Who Is This Program For?

This program is designed for:

• Therapists, allied health professionals, and students who are committed to working ethically with plant medicines, First Nations peoples, and clients in altered states of consciousness.

• Those seeking deeper insight into dieta traditions, particularly through the Asháninka lineage and other culturally grounded practices.

• Individuals who require guidance and structure to meaningfully integrate profound personal or professional experiences into their daily lives.

• People who value safe, ethical, and culturally informed approaches to engaging with plant medicine, and who wish to honor Indigenous wisdom while bridging it with modern clinical and contemplative frameworks.

Participants undergo an intake process and medical clearance based on evidence-based research & risk assessment.

• Forest / Maloka Ceremonies - Held every second evening, these medicine-supported ceremonies offer a space for deep presence, reflection, and personal exploration. Guided by Asháninka curanderos and held within the natural rhythms of the rainforest night, the ceremonies are shaped by traditional icaros—ancestral songs that support inner awareness, emotional processing, and personal insight.

• Master Plant Dieta - Alongside the ceremonies, you’ll engage in a dieta with a non-psychoactive master plant, taken three times daily. This practice invites a focused relationship with the plant and its medicinal properties, supporting subtle shifts across emotional, physical, and mental dimensions. While the plant itself may not induce altered states, many participants report feeling a gradual attunement to its presence—guiding them toward deeper reflection, clarity, and inner alignment.

• Night Ceremonial Space - The nighttime setting offers a quiet and contained space for inward reflection. The maloka becomes a place to sit with whatever arises, supported by the rhythms of the forest and the guidance of the curanderos. Traditional icaros are sung throughout the night, offering structure, focus, and connection to the ceremonial process. This environment invites stillness and often allows deeper layers of emotion, memory, and meaning to come into awareness in a supported and held way.

• Dieta Simplicity - Your dieta includes two simple, nourishing meals each day—free from stimulants and processed ingredients—to support the medicinal work of the plant. This nutritional simplicity is not a restriction, but a purposeful container that helps regulate the nervous system, lighten the body, and quiet external stimulation. As the days unfold, many people notice a deepening sense of clarity and lucidity, allowing for more direct observation of emotional patterns, physical sensations, and subtle insights. The reduced input creates space for stillness and inner listening—core conditions for aligning with the plant’s effects. In this way, the meals, routines, and daily structure become part of the medicine itself, supporting integration and reflection throughout your process.

Sample itinerary:

Arrival & Acclimation – 2 days

• Arrive in Pucallpa, Peru

• Two nights of accommodation in Pucallpa are provided before traveling to the retreat center

In the Jungle – 10 days

• Opening Ceremony – 1 day
  Begin the dieta with intention and guided ritual

• Ceremonial Work – 3 medicine-assisted ceremonies over 6 days
  Held every other day to allow for rest and processing

• Integration Days – 3 days
  Gentle, non-ceremonial days between ceremonies for reflection and support

• Break Dieta – 1 day
  End dietary and energetic restrictions with salt and sugar

• Closing Ceremony & Transition – 1 day
  Final reflections and return to Pucallpa

Return & Departure – 1 day

• One night of post-dieta accommodation in Pucallpa is included

• Time to rest, prepare for departure, and begin integration

What to Expect from the Dieta Preparation & Integration Certificate

This certificate includes 6 live sessions, structured as follows:

• 3 preparation sessions (pre-dieta)

• 3 integration sessions (post-dieta)

• Additional online and self-paced content via the Anam Cara learning platform

Professional Development

• Develop competency in supporting clients through preparation and integration for plant medicine experiences.

• Gain clinical and ethical awareness grounded in the SWIM model (Somatic, Wisdom, Interdependence, Metacognition).

• Learn how to navigate altered states of consciousness with cultural humility and trauma-informed sensitivity.

• Expand your ability to work safely across cultural contexts, with tools for harm reduction, containment, and integration.

• Receive the Dietero Toolkit—a practitioner resource for guiding clients through the dieta process and beyond.

Personal Transformation

• Preparation: Align your mind, body, and spirit with your life vision and readiness for dieta.

• Integration: Apply grounded strategies to embody and honour your dieta teachings in everyday life.

• Cultural Insight: Cultivate appreciation for Indigenous knowledge systems and the sacred role of plant medicines.

• Symbolic Work: Engage with myth, metaphor, and ritual to deepen your healing journey.

• Embodiment Practices: Learn somatic tools to support ongoing regulation, well-being, and spiritual grounding.

• Relational Skills: Understand the collective dimensions of healing and community within the dieta tradition.