Our Team
Our Healers
Experienced and compassionate healers dedicated to sharing their rich and complex medical tradition
Elias Rodriguez Nahuama
Curandero
Elias Rodriguez Nahuama
Curandero
Elias’s name in Shipibo is Inin Tsoma, which means a brave and strong man with a beautiful way about him that generates love.Born in 1974 in Santa Isabel de Bawanisho, Elias is a high-level Onanya (master healer) and the coordinator of the Shipibo healing team at the Temple of the Way of Light. Known for his joyful spirit and profound healing abilities, Elias dedicates his life to plant-spirit healing.
His formal training began at age ten. His father, a revered Onanya facing death, prepared Elias to carry the family’s healing lineage. His foundational apprenticeship started with a master plant dieta at Kumankay Lake with the mighty Noya Rao tree. After this preparation, his father transmitted his ancestral knowledge and passed away one month later.
Despite early hardship working to support his family from age eleven, he continued his apprenticeship dieting many master plants and trees. At age twenty, his uncle, also an Onanya, guided him for several years, helping Elias master the sophisticated art of curanderismo.
Elias initially balanced a double life – security guard by day, healer by night. Word of his powerful healing gift spread across Peru, allowing him to fully dedicate himself to his true calling. He now works permanently at the Temple, sharing the transformative healing gifts inherited from his father with deep integrity and passion.
Laura Lopez Sanchez
Curandera
Laura Lopez Sanchez
CuranderaLaura’s Shipibo name is “Chononyabi” which means “swallow bird that flies in unity”.Coming from a long line of Shipibo-Conibo healers, Laura was born in the Shipibo community of Roaboya, and was destined for the life of a curandera (healer) since birth. Both her parents are highly respected Onanya, and her grandfather was a Meraya (the highest level of Shipibo healer). Her family provided healing to their village and surrounding communities for many generations.
As with many young Shipibo born into a healing lineage, Laura was given small dietas by her grandparents from the age of ten, and by the age of sixteen her apprenticeship started in earnest when she started to work with ayahuasca. By the age of twenty, she was travelling all over Peru with her aunt, providing healing in mestizo and Shipibo communities. She has also learned from and worked extensively with her mother and teacher, Ynes Sanchéz Gonzalez, both in Peru and abroad.
Laura has worked at the Temple of the Way of Light since 2011 and her mother’s healing center, Niwe Rao Xobo, since it’s inception in 2015. She brings an incredible wealth of multi-generational knowledge and is a specialist in warmé ikaros, used for unblocking emotions and healing relationships. With her contagious laughter, and passion for healing, she is well loved by many.
Jorge Vasquez Barbaran
Curandero
Jorge Vasquez Barbaran
CuranderoJorge’s name in Shipibo is Sanken Mexo, meaning a beautiful and complete design/work of art.Jorge was born in the Native Community of Curiaca. He is the third of his siblings. When he was 10 years old, he fell seriously ill, and his parents took him to a healer named Sani, a master of plant diets, specializing in chiric sanango. During his treatment, Sani recognized a special energy in Jorge that he said was well-suited to working with medicinal plants and nature. Inspired by this experience, Jorge made the decision to become a maestro of plants and healing.
As he grew older, Jorge started a family and had four children. Later, he continued his path of learning with another healer named Sina, who guided him through an intensive nine-month plant dieta, once again centered on chiric sanango. During this period, Jorge learned and received powerful energies from the plants. He was then invited to assist his maestro in working with patients in ceremonies.
In one of these ceremonies, Jorge experienced a profound vision in which the plants themselves gifted him powerful, healing energies, affirming his role as a master healer and huesero (specialist in physical anatomy and bone-setting). This vision marked the beginning of his own healing practice as a maestro.
Over the years, Jorge has worked with various organizations dedicated to plant medicine and healing, including Shipibo Rao in Pucallpa. Fondly known as ”Maestro Jorge Llaves’ (Master Jorge Keys) he brings with him his ‘bag of 206 keys,’ one for unlocking and healing each bone in the human body. He works with an enormous amount of care, skill, and precision and is a valued and loved member of the team.
Teresa Rojas Toesta
Curandera
Teresa Rojas Toesta
CuranderaTeresa’s Shipibo name is “Chinosame” which means “swallow that brings messages and people to work together”.Teresa was born in the native community of Curarina. She is the mother of six children, two of whom are currently learning and practicing medicine. Her husband Benito also works at the Temple as a curandero.
The catalyst to begin training to become an Onanya started with looking for healing for her sick son. She took him to a ceremony with a powerful healer and was amazed at how the treatment of icaros and plants healed him. This inspired to her to learn for herself.
She went to Royaboya where her husband had begun dieting and said she wanted to join him and learn as well. She shares how in her first dieta, she had a powerful experience from the plant she was dieting that lasted 3 days, during which time she was met by the spirit of the plant who taught her many things.
She dieted continuously with various plants over a period of about two years before she finally drank ayahuasca for the first time. As soon as she began to sing, the visions appeared and the teachings of her years of dieta came through her icaros. This was around 22 years ago. Since then she has been working in her community and more recently with westerners, sharing her powerful medicine.
José Lopéz Sanchez
Curandero
José Lopéz Sanchez
CuranderoJose’s Shipibo name is “Sanymeny” which means “The Messenger”José was born in the village of Royaboya. He is the son of the legendary Maestra Ynes Sanchez and Maestro David Lopéz.
José was named after his paternal grandfather, also called Sanymeny (and José Lopéz Sanchez in Spanish), a highly respected Mereya (the highest level Shipibo healer), who trained him extensively since his childhood, transmitting the wisdom of his ancestors, the Shipibo-Conibo cosmovision and the sophisticated practices of Shipibo plant-spirit healing.
At the tender age of seven, José began the preparation of his body, mind, and spirit by beginning his first traditional dieta (sama) with master tree-spirit and continued training throughout his childhood. At age sixteen, he began to heal people from his village and his work then expanded from the city of Pucallpa out into many other regions of Peru.
