Plant More Worry Less: The Huachuma Foundation Podcast

About Plant More Worry Less: The Huachuma Foundation Podcast

A podcast born from our love of Huachuma and the mission of the Huachuma Foundation. We explore plant medicines, preservation work in Peru, and the sacred traditions surrounding these ancient teachers. Join us for conversations with guests and perspectives on walking this path with respect and intention. huachumafoundation.substack.com (https://huachumafoundation.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Exploring Huachuma, plant medicines, and preservation with the Huachuma Foundation

Category

health & fitness · religion & spirituality

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

4 Aug 2025

Latest episode

15 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

16 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Oct 2026

   The Heart Is the Medicine: The Mesa, the Night, and the Return to Love

   Twenty years ago Darcy Kopas invited Robin Flynn on what he called a shamanic adventure in the Amazon. Before they ever reached the jungle, a maestro took them on a fourteen-day journey through the ancient sites of Peru’s north coast, drinking Huachuma among the ruins. One ceremony in the Chavín area cracked them open, and they have spent the two decades since unraveling it. That thread led them to Don Howard Lawler, their first elder in the Huachuma and mesa way, and eight years later to Don Oscar Miro-Quesada and the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition. Last year don Oscar entrusted them with the lineage’s central healing altar, the Altar Mayor. In this conversation Robin and Darcy explain what a mesa actually is: a sacred altar, a sigil, a portal, and a field holding at least 5,000 years of human relationship with Huachuma. They describe how the Andean traditions survived the Spanish conquest by hiding in plain sight, how mesa technology moved from Chavín through the coastal cultures and into the Andes, and how don Oscar learned from don Celso Rojas Palomino on the north coast and don Benito Corihuamán Vargas outside Cusco. The second half turns to ceremony. The nighttime mesada, held in as much darkness as possible, and the daytime walk at a sacred site. Why Huachuma and tobacco together are said to make the healing. Why fixation on vanquishing the dark keeps people stuck, and why every purification needs a florecimiento, a raising and a flowering, or people leave needing integration. Robin offers a teaching worth keeping: look but don’t stare. If you study the dark long enough, the dark begins to study you back. Along the way the conversation covers ayni and the despacho, the three worlds of the Andean cosmovision, the Dunning-Kruger effect in plant medicine circles, Hamid’s question about fire in nighttime ceremony, and the responsibility of every student to carry forward only what feels like pure medicine. Robin and Darcy will join Huachuma Wisdom (https://huachumafoundation.org/projects/wisdom/) as guest teachers in 2027. Robin Flynn and Darcy Kopas share the teachings of the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, a living lineage of Peruvian shamanism carried by don Oscar Miro-Quesada. Sanctioned as teachers within the tradition, they are the lineage carriers of its central healing altar, the Altar Mayor, entrusted to them by don Oscar and his wife Cindy. Their first elder in the Wachuma and mesa way was don Howard Lawler. They met twenty years ago and went to Peru together the following winter. Robin had been welcomed into the old ceremonial ways at seventeen and has apprenticed with wisdom keepers of the Americas since 1999. Darcy found his path alone on a piece of wilderness land in British Columbia, then in the Amazon and the healing traditions of the Andes, and has walked the path of energy medicine and ceremony for more than three decades. Today they live at Star River Sanctuary, seventeen acres near Nelson, British Columbia, where they raise their family, train apprentices in the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition and Soul Power Medicine apprenticeships and tend the altar. They lead pilgrims to the Sacred Valley and Chavín de Huántar in the Peruvian Andes. Their work brings shamanism, new science and the body into one practice. They developed the Resource and Empowerment Model for people who serve others, host the Visionary Hearts podcast with a new Lightseed Activation each week, and guide the Way of Love, a membership for devoted practitioners who want what they have touched in ceremony to hold in daily life. As they put it, this is a daily practice, not a state you arrive at. CONNECT WITH ROBIN AND DARCY Visionary Hearts: https://www.visionaryhearts.com (https://www.visionaryhearts.com) Way of Love membership: https://wayoflove.ca (https://wayoflove.ca) The Alchemy of Love, a free practice: https://wayoflove.ca/alchemy-of-love/ Star River Sanctuary: https://www.starriversanctuary.com (https://www.starriversanctuary.com) Instagram: @wearevisionaryhearts Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wearevisionaryhearts (https://www.facebook.com/wearevisionaryhearts) YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@visionary-heart-wisdom (https://www.youtube.com/@visionary-heart-wisdom) Email: visionaryheartsretreat@gmail.com CONNECT WITH HUACHUMA FOUNDATION www.huachumafoundation.org (http://www.huachumafoundation.org) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit huachumafoundation.substack.com (https://huachumafoundation.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

2. 

   5 Oct 2026

   It's All Sausage and Peppers: A Comedian's Trip Through Grief and the Medicines

   Stuart Preston came to all of this the hard way. Eleven years ago he was politically and personally conservative, the son of a DEA agent, convinced that drugs were bad and the people who used them were bad people. Then he lost his son Ian to suicide. Someone sent him an article saying that psilocybin and LSD can produce something like a dreamlike state, and Stuart thought: I want to dream about Ian. He did the research. He chose mushrooms. And in that first experience he did not find Ian, did not dream about Ian, and did not connect with Ian. He found something else instead, something a hardcore atheist would have laughed at the day before: that everything is connected, and the connection is love. In this conversation Stuart talks about turning that experience into comedy and then discovering that a comedy room cannot absorb the sentence “my son died by suicide,” which is how The Grief Trip became its own show. He talks about mushrooms as his primary medicine, picking them in Oregon with a woman who became a friend through shared loss, and three nights at the Peyote Way Church sipping something awful under the Milky Way thinking nothing was happening. He describes the strange message that arrived in a come down and got scribbled into a journal in a drugged out hand: it’s all sausage and peppers, man. Go with what’s real. The conversation ranges across why Stuart does mushrooms in complete silence and darkness, what it does to memory when music is tied to an experience, why different medicines seem to want different soundtracks, the difference between the Huachuma sold in the States and what grows in Peru, and a long, honest exchange about microdosing and integration where Stuart stakes out positions that not everyone will agree with. His line on integration, borrowed from an author he declines to name in case he gets it wrong, is the one that will start arguments: integration does not require the participation of another human. And he shares the single best piece of ceremony advice he ever received, from a friend who had just come back from weeks of alternating ayahuasca and San Pedro. Stop telling yourself to let go, she said. That carries expectations. Say I don’t know instead. Content note: this episode includes candid discussion of suicide loss, grief, and substance use. If you are struggling, you can reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 in the United States. Outside the US, findahelpline.com lists services by country. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention maintains resources specifically for people who have lost someone to suicide. The stories and experiences shared in this podcast should be considered fictional narratives for educational purposes only, not factual accounts or admissions. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals before working with plant medicines and respect all local laws and regulations. The Peru retreats mentioned in our show notes are offered by Huachuma Works, a subsidiary of the Huachuma Foundation. Explore them at www.huachumaworks.com (https://www.huachumaworks.com). Learn more at huachumafoundation.orgEmail us at info@huachumafoundation.org (mailto:info@huachumafoundation.org)Huachuma Wisdom, our six-month online gathering with special guest teachers: https://huachumafoundation.org/projects/wisdom/ (https://huachumafoundation.org/projects/wisdom/) GUEST INFORMATION Stuart Preston is a comedian, speaker, and author of The Grief Trip (https://thegrieftrip.com/the-grief-trip/ (https://thegrieftrip.com/the-grief-trip/)). After losing his son, Ian, to suicide, his psychedelic experiences helped him learn to heal WITH grief. Through candid storytelling and humor, he shares that journey and how he found room for happiness alongside loss. CONNECT WITH STUART Everything in one place: beingstew.artInstagram: @beingstewThe Grief Trip book, available on Amazon and as a free PDF: https://thegrieftrip.com/the-grief-trip/ (https://thegrieftrip.com/the-grief-trip/) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit huachumafoundation.substack.com (https://huachumafoundation.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

3. 

