These retreats are designed for energetic “doctoring” and cleaning. They can be approached much like a visit to a western doctor or dentist—ranging from general energetic cleaning and restoring balance in the body, mind and spirit, to addressing a specific psychological, emotional or physical illness / condition.

What is an energetic doctor?

Beyond what we see and understand through Western medicine, there are energetic dimensions to our physical, emotional, and spiritual lives. These dimensions are intricate and deeply interconnected.

When Mark works, he works with the medicine of Ayahuasca and his icaros to address the interconnected physical, emotional, and spiritual systems simultaneously. Working with an energetic field, he focuses on identifying where energetic blockages are held and then loosens and releases or transmutes unwanted energy using the very specific and precise tools of intention and Shipibo icaros.

Whether these energetic blockages arise from personal experience or are carried across generations, the extensive training and preparation—Mark’s, for example, includes an 11-year initiation—combined with the ancient songs of the Shipibo tradition and the medicine itself, work to remove, neutralize, or transmute imbalances within the energetic field.

From there, through the process of integration, and with the field already transformed, the individual begins to heal on a cellular level while also expanding awareness and deepening their attunement to what is real and true.

This work can be applied with precision to a specific condition or trauma (emotional, psychological or physical), or a persistent issue including disease or illness. The aim is to locate and address the underlying source—whether recent or long-standing—that may be contributing to the individual’s current state. This is not magic, but the results can be remarkable.

Healing unfolds in layers. For some, shifts can happen quickly—even overnight. For others, the process may take months.

The pace and depth of healing depend on many factors, including:

• the complexity of what is being addressed

• the depth of stored trauma

• the individual’s readiness and willingness to release what no longer serves them

the healing process

Tara plays two key roles at Popo Niwe: supporting Mark and the Ayahuasca ceremonies, and serving as a Medicine Carrier and Shaman. In her support role, she helps co-create the ceremonial container alongside Mark—from intake and preparation, through the ceremony itself, and into integration and ongoing participant support.

In addition, Tara works with other medicines as they are appropriately called in. She offers Kambo to help prepare certain individuals for Ayahuasca ceremonies by cleansing their systems. In specific circumstances, when it is aligned and appropriate, she also offers Bufo and mushrooms.

Tara Stonemother

If you are seeking meaningful movement along a physical, emotional, or spiritual healing path, the first step is a conversation.

We will take the time needed to understand what you are experiencing and what you hope to address by attending.

Is this right for you?

Ek Balam Retreat Center

Integration at Ek Balam Retreat Center

Accommodation at Ek Balam

Mark in the jungle at Nihue Rao

Ek Balam Cenote Xcanche, Yucatan, MX

Tara in Punta Chueca, Mexico

Ek Balam Ceremony Space