José occasionally works at the Temple although is mainly focused on holding plant spirit dietas at his own center, Shipibo Rao, near Pucallpa. We are blessed and privileged to work with this unique healer.
Urias Garcia Junta
Curandero
Urias Garcia Junta
CuranderoUrias’s Shipibo name is “Neten Beso” meaning “to awaken the world or the universe”.Urias was born in the native community of Nuevo Nazare. He is the father of two boys of 8 and 5 years old.
He comes from a lineage of medicine practitioners, with various family members practicing with the medicine and he started working with plants when he was very young. When he was 5 years old, he remembers being sick and his mum took him to a ceremony to receive healing from his uncle.
He remembers being enchanted by the icaros, and that in the morning he was singing the icaros he had his uncle sing to him the night before. It was at this point that the family identified that he would one day be a healer.His motivation to work a healer is to help people heal and to follow his ancestry and continue his lineage. He is sad that today many Shipibo don’t value their roots and cultural traditions, so he would like to continue this tradition so that his traditional customs are not lost. He loves being in the communities with the elder healers, listening to the stories of his people and culture.
He really enjoys working at the Temple as he feels the team working as a family/in community, sharing and showing the wisdom and love that we feel for patients.
Inocencia Izquierda Vayes
Herbalist
Inocencia Izquierda Vayes
HerbalistInocencia’s Shipibo name is “Panshinbeka” meaning “the woman who brings the sun, or is born from the sun”.Inocencia comes from the Shipibo community of ‘Nueve de Octubre’. She has three girls of 20, 25, and 32 years old, and three grandchildren.
Her father was a curandero, as was her brother, and her mother was a herbalist too. She therefore gained many experiences throughout her childhood and inherited an extensive knowledge of the medicinal plants of the Amazon. She started to commit to more formal training at the age of 20, inspired by many healings that she saw carried out throughout her childhood.
She has worked for many years in various indigenous communities as a herbalist. She is passionate about working with medicinal plants and feels deeply fulfilled by supporting peoples healing.Adela Pimintel Chocano
Curandera
Adela Pimintel Chocano
CuranderaAdela’s Shipibo name is Rishin Kabi - The woman who heals.Adela comes from the Shipibo community of Flor de Ucayali. She is the mother of eight children and the grandmother of three. Adela comes from a lineage of respected Shipibo healers. As a young girl, she loved participating in ayahuasca ceremonies with her grandfather, a respected and renowned healer in their region.
She was inspired by the way he worked with the plants, awe-struck by his icaros and the deep healing she witnessed, and decided she, too, wanted to learn to heal and help people. At twenty-five, she was ready to commit to the path of apprenticeship. Motivated by a strong desire to care for her children’s health and help others, she reached out to her grandfather to teach her.
She remembers her grandfather asking her if she was committed. He said that learning from the plants was not a game but something sacred, challenging, and to be taken very seriously. She confirmed she was fully committed, understood the implications of her decision to train, and sincerely wanted to help her family and others like she had seen him do.
A whole year of dieta followed, during which she stayed isolated entirely in her house. At the end of that year, her grandfather said that her path with the plants was now open and that they would support her for the rest of her life. He started to serve her ayahuasca, and from there, she learned with him in ceremony how to work with the energies of the plants she had dieted to heal people.
Her reputation as a powerful healer grew and many people sought her help with physical, emotional and energetic problems. She worked as a respected Onanya in her community for seven years, before being recommended by a fellow healer to work in a centre with Westerners.
Since then, she has worked all over Peru and takes great joy in sharing her medicine. She really enjoys her work, especially seeing the results when her patients are liberated from pain and sadness. She sees her path with the plants as her life’s work and is dedicated to continuing to diet and learn from them in order to better help her family and other people and to continue to improve herself.
Olinda Vasquez Amaringo
Curandera
Olinda Vasquez Amaringo
Curandera
Olinda Shipibo name is "Hoasan Kate" meaning "The woman who heals"Olinda was born in the community of Dos Unidos de Pachetea and is the birth mother of 3 boys and 2 girls, the adoptive mother of two orphans, and grandmother of two. Her eldest son is currently in college and is intent on combining western study with the study of the medicine tradition of his people.
Olinda comes from a respected lineage of healers and artists, her father being renowned healer, Victor Amaringo. She was immersed in the world of plants from a young age, and it was when she met and married her husband at the age of 24, that she had the call to learn how to heal.
She was motivated by the desire to be able to help her family; she didn’t have the money, nor the courage to ask others in the community for financial help with medical assistance. Her first patient was her own daughter, suffering from susto, or a big fright, and from there she gained a reputation for her healing prowess, working with her community and later in other parts of Peru, healing a wide range of ailments, both physical and psychological.
She worked with Westerners for the first time in 2020, and is very happy to share her medicine with us! She loves working with the plants to support deep healing for all who are in need.
Rebecca Nunta Ruiz
Herbalist
Rebecca Nunta Ruiz
HerbalistRebecca's Shipibo name is "Ranin Besho" meaning "Woman of healing".Rebecca was born in the community of Nuevo Jerusalem de Shesheya and has 4 children and 3 grandchildren. 2 of her children are currently working with dieta and learning the art of healing with ayahuasca.
She comes from a medicine family, her grandmother being a great healer. When she was 8 years old, a lot of ill people came to visit her grandmother, and she watched how her grandmother healed them all, from curing snake bites with the resin of trees to healing different kinds of cancers, liver problems, and many more ailments.
She would accompany her grandmother and help her gather the plants needed for the different treatments that her grandmother was administering. It was during these years that she learnt an enormous amount about the pharmacy of the forest, with her grandmother always encouraging her to remember what she was being shown, so that one day when she died, Rebecca could carry the wisdom of the plants for the future generations.
Her grandmother died when Rebecca was 18. She continued to practice what she had learned, using her knowledge to support the health of her children and the family members. Many people came to her seeking her for help for their issues, ranging from mild to severe health problems to relationship problems.
