The mission of Yosi Ocha, The Peruvian Institute of Shamanism and Natural Medicine, since its foundation in 2014, has been to establish a brand of excellence in the preservation of authentic Shipibo shamanic practices. Maestro Heberto García, who is today one of the most recognized shamans among the Shipibo descendants, preserves this indigenous tradition with great rigor. The centre was named after his grandfather and mentor, Yosi Ocha, known as the last Meraya, a title granted to curanderos that attained the highest level of shamanism.
Today we pride ourselves on offering the most complete combination of original Shipibo shamanic treatments available. The centre is the ideal refuge for those who seek deep healing and transformation through a personalised program, or wish to be trained in the fascinating art of shamanism following the ancient Shipibo tradition. Maestro Heberto makes a holistic diagnosis of each guest and designs a tailor-made program taking into account his or her individual objectives.
The passengers are free to choose the starting date and duration of their stay. Many centres offer retreats with fixed start and end dates for cost savings reasons, but in Yosi Ocha we believe that such rigidity does not favour the personalised treatment approach and goes against the central shamanic spirit that values the healing and promotion of integral well-being above any consideration of personal benefit.
Yosi Ocha is located in the depths of the Amazon rainforest, about 20 km southeast of Iquitos, in the Allpahuayo Mishana National Park. The diverse ecosystem in this magnificent part of the jungle includes majestic trees of impressive sizes, streams of reddish water and distinctive white sands that contribute even more to the enchanting beauty of the place.
Once a year, Maestro Heberto travels to Europe (Holland, Spain, etc.) to conduct intensive 3-days healing retreats. These retreats are an excellent opportunity to carry out deep personal work in a safe and loving environment, while discovering his unique approach to the medicine and healing.
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clareM
April 8, 2024 at 12:23 pmThe magic of this place is hard to put into words. I have drank & worked in aya ceremonies for 4 years in Europe & wanted to find an exceptional Shipibo teacher in Peru to deepen my training & connection to the plants.
I got so much more than that. I received an in depth diagnosis at the start & end of my stay (everyone gets this). Mine revealed some serious underlying health issues, which I wasn’t fully aware of. I now understand this one of the many ‘real’ reasons my heart guided me here. In truth this centre probably saved my life. I also witnessed people with broken bones healed, PTSD healed & deep childhood trauma resolved. I saw people arrive who could barely smile, who left floating out like hummingbirds.
This is not a party centre for people to get high. This is the deepest inner/shadow/healing work you will ever do. It will be confronting & uncomfortable at times but you’re held in such a loving protective space by Celia, Herberto & Eunice (& Tulia our beautiful translator/assistant) & you feel like you can conquer anything.
I’d never experienced San Pedro or dieted other plants & loved it.
The healing, protection, singing & food is of the highest standard. I never finished a meal because the portions were so big. Herberto, Celia & Eunice who hold the ceremonies are humble, powerful & beautiful authentic Shaman in every way.
This wasn’t my first rodeo with Aya, but nothing can prepare you for drinking in the jungle. Buckle up & enjoy the ride.
This is a fully indigenous run & owned centre, which adds to the magic, authenticity & integrity of the place. It feels like one giant family.
I made friends for life, found a second home & lineage that I will be connecting to for the rest of my life as I continue my training here. The impact Yosi Ocha has had in me is indescribable & I cannot wait to return.
Tips:
*ear plugs if you’re a light sleeper. The jungle is loud especially when the frogs get going.
*natural sunscreen & bug repellent by ‘Fierce Nature’ worked great.
*Bite Away pen on Amazon, natural way to relieve any itching.
*Take USD for massages & the Shipibo market at the centre
*Pack light & wear loose clothes. It’s easy to wash stuff in the washing area
*Forget everything you’ve heard about Aya & let the medicine work with you the way she wants to
Tomaz
April 3, 2024 at 9:48 amI spent 2 weeks in Yosi Ocha with my daughter. My intention was to experience intense spiritual journeys, but it turned out completely differently. Ayahuasca had something else in mind. It was more of a journey to my dark shadows. They wanted to be looked at and then vomited out. On the other hand, it was a real joy and grace to be able to follow the development and growth of my 19-year-old daughter. We developed a deep connection on a soul basis. I am very grateful for that. We were picked up by Herberto’s son in Iquitos and the reception in Yosi Ocha was very warm. Each of us got a bungalow that was well protected against mosquitoes. The rituals had something magical about them, especially when Herberto or his aunt or sister sang Icarus in the maloca. It was also amazing how quickly you took the other participants to your heart. Although we were only there for 2 weeks, it felt more like 4 weeks. Sometimes it felt like I was in a parallel universe. My love and thanks go to Herberto and his family and everyone who supports him on his journey and makes this paradise possible.
