Amazon Awakening
Cultural Immersion Journey
Amazon Awakening is a 12-day cultural immersion journey for international guests into the heart of Shipibo-Konibo culture and the Peruvian Amazon.
The Amazon Awakening experience is an intimate, small group intensive immersion course where participants:
- Visit Shipibo-Konibo communities and learn about our collaborative projects.
- Learn first-hand from community elders.
- Become introduced to their beautiful Panoan language.
- Experience and learn about traditional healing ontologies, practices and medicines.
- Learn about and practice Shipibo Konibo textile arts.
This journey includes a 10-day traditional plant dieta, known as Samá in their language. This sacred and time-honored learning and healing practice will be led by the female elder and healer Jakon Rate (Manuela Mahua Ahuanari). During that time, participants have the opportunity to experience and practice traditional Shipibo-Konibo healing methods for their own personal heath and wellbeing.
Shipibo Joi began offering this immersion learning experience in 2016 to nurture intercultural relationships between the Shipibo-Konibo and other people from around the world. Our goal is for guests to foster a deep appreciation for the Shipibo-Konibo culture and the gifts of the Amazon jungle. We encourage you to become activists, advocates and friends who disseminate the value of indigenous culture and Amazonia internationally through education and philanthropy.
Amazon Awakening has three primary goals.
Goal 1: Create and nurture global friendships through direct and meaningful experiences with the Shipibo-Konibo, their culture and ontologies.
Goal 2: Inspire and motivate our participants to reciprocate through activism and/or philanthropic resources as allies of the Amazon Forest and the Shipibo-Konibo people.
Goal 3: To raise funds for Shipibo-Konibo directed projects and programs. All proceeds, beyond Amazon Awakening program costs, are invested into the beneficial actions of our Shipibo-Konibo partners.
To acheive our goals we offer two diverse and interactive experiences:
“I am writing to acknowledge the many gifts I received on the two trips I went on to Peru through Amazon Awakening. I deeply appreciated the quality of connection to indigenous teachers and culture and the depth and authenticity of the teaching.
My experience was nourished by the opportunity to learn about indigenous language, arts, spirituality, and social and environmental struggles. This created an ethical and holistic experience, in which teaching was gifted, not appropriated.
I continue to unpack and integrate the rich gifts I received. I believe that without the grounded and nuanced approach of Amazon Awakening, I would not have had the access and depth of experience I did. I would not go with anyone else.”
– Susan H.
“The benefit of the sama continues to extend beyond the Amazon, gently present in the background helping me to feel connections and reminding of the power of that which brings good. Jakon!”
– Ross H.
“I found myself embracing the Shipibo culture as well as the Shipibo embracing me. Our retreat group were fortunate to be encultured into many traditional practices by our Onanya Manuela and all the beautiful supporters that organized this retreat. What a remarkable journey to experience. I look forward to future healing in Peru.”
– Julie R.
Due to the current state of international travel we have postponed our cultural immersion journeys.
We hope that we may be able to offer our Amazon Awakening journey in Peru in 2022. If you are interested in Amazon Awakening or our Remote Cultural Immersion Program, please contact us and we will place you to our list.
