Ep. 109 - Jerónimo Mazarrasa - ICEERS, Plant Medicine Facilitation & Harm Reduction

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Hey everybody! Episode 109 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Jerónimo Mazarrasa. This is Jerónimo’s second time on this podcast. Jerónimo works for a great organization called ICEERS (International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research and Service). He came on this episode to speak about a new course that ICEERS is offering about harm reduction for facilitators of plant medicines in a non-traditional context. As this plant medicine work expands to the world at large, I think organizations like ICEERS play a crucial role in bridging traditions, bringing awareness and education, and offering support and assistance to practitioners as well as participants. I have a lot of respect for their organization and the work that they do, as well as their staff. Marc Aixalà and Irene Pérez, who both work for ICEERS, have also been on this podcast. I really enjoyed my last conversation with Jerónimo and was happy to have him on again to share about this new work. I think he speaks very well from a place of experience, wisdom, knowledge, humility, and as a bridgekeeper, and I trust you all will gain a lot from this episode. As always, to support this podcast, get early access to shows, bonus material, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!

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This episode is sponsored by Real Mushrooms. As listeners, visit their website to enjoy a discount of 25% off your first order: https://www.realmushrooms.com/universe

"Jerónimo M.M. is an ayahuasca community activist and independent researcher. He has produced and written two documentaries about ayahuasca. The first about the Brazilian Ayahuasca churches, the second about the use of Ayahuasca in the treatment of drug addiction. In the last 20 years he has travelled extensively through South America, researching a broad range of Ayahuasca practices, and has lectured internationally on ayahuasca tourism and the appropriation of indigenous knowledge. He works as Social Innovation Coordinator for the ICEERS Foundation, and is a founding member of the Plantaforma (Platform for the Defense of Ayahuasca in Spain) in the last 5 years he has devoted most of his energy to figure out how ceremonial plant practices can be integrated outside of their cultures of origin. He curates a list of ayahuasca news, a facebook account, and a blog."

For more info about Jerónimo and his work, view above links or visit: https://www.iceers.org/

And for the direct link to the course, with sign-up ending April 27, visit: https://iceersacademy.mykajabi.com/ayasafety-en

If you enjoy the show, it’s always a big help if you can share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth.  If you’re watching on YouTube if you could take a second and Subscribe to the channel and Like the video and if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts, Follow the show and leave a starred rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!

My colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) and I are guiding plant dietas in Portugal in May, Ireland in June, Boulder-Colorado in July, New York state in August, and the Sacred Valley of Peru in November. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.org

To book an integration call with me, visit: https://jasongrechanik.setmore.com

If you are able to and would like to donate to the show to help out with new content that would be deeply appreciated.  For just a few dollars a month you can join Patreon and it gives you some really nice added benefits like early access to shows, bonus episodes, and a chance to ask personalized questions.

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Music courtesy of: Nuno Moreno (end song). Visit: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/ And Stefan Kasapovski’s Santero Project (intro song). Visit: https://spoti.fi/3y5Rd4H

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Ep. 45 - Tree Carr - Death & Dying, Dreams, Doulas, & Sacred Plant Medicines

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Hey everybody! Episode 45 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Tree Carr. Tree was introduced to me by a mutual friend, Luis, who I interviewed in episode 25 of the show. Tree is a Death Doula and also a Dreaming Guide. I find these two topics fascinating, because for me, if this path with plants and shamanism had to be boiled down to two topics, death and dreaming could certainly be seen as two of the fundamental pillars. So it was really fascinating for me to be able to speak with Tree who specializes in exactly these two areas. Tree has a beautiful way of expressing herself and bringing these, sometimes abstract ideas, into very easy language and concepts, which isn’t an easy thing to do. This interview with Tree was a real pleasure for me, as can be seen by the fact that we went almost four hours! We got into a variety of topics including her background, death and dying, dreams, plant work, divination, and even witches! And as Tree said, the word witch, often misunderstood, comes from Wicca, meaning wisdom. And I think in that sense Tree really embodies and expresses that wisdom beautifully. I hope and imagine you all will get a lot out of this episode. As always, to view bonus material, get early access to shows, and Q&As, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!

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"Tree is a published author and her book ‘DREAMS: How to Connect With Your Dreams to Enrich Your Life’, was released Dec. 2018 with Octopus Publishing. Her second book on dreams called ‘Conscious Dreamer’’ to be released May 2021 with Quarto Publishing Group.

