Shimbre Peruvian Retreat 2010

By Sarah Primus

In early July of last year, I was given the amazing opportunity to offer my therapeutic massage and energy work at a Shamanic retreat, called Shimbre, in the heart of the jungle in southwest Peru.  In exchange for my airfare, room, board, and food, I would provide services to the attendees of the retreat.  This was an adventure I just couldn’t pass up!  I’m not in the habit of traveling by myself to foreign countries, but I felt completely taken care of through the process of working with their travel agent, so I had nothing but good feelings from the beginning.

I met the Shimbre crew on Facebook as I started following their posts towards December of 2009.  Shimbre is described as a center for wellness, dedicated to the development of the clairvoyant and telepathic senses with the objective to help others learn beyond the known reality, using the traditional plant medicines of Peru; a cactus known as San Pedro, and the brew Ayahuasca.  A video featuring the building of the retreat center, and the beauty of the grounds, raised goose bumps on my skin and brought tears to my eyes the first time I saw it.  It took me in, in a way that felt so real and visceral; that in fact the moment I watched it, I knew I had to go to this place, and would in time go there, without a doubt.

Shortly after watching this video, I saw a new post announcing the need for a Massage Therapist, to which I replied.  Almost exactly two minutes later I received a phone call from Alvin, a good friend of Roberto Velez, the founder of Shimbre, and a manager during the retreats.  He invited me to come to the July retreat!  I was absolutely ecstatic!!

  According to the local Shaman at Shimbre, named Mancoluto, superior knowledge that came from another part of the universe was lost in different places around the world throughout time.  Through Mancaluto’s shamanic lineage, and others, the essence of certain aspects of lost knowledge is kept.  Shimbre offers individuals and groups a unique opportunity to experience and get initiated into this shamanic first-level knowledge.

Mancoluto’s ceremonies feature a rare Chavin initiation process that provides interpretations of the visions and experiences of each participant’s journey.  He uses both San Pedro (originally named Huachuma) and Ayuhuasca to heal and cleanse the initiate’s physical and energetic bodies, open their minds to deeper realities, develop their senses and intuitive capabilities, and unlock the person’s untapped potential.  Also with the guidance of Mancoluto, the initiates may be able to enter unknown parallel dimensions while they are under the influence of San Pedro or Ayuhuasca.  If the initiate has had the opportunity to enter one of these unknown realms, Mancoluto will provide sufficient information to help decipher the visions the next day so the experience can be fully understood and integrated.

The next few weeks were a whirlwind as I worked to take care of unfinished business, and prepared mentally and physically for the retreat.  Nothing could prepare me for the intense cold I found waiting for me when I arrived in Peru.  I had checked the weather two days prior to leaving and found that it was the usual winter weather near the equator, 90’s during the day and 60’s at night.  However, I didn’t check the extended forecast, and evidently very few of us did!  When we arrived a deep, slow-moving low pressure system had moved in over the country and we were inundated with cold rain and 40 degree temperatures for the next 6 days!  Upon arrival, I covered myself with every article of clothing I brought, and wore a wool blanket most of the time during that first week.  It was definitely a challenging transition for me coming from the summer beach weather in Florida.   We all adapted by building fires to stay warm during the long evenings, and bundled up in our cabins reading, the only other warm place besides the fire.

Aside from the cold, I found Shimbre to be a restful respite from the world of technology and modern conveniences.  Only about 30 minutes drive outside the town of Puerto Maldonado, it wasn’t too far from civilization, but just far enough to feel the separation.  The vision that is Shimbre is massive, and I was intrigued by the stories of people coming from around the world to offer their piece to this intricate tapestry of energies, cultures, and personalities in a little community deep within the jungle.  I immediately felt included in the process as those of us serving came together to meet and co-create the retreat experience for the participants.

Within a few days of settling in, I was shown where the pertinent equipment was stored, (the massage table and sheets), and I promptly moved them into the foyer within the house I was staying in.  The space was just right, allowing people to have a little bit of privacy as I worked on them.  Initially, the cold kept people off my table.  It was just too frigid to dis-robe, and no one was interested in attempting it.  It was during this time that I took the opportunity to experience that first night of ceremony held by Shaman Mancoluto.