   7 Sept 2026

   The Megaphone and the Whisper: Iboga, Huachuma, and the End of Personal Suffering

   Our first conversation about Iboga, and it turned out to be a conversation about almost everything. Troy Valencia joins Hamid and Dani from a jungle finca in Costa Rica, where he and his wife Joaly Trinidad run Root and Wisdom and the Sacred Roots Foundation. Troy grew up in the foster system, chose chemistry as a college major specifically because it seemed like the field with the fewest emotions, and went to his first ayahuasca ceremony intending to disprove the whole thing. What happened instead sent him to Iboga, where a vision told him about a paternal lineage he had never known. A genetics test confirmed it. Two months later he sold everything he owned and moved to Costa Rica. Troy explains why he has slowly stopped calling Iboga a medicine, and offers a framing that lands hard: the same way repetition teaches us to drive a car without thinking, most of us have learned to suffer automatically. Iboga, in his experience, is something closer to a technology for the human brain that helps a person unlearn that. He walks through Don Miguel Ruiz’s teaching on the dream of the first, second, and third attention, and describes the work as removing the concrete from a structure of inherited beliefs so a person can build something of their own choosing. Troy talks about the difference between Iboga and ibogaine, why the safety reputation exists and where it comes from, what the hERG channel and the QT interval have to do with any of this, and whether extracting one alkaloid from a plant leaves the spirit behind. The conversation also covers the Bwiti of Gabon, the Sacred Roots Foundation’s work funding dental care, beekeeping, and land for a traditional school, and what Troy found when he sat with Huachuma for the first time two years ago. Please note: this episode includes candid discussion of childhood abuse, addiction, the loss of a parent, and serious illness. The stories and experiences shared in this podcast should be considered fictional narratives for educational purposes only, not factual accounts or admissions. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals before working with plant medicines and respect all local laws and regulations. Learn more at huachumafoundation.org (https://www.huachumafoundation.org) Email us at info@huachumafoundation.org (mailto:info@huachumafoundation.org)Peru retreats with Hamid: https://www.mineralshaman.com/retreat-to-sacred-valley/ (https://www.mineralshaman.com/retreat-to-sacred-valley/)Huachuma Wisdom, our six-month online gathering with special guest teachers: https://huachumafoundation.org/6-month-course/ (https://huachumafoundation.org/6-month-course/) GUEST INFORMATION Troy Valencia is a modern-day Indigenous scholar-practitioner and esteemed teacher of Soteriology and Spirituality. Raised in the foster system, he overcame adversity through a collegiate basketball scholarship, which brought him to higher education, where he majored in Biology and Chemistry. He went on to earn a Master of Science in Analytical Chemistry, demonstrating his academic depth and rigor. His profound passion for the human experience then led him to attain a second Master of Arts in East-West Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies, and he is currently in the final year of his doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at California Southern University. Deeply connected to his Central Gabonese African roots, Troy is a two-time initiate of the Bwiti tradition, having been initiated through both the Fang and Misoko lineages, with the Misoko being considered one of the most preserved and disciplined lineages within the tradition. This ancestral connection forms the spiritual and cultural foundation of his work. Alongside his wife, Joaly Trinidad, Troy co-founded Root and Wisdom, one of the most respected Iboga retreat centers serving the Western world, located in Costa Rica, and operates Authentic Empowerment, an online-integration-based coaching platform. He is also a 2x author with his recent book Living Beyond the Mind: The End of Personal Suffering, a licensed Spiritual Counselor, and co-founder of Sacred Roots Foundation, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to Indigenous community preservation and development in Gabon. CONNECT WITH TROY All links: https://linktr.ee/TroyValencia (https://linktr.ee/TroyValencia)Iboga retreats in Costa Rica, and where you can book a call with Troy directly: https://www.rootandwisdom.com (https://www.rootandwisdom.com)Hamid This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit huachumafoundation.substack.com (https://huachumafoundation.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

4. 

   20 Aug 2026

   The Wonderful Web of Huachuma: Marrying the Medicine, Chavín's Dark Chambers, and the Portal of the Present Moment

   Dani Reardon and Hamid Jabbar sit down just the two of them to catch up on a full season in Peru: two retreats in the Sacred Valley, a pilgrimage to the ancient temple at Chavín de Huántar, one of the hardest ceremonies either of them has ever done at Laguna Churup, and Dani’s first diet with Huachuma. Dani opens with the story of her diet, which she describes as marrying the medicine and as the most radical act of self-love she has ever given herself. She shares what it was like to make the medicine by hand with Miguel, to drink it alone on the Huachuma garden the Foundation has been building, and to spend her days raking paths, singing to the cactus, and waiting for a sledgehammer that never came. Hamid offers context on the Spanish word dieta, the Shipibo tradition it comes from, and why dieting a master plant like Huachuma is so uncommon that there is almost nothing written about it. From there the conversation moves into cactus consciousness, the moment Dani heard the medicine thank her back, and whether Huachuma is learning the human condition the way an intelligence learns. Hamid and Dani then take listeners to Chavín, where a group of ten opened four altars in the middle of tourists, fireworks, and guard whistles, negotiated their way into an unlit chamber beneath the temple, and discovered what total silence and total darkness were built to do. Hamid shares the breakthrough he had there around fear and authority, rooted in a lifetime of being flagged, questioned, and watched, and what happened when a friend answered a guard’s whistle by singing louder. The episode closes with the origin of these journeys: a 2018 ceremony at Kinsa Cocha that made ayahuasca seem like children playing in a sandbox, a crying moment at the top of Apus Pachatusan, and the prayer that took five years to become the retreats that run today. Along the way there is a visit to Ingred’s extraordinary sanctuary near Chavín, thousands of pristine cactus planted over two decades, and one very undignified meow in a dark chamber that broke an entire group of meditators. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals before working with plant medicines and respect all local laws and regulations. Please note: the Peru retreats discussed in this episode are offered by Hamid Jabbar, founder and chairman of the Huachuma Foundation, in partnership with the foundation to benefit its preservation efforts in Peru. Learn more at huachumafoundation.orgEmail us at info@huachumafoundation.org (mailto:info@huachumafoundation.org)Peru retreats with Hamid: https://www.mineralshaman.com/retreat-to-sacred-valley/ (https://www.mineralshaman.com/retreat-to-sacred-valley/)Huachuma Wisdom, our six-month online gathering with special guest teachers: https://huachumafoundation.org/6-month-course/ (https://huachumafoundation.org/6-month-course/) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit huachumafoundation.substack.com (https://huachumafoundation.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

5. 