As a Dreaming Guide, Tree helps those seeking to activate, explore and further understand their dream realms by cultivating a bespoke daily dreaming practise. Her workshops, courses and retreats have ventured from London throughout the UK, Europe, Canada and USA. She is also booked for one on one dreaming guidance where the session delves into dream interpretation, meditations, rescripting of recurring dreams and methods for lucid dreaming. Tree works closely with oneirogens ( dreaming plants and herbs) as part of her conscious dreaming practise and facilitates workshops and ceremonies to connect people more deeply into their dream-work vis-a -vis the world of plants and herbs.

Tree is also a CPD Crossfields Institute Certified Death Doula. Her work as an End of Life Guide involves helping people spiritually, emotionally, existentially and practically at the end of their lives. Tree holds the space for healing, peace, support and compassion during the profound and sacred time of death and dying.

Born in 1972, Tree has explored the realms of spirituality and consciousness since she was a child. As an intuitive empath, she is self taught in divinatory guidance: The Tarot, Rune Stones and Astrology and has facilitated readings, rituals, classes and courses spanning a wide variety of esoteric subjects.

Tree is currently studying at the Alef Trust in the programme for Psychedelics, Altered States & Transpersonal Psychology.”

To learn more about Tree or to contact her, visit: https://www.luciddreamtree.com/ and all of her links can be found here: https://linktr.ee/tree_carr

This episode of the show is sponsored by the Temple of the Way of Light. To learn more or sign up for a retreat, visit:

https://templeofthewayoflight.org/

If you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth.  If you’re watching on YouTube if you could take a second and Subscribe to the channel and if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts to leave a starred rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!

My colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) and I will be running diets in the Sacred Valley of Peru on May 1-29 and September 1-29. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.org

And finally, with the pandemic, most people doing this work have been without access to work since March and the future is uncertain.  If you are able to and would like to donate to the show to help out with new content that would be deeply appreciated.  For just a few dollars a month you can subscribe through Patreon and it gives you some really nice added benefits like early access to shows, bonus episodes, and a chance to ask personalized questions.

To support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithin  

To donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanik 

Music courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/  

And please leave any questions or comments in the comment section or email at:

https://www.UniverseWithinPodcast.com

This will help me with ideas for future shows.

Thanks and until the next episode!

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Ep. 44 - Roman Hanis - Paititi Institute, Sacred Science & Medicines, Esoteric Knowledge, & Healing

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Hey everybody! Episode 44 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with Roman Hanis. I have known about Roman since I arrived in the Amazonian jungles of Peru. And having worked in this field for the past decade, I've come to hear about many centers and people working with these medicines. It's rare to only hear good things about a place, but that's just the case with the Paititi Institute, which Roman founded. In this interview, Roman and I discussed myriad topics from his background and work, to ancient traditions, sacred plants medicines, learning, and healing. Roman has a beautiful way of expressing himself and putting, often esoteric or abstract ideas, into very understandable dialogue. I find Roman's view of the work and world of plant medicine to closely parallel mine, and so it was a pleasure to hear his point of view based on many years of personal and interpersonal work. Roman is one of the wiser voices in this field and this interview turned out to be one of my favorites in terms of the depth and knowledge that he shared. I hope and think you all will gain a lot from this interview. To view bonus material, get access to Q&A’s, and extended conversations, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!

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“Roman Hanis has been working closely with the indigenous Peruvian cultures in the Amazonian rainforest and Andean mountains since 2001. During this time he has devoted this life to learning the ancient healing ways of these cultures while seeking possibilities for creating ecological sources of sustenance for local populations and working to preserve the rainforest and its spiritual heritage of sacred medicinal plants.

Seeing the vital role that ancient cultural practices can play in today’s world, Roman honors and shares their value and wisdom through his work in community projects, healing retreats and educational workshops in both Peru and the U.S.

He is a certified Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner in Peru, and studied the fundamentals of TCM and acupuncture as an apprentice under the director of the Open International Institute of Oriental Medicine, Myriam Hacker, in Iquitos, Peru.

In 2002, Roman was fortunate enough to be cured of a terminal genetic illness , Crohn’s disease. In 2004, he was pledged as a healer-curandero by the Whitoto and Yahua tribes and has served the international community as a medicine man ever since. He has also practiced physical trauma rehabilitation, medical massage therapy and Eastern bodywork, having earned his degree from New York’s Swedish Institute of Health. With these tools and concentrated efforts, he has been able to help numerous individuals overcome many health issues and pathologies on physical, mental and spiritual levels.

Since 1999, Roman has also practiced the Eastern spiritual disciplines of Tibetan Buddhism, breathwork & meditation, QiGong, Yoga, Shaolin physical therapy and Toltec practices. In addition, he has worked to understand these disciplines from the perspective of Jungian psychology. He speaks Spanish, Hebrew, Russian and English.

