Yosi Ocha is one of the very few centers in the Peruvian Amazon still fully managed by local staff. We consider the Yosi Ocha team a great value since it allows us to offer truly authentic shamanic treatments and at the same time, it provides our guests the opportunity to connect with the original Shipibo culture without any intermediaries.
We pride ourselves on being one big family and our wish is for you to feel our love and care from the moment we pick you up at the airport and throughout your stay with us – from the way we prepare your room and each meal, to every ritual and ceremony that we share together.
Maestro Heberto – the owner of Yosi Ocha and Director of the Institute – is in charge of all the treatments that are administered in the center. At the same time, his entire family is involved in the day-to-day running of the retreat: his wife Merci, his father José, his mother Inés, his sister Eunice and his son Jerry take care of the smallest detail making sure that everything runs smoothly in the ‘physical realm’.
It should be noted that each member of the family has received the benefits of being heir to the Meraya lineage, thus, in addition to the treatments you receive with Maestro Heberto, you can also benefit from a traditional massage performed by one of his sisters. Heberto’s parents are excellent artisans who constantly contribute to the development and decoration of the center with their beautiful Shipibo art, dazzling traditional fabrics, carved wooden pipes, maracas, and all kinds of objects used in ceremonies. It is also common to find our cook, Rubén, assisted by the maestro’s wife, or one of his sisters.
Heberto is sometimes accompanied by other shamans who work under his direction, thus making a special contribution from their own knowledge and experiences. Each shaman has a specialty and can be, for example: tabaquero, ayahuasquero, tosero, huachumero, etc. Other times, the maestro can be assisted by one of our lovely shamanas, or shamankas. While the female participants find this reassuring, the balance of masculine and feminine energies is of great importance when doing work in the spirit world. Their deeply healing icaros contribute to the transcendental beauty of the ceremonies. In addition, the shamankas can drive out evil spirits, relieve nausea, and through their own visions often contribute new perspectives.
TRANSPORTATION
Transportation from and to Iquitos is included in the price of our retreats and Heberto’s son Jerry is in charge of the ‘logistics’. He will either pick you up at the Iquitos airport when you land or from your hotel in Iquitos, at the agreed time. This is why we ask all our guests to send us a WhatsApp message, either when they land in Lima, to confirm all is going smoothly, or the day before their pick-up from the hotel in Iquitos, to confirm the exact time.
On the last day, your retreat ends after breakfast, but depending on your travel plans, we can adjust the departure time from the center. Here again, Jerry will make sure that you arrive on time at the Iquitos airport to catch your return flight, or he will drop you off at the place of your choice in Iquitos.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Yosi Ocha team is also made up of other people without whom neither the center nor our digital operations would be possible. We want to thank each one of them for the great work they do every day!
Special thanks to Nico Bruce for his texts written from the heart.
Thank you all! Iráque!
