PORTUGAL
25th - 30th JULY 2025 (Now booking)
5th - 10th SEPTEMBER 2025 (Now booking)
A ONE OF A KIND RETREAT SHOWCASING THE HEALING ARTS OF THE ANDES
“In the most beautiful setting, total peace and quiet...the perfect space to be able to quieten your mind and open your heart.”
Nested within the secluded tranquil hills of Central Portugal, Shamanic Space offers a unique opportunity to experience the powerful healing benefits of two ancient practices that have stood the test of time: Yoga and Wachuma.
WACHUMA
WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF THE CACTUS
Join Peruvian Curandero and Maestro of San Pedro, Dr Rubén Orellana PhD and transpersonal-psychotherapist and medicine woman, Michele Costa Lukis as they guide you through three traditional ceremonies of the sacred visionary plant medicine, wachuma.
We are honoured to invite you on a journey of personal growth, healing and spiritual awakening through the unique combination of Andean Shamanism and Yoga. Your guides, Michele and Rubén, have dedicated a combined 60+ years to preserving the ceremonial use of the sacred San Pedro cactus and it is our joy to share this lineage with you on your journey to healing.
We are fortunate to be joined by Sibylle Koelbl who will be guiding daily yoga sessions designed to deepen your connection to the practice and enhance your relationship with San Pedro. Her beautiful sound healings help to bring peace and balance to the body, mind and spirit.
Our facilitators will guide you through each step of your journey with San Pedro and yoga, from the ancient traditions to discovering the power of intention, ceremony and integration. We welcome those new to the work and those who have already sat with plant medicine.
If you've been seeking a safe space to nurture your body and spirit, to explore your inner landscape and to embrace the wisdom of Andean healing, we invite you to take this journey with us.
“The ceremony brought with it incredible release and beautiful heart opening.
Each moment stretching out into bliss...”
WORKING WITH WACHUMA
The history of San Pedro is a story of indigenous wisdom, healing and a deep connection to the natural world.
We are fortunate to be guided through the ancient traditions of San Pedro by Peruvian anthropologist, archaeologist and Curandero Dr Rubén Orellana PhD who has spent a lifetime exploring the healing practices of his native Peru and is an expert on the customs of Andean Healing that have survived.
For more than 3,500 years San Pedro, known indigenously as Wachuma, has been used by many different civilizations within the Andes Mountains of South America for its profound healing and visionary properties. For the Curanderos (shamans) of these communities, the cactus was a portal to the spiritual realm, earning the nickname punku, meaning ‘doorway’. It was revered as a means to communicate with ancestors, deities and nature spirits, playing a central role in their understanding of the world. The Curandros became the custodians of the San Pedro tradition, passing down the mysteries of this powerful brew from healer to healer, preserving the healing rites at the core of their communities.
For generations, San Pedro has been used as a doorway to higher states of consciousness. Its spirit is that of a gentle teacher, showing you the tools to restore equilibrium of mind, body and spirit. The modern resurgence of interest in San Pedro and similar plant medicines seems to reflect our universal yearning for deeper meaning and a rekindling of our connection to self, nature and spirit in this time of rapidly expanding modern technology. It is our life’s work to provide a safe and supported space to connect with the healing energy of these plants, continuing in the lineage of the Andean Curanderos.
When met in sacred ceremony, Wachuma offers deep introspection and the opportunity to work within your shadow to unearth the issues preventing you from leading a life of love, harmony and balance. This powerful brew enhances our connection to self and spirit and in doing so, can aid those working through depression, anxiety, obsessive behaviours and addiction. When we truly embrace the loving energy of San Pedro, we are given the space and support to cultivate our desires and discover our life’s purpose.
“Working with the plant medicines under the guidance and wisdom of
Michele and Rubén has been life changing.”
“When our hearts open with San Pedro, we have the feeling of profound love of self, of others, of Mother Earth, the Universe and beyond. We experience enthusiasm for how beautiful our lives truly are and a connection to the Great Divine. Some would call this bliss. Very often one becomes aware of their path, purpose and service. As a psychotherapist, I have experienced the medicine providing individual guidance in reaching deep into the shadow and releasing the pain of past trauma, crisis and early childhood issues.”