All of us had been eagerly awaiting the time when the ceremonies would begin, and when the rumors began passing through the camp, you could feel the excitement and trepidation rising.  Sure enough, the rumors were confirmed at dinner that night, ceremony would begin the next day.  Fasting began that night, with no food after dinner, but the hardest part was not drinking any water the entire next day.  We kept our minds off the challenge by delving into the retreat painting class held by a local Peruvian artist after breakfast, and napping in the afternoon.

The space for the class was perfect, a long rectangular shaped room, still under construction, suspended over the edge of a cliff overlooking a panoramic vista of jungle.  Our soundtrack was ceaseless Peruvian pop songs interspersed by the loud chatter of the emcee belting out from the radio, as the construction workers buckled down to complete that part of the building.   And so this way we passed the day, ruminating and putting to paper concepts and images from our mind, overlain with the visions of the jungle surrounding us.

The ceremony began that evening with all of the retreat participants gathering in the centrally located, grand, circular ceremonial building.  This unique architecture was built at the eastern end of a flat plaza of brilliant white cement constructed in the shape of the Andean Chakana, with three-dimensional level like steps rising up to the edge of, and surrounding the ceremonial room.  Directly across from the building at the opposite end of the plaza, rising to meet the location of the setting sun, was a beautifully cast triangular sculpture of ancient Peruvian hieroglyphic codes and imagery.  We all donned our warmest layers in preparation for the long, cold, night alone in our tents deep in the jungle; carried our ceremonial walking sticks, and took our seats in a circle within the room.

 The shaman had carefully poured each mug of medicinal brew, in my case San Pedro, and each were sitting before him along with his ceremonial regalia.  The air was permeated with the scent of Palo Santo and the sound of the shaman’s shakers as he began to do his energetic work over the cups of brew.  After 10 minutes or so of this, we were motioned to approach the shaman and were each given a carefully selected cup of brew.   He seemed to know just who needed which cup, and selected a dosage according to the size and experience of the individual.  As soon as we took our seats we were to begin the process of swallowing the vile liquid.  The texture was that of freshly mixed cement paste, and tasted bitter and acrid.  It was quite a task to get the whole cup down and I tried not to look around as others discreetly tried to disguise their gag reflexes.  Once down, the paste felt like a boulder in my empty stomach and the taste was strong in my mouth, but I soon chained my focus to the shaman’s Icaros, spirit songs and whistles, as they filled the quiet evening air.

Soon, the songs got louder and stronger and we were motioned to stand up and march out of the room and into the plaza, where we were joined by other shamans who brought instruments and swords for energy clearing.  Feeling a bit drunken and unsteady, we all stood up and followed as they marched us around the plaza, playing a bizarre style of mariachi-esque music interspersed with their loud shouts for us to speed up.

Soon we were all warmed up with our spinning movements, while the shamans danced around swinging their swords, in-between and around us.  Some initiates were stopped and given a more intensive treatment with the swords, as two or more shamans gathered around them, slicing invisible cords along their clothing, over their heads, and from their back.  The receiver appeared to go into a deep trance like state, sometimes slumping over during these  treatments, before being directed back into the flow of the dance.  And then all at once the music slowed, and we all stood in a line facing the jungle, before being led down the long steps deep into the jungle to our individual journeying platforms.

Upon arrival, I quickly settled into my tent, as I began feeling the affects of the San Pedro on my body.  I felt so heavy and weak from all the activity and lack of nutrition, so I laid down almost immediately.  When I closed my eyes, I could feel the heavy liquid moving through my digestive track inch by inch, as if I was taking a journey through my own body.  The sounds of the birds and the cleansing waterfall nearby were peaceful and calming to my mind.  Anytime I focused on a sound, I felt like the object of focus was brought to me in my mind’s eye, as if I could travel there instantaneously.  The senses all became intensified, and even as darkness descended on the jungle, I could easily make out the shapes of the trees surrounding my platform, and hear the sounds of animals as they started to move about the jungle floor.  Fear appeared at the edge of my awareness, but I quickly pushed it away and focused on coming back to my breath.  Mancoluto said the reason he chose the isolation method of journeying was to bring out the survival instincts and self empowerment of the individual.  I couldn’t imagine a better way to connect with yourself, with no distractions.  The mind of reason would creep in from time to time, with thoughts of the reality of being alone in the jungle at night, amongst strangers, without the ability to simply make a phone call if I encountered a crisis.  But with an understanding of what was happening internally, and a real knowing that I would be safe, I simply watched these thoughts pass through and didn’t attach any energy to them.

