In this heartfelt testimonial, Theodore shares his experience at Takiwasi after years of searching for healing, clarity, and direction. Through the traditional Amazonian medicine approach, including the master plant dieta, ayahuasca ceremonies, and the guidance of the Takiwasi team, he describes a profound process of transformation, renewal, and rediscovering his life purpose.
Author : Fabio Friso, Martín Huamán
Audio : English
Subtitle : Español, Français
After completing his service in the U.S. Navy, Juan joined Takiwasi's Retreat for Veterans & First Responders in search of healing. In this heartfelt testimonial, he shares how the retreat helped him heal unexpected wounds from his past, reconnect with his roots, and gain a renewed sense of clarity and direction for his life. “The retreat allowed me to look at my roots that I walked in here with and allowed me to pull those old roots out, so that I can grow newer ones, deeper ones, stronger ones. So, I'm leaving here with a new set of roots and it's exactly what I needed.”
Author : Fabio Friso, Martín Huamán
Audio : English
Subtitle : Español, Français
The retreat with master plants can be experienced by participants as a true rebirth process, especially by those who are seeking answers and a deeper sense of meaning in their lives. In his testimony, David, a former U.S. Marine Raider, highlights that he did not expect to encounter the spiritual dimension that accompanies experiences with ayahuasca and master plants. However, this dimension ultimately became, for him as well as for many other participants, the deepest and most meaningful aspect of the transformative process experienced during the retreat.
Author : Fabio Friso, Martín Huamán
Audio : English
Subtitle : Español, Français
Invitation from Dr. Jacques Mabit to participate in the IV Dialogue Between Medicines Conference, organized by the GASS Association in collaboration with Takiwasi Center. Theme of the meeting: “Spiritual Illnesses, Traditional Medicines and Christianity”. Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026. Location: Barcelona, Spain. More information and registration: www.dialegsmedicines.org
Author : Fabio Friso, Martín Huamán
Audio : Spanish
Subtitle : English, Français
Dr. Jacques Mabit was invited to participate in the Universe Within Podcast to speak with Jason Grechanik about his personal journey and more than four decades of experience integrating Amazonian traditional medicine with Western biomedicine and psychotherapy in the treatment of mental health. Throughout the conversation, Dr. Mabit explores the differences between Western and Indigenous worldviews, particularly in the way they understand human health, nature, and the spiritual dimension. He also warns about certain risks, such as the idealization of Indigenous traditions, the commercial use of master plants, and the lack of proper training among many contemporary therapists. Traditional Amazonian medicine cannot be reduced to the use of psychoactive plants; rather, it is a complex system based on rituals, diets, reciprocity, discipline, and a profound relationship with the invisible world.
Author : Universe Within Podcast
Audio : Spanish
Subtitle : -
Our Research Manager, Matteo Politi, was invited by Jason Grechanik to join the Universe Within Podcast to discuss his professional background and the research he conducts at the Takiwasi Center. During the interview, they explored a wide range of topics, including the pharmaceutical industry, phytochemistry, phytotherapy, Indigenous Amazonian medicinal practices, and the importance of integrating different knowledge systems to better understand the relationship between medicinal plants and human well-being. The conversation highlights the interdisciplinary approach that defines Takiwasi's work, where scientific research engages in dialogue with Amazonian traditional knowledge to foster a more holistic understanding of health, biodiversity, and the therapeutic potential of medicinal plants.
Author : Universe Within Podcast
Audio : English
Subtitle : -
Matthew Surratt, medical doctor and former US Navy Seal, shares the profound journey he experienced at Takiwasi. What began as a scientific interest in psychedelics and traditional medicines became a deeply transformative process that challenged his expectations and changed the way of understanding true healing. In this testimonial, he reflects on the role of purgative plants, the master plant diet, the ayahuasca ceremony, and the importance of the people accompanying the process. “I wasn't looking for an experience to have a t-shirt at the end. I needed real medicine. I needed to find that answer from myself through something bigger than myself.”
Author : Fabio Friso, Martín Huamán
Audio : English
Subtitle : Español, Français
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is considered a hot, solar, fire-associated plant. At Takiwasi, it is primarily used as a purgative plant, helping to cleanse the body, release physical and emotional blockages, and eliminate negative energetic burdens. During the purgative ritual, the patient drinks a freshly prepared ginger maceration under the guidance of the healer. Its intensely pungent taste triggers a purgative response that promotes the elimination of toxins and prepares the body for a deeper process of restoration.
Author : Fabio Friso, Martín Huamán
Audio : Spanish
Subtitle : English, Français
In the Peruvian Amazon, the rose is also part of local traditional practices. An infusion prepared by macerating its petals in water is consumed to support people through grief, loss, or to calm nervousness. The rose is regarded as a plant with feminine energy that fosters self-love and helps remove the thorns left in the heart by emotional wounds. At Takiwasi, this traditional knowledge has been further enriched through the contributions of European women healers who use this plant during retreats and plant dietas.
Author : Fabio Friso, Martín Huamán
Audio : Spanish
Subtitle : English, Français
The Lupuna (Ceiba pentandra) is the tallest and most majestic tree in the Amazon, and it's also a master plant used in traditional dietas at Takiwasi. Our therapeutic coordinator, Veronika Kavenská, tells us about its therapeutic properties, associated with strengthening energy and feminine power, as well as developing a broader perspective on life, which helps to distance oneself from everyday problems and find new perspectives and solutions.
Author : Fabio Friso, Martín Huamán
Audio : Spanish
Subtitle : English, Français