Michele Costa Lukis
YOGA
Daily group yoga sessions joyfully held by experienced and dedicated teacher Hassan will guide you through a practice designed to enrich and deepen your connection to San Pedro. Through a union of breath and movement, we will explore the relationship of body, mind and spirit to the deep healing that lies within yoga and San Pedro.
We maintain working in small groups of up to 14 to allow for in- depth technique discussions, questions, and specific adjustments suited to individual needs. This is a wonderful opportunity to gain greater clarity and confidence to carry into your own practice, to re-connect with your body and breath and deepen your existing relationship with yoga or begin a new one.
Sessions will cater for all levels with an emphasis on healing, nurturing and at times challenging the body as we begin a new journey and deeper connections.
Sessions will include: asana practice from multiple disciplines (Forrest, Ashtanga, Restorative, Yin, Yoga Nidra), technique discussions, pranayama, breath work, restorative, specific adjustments suited to the individuals needs, time for questions.
“It’s been life-changing, mind-expanding, consciousness growing, heart opening, challenging, inspiring, moving. I’m grateful for every moment.”
INTERVIEWS
Dr Ruben Orellana PhD discusses the ancient relationship of
deep healing with the sacred cactus, Wachuma, as featured in:
THE RETREAT
6 DAYS & 5 NIGHTS
Through their combined expertise and knowledge Ruben, Michele, Leandro and Hassan help their clients on the path to health, well being, personal empowerment and spiritual growth. Through this unique combination of Andean Shamanism and Yoga, they work in harmony to remove blocks and life obstacles at source, restoring the balance of mind, body and spirit. We will provide you with the tools to release what no longer serves you and to integrate the learning from medicine and yoga into your daily life.
Our home will be a beautiful holistic retreat centre set in a small valley in the forested hills of Central Portugal. Far from the crowds, the centre is a lovingly restored hundred year old manor house with wonderful views of the valley. We hope you will enjoy the stunning views and take a walk through the local forests. During our time together, we encourage you to take a break from any devises that will distract from immersing yourself in the natural beauty of your new surroundings and your experience with Wachuma. Whilst the work may be profound, there is always time for fun, laughter and great food!
“By the end of the 6 days it felt like everyone was a little family who I have the utmost respect for. Nearly a year later, I’m still friends with several people from the trip and still integrating deep knowledge and Information I learnt from the ceremonies.“
YOUR GUIDES
Dr Rubén Orellana, Curandero, anthropologist and the former head archaeologist of Machu Picchu will hold space for the group alongside transpersonal-psychotherapist, shamanic practitioner and medicine woman, Michele Costa Lukis.
Having majored in chemistry and social sciences, Rubén is an expert on the historical and contemporary aspects of San Pedro shamanism and healing in Peru. As the head curator of Machu Picchu he is credited with the discovery of forty-four new sites, which he credits to his work with the sacred plants of Peru. In addition to his academic credentials as a historian and scientist, Dr Orellana is a practicing shaman himself, studying with the healers or Paqo (Shaman) of the Andes from the age of seven. Rubén’s knowledge of healing plant medicine and ceremonies has been passed down through generations of Andean tradition. When Michele once asked Ruben how many times he had conducted San Pedro ceremonies, he paused, shrugged and said “over eight hundred”.
Michele Costa Lukis brings her expertise of over twenty years as a psychotherapist and Shamanic practitioner whose work has led her around the world, studying many varied traditions. She is also a Reiki Master and regularly holds workshops in the UK and works alongside Dr. Rubén Orellana in Peru.
Through their combined expertise and knowledge Ruben and Michele help their clients on the path to health, well being, personal empowerment and spiritual growth. They work in harmony to remove blocks and life obstacles at source, restoring the balance of mind, body and spirit, providing the tools to release what no longer serves you and to integrate the learning from medicine into your daily life.
"When I cook San Pedro I often see images in the brew of the people who will come to drink it. I see in the liquid the parts of their bodies where healing is needed, like the heart or kidneys. Or maybe the messages are more symbolic and concern a feeling or state of mind. In this way, I receive premonitions of who will drink and the particular concerns they have. This is normal and one of the ways that the plant might speak with us. As people develop their own connections with San Pedro and learn it's secret language they will also see these things and it helps them to prepare."
Ruben Orellana
“Michele and Ruben are truly dedicated to the sacred tradition and I felt safe and nurtured during our San Pedro ceremonies. It was just amazing. I must say that my experience with San Pedro was beyond what I imagined, very beautiful, very life changing. I felt bathed in love for the whole duration. I am very grateful for the experience I had with them, for all the care that they put in, making sure that each of us had an amazing, loving experience. Thank you Michele and Ruben for what you created.”
David
INTERVIEW WITH RUBEN NOW ON GAIA:
“Michele and Ruben provide an amazingly open and safe space to work on oneself. They provide the safety to completely let go. It was amazing to work with the plant medicine embedded into traditional ceremonies that provided context and reference points for integration. I could choose what to look at and work on and resolved a lot of issues. I loved the interactions with Michele and Rubén with conversations that went very deep. There is so much to be learnt from the three of them and they are very eager to teach when asked. Thank you for everything.”
Lars
“Impossible to cover all - incredible and profound. I felt so safe and held in the space which allowed me to completely trust and surrender (not something I naturally do). A beautiful, sensual, safe, moving, profound experience.”
Charlie
“The plant medicine trip to Portugal in 2022 was magical and life changing for me. Even though I had never met Michele & Ruben, I felt instantly supported, held and safe in my journey. Both were always on hand before, during & after the San Pedro ceremonies to help process and integrate all the messages we received in session. Both Michele & Ruben have got a great sense of humor which always made the atmosphere warm, fun and light. By the end of the 6 days it felt like everyone was a little family who I have the utmost respect for. Nearly a year later, I’m still friends with several people from the trip and still integrating deep knowledge and Information I learnt from the ceremonies. The food was amazing and the accommodation was beautiful and we were all really looked after. On my return, Michele was at hand to support me fully to help with follow up processing sessions (if needed) and I also started psychotherapy with Michele. This helped me clear years of deep unresolved trauma and issues that I needed to deal with. I can honestly say, Michele has changed my life and I’m truly thankful for her. She is a beautiful human who holds space, love and wisdom for others. I am returning again to Portugal this year (2023) for more adventures and a friend is also joining me due to the loving experience I received with the Shamanic Space team”
Andy
INCLUDED
Three Traditional Wachuma (San Pedro) ceremonies lovingly brewed by highly experienced and renowned curandero, Dr. Ruben Orellana PhD. Ruben is considered a ‘maestro’ and has been conducting ceremonies since 1976 with an unblemished record. He will be joining us from Peru to hold this retreat.
Michele Costa-Lukis brings her expertise of twenty-five years as a transpersonal-psychotherapist and Shamanic practitioner to hold space during ceremony and to help each individual process and integrate their experiences when working with the medicine.
Group yoga sessions joyfully held by highly experienced teacher Hassan catering for all levels in a variety of styles (Ashtanga, Hatha, Restorative, Yin, Yoga Nidra), to complement your journey with San Pedro.
Shamanic cleansing and workshop on San Pedro, connecting you with the history of this beautiful medicine and answering any questions you may have before ceremony.
Guidance on the stages of Shamanic journeying to enhance your relationship with San Pedro in ceremony
Processing and integration circles following each ceremony held by Michele and Rubén to answer questions, assist individual needs and help interpret what Wachuma has brought forth. Michele, Rubén and Leandro are always available to discuss any elements of the work in private should you wish.
Gain confidence and clarity in your yoga practice with in-depth technique discussions, time for questions and specific adjustments suited to your personal needs.
5 nights accommodation in a beautiful holistic retreat centre set in a small valley in the forested hills of Central Portugal. Far from the crowds, the centre is a lovingly restored hundred year old manor house with wonderful views of the valley.
Delicious homemade vegetarian meals prepared with fresh, local ingredients - some from the retreat’s own garden!
Transfers to and from the airport.
Selection of herbal teas.
* Please note the fee does NOT include flights to and from Portugal, personal travel insurance, airport tax or personal spending.
PRICING INFORMATION
This retreat is limited to 14 places.
All accommodation is shared between 2 – 3 people
PRICE: £1800 per person
The cost is based on 6 days and 5 nights.
