Essence of the Heart
10-Day Wachuma & Andean Wisdom Immersion Retreat
November 15 - 25, 2026
SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS & AUSANGATE MOUNTAIN, PERU.
ABOUT THE RETREAT
This journey is rooted in authenticity and lovingly designed to offer an unforgettable experience for your soul. It is an invitation to immerse yourself in the living heart of the Andean tradition, where the mountains gently guide you back to your true nature through presence, gratitude, and awareness.
Over ten days, you will become part of a profound immersion into the medicine—from its sacred preparation and offerings to Pachamama to walking breathtaking mountain landscapes where the Wachuma (San Pedro) ceremonies unfold.
This retreat is an opportunity to slow down, reconnect with what truly matters, and remember the wisdom that already lives within you.
Return to yourself. Remember who you are.
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Who This Journey Is For:
This retreat has been thoughtfully created for therapists, psychologists, coaches, and other professionals who support the healing and growth of others. At the same time, it is equally open to anyone on a sincere path of self-discovery who feels called to explore Wuachuma within a safe, respectful, and deeply held environment.
Whether you come as a practitioner or simply as someone seeking a transformative experience, you will be welcomed into a small group where reflection, authentic connection, and personal growth are at the heart of the journey.
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Is This Journey Right for You?
This retreat is not a tourist experience or an opportunity to simply "try" sacred plants. It is an invitation to those who feel genuinely called to deep inner work and who approach this path with humility, commitment, and profound respect for the ancestral traditions that have preserved this medicine for generations.
WHY WACHUMA?
For the Andean peoples, Wachuma is more than a sacred plant—it is an ancient teacher and a bridge between humans, nature, and Spirit.
Traditionally, it is known as the medicine of the heart. It invites us to see with greater clarity, to open ourselves with humility, and to remember our connection with all of life.
In this retreat, Wuachuma is approached with deep respect, following the spirit of the Andean tradition and honoring the wisdom that has been carried through generations.
Connect to the essence of your heart
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Small Group
8-10 participants
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Interview Process
Conscious selection
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Andean Cosmovision
Learning with local sages
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Authentic Ceremonies
Rooted in ancestral tradition.
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Therapeutic Integration
Therapeutic support is available throughout the retreat.
SACRED PLACES
YOUR JOURNEY IN THE ANDES
This journey takes place in the heart of the Peruvian Andes, in places of deep spiritual power and natural beauty. Each location holds a unique energy and plays an essential role in the experience.
SACRED VALLEY OF THE INCAS
AUSANGATE
We journey to the sacred Ausangate Mountain, one of the most powerful apú (spirit-mountains) in the Andes. Here, the second Huachuma ceremony takes blace in deep communion with the land and the elements.
PACCHANTA
We arrive in Pacchanta, a small Andean village at the foot of Ausangate. We prepare the medicine, rest in the natural hot springs and connect with the local community and landscape.
KINSA COCHA
Our first Wachuma ceremony takes place at the Kinsa Cocha Lagoons, high in the Andes among Quechua communities that continue to safeguard their ancestral traditions. The peaceful landscape and cultural heritage of this place create a meaningful setting for the beginning of the journey.
PISAC
Arrival and settling in. Opening circle, intention setting and introduction to the journey. We ground, connect and prepare to walk this sacred path together. We begin in Pisac with a traditional Temazcal, group integration, and an offering to Pachamama.
A JOURNEY INWARD.
GUIDED BY ANCIENT WISDOM AND THE SPIRIT OF THE ANDES
ITINERARY
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Day 1 - Arrival & Welcome
Participants arrive in Pisac, in the Sacred Valley, just 45 minutes from Cusco. Our retreat takes place at Melissa Wasi, a space created especially for retreat, surrounded by nature and designed to support rest, connection, and inner exploration. We begin with a welcoming circle and opening ritual, allowing the evening to unfold gently as we settle into the journey.
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Day 2 - Temazcal Ceremony
We begin our journey with a traditional Temazcal (sweat lodge) ceremony in Pisac, offering purification, grounding, and preparation for the days ahead.
