About Us
A place where the traditions of the Peruvian Amazon continue to be lived, shared, and learned through ceremonies, master plants, and the many ways in which people, nature, and medicine meet.
The Song of the Spirit
About Takinuna
Takinuna means “the song of the spirit” in Quechua. The name was chosen in the early days of the project by a group of Amazonian shamans and healers who wished to honour the importance of the icaros, the medicine songs that guide ceremonial work with the master plants.
Within Amazonian traditions, the icaros are understood as far more than songs. They are often approached as guides within the ceremonies and as a way of inviting connection with the spirits of the medicines, the plants, the ancestors, and the wider living world. It is often said that one of the first things a shaman learns is to sing, and that through these songs they gradually enter into relationship with the traditions and medicines that guide their work.
For us, the name Takinuna reflects the understanding that songs are not separate from the medicines or the natural world. Within Amazonian traditions, plants sing, rivers sing, birds sing, and the medicines themselves are approached through song. In this sense, Takinuna is both a remembrance of the importance of the icaros and an invitation to listen more carefully to the many voices through which healing, learning, and wisdom may reveal themselves.
What Guides the Work
The Pillars That Guide Our Work
At Takinuna, our work is guided by the living traditions of the Peruvian Amazon, our relationships with the master plants, and our experience supporting people through processes of healing and learning. The following pillars express some of the understandings that continue to guide the way we approach our work and the environment we seek to cultivate.
The Master Plants
The master plants form the foundation of our work. Within Amazonian traditions, these plants are approached not only as medicines, but also as teachers that can support both healing and learning.
Living Amazonian Wisdom
Our work is guided by living traditions that continue to be practiced, learned, and transmitted by Amazonian shamans and their communities. Through ceremonies, songs, plants, and our relationship with the natural world, this wisdom continues to be carried from one generation to the next.
Healing and Learning
At Takinuna, healing and learning are understood as deeply interconnected paths. Alongside opportunities for healing, we also seek to create opportunities to learn from the master plants, the traditions of the Peruvian Amazon, and the many ways in which wisdom may be encountered through direct experience.
Relationship
Within Amazonian traditions, healing and learning often emerge through relationships: relationships with the master plants, with the natural world, with the shamans, with others, and with ourselves. At Takinuna, we seek to create opportunities for these relationships to be approached with presence, curiosity, and care.
The Team Behind the Work
The People Who Guide This Work
Takinuna is sustained by a small team of Amazonian shamans, therapists, and staff who work together to create a space for healing and learning with the master plants.
Founder & Amazonian Shaman
Don César Vásquez
Founder of Takinuna and native of the Peruvian Amazon, César has dedicated more than two decades to learning and working with Ayahuasca, Huachuma, Mapacho, Camalonga, and other master plants.
Read César’s full biography
César Vásquez is an Amazonian shaman, founder of Takinuna, and native of the Peruvian Amazon. For more than two decades, he has dedicated his life to learning and working with Ayahuasca, Huachuma, Mapacho, Camalonga, and other master plants of the Peruvian Amazon.
His path with the plants has been guided by the living traditions of Amazonian plant medicine and by the teachings he has received from the master plants, the rainforest, and the elders and shamans who have accompanied his journey.
Known for his humility and deeply protective way of working, César approaches each ceremony with great care and attention to the wellbeing of those under his guidance.
Takinuna emerged from his dream of creating a place where the wisdom he had received could be freely shared with others.
Psychologist and Art Psychotherapist
Florencia Ferrari
Florencia supports participants before and during their retreats at Takinuna, bringing a psychotherapeutic and creative perspective to the process of healing, reflection, and integration.
Read Florencia’s full biography
Florencia Ferrari is a psychologist and art psychotherapist who supports participants before and during their retreats at Takinuna.
She holds a BA in Psychology and an MA in Art Psychotherapy from the University of Roehampton in London and has spent many years accompanying people through processes of reflection, emotional healing, and personal transformation.
Alongside her professional training, her path has also been shaped by a deep interest in Amazonian traditions and by her own relationship with the master plants.
