It is in the magical mountains of the Andes that I like the most to learn about myself, about life, about what matters. There the noise falls away and what remains is simple and true. Reconnecting with the principle of reciprocity, Ayni, give and receive as one living breath. After all this is the name of the retreat program we launched this month, a promise to remember together.

How much time do we spend thinking what our future will be rather than what our past should look like. How much time do we spend stressing about the future rather than ensuring we will be at peace with our past. The future does not exist, and the past only exists as we are bringing it into our present, as we remember it. When we remember, we create.

We just got back from an intensive ten days of pilgrimage to the land of ancient mystical schools of the Americas. I am so grateful for the teachers that inspired us, for the friends that responded to the call and helped us put together the A team of facilitators, some of the best walking this land. And of course I am grateful for the people who put their trust in us for an unforgettable journey of transformation.

It is not an easy feat to curate, organize and run such a retreat. It is also not to be taken lightly. We are not talking about a resort vacation. We are talking about walking the land of ancient wisdom still living through the rocks, the plants and the people. Walking the Inca trail in the footsteps of the elders. Facing ourselves in the mirror of the ancient medicines. Trusting, again and again.

“The mountains do not shout. They make silence heavier until you can hear your own heart.”
— field note, Sacred Valley

Cusco to Pisac, listening begins

After landing in Cusco, we headed straight to the historical district and marveled at its unbelievable architecture. Wondering how. How did they do it. Stones that meet stones with a precision that feels like prayer. But that was only the beginning.

We went to the market for coca tea, helping us adapt to the eleven thousand feet altitude. Cusco market has amazing natural fruit juices that we took as a treat as we were all on dieta preparing for the days to come. Dieta can sound like restriction from the outside, though it felt like respect from the inside, a way to say to the medicines and to ourselves, I am arriving with intention.

After a night recharging us from a long flight, we headed to Pisac, our destination for the week. We took a couple of hours to bring the group to some of the best places we know for artisans and let everyone absorb the local culture already. The colors, the weaving, the gestures passed from grandparent to grandchild, you can feel time speaking. While the medicine work is the most important aspect of our retreat, another equally important topic is the connection to the Andean culture and its traditions, which in itself is a powerful medicine.

“Go slowly, you are already arriving.”
— travel note, Cusco

Arriving at the center, the offering that opens the way

As we arrived to the retreat center, we could feel the energy was heavy. Of course it is not without anxiety that most approach going into Ayahuasca ceremony. The hours were counting down and the tension was rising. That night, we gathered for an ancestral Qero ritual, known in the Andes as a despacho. It is a ceremony of reciprocity meant to align our prayers with the land, to ask permission, to release what no longer serves, and to invite guidance for the road ahead. In silence and song, we placed our prayers where earth and spirit meet. The fire carried our intention. And the sky answered in color.

“What you feed the fire returns as light.”
— Andean teaching

Waking with the apus, meeting Mother

It is magical to wake up surrounded by the Sacred Valley apus, the mountain peaks. These giants overlooking us feel both powerful and fascinating. From their hundreds of millions of years old, they seemed to be watching us with both curiosity and care. Staring at them would humble the greatest warriors. We are clearly just passing there, in what might seem like a blip in the scale of their lifetime.

We felt like we were in the cradle of powerful mountains. That energy would be what magnifies the work we were getting ready to do. We spent the morning learning about ancient Andean philosophy, stretching and breathing with the wisdom of the apus, letting body and mind become ready to receive.

In the afternoon we gathered for a simple earth ritual by a nearby waterfall, guided by local keepers and their traditions. It was grounding to work with our hands, to listen, to slow down. Remembering our childhood and our adulthood, the parts that want to play and the parts that want to protect. We offered what no longer serves and let the land hold it. This moment helped the group immerse a little more into the beliefs and values of the Andean people, a doorway into what it means to live in harmony with the elements, the earth, the water, the sky and the fire, not to exploit them but to honor how they sustain our lives.

After some personal time for reflection we all met in the center ceremony room. The time arrived to meet our first ally, Mother Ayahuasca. This was a very powerful night for all, in the arms of divine music. Meeting ourselves in the dark, releasing, purging and opening our hearts to what is true for us all. Coming back to what really matters and stripping all the unnecessary things we surround our lives with. Shedding our skin and stepping into this first step of transformation. Remembering who we really are. Remembering our strength, our essence. Remembering where we come from. Gazing at the stars that night was like looking at a book of thousands of teachings, all connected. A blanket of ancient wisdom telling us, can you see now. And the apus, still but more alive than ever, reminding us we are their children.

