The beginning of 2026 started with me moving from the busy hectic Lima to a community in the Andes in Ecuador. This community was based in nature and uses plant medicines for healing. Read here my experience of volunteering at Gaia Sagrada healing center.
It was perfectly aligned with my manifestation of the Leo moon cycle, during the new moon in Leo in July of 2025 I ended up emailing lots of healing centers and filling out applications. During the full moon in Leo in the beginning of 2026 I was actually AT the center. If you have dreams, using the moon cycles to manifest is such an amazing tool, go get it!
If you are interested in visiting a community like this I can recommend this one and you will find the website here. It’s the perfect safe spot to start your plant medicine journey as a guest.
Living here for a few months and helping in the kitchen, garden, assisting during ceremonies and hosting workshops, yoga and meditation classes was a wonderful experience.
To be in such a high vibrational place certain things always come to the service and it wasn’t always easy!
I had a wonderful experience here! The work wasn’t really difficult but still several hours per retreat and we had to pay for the ceremonies we participated in. Compared to some other volunteer spaces it was not the best “deal” yet for giving back after working with the medicines for a few years and my own development it was very powerful. I know what we give out will find us back one way or another!
But at the same time this also brings people to volunteer who are not just there to safe money but who want to be there to learn, to give back and support others. This I saw and felt within the other volunteers. I always think people make places and I got lucky with the beautiful souls that crossed my path here.
This review of Gaia Sagrada is from a volunteer perspective! I would say it’s very well organized and they have a great experience with plants and holding space for guests. The shamans are very knowledgeable and powerful and with the volunteer team it becomes a super safe space full of help and guidance.
To be in a community with like minded people is such a healing aspect to working with plants. It’s magical. You get to start your integration while still being in a sacred space. There are mirrors and lessons constantly.
I loved my solitude experience in the Amazon with the Shipibo people but then this experience guided me more into an in between space of the “real” world and working with the plant spirits.
I also adored that there were different curranderas and curranderos, different plant medicines and ways of holding space.
Being a volunteer here makes you get out of your own comfort zone as well, as a yoga teacher I was abe to guide classes and meditations but also practice new things as hosting women cirlces, being a space holder, praying and singing during ceremony. This is such a great part of the volunteer because you grow.
Additionally you learn a lot about space holding, fire keeping and much more if you are interested. People are very willing to teach and if you are curious and open: you will.
I am forever grateful that this place found me and I found Gaia, what a wonderful time! If you ever feel the calling I can only recommend!!!
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