Roman looks forward to eradicating suffering in the world and its cause, ignorance, by promoting education on the possibilities of more sustainable, harmonious relationships with nature, while simultaneously creating supportive, self-sustaining and nurturing communities.”

To learn more about Roman and the Paititi Institute, visit: https://paititi-institute.org/ and https://linktr.ee/paititiINSTITUTE

This episode of the show is sponsored by the Temple of the Way of Light. To learn more or sign up for a retreat, visit:

https://templeofthewayoflight.org/

If you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth.  If you’re watching on YouTube if you could take a second and Subscribe to the channel and if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts to leave a starred rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!

My colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) and I will be running diets in the Sacred Valley of Peru on May 1-29 and September 1-29. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.org

And finally, with the pandemic, most people doing this work have been without access to work since March and the future is uncertain.  If you are able to and would like to donate to the show to help out with new content that would be deeply appreciated.  For just a few dollars a month you can subscribe through Patreon and it gives you some really nice added benefits like early access to shows, bonus episodes, and a chance to ask personalized questions.

To support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithin  

To donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanik 

Music courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/  

And please leave any questions or comments in the comment section or email at:

https://www.UniverseWithinPodcast.com

This will help me with ideas for future shows.

Thanks and until the next episode!

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Ep. 41 - Stefan Kistler- Amazon Conservation, Indigenous Rights & NGOs

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Hey everybody! Episode 41 of the show is out. In this episode, I spoke with my friend Stefan Kistler. Stefan and I met about a decade ago when we both arrived in the Peruvian Amazon. Stefan has been living and working in the Amazon focusing on indigenous peoples’ rights and forest conservation. We got into a lot of topics around these issues as well as some of his personal story and how his work and thoughts have grown and shifted over the years. We also spoke about how plant medicines can play a big part in creating sustainable livelihood for indigenous peoples. Many of these topics are important issues and I think it’s wonderful to hear from people like Stefan who have been working on the ground day in and day out for many years now. I have a lot of respect for Stefan and all of the hard work he has been doing. I think you all will enjoy this conversation and hopefully learn a lot from it and from him. To view bonus material, get access to Q&A’s, and extended conversations, check out my Patreon page below. Enjoy!

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"Stefan is a political ecologist, holding a Bachelor degree in Development Studies from the University of Oslo and a Master of Science in International Environmental Studies from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences in Ås. Since 2008, and throughout his professional career, Stefan has worked at the interface of indigenous peoples’ rights and forest conservation. He worked for almost five years as Program Coordinator at the Rainforest Foundation Norway, first in the Congo Basin and afterwards in Peru, and previously also led the environmental justice program of Alianza Arkana. He thus has varied experiences with project management, indigenous peoples’ rights, intercultural education, environmental management, advocacy and civil society activism. Stefan is originally from Switzerland, but has been living most of his adult live abroad (Norway in particular). Since 2012, he has been living in Iquitos and first joined Chaikuni in early 2017 as Coordinator of the Intercultural Education Program.”

To learn more about Stefan’s work or to contact him, visit: https://chaikuni.org/

This episode of the show is sponsored by the Temple of the Way of Light. To learn more or sign up for a retreat, visit:

https://templeofthewayoflight.org/

If you enjoy the show, it would be a big help if you could share it with your own audiences via social media or word of mouth.  If you’re watching on YouTube if you could take a second and Subscribe to the channel and if you’re listening on Apple Podcasts to leave a starred rating and a short review. That would be super helpful with the algorithms and getting this show out to more people. Thank you in advance!

My colleague Merav Artzi (who I interviewed in episode 28) and I will be running diets in the Sacred Valley of Peru on March 3-29, May 1-29, and September 1-29. If you would like more information about joining us and the work I do, visit my site at: https://www.NicotianaRustica.org

And finally, with the pandemic, most people doing this work have been without access to work since March and the future is uncertain.  If you are able to and would like to donate to the show to help out with new content that would be deeply appreciated.  For just a few dollars a month you can subscribe through Patreon and it gives you some really nice added benefits like early access to shows, bonus episodes, and a chance to ask personalized questions.

To support this podcast on Patreon, visit: https://www.patreon.com/UniverseWithin  

To donate directly with PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/jasongrechanik 

Music courtesy of Nuno Moreno. See his work at: https://m.soundcloud.com/groove_a_zen_sound and https://nahira-ziwa.bandcamp.com/  

And please leave any questions or comments in the comment section or email at:

https://www.UniverseWithinPodcast.com

This will help me with ideas for future shows.

Thanks and until the next episode!

https://www.facebook.com/UniverseWithinPodcast

https://www.instagram.com/UniverseWithinPodcast