At Pachamama Sanctuary, we welcome all people with kind, caring acceptance. Our community is focused largely on transforming lives by welcoming others into our sanctuary — because we have all experienced the profound spiritual communion that can be found in Ayahuasca and in one another.
Founded in 2019, and with nearly two decades of combined experience, Pachamama Sanctuary is a place to find your inner truth, and our loving, inviting vibe can be felt from the first moment you contact us. We know how difficult it can be to make your way through the challenges of life, and we want you to know that you don’t have to walk that path alone.
A Spiritual Retreat Unlike Any Other
Pachamama Sanctuary strives to provide helpful information, hands-on guidance, and insight to all who need it. No matter what you’ve experienced in your past, no matter where you are now, you will be welcomed into our community.
Do you have a question about our self-love and spiritual retreats in New Hampshire? Are you curious about our experience with Ayahuasca? Wondering how to prepare physically, mentally, and spiritually for a journey to Pachamama Sanctuary? We’d be glad to speak with you about our Ayahuasca retreat in order to bring peace and light into your life, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us today.
About our Ceremonial Leaders
Derek Januszewski
Derek is a 45 year old father of 3 children – Dylan, Althea, and Zoe. He grew up bouncing back and forth between Massachusetts and Florida. A survivor of tremendous abuse in many forms, Derek came to the medicine in 2017 after a decade long battle with addiction that was starting to get away from him. Through intense inner work, extensive work with the medicine, and countless hours working in service to the medicine working along with nearly 1,000 brave souls who sat with the medicine over the last couple of years, Derek has healed much of his trauma. The spiritual healing he received through the medicine inspired him to found Pachamama Sanctuary to help others find their own path to health and happiness.
JC Arkawa
Juan Carlos Arkawa has worked with Ayahuasca for 22 years. He trained in Colombia and serves the sacrament with the highest respect and honor. JC is a multi-instrumentalist musician, producer, composer and arranger of indigenous Colombian descent from the town of Los Pastos. With more than 30 years of musical experience, he bases his work on the fusion of instruments and ethnic music from different parts of the world, as well as cultural knowledge from diverse ancestral communities and contemporary technology. He is a self-taught performer on more than 100 wind instruments from around the world. In 2014 he was recognized by the Congress of the Republic of Colombia for the contribution of his artistic career. JC has given concerts in major Colombian cities as well as internationally in Rome, Prague, United States, Greece, Spain, Germany, Austria and more. He has appeared on television and radio internationally (Telemundo, Univision, CCTV Channel of Central China), and has produced over 85 works for colombian and international artists.
Leydi Johana Ramirez Lopez
Medicine woman 10 years ago, born in Colombia, mother, walker of the red road in service with fire, for sacred altars as they are, Temazcales of medicines and awakolla. Practitioner of the shamanic medicinal wheel of Mother Earth, she provides therapeutic accompaniment through different integral medicines such as ancestral feminine wisdom, lunar sowings (woman), ancestral gynecology (uterine healing), works with obsidian and its different geometries. Johana is currently studying natural fertility, trained in mixed international circles, pregnancy and childbirth as a ceremony (Mhuysca) and placental medicine (Mhuyscas). Facilitator of ancestral medicines such as ayahuasca, kambo, sananga, mambe, ambil, rape, cocoa apprentice with a guide and from personal practice, with the purpose of sharing a rite of passage as it is the blessing of the road for pregnant families and future generations. Founder of the ETNEUF project in Colombian territory whose objective is socio-family work; co-founder of malocas such as, Atawaira (Medellin – Colombia), Seeds spiritual Center (Virginia- USA) My journey with yage ancestral medicine was formed through personal practice with Taitas and authorities from the Putumayo communities, the Kitchwas (Isaías Muñoz Mancanilla) and Cofan (Isidro Lucitante Queta and Mayor Querubín Queta Alvarado); as well as accompaniments by the ancestral Couch…
Nico
Nico’s path with Ayahuasca began 16 years ago through an apprenticeship under Taita Florentino Agreda, from Putumayo Colombia. These first few years of regular ceremonies were a powerful initiation, which brought a lot of clarity and established a deep relationship with this medicine. With Taita Florentino Nico has traveled throughout Colombia, assisting in ceremonies, playing medicine music, and eventually learning from Taitas of other traditions. Some names include Taita Isaias Munos Macanilla (Kitchwas community from the Amazon), Taita Querubin Queta (Cofan), Taita Leonel Tascon (Embera), to list a few. Another profound experience during these years of exploration and healing was living with the indigenous Kogi people in the town of Sebiaca, in Sierra Nevada, Colombia where Nico taught and played music with the children of the community. A unique experience where he learned about the cosmology and the healing practices of these indigenous people, the simplicity and beauty of life in total alignment with all the elements. Upon moving to the United States, Nico embraced organic farming and sustainable building, he serves as a fire-keeper for the sweat lodges in the traditions of Lakota and Itzachilatlan. He is currently on his third year of Vision Quest in the tradition of Itzachilatlan…
Taita John
About Taita John Muchavisoy, At a very young age, he began the journey of learning to become a traditional indigenous doctor certified by the Columbian Government. He immersed himself in the jungle for more than 15 years where he went through preparation processes and was able to work hand and hand with the various medicines of the earth, in different patients with physical, emotional and spiritual conditions. His experience and journey now totals 25 years during which time he learned from great grandparents and teachers. The main one, the renowned Major Taita Hipotito Muchuviddy, his father who brought him the knowledge of medicine since he was a child. Ayahuasca medicine is more than a plant, it is a spirit, which manifests itself thought its consumption and helps us to observe our journey through life. It brings us to the present moment, in which it is possible to recognize the reason for the situations we live and that have led us to who we are.