   23 Apr 2026

   Seed to Ceremony: Nathan Tinder on Growing Huachuma, Sacred Fire, and the Art of Being Cultivated

   Hamid Jabbar and Dani Reardon welcome Nathan Tinder, ceremonial guide, somatic practitioner, and devoted cultivator of sacred plants, to the Plant More Worry Less podcast for a conversation that winds through the high deserts of Utah, a New Jersey survival school, a “yurpee” by a creek, and a greenhouse full of cacti whispering their instructions. Nathan grew up in Salt Lake City searching for what was real, felt his inner compass pointing away from inherited certainties, and spent decades gathering clear metaphors from the wilderness. His path led him to Tom Brown’s Tracker School, to Earth skills, to the fire-making arts, and eventually to a bean bag at a festival where a foot and a half of raw San Pedro cactus switched something on that has never switched back. He has been growing, studying, and serving the medicine for more than two decades since. In this episode, Nathan walks through the philosophy of seed to ceremony, his sacred fire circles at Hummingbird Hearth, the difference between associative and dissociative plant medicines, the regenerative propagation code the plants gave him, and the quiet revolution of people all over the world who have answered the call to start growing. He also shares his approach to microdosing Huachuma, the practice of living cactus terrarium necklaces, what it means to ask a quantum question, and why he no longer considers himself the one doing the cultivating. Nathan Tinder is a ceremonial guide, somatic practitioner, and devoted cultivator of sacred plants whose path has been shaped by a deep relationship with Huachuma. As the steward of Hummingbird Hearth, Nathan embodies his philosophy of “seed to ceremony,” honoring the full lifecycle of the plant as both teacher and ally. His work bridges ancient traditions with modern integration, offering grounded, heart-centered pathways for transformation. Through ceremony, bodywork, and community fire circles, Nathan supports others in reconnecting with their own inner guidance, following vision, cultivating presence, and walking a path of integrity in right relation with all of life. Find Nathan and his work: Instagram: @cactivation www.nathantinder.com (http://www.nathantinder.com) www.hummingbirdhearth.com (http://www.hummingbirdhearth.com) EDUCATIONAL DISCLAIMER: The stories and experiences shared in this podcast should be considered fictional narratives for educational purposes only, not factual accounts or admissions. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals before working with plant medicines and respect all local laws and regulations. Insights from Nathan Tinder shared in this episode: * “That feeling in my back, just above my sacrum, is my internal compass. It helps me know which direction to choose and what stories are real to me or not.” * “The sacred quantum question that has driven my life and purpose is: what is real, and how can I gather clear metaphors? That makes it really easy to live because I know what I’m wanting to discover.” * “The fire is a creation story you get to do. There’s creation stories we get to read about, and then there’s creation stories we get to do.” * “I call mushrooms and ayahuasca dissociative psychedelics. They take me out of my body and into other realms. San Pedro is an associative psychedelic. It brings me into myself, into my center. I am choosing my own adventure. I am sovereign.” * “I am not cultivating this plant any longer. I am being grown. I am being cultivated. This plant is cultivating compassion in our community, in my family.” * “The more I sit with this plant and love it and admire its beauty, the more I feel loved and admired back. It is a direct, reciprocal, flowing relationship that I can feel.” * “Seven years from seed to ceremony. Seven years away from freedom, seven years away from the Garden of Eden, seven years away from self-sufficiency. That is what the plant said.” * “This journey started 21 years ago. When we have full account of our medicine, full account of where these technologies came from, that matters. It makes a big difference in the safety of space and the way you can relate to yourself and to the plants.” * “At a micro dose level, we want to be below feeling high or altered. Out of that level, our heart is more open and we are more able to receive these messages coming from the universe. The greatest message is where our pain is. When we feel our pain, we restore our awareness.” * “By feeling the pain inside our bodies, we can heal that pain, we can let it go. It restores parts of ourselves, parts of our brain. It brings the flow back into our reality.” * “If you really want to learn something, teach it. That is the only way to really know what you are talking about, to try to explain it to somebody else.” * “My goal is that we all become fire tenders, that we can feel safe and know how to work with fire again, how to create new fires, regenerative fires, where laughter fills the empty space and the yummy smells coming from the garden tantalize all of our senses.” Please support the Huachuma Foundation mission by visiting www.huachumafoundation.org (http://www.huachumafoundation.org) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit huachumafoundation.substack.com (https://huachumafoundation.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

6. 

   7 Apr 2026

   Heart Mind Over Logical Mind: Katie Rinaldi on Ten Years with Huachuma, Soul Recovery, and the Medicine of Devotion

   Join hosts Dani and Hamid as they welcome Katie Rinaldi, Huachuma facilitator, yoga teacher trainer, and certified death doula, for a grounded and generous conversation about what a decade of devoted work with the medicine actually looks like. Katie shares how she found Huachuma and yoga at the same time, during a yoga teacher training in the Sacred Valley. It took years of preparation, clearing, and showing up before the cactus really opened for her. That slow patient unfolding, it turned out, was the teaching. The conversation moves through her apprenticeship with her teacher in Tarapoto, the preparation, ceremony, and integration structure she now brings to her own work, the difference between the logical mind and the heart mind, how Huachuma reveals what is depleting our life force, soul recovery and the Phowa practice, the surprising connection between death doula work and Huachuma, and what it was like to sit with Miguel’s fire ceremony for the first time at night in the Sacred Valley. This is an episode about devotion, discernment, and what it means to really do the work. Katie Rinaldi is a Breathwork Facilitator, Yoga and Somatic Practitioner, and Integrative Therapist whose passion is bringing people back into connection with their true, authentic nature. She holds deep trust in the wild intelligence within all beings and guides others to their deeper nature and innate gifts through embodiment and breath, mindfulness and relational practices, plant and energy medicines, and somatic release. She weaves her background in psychology and trauma-informed healing with shamanic studies and ceremonial work, bringing forth her philosophy of Soul Rewilding and integrative healing through her retreats, workshops, and ceremony spaces. Find Katie and her work: Website: www.katierinaldiyoga.com (http://www.katierinaldiyoga.com/) Instagram: @k8t.rinaldi EDUCATIONAL DISCLAIMER: The stories and experiences shared in this podcast should be considered fictional narratives for educational purposes only, not factual accounts or admissions. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals before working with plant medicines and respect all local laws and regulations. Insights from Katie shared in this episode: * “Even though I wasn’t having big profound experiences with Huachuma, I noticed all these shifts happening in my life. That’s where I recognized for the first time that this medicine was working on a very subtle and cellular level.” * “One of the biggest lessons for me through Huachuma has been how to access my heart. How to calm the logical mind and be guided from the heart mind.” * “I like to think of it as how can we allow the logical mind to become a passenger and the heart mind to become the driver.” * “When I hear people call Huachuma a gentle journey, I’m like, is it though? It’s shown me where I’m not living in my true nature, and that’s a hard pill to swallow.” * “For some, being in the heart space is actually more challenging than going into the shadow. It can be really overwhelming if the darkness has been a place of safety.” * “Every time we take the medicine, it’s peeling away a layer. I’ve been working with it for 10 years and I don’t even recognize who I was back then.” * “Huachuma is revealing what is depleting or draining your life force. For one person it’s physical, for another it’s a relationship, for another it’s the work they’re doing.” * “Soul recovery is about integrating the fragmented parts of the soul back into wholeness. That’s the Phowa practice, the transference of light.” * “Without preparation, the medicine has to do more work to clear what’s being held in the body. If we prepare the vessel, the medicine can go deeper.” * “I believe that people who are transitioning could have so much benefit from Huachuma. It could help them soften and expand into the space of the heart, and not feel as attached to the physical body.” * “I’ve been working with the medicine for 10 years and I look back at who I was then and I don’t even recognize that person. And I also have a long ways to go.” Please support the Huachuma Foundation mission by visiting www.huachumafoundation.org (http://www.huachumafoundation.org/) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit huachumafoundation.substack.com (https://huachumafoundation.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

7. 

