Plant Medicine Apprenticeship in the Peruvian Amazon
Nihue Rao School of Ancestral Knowledge
Spend a transformative year at the Nihue Rao School of Ancestral Knowledge, learning directly from teachers and elders of the Shipibo-Konibo lineage.
This program is a 12-month immersion into Shipibo-Konibo knowledge in the Amazon rainforest — a rare opportunity to study plant medicine in its original cultural context, following the ancestral path used for generations to train healers.
PROGRAM SPECIFICATIONS
What Is This Program
This is a traditional plant medicine training program designed for students who feel called to walk the path of plant medicine.
Through a carefully guided 12-month journey at the Nihue Rao School of Ancestral Knowledge, you will be introduced to the Shipibo-Konibo worldview, sacred chants (íkaros), traditional plant knowledge, and ancestral ceremonial contexts — always approached with respect, humility, and intercultural awareness.
Our school offers a structured pathway to learn:
- Amazonian plant medicine
- Master plant dietas
- Traditional healing practices
- Ceremony and energetic protection
- The relationship with plant spirits
- The Shipibo healing tradition
This program is rooted in learning through direct experience, relationship, and presence — guided by Indigenous teachers and elders.
"Knowledge is not only taught with words, but with the heart and the forest/jungle as a teacher."
Program Overview
- Duration: 12 months (2 semesters / 12 monthly modules)
- Format: In-person immersive residency
- For: International students sincerely interested in Amazonian Indigenous knowledge
- Start dates: January and June (two intakes per year)
- Cohort size: Intentionally limited to support depth of learning and individual mentorship
Students live and study on-site at the Nihue Rao Centro Espiritual, in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
What You Will Learn
You will enter a comprehensive training that integrates ancestral wisdom, practical knowledge, and a respectful relationship with nature.
The program includes:
- Foundations of the Shipibo-Konibo worldview
- Traditional dietas with 12 master plants (6 herbaceous + 6 arboreal)
- Study and experience of íkaros (sacred songs)
- Preparation of plant-based remedies for personal wellbeing
- Basic Shipibo-Konibo language
- Ethical principles in working with traditional knowledge
All learning is grounded in an ethical, respectful and intercultural approach.
To apply for this program or schedule a call to learn more, please contact us:
- WhatsApp: +51 910 316 715
- Email: nihuerao@gmail.com
Program Objectives
Throughout the year, you will:
- Understand Shipibo-Konibo cosmology and worldview
- Recognize the role of plants, spirits, and nature in daily and ceremonial life
- Experience the relationship between sacred design (kené), sound, and consciousness
- Develop a respectful personal relationship with Amazonian plant knowledge
- Build cultural and ethical awareness in working with Indigenous traditions
- Complete a final integrative project connecting ancestral wisdom with your own path
Program Structure — 12 Monthly Modules
Each month explores one core theme:
- History and Shipibo-Konibo Cosmology
- Mythology, Symbols, and Archetypes
- Spiritual Roles and Figures of Wisdom
- Kené – Sacred Geometry and Visual Language
- Visionary Art and Cultural Interpretation
- Cultural Expression – Song, Dance, and Oral Tradition
- Master Plants – Cultural Ethnobotany
- Ikaros – Cultural Study
- Shipibo-Konibo Language – Basic Level
- Traditional Medicine – Cosmology of Health
- Community and Territory
- Final Integrative Project
Plant Diets and Experiential Learning
In the Amazon, shamans traditionally learn their craft through la dieta — a sacred apprenticeship with medicinal plants.
During a dieta, students live in isolation in the forest while working with a specific plant teacher. Through ceremony, discipline, and guidance from a maestro, the plant begins to teach the healer directly.
The plant dieta is considered the foundation of Amazonian shamanic training, used for both healing and the development of spiritual knowledge.
Throughout the year, students have the opportunity to diet with 12 powerful master plants, one each month, under the supervision of experienced healers.
- Work with both herbaceous and arboreal master plants
- Guided by Shipibo-Konibo teachers and healers
- Structured as a protected and intentional learning process
The dieta process is a central pillar of the training and invites discipline, openness, and personal commitment.
Learning Environment
Students receive:
- Up to 5 learning sessions per week
- Individual guidance from Shipibo-Konibo teachers and shamans
- A close and carefully held learning container
- Daily life immersed in the Amazon rainforest
This approach allows the knowledge to be experienced, embodied, and integrated, rather than only studied intellectually.
Who This Program Is For
This program is intended for:
- Adults 21+ years old
- Those who feel a deep calling to become a plant medicine practitioner or walk a spiritual path of service
- Individuals interested in ancestral knowledge, personal growth, and complementary approaches to wellbeing
- Spiritual seekers and lovers of the Amazon
- People willing to engage with humility, respect, and ethical responsibility
This is a space for those who value quality of transmission, depth of experience, and sincerity of path.
Requirements
To participate, applicants must:
- Complete a personal interview process
- Submit a health form and informed consent
- Commit to the center’s guidelines (diet, silence, respect, participation)
Due to the nature of the program, we seek participants who are emotionally stable, responsible, and genuinely committed to the full-year journey.
Certification
Upon completion of all 12 modules, participants receive:
- Diploma of Training in Ancestral Amazonian Phytotherapy
- Certificate of participation in plant diets (non-therapeutic)
- Manual of Herbal remedies (for personal use)
- Basic Shipibo-Konibo – Spanish – English glossary
This is a non-regulated training program and does not provide official academic or medical credentials.
“A true healer does not heal with plants alone, but with intention, respect, and love.” — Shipibo-Konibo tradition
Why Choose Nihue Rao's School of Ancestral Knowledge
At the Nihue Rao School of Ancestral Knowledge you will:
- Learn directly from Indigenous knowledge holders
- Experience teachings within their original cultural and ecological context
- Build a respectful and grounded relationship with ancestral wisdom
- Engage in a process that honors intercultural dialogue and humility
- Experience a path of depth, respect, and authentic relationship with the Amazon
- Study within a small, carefully selected group of students
- Receive close personal mentorship and guidance
Contact & Application
If you feel called to walk this path, we invite you to reach out.
We will be happy to answer your questions, share practical details, and help you discern whether this program is aligned with your journey.
Contact us for full details about participation, availability, and the application process.
- WhatsApp: +51 910 316 715
- Email: nihuerao@gmail.com
Ayahuasca is legal in Peru. The Peruvian government declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation, “the traditional knowledge and use of the ayahuasca practiced by the indigenous native communities of the Amazon…”
941 Calle Los Angeles Asent. Modelo San Juan Bautista Maynas Iquitos – Peru :: WhatsApp / Phone: +51 910 316 715 :: E-mail: nihuerao@gmail.com
© 2025 Nihue Rao Centro Espiritual