She loves working with the plants to support people, and has an extensive knowledge of how to use the incredible pharmacy of the forest.Chavella Cairuna Garcia
Cook
Chavella Cairuna Garcia
CookChavella's Shipbio name is "Reshin Rama" which means "A beautiful bird that is present today".She was born in the community of Santa Rosa de Aguay Tia and she has one daughter and a son. Her son is connected with the medicine and her father and grandfathers were powerful healers.
From 14 years old, she had an interest in drinking medicine, but didn’t have the courage. At that time, she didn’t know that her Father was a curandero, because he kept it quiet and was dieting secretly. It was a big surprise for her when her dad was invited to Iquitos to work as a healer in when she was 18, so she began to drink and learn with him.
Thanks to her father, she learned much about the medicine, how to prepare plants and how to prepare meals to support healers working with the medicine.
She is now the cook for the healers and enjoys her work at the Temple because she knows what is good to prepare for them to support their work. She loves working in the kitchen, has worked in many different environments cooking. Her passion is preparing good food to support the good work of good people.
Lucy Alvarado Depicota
Curandera
Lucy Alvarado Depicota
CuranderaLucys’s Shipibo name is “Bawa Beka” which means “The wise woman".Lucy was born in the community of Kanan de Chiati Pishca. She is the mother of 2 boys and 3 girls, and 8 grandchildren. Her eldest son is 35 years old, and she is his maestra, teaching and supporting his path of learning how to work with medicine.
She was very inspired by her uncle from a young age. He was a renowned curandero, receiving many people from distant communities for healing. She would watch and admire the way he was with his patients, both as a man and as a doctor, and was deeply touched by the healings that she witnessed in his patients. She wanted to learn how to heal her friends and family, like he did.
At the age of 25 she took the decision to start dieting and learning from the plants and her Uncle. Her most powerful plant allies include Shihuahuaco, Chiric Sanango, Bobinsana, Renaco and Ayahuma. These are the plants she loves to work with in ceremony.
She loves to help people heal, and loves working with the world of plants to support their healing, to clean their bodies, minds and spirits. She is a woman of few words, and great depth, precision and skill in the healing arts both in and out of ceremony.
Priscila Gonzales
Curandera
Priscila Gonzales
CuranderaPriscilla’s name in Shipibo is Jakon Rate, meaning a a life-giving good surprisePriscila comes from the community of Santa Elisa, eight hours from Pucallpa. She is a mother of two beautiful children. The youngest, a young man of nineteen, is following in her footsteps, and the footsteps of her father in learning the ways of the medicine.
When her mother died at the age of 14, Priscila fell into a deep grief. Her father was a maestro, and through his support and her own healing process, she was inspired to learn how to help and heal others. She describes this process of healing from grief and learning how to heal others, as a long and hard road, with many challenges in the many plant dietas that she had to complete, but says it is a road that continues to be very rewarding.
Her first patients were her family members, when she was 16/17 years old. She never thought she would be working with Westerners, but through dieting, attending ceremonies with her cousins and uncles, and continuing to learn and grow, her reputation grew and she was invited to work further afield.
She loves her work to liberate people from spiritual, physical, and emotional pain, always sharing her medicine through good thoughts and energies. She brings a lot of love, lightness, and gentle power to the team, and true to her name, brings life back to where there was pain.
Our Team
All our staff are carefully selected to meet the professional, ethical and compassionate standards that define the working culture at The Temple of the Way of Light
We employ a large team of locals from our neighbouring villages who ensure the smooth running of retreats, in all the areas below.
Management and Advisors
Matthew Watherston
Founder
Matthew Watherston
FounderOn his first visit to the Amazon in January 2007, Matthew received a vision to build the Temple of the Way of Light; a vision that is rooted in and inspired by a deep respect for the indigenous healing traditions of the Amazon, as well as a commitment to work in reciprocity with the people of the rainforest.
Since the inception of the Temple in March 2007, and together with his wife Klara since July 2008, Matthew has developed the Temple to become the leading ayahuasca / plant-spirit healing organisation in the Amazon, with a unique focus also on social and environmental responsibility.
He is passionately committed to giving back to the people and the land and has founded two Peruvian non-profit organizations – Alianza Arkana (January 2011) and The Chaikuni Institute (January 2013) – implementing outreach programs in environmental justice, human rights, permaculture/regenerative development, and intercultural education.
Matthew has undergone a deep personal healing journey since 2007 and an initiation in the Shipibo Wisdom tradition, as well as learning from the Arhuaco people of Columbia and Ashaninka people of Peru. His apprenticeship in these three traditions continues to this day. He is deeply committed to his own spiritual path and ensuring that the ancient traditions of the Shipibo People are honoured and preserved.
His lifetime goal is for the Temple to raise awareness globally about the sophisticated ethno-medical healing practices of genuine Onanyabo (Shipibo Wisdom Keepers) and to highlight the importance and relevance of authentic spiritual healing in the modern world.
His ultimate vision is for humanity to move beyond patriarchy and remember the sacredness of Mother Earth; for us all to honour the feminine, restore balance – both inner and outer – between the masculine and feminine, and reclaim our connection with the Divine.
Klara Soukalova
Co-Founder
Klara Soukalova
Co-FounderKlara became involved with the Temple in May 2008 when she came to apprentice with one of our previous curanderos. She then met Matthew in July and they instantly fell in love!
In September 2008, Klara had the insight to begin to work with female healers at the Temple. This idea then manifested through synchronicity when Matthew was introduced to the Shipibo maestras in January 2009. The Shipibo maestras then married Matthew and Klara, at the Temple, in March 2009.
Klara brings an overwhelming amount of loving, compassionate, feminine energy to the Temple. Her relationship with Matthew, and the strong support she provides him, is an essential factor in the ever-unfolding development of the Temple and our mission.