   9 Mar 2026

   Soul Rewilding and the Breath of Return: Kristen Yates on Integration, Clarity, and Coming Home to Yourself

   Join hosts Dani and Hamid as they welcome Kristen Yates, breathwork facilitator, somatic practitioner, and creator of the Soul Rewilding philosophy, for a rich and searching conversation about the long spiral inward. Kristen shares her journey from a restless corporate life and 15 years of nomadic wandering across continents, to the mountains of Peru and an intensive seven-month process with Huachuma that cracked her open and taught her the hard way what integration really means. The conversation weaves through the nature of true freedom and why it requires structure, the somatic roots of clarity, the role of prayer in ceremony, what it was like to sit with the medicine inside the ancient labyrinth at Chavín de Huantar, and why breath and Huachuma are more alike than most people realize. Kristen also shares how her two core offerings, ceremonial breathwork facilitation and Soul Rewilding, have grown from her own healing path and what she is building this year through retreats, trainings, and a return to community. This is an episode about learning to listen before you leap, and what it feels like when the body finally says yes. Kristen Yates is a Breathwork Facilitator, Yoga and Somatic Practitioner, and Integrative Therapist whose passion is bringing people back into connection with their true, authentic nature. She holds deep trust in the wild intelligence within all beings and guides others to their deeper nature and innate gifts through embodiment and breath, mindfulness and relational practices, plant and energy medicines, and somatic release. She weaves her background in psychology and trauma-informed healing with shamanic studies and ceremonial work, bringing forth her philosophy of Soul Rewilding and integrative healing through her retreats, workshops, and ceremony spaces. Find Kristen and her work: Website: www.rewildsoul.com (http://www.rewildsoul.com) Instagram: @kristenyates_ Ceremonial Breathwork Facilitator Training: www.thetempleofbreath.com (http://www.thetempleofbreath.com) EDUCATIONAL DISCLAIMER: The stories and experiences shared in this podcast should be considered fictional narratives for educational purposes only, not factual accounts or admissions. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals before working with plant medicines and respect all local laws and regulations. Insights from Kristen shared in this episode: * “There was always a part of me that felt like the system that we’re living within isn’t quite right. There was always this part of me that was just searching for meaning.” * “Soul Rewilding is about restoring our own ecosystem inside. Unpeeling the layers that keep us from our full expression in the world.” * “Freedom is not being untethered. True freedom is being dedicated. It’s having areas where our devotion can travel.” * “We can’t have true freedom without a container. The Shakti energy just dissipates and nothing will be created.” * “Huachuma really does embody soul freedom. It opens doorways to all potentials and all possibilities. But to harness that freedom requires integration.” * “We’re never going to make those changes in the medicine. We have to walk the path in our lives.” * “When we constantly open ourselves in intensive experiences without integration, our nervous system is not ready or able to hold the changes.” * “At its core, integration is quite simple. It’s offering a space of gentleness and slowness and stillness so that we can really listen to that inner voice.” * “Our nature is to give thanks. Our nature is to sing and dance and be in joy in our communities. Ceremony reminds us of that.” * “Huachuma will take us directly to what we haven’t been looking at, but doing so with so much light and so much grace and so much compassion.” * “Breath is our cord to spirit. With each out-breath we can blow out what we no longer need. We can blow out our prayers.” * “Just learning to listen. Just learning to create space. That is always the first pathway to clarity.” Please support the Huachuma Foundation mission by visiting www.huachumafoundation.org (http://www.huachumafoundation.org) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit huachumafoundation.substack.com (https://huachumafoundation.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

8. 

   26 Feb 2026

   Keeper of the Cactus: Tim Doherty on Tending Land, Healing Trauma, and the Finca of Dreams

   Join hosts Dani and Hamid as they welcome Tim Doherty, founder of Finca Lola, author, musician, and creator of the Structured Ritual Architecture framework, for a rich and wide-ranging conversation about the long road to Huachuma. Tim shares his journey from a traumatic accident at the quarries of Quincy as a teenager, through the Boston punk scene, law school, Key West restaurants, and eventually a deliberate relocation to the Costa Tropical of Andalucía, Spain, where he is now putting down roots, planting grandfathers, and learning to read land the way he once read rooms. The conversation weaves through the nature of ceremony and what it means to honor lineage without imitating it, the distinct vibration of the Huachuma community, the Chavín culture and the diversity of ceremonial traditions, and why this medicine, for Tim, is the first thing in his life that hasn’t tried to take from him. Tim also shares a glimpse into his novel The Saint of Light and Water, a near-future story of an Irish sailor, a Peruvian curandero, and a cactus that may just save what’s left of humanity. This is an episode about what happens when a nervous system finally finds a home. Tim Doherty lives on the Costa Tropical of Andalucía, Spain, near the historical white village of Salobreña at the threshold of the Alpujarras, where Sierra Nevada snowmelt descends through the Guadalfeo River and spreads across the Vega before entering the Mediterranean. He chose this geography deliberately, for its agricultural inheritance, its mountain-to-sea watershed ecology, and its capacity to sustain long-duration stewardship of land and plant. He regards place not merely as backdrop, but as living structure: watershed, soil, and light forming an active field of practice. Structured Ritual Architecture is the philosophical and practical framework Tim created to balance the human nervous system and restore a healthy relationship between land and humanity. It treats ecology, narrative, ceremony, agriculture, and creative expression as interdependent systems rather than isolated practices. Drawing from ecological design, contemplative discipline, and narrative structure, the method emphasizes containment, seasonal rhythm, integration, and long-term accountability. It is not a performance model but a structural ethic, ensuring that encounter precedes identity and responsibility precedes expression. He is the author of The Saint of Light and Water, a novel set in a near-future Andalucía that examines Huachuma’s migration, ethical responsibility, and generational continuity within a changing world. The work follows a constellation of stewards negotiating land, lineage, and sacred obligation as traditional plant knowledge re-emerges within contemporary ecological realities. Tim is releasing the novel as a free author-read edition, preserving the oral dimension of transmission and honoring storytelling as relational continuity. While his work centers on Huachuma, Tim speaks with explicit respect for the Andean cosmologies and ceremonial lineages from which the plant originates. He does not present himself as a shaman, nor does he replicate Andean ritual forms outside their cultural context. Instead, he positions his work as geographically and historically distinct, rooted in Andalucía’s ecology, agricultural traditions, and contemplative heritage. For him, honoring lineage means avoiding imitation and cultivating what is authentic to place rather than engaging in spiritual cosplay. On his land, he founded Finca Lola, a working finca dedicated to tropical fruit cultivation and Huachuma propagation in alignment with traditional Andalusian agricultural principles: water stewardship, soil regeneration, patient propagation, and seasonal pacing. Within this framework, Huachuma is regarded as threshold medicine: an initiatory catalyst inseparable from the environmental and ethical container in which it is encountered. The land itself forms part of the medicine, and meaningful transformation is understood to arise not only from the plant but from the lifestyle shifts and ecological literacy cultivated during one’s stay. Finca Lola also functions as a research and creative sanctuary. Tim guides land-based walks across the Costa Tropical, through the Alpujarras and Sierra foothills, and into Granada, situating ceremonial practice within watershed awareness, agricultural history, and the geomythic relationship between mountain and sea. Ecology becomes not metaphor but method. Music forms an integral dimension of his practice. Through devotional songwriting and recorded releases available on major platforms, Tim explores steadiness over urgency, integration over intensity, and relational depth over performance. His compositions reflect a lifelong evolution from the intensity of his early years in the Boston punk scene toward a more grounded, rhythmic form of service. He also hosts the Heartwheel of Huachuma meditation podcast, exploring nervous system regulation, ecological perception, and contemplative practice shaped by Andalucía’s light and seasonal cadence. More information can be found at TimDoherty.org (http://www.TimDoherty.org). As he often says: walk tall in the LemonLight and keep your cool. Find Tim and his work: Music: Heartwheel of Huachuma Podcast: The Saint of Light and Water (audiobook): Finca Lola: www.timdoherty.org (http://www.timdoherty.org) EDUCATIONAL DISCLAIMER: The stories and experiences shared in this podcast should be considered fictional narratives for educational purposes only, not factual accounts or admissions. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals before working with plant medicines and respect all local laws and regulations. Insights from Tim shared in this episode: * “I needed something to dull my nervous system at that point. It was in a rage. That’s really where my experience started to take shape with trying to just get out of myself.” * “Huachuma brings me into a place where my heart opens up enough that my head can be clear.” * “When you slow down, you don’t really discover who you are. You discover a lot about what you’ve been trying to outrun.” * “I speak to my cactuses every morning. I call them my grandfathers. I need to slow down and listen to these grandfathers first.” * “It’s not about escaping the world for me. It’s about reacting to it differently.” * “The plant has never tried to take from me. Never. And there’s been plenty of things that have tried to take from me.” * “I spent my whole life reading rooms. Now I’m reading land.” * “I used to close deals for a living. Now I’m opening up soil and planting things.” * “I’m willing to take on a title. I am a keeper. I’m a keeper of this cactus.” * “As I walk beside this river and I’m in ceremony, the medicine and I become one thing. That’s where the songs come out.” * “I don’t want to cosplay this. I’m trying to do the right thing by the medicine.” * “My nervous system has finally found a home. So what do we do with that next?” * “Let’s just keep going. Let’s stay together and let’s keep going.” Please support the Huachuma Foundation mission by visiting www.huachumafoundation.org (http://www.huachumafoundation.org) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit huachumafoundation.substack.com (https://huachumafoundation.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

