Master Plant Dietas

In the ancient Shipibo tradition of the Peruvian Amazon, working with plants is a life-long path of dedication and study trough what is known as Master Plant Dietas – sacred communion with the plants as teachers. These Dietas are sacred initiations and for countless generations, the Shipibo have walked this path with great respect, humility and devotion.

Under the guidance of plant doctors – curanderos – they have listened to the voices of the Master Plants, whose teachings unfold not through words but through dreams, visions, sensations and the silent language of the heart. It is the meeting between human souls and the wisdom of the plant spirits.

The Sacred Partnership

A Master Plant Dieta is an invitation to enter into a sacred life-long partnership with a plant spirit, where the Dieta itself is just the seeding of this relationship. Dieting a plant is a serious path that requires great dedication, focus and commitment. It is for people that are invested in their own growth, self-development and who are genuinely interested in building relationships with plants and who wish to enter into the Shipibo tradition. It is a spiritual path, and by walking this path step by step, with respect and patience, one can be gifted the wisdom to fundamentally change oneself and one’s life on very deep levels. Dietas are not simply methods of healing, but profound initiations into the mysteries of nature, consciousness and spirit.

At Deep Spirit we too are students of the plants and the Shipibo lineage that has generously opened a doorway for us into this world of deep medicine. With each dieta, we remember that we are guests in a sacred space where healing unfolds in the timing and manner chosen by the plants in collaboration with our own unconsciousness.

It is an absolute honour for us to have received the invitation from the plants to create a place – a sanctuary and an oasis – where students of the plants be initiated into this sacred tradition and continue their studies and inner work. We co-facilitate our Master Plant Dietas with our dear friend and Maestro, who have apprenticed 12 years with the Shipibo in the Peruvian Amazon.

The Plants

Each plant carries its own medicine, its own unique consciousness. Some are known to open the heart, others bring strength or clarity, while others cleanse heavy energies carried in the body and soul. What is important to know is that altough each plant have their own signature, their teachings will always be catered to the student entering the Dieta. Opening the heart for example can look very different from one studen to another. Therefore, it is impossible to specify which teachings a certain plant will bring.

Since the Master Plant Dietas a viewed as a partnership, the initiation of contact also goes both ways. In most cases it will be the plant that reaches out to the student. This can be in dreams, visions, thoughts and feelings. Suddenly the plant seen to appear everywhere, which is viewed as an invitation from the plant. The student on the other hand can also initiate contact, if there is a specific teacher that the student would like to study with. This can for example be done through prayer and offerings.

It is important to remember that just because there is an invitation coming from one or the other, this does not necessarily mean that a partnership will take place. It is up to botht the plant spirit and the student to mutually agree on initiating a relationship.

Offerings as Sacred Exchange

Since ancient times, the act of offering has served as a bridge between humans and the spirit world – not out of obligation, but out of humility and gratitude for what we are receiving. It is done as a gesture of gratitude, respect, and reciprocity. In many traditions, offerings are made to honor the beings we approach for healing and guidance: the plants, the land, the waters, the ancestors.

Throughout time, our ancestors understood that when we approach nature with an open heart and generous spirit, nature responds in kind. The offering is not only a tradition – it is a conversation, a living dialogue between worlds seen and unseen.

An offering may be as simple as a prayer, a song, a bit of tobacco – given not as payment, but as a recognition of the living relationship we enter. When we ask for medicine or insight, we also give something of ourselves, acknowledging that all healing is part of a sacred exchange. This is a very big part of the Master Plant Dieta.

Dieting at Deep Spirit

The duration of a Dieta can be anything from a few weeks to months or event years. The Shipibos can go on year-long dietas on their path of becoming curanderos, but for most Westeners that is more or less impossible. The Dietas we facilitate are usually from 10-14 days, which gives the plant enough time to root itself and for a connection to be established. On top of this each participant will prepare a few weeks in advance and there is a 2-week post-dieta phase to include, where the transition from Dieta to everyday life is slowly bridged.

All participants will abstain from many things throughout the entirety of the Dieta and will mostly be in solitude with periods of fasting and silence as well. Accomodation takes place in a private room inside the house or in one of our campers outside on our land. The food we serve is simple and without oil, salt, sugar and spices to support the process the best way possible.

During the retreat we will facilitate sacred plant healing ceremonies that take root in the Amazonian Shipibo tradition that we have all been trained in. Other plant healing modalities such as vapor baths and plant baths will take place, and there will be different workshops throughout the retreat.

How to Apply

We need to emphasize that stepping onto the path of dieting is certainly not for everyone, which is why we take the application very serious. If you are interested in applying for one of our Master Plant Dietas we kindly ask you to fill in the application form below. In the application process you will be in dialogue with one of us from Deep Spirit, where you can also ask any questions you may have. After this a private online interview with Maestro will be arranged.