Melissa
“The Whole World is waiting for you to shine your Light, and I am here to support this process” INTEGRATION COACH SPECIALIST: Melissa’s mission is to support your Soul Process and your integration of Plant Medicine work using Psychosynthesis Coaching, the Psychology of the Soul, combined with a deep knowledge of Ceremonies and Plant Spirits and the ancient wisdom of Yoga. Expertise: – Psychosynthesis Integration Specialist – Pre and Post Ceremony Integration – Jungle Trained Facilitator (trained with Shipibo Tribe in Peru) – Yoga Teacher (Hata, Vinyasa, Ying) – Tantra Practitioner – Highly empathic and intuitive – Expert in Languages and Cultures, which composed some of the basic structure of the ego A PATH OF INTEGRITY – A BIT ABOUT ME: My system based on these 3 main tools are the path I am walking. Plant Medicine Path: I choose to dedicate my life studying how to serve Ayahuasca and other plant remedies the Amazon jungle can offer studying with the tribes that have passed this knowledge down for millennia. I am honored to study with Shipibo tribe in Peru, and had being initiated by Maestro Don Enrique Lopez for the masculine lineage, and my Maestro Wilder, for the feminine…
Maima María Manesita Queta & Taita Luis Alberto Queta
Maima María Manesita Queta is the sister of Taita Mayor Querubín Queta Alvarado 108 year old Chief of the Cofan tribe from the south of Colombia. She will be accompanied by her son Taita Luis Alberto Queta. Their tribe resides in the Ukumari Kankhe reservation in Nariño just over the Putumayo county border and are part of an unbroken lineage of Yage oral traditions that goes back over 5000 years. They work with chants, Wairas, and harmonicas to harmonize one with the medicine and perform deep energetic cleansing to help shed stagnant energy and align one’s spirit. Maima Manesita is known for her sacred healing chants and is the first medicine woman to come from their tribe. Taita Luis Alberto also works with Hapé as well as other sacred plants and special resins used in smudging rituals. Their ceremony is done in a traditional way holding sacred silent space in the beginning of the night followed by music and very deep energy cleansing using sound healing towards the end.
Marco Gonzalez
Marco’s communion with Ayahuasca began 19 years ago. He was initiated by a Huichol Medicine Man on a pilgrimage to Wirikuta, followed by vision quests for 4 years under the guidance of Lakota Indians from the North. He has also studied under Yopo and Mamawilka from the Piaroa tribe under the guidance of the tribe elder Bolivar. His path with Ayahuasca started 10 years ago with an apprenticeship in the Amazon jungle with the Shipibo Tribe and tribe Shamans: Fidel Mozombite, Mateo Arevalo, Daniel Arevalo, Takiwasi and Atahualpa and continued in Mexico under the Mayan Shaman Don Lauro de la Cruz doing energy healing work. He continues to learn and practice these traditions with by communing with kindred sacraments in places like: Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico, and the United States. He has been performing Ayahuasca ceremonies for the past 7 years and believes the most important thing everyone needs to know is that the sacrament herself is the shaman, his part is to serve as a conduit between the sacrament and its participants, to give support and guidance in this process.
Juan
Juan, the creator of Ayacona, has dedicated himself to working with sacred medicines from the Amazon for approximately 18 years. Originally from Colombia, he has had the privilege of learning from and collaborating with various taitas, shamans, and indigenous communities from the Amazon region. Juan strongly believes in the unification of tribes, traditions, and medicines, recognizing the power and wisdom each holds. Through his ceremonies, music, and sacred space-holding, he integrates elements from different traditions, aiming to bring unity, healing, and peace to us and our planet. Juan’s alliance with the Lakota people demonstrates his commitment to fostering respect, ceremonies, and medicine as a means of unifying people and awakening ancient memories within us.