9. 

   28 Jan 2026

   Into the Sacred Andes: A Deep Dive into Huachuma Medicine and Ancient Ways

   Join hosts Hamid and Dani for an intimate conversation about their annual retreat to Peru’s Sacred Valley, where participants work with Huachuma medicine alongside their teacher Miguel Mendiburu. This episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at what makes this retreat unique - from the profound ceremonies at places like Kinsa Cocha (Three Lakes) to the ancestral nutrition provided by master cook Jesusa, and the meaningful act of planting cacti at their sanctuary. Hamid dispels common myths about plant medicine being “the easy path” and explains why Huachuma is far from the “gentle heart opener” many believe it to be. They discuss the retreat’s community-focused approach, staying in a family home rather than a retreat center, and how this creates lasting bonds between participants. The conversation also covers the Fire Path retreat for advanced practitioners, the critical importance of preservation work, and why this medicine asks us to meet it halfway. Whether you’re curious about plant medicine or feeling called to Peru, this episode reveals the depth of preparation, reverence, and integration that true medicine work requires. Retreat Information: The retreat is offered by Hamid Jabbar, founder and chairman of the Huachuma Foundation, in partnership with the foundation to benefit its preservation efforts in Peru. The retreat itself is not offered by the Huachuma Foundation 501(c)(3). EDUCATIONAL DISCLAIMER: The stories and experiences shared in this podcast should be considered fictional narratives for educational purposes only, not factual accounts or admissions. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals before working with plant medicines and respect all local laws and regulations. Website: huachumafoundation.org (https://www.huachumafoundation.org) Email: info@huachumafoundation.org (mailto:info@huachumafoundation.org) Retreat Information: https://www.mineralshaman.com/retreat-to-sacred-valley/ (https://www.mineralshaman.com/retreat-to-sacred-valley/) Huachuma Wisdom Online Course: huachumafoundation.org/6-month-course/ (http://www.huachumafoundation.org/6-month-course/) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit huachumafoundation.substack.com (https://huachumafoundation.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

10. 

    12 Jan 2026

    When Grandfather Sits on the Back Porch: Kat Courtney on Huachuma's Patient Medicine

    Join hosts Dani and Hamid as they welcome pioneering plant medicine facilitator Kat Courtney for an illuminating conversation about the sacred medicine of Huachuma (San Pedro cactus). With over 22 years of experience in the plant medicine world, Kat shares her journey from following a boyfriend to the Amazon to becoming a traditionally trained Ayahuasquera and Huachumera. The discussion explores why Huachuma requires us to “meet him halfway,” the sacred temple of Chavín and its influence on Picasso, and the critical importance of integration work. Kat offers profound insights on sensitivity as a gift, the difference between Huachuma’s patient grandfather energy and Iboga’s straight-shooting truth, and why consciousness comes with responsibility. This episode reveals the unique wisdom of a medicine that teaches through feeling rather than visions, and why this heart-opening cactus asks us to do the shadow work necessary to truly receive its gifts. Tina “Kat” Courtney is a traditionally trained Ayahuasquera and Huachumera, and the author of Plant Medicine Mystery School Vol 1: The Superhero Healing Powers of Psychotropic Plants. Kat is a pioneer in the Psychedelic Integration space, as well as an expert in cultivating life-changing relationships with plant spirits. Kat is also a certified Death Doula, honored to help people make peace with the inevitable and beautiful transition into the afterlife. Find Kat on Instagram @theafterlifecoach (https://www.instagram.com/theafterlifecoach/) and @plantmedicinepeople (https://www.instagram.com/plantmedicinepeople/). Her website is https://www.plantmedicinepeople.com/ (https://www.plantmedicinepeople.com/) EDUCATIONAL DISCLAIMER: The stories and experiences shared in this podcast should be considered fictional narratives for educational purposes only, not factual accounts or admissions. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals before working with plant medicines and respect all local laws and regulations. Insights from Kat shared in this episode: * “Huachuma makes us work for it. It’s not like Ayahuasca that comes in like a freight train and you open the door just a little bit and in she comes.” * “The person in the room with the highest level of consciousness has the highest responsibility.” * “Feeling is feeling the medicine. He’s about feeling.” * “We can’t go to the oracle and then not integrate and accept the truth of what we receive.” * “Utopia is a world where everyone loves themselves.” * “Have the audacity of optimism to really hold the vision of the world that we’re creating.” * “It’s not so much that we have an attention deficit disorder, we have an intention deficit disorder.” * “The ceremony starts the moment we say yes.” * “Sensitivity is a double-edged sword. It’s so wonderful to have that connectedness, and at the same time, the world can hurt that so deeply.” * “Do your homework between sessions so we can get to deeper things.” Please support the Huachuma Foundation mission by visiting www.huachumafoundation.org (https://www.huachumafoundation.org) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit huachumafoundation.substack.com (https://huachumafoundation.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

11. 