Earlier in the day I had slipped down to choose my journeying platform and bring down my supplies for the night; a video camera, (which later was stolen at the airport) all of my blankets, pillow, journal, flashlight, and a bottle of water.  I took the opportunity at this time to call in protection for my journey from the arch-angelic realms, from my guides, power animals, and ascended masters.  I even called my husband and told him what time I would be doing ceremony, so he could meditate and call in protection for me as well.  So, by the time I settled into the night in the tent, I felt surrounded by beings of light.  When I closed my eyes I saw their towering geometric outlines, like blueprints of light filling my inner eye.  I even saw my husband there, and felt him by my side, as if we were in the room together having a conversation.  I knew then that it was true what they say about San Pedro, that it opens the telepathic senses.  It was so plain and clear, like the sense of hearing, or sight, and just as ordinary to me at the time.  I felt completely at ease and slipped deeper into myself, closing my eyes and allowing the body sensations to take over.  The physical experience I was having was the most visceral and somewhat uncomfortable part of the night.  Feeling the queasy sensation of the brew moving ever so slowly out of my stomach, I kept absolutely still for hours for fear of purging, and focused on my deep breathing.  We were told to try not to purge if we could at all help it.  It felt as if the medicine was cleaning out my insides, scouring the walls of my digestive track.

I had developed some health challenges in the last few years, battling the affects of a stubborn systemic candida infection that left me nearly debilitated with strange symptoms; lethargy, apathy, flu like symptoms, and muscle weakness, and was truly ready to achieve a complete healing.  I had done a yeast free diet for the most part of for four years, cheating only periodically when I felt well, but I always seemed to relapse and struggled when the physical stamina I had achieved was sapped, and I had to begin that slow ascent again.  Now, I imagined the bitter brew travelling through my system, fully clearing any remaining tendrils of the organism from my body.

Finally, I made it through the worst hours of the journey, and began feeling like I could move around a bit.  When I peeked my head out of the tent and looked up, I was amazed to see brilliant stars shining through to the jungle floor.  After 6 days of freezing rain, the cold front had finally passed through.  With a small burst of energy and decisiveness, I chose to hike out of the jungle to head back to my cabin.  I wanted to enjoy the view from the top, and I was ready to be near the bathrooms!  Hiking out was no easy task, as my strength had dwindled even further.  I took small sips of water to gain some energy, packed up all my blankets and pillow and slowly made for the ascent.  The view from the top of the stairs at the end of the plaza was just incredible, as I was greeted by an infinite view of the sky in all directions.  The shaman must have known I was moving around, because as soon as I made it to the top, a flashlight was shining down on me from his 2^nd story cabin across the grounds.

What I received that night was the knowing that for me, it wasn’t necessary to go through such an intense process to achieve greater telepathic and spiritual awareness.  In many ways I had already achieved this in my life through my healing practice, and through intention, meditation, and focus.  I did walk away with a larger perspective on my life, and a greater appreciation for what I do have, including my health.  I also knew that to achieve the next level of healing, it was simply a matter of changing the way I thought about this supposed illness, and the energy of focus, and negative thinking I gave to it.  I rested in my bed that night with a sense of peace, of having achieved a strong sense of self, a knowing of who I am, and what I need.  I felt like I had truly become the warrior.

In the week to come I gave myself fully and happily to the task of helping others walk through their own healing processes through energetic healing and massage.  I witnessed some amazing healing as night after night people opened themselves up through the ceremonies and came to me ready to shed layers and let things go.  I was impressed with the tenacity of the participants, the willingness to be seen, and I believe everyone walked away with the knowledge, and the clarity they were looking for.   I will never forget the friends and connections I have made and experienced there at Shimbre, and would happily return again to share my gifts, and be in the exchange of the amazing people and energies that created this little jungle retreat.