Ayahuasca Through Native Eyes

Alien Intelligence or Loving Ally?

Free Workshop! July 31 2014, at the California Institute of Integral Studies.

The (post)modern mind is facing the coming to consciousness of the devastating consequences industrial civilization has imparted on the ecology of the planet. Sensing this disruptive reality deep in our hearts, people from all over the world have been drawn towards ayahuasca, the mysterious psychoactive brew that has been used for centuries by people from the Amazon for healing, communion and divination.

But as happens with every romance during its early stages, while the enamored perception of the other (in this case, ayahuasca) fills our hearts with joy, it also blinds us to the full nature of our partner, heightening only the desired qualities that we project. And after the honeymoon is over, then you are left with the work to do.

Taking advantage of the wisdom he has been endowed with, Leopardo Yawabane, born and raised among the Huni Kuin tribe in northwestern part of the Brazilian Amazon, will join us in the company of his partner, Brazilian anthropologist and healer Nicole Roitman, and PCC student Marcelo Schenberg, to guide us through a grounded way of exploring the benefits of this sacred marriage between humans and the plant kingdom.

About us:

Marcelo Schenberg is the executive director of Plantando Consciência, a multidisciplinary non-profit organization dedicated to entheogenic literacy and research. He’s currently a PCC master’s student at CIIS and is directing and producing the documentary film Medicina, a journey into shamanic medicine and beyond. Learn about the film here.

Leopardo Yawabane was born on the Kaxinawá Reserve of Rio Jordão (Jordão river), in the state of Acre, Brasil. He began to participate in ceremonies with plant medicine within his tribe since he was 8 years old, learning from the pajés (shamans) and leaders in the region. In 2003 he moved to São Paulo to study the Portuguese language and, more recently, sociology/anthropology. Bearing the intention of becoming a future political leader of his people, he set out to live in the city in order to have a better understanding of western society and thus learn how to better channel the indigenous needs in today’s ever changing world.

Yawabane has been conducting healing ceremonies and retreats with special shamanic diets for the past 10 years, in various cities in Brazil and in South Africa. He gives talks in schools and at cultural institutions, sharing the traditions of his people and the history of Indians in Brazil. He is the vice-president of the Institute of Indigenous Traditions. For the past 6 years he has created a special partnership with FLOU Institute, in São Paulo, conducting cultural and shamanic workshops and healing circles.

Nicole Roitberg is the co-founder and coordinator of FLOU Insitute, cultural anthropologist by Bryn Mawr College, sustainability consultant, environmental and transdisciplinary educator by UNIPAZ (University of Peace). She promotes educational programs for sustainable living and organizes and assists Yawabane and other indigenous healers in their traditional healing circles, helping bridge Western and Shamanic traditions with the goal of enabling people to become participants in healing themselves and their communities in the face of the greater needs of the Earth.

FLOU Institute is dedicated to inspiring change and creating a paradigm of sustainable living through projects and programs involving four areas: biocentric sustainable education, multicultural events, spirituality and ancestral medicine, and bioconservation. Since 2007, and in joint effort with native representatives and leaders, FLOU institute has helped organize and support practices of native peoples through the creation of cultural workshops, therapeutic shamanic circles and healing ceremonies. Learn more about FLOU and its work by visiting this link: www.florestadosunicornios.com.br/medicinas-da-floresta/ancestral-medicine-and-integral-health/.

ERIE was founded by graduate students at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco. ERIE members conduct research on entheogens; host peer integration circles for those seeking to comprehend and incorporate complex and challenging transpersonal experiences into their lives; and sponsor lectures, panel discussions, conferences, and round table dialogues to educate the public about the potential of entheogenic medicines, natural and synthetic, to promote personal growth and social healing; thus helping to dispel misinformation about psychedelics. Learn more about ERIE and its work by visiting this link: http://erievision.org/