Despite often being “behind the scenes”, Klara is an integral part of the Temple and gently guides day-to-day decisions. Klara has been dieting master plants since 2008 and is deeply committed to her own personal healing process as well as learning from the plant spirits, and beyond. Her kind and soft approach to ‘everything and everyone’ in her life is the perfect complement to Matthew’s passion and vision. Together, they form a deeply loving partnership that stewards the mission of the Temple.
Klara is also a trained physical therapist with a focus on Shiatsu and traditional Chinese medicine as well as a professional dancer and an artist. Some of her pieces that were created whilst undergoing plant dietas can be seen at the Temple. More of Klara’s work can be viewed on her website: klarasoukalova.com
Jose Castaneda
Administrative Director
Jose Castaneda
Administrative DirectorJose oversees and manages all aspects of the daily accounting and administrative tasks in our Iquitos office and is an invaluable and much loved part of our team.
Jose was born in the city of Iquitos, he studied his primary and secondary schooling at the Adventist College of the Amazon. His passion for tourism led him to study at the National University of the Peruvian Amazon, where he graduated in International Business and Tourism.
During his university studies he worked in several companies as an administrative assistant, showing dedication and commitment in his work. After finishing his degree, he had the opportunity to work in logistics for a company in Loreto dedicated to imports.
After several years, he looked for an opportunity to develop in the field of his profession, concerned about the development of tourism and the protection of the natural resources of the region. He found the opportunity in the offices of the Regional Directorate of Foreign Trade and Tourism of Loreto, where he was dedicated to the guidance of tour operators in the region, as well as the supervision and control of lodging establishments, hotels, and hostels.
In August 2011, destiny led him to join the Temple team as an administrative-accounting assistant in our Iquitos office, thanks to his dedication, courage and performance he became our Managing Director.
He also passionately manages our fish farms projects, a personal passion, and supports the promotion of regenerative development of the Temple and the local community.
Levi Estela Rodriguez
Operations Director
Levi Estela Rodriguez
Operations DirectorAs Operations Director, Levi is crucial to the smooth running of the Temple.
Levi was born in the northern Peruvian city of Cajamarca and has lived in the local village of Tres Unidos for the past 20 years. He has been working with the Temple since 2000, starting as a security guard. His reliability, efficiency, and all-round amiable nature are an immense asset to our work at the Temple.
Levi also holds the position of “gente municipal” and is one of the local authorities in the village. His position at both the Temple and Tres Unidos fosters mutually supportive relations between the village and the Temple. Levi is a father of three children and a farmer. In his free time he grows yuka, maize, pineapples and plantain. He is seldom seen without a huge smile on his face, and the support and guidance he provides to all of our staff is indispensable.
Debbie Rivett
Coordinator, Senior Retreat Facilitator, and Facilitator Trainer
Debbie Rivett
Coordinator, Senior Retreat Facilitator, and Facilitator TrainerDebbie is a core member of our team and a pillar of the Temple community. Joining the Temple in 2011, her presence, deep care, and integrity have significantly impacted our retreats, guests, staff, and surrounding communities.
After completing an honors degree with a double major in Psychology and Drama, Debbie worked in several fields, including education in HIV/AIDs and life skills, investigative broadcast journalism, management of fundraising teams for international development organizations, international tour production for indigenous musical groups, and documentary filmmaking before finding a home for these diverse skillsets under ‘one leaf’ at the Temple.
Passionate about plants, people, healing, and learning, Debbie has immersed herself in a long-term journey with medicinal plants. She is a long-term apprentice in the Shipibo healing tradition and has previously trained in the mestizo tabaquero tradition. She has also been initiated in several of the Bwiti traditions of Gabon, working with Iboga.
She also occasionally incorporates Western therapeutic techniques, including Compassionate Inquiry, ontological and somatic work, nonviolent communication, and TRE (tension and trauma release exercises) in her facilitation. However, she is clear that the plant spirits are her primary guides and teachers.
Her wide-ranging skill set serves her well in her work at the Temple, where she works as a senior facilitator, facilitator trainer, and coordinator, ensuring smooth operations of our retreats.
Juliana Bizare
Coordinator, Senior Retreat and Integration Facilitator
Juliana Bizare
Coordinator, Senior Retreat and Integration FacilitatorJuliana ’s first spiritual experience was a journey with Ayahuasca in the Santo Daime tradition, in Brazil in 1995. During this experience a whole new world opened up to her, the world of the plants and their sophisticated healing powers.
A few years later she started travelling the world and learn about other ancient traditions immersing herself in dharma centers and ashrams in Asia and the USA, like Tushita Dharma Center in India, Kopan Monastery in Nepal and Spirit Rock in California. She also lived in a healthy community/ school in Brazil – University of Light for a couple of years, where she graduated in Transpersonal Psychology.
She has also been deepening her knowledge of the Plants through Dieting different Master Plants with the Lopez Sanchez Family (Maestras Ynes, Laura & Maestro José), in the Shipibo Tradition.
For the past 20 years, Juliana’s true passion has been the study and integration of the Eastern practices of Yoga and Mindfulness into the work with Sacred Plant Medicines and different modern psychological approaches, with the focus on renegotiating our traumas and rewriting our own life narratives.
She has now supported hundreds of people before, during and after their medicine journeys. Through her own experience with the medicine, she has gained a clear understanding of the importance of the integration process. To be able to support people in a more holistic way, she also trained in the Compassionate Inquiry approach with Gabor Maté and a 3-year training on Somatic Experiencing by Peter Levine, a powerful body-centered approach. For the past seven years she has been working at the Temple, and also working online as an Integration Facilitator.
Her goal is to empower people to feel safe in their bodies, integrate trauma and all different parts of our human experience, so people can have clarity on their path and purpose in life.
Allen Banick
Bookings and Communications Director
Allen Banick
Bookings and Communications Director
Allen views life as a school, and everyone he meets and every situation he encounters as the lesson. He has come to see that ayahuasca and other master plants are here to serve as teachers to facilitate (and sometimes accelerate) our learning in the school of life.
