TESTIMONIALS
Participant Experiences
Personal reflections on Ayahuasca retreats and Master Plant Dietas with Chaka Runa, Don Gino and the team in Peru.
Voices from the Amazon
“My Dieta journey in the Peruvian Amazonian Rainforest with Don Gino was incredibly powerful and you can feel his deep knowledge and his love. I felt guided throughout my journey and I could let go of my unnecessary protections.”
Vismaya · Switzerland
Experiences in the Andes
Experiences of the Andes
Maria Elizabeth
South Africa
I have attended a Plant Medicine Dieta with the Chaka-Runa Community in the Peruvian Amazon Jungle. Don Gino is grounded, wise, humble and has calm, confident leadership holding the healing space for a large and diverse group of people.
I have learnt so much and have huge respect and gratitude for Gino. If anyone wants to do deep inner healing work, I recommend a Dieta with Don Gino without hesitation.
Ping
Netherlands
It was the journey of a lifetime for me. The loveliest group I was ever part of - courageous, strong and flexible individuals, with an eye out for each other and focus on themselves. We were all spoiled to our heart’s content, every day: the setting was uplifting, the staff flawless, accommodation picturesque, the sites inspirational, the food healthy and tasteful, the rites and rituals aesthetic and deeply impressive and the painting course joyful and instructive. The ceremonies for me were mostly extremely hard, but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way! Not that I’m a sucker for hard work; I love it when life is easy, but this is about doing the Work, and working for the Mother, so I feel blessed to have been permitted to work as hard as I could and to contribute to other people’s processes when required. I cannot express my love and admiration for Don Gino Chaka-Runa - just know that you are safe with him, that’s all you need to know. His sense of humor and musicality are a bonus. If I could go back again, I would. Right now. Love to you all, give yourself this gift - you will not regret it. And when you get there, please remind me to the staff and blow a kiss to Grandfather Wind for me.
Edy
USA
Sitting with Don Gino lead to amazing life-changing events that helped me cultivate much growth and happiness into my life. I sat first time with Don Gino in a weekend retreat, which was an amazing life-changing event the hardest and the most powerful ceremony I ever experience, I felt safe and completely trusted his guidance and presence which allowed me to, later on, break through a major issue in my life about self-love and opening my heart… The journey continued after the ceremony; after a couple of months, while I continued to do the work and integration, my heart exploded with love and I asked my partner to marry me. We flew to the Amazonas, “house of the mother” (as Don Gino call it) to do a Dieta and more… The Dieta was another life-changing event, that left its marks embedded within me to keep evolving for many, many months to follow. The two weeks retreat, seating with Plant Medicine, and the many other activities we had, created such deep love in my life that changed me forever. With my loving partner, Shlomit, we went to the Amazonas to sit with the mother, and to get married by Don Gino. The wedding ceremony was so profound that it elevated us emotionally and spiritually to new levels. Don Gino is an experienced shaman, authentic, knowledgable, sensitive, very supportive and loving. He navigates the ceremony’s energies singing authentic beautiful Icaros and many other spiritual tools. He knows a lot about native medicines, and he loves to share his knowledge with everybody. Don Gino’s loving personality creates such a safe space to allow a very deep, meaningful work. I’m grateful to life for guiding my way to meet Don Gino and becoming part of the Chaka Runa family.
Participant Reflections
Longer stories, in our participants’ own words.
Conni
Switzerland
Like every time I worked with Don Gino I felt save and guided by him and his team. Even though I had a very difficult process, the light was always around me so I could go through. His passion is able to ignite a fire in my heart so I can continue to walk the path of a humble, peaceful, noble and fearless warrior that I am. Thank you Don Gino, thank you Chaka-Runa family for all the support and love.
Natali
USA
My experience working with Madre, Don Gino and his assistants is truly indescribable! But I will do my best to put it into words. I have sat in ceremony around 12 nights in total with a facilitator before being introduced to the Chaka-Runa tribe. My previous experiences were good, some moments of intensity, but it was like scratching the surface of how deep you can really go. Having Icaros and live music during the entire ceremony other than moments of silence, is so powerful and really took me on my journey. Don Gino and his assistants hold a deep respect for this medicine that is very much palpable. This experience took me far deeper than all of my previous ceremonies. Don Gino is truly a shaman that really can see you very clearly and provides what is needed to you on an individual level and able to simultaneously provide what is needed on a group level. Most importantly, I felt very safe and trusting in his presence as this medicine can be intimidating at first, so I think it’s really important for me to feel safe. I am forever changed from these experiences and truly blessed to have had the opportunity to sit with this medicine and being bridged by Don Gino to the other realms of this sacred life we are all experiencing. If you ever have the opportunity to sit with the Chaka-Runa team then I would definitely take the jump as you never know when an opportunity to sit with such sacred medicine and share sacred space will be presented again! Thank you with all my heart!!!
Per
Norway
Hello Don Gino Medicine man. Thanks for this time in the jungle; so many teachings and lessons learned! Just the Dieta in itself, offline, no overeat, so powerful! Then the Plant Medicine... words are cheap! Some chapters are very difficult to close and shouldn't be joked with, there is so much more before the end, it is a shorter book, but still writing :) Anyway, this is with lots of love. It really affects positively my kids, parents and people around me and I'm loving it. My smallest kids walk around singing "Cura cura, sana sana" like I saw in one of my visions in one of the ceremonies in the jungle. Beautiful and full of life... yeah loving it. Anyway, I know you are a busy man so here it goes: Love you man, the Medicine is unreal but you deliver it beautifully, powerful and painful with no drama and a true heart. I hope you are feeling amazing and maybe see you soon.
Share your experience
Have you joined us at the Chaka Runa Ecovillage? We’d love to hear your reflections. You’re welcome to share a written testimonial or a link to your video.
Share your experience
Have you joined us at Chaka Runa? We’d love to hear your reflections. You’re welcome to share a written testimonial or a link to your video.
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