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Day 3 - Meeting Wachuma
Introduction to the spirit and traditions of wachuma. We begin the sacred process of preparing and cooking the medicine together. In Pisac.
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Day 4 - Offering to Pachamama
We continue our journey at the retreat center in Pisac with a traditional Despacho — an offering to Pachamama — guided by a Q’ero elder specially invited for the retreat.
Throughout the day, we continue preparing the Wachuma medicine, deepening our connection with the plant and the intention of the journey ahead.
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Day 5 - First Wachuma Ceremony
Our first Wachuma ceremony takes place in the sacred landscape of Kinsa Cocha lagoons, allowing participants to establish their first deep connection with the medicine.
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Day 6 - Integration & Rest
A day dedicated to rest and integration, with time for personal reflection or optional activities in the Sacred Valley.
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Day 7 - Journey to Ausangate
We travel to the Ausangate region and arrive in the Andean village of Pacchanta, where we will spend the night. After settling into our accommodation, we take a gentle walk through the mountains, enjoy the natural hot springs, and rest in preparation for the Wuachuma ceremony the following day.
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Day 8 - Huachuma Ceremony at Ausangate
Ausangate is an ancient and sacred mountain, known in the Andean tradition as a powerful healer and protector. For generations, pilgrims have walked its paths, bringing offerings to Pachamama and seeking connection, guidance, and renewal. We journey into this sacred landscape for a day of ceremony, pilgrimage, and deep communion with the mountain and with ourselves.
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Day 9 - Integration & Closing Ceremony
We return to Pisac after our time in Ausangate, allowing space to rest, reflect, and integrate the experience.
In the evening, we gather for a sharing circle and a Fire Ceremony to honor our journey and bring the retreat to a meaningful close. Participants spend their final night at the retreat center.
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Day 10 - Departure
DAY 10 — DEPARTURE
We share a final breakfast together and a moment to honor the journey we have walked.
As we say goodbye to the Sacred Valley, we carry with us what has been remembered, felt, and received — allowing the experience to continue unfolding beyond the retreat.
WHY ARE YOU HERE?
Because something in you is asking for a deeper way of being.
A pause. A return. A remembering.
To step away from the noise and listen to what is true,
within you and around you.
AN INITIATION
Ten days to let go of what you are no longer. Open yourself to a broader vision of life and transform your path from the heart.
WALK WITH THE MOUNTAINS
Connect with the Apus
and listen to all they whisper to you.
PREPARE MEDICINE
Prepare the Wachuma alongside our guide and Curandero, with presence, respect, and devotion.
A sacred moment to honor the plant
and begin a deeper relationship with its spirit.
PRAY WITH THE Q’ERO
Participate in an offering ceremony. To the Pachamama with sages of the community. They are carriers of a living wisdom that honors life in all its forms.
ENTER THE CEREMONY
Hold your intention, and walk with Grandfather Wachuma, remembering what truly matters, with more presence in your heart. Allowing yourself to see, feel and receive.
COME BACK DIFFERENT
Transformation begins in ceremony, but it is revealed in the way we live afterward. The real ceremony is life itself—where awareness becomes action, presence becomes relationship, and insight becomes the way we choose to live. It is there that the true fruits of deep inner work begin to unfold.
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What’s Included
7 nights of accommodation at Melissa Wasi Retreat Center, in the heart of the Sacred Valley of the Incas.
2 nights accommodation at the foot of Ausangate Mountain.
Three daily homemade meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
Access to all retreat spaces, including the meditation temple, fire circle, gardens, and peaceful areas for rest and contemplation.
Traditional Temazcal (Sweat Lodge) Ceremony.
Guidance throughout the retreat by Hugo Fernández including the preparation, cooking, and ceremonial use of Wachuma.
Two Wachuma ceremonies in sacred mountain settings.
Traditional Pachamama Offering (Despacho) led by a Q'ero elder.
Journey to the sacred Kinsa Cocha Lagoons for the first Wachuma ceremony.
Journey to the sacred Ausangate Mountain for the final Wachuma ceremony.
All private ground transportation throughout the retreat.
Entrance fees to the hot springs at the foot of Ausangate Mountain.
