Holistic Retreat

Zahra Chouicha is a multifaceted healer, educator, and spiritual guide whose life and work bridge the worlds of Western classical music, indigenous shamanism, and therapeutic healing. Her journey is characterized by a profound quest for meaning that has taken her across the globe, integrating her diverse cultural heritage and professional expertise into a singular mission of healing through light, sound, and connection with nature. Her Background and Education: Born in Paris to an American mother and Algerian father, Zahra is a classically trained musician with an impressive academic pedigree. She earned first prize from the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris-CNR, a master’s degree with honors in music education from the University of Sorbonne, and completed her thesis on alternative musical education at SUNY Potsdam in New York. She founded a music studio in Paris, where she taught piano to both children and adults. Her Spiritual Awakening and Shift to Healing: Despite her academic success, Zahra felt constrained by a system she perceived as "rotten from the inside." This led her to shift her focus from music education to music's healing capacity. A pivotal moment came in 2011 with her mother's passing, which triggered a spiritual awakening. She moved to the United States and in 2014 met her mentor, Bhapu Tisziji Muñoz—an avant-garde guitarist, astrologer, shaman, and spiritual teacher. Under his guidance, she underwent a seven-year transformative journey of self-inquiry into the creative paths of light and sound, which clarified her mission in healing. Her Work with Horses and Therapeutic Riding: Following a childhood dream, Zahra worked at the GAIT Therapeutic Riding Center in Milford, PA. She became a certified therapeutic riding instructor and an equine specialist in mental health and illness. There, she created unique healing experiences that combined music, sound, and horses to help children and adults with special needs reconnect on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels. Her Connection to Indigenous Wisdom and Peru: In 2020, during the global pandemic, Zahra felt called to the native cultures of Peru. She moved there and met Maestra Enith, a curandera (healer), with whom she underwent another profound transformation. This encounter confirmed her path to becoming a healer, and they are now partners of the BESU Retreat and Healing Centre in the Amazonian jungle of Pucallpa, Peru. Her Present Mission and Partnership: Her journeys also led her to the mountains of Cusco, where she met Valentin Usca Callañaupa, who became her life partner. Together, they share a common dream and mission: PUNQU, which she describes as "a portal into the collective inner worlds of humanity, mother earth and the universe."