    17 Dec 2025

    The Blueprint Behind the Medicine: Crystal Claire on Divine Orchestration and Sacred Reunion

    Join hosts Dani and Hamid as they welcome Crystal Claire from Bali for an exploration of divine blueprints, spiritual awakening, and the sacred dance between trust and transformation. Crystal shares her remarkable journey from Ashtanga yoga through bodybuilding to sitting still for two years, revealing how these extremes led her to discover her soul’s blueprint. The conversation weaves through the collapse and rebirth happening in our collective transition, the importance of embodiment over intellectual spirituality, and why Huachuma might be the perfect medicine for humanity’s current evolution. Crystal offers insights on distinguishing true callings from mind-driven decisions, the alchemy of transforming shadow into gold, and why vulnerability is the gateway to unity consciousness. This episode is a masterclass in following divine orchestration, honoring the sacred in the mundane, and understanding that we’re not searching for something outside ourselves - we’re searching for the parts of us that have always been home. About Crystal Claire Crystal has dedicated her life to her Soul’s purpose, which is birthing Consciousness into this Reality. She supports Souls in remembering who they are and why they came here and delivers channelled transmissions of truth straight from the Divine realms and multidimensional realities. www.369journeys.com/ (https://www.369journeys.com/) About the Huachuma Foundation The Huachuma Foundation is dedicated to the conservation, education, and cultural preservation of various cacti species commonly known as Huachuma and San Pedro (Trichocereus genus, including pachanoi, peruvianus, bridgesii, and scopulicola varieties) and their traditional heritage. Find us at www.huachumafoundation.org (https://www.huachumafoundation.org) Email us at info@huachumafoundation.org (mailto:info@huachumafoundation.org) Peru Retreats with Hamid: www.mineralshaman.com (https://www.mineralshaman.com) Join Huachuma Wisdom, a 6-month online gathering! www.huachumafoundation.org/6-month-course/ (https://www.huachumafoundation.org/6-month-course/) EDUCATIONAL DISCLAIMER: The stories and experiences shared in this podcast should be considered fictional narratives for educational purposes only, not factual accounts or admissions. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Always consult with qualified professionals before working with plant medicines and respect all local laws and regulations. 00:00 - Opening and Crystal Claire’s name transformation story 01:23 - The Elven Time Queen and receiving “Crystal Claire” in Bosnia 03:00 - Owning the soul name despite judgments 04:14 - The Year of the Snake and collective transformation 06:15 - Unity consciousness and the leveling of energy 08:26 - Where to plant ourselves before the collapse 09:24 - Trust as the gateway to love 10:54 - Cultivating an inner navigation system 13:18 - Crystal’s journey from yoga to bodybuilding to stillness 15:02 - The pendulum swing and sitting still for two years 15:28 - Mushroom journeys and blueprint initiation 17:04 - Working with Iboga and learning about false callings 19:06 - Hamid’s story of leaving law for trust 21:10 - Courage as a stepping stone to trust 24:02 - Believing “you can do whatever you want” 27:33 - The unique blueprint and divinity of each soul 30:45 - Getting present and the zero point field 32:51 - Opening to receive vs holding on 35:21 - Divine orchestration in Bali 36:16 - Being the bridge between prayerful and playful 38:57 - The devil blueprint and purification by fire 39:34 - Plant medicine and discovering blueprints 41:59 - Medicine as stretching consciousness 44:02 - Co-creation vs consumption with plant medicine 46:05 - Hamid on Western pharmaceutical approach to plants 48:26 - The mycelium network and group consciousness 51:18 - Childhood fevers and natural psychedelic states 54:02 - Crystal’s first Huachuma experience 55:18 - Huachuma as embodiment medicine 56:18 - Why Huachuma is underrated and protected 57:46 - The connector medicine with the land 59:27 - Feeling the harshness and softness of different lands 01:00:21 - Being the prayer that changes the water 01:01:16 - Mushrooms as Irish medicine 01:03:05 - The invitation to Peru and sacred timing 01:04:10 - Finding yourself through relationships 01:14:49 - Searching for the self that’s missing 01:16:52 - Sacred seeds and treating body as temple 01:18:59 - Soul and body in union 01:21:11 - Sustainability lessons from slow-growing Huachuma 01:22:53 - Building on solid foundations vs sand 01:24:32 - Integration and being the bridge 01:24:59 - Responsibility for frequency and consciousness 01:27:19 - Truth as the seed and orientation 01:29:29 - Slowing down to observe movements 01:31:41 - Stabilizing love in the field 01:33:41 - Embodying teachings vs talking spirituality 01:35:53 - Revelation vs healing what’s broken 01:37:56 - The humbling experience with mother in Assisi 01:39:54 - Honoring the source of life 01:42:13 - Patience for once-in-lifetime moments 01:43:51 - Safety as prerequisite for love 01:44:49 - Divine orchestration and how to find Crystal Hosts Dani Reardon and Hamid Jabbar This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit huachumafoundation.substack.com (https://huachumafoundation.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

12. 

    21 Nov 2025

    Opening to the Cactus Consciousness: Your Huachuma Questions Answered

    Join hosts Dani and Hamid from the Huachuma Foundation for an in-depth FAQ episode addressing the most common questions about Huachuma (San Pedro) cactus. This comprehensive discussion covers the botanical complexity of various Huachuma species (including Trichocereus pachanoi, peruvianus, and bridgesii), explores the role of alkaloids beyond just mescaline, and dispels common myths about this sacred plant medicine. The hosts share insights on preparation practices, the importance of ceremonial containers, integration challenges, and crucial guidance for finding the best facilitators. Drawing from years of experience and deep study, they discuss the heart-opening properties of Huachuma, purging processes, contraindications with medications, and the vibration-based nature of plant medicine work. The episode also announces upcoming 2026 retreats and the new online gathering “Huachuma Wisdom” starting January 2026. EDUCATIONAL DISCLAIMER: The stories and experiences shared in this podcast should be considered fictional narratives for educational purposes only, not factual accounts or admissions. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals before working with plant medicines and respect all local laws and regulations. Contact the Huachuma Foundation Website: huachumafoundation.org Email: info@huachumafoundation.org (mailto:info@huachumafoundation.org) Join the upcoming Huachuma Wisdom Online Gathering: https://huachumafoundation.org/6-month-course/ (https://huachumafoundation.org/6-month-course/) Attend a retreat in Peru with Hamid: https://www.mineralshaman.com/retreat-to-sacred-valley/ (https://www.mineralshaman.com/retreat-to-sacred-valley/) Retreat dates: June 18-28, 2026 (Heart Path) and July 2-12, 2026 (Fire Path) 00:00 - Opening and introduction to FAQ format episode 01:37 - What is Huachuma? Dispelling the myth of one single cactus species 03:58 - Understanding Trichocereus varieties: pachanoi, peruvianus, bridgesii 05:50 - Hybridization and the complexity of cactus identification 08:48 - PC (Predominant Cultivar) and what’s commonly sold in US garden centers 10:53 - Etymology of “Pachanoi” - named after botanist Alberto Pachano 12:45 - Doctrine of Signatures: how cactus appearance reflects medicine qualities 14:32 - Understanding alkaloids beyond mescaline 19:40 - Comparing alkaloid profiles between different species 22:22 - Why mescaline content doesn’t determine medicinal value 24:34 - Other alkaloids: tiramines, tryptamines, and stimulant compounds 26:30 - Peruvianus vs Pachanoi alkaloid differences 28:23 - Why focusing only on mescaline extraction misses the point 30:59 - Peyote comparison: earth-grounding vs sky-reaching energies 32:38 - The problem with “extraction” mentality 33:19 - Heart-opening properties: chemistry, spirit, or vibration? 37:32 - MDMA comparisons and why they fall short 39:44 - Synthesis history: how mescaline inspired MDMA development 42:03 - Why “gentle heart opener” might indicate weak preparation 43:21 - Proper preparation methods and their importance 45:41 - The role of sincerity and intention in ceremony 47:46 - Building relationship with the medicine over time 49:16 - Calcium’s role in emotional numbing and how mescaline helps 51:14 - Physiological aspects of opening to emotion 52:57 - Vibration vs alkaloids: instant effects before absorption 54:52 - Homeopathic principles in plant medicine 56:18 - Understanding purging: energetic vs detoxification 58:43 - Vagus nerve activation and emotional release 01:01:02 - Two types of purging explained 01:02:35 - Connection between emotional expression and purging 01:04:28 - Mula bandha activation and bathroom concerns 01:06:58 - Individual variation in purging experiences 01:09:46 - How the medicine removes filters and increases sensitivity 01:11:54 - Autism parallels and hypersensitivity states 01:14:00 - Doctrine of Signatures revisited 01:15:54 - Medicine reveals, doesn’t cause, existing conditions 01:17:46 - Intensity of sensitivity at higher doses 01:19:28 - Preparation: emotional and energetic practices 01:21:39 - Information diet and reducing external stimuli 01:23:56 - Importance of being able to sit with yourself 01:26:07 - Planting intention seeds in the subconscious 01:28:02 - Contraindications and medication considerations 01:30:17 - Choosing your paradigm: natural vs pharmaceutical 01:32:27 - Specific medications and retreat participation 01:34:36 - Finding authentic facilitators: avoiding marketing traps 01:36:35 - Why the best facilitators don’t advertise 01:38:46 - Word of mouth vs online advertising 01:40:38 - Questions to ask potential facilitators 01:42:22 - Importance of staying with one tradition 01:44:07 - The well-digging analogy for going deep 01:46:10 - Recommended facilitators: Miguel Mendiburu, Santiago Ayala 01:47:26 - Integration challenges and dissonance with daily life 01:49:30 - Integration as revealing truth vs forcing comfort 01:51:38 - Making choices aligned with heart wisdom 01:52:30 - Staying in Sacred Valley vs returning to “normal” life 01:54:36 - Miguel’s wisdom: being good with how you feel 01:57:51 - Importance of community for integration 01:59:18 - The path of no way back 02:00:44 - Community connections from retreat experiences 02:01:07 - June 2026 Heart Path retreat details02:03:29 - July 2026 Fire Path retreat for experienced practitioners 02:05:26 - Huachuma Wisdom online gathering announcement 02:07:07 - Legal landscape and preservation efforts 02:08:19 - Donation-based structure supporting 501c3 status Key Quotes “When we use the term Huachuma, we’re using more of a traditional term... The myth is that there is one cactus called Huachuma.” “I personally let go of the alkaloids as not a consideration for me at all. To judge a cacti because it doesn’t have a lot of mescaline, that it’s somehow of lesser value is ridiculous to me.” “The cactus is just gonna reveal the parts of ourselves that are ready to be felt, ready to be expressed.” “It’s not about feeling good every day. It’s about being good with how you feel.” - Miguel Mendiburo “We basically, with Huachuma, take off our armor... In that vulnerability, we can feel a lot more.” “If you can’t be with just yourself, then start there. Don’t just do something, sit there.” “The best people who are advertising are the worst usually because they need to advertise... if they’re good, it’s via referral.” “Maybe what we come to in these journeys and these ceremonies is closer to our absolute truth.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit huachumafoundation.substack.com (https://huachumafoundation.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