Entrance fees to all ceremonial and natural sites included in the program.
Integration circles and closing Fire Ceremony.
English & Spanish-speaking facilitation and support throughout the retreat. Also German available if necessary.
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What’s Not Included
International flights.
Domestic flights within Peru.
Airport transfers before or after the retreat (unless otherwise arranged).
Travel insurance.
Personal expenses (laundry, souvenirs, snacks, etc.).
Tips or gratuities (optional).
FACILITATORS
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Fabiola Lillo
Gestalt Therapist & Retreat Facilitator
Fabiola is the founder of Ayni Experiences and the host of this retreat. Originally from Chile and now based in the Sacred Valley of Peru, her spiritual journey began over 20 years ago and has taken her through different paths of exploration, including living in India, where she immersed herself in Yoga, Meditation, and Contemplative practices.
With a background in International Business Engineering and training as a Gestalt psychotherapist, she supports people in healing from trauma, emotional blocks, and recurring patterns, while integrating profound experiences with sacred plants.
Her work brings together presence, psychotherapy, spirituality, and conection with the ancestral traditions.
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Susanne Fastje
Psychologist & Co-Facilitator
Susanne, originally from South Germany, has over 20 years of experience in spirituality, healing, and embodied transformation. She deepened her studies in yoga philosophy in India and works with Amazonian medicines such as Cacao and Kambo. Following the Moondance shamanic tradition, Susanne has also extensive experience leading women’s circles and retreats.
A licensed psychotherapist in private practice since 2017, she integrates depth psychology with trauma-informed, body-oriented methods including EMDR, emotional regulation, and Internal Family Systems (IFS), and offers psychedelic integration support.With a background in neuroscience research and a deep love of music, she bridges modern therapy and ancestral wisdom, especially through cacao and song.
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Hugo Fernández
Clinical Psychologist & Guide in Ancestral Medicine
Hugo is a clinical psychologist trained in Spain and the United States, with over 15 years of experience in psychotherapy, therapist training, and supervision. He has also been one of the driving forces behind relational Gestalt therapy in Peru.
For more than a decade, Hugo has dedicated himself to the intensive study and practice of traditional Amazonian medicine in the Peruvian Upper Amazon, learning directly from experienced masters and communities who carry this ancestral knowledge. His path bridges contemporary psychology, traditional medicine, and spiritual practice.
Specialized in addiction treatment and the integration of traditional medicines, Hugo has worked with institutions such as Takiwasi, ICEERS, and Proyecto Hombre, and has developed his own integrative approach to therapeutic and personal transformation. His work is rooted in deep respect for ancestral traditions and the communities that safeguard them.
WHERE YOU WILL STAY
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Shared Double Room — $2.600
8 Rooms available
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Private Room — $2.750
8 Rooms available
A 30% deposit is required to secure your spot. Rest of payment 2 weeks prior to retreat start date through Wise or bank transfer.
Frequently Asked Questions
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1. Connect
Contact us via WhatsApp to learn more about the retreat, ask questions, and receive all the information you need.
2. Meet
Before confirming your place, we'll have a personal conversation to ensure that this retreat aligns with your intentions and expectations, and that it's the right fit for everyone involved.
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This is more than a retreat. It is an invitation to enter into relationship — with yourself, with nature, with an ancestral tradition, and with the Sacred Valley that will hold every step of your journey. Here, you will immerse yourself in the living wisdom of the Andes, receive ancestral teachings from our curandero, prepare and connect deeply with Wachuma, and journey in pilgrimage to Ausangate, walking with the Apus and offering gratitude to Pachamama.
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Have questions? We'd love to hear from you. Reach out via WhatsApp and we'll be happy to answer your questions, provide more information, and help you determine whether this retreat is the right fit for you.
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A 30% non-refundable deposit is required to secure your place. The remaining balance is due two weeks before the retreat begins.
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Not at all. This retreat welcomes both those who are new to these practices and those with previous experience. What matters most is not your experience, but your openness, sincerity, and willingness to engage with the journey. Throughout the retreat, you'll be carefully guided and supported every step of the way.