Allen’s journey with plants began in 2014 when he visited the Temple as a retreat participant. The depth of healing and awareness that emerged from those initial ceremonies would dramatically alter the course of his life. He was deeply touched and inspired by the work of the Shipibo healers coupled with the wisdom of ayahuasca. This inspiration led him on a path of deep personal work and learning with many master plants and skilled curanderos through ceremonies, dietas, and initiations in the Amazon, the Andes, and in the heart of Africa.
In his role as Bookings & Communications Director, he handles the application screening process, is the main point of contact for guests before and after their retreat, and manages Temple communications. From his own experience, he knows the significance of taking the leap to the heart of the Amazon to engage with plant medicine. He loves being present to ensure everyone who embarks on their journey to the Temple feels prepared and supported.
When he is at the Temple, he also serves as a retreat facilitator, a role he has held since 2015. Facilitating at the Temple is the most gratifying and inspiring work in which he has ever had the honor of participating. Witnessing the healing and transformation of others as they go through their journey with ayahuasca and the Shipibo healers is an inspirational healing and learning experience unlike any other.
Much of Allen’s learning now comes from his two children and wife, all of whom came into his life by the grace of plant medicines. The four of them live happily in Peru.
Zuzana Valesova
Coordinator, Senior Retreat and Integration Facilitator
Zuzana Valesova
Coordinator, Senior Retreat and Integration FacilitatorZuzana’s journey into the world of plant medicine started with a random decision that changed her life forever! She originally trained in massage and cranio-sacral therapy in her home country, the Czech Republic.
Deeply fascinated by the healing properties of plant medicine and the wisdom of ancestral knowledge, she decided to move permanently to Peru in 2014. Her main focus was her own personal healing which later led her into the study of plant medicine practices.
She completed an apprenticeship with one of the most well-known and highly-regarded healers in the country. She continues to learn from plants as she believes the potential for learning and growth is endless.
Since 2016 she has been providing support and direction for people attending ayahuasca retreats. She has always been fascinated by the complexity and diversity of the human experience. From the emotions and relationships to the vastness of human knowledge and exploration. This inspired her to participate in a year-long training program in Compassionate Inquiry with Dr. Gabor Maté. This program has recently concluded and she has been actively implementing the skills and knowledge she acquired during her training. Continuing to practice and develop her abilities has proven to be a valuable asset in both her personal and professional life.
It’s truly an honor for her to witness and support guests’ process during ayahuasca retreats. She’s constantly in awe of the profound nature of human existence and how plant medicine can improve our lives in so many ways. Despite the challenges and struggles that come with being human, she is amazed by the resilience and creativity of people.
Facilitators and Teachers
Públio Valle
Senior Retreat and Integration Facilitator
Públio Valle
Senior Retreat and Integration FacilitatorDuring a trip to Peru many years ago, Públio discovered Shipibo ayahuasca curanderismo and the experience reoriented the direction of his life. He has now come full circle, and facilitates Temple guests before, during, and after retreats.
Públio was born in Brazil and has dedicated his life to meditation, yoga, and ayahuasca for over 15 years. He earned a degree in Yoga Therapy at Swami Vivekananda University in Bangalore, India, where he also worked at a Yoga Hospital. He trained in meditation in several traditions while in India, completed an Indian Psychology Course in Pondicherry, and studied meditation at Pa Auk Monastery in Burma. He worked as a volunteer for two years at the Alice Project School, an institution that teaches dharma and meditation inspired by Tibetan wisdom to children.
Since his first encounter with ayahuasca in Peru with the Shipibo in 2004, he has also worked with the medicine with different traditional groups in Brazil, including Santo Daime. He has been working at the Temple since 2014 as a facilitator, yoga and meditation teacher, Integration Therapist, and more recently, as General Manager, and is currently training in Compassionate Inquiry with Gabor Maté.
Having experienced the deep and rich processes that ayahuasca ignites within, Públio has a sincere commitment to share the teachings of the jungle and of ancient traditions, and to promote health and well-being in all dimensions of human life.
Andres Anguita
Retreat Faciliator
Andres Anguita
Retreat FaciliatorAs the song says, “… Enamorado de la vida aunque a veces duela” (In love with life even though sometimes it hurts). Andrés was born in Spain in 1966. Since he can remember, he was always curious to learn about nature and his sense of belonging to it.
He began studying the medicinal plants of the Peruvian Amazon in 2011 when he learned how the indigenous people of the Shipibo-Conibo ethnic group relate to nature and how they understand plants as intelligent beings with whom we can communicate in a different way than we are used to in the West. Since then, he has been working with ayahuasca, understanding it as a tool that reconnects us with nature and especially with medicinal plants.
He worked and studied for three years from 2011-13 at the Temple. He then deepened his studies with Shipibo Maestra Ynés Sánchez and her family in the Ucayali River, carrying out plant spirit dietas and learning how to use plant medicines, including ayahuasca. Since then, he has been in service to the medicinal plants in the Shipibo tradition, in Europe and Latin America. He has now returned to the Temple to supporting guests with integrating their plant medicine experiences, guided by his own experiences and his passion for nature.
He is also interested in becoming an intercultural bridge and finding new narratives to explain how different cultures need to coexist on the basis of reciprocity and respect, learning together new, healthier ways of relating to nature. He has visited many parts of the world. In Indonesia, he learned to make shadow puppets; in England, he taught creative arts to homeless people and prisoners; in Brazil, he learned about art therapy and caring for medicinal plants in the rural area where he settled.
Anna Bellmunt
Retreat Facilitator
Anna Bellmunt
Retreat FacilitatorAnna’s journey with plant medicine began unexpectedly in 2017. Shortly after finishing her studies she ventured to Peru and encountered plant medicine that would profoundly transform her life, igniting an immediate and profound love for the healing power of plants.