ADiCello
March 23, 2024 at 8:50 pmThough I am finding it difficult to put into words, I want to extend heartfelt gratitude for the experience at Yosi Ocha. I have wanted to experience working with Ayahuasca for a long time now and I was completely blown away. The medicine, the location, Maestro Herberto, the translators/facilitators, the staff and cook, the other people there at the retreat, the art, the culture, traditions everything and everyone were/are so beautiful and helpful.
I came in to work with intention and questions. I was not only shown perspective and answers on these things but was also deeply healed in a way that I didn’t even know I needed which was/is incredible beyond belief.
One of the things that I worked on while there was connection to the heart and feelings. Even though one week felt like just scratching the surface of things, I feel so much more open and feel like a part of me is still at Yosi Ocha. I have dreamt about it every night since and I miss it already. I will return, just a matter of when. So again, want to offer my love and gratitude for the incredible experience and would absolutely give my recommendation to this location to sit with medicine in this incredibly genuine environment.
Truly magical.
jase48
March 2, 2024 at 7:29 amIn English:
I had been looking for a spiritual retreat center in Peru for a year. I didn’t want a center where the owner was from the USA or Europe and hired a pseudo Shaman to put on the show. So I wanted a serious center far from the hippie entertainment like many pills in this area of
Maestro Heberto and his family have been kind to his name. They allowed me to heal and reconnect with my heart and my inner shaman. I pass on to you all my mystical experiences. I arrived like a junkie and left like a Jedi.
There was everything in this center, the bungalows were great. The food nothing to say about chef Ruben. Thanks Starlink for the wifi connection. And thank you to the different medicines and the energy of the forest for this legendary reset.
I repeat it again and again, I arrived the first day and met wonderful people and when I left I left behind brothers and sisters. I will come back to continue My path towards shamanism (even if I am currently doing it here in Belgium). It is clear that I will now consider Yosi Ocha my Mecca, a place of pilgrimage.
A big thank you to Maestro Heberto and the whole team for this live changing experience. Ahh!!!!
Original text:
Cela faisait un an que je cherchais un centre de retraite spirituelle au Pérou. Je ne voulais pas d’un centre où le propriétaire serait d’origine Des USA ou d’Europe et qu’il engage un pseudo Shaman pour faire le show. Je voulais donc un centre sérieux loin des divertissements hippies comme beaucoup de pilules dans cette zone du pays. Un jour fatigué j’ai demandé à mes guides de me donner un signe et de m’aider à trouver le centre idéal pour moi et moi seul. J’ai alors ouvert mon laptop et véridique j’ai tapé dans le Google « Best Shaman in Pérou 2024 ». Je sais ça a l’air très peu sérieux mais c’est ce que j’ai fait. Je suis tombé sur le site Web d’Yosi Ocha. Voilà un endroit tenu par une famille de Shipibo et dont la réputation du Curandero n’était plus à faire. J’ai trouvé le site web super bien fait avec que des commentaires cinq étoiles. Cela m’a paru un peu bizarre, j’ai donc vérifié la véracité de ses commentaires sur Reddit. Et effectivement tous les commentaires ont été confirmé. J’ai donc décidé de faire le pas et j’ai réservé trois semaines sur ce site. À mon arrivée à l’aéroport Jerry est venu me chercher pour me déposer dans ce camp en plein milieu de la forêt amazonienne. Fait étrange à mon arrivée aux portes du site un aigle m’attendait pour me souhaiter le bienvenu (spoiling alert, cela était de bonne augure puisque l’aigle deviendra mon arcana). J’ai rencontré des personnes venant des quatre coins de la planète, ils m’ont accueilli comme un frère. J’ai passé trois semaines les plus impactantes de ma vie, j’y ai travaillé sur mes démons comme jamais. C’est comme si j’avais eu une psychanalyse de 12 ans avec Freud, Lacan et Jung.
