Shipibo Traditional Medicine Center
Ayahuasca retreats in the Peruvian Amazon, in small groups.
Led by Hilda Arevalo, Shipibo healer and teacher.
Our History
Inin Jema, “The Community of Perfumes”
Shipibo medicine is a living and profound practice. It unfolds through master plants and healing plants, diets, floral baths, and subtle fragrances. Ayahuasca can find its place here, as one tool among many, without ever constituting the heart of the path.
Founded in 2020 by maestro Guillermo Arevalo Valera, the Inin Jema center is now run by his eldest daughter, Hilda Arevalo Valera, heir to a lineage of healers and the soul of the place.
At her side, Aziz, a trained surgeon who has been studying Shipibo medicine for 20 years, bridges the two worlds and ensures a clear, safe, and respectful environment.
In the heart of the forest, the center welcomes those in search of authentic work and lasting change, embedded in daily life, body, and spirit.
A plant is not a product you buy. It is not an “active ingredient” you consume. A plant is a living being. And in this type of medicine, you don’t take a plant like you take a pill. You enter into a relationship: you respect a framework, you respect rules, you respect time. – Hilda
Our Retreats
At Inin Jema, all retreats are based on the same framework: immersion in traditional Shipibo medicine in small groups (max. 20 people). Ceremonies, diet, and traditional treatments are combined with periods of silence, allowing the process to unfold in depth.
The retreats are guided by our Shipibo master healers, with a team of facilitators present daily to accompany each participant.
You will discover ayahuasca in its traditional context, as one tool among many, and you will learn to hold on to what matters: discerning, integrating, and returning home with concrete and lasting changes.
Monthly pensions
A 10-day immersion to engage in deep work on the body and mind and to explore how these practices can support a healing process, whether for physical ailments, discomfort, or a quest for balance.
-Master
plant diet –7 guided ceremonies according to Shipibo tradition -Daily plant
baths -Group and individual interviews -Daily
in-depth sessions to understand Shipibo medicine, diet, learning through plants, and the inner journey
Themed retreats
These retreats follow the same format as the monthly retreats but, beyond healing work, explore different aspects of Shipibo medicine in a structured and guided setting:
-Shipibo medicine: Understanding the traditional use of ayahuasca and plant
medicine-Art and medicine: Exploring how plant diets and the use of ayahuasca and tobacco can enhance our creativity-Inner
quest: Understanding how ayahuasca and plants support the introspective path and help us find meaning in our lives.
Long retreats and apprenticeships
For those seeking a longer learning process or healing retreat, Inin Jema offers stays of flexible duration.
-The duration, combination of treatments, and participation are tailored to your personal
journey-These stays allow for long-term work on the body and mind, in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
It is not the visionary journey that heals, but the entire ecosystem of care that surrounds it. – Aziz
Care & support
The heart of Shipibo medicine is healing: healing diets, herbal baths, perfumes, cleansings, herbal drinks, massages… Hilda works with precision, from the body to the mind, integrating the physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual dimensions.
Ayahuasca ceremonies* According to Shipibo tradition, these ceremonies take place at night in a sober and attentive setting. The healers’ chants guide the work and support each participant in their process. The ceremonies are part of a process of introspection and clarification, accompanied by the healers and integrated into the overall healing process.
Perfumes & floral baths
Hilda’s specialty, developed through years of diet and practice. We practice two types of baths
:-Cleansing baths, which support the purification process and accompany the healing work.
-Flowering baths, which act more subtly: they aim to rebalance the body and mind, promote more harmonious thoughts, and strengthen inner coherence.
Medicinal plants Each treatment and each medicinal plant is chosen according to the individual, their history, their situation, and the intention they express upon arrival.
Some come to address a health issue, others to overcome a feeling of unease or clarify a stage in their life. Still others wish to deepen their personal journey, learn about plant medicine, or support a creative process.
Amazonian medicine can thus be adapted to different paths, always within the framework of guided and individualized work.
Areas of focus Shipibo medicine is not limited to a single plant. We are committed to providing guidance for a better understanding of Shipibo culture, dietary rules, master plants, and songs, as well as the context in which they exist. The goal is to deepen understanding without idealizing, using concrete examples and faithful respect for tradition.
If the idea of participating in an ayahuasca ceremony causes apprehension, it is important to know that it is never an obligation: it is only offered when it makes sense in the context of your healing journey. The care provided by healers and working with plants can accompany a healing process regardless of the intensity of the visionary experience during the ceremony.
Testimonials
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