Having worked with various indigenous traditions, Anna wholeheartedly embraces the opportunity to learn from and with indigenous cultures and the wisdom they embody. Recognizing the profound impact of her medicine experiences, she embarked on a path of service, providing assistance for others working with the medicine. Through this experience, she realized that the plant path is her true calling
Anna’s initial experience of both the ceremony space and her integration process of these transformative teachings, was challenging. She realized that these formative experiences were not necessarily held and guided in a professional and safe way. As a result of this, she is committed to ensuring that others have the guidance and support she didn’t have. And at the same time, is devoted to the continuation of her own journey of self discovery and healing.
With a compassionate heart and a deep understanding of the difficulties that can arise on this profound healing journey, Anna is committed to support and facilitate the transformative process for those who seek healing and self-discovery.
Deborah Starr, Ph.D
Trainee Facilitator and Integration Advisor
Deborah Starr, Ph.D
Trainee Facilitator and Integration AdvisorDeborah first came to the Temple in 2019 to attend our first Healthcare Providers Program with Dr. Gabor Maté and had previously been to the Amazon twice before to work with plant medicines. Her experience with the Temple team and Shipibo healers was life-changing and led her to explore and participate in expanding this deep healing work for health professionals and her own therapy practice.
Before ayahuasca, Deborah had explored other psychedelic medicines for over thirty years, embracing opportunities to work with early luminaries such as Stan Grof, Ralph Metzner, and Sasha Shulgin.
She has worked with the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (maps.org) as an educator and research fund-raiser, as well as completing both MAPS and ICEERS (International Center for Ethnobotanical Research, Education, and Service) psychedelic therapist training and integration programs. In addition, Deborah has continued her personal growth with surrogate and in-person dietas via Shipibo Rao.
Deborah is currently on faculty at Columbia University (NYC) in the Narrative Medicine department, focusing on healthcare delivery and ethnographic research. She is also a licensed therapist in private practice in NYC with a Ph.D. in Psychology, M.S. in Neuroscience, and M.S. in Narrative Medicine.
She spent her early years as a teacher of Transcendental Meditation and is a promoter of yoga as a body-centred therapy to support psychological endeavours. She is trained in numerous therapeutic models, including most recently Compassionate Inquiry and Internal Family Systems. She previously worked for 15 years as a litigation consultant throughout the USA, is a certified court mediator, and is a restorative justice practitioner for childhood sexual abuse.
Deborah is excited to be a part of the Temple team and is committed to supporting the ongoing development of our integration program and ways to bridge Amazonian plant medicine with healthcare systems around the world.
Hammeris Martinez
Yoga Teacher and Trainee Facilitator
Hammeris Martinez
Yoga Teacher and Trainee FacilitatorHammeris was born and raised in Perú. She lived in the capital city of Lima while completing her degree in Industrial Engineering, developing in business process management and in the commercial field, as well as working in Foreign Trade companies and forestry investments.
Parallel to her career she started to practice yoga, which brought more joy and balance to her life but also led her to a deeper search for meaning and purpose. Hammeris decided to follow her curiosity for spirituality and headed for 4 months to India to study with different teachers in Ashtanga Yoga. Since her childhood she had been introduced to spiritual and mystic teachings, but it was through yoga that she dived deeper into other psycho-spiritual methods.
After coming back from India, she reinstated herself in the working environment. A series of challenging events during her time in Lima motivated Hammeris to be of service and in support of women, so she moved to Cusco to work as an advisor at a Non-profit for Women’s empowerment in Education. Hammeris kept practicing yoga but looking for deeper healing, Hammeris stepped on the Plant Medicine path, since then, building a closer relationship with plants through ceremony, daily practices and self-work. Through this time, she learned how supportive Yoga teachings and Plant Medicine can be of each other.
During her life journey, Hammeris has taken Yoga Teacher Trainings in Ashtanga, Restorative and Vinyasa, she has learned and practiced energy medicine with various tools such as Past Life Regression Therapy, Dance, Reiki and Pranic Healing; and has taken further education to support her offerings, such as Life Coaching, Somatic Experiencing and Trauma Informed Yoga.
Hammeris is passionate about holistic wellness and self-knowledge; and inspired by people who are living authentically. She currently teaches Yoga at 200 Hr. Yoga Teacher Trainings in Cusco, Perú and holds nourishing spaces through yoga & energy medicine, encouraging women to discover who they are and live in alignment with their truth.
Luana Galoni
Yoga Teacher and Trainee Facilitator
Luana Galoni
Yoga Teacher and Trainee FacilitatorLuana is a Shamanic practitioner and SYT at 1100hrs. Initially trained in the Ashtanga tradition, Luana’s Yoga practice has evolved into Vinyasa, Pranayama, Tantra, Ayurveda. Believing that Yoga can bring profound effects to anyone that connects with their inner power to overcome obstacles and achieve balance.
In 2009, Luana embarked on a life-changing journey across South America, Asia, and Australia. Her travels led her to study with Shamans in Peru and learn the healing art of Reiki I, II and Master. In 2012, she went to India to pursue her 200hrs Yoga teacher training in Ashtanga and Hatha at the Himalaya Yoga Valley School.
Luana has trained with many renowned yoga teachers, including Kristin Campbell for Tapasya at Triyoga London and Alessandra Pecorella and Shiva Rea for her 300hrs teacher training in Vinyasa Flow and Prana Flow. She is also certified as a Yoga and Ayurveda wellness consultant, Rocket, and completed her 300hrs with Dr David Frawley in Yoga, Ayurveda, Mantra, and Meditation. In 2020, she was initiated in Holy Fire® III Karuna Reiki® Master. Luana also runs 200hrs Teacher Training courses with MoreYoga in London.
Luana has completed her Shamanic practitioner training using techniques mainly from the Queros in the Andes of Peru. Her approach to healing is hands-on, combining Reiki, Shamanic Healing, Soul Retrieval, and other physical and energetic techniques to deal with the source rather than the symptoms. She calls this approach Temenos Touch.
