About this Retreat
In 2005, Hushahu became the first Yawanawá woman to enter a spiritual study, spending over a year in deep isolation in Samakẽi, where she discovered the world of the Pajés as a woman. She expressed this awakening through her art and voice, bringing a female presence to the traditionally male songs of her people. Her return marked a transformation, inspiring men and women alike to re-engage with their traditions. Now a respected spiritual leader, her visionary designs influence indigenous art across Brazil. In 2024, she entered Runua Xinã, a sacred retreat, deepening her connection to ancestral wisdom to better serve those who seek her guidance. Hushahu carries a nurturing yet powerful presence, sharing her deep spiritual knowledge with love and devotion.
Matsini Yawanawá, chief and spiritual leader of Mutum village, descends from an unbroken lineage of Pajés (master shamans) and trained under the legendary Pajé Tata, who helped restore Yawanawá traditions after years of suppression. The Yawanawá, native to Acre, Brazil, have long safeguarded their land and spiritual heritage despite near extinction following early contact with outsiders. Matsini works year-round welcoming students to his village while also sharing his wisdom abroad. He is joined by his wife, Manxyvake Yawanawá, and their children Kuru and Kenesay, all gifted musicians and spiritual practitioners. Together, they carry the ancestral prayers and teachings of their people, aiming to build global community and support sustainable projects in their village. Their tour seeks to share the Yawanawá's powerful prayers and songs, helping guide the world through these times of transformation.
A descendant of strong leaders, Kenewma is the daughter of Chief Biraci Nixiwaka and Chief Naiweni Mariazinha, the first female leader of the Yawanawá. She was the first youth and third woman in Yawanawá history to enter the powerful Muka diet, an intense spiritual study. Deeply committed to the well-being of her people, she supports her village while raising her young family in Bahia, Brazil, where she and her husband, Jordão de Souza, are building Guananshe Sanctuary, a retreat center merging indigenous wisdom with scientific research. A talented artist known for her painted textiles and powerful voice, Kenewma embodies the strength, creativity, and devotion of her lineage.
In 2009, Jordão began his deep journey with the Yawanawá people, becoming the last student of the revered healer Pajé Tata and dedicating himself to the study of ancestral plant medicine and Indigenous wisdom.
He later co-founded the Nipëihu Sanctuary in Bahia—a center for healing and research that connects ancestral plant medicine with visitors from around the world.
Jordão now leads initiatives focused on preserving, revitalizing, and sharing Yawanawá culture and spirituality. His work bridges tradition and modernity, amplifies Indigenous voices, and fosters intercultural dialogue.
Kuru is a powerful and rising young leader from Mutum Village. Having recently completed the year-long Muká initiation, he has deepened his connection to the ancestral healing practices of prayer and medicine. A worldly traveler, he carries his music, spiritual force, and Yawanawá traditions to people across the globe. As the son of Chief Matsini and a devoted student of Hushahu Yawanawá and the wisdom of the ancients, he is dedicated to preserving and sharing his people's sacred knowledge. Above all, he is a father to two children, walking the path of tradition while shaping the future.
Manxyvake is a devoted student of Yawanawá spiritual wisdom. She walks alongside her husband, Matsini Yawanawá—chief and spiritual leader of Mutum Village—participating in ceremonies, sacred diets, and profound spiritual studies. She leads an annual women's gathering, offering a sacred space for connection and transformation, and shares her knowledge through online studies. Through her powerful chants, she helps guide others on their own spiritual journeys.
Born in Amdo, northeastern Tibet,
Dr.
Nida Chenagtsang began his studies in
Sowa Rigpa (Traditional Tibetan Medicine) locally and completed his medical degree at Lhasa Tibetan Medical University in 1996. Alongside his medical training, he studied Vajrayana Buddhism across all schools, with a focus on Longchen Nyingthig and Dudjom Tersar lineages. He received the complete Yuthok Nyingthig teachings—Tibetan Medicine’s unique spiritual lineage—and was entrusted to carry it forward by Jamyang Rinpoche of the Rebkong
ngakpa/ma tradition.
A published poet and scholar,
Dr.
Nida has extensively researched ancient Tibetan healing methods and is highly acclaimed in both the East and West for reviving little-known traditional Tibetan external therapies. His writings on
Sowa Rigpa and Tibetan spiritual healing have been widely translated.