Through integration sessions, art psychotherapy, and ongoing conversations, she invites participants to explore the questions, emotions, and understandings that may arise through their experiences with the medicine.
Continuing the Path
Apprentices and Ceremony Guides at Takinuna
Alongside the shamans and founding members of Takinuna, a new generation of apprentices and ceremony guides continues to learn from the master plants and the living traditions of the Peruvian Amazon.
Apprentice and Ceremony Guide
William Frank Vásquez
William Frank Vásquez is the son of Don César Vásquez and has been gradually deepening his path with the master plants through learning and service within the traditions of Takinuna.
Read William’s full biography
William Frank Vásquez is the son of Don César Vásquez and has been gradually deepening his path with the master plants through learning and service within the traditions of Takinuna.
He began his journey with Huachuma and is now continuing his learning with Ayahuasca and other traditional plant practices.
Through participation in ceremonies, traditional plant practices, and years of learning alongside the shamans, he contributes to supporting the ceremonial work and daily life of the centre while continuing to deepen his own relationship with the medicines.
Honouring the Lineage
The Founding Shamans of Takinuna
Takinuna was born through the shared vision of several Amazonian shamans who wished to create a place where the wisdom of the Peruvian Amazon and the teachings of the master plants could continue to be lived and shared with others.
Although some of these shamans are no longer physically present, their teachings, icaros, and ways of understanding the plants continue to guide our work today.
Amazonian Kokama Shaman
Don Israel Murayari
Don Israel Murayari was a respected healer from the Kokama tradition who dedicated many decades of his life to working with Amazonian plant medicine.
Read more
He was remembered for his optimism, simplicity, and lifelong commitment to the work, continuing to guide ceremonies and serve others until the final weeks of his life.
During ceremonies, his presence was both protective and attentive, always remaining deeply connected to the lineage he carried and to the needs of the people under his care.
His teachings, generosity, and dedication to the medicine continue to inspire our work today.
Ayahuasca Shaman
Don Pedro Gutiérrez
Don Pedro Gutiérrez was an ayahuasca shaman known for the integrity, responsibility, and commitment he brought to his work with the medicine.
Read more
He played an important role in the early foundations of Takinuna and helped shape the way the ceremonies continue to be guided today.
Through his continuous work with icaros, he guided ceremonies with clarity and attentiveness, always maintaining deep respect for the medicine and for each person’s process.
His knowledge of the plants and his healing-oriented approach continue to form part of the traditions that are carried forward at Takinuna.
Amazonian Shaman · Medicine Woman
Hermana Mari
Hermana Mari is remembered for her warmth, attentiveness, and the deeply caring way in which she related to others through the medicine.
Read more
She was called “Hermana” because she approached everyone as part of the same family within the medicine, relating to others as brothers and sisters with closeness, equality, and genuine care.
Her icaros carried a deeply maternal quality and often brought calm, softness, and emotional support during challenging moments in ceremony.
She also shared her knowledge through plant baths and other traditional practices that continue to form part of the work at Takinuna today.
Her presence, songs, and the care she brought into the ceremonial space remain an important part of how the work is held and remembered.
Daily Care and Support
The Wider Team at Takinuna
Takinuna is also sustained by a wider team of people who help care for the daily life of the centre and support the retreat experience in many different ways. From preparing meals and maintaining the spaces to helping with transportation, logistics, and the many practical aspects of retreat life, their work forms an important part of the environment that makes healing and learning possible.
Although much of their work takes place quietly in the background, their care, dedication, and presence help create the welcoming and supportive atmosphere that participants often experience during their time at Takinuna.
A Continuing Invitation
A Continuing Invitation
Today, Takinuna continues to seek to be a place where the wisdom of the Peruvian Amazon can be lived, shared, and learned from through relationships with the master plants, the natural world, and the people who continue to carry these traditions forward.
We invite you to enter into relationship with the master plants and the living traditions of the Peruvian Amazon through paths of healing and learning, and to approach these relationships with care, curiosity, and openness.