Jaya Ratnani
Traveling to Peru was more than a journey, it was a deep homecoming to my soul. Nestled in the Sacred Valley, surrounded by ancient mountains and the quiet wisdom of the Andes, I stepped into a space of profound healing, transformation, and awakening.
I was dressed for altitude, but I wasn’t ready for what Peru would elevate in me. What I thought would be an outer adventure became an inner pilgrimage, one that shifted me from glam to grounded, from curated to cracked open.
Wachuma: The Gentle Opening
Working with Wachuma (San Pedro) was like being embraced by the spirit of the Earth itself. It opened my heart in ways I never expected. It felt as though layer by layer, I was gently peeled back to my essence. With every breath, I was reminded of the beauty, simplicity, and sacredness of life.
In that space, I felt connected, to nature, to others, and most importantly, to myself. What arose was clarity, calm, and a profound sense of peace.
Ayahuasca: The Powerful Teacher
If Wachuma was a gentle embrace, Ayahuasca was a powerful teacher. Intense, humbling, and deeply illuminating, it brought me face to face with old wounds, limiting beliefs, and buried emotions, I thought I had long escaped.
But through surrender, I was guided into release,into forgiveness,into new beginnings. It was not easy, sometimes it was raw, sometimes overwhelming, but it was honest. And honesty has a way of healing like nothing else can.
I emerged lighter. More aligned. More alive.
Coming Home Different
This retreat changed me in ways words can only touch. I return with a softened heart, a clearer mind, and a renewed connection to spirit.Peru was not just a trip. It was a return to essence, a reminder of who I am beneath the noise and expectations. More grounded. More open. More me.
“Sometimes, the greatest journeys are not about where we go, but who we become along the way.”
Sripriya Menon
This trip was truly about getting comfortable with the uncomfortable,about peeling back layers of who I thought I was and stepping into deeper truths. It was about knowing a little bit more about myself, developing a sense of appreciation and reverence for the mysteries of nature, and rethinking the world we live in.
I found myself questioning long-held beliefs, about myself, about humanity, about the expansiveness of living. Are there realms beyond the human experience? How can I, with my scientific temper, surrender to plant spirits and native “voodoo”? Am I risking my rational mind? Why am I judging myself for even being here? These were the questions echoing in me as I prepared for the journey.
Meeting Grandpa Huachuma in the Sacred Valley
In the magical environs of the Sacred Valley, once I allowed my guard to soften, Grandpa Huachuma gently surfaced emotions I had long buried, uncomfortable, unacknowledged feelings etched deeply into my being. For so long, I had assumed that if I did not think about them, they would simply cease to exist.
Sitting with these feelings, held in a safe and sacred space by Shradha, and guided with care by Rayan, I began to see their interconnectedness, the threads of old blockages and patterns that wove through my life. It was not just release; it was understanding, integration, and the first steps toward freedom.
Grandma Aya in the Amazon
Later, in the Amazon, I met Grandma Aya. I approached her gently, asking her to be kind. And she was. She held me softly, perhaps sensing my skepticism and fear. She didn’t show me her full splendor this time, but what she did reveal was enough, energies of loved ones and others, so real and vivid they left no room for doubt.
The Shift Within
There has been a seminal shift inside me, an expansion of compassion toward myself and toward others. I feel both softer and stronger. There is a quiet excitement in waiting to see the butterfly effect of this compassion unfold in my life.
This was not just a trip. It was a transcendental experience in the Sacred Valley and the Amazon,a journey of reverberating icaros, plant wisdom, and soul awakening. The echo of those songs still lingers in my being, a reminder of what I’ve touched and what’s possible when we surrender.
“Thank you, Peru, for holding me as I learned to hold myself.”
Shweta Kedia
Stepping into Peru, I carried the weight of healing and the hope for transformation. What unfolded was beyond anything I imagined, a soul-deep shift held with grace, love, gratitude, empathy, and strength.
Shradha’s presence through Lionheart Journeys was truly sacred. She didn’t just facilitate, she held space with such love, patience, and quiet power that each of us felt safe enough to unfold, break through, and bloom in our own rhythm.
This wasn’t just one area of transformation; it was a holistic awakening. The way I see myself, the world, and everything around me has softened, opened, and beautifully realigned.
I am deeply grateful to Shradha, the Sacred Valley, the Amazon, Ryan, and David. Yes, the medicine was powerful, but it was Shradha’s grounded connection to it that gave me the strength to surrender and trust the process completely.
From Fear to Trust
I began this journey with fear. I return from it open, filled with love, trust, and inner resources I didn’t know I had. I came to Peru seeking healing, but what I found was far more profound.
Shradha’s guidance, her connection to the medicine, and the way she gently walked us through the Sacred Valley and the Amazon created the perfect container for a deep inner shift.
I returned with an open heart, renewed trust, and inner resources I didn’t even know existed. I carried so many limiting beliefs and self-doubt, and through this journey, I found answers I didn’t even know I was seeking.
It truly felt like I gained my power back.
The Power of Surrender and Forgiveness
There’s something deeply beautiful I’ve come to realize:
When I say I’m sorry, when I ask for forgiveness, whether I’ve hurt someone knowingly or unknowingly, it doesn’t make me weak. It makes me powerful.
In that moment, I reclaim a part of myself I had once given away. By taking responsibility, I take my power back, not over anyone else, but back into my own heart.
And in that space of stillness, I see something clearly: Outside, I am nothing. Inside, I am everything.
It’s all a matter of perception. But today, I found my perception beautiful.
True strength is born the moment you bow with sincerity.
In surrender, you rise.
In softness, you reclaim your power.
“Thank you, Shradha. With all my heart.”
