Vision from the Heart

FEB. 28- MARCH 9TH 2008

A unique opportunity, to discover your own heart path, the direction you would take in life if you were able to listen to and with your heart. Let the power and mystery of the jungle open you up to your own spiritual life. Our hosts for this journey are a community of Lowland Quichua, or Naporunas, the elder shaman; Don Augustin Grefa is renowned for his knowledge of all the healing medicines of the jungle, his first teacher was his grandmother whom had become his primary guardian up until he was forced into slavery within Peru. His escape found him as a young boy traveling the many tributaries of the Amazon to return home. The spirits of the forest taught him directly how to utilize her riches for his survival. He carries this powerful vision quest of his own into his work as a shaman and with outside communities like ourselves to help us to discover our own path of heart through the vision work of the jungle.

The area of the Amazon we will visit is in the Higher Napo Region, near the towns of Tena and Archidona. We will have the opportunity to hike to ancient petroglyphs, rock carvings from the lowland Quichua dated from 3000BC. Don Augustin has rich knowledge of the stories of these carvings and shares them with us. We will travel into a very rich area of the jungle called Istandi a magical place alive with wildlife and filled with mystical spirits. Don Augustin will share the stories of his people, this land and their many myths that shape their culture and beliefs. Hikes will take us deep into Primal Forest filled with sacred waterfalls, mystical caves and powerful rivers. One night is spent camping in a forest cave in ceremony. The Lowland Quichua place great importance on the dream world and find the forest a mystical place with gateways into other worlds abounding we will learn some of their skills for working with dreamtime to learn the messages of our visions and taking them to our unique path of heart.

This intensive Journey is both physically and spiritually challenging. The hikes through the forest are long, steep and challenging, opening you slowly to receive the magic of the forest. This Journey will help you define your personal vision for your own spiritual growth and your role in changing the global dream to a more earth honoring one, your path of Heart.

LIMITED SPACE – This trip is limited due to availability of sleeping space. Please register early and contact the facilitator to see if this trip is appropriate for you.

Cost: $2200 (cost includes all expenses except airfare to Ecuador and $150 shaman exchange)

Register with Earth Heart Expeditions

DAY 1
Arrive Quito - Transfer Hotel Quito

DAY 2
By bus we will start to make our way from Quito into the Amazon Basin, with a few stops of interest along the way. Travel from Quito to Cotopaxi National Park where we will have opening ceremony, then onto Banos for thermal hot springs, we stay in Hotel Sangay.

DAY 3
We leave Banos and drive to Tena, meet up with Shaman Augustin Grefa and hike to Ancient Lowland Quechua Petroglyphs in the Tena & Archidona areas. Augustin will guide us on the jungle hike, identifying many of the medicinal plants and their uses along the way. He will then share with us the ancient tales of the petroglyphs, some date from 3000 BC. Stay in Hostal Yutzos, which sits on the River Tena.

DAY 4
We will day hike to explore another area of petroglyphs and trek to sacred jungle waterfalls. We will be lead in ceremonies of connection with the spirits of the forest and all of the elements. Stay Hostal Yutzos.

DAY 5
Hike into the homeland of Augustin and his family, into pristine jungle to the land called Istandi. This area is very alive, full of wildlife, waterfalls and mystical spirits. Augustin will guide us on the hike and share his knowledge of the jungle and the spirits found there. He will share stories of this land and his people this evening. Our camp sits along the Hollín River.

DAY 6
Some time for exploring the camp and surrounding area with hikes to waterfalls, one a large powerful cascade used for cleansing the body and spirit, the other with varying levels that can be climbed. In the afternoon we will discuss the upcoming ceremony and how to work with vision in your own life and finding your path of heart.

DAY 7
The morning is spent in culture sharing, learning some of the crafts of the Amazonian people and hearing more of their history through myths and storytelling, possibly exploring dream and vision work. In the afternoon we will hike to a high cave where we will spend the night for our ceremony.

DAY 8
Return to camp and rest, open time. Possibly some journeywork or forest herbal vapor baths. Time to integrate the vision work from the prior evening ceremony.

DAY 9
Hike out of Istandi returning to the Tena area and travel north to the thermal waters of Termas de Papallacta. Here we rest and recover from our intensive work in the jungle. We continue to integrate the experience and may have some group activities to assist in this process.

DAY 10
The morning is spent in the thermal waters and then we travel back to Quito. Time for rest and our closing ceremony and dinner that evening.

DAY 11
Transfers provided to the airport for morning flights, for later flights you may take a taxi to the airport ($5 fare).

For Questions – Contact Joyce
More Trip Information
Joyce Kendall Shamanic Bio
View A List of Items to Bring on this Journey
View the Photo Gallery for this Expedition
Contact Past Trip Participants