A Unique Opportunity…
Imagine experiencing Plant Medicine in a culturally accurate ceremony while enjoying the natural and exotic beauty of the Highlands of Ecuador. Authenticity, commitment to service, and providing a premium experience is our mission. With the option of participating in three separate plant medicine ceremonies, you will find enlightenment and answers to life’s journey.Our Mission & Vision
Our vision and mission are to help people heal, enlighten and transform.
Your adventure begins on arrival in Quito, Ecuador, where your trip coordinator and professional driver will meet you. From Quito, depending on your arrival time, you will be transported to a beautiful Quitoan boutique hotel for a restful night or driven straight to the Aya Huma Hostel in the quaint village of Pegucha.
Your rooms are very comfortable and meet the needs of Western standards (plenty of hot water, bedding, towels, and personal care items). Meals are rich, organic farm-to-table foods and are provided based on your individual needs. Dining is family style and is meant to be a time of connection with other guests.
As a special event, you will be treated to a Pachamanca ceremony where your meal will be prepared in an ancient huatia earth oven over heated stones. But the real magic is in plant medicine.
Your entire experience can be customized for your individual and personal goals and included in your package. However, we recommend no more than two or three ceremonies – this allows you to have a day to rest and time to consider the gifts given by the spirits of the plant medicines.
Transformational opportunities await you during the Axacolla (San Pedro) walking ceremony, Ayahuasca event, or psilocybin journey. Each ceremony is guided by experienced shamans and medically supervised for safety and comfort. Events occur in the natural surroundings of the four local volcanoes, at the nearby Healing House, and in the common areas at Aya Huma.
Various excursions are available to enjoy the 4000-year-old outdoor market in Otavalo, shop for leather goods in Cotacachi, or swing in hammocks in the central space at Aya Huma.
Enjoy a detoxifying and refreshing sweat lodge option. Your schedule includes massage, energy healing, yoga, local hikes, craft-making classes (flute making and dream catchers) with local artisans, lectures on local cultures, informative health, wellness, and longevity courses, and special guest lectures on various topics.
We will be happy to accommodate any particular area of interest. We have a broad range of exciting experts and courses.
Those that are interested in becoming involved with our charitable causes – affordable local integrative health access and sustainable living assistance for women previously abused or trafficked – we would welcome your support.
Each day starts with a morning gathering to set an intention for the day and a closing ceremony to reflect on the day’s events. Sitting around a communal fire is a wonderful way to integrate your experiences.
A journey facilitator is on-site to assist you with any needs you may experience and to enhance your satisfaction. Additionally, a medical professional is available to assist you should the need arise.*
*Before participating in any plant medicine ceremony, a medical questionnaire and brief assessment are required.
“When we do plant medicine, and we see love, we realize right then and there that it was never apart from us, that in fact it was a part of us.” Gigi
MEET YOUR MEDICINE GUIDES
What separates Life’s Journey Tours from other plant medicine programs is our ability to surround you with the most experienced and respected guides, facilitators, and integration specialists. Respect for cultural authenticity and reverence for the ceremonies is paramount. Further, our settings in the natural environment of the Highlands of Ecuador help to facilitate your journey and awakening.
TUAMARI LEMA
Tuamari is a proud member of the Kichwa Otavalo community, born and raised in the beautiful town of Peguche, Imbabura. His unique heritage, with a Dutch mother and Kichwa Otavalo father, has given him a deep appreciation for cultural diversity and a passion for sharing his knowledge with others.
As a National Guide, Tuamari has developed a career in tourism, sharing his love for Ecuador and its rich history with visitors from all over the world. He is fluent in four languages, including Spanish, Kichwa, Dutch, and English, making him an excellent communicator and bridge between cultures.
Beyond his work in tourism, Tuamari is a dedicated student of traditional medicine and power plants, including Ayahuasca, Wachuma, and psilocybin mushrooms. For over 20 years, he has studied the different altars of medicine, learning from elders and shamans from both South and North America. He is a guide of ceremonies, a guardian of ancestral rituals, a carrier of Chanupa, and a facilitator of Temazcales.
Tuamari’s motto is “Yachak wambra,” which means “Young Learner” in Kichwa. He believes that there is always more to learn and that we should approach life with a sense of curiosity and openness. Tuamari is committed to preserving and sharing the wisdom of his ancestors, and he is passionate about helping others connect with their own ancestral roots.
TIATA MAYOR SIMÓN LUCITANDE YAIGUAJE
Tiata Mayor Simón Lucitande Yaiguaje is a highly respected shaman and elder wiseman from the Amazonian Secoya (Siekopaai) community. He is a master of Secoya and Siona Science, and has inherited his knowledge of traditional medicine and sacred plants from generations of shamanic ancestors on both his mother’s Siona and father’s Cofán sides. Tiata Simón’s family tree includes legendary shaman brothers Guillermo and Esteban Lucitante, and his uncle Fernando Payaguaje, who was the maximum chief of the Secoya Nation (Siekopaai) and whose stories inspired books such as “The drinker of Yaje” and “The fascination of evil”.