“You do not find yourself, you remember yourself.”
— ceremony reminder

Silence, softness, gratitude

Morning silence was invited to stay inward. A yummy breakfast was much needed to replenish our bodies with energy and prepare for a second night with Mother Ayahuasca. Morning breathwork and yoga brought balance and cleared the mind from the many open questions. Our brain wants to quickly make sense of what the heart feels and we need to break this pattern when doing this kind of work. There is no need to analyze. We just need to feel. The mind finds excuses, solutions. The heart knows.

After a sharing circle, a warm plant bath brought a soothing vibration and calmed us all before preparing for a second ceremony with Mother Ayahuasca. I admire all of us for walking into the temple a second time, knowing the challenges we would face and remembering we can do this. It takes courage to walk into the arms of Mother Ayahuasca. And that night she seemed to acknowledge that. She welcomed us with love and care. The night was not as intense as the previous one. We felt the joy and the connection. We ended up dancing, singing. We were left with gratitude. Thank you for teaching us. Thank you for making us remember kindness is powerful.

“Kindness is not small. It moves mountains one quiet choice at a time.”
— integration circle

The womb of steam, the taste of new breath

Silence was again invited in the morning, so we could soak in the energy of the previous two nights. After our group integration circle, filled with emotional and deep shares, we got ready for the sweat lodge, or Temazcal. A time to cleanse our bodies, focus on our intention and remember what it feels to be in the womb of the mother. In the dark, as the ancient burning volcano rocks transmute the water into a thick cloud of steam, as the drums and rattles mark the rhythm of ancient healing songs, our hearts beat strong, our intentions kept us steady through the four directions that were called into this ceremony of remembering. Rebirth awaited us on the other side.

Sweat lodge is a powerful medicine.

It was time to slowly break dieta and finally we indulged with food that we had been missing for the past few weeks of preparation, paying gratitude to the wonderful people who had prepared it with love for us. We ended the day with a feast and music around the fire, laughter and relief mixing with wood smoke.

“Rebirth is often a soft door you only notice once you are through.”
— temazcal teaching

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Huachuma on the ancient road, the eagle arrives

The day started with fasting. A long hike was waiting for us at Ancasmarca, or Eagle Town, a pre Inca sacred site used to store and trade goods between the Amazon and the Andes. This was the first time our group would meet with Grandfather Huachuma, my favorite medicine, the cactus. While it is a close cousin of Peyote, Huachuma grows tall and brings the sky energy. It brings into focus what needs to be done to bring our prayer into our lives. It shows us the sharp and clear path of truth. It is a heart opener.

The rain, sacred water, was with us the entire morning as we walked in silence the ancient Inca trail through the ruins. As the medicine became stronger we made stops to reflect inward. The challenging weather made most of the group doubt. It was very uncomfortable, though the majestic landscape of the mountains and the mystical energy of the site kept us going. After a few hours, we saw the weather would not improve and we decided it may be time to turn back. As we slowly walked back to the bus, still at the peak of the medicine, we chose to make a quick stop for a few songs.

Little did we imagine the most magical moment would happen. As we were singing to the sky, the clouds started clearing up. The rain stopped. Our hearts opened to welcome Father Sun with so much gratitude. That is when the eagle came. At first it circled around us from afar. But then, as we continued playing our instruments, it came right over our heads, very close. It was blessing our determination, our courage for not giving up. Reminding us victory comes to those that are patient. A huge wave of emotion swelled our group and brought tears to all of us. The unspeakable truth of beauty hit us really deep like a sharp arrow. Grandfather told us, this is simply how it is.

We savored this moment of magic. Something to remember for a lifetime. We paid gratitude to the sun, to the rain, to the earth, to the eagle and to the medicine.

It was finally time to walk back to where we had started the ceremony. We were back but we were not the same. We had a different perspective. While we started the day wondering if this was a good idea, we now understood clearly that everything had been happening as it should. If it was not for the rain, for the challenges, we would not have received this magical moment with as much power. We had been reminded to be grateful for everything we have. And that we are already abundant.

