Piompiri Healing Centre in Pucallpa, Peru

Peru Dieta Retreat

A 12-day cultural immersion dieta retreat held at the Piompiri Healing Centre in Pucallpa, Peru, with Asháninka curanderos and Anam Cara’s ethical, evidence-based framework.

100 hours In-person in Peru Preparation / Integration Certificate

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Amazonian riverside scene at dusk with reflections on the water

Meet the guides

Piompiri Healing Centre in Pucallpa, Peru

First Nations Curanderos of the Ashaninka Lineage

First Nations Curanderos for Cultural Immersion Dieta Retreat in Peru

Anam Cara Centre partners with highly experienced curanderos at the Piompiri Healing Centre in Pucallpa, Peru. With over 20 years of dedicated practice in curanderismo — the traditional healing arts of the Amazon — they bring profound depth of knowledge and commitment. Their practice is rooted in integrity, respect and the sacred traditions of their ancestors, guiding participants through transformative processes with wisdom and care. Their combined experience makes them exceptional guides for those seeking profound healing and a deeper understanding of the Amazonian spiritual path.

Amazonian curanderismoTraditional plant medicineCeremonial holding

Spanish Interpreter for Cultural Immersion Dieta Retreat in Peru

Maria Alejandra Gonzalez Bueno

Spanish Interpreter · Biomedical Scientist & Researcher

Maria, our interpreter, is a native Spanish speaker who brings a rich blend of academic excellence, scientific research and deep cultural awareness. With a background in biomedical science, she has contributed to research at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience in collaboration with the University of Melbourne, exploring links between microbiota, mental health and cognition. Her performance at Deakin University earned her the Deakin International Scholarship, and she graduated with distinction. Beyond academia, she has spent over two years as a support worker for individuals with disabilities, fostering empathy, mindfulness and strong interpersonal skills — qualities that shape both her scientific work and her role as an interpreter bridging language and understanding during our Peru retreat.

Spanish interpretationBiomedical scienceCross-cultural facilitation

About the centre

Piompiri Healing Centre

Piompiri in Pucallpa, Peru is a healing sanctuary and centre dedicated to the preservation of the ancient medicines and traditions of the Amazon. It is the home of the First Nations Curanderos of the Asháninka Lineage who co-facilitate this retreat, offering participants an authentic, culturally grounded dieta experience rooted in integrity, respect and ancestral wisdom.

Location

Piompiri Healing Centre
Pucallpa, Ucayali, Peru

Partnership

Anam Cara Centre partners with Piompiri to offer a culturally immersive, ethically guided dieta retreat for professionals.

About the retreat

A training in preparation, integration and cultural humility.

Blending research-backed methods with ancient Indigenous wisdom, this program offers a deeply personal dieta experience alongside structured training in preparation and integration. Rooted in Dr. Alana (Lani) Roy’s research on Australian Vegetalista Ayahuasca dieteros — 65 hours of interviews with 35 participants at Swinburne — it emphasises preparation, cultural context, and integration, and produced a harm-reduction toolkit co-designed with the dietero community.

The therapeutic framework is the SWIM model (Somatic, Wisdom, Interconnectedness, Metacognition), and the ethical / clinical principles follow the EMPATHS values.

Learning outcomes

Understand the cultural, ethical and clinical context of the Amazonian dieta.
Apply the SWIM model and EMPATHS values to preparation and integration.
Facilitate structured preparation and integration sessions with clients.
Navigate cross-cultural practice with humility and reciprocity.
Use the harm-reduction toolkit developed with the Australian dietero community.

Itinerary

Day 1Arrival and accommodation in Pucallpa; orientation.
Day 2Dieta opening ceremony with Asháninka curanderos.
Days 3–10Three medicine-assisted ceremonies with integration days in between.
Day 11Breaking the dieta with salt and sugar; closing council.
Day 12Departure.
Certificate3 preparation + 3 integration sessions in Pucallpa, plus 6 self-paced online modules.

Facilitators

Dr Alana (Lani) Roy, First Nations Curanderos of the Ashaninka Lineage, and Maria Alejandra Gonzalez Bueno (Spanish interpreter).

Dates and cost are included in the course syllabus. This elective has eligibility criteria.

Ready to join the next dieta?

Applications for the Peru Cultural Immersion Dieta Retreat are open. We speak with every applicant to ensure the retreat is the right fit.

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