Table of Contents
Healing Through Nature, Art, and Plant Medicine:
A Transformational Journey in a Safe, Inclusive Space
Welcome: This is More Than a Retreat
This isn’t just a trip—this is a way, a means for real liberatory work around trauma, love, and healing.
At Alma Healing Center, we approach plant medicine as sacred. This isn’t about escape; it’s about going deeper—deeper into who you are, into the places that ache for healing, into the connection you’ve been craving with yourself, with others, and with the Earth.
Our work combines the ancient, time-tested wisdom of plant medicines with modern therapeutic practices, creative expression, and connection to nature. Led by Paulina Quilla Pakari -Tsunkinua, an experienced medicine woman and Gestalt therapist, and her partner Sandra, we create a space where transformation is not only possible but inevitable—when you show up with an open heart and intention.*
*Note that outside of our fixed dates, your ceremony may be led by Paulina’s sister, who is also a well-experienced ceremony guide, facilitator and medicine woman.
Set and Setting: Creating the Space for Transformation
Optimal conditions for liberation and personal work.
When it comes to plant medicine, the space we create matters. It’s not just about where you are physically; it’s about what’s held for you energetically. It’s the care in the circle, the intention in every ritual, the wisdom behind every song.
Here’s how we hold space for your healing:
- Conscious Dosing: Healing doesn’t have to be overwhelming. We start gently, especially for first-timers, gradually working up to deeper experiences.
- Therapeutic Support: The best guide is one that does not intervene in your process unless you ask for help and guidance, or unless we feel that you need it. Specialized in the accompaniment of processes, Paulina integrates her Gestalt therapy training with the medicine, helping you process what comes up and guiding you toward re-centering, breathing – only if necessary.
- Ceremony and Ritual: Every ceremony is a like surgery for the soul—a space for the medicine to work, held with love, respect, and deep intention.
- Nature as a Healer: The forest around us (during our Mindo cloudforest retreats and ceremonies) isn’t just a backdrop—it’s part of the medicine, grounding you, calming you, holding you.
Who You Are: A Call to the Right Participants
“Healing begins with showing up—honestly, openly, and with humility.”
Our retreats are designed for those who feel called to deep healing and are ready to approach this work with reverence and sincerity. Plant medicine is not for everyone, and that’s okay. Here’s what we ask of our participants:
- Openness to Learn: You come with a beginner’s mindset, ready to engage with the wisdom of the medicine, the facilitators, and the process.
- Honesty: You are transparent about your health, medications, and personal history. This helps us create a safe experience for everyone.
- Respect for Guidelines: You trust the process, follow instructions, and understand that the structure we’ve created is there to support your transformation.
- Willingness to Be Vulnerable: Healing requires courage and the willingness to face difficult truths with humility.
- Commitment to Community: You respect the space and the people in it, knowing that healing is amplified in a collective setting.
This is a space for people who are ready to show up fully. If you think you already know everything or aren’t willing to engage in the process with respect and trust, this may not be the right fit for you—and that’s okay. This is not merely a bucket list experience.
Meet Paulina Quilla Pakari -Tsunkinua
Paulina is many things: a healer, an artist, a therapist, and a leader. But most of all, she is someone deeply committed to walking this path of healing with you.
- Her Roots: Paulina has worked with plant medicines like ayahuasca, San Pedro (wachuma), peyote, and mushrooms for over 20 years. She was adopted by the Shuar people of the Amazon, where elders blessed her path as a healer. She is also a recognized medicine woman in the tradition of the Camino Rojo, having completed her visions quests and 17+ years of the Sundance.
- Her Wisdom: As a Gestalt therapist, Paulina brings a unique approach to plant medicine, blending modern therapy with ancestral wisdom.
- Her Leadership: Founder of Mujeres de Luna, an international women’s collective, Paulina is passionate about creating spaces for women to reconnect with their power. She’s also a sun dancer, vision quester, and healer of Andean and Sacred Fire traditions.
“Every ceremony we lead is an act of love and reverence for the medicine, for the people we are guiding, and for the Earth. This work isn’t just healing—it’s sacred.”
Healing is More Than a Ceremony
At Alma Healing Center, we understand that plant medicine is just one part of the journey. Healing happens when all parts of you—body, mind, heart, and spirit—are engaged. That’s why we also include:
- Creative Expression: Art and music are powerful ways to process your experience. Whether it’s drawing, journaling, making music, dancing, or simply letting your creativity flow, it’s all part of the healing.
- Connection with Nature: The Ecuadorian cloud forest is alive with wisdom. Whether you’re walking among the trees or simply breathing in its energy, nature helps ground your transformation.
- Community Circles: Healing is not a solitary act. Sharing your journey in a supportive community amplifies the medicine’s power.
An Inclusive, Safe Space for All
Healing begins with feeling safe.
As a same-sex couple, we know how important it is to feel welcomed, accepted, and understood. We’ve created a retreat space where everyone—LGBTQ+ individuals, solo travelers, women, and anyone seeking refuge—can feel safe and seen.
“We hold this space for you, as you are, without judgment. Your journey is yours, but you don’t have to walk it alone.”
What You Can Expect
Plant medicine isn’t easy. It’s not meant to be. But when held in the right way, it’s profoundly healing. Here’s what you’ll experience with us:
- A gentle start with conscious dosing.
- Skilled facilitators who hold you through every part of the journey.
- A mix of ceremony and time in nature to help you integrate the experience.
- Please note that the nature element comes into play in the Mindo cloudforest during our longer retreats (4 day, women’s retreat, private retreats), not the overnight ceremonies in Pintag.
And most importantly, you’ll feel safe—safe to let go, to explore, to heal.
Is This Right for You?
This work is not for the faint of heart. But if you show up, the medicine will meet you where you are.
Plant medicine calls to those who are ready—ready to face themselves, to do the work, to heal, to grow. If you feel that call, we are here to guide you.
Join Us
Healing is a journey. Let us walk this path with you.
Sandra & Paulina
Alma Healing Center
Learn More About Our Retreats: 4 day Ayahuasca Retreats | Weeklong Women’s Retreat | Contact Us