After another feast to reward our hearts and bodies, we ended the day with another circle of songs around the fire, under the stars.

“Do not curse the cloud that trains your eyes to love the sun.”
— Huachuma path teaching

The mountains that fell from the sky, three lakes, two eagles

Another morning of fasting. The previous day had been so intense that several of the group did not feel like coming out of bed for another ceremony with Huachuma. Even myself to be honest. I started receiving messages from a few that they were going to skip this hike. But I knew where we were going. To the mountains fallen from the sky. One of the most energetic places on earth. The rock there is so rich in iron and charged with electricity, it glows orange and blue. It can even send fireballs. So I decided to push us a little bit as I knew this would be a rewarding day. And it was our last plant medicine day for the retreat.

It took all of us great courage to go on the bus with empty stomachs, driving to fourteen thousand feet high, to the site of Kinsa Qocha, the three sacred lakes, where we would meet our last maestro. After we opened the ceremony around the fire we grabbed our backpacks and started walking toward the lake, passing the local Paru Paru village. The weather was clement, and the sun was warming our steps. The medicine was gentle this time and we were in awe of the beauty of the apus.

Walking Kinsa Qocha feels like walking on another planet. A world so ancient that it brings centuries old memories, as if they were memories from past lives. I love Kinsa Qocha and I know I will keep walking its trails as long as my legs will allow me to. On this silent walk we connected with the sound of our footsteps, to the sounds of nature. The wind blowing, the water clapping. We made a few stops to reflect inward again and see our reflection in the mountains. They are part of us as we are part of them.

Toward the end of the hike, my friend maestro turned to me and said, I can feel them. I asked, what. The eagles, he said. It did not take too long for two majestic eagles to show up from above the peak that was flanking us. They came dancing above us as if they were telling us, you made it, you can be proud of yourself. Another reward filling our hearts. A reminder that it does not have to be hard all the time. A reminder that gentleness can equally open your heart and bring peace. That day we all felt complete. We all felt we had been through the dark and were reborn into the sky that week. We felt different, lighter and more empowered.

But the day was not finished, our mission was meant to give back. Honor the word Ayni, reciprocity in Quechua. We came back to the village and unloaded thirty backpacks from our bus. They were filled with art and school supplies that our group distributed to the kids of the village. Their joy was the final reward of our retreat. Reminding us why we do this for. We become better men and women so we can support the children of the next generations. We returned to our retreat center, feasted again and went to sleep.

“Give back and you remember who you are.”
— Ayni principle

Integrating, caring, closing with cacao

This was time to integrate all the work that had been done during the week. We shared what our hearts felt, the messages and teachings we received. The answers we were able to dig deep within our hearts. The truths we had always known but had forgotten. We had all reconnected with ourselves, with each other and with the earth, bringing peace and clarity. Our eyes were now open.

It was time to take care of our bodies and we spent the rest of the day at the spa. Receiving healing from the salt caves, sauna, hot tub, cold plunge, massage, and amazing fruit juices. This felt so good.

We ended the day with a cacao ceremony, singing, dancing with this medicine of the heart. The anxiety of the first day had been replaced with much joy, tears and a sense of closing the loop. The next morning we said goodbye to the space, the land, the people, the music and the medicines that had been holding us for our work, goodbye to the apus and departed with the group.. We were now ready to meet with the sacred site of Machu Picchu....

“Clarity is not loud, it is accurate.”
— integration notes

Remembering as a path, presence as a promise

This is what the Andes keep teaching me. Live the present to create your past. Be faithful to reciprocity. Let the land and the medicines remind you of who you are. Trust that the rain and the sun each arrive with a lesson. Honor the people who walk with you. Keep your eyes soft enough to see the eagle when it comes.

“Walk slow, go deep, give back.”
— personal mantra

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A short teaser for paid readers

If this journey stirred something in you, the full practice section below is where we turn memory into method. I will show you a simple way to journal so that the body and the heart get to speak, a gentle ritual for reciprocity you can do in a city or in a forest, breath sequences for nervous system calm, and five mindset practices you can tuck into your day. I am also sharing a quiet playlist inspired by the Sacred Valley that can hold your focus while you write. If you want to take this off the screen and into your daily life, this is for you.

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