He is the founder of the
Sowa Rigpa Institute,
Pure Land Farms, and
Sorig Khang International, and co-founder of the International Ngakmang Institute.
Dr.
Nida teaches worldwide in over 40 countries.
Dechen Kelden is a Tibetan and Kalmyk Mongolian storyteller whose work reflects themes of identity, memory, and belonging. Her stories draw from her roots- her father, a former monk of Nechung Monastery, revered as the seat of the State Oracle of Tibet, and her mother, a Kalmyk American whose family was among the first Kalmyks to immigrate to the United States in 1951. Kalmyks, also known as the Oirats of the Dzungar tribe, originate from western Mongolia and trace their ancestral origins to the Altai Mountains. Dechen’s work reflects the complexities of diaspora and the spiritual traditions that shape her worldview.
She produced My Sweet Pala, a short film directed by Tao Okamoto, about a Tibetan American child navigating the tension between her family’s past and her American present. As a cultural consultant at Avatar Studios, a division of Nickelodeon, Dechen collaborates with the original creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender across film, TV, publishing, and gaming.
She has used storytelling and community organizing to amplify the stories of her people.
Khenzom is a Tibetan artist based in Brooklyn. Her paintings weave together human and natural elements, centering themes of interdependence, ecofeminism, and sovereignty. By envisioning a homeland untouched by violence and environmental harm, her art challenges colonial narratives of Tibet and imagines futures where the deep harmony between Tibetan people and their land is fully restored. In many paintings, she imbues Tibetan nomads with magical powers that reflect their knowledge and stewardship of the environment. Blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, Khenzom’s art invites viewers to reimagine our modern world and confront today’s climate issues through a lens of hope.
She draws inspiration from traditional thangka art, Tibetan mythologies, and Buddhist beliefs. The strong environmental themes in her work stem from her commitment to climate activism and environmental justice. A graduate of Yale University with a degree in Environmental Studies, Khenzom has worked with the Yale Center for Environmental Justice and currently works at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Lobsang Tara was born in Amdo Ngawa, Eastern Tibet. Lobsang has studied MFA as New York Film Academy as film writer and director. He achieved creating a new genre in Tibetan Contemporary Art as Abstract Calligraphy painter. Lobsang was the co-founder of Artra Sound Production Company in New York and Los Angeles. He currently lives in New York and works as sound engineer and camera operator on film sets
Details of this retreat
There was once a time, deep in the Amazon rainforest, when the great keepers of wisdom—guardians of plants, prayer, and profound spiritual connection—held their knowledge close.
For centuries, the sacred teachings of Tibetan Buddhism were also hidden, veiled high in the Himalayas and passed down through silence, meditation, and ceremony.
Now, the time foretold has arrived. These two ancient lineages—of forest and mountain—are being called to share their sacred knowledge with one another at Menla. A prophecy begins to unfold.
This October, we invite you to Sacred Bridge—a historic convergence of two great wisdom traditions. For the first time ever, nine Yawanawá leaders will journey beyond the rainforest to join Tibetan leaders in shared prayer, ritual, and celebration. Together, they will offer their culture through sacred song, dance, teachings, and the living memory of a way of life rooted in spirit.
Throughout the weekend, you will experience:
Traditional music and dance
Sacred singing and fire ceremonies
Prayer and ritual
Sweat lodge ceremony
Cultural sharing and ancestral storytelling
Discussions on medicinal plants and healing traditions
Artwork and vibrant body and face painting
Environmental preservation teachings and earth-honoring practices
These traditions—shaped by exile, resilience, and deep reverence—come together not as a performance, but as a prayer. A prayer for the Earth. A prayer for our future. A call to remember what it means to live in balance with nature and spirit—and how we might protect the planet for generations to come by walking this sacred bridge together.
Join us for a transformative weekend of cultural exchange and collective awakening. This family-friendly gathering welcomes all who feel called to walk in harmony, open their hearts, and help weave a living tapestry of remembrance, joy, and connection.
Schedule
Thursday, October 2
3:30 - 5 pm Check-in & Arrival
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 pm Opening Fire Ceremony
Opening Prayer
Personal Introductions
Song Circle & Traditional Dance
Immerse yourself in the rhythms of the Amazon
Friday, October 3
7 - 8 am Tibetan Yoga Class
8 - 9 am Breakfast
9:30 - 11:30 am Storytelling & Cultural Exchange
Journey into the ancestral wisdom of the Amazon Forest and the Mountains of the Himalayas