Luana’s classes are creative, challenging, and dynamic, yet playful and supportive, with a focus on breathwork and stilling the mind and body. Through her Yoga and treatments, Luana creates a space where people feel empowered to discover their full and authentic selves.
Rebecca Buell
Bookings Assistant and Retreat Facilitator
Rebecca Buell
Bookings Assistant and Retreat FacilitatorGrowing up on the island of Sumatra, Rebecca’s childhood was spent surrounded by rainforests and immense cultural diversity. Her love for nature has been a guiding light on her path.
She first traveled to the Amazon rainforest in 2007 where she studied neotropical ecology. In 2015 while living in Ecuador, Rebecca encountered ayahuasca for the first time. Working with ayahuasca led to a profound and ongoing journey of awakening. In 2019 she completed anthropological research in the Shipibo community of Paoyhan. Her research focused on a community-led project centered around the conservation of Shipibo ethnobotanical knowledge. During this time she deepened her study of the Shipibo medical system while learning from plants through dieta.
The wisdom of the plants and spirits of nature continue to guide and inspire Rebecca. She is honored to be of service to the healing and awakening of all who visit the Temple of the Way of Light.
Jordan Summers
Retreat Facilitator
Jordan Summers
Retreat FacilitatorJordan first came to the Temple searching for clarity on his path in life. His experience was profound and the seeds of change were firmly planted in his heart. With a calling to follow his heart, he returned to Peru the following year to do his first master plant dieta.
He now devotes the majority of his time as a facilitator at the same centre and continues to diet under the guidance of a wonderful healer. Jordan also lovingly supports the miraculous work of the Temple and feels honoured to be a part of the Temple family as well as its vision for humanity.
It’s a true blessing for him to be guided by the wisdom of the sacred plant teachers and to witness the masterful work of such incredible Shipibo healers on a daily basis. Jordan feels very much at home here in the Amazon, he has a great love for it’s people and culture – there’s no place else on Earth he would rather be.
His hope is that all people have the good fortune to experience the healing and transformative power of the Plant Spirit Kingdom.”
Dr. Sarah Marshall, ND
Medical Advisor, Integration Facilitator and Trainee Facilitator
Dr. Sarah Marshall, ND
Medical Advisor, Integration Facilitator and Trainee FacilitatorDr. Sarah Marshall is an internationally renowned Naturopathic Physician, Intuitive Counselor, Speaker, and Author. She is also the host of the beloved podcast, created out of her commitment to amplify the stories and methodology of true healing.
Graduating with honors in research from the National University of Natural Medicine in 2009, Sarah’s approach to medicine has always been grounded in alignment with the laws of nature to heal illness at its root through food as medicine, physiologic detoxification, homeopathy, and energetic herbalism. Her journey into becoming a practitioner of the healing arts began over 22 years ago when she began training as an energy healer in the Berkeley Psychic Institute methodology where over 7 years she acquired over 500 hours of practice.
While in her first decade as a doctor, Sarah expanded her skills beyond the physical becoming a coach and program leader in transformational ontological coaching. Inside this work she honed her abilities to listen and heal from a space of emptiness, sharpening her intuitive gifts with the powerful structure of ontological inquiry.
Born in the United States, Sarah has a gypsy’s heart, having traveled extensively throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. She has always been drawn to the indigenous healing traditions of the places she explores. Well-versed in Western herbal and energetic medicines, she was called to sit in ceremonial practice with Ayahuasca for the first time in 2019. Over the past five years, she has deepened her healing through a multitude of ceremonial practices birthed from the Amazon Basin, leading her to her first retreat at the Temple of The Way of Light for the Change Makers program in the fall of 2023.
Her calling is people are magic! Her ultimate intention of her work is to activate and amplify individuals’ innate ability to heal. Her vision for the world is people living in partnership with the creative forces of life, expressing love, in harmony with nature.
Camila Pastor, MSW
Trainee Retreat Facilitator
Camila Pastor, MSW
Trainee Retreat FacilitatorCamila grew up in Lima, Peru moving to New York City to pursue a college degree in architecture and adventure. After a successful career in architecture and design, Camila recognized the unmet need among the undocumented community for skilled Latinx psychotherapists. She decided to return to graduate school to earn her Master in Social Work and work within the Latinx and BIPOC community in New York City.
During the years spent at a mental health community center, she developed an interest in holistic, bottom-up approaches to psychotherapy. Camila noticed how she and most clients were disconnected from their bodies, jumpy, or disassociated.
As her interest grew, Camila focused on developing her skills in trauma therapy, which led her to study modalities like Somatic Experiencing, Compassionate Inquiry, EMDR, and Internal Family Systems while deepening her knowledge and practice in contemplative traditions. Camila in her quest for alternative healing modalities went back home to Peru.
She sat with ayahuasca at the Temple in 2021 and experienced deep transformational healing that has led her to continue deepening her experience with the medicine and the Shipibo healing system. Camila continues to be amazed by the depth and potential of this plant medicine tradition.
Camila has led immersive group journeys for BIPOC communities and is passionate about Latinx work, Indigenous rights, decolonization, and helping people explore their authentic selves.
Camila is an advocate for the deep-rooted practice of community healing in safe sharing circles. The practice of people coming together to share stories, listen deeply, and speak from the heart.
Dr. Keith Loring
Medical Advisor and Trainee Facilitator
Dr. Keith Loring
Medical Advisor and Trainee Facilitator
Keith is a friend and previous guest of the Temple and is now committed to the long-term process of deepening his healing and learning from the Shipibo through plant-spirit dietas.
He received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and then worked as an Attending Physician in the division of Emergency Services at San Francisco General Hospital for many years. He also served as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Keith’s personal experiences with HIV and addiction led him to transition to the practice of addiction medicine. He has been working in this field for several years, utilizing his expertise to help patients struggling with addiction.
Joshua Watherston
Communications Coordinator
Joshua Watherston
Communications CoordinatorJoshua first came to the Temple at nineteen for a retreat, though the call had been growing inside him for years. Having grown up hearing about this work through his father, he felt drawn to the jungle from a young age. That first retreat transformed his life, opening his heart and setting him on the path he continues to walk today.
For Joshua the Temple isn’t work, but it’s home. A hospital for the soul and a university of life, where we learn directly from Mother Nature herself. It’s a beacon of healing and awakening, and his way of giving back in reciprocity for all he has received through the plants.
Before joining the Temple team, Joshua studied graphic design and fell in love with photography as a way of capturing the magic of nature and inspiring others to reconnect with it. That passion evolved into his current work, where he weaves together images, experiences, and insights to share the magic of the Temple with the world.
As Communications Coordinator, he manages social media and design, filming and photography, records testimonials, creates newsletters, and supports the Temple’s online community. Joshua is truly honoured to work with the Temple and the incredible team that supports it. It’s a privilege and a calling that continues to shape who he is.
Joshua is deepening his path through dieta (sama) with the long-term vision of training in facilitation and one day stepping into leadership at the Temple, continuing his family’s legacy of service to the plants, the people, and the planet.
Sascha Thier
Retreat Facilitator
Sascha Thier
Retreat Facilitator
Sascha’s relationship with ayahuasca began in 2004, when his first encounter with the medicine set him on a path of healing childhood trauma and a deepening search for purpose. Over the years that followed, his connection to the Shipibo tradition grew into something far greater than personal healing, it became a calling.
He first joined the Temple team in 2011, spending six years learning and growing within the community before pursuing other ventures. In 2025, that calling brought him back. As a facilitator and operations manager, Sascha works quietly behind the scenes to ensure that every retreat runs with the care, precision, and integrity that this sacred work demands, while remaining a steady, compassionate presence for guests throughout their healing journey.
Having walked his own path through darkness and into healing, Sascha knows firsthand what it means to be held in a safe and trustworthy space. It is this lived understanding, alongside more than two decades of immersion in plant-spirit medicine, that he brings to every ceremony and every guest he has the privilege of serving.
Kitchen & Laundry
Tonia Cahuaza Falcon
Head Cook
Natividad Ahuanari
Assistant Cook
Katy Cahuaza Falcon
Assistant Cook
Lila Pacaya
Cleaner
Danila Manuyuna
Cleaner
Nena Silva
Cleaner
Magnolia Aromuya
Cleaner
Maintenance and Permaculture
Neil Moreno
Maintenance
Jhac Villacrez
Maintenance
Denis Baneo
Maintenance
Rider Sima Tamani
Maintenance
Edwin Ahuanari
Maintenance
Omar Pucuya
Maintenance
Normando Galindo
Maintenance
Aymer Pacuya
Maintenance
Argelino Jaramillo
Food Production
Jose Zuque
Food Production
Kender Aparicio
Food Production
Marvin Galindo
Food Production
Carlos Mayahuari
Grounds Keeper
Isidoro Chistama
Maintenance
Saul Pacuya
Maintenance
Wilquer Gutierrez
Maintenance
Juan Mucushua
Food Production
Enrique Lopez Macedo
Boat Driver
Edwin Aparicio Cahuachi
Boat Driver
Levi Macuyama Rimachi
Fish-farm Keeper
Iquitos Office
Juan Muñoz
Office Manager
Asuncion Barrera Ruiz
Bookkeeper
Daniel Estela
Buyer
Roberto Mori
Transport
Security
Anderson Villacrez
Supervisor
Jhon Elvis Manihuari
Security
Kissinger Villacrez
Security
Magno Aparicio
Security
Jose del Aguila
Security
Richard Moncada
Security
Marcio Sapiama
Security
Favio Silva
Security
Ordoñes Torres
Security
Heyner Ramirez
Security
Luigi Jaramillo
Security
Ramiro Panduro
Security
Fredy Panduro
Security
Rolando Guevara
Security
Martin Baneo
Security
Darwill Casternoque
Transport
Temple Animals
Biri-Katé
Biri-Katé
Shipibo for bright, shining lady who protects and is protected.Biri is our self-elected, emotional support animal. She arrived at the Temple as a 4.5 month year old scraggly pup in mid 2022, and decided to make the Temple her home. She made her desire known by sleeping under the maloka every ceremony night, until we relented and invited her for some food and a wash. The choice was given to stay or go, and she decided to stay. She is a delightful spirit: independent, sensitive, sassy, sweet, loving and a very loved little lady. She spends her time supporting guests in group meetings, and visiting friends in the guard houses, the Chaikuni team and locals in the village. She takes her role as protector very seriously, keeping stray dogs off Temple property, and fancies herself as a bit of a monkey hunter (she still hasn't worked out dogs can't climb trees). She also loves a good walking adventure with the local porters or guests often joining them on the walk in or out of the Temple! She loves tummy rubs and grilled chicken, motorbike rides, and a good game of tug-of-war, and is a gift to the Temple in the sweetness, warmth and light she brings.Cawa
Cawa
Shipibo for Chakruna, which brings the vision, so she's the one who sees clearly in the dark.Cawa, our resident rodent, lizard and insect catcher, also known as 'spider-cat' for her incredible agility, acrobatic, and climbing ability! She can often be found prowling and hunting in the Temple grounds or curled in her basket outside the kitchen after a good meal. We have given her the animal Oscar award for her 'starving damsel in distress’ performances (she is very well fed!) and she is the epitome of Sugar and Spice: sweet and loving one minute, and the next, the claws and the hunter come out! Beware! She loves fish, a good game of cat and mouse, and enjoys displaying her acrobatic abilities, climbing up the side of the dining room walls on occasion. Also an independent spirit, she loves a good walk around the grounds, visiting the guards, and takes great delight in hunting/tormenting Biri every now and then! She too is a gift to the Temple, keeping our kitchen rodent-free and providing wonderful, dramatic entertainment on occasion!