Maestro Heberto et sa famille ont été d’une bienveillance son nom. Ils m’ont permis de guérir et de me reconnecter à mon cœur et à mon shaman intérieur. Je vous passe toutes mes expériences mystiques. Je suis arrivé comme un junkie et je suis reparti comme un Jedi.
Il y avait tout dans ce centre, les bungalows étaient top. La nourriture rien à dire sur le chef Ruben. Merci Starlink pour la connexion wi-fi. Et merci aux différentes médecines et à l’énergie de la forêt pour ce reset légendaire.
Je le répète et le répéter encore je suis arrivé le premier jour et ai rencontré des gens magnifiques et lorsque je suis reparti j’y ai laissé des frères et des sœurs. Je reviendrai continuer Mon chemin vers le chamanisme (même si actuellement je le fais ici en Belgique). C’est clair que considérerai dorénavant Yosi Ocha comme ma Mecque, un endroit de pèlerinage.
Un tout tout tout grand merci à Maestro Heberto et à toute l’équipe pour cette live changing expérience. Aoh!!!!
Nahinai
January 28, 2024 at 11:08 amI came here because I had worked with Maestro Heberto remotely, and in a very short period, he literally saved my life. So, I decided to complete my healing here. Everything exceeded my expectations. The center transcends the three-dimensional world; there are protective fairy spirits everywhere. I felt safe and guided by the profound knowledge and magic of Maestro Heberto and the warm feminine radiance of Maestra Eunice. I arrived limping in pain and left as a healthy person. I am grateful that my heart was open to receive all the healing, love, and care offered. The sacredness of this place also attracted beautiful people, so all the participants held the space for magic to happen. When the time comes, I will be back.
Chaotican
January 16, 2024 at 3:18 pmYosi Ocha is the perfect balance of support, healing, and space for you to deepen your relationship with the medicine, yourself, and the amazing people you’ll be around. I only spent a week there (single mom and high-stress job), but the gift of being there is eternal.
I can describe my stay and show pictures of gathering leaves and flowers for my daily plant bath in the idyllic stream, healing mud by the swimming lake, paths to take you to the master trees, and the dinning room where you meet with your retreat family, but none of it does the experience justice. I felt at home and part of something so beautiful and meaningful. I didn’t know anyone there, yet by San Pedro day, it was like being in a roaming slumber party in the jungle with the most wonderful people who all showed up as exactly who they really are. On the first day, a late-comer apologized for being awkward and I said that we’re all wonderful misfits otherwise we wouldn’t have ended up here. And it’s true. You’ll be around your people. Yet, you can also decide that you need silence and spend a full day without eye contact or social interaction if you choose, without being judged at all.
The medicine was exactly what I needed, at every juncture. I’d been nervous about so many ceremonies; I usually like a month or so between journeys. It all worked out fine and Maestro Heberto already knew when I’d like to go lighter or plunge more deeply. Every ceremony was deep and connecting.
The proof of the healing came after leaving. I was on the plane out when the pilot announced we had to get off the plane. That should have been disastrous for me, but I felt a deep sense of peace. In line to get a hotel, the man behind me had just come from another retreat and was complaining and angry. I felt badly for him and wished he’d gone to Yosi Ocha! Since leaving, my life feels like it is truly in harmony and I am happy.
If you feel called, you are. Come home and recharge.
Guive
January 14, 2024 at 2:27 pmA year ago I had the chance to spend two weeks at Yosi Ocha. It was beyond expectations; although amenities were limited (As well as the water in the pound), people were perfect, as well my hut. Herberto and her assistant are truly amazing people. This was my first experience, and I can say that not only I had the opportunity to do a deep inner journey, but in the same time learned so much about the cultural and spiritual aspects of Aya. The very vast majority of other people who joined were also very interesting; and food was simple, but fresh and varied; so all good, The only negative point was the noise of some construction machine during the day (but that was last year) as they were doing some work on the property to enlarge it. As I leave in Europe, it is a bit far for me to go easily, but if I could would definitely go again!
nabilmc
January 7, 2024 at 1:03 amYosi Ocha is amazing. Firstly, Maestro Herberto is a real master – you really feel his layers of protection during the ceremony. The staff and volunteers are beautiful, kind and patient – and the setting is magical.
