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Onikano is one of the very few ayahuasca retreat centres still owned, led, and inhabited by the same Shipibo family whose lineage it was built to honour.
Located in the Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve, 22 km from Iquitos, Onikano operates within a living Shipibo healing tradition under the direct guidance of Maestro Heberto García — known by his Shipibo name, Niwen Koshi. His grandfather, Yosi Ocha, was regarded as one of the last Merayas: healers who reached the highest level of traditional Shipibo curanderismo. That lineage is alive at Onikano today.
What makes Onikano different is the deeply personalised nature of the work. Each guest is received as an individual, not as part of a standardised retreat formula. After an initial personal evaluation, Maestro Niwen Koshi designs a healing process that takes into account each person’s history, needs, intentions, and energetic condition. Guests may come for one week or remain for several weeks or months, depending on the depth of the work they feel called to undertake.
Retreats at Onikano are rooted in a broad range of traditional Shipibo practices: ayahuasca ceremonies guided by ícaros, plant dietas, purification baths with plants and flowers, ancient rituals and work with the palos maestros, or teacher trees. Alongside this Shipibo foundation, Onikano offers San Pedro (huachuma) ceremonies — a tradition that Maestro Niwen Koshi learned from Andean maestros and integrates as a complementary path within the healing process.
Onikano sits deep within the reserve, one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the Peruvian Amazon, characterised by majestic trees, red-water streams, and distinctive white-sand forests. The centre includes private bungalows, a traditional ceremonial house, a lake for swimming, and a cosy dining room where guests share meals prepared with fresh, local ingredients.
People come to Onikano for many reasons. Some arrive for their first encounter with ayahuasca. Others return year after year. Some stay for a week; others enter a longer path of healing, dieta, or shamanic apprenticeship with Maestro Niwen Koshi. What they all share is a sincere willingness to work deeply and respectfully, with trust in a tradition passed down through generations.
Onikano is not the right place for everyone. It is the right place for those who are ready to do real work. If that resonates, the journey begins with a personal application.
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Reinhart
February 2, 2018 at 5:17 pmAmazing experience! I did the two week retreat option and it was the best thing I could have done. Heberto is an extremely knowledable, patient, and down right incredible person. His skills go for beyond what I had imagined going to there and my life altering experience will have me returning in the future.
If you plan on delving deeper in the plant dietas and take your journey very seriously, I would look no where else but here. I am honored and humbled in being there and a student for my short stay.
ColetteO
January 4, 2018 at 3:44 pmHeberto is more than just a shaman, he’s amazingly loving, generous with his knowlegde and time, thorough in his teachings, open to questions and discussions. The feedback he gives after the ceremonies is personal, detailed and most helpful. Doing ceremonies with him feels very safe, it is clear that he has a lot of deep knowledge of the plants he uses from sure sources. I was delighted to take part in these ceremonies and advance in my spiritual quest with his help, I don’t think I expected that much. His helpers were also very dedicated, honest and always ready to help at difficult times. I felt very well held, and looked after. His traditional knowledge comes from a long line of shamans, and years of practice. I highly recommend him. His use of icaros is particularly striking and powerful, re-establishing peace in one’s soul at the end of the night. I will be back.
Evita
January 2, 2018 at 1:20 amI participated in ceremonies with Heberto Dec 2017 in Kura Waka in Netherlands (NL) For me it was the first encounter with Shipibo tradition and I am grateful it was Heberto who led me. He is a trustworthy, knowledgeable and experienced, real Amazon homeopathy expert. Learned about various plants and medicine from him. Individual icaros he sang were really strong and touching. Also the stone massage was helpful and healing.
The experience from ceremonies was definitely lasting, actually I am still trying to work with them. I can highly recommend both Heberto and Kura Waka.
Baudien
December 16, 2017 at 5:17 pmHeberto is the most honest and capable Shaman I met and experienced.
I have met more good and experienced workers with medicine plants but Heberto is the one who knows the best how to prepare to receive the messages and healings of the plants. He is really connected to the wisdom of this in every way.
His knowledge is the knowledge of anchestors and it is a honour to recieve this and be part of this by the teachings of Heberto and the plants he works with.
I am very gratefull for the experiences with healing plants and exercises he guided.
Heberto is a great Shaman and a very nice and kind person. I have deep respect for his attitude and work.
When you really want to learn and grow and feel save and good guided I recommend Heberto to work with.
I am looking forward to do this again.
xxruthxx
December 15, 2017 at 3:13 pmI traveled to Peru nearly two weeks after hearing about Heberto’s work at the Ashi Meraya Center and stayed for 2 weeks. Heberto is a shaman with a great deal of knowledge and professionalism. He is not doing this work to take advantage of people or fool them into any “hippie” practice, this work is his passion and ancestry and it shows in each ceremony. His humor and lightheartedness make the experience comfortable allowing you to relax and absorb the full benefits of the medicine. You feel the power of his lineage and expertise in his shamanic practices, though he carries it with admirable humility and groundedness.
I cannot express enough how much I would recommend anyone and everyone to go see him. I met people that had been going for years to him, that had healed from serious conditions and never did I sense even an ounce of judgment from him. I felt safe and cared for by him and the staff at the center and during the ceremonies. After my two weeks there, I felt like family to say the least. I am so grateful to have been able to go sit with him, heal and learn; and that he has opened up the space for non-indigenous folks to benefit from his Shipibo traditions. If you are looking for the real deal and to do deep and work, Heberto is the person for you.