Tiata Simón has dedicated his life to preserving and exercising the ancestral knowledge of his lineage, and has also represented the Secoya community in defense of the Amazonian habitat against multinational oil companies. He is fluent in several languages, including Colombian Siona, Cofán, Spanish, Secoya, Kichwa, and Ecuadorian Siona. Tiata Simón is a true guardian of the Amazonian culture and traditions, and his wisdom and knowledge are highly valued by his community and beyond.
OUR FACILITATORS
LIZBETH
FLOR
CESÁR AND EMELIA
César Rivero is a highly skilled body psychotherapist dedicated to helping others heal and reconnect with their true selves. With over 15 years of experience in traditional indigenous medicines, rituals, and energy-cleaning techniques, César is a faithful guardian and walker of ancestral knowledge inherited from his paternal lineage.
César is certified in Systemic Reconnection, a powerful method of healing that uses the language of the soul through the body to help individuals overcome emotional and physical blockages. He is also well-versed in other healing techniques, including Reiki, quantum healing, neurolinguistic programming, and theta healing.
Emelia assists Cesar in his therapies, and through their work, they help individuals tap into their inner wisdom and connect with their true purpose in life. Both believe that true healing comes from within and that by working with the body, mind, and spirit, individuals can achieve balance and harmony to live their best life.
César and Emelia are deeply committed to this work and are passionate about helping others. They are true healers and are dedicated to assisting individuals to achieve optimal health and well-being.
Stephen L. O’Connor, M.D.
After 33 years as an Emergency Medicine specialist, I learned much about human health and wellness. However, my holistic epiphany ten years ago turned my professional and personal views upside down!
Through several synchronicities and a critical look at how “modern” medical care is failing us, I understood that we could do much better using a more Naturopathic and Functional Medical treatment philosophy. So, in the last decade, I have become a student of “alternative” medical practices: Functional Medicine, Naturopathy, Herbalism, Mycology, Botany, Meditation, Grounding, Longevity, and Global Health. In addition, I have worked hard to develop an extensive background in nutrition, supplementation, and new health technologies, including stem cell and ketamine therapeutics.
My real-world experience was developed by participating in numerous Medical Global Health Missions —missions that brought me from the Caribbean and Central America to the Amazon Rainforest. These “missions” changed how my personal and professional passions evolved. These experiences taught me much about the difficulties of providing medical services in remote and challenged conditions. Additionally, I learned and appreciated how ancestral and traditional healing can change the world’s health trajectory. In my travels, I have met many of the most humble and grateful people along the way — people that have taught me that medicine is not all about Star Trek technology, costly procedures, and expensive pharmaceuticals.
My journey into the incredible healing capabilities of plant medicines began only recently. Working with several of the continent’s most talented and capable Curanderos, I dedicated my personal and professional life to the care and treatment of others using a combination of ancestral and plant medicine healing. Not content with a quiet retirement, we started Life’s Journey Tours to help others appreciate how nature, traditional ceremonies, and Spirit can heal, enlighten, and transform their lives. We can learn much from the keepers of wisdom and the healing arts and share this knowledge with many others.
Meet Michelle O’Connor
A mother of five and grandmother of six who has devoted her life to serving others. Michelle’s journey began with her studies in biology and psychology during her college years, where she thoroughly understood the human mind and body.
Afterward, Michelle founded a small independent bookstore, where she shared her love for books and knowledge with her community. However, her passion for aiding others remained strong, and she continued to delve into various areas of professional development, including plant medicine, Andean healing, psychedelic integration, retreat management, and holistic wellness.Michelle is focused on guiding others towards healing and transformation through plant medicine tours and ceremonies, integration of spiritual learning, holistic health & wellness, and cultural understanding.
Her commitment has made her a beloved figure in her community and beyond. Her warmth, empathy, and profound insights have impacted the lives of countless individuals, and her legacy will continue to inspire and lead others for generations to come.
Brad Roesner
Brad is a driven individual with a passion for learning and exploring the world around him. He is a political science major with a minor in history, and he has always been fascinated by the inner workings of society and the events that have shaped it.
In addition to his academic pursuits, Brad has pursued a variety of certifications and courses, including herbalism from Medicine Lodge Ranch, Ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine, trip sitting and psychedelic integration, nootropics and micro-dosing protocols, mushroom cultivation, and plant medicines across cultures.
Brad’s areas of interest include family, indigenous cultural practices, shamanism, holistic healing, natural remedies, hunting and gathering, music, and spirituality. He is passionate about preserving traditional knowledge and practices and incorporating them into modern life.
Looking to the future, Brad desires total immersion in his interests and hopes to leave a legacy for future generations. He wants to create something beautiful and meaningful that generations of his grandchildren will be proud and grateful to incorporate in their lives.