Putumayo, the land of coca mass production, us evangelism, high incursions (read neo-colonization), and the spiritual home of ancient indigenous communities and millennial long healing practices. Not to mention the incredible landscapes at the start of the Colombian Amazonian forests.
While I did not dwell much on the cocaine making side (abounding in the region to the point of entire towns being involved in the well orchestrated division of labour) nor been to religious neo-protestant gatherings (witnessing from a car ride of the non habitual new style churches appearing across the main road), I’ve nevertheless had the privilege, honour, and blessing of sharing a 1 week retreat experience in the heart of an indigenous community in Yungillo.
Doing a 7 day Ayahuasca retreat can sound challenging at start but as one progresses through it, time ceases its meaning and shifts slowly but surely into a state of flow and understanding of the beauty of being fully in the present moment.
Ayahuasca or Yage on its Colombian name takes you into a deep meditative state of witnessing and fully feeling your wide (I should say unlimited) range of emotions. It allows you to unlock your inner blockages, fears, constructed mindset, and to revisit them in a manner that brings out your highest potential of transformation towards self-love and loving others fully.
The whole week has been a conscious lucid dream in which the healing power of nature and the first encounter with the Amazonian forest energy has taken me from the deepest darkness inside me (which is a beautiful element to unfold) to the most serene and high potential of a vision and mission going forward. Through the experience I’ve solidified my own role in this life which clearly shows me now as an ambassador of nature, a connector to the healing methodology that can open and transform our hearts. I felt the responsibility to take the message of love further, and to bring peace of mind to a struggling world.
Perhaps the most important message that came through has been the knowledge and clear understanding that wherever we are, however challenging a situation can be, we always have the option to unlock our heart, fully feel the experience, and decide on a course of action that will follow our own intuitive wisdom. When we choose with our heart while also empathetically feeling the others we can make a conscious decision based on freedom, respect, and cooperation. It is not relevant if the decision is tough or if it hurts, what matters is to fully embrace it with love, and beauty will naturally come our way. “We are always together”, Ayahuasca whispered to me next to an imposing fire, and I agreed. We can drink tea when given the chance to support us and see the message clearer but the power of love is always within us. We only have to say yes to it, to us, to our own mission in life “La era de amor ha llegado” as the sign at the retreat says.
On a professional note, this past week has also solidified the partnership between Soul Dreamers and the Ambi Community, and I am happy to say we will be running heart transforming retreats starting in June this year with at least one in the beautiful Putumayo region.
Stay tuned for info on our first experience.
“La era del amor ha llegado”.