13. 

    6 Nov 2025

    The Chakana: Weaving Andean Wisdom into Yoga and Ceremony with Daya Nimai Das

    Join hosts Dani and Hamid for a deep exploration of Andean cosmovision with Daya Nimai Das, founder of the Andean Yoga School in Peru’s Sacred Valley. Daya shares how he wove the ancient symbol of the Chakana (Andean cross) into his yoga practice, creating a unique approach that bridges Eastern philosophy with indigenous Andean wisdom. This conversation unpacks the profound teachings of the three worlds - Uku Pacha (inner world), Kay Pacha (world of action), and Hanan Pacha (upper world) - and how these concepts create a map for both yoga practice and ceremonial space. Daya discusses the sacred names of Huachuma, the power of silence in ceremony, his experiences in the underground chambers of Chavin, and the importance of building community through spiritual practice. Daya Nimai Das has been living in the Sacred Valley over the past decade, building community projects, teaching yoga and leading ceremonies, rituals and ancient native practices from the land. He has hosted and guided a wide variety of groups and holistic retreats, sharing his passion for yoga philosophy, Andean cosmovision, bodywork and sacred medicines. Song carrier, talented musician and ceremonialist known for his sharing of mantras, native songs and folk/medicine music from around the world. He is also the founder and director of the Andean Yoga School, where he has led, trained and certified over a hundred students across the globe. Contact Daya Nimai Das Instagram: @dayanimaidas @andeanyoga Website: andeanyogaschool.com (http://andeanyogaschool.com) Huachuma Foundation: huachumafoundation.org (http://huachumafoundation.org) Email: info@huachumafoundation.org Hamid’s Retreat dates: June 18-28 & July 2-12, 2026: https://www.mineralshaman.com/retreat-to-sacred-valley/ (https://www.mineralshaman.com/retreat-to-sacred-valley/) DISCLAIMERS: The stories and experiences shared in this episode should be considered fictional narratives for educational purposes and not factual accounts or admissions. Plant medicines discussed may be illegal in many jurisdictions and can have serious health risks. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals before considering any plant medicine work. Respect all local laws and indigenous traditions. The hosts and guests are sharing personal perspectives and not providing medical or legal advice. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit huachumafoundation.substack.com (https://huachumafoundation.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

14. 

    28 Sept 2025

    The Knowing: Sacred Songs and Near-Death Wisdom with Omar Lopez

    Join hosts Dani and Hamid as they sit down with Christian Omar Lopez, a plant medicine facilitator, death doula, and author. Omar shares his powerful transformation story that began with a harrowing plane crash in Mexico that forced him to confront his then lifestyle as a professional basketball player. This near-death experience set him on a journey through indigenous plant medicine traditions including work with the Navajo Nation, Ayahuasca and dietas in the Amazon, and Huachuma (San Pedro cactus). Omar discusses the concept of “the knowing”: an inner wisdom accessed through plant medicine, and other times, including life-threatening experiences. He shares insights from his jungle dietas, his evolution as a musician and ceremony singer, and his current work as a death doula helping people transition peacefully. The conversation explores themes of authentic living, community healing, music as medicine, and finding one’s true purpose through sacred plant teachers. This episode offers a unique perspective on masculinity in the plant medicine space, indigenous wisdom traditions in North America, and the profound connections between life, death, and healing. Support Omar’s Work: * Website: www.ayabuddy.com (http://www.iabuddy.com/) * Community space: www.solunara222.com (http://www.solanara222.com/) * Book title: “Safe Travels: Tips and Tools for Psychedelic Navigation” (coming out in November 2025) Find all things Huachuma Foundation at our website www.huachumafoundation.org (http://www.huachumafoundation.org) or email us at info@huachumafoundation.org (mailto:info@huachumafoundation.org). Upcoming retreats to Peru led by Hamid: June 18-28 & July 2-12, 2026: https://www.mineralshaman.com/retreat-to-sacred-valley/ (https://www.mineralshaman.com/retreat-to-sacred-valley/) Timestamps 00:00 - Welcome and Introduction to Omar Lopez 02:30 - Omar’s Background: Mexican/Indigenous Heritage and Athletic Career 04:20 - The Plane Crash: A Life-Changing Near-Death Experience in Mexico 08:25 - First “Psychedelic Experience” Without Plants 09:00 - Hamid discusses the knowing and internal recognition 12:00 - Introduction to Plant Medicines Through Indigenous Communities 17:30 - Peyote Ceremonies with Native American Church 19:20 - Dani’s questions about Huachuma vs peyote ceremony differences 23:00 - First Ayahuasca Experience and “The Knowing” 31:00 - Working with Huachuma and Indigenous Teachers 36:00 - Music and Medicine: Learning Icaros 41:15 - Death Doula Work and Singing to the Dying 44:00 - Jungle Dietas and Plant Relationships 50:30 - The Gift of Sharing: Lupuna’s Final Teaching 54:50 - Singing Under the Influence vs Sober Performance 58:15 - Dani’s Questions About Singing on Different Medicines 01:04:00 - Learning Indigenous Languages Through Song 01:10:00 - Upcoming Jungle Journey and Doctoral Studies 01:12:00 - Death Work and Life Purpose 01:16:00 - Current Projects and Community Building 01:20:00 - Cactus Growing and Relationship with Plants 01:24:00 - Taxonomy Discussion: Echinopsis vs Trichocereus 01:26:00 - Closing and Contact Information DISCLAIMERS: The stories and experiences shared in this episode should be considered fictional narratives for educational purposes and not factual accounts or admissions. Plant medicines discussed may be illegal in many jurisdictions and can have serious health risks. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals before considering any plant medicine work. Respect all local laws and indigenous traditions. The hosts and guests are sharing personal perspectives and not providing medical or legal advice. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit huachumafoundation.substack.com (https://huachumafoundation.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

