Historical Context

The instructions and guidelines provided are based on the Shipibo tradition of working with the medicinal plants and trees of the Amazon. The modern Shipibo diet has been influenced heavily by external forces; consequently, foods such as poultry, pasta, rice, and refined sugar have all become staples over the last few generations. Historically, their primary foods were fish, plantain, a variety of fruits, and to a lesser extent leafy vegetables; in addition, like other indigenous cultures hunting wild game was once more commonly practiced. The Shipibo also produce a fermented drink known as Masato, whose base ingredient is yucca. From what is known, spices and seasonings such as salt, pepper, and garlic were not part of their diets. Simply put, the ancestors of today’s Shipibo had a simple diet that was ecologically sound for them. They ate and fed their families from what their habitat offered them. Being a communal culture, it was and still is customary for Shipibo families and clans to share their food with each other in the spirit of love and community.  

The ancient rain forest is intelligent and alive. It has a memory, and your pre-retreat diet is a direct reflection of the Shipibo ancestral practices for nourishing the body in preparation for the healing journey to come.  The latter is significant in that the instructions and guidelines provided here (*See below) serve as a sort of foundation for understanding “why” Shipibo medicine men (i.e. maestro/shaman/curandero/healer/vegetalista) place a large emphasis on keeping a simple diet in preparation for the journey you are about to embark on. 

Ancestors and Lineage

Shipibo shamans rely on how they were taught for setting diet guidelines. There are slight variations based on their unique family lineage. In Maestro Diego’s case, his first teacher was his maternal grandfather. He later had two more teachers, but his initial foundation was set by his grandfather. Shipibo shamanism runs in families, and in this regard, it was common for parents to observe their children to see which of them displayed characteristics that made them candidates to become healers. In many cases the parents or grandparents may receive confirmation of this through visions and dreams. Children who were identified as future shamans would usually begin their preparation as early as 12 or 13 years of age. In this manner, the proper way to work with the medicinal plants and trees is passed on over many years. Essentially, the proper way to diet is taught but a shaman is also given direct instructions from the healing spirits of the Amazon he works with about how to work with his clients (a.k.a. travelers). This could include information on what foods to feed a client, what medicinal plants or trees to introduce, and as well as what icaros (i.e. sacred songs) he will channel during ceremonies.  

Proper Mindset

While currently there exist an abundance of information on dieting, and the forms of dieting are many, Keto, Vegan, Paleo, et cetera, one can easily run into various mental challenges or hurdles if we attempt to look at the “why” using the western mind. For this reason, the instructions and guidelines were made intentionally as simple and as straight forward as possible. The Shipibo do not speak of dieting like westerners do; their lens for relating to diet is based on how they were trained and taught by their own teachers and mentors, as well as what the spirits of the forest teach them, and how they have evolved culturally. The instructions given here are directly from Maestro Diego who will be your medicine man while visiting Soi Rawa Spiritual Healing Center. Maestro Diego sometimes works with other medicine men from his tradition and may sometimes invite one or two of them to assist him at times; ultimately, unless otherwise specified by Maestro Diego himself, there is only one leading shaman. Maestro Diego’s significant other (Linda), family, or someone from his culture will oversee preparing your meals but they always check-in with him regarding what food is served and how it will be prepared.  

Lead with Spirit

It is important to consider the spiritual dimension and aspect to your preparation. From a higher conscious perspective, attending this retreat is a spiritual and healing quest. As such, it is important to frame this undertaking as an experience that will require sacrifice; the adjustments you are being asked to make to your diet are one of several components that comprise the whole of your sacrifice. In the Shipibo tradition, as with other indigenous peoples, the extent of the sacrifice bears a direct correlation to the outcome you will experience during your visit, at the end of the retreat, and for your integration period following your stay. Please note, Maestro Diego will also provide specific instructions at the end of the retreat, as it is customary for him to give you post-retreat “dieta” instructions as well. The post-retreat instructions and guidelines are considered a critical component to your integration process.

When one makes a conscious decision to delve in to the spiritual dimensions of healing, to be conscious also includes taking on the belief and understanding that you will be working with the spirit of each plant and tree that the medicine man, in this case Maestro Diego, use s while you are at the retreat. To the Shipibo each plant and tree has a spirit, which means they are beings. If you don’t already relate to this belief system, it is likely that you will by the end of your stay. Do your best to use this knowledge as a motivating factor for following the instructions and guidelines. It is advisable that you call on your spirit, guardian angels, ancestors, higher self, the universe, God, and/or on whatever you draw strength from to help you honor your commitment to this undertaking. Your connection to the Amazon begins as soon as you commit to making the journey to do the inner work.