This is a chance to overhaul your system through shamanic healing and realize your full potential. Much spiritual healing will take place during these 12 days in mind, body and spirit during this Ayahuasca retreat and San Pedro retreat.

Who Performs Ayahuasca Ceremonies and San Pedro ceremonies? True Ecuadorian Shamans!

All shamanic ceremonies are offered by Ecuadorian shamans, not westerners, so you are getting the real thing! Westerners may run an activity like yoga, a discussion, or a meditation, but Ecuadorian shamans offer the ceremonies. We honor the Ecuadorians who are practitioners of this trade, and we see ourselves here at Gaia Sagrada as simply facilitators for YOU to meet various true Ayahuasca shamans and San Pedro shamans of Ecuador. We bring you the real thing!
All our shamans practice Ayahuasca healing or San Pedro healing with sacred journey healing center plant medicines using ancient techniques. If you are debating whether you should go to Peru for an Ayahuasca retreat and San Pedro retreat, or to Ecuador for an Ayahuasca retreat or San Pedro retreat, check our webpage Peru Ayahusca retreat or Ecuador Ayahuasca retreat?
Ayahuasca ceremony is the feminine aspect and San Pedro ceremony (Huachuma) is the masculine aspect. South American shamans living in Ecuador practice these ancient shamanic healing traditions at our Ayahuasca healing center.

Bring Something Special to Charge Up

We suggest bringing a crystal or some other spiritual object of importance to you. During these Ayahuasca retreat ceremonies and San Pedro retreat ceremonies you may want to have it with you in order to charge it up with energy while you journey other dimensions, experience deep Ayahuasca healing, or attain higher consciousness. This way you will be able to tap into the energy you experience during this Ayahuasca retreat and San Pedro retreat after you leave. You can keep the inner work going this way.
Please make sure you fill out the Reservation Form for booking your housing choices And choosing your dates of participation in this healing retreat.

Food

Keep in mind that there are not necessarily 3 meals per day every day during the shamanic ceremonies. Dinner is skipped on the days of the shamanic ceremonies. On the days after the shamanic ceremonies, you will be able to rest and sleep late, so breakfast and lunch are sometimes combined in a brunch. There are always snacks and tea available to you, so you will never be hungry … except for right before the Ayahuasca ceremonies and San Pedro ceremonies, of course!