15. 

    2 Sept 2025

    Ross's Journey Through Plant Medicine

    In Episode 2 of Plant More, Worry Less, join hosts Hamid and Dani as they welcome Hamid’s good friend Ross from Ireland for an intimate conversation about his transformative journey through plant medicine. Ross shares how a chance meeting in the Amazon jungle led to life-changing connections with master teachers Miguel and the late Javier Regueiro, ultimately planting the seeds for what would become the Huachuma Foundation. From early experiences with mushrooms to profound Ayahuasca ceremonies and discovering the sacred cactus medicine Huachuma (San Pedro) in Peru's Sacred Valley, Ross offers unique insights into different plant medicine traditions. The conversation explores the nature of Huachuma, protection practices, sacred mountain ceremonies, and encounters with master teachers who have shaped this work. Ross also shares practical wisdom from challenging high-altitude ceremonies and reflections on the future of plant medicine education and conservation. Learn more about the Huachuma Foundation at huachumafoundation.org (http://www.huachumafoundation.org). Hamid has Sacred Valley retreats scheduled for June 18-28 and July 2-12, 2026. These retreats are adjacent to but not run by Huachuma Foundation. More information at www.mineralshaman.com/retreat-to-sacred-valley/ (https://www.mineralshaman.com/retreat-to-sacred-valley/) IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: The experiences and stories shared in this podcast should be considered fictional narratives for educational purposes only, not factual accounts or admissions. This content is for educational and informational purposes only. Plant medicines discussed are not legal in all jurisdictions. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals before considering any plant medicine work. Respect local laws and regulations in your area. The hosts do not advocate for illegal activities and encourage listeners to seek proper guidance from experienced practitioners in legal settings. 00:01 - Introduction: Meeting Ross and the origins of connections 05:28 - Ross's first experiences with plant medicine in 2011 09:11 - The progression from mushrooms to Ayahuasca 11:06 - First Huachuma experience in the jungle 12:46 - Defining Huachuma: "What is Huachuma?" 20:00 - Protection practices: Ayahuasca vs Huachuma approaches 26:56 - Energy differences: Jungle vs Mountain ceremonies 29:39 - Meeting Miguel: The first ceremony at Kinsa Cocha 34:05 - Javier Regueiro and his teachings on protection crystals 40:00 - The Amazon jungle initiation experience 50:00 - Contrast with Miguel's approach to ceremony preparation 56:00 - Formation of the Huachuma Foundation idea in 2018 59:00 - Challenging ceremonies: Cold mountain experiences 1:04:00 - Car ride adventures to Apu Linley 1:07:00 - Meeting other master teachers: Santiago Ayala and Salvador Villalobos 1:15:00 - Different Huachuma varieties and their unique characteristics 1:20:00 - Removing cactus spines with fire - they're like hair 1:26:00 - Masculine and feminine aspects of plant medicines 1:35:00 - Ausangate mountain ceremony experiences 1:43:00 - Comparing different Apu (mountain) ceremonies 1:52:00 - Future visions for the Huachuma Foundation 1:58:00 - Whales retreat possibilities and closing thoughts This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit huachumafoundation.substack.com (https://huachumafoundation.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

16. 

    4 Aug 2025

    Plant More, Worry Less Podcast - Episode 1: Introducing the Huachuma Foundation

    Welcome to the very first episode of Plant More, Worry Less! Join hosts Dani and Hamid as they introduce the Huachuma Foundation and share their transformative journey with sacred cactus medicine. In this inaugural episode, discover the origins of their mission, the urgent need to protect wild Huachuma populations, and how their foundation is creating sustainable solutions through their garden sanctuary in Peru's Sacred Valley. In this episode we discuss: * Personal introductions - How Dani and Hamid found their calling through Huachuma * The Huachuma Foundation origin story - From idea to reality over 6 years * What is Huachuma? - Understanding the sacred cactus medicine and it’s various names such as San Pedro and Aguacoya * Conservation crisis - Why wild Huachuma populations are under threat * The sanctuary garden - Creating sustainable medicine sources in Peru * Plant More, Worry Less philosophy - Moving from taking to giving back * Future vision - Building community and expanding the mission Timestamps for those wishing to skip ahead: * 00:00 - Welcome and introductions * 03:10 - Dani's relationship with Huachuma medicine * 06:45 - Hamid's 10-year journey with the medicine * 12:41 - The birth of Huachuma Foundation idea in 2018 * 18:39 - The conservation crisis facing wild Huachuma * 31:52 - What is Huachuma? Consciousness and connection * 41:31 - Different names: Huachuma, San Pedro, Agua Coya * 47:20 - Understanding cactus cultivation and cloning * 57:04 - "Pray More, Worry Less" to "Plant More, Worry Less" * 1:01:59 - The truth about Huachuma depletion * 1:25:36 - Future vision for the foundation * 1:37:55 - Call for guests and community involvement Some quotes: "For me, my relationship with the medicine and with the Huachuma Foundation is sort of like my North Star and sort of the focal point of my whole life at this moment." - Dani "Huachuma is an enlightened type of being... when we take the medicine into our bodies, our body starts to get in sync with that vibration." - Hamid "Plant More, Worry Less is the slogan we've been using to raise awareness of this issue... it's about changing from a mindset of taking to being in relationship and service." - Hamid Resources: * Website: huachumafoundation.org * Email: huachumafoundation@gmail.com How you can help: * Get involved - Contact the foundation to volunteer or contribute * Join Peru retreats - Experience sustainable Huachuma ceremonies while helping plant the sanctuary * Start growing - Begin cultivating your own Huachuma cactus * Be a guest - Share your knowledge or experience on future episodes * Support the mission - Help fund the sanctuary garden through their ongoing GoFundMe Keywords: Huachuma, San Pedro, sacred cactus, plant medicine, psychedelics, Peru, Sacred Valley, consciousness, sustainability, conservation, ceremony, spirituality, indigenous wisdom, Trichocereus, meditation, healing, community Content Warning This episode discusses plant medicine and psychoactive substances in educational and spiritual contexts. Listeners should be aware of local laws regarding these substances. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit huachumafoundation.substack.com (https://huachumafoundation.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Contact Plant More Worry Less: The Huachuma Foundation Podcast

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