The retreat will be held in Tupaq's retreat site called Inkakunaq Yachay Wasin (Inca Knowledge House) in Pumaqanchi, Peru. Transportation will be provided from Cusco for getting there and returning. The retreat site offers several private rooms for all participants with a private bath and hot water. Heating is not available. The rooms are furnished with multiple blankets to help you stay warm. You may consider bringing an electric heated blanket. The dining hall is large and meals will be cooked by a local chef with delicious local organic ingredients. Most of the food prepared is vegetarian. Dietary restrictions can be accommodated.

Pumaqanchi is a small rural town in the highlands of the Andes. It is generally warm during the day, but at night it is very cold. Bring lots of warm layers to protect yourself from the cold. We may visit a nearby mountain for camping. Some hiking may be required during this trip. You may also want to begin altitude sickness treatment one month prior to arriving.

Most of the retreat will be in Spanish and Quechua. Kusi (Gustavo) will provide the English translation for all teachings.

It's possible you may need to bring a mat and sleeping bag for local over night mountain excursions. Mats and sleeping bags can easily be rented in Cusco. As the retreat date approaches, we will confirm if you will need to bring a sleeping bag. You may also want to begin altitude sickness treatment a month a prior to arriving in Peru. Pumaqanchi is in the Andes Mountains and has a high altitude. Most materials you will need for the retreat will be provided for you. However, in Cusco, we will also shop for some shamanic supplies at the local market before going to the retreat, which may include local textiles for bundling healing stones and altar preparations.

No experience is necessary. You only need to have an openness to Indigenous wisdom and Indigenous spiritual medicine.

This retreat is for spiritual seekers, who have an interest in shamanism or Indigenous ways for healing and wellness. Most able-bodied adults of all ages can participate and enjoy this experience that will not involve intensive physical activity, although some hiking will be involved. Particular groups of people that may enjoy this experience are those with an interest in Indigenous wisdom or people who wish to become respectful practitioners of Indigenous wellness practices.

Practices may include ceremonial encounters with rivers and sacred waters as part of purification, prayer, and spiritual renewal.

Once you arrive to the retreat center, you will meet one-on-one with the Paqos to express your intention for what you are seeking to learn or heal. Divination will be performed to see the types of knowledge or healing that you will need to receive. Your healing may come in the form of limpias (energetic cleansing), Despacho ceremonies (elaborate offerings made from natural elements), short pilgrimages with healing intention, or from your classmates as you practice healing each other. You may also receive counseling and specific energetic treatments from the Paqos.

You can set intentions to heal physical, mental or spiritual problems. Absolute cures are not guaranteed. It's possible some ailments may need follow up or multiple sessions to heal, however, the Paqos you will work with are masters of Inca medicine, and you should see fruitful results over time. You may also be prescribed plant medicines or other rituals that you will have to apply on your own when you return from the trip for maximum results.

No. Sessions or ceremonies will not include psychedelic plant medicines.

Yes. After receiving the teachings you can become a practitioner of the techniques you will learn. This however does not make you a teacher of the practices. To teach what you learn, you will need to receive additional training.

Anyone with an interest in Andean healing and teachings is invited to take this course regardless of lineage. Elders and teachers of many Indigenous traditions have called to help Indigenize the world as a service to help prevent the various types of existential crisis the world facesIf today. Hence, it is important for diverse groups of people to learn the Indigenous worldview to help bring solutions to global issues. If a participant in this retreat is not Quechua or Indigenous, they can still be an ally and help to spread the Indigenous wisdom by learning these practices and applying them to their life and community.

It is important to be humble, respectful and always give credit to where you received the teachings. All allies are welcome to learn and apply the teachings. In addition, allies are encouraged to support Indigenous sovereignty. Anything you learn or experience can be used for either daily practice or to apply with others, as long as you give credit to the lineage of origin and follow the practice as taught by your teacher. Note that this is not a teacher training. From this training, you may receive initiation and become a practitioner of the knowledge you will gain.

You may leave Peru with new ceremonies, practices, and spiritual knowledge—but my hope is that you leave with something deeper. I hope you develop a different understanding of relationship: relationship with the Earth, with yourself, with sacred places, and with the natural beings around you.