About Mountain Wind: Medicine Retreats, Training, and Professional Services in Cusco, Peru
Mountain Wind guides Huachuma, Ayahuasca, and Kambo retreats in Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and the Manu jungle. Behind every retreat is a small team, a group of trusted associates, curanderos we work with directly, and partners we know personally.
A Decade of Experience
Our founder has more than ten years of plant medicine work, as a participant and as a guide.
A Trained, Vetted Team
We screen and hire our integration coaches, and we call in associates whose skills fit each retreat.
Partners We Know
We recommend only people and centers we have worked with directly, and we receive no compensation for it.
Who We Are
What is Mountain Wind?
Mountain Wind is a medicine retreat and tourism company based in Cusco, Peru. We lead small-group retreats, train retreat staff, and offer professional services to other retreat centers.
Our name comes from Huachuma, the cactus of the four winds. We started Mountain Wind to give back to the medicine and to make safe, affordable access easier for the people who come to Peru to work with it.
This page introduces everyone who makes that possible, so you know who will be with you before you arrive.
Who You Will Meet
Four Groups, One Standard of Care
Different people take part in different parts of your journey. Here is how we describe each group.
Our Team
The People Who Run Mountain Wind
Our owner and staff plan your retreat, speak with you before you book, and stay in contact with you throughout.
Our Associates
Skilled Professionals We Call In
Facilitators, cooks, and tour guides we bring in for specific retreats and pay for their work.
Our Curanderos
Traditional Healers We Work With
The curanderos who hold ceremony in the traditions of the places we visit.
Our Partners
Centers and Organizations We Recommend
Independent centers and teams we know personally, and the ones we point guests toward when they need something we don’t offer.
Our Team
The Team Behind Mountain Wind
You will speak with the people on this page before you book, and you can reach them directly at any point afterward.
Founder and Owner
Shane Parks
Shane has worked with plant medicine for more than ten years, for his own growth and to guide others. He founded Mountain Wind to give back to the medicine and to offer safe, affordable access to it. He has hosted retreats for more than five years through earlier projects.
- More than ten years of plant medicine work
- More than five years hosting retreats
- Founder of Mountain Wind
Our Associates
Associates We Call In for Your Retreat
Associates are skilled professionals we bring in for specific retreats and pay for their work. Which associates join you depends on your retreat, your group, and the season.
Facilitator, Cook & Tour Guide
Zach Khan
Zach joins our retreats as a facilitator, cook, and tour guide. He is a native English speaker and an experienced guide, and he has recently begun hosting retreats of his own.
- More than ten years of plant medicine work
- Just started hosting his own retreats
- Native English speaker and experienced tour guide.
Our Curanderos, Paqos & Specialists
The Experts We Work With
Our healers work in the traditions of the Andes and the Amazon. We call them curanderos, and where a healer prefers another title, such as paqo, we use theirs.
Why We Say Curandero
Curandero is the Spanish word for a traditional healer, and it names the healing traditions of Peru directly. The word shaman comes from Siberia and is now used for healers in many cultures.
Ayahuasceros, Curanderos & Healers
Alonzo and Flor
Alonzo and Flor are healers, musicians, and therapists from South America who met in the Sacred Valley. They are bilingual and hold space with music, working with master plants and ceremony.
- Many years of training with many medicine.
- From South America and Bilingual
- Excellent musicians and space holders.
Paqo Pampamesiaoc
Luis Quispe & His Community
Luis is a paqo from the Q’ero lineage. His village lies near Ausangate, and he works together with members of his community. He is an expert space holder and performs limpiezas, traditional cleansing rituals.
- From the Q'ero lineage
- His village is near Ausugate
- Expert space holder and limpiezas
Shipiba Currandera
Lydia Huayta Ramirez
Lydia is a Shipibo curandera from the jungle near Pucallpa. She has worked with international guests for a decade and carries the Shipibo musical tradition into ceremony.
- A decade of working with foreigners
- From the jungle near Pucallpa
- Shipibo style musicianship
Our Partners
Partners We Recommend
When we advise guests through our Dieta Advisor service, these are the centers and organizations we know and send people to. We receive no commission from our partners. We charge only for the time of the advising call.
Huachuma Center · Near Cusco
Casa de la Gringa Medicine House
The home of Huachuma guide Lesley Myburg, next to the Temple of the Moon near Cusco. The house has gardens, sleeping quarters, and ancient ruins nearby, and we recommend it to guests who want Huachuma ceremony at a center we know personally.
Huachuma Center · Near Cusco
Casa de la Gringa Medicine House
The home of Huachuma guide Lesley Myburg, next to the Temple of the Moon near Cusco. The house has gardens, sleeping quarters, and ancient ruins nearby.