ss
December 14, 2023 at 1:33 pmYosi Ocha is a simple, rustic retreat that feels remote — it’s in the Amazon jungle — but is only an hour or so from the city of Iquitos. The accommodations are comfortable, the food is healthy, and the overall sense of the place is one of peacefulness and ease. Meditation, walks in the jungle, flower baths, and swims in the natural pools are all encouraged, as is increasing one’s knowledge of various master plants and trees. Most importantly, Maestro Herberto is a powerful healer, and he and his family are incredibly warm, hard-working and kind. In all, a safe, authentic experience not soon to be forgotten.
yambelcrinde
November 25, 2023 at 10:27 amIn English:
Yosi Ocha is a retreat center specialized in the use of ayahuasca and other Amazonian plants following the Shipibo tradition.
Although in addition (and in this it differs from other shamanic retreat centers in the area) it also facilitates San Pedro-Huachuma ceremonies, which in my opinion significantly enriches the experience there.
I have been in Yosi Ocha for two weeks. My goal was to achieve greater self-knowledge and improve my health. I think it has been worth it. I feel like my energy is cleaner than before I went.
Making contact with the Master Plants implies being willing to sometimes confront parts of oneself that are not necessarily pleasant, but that by becoming aware of them can be healed or transformed. For me it has been a hard process at times. Although for other passengers I know that the process has been easier.
The shamanic work of Master Heberto and his sister Eunice goes far beyond providing a visionary plant.
I have come to the conclusion that there are dimensions beyond our ordinary perception in the West and that good shamans like them can access and handle it with confidence and clarity. They do not spare you bitter lessons but they ensure that they are given in a protective and loving environment. And that you come out better than how you entered.
Accommodation is in bungalows for individual use or for couples, with their own shower and clean clothes, in an elegant and pleasant environment. The food is simple but well prepared, within the dietary limits required for a job of this type.
There were fewer mosquitoes than I expected, an issue that can be a small or big annoyance (depending on how you take it) in other Amazonian areas.
The price, in my opinion, is a little expensive depending on the economy. But the truth is that Yosi Ocha is about more than just spending a few weeks entertaining, but rather connecting with a spiritual tradition that can change your life. In that sense, it’s worth it.
Original text:
Yosi Ocha es un centro de retiros especializado en el uso de la ayahuasca y otras plantas amazónicas siguiendo la tradición shipiba.
Aunque además (y en esto difiere de otros centros de retiros chamánicos de la zona) también facilita ceremonias de San Pedro-Huachuma, lo que a mi modo de ver enriquece notablemente la experiencia allí.
He estado dos semanas en Yosi Ocha. Mi objetivo era conseguir un mayor autoconocimiento y mejorar mi salud. Creo que ha valido la pena. Siento que mi energía es más limpia que antes de ir.
Tomar contacto con las Plantas Maestras implica estar dispuesto a enfrentarse a veces con partes de uno mismo que no son necesariamente agradables, pero que al tomar conciencia de ellas pueden ser curadas o transformadas. Para mí ha sido un proceso duro en algunos momentos. Aunque para otros pasajeros me consta que el proceso ha sido más fácil.
El trabajo chamánico del Maestro Heberto y de su hermana Eunice va mucho más allá de suministrar una planta visionaria.
He llegado a la conclusión de que hay dimensiones más allá de nuestra percepción ordinaria en Occidente y de que los buenos chamanes como ellos pueden acceder a ella y manejarla con seguridad y claridad. No te ahorran amargas lecciones pero cuidan de que se den en un entorno protector y cariñoso. Y de que salgas mejor de cómo entraste.
La acomodación es en bungalows de uso individual o por parejas, con ducha propia y ropa limpia, en un entorno elegante y agradable. La comida es sencilla pero bien elaborada, dentro de los límites dietéticos que exige un trabajo de este tipo.
Había menos mosquitos de los que me esperaba, tema que puede ser una pequeña o gran molestia (según cómo te lo tomes) en otras zonas amazónicas.
El precio a mi modo de ver es un poco caro para según qué economías. Pero la verdad es que en Yosi Ocha se trata de algo más que de pasar unas semanas entretenidas, sino de conectar con una tradición espiritual que puede cambiar la vida. En ese sentido, vale la pena.