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Experiential Seminar for Indigenous Students
Between late April and early May, a group of young people from the Waorani, Kofan, and Siekopai indigenous communities of the Ecuadorian Amazon participated in an experiential seminar in Takiwasi designed to reconnect with their roots, strengthen their cultural identity, and build solid bridges with the Western world.
Most of them are students destined to become teachers, accompanied by a technical team, and have had this valuable opportunity thanks to the support of the Amazon Frontlines Foundation. These future teachers are preparing not only to teach, but also to be bearers of ancestral wisdom in modern contexts. Soon, we will publish a short video report about this event.
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Effectiveness of the Takiwasi Therapeutic Model in the Treatment of Addictions
For those who couldn't attend, we're sharing the video of our research team's latest webinar, featuring our executive director, psychologist Jaime Torres.
Our clinical experience of more than 30 years indicates that the interaction between traditional Amazonian medicine, psychotherapy, and spirituality proposed in the Takiwasi therapeutic model is highly successful in the treatment of substance abuse disorder and other mental health disorders. Over time, the need for scientific validation of the data collected at our center has led us to participate in a growing number of research projects in collaboration with world-class academic institutions.
Several studies conducted at Takiwasi in recent years by external researchers have demonstrated significant improvements during and after treatment for a wide range of factors examined, including addiction severity, physical health, emotional health, depression, anxiety, cravings, and spiritual well-being, thus confirming the effectiveness of our treatment model.
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New video from Takiwasi's Research Department
The mission of the Takiwasi Center's research department is to generate rigorous and interdisciplinary scientific knowledge on the therapeutic use of Amazonian medicinal plants and their integration with Western psychotherapy, with an emphasis on the treatment of addictions and mental health.
Over more than three decades, Takiwasi has developed a unique therapeutic model that combines ancestral indigenous knowledge with modern clinical tools. Research plays a fundamental role in validating this approach, contributing to intercultural dialogue, the documentation of traditional practices, and the evaluation of their therapeutic efficacy. English subtitles available.
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The power of the eagle: an Awajún worldview
This book in Spanish was born from the initiative of Italian researcher Alberto Dubbini, who in 2022 had the idea of conducting an interview with Robert Ampam Tsamain, one of the most renowned custodians of traditional knowledge of the Awajún people, settled in the Rio Santiago region of the Peruvian Amazon. Alberto entrusted the task to two young people from the native community of Yutupis.
We are accustomed to thinking that ethnographic research should be carried out by people who approach a culture different from their own. However, this work represents a significant exception: it is an ethnography told from within, narrated by those who live and experience this culture in their daily lives. We believe that a work of this type can be valuable both for those who do not belong the Awajún people and for the new generations of this same people, who are currently experiencing a crucial historical moment.
100% of the proceeds from the sale of this book (which costs a symbolic $10 dollars) will be used to cover the food costs of the children of the NGO CIANAH (Indigenous Support Center for Abandoned and Orphaned Children) in the community of Yutupis, who require urgent support to cover this basic need.
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Webinar: Dangers of the Loss of Traditional Knowledge about Medicinal Plants
Our research team's new free talk, entitled "Dangers of the Loss of Knowledge Related to Medicinal Plants and Possible Rescue Projects," will be broadcast on our Facebook Live on Friday, May 23rd at 11:00 am (Peru time), featuring Fernando García Rivera, a linguist and professor of Intercultural Bilingual Education.
Ancestral knowledge about the use of medicinal plants constitutes an invaluable heritage of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon. This knowledge, passed down orally from generation to generation, is the fruit of a close relationship between humans and the other beings that inhabit natural environments and represents an increasingly valued health alternative, even in contemporary contexts.
However, this knowledge is in danger of disappearing, threatened by various factors: acculturation, the loss of indigenous languages, deforestation, the commercialization of traditional knowledge, and the lack of policies for the protection and transmission of culture. Faced with this situation, urgent questions arise: What consequences does this loss have for Indigenous communities and for humanity as a whole? What can we do to preserve and revitalize this legacy?
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2025 Retreats/Diets
Here is the calendar of our next retreats/diets for 2025:
• 16 - 28 June
• 14 - 26 July
• 18 - 30 August
• 8 - 20 September
• 6 - 18 October
• 3 - 15 November
• 1 - 13 December
For more information and to start the registration process please write to: jaime_torres@takiwasi.com
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Takiwasi Ikaros Catalog
Explore the complete catalog of our ikaros, including the new productions of musicalized ikaros by artists Alejo & Simon.
Ikaros are fundamental elements in Traditional Amazonian Medicine and represent a powerful tool of cultural resistance. Through them, both linguistic elements and knowledge related to the Amazonian worldview and medicinal resources are preserved.
This legacy is what inspired the name of our NGO: “Takiwasi,” which in Quechua means “the house that sings” or “the house of song,” in honor of this valuable tradition.
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