The center itself offers beautiful gardens, comfortable clean sleeping quarters, and amazing access to ancient ruins. There is no other huachuma center I recommend, Casa de la Gringa offers it all, at an affordable rate with a heart-open mentality that I have seldom encountered in my journeys.
If our retreats are not to your preference, and you seek an experience with The Grandfather, feel free to visit Casa de la Gringa’s website and contact them directly here.
Healing and Retreats · Sacred Valley
Zach at Ayni Collective
Zach is a healer, herbalist, chef, yoga teacher, and facilitator. He has taught yoga since 2021 and holds a Permaculture Design Certificate from 2015. Ayni Collective is built on reciprocity between people, planet, and purpose.
Eco Lodge · Manu Reserve
Bamboo Eco Lodge, Manu Reserve
A family-run eco lodge near Manu National Park. The family practices sustainable land use and runs a volunteer project.
Eco Lodge · Manu Reserve
Bamboo Eco Lodge Manu Reserve:
A family-run eco lodge near Manu National Park. The family practices sustainable land use and runs a volunteer project.
Healing and Ceremony · Sacred Valley
Alonzo and Flor at Alma Tierra
Alonzo and Flor are healers, musicians, and therapists from South America who met in the Sacred Valley. They are bilingual and hold space with music, working with master plants and ceremony.
Alma Tierra is where Alonzo and Flor offer ceremony and alternative therapies. Located in Lamay of the Sacred Valley.
Training Academy · Integration Coaching
Stormy at Out of the Dark Academy
Stormy leads professional training in psychedelic integration coaching, including applied skills, ethics, and trauma-informed practice.
Training Academy · Integration Coaching
Stormy at Out of the Dark Academy
Stormy leads professional training in psychedelic integration coaching, including applied skills, ethics, and trauma-informed practice.
Become a Partner
Offer Huachuma, Ayahuasca, or Kambo? Partner With Us.
We work with centers, facilitators, and group leaders who share our standards. We recommend partners to guests looking for something we don’t offer, and we don’t recruit partners’ guests.
- Consulting for your center
- Advertising and online presence
- Guest referrals
- Logistics support
Every partner is asked to hold to the same three values: humility, purity, and respect.
How We Work
The Standards Behind Every Retreat
The same three values apply to our team, our associates, our curanderos, and our partners.
Humility
We approach the medicine as students. We listen to the curanderos and the communities whose traditions we are invited into.
Purity
We keep ceremony simple and honest, and we keep our own motives clear. We tell you plainly what we do and what we don’t.
Respect
We respect each guest, each healer, and each place we visit, and we choose partners who do the same.
About Mountain Wind FAQ
Below you’ll find answers to common questions about who we are and how our team works. If you don’t see your question, visit our FAQ page or contact us.
About Mountain Wind FAQ
Who is Mountain Wind?
Mountain Wind is a medicine retreat and tourism company based in Cusco, Peru. We lead Huachuma, Ayahuasca, and Kambo retreats, train retreat staff, and offer professional services to other retreat centers.
How long has Mountain Wind been running retreats?
Mountain Wind is a newer company, founded by Shane Parks, who has hosted retreats for more than five years through earlier projects.
Why should I choose Mountain Wind?
We aim to make it easier to find your way through the world of medicine retreats. Our pricing is transparent, our staff are experienced, and you can speak with us before you decide.
What is the difference between your team, your associates, and your curanderos?
Our team runs Mountain Wind and plans your retreat. Associates are facilitators, cooks, and guides we call in for specific retreats. Curanderos are the traditional healers who hold ceremony.
Who will be with my group?
It depends on the retreat. We will tell you who is joining your group during your onboarding call.
Curanderos and Partners FAQ
Why do you say curandero instead of shaman?
Curandero is a Spanish word for a traditional healer, and curandera is the feminine form. It names the healing traditions of Peru directly. Shaman is a word from Siberia that is now used for healers in many cultures. Where a healer prefers another title, such as paqo for an Andean healer, we use that person’s preferred title.
Do you receive compensation for recommending partners?
No. We receive no commission from partner centers. When we advise a guest on the right center, we charge only for the time of the call.
How do you choose partners?
We recommend centers and people we have worked with and know personally. We ask every partner to hold to humility, purity, and respect.
Are partner centers part of Mountain Wind?
We recommend centers and people we have worked with and know personally. We ask every partner to hold to humility, purity, and respect.
Are partner centers part of Mountain Wind?
No. Our partners are independent centers and organizations. We recommend them, and each one runs its own programs and sets its own terms.
Can my center become a partner?
Yes. We welcome centers, facilitators, and group leaders who offer Huachuma, Ayahuasca, or Kambo. Contact us and we will talk through what a partnership would look like.
Talk With Us
Meet Us Before You Decide
Book a free call and tell us what you are looking for. We will answer your questions plainly, and if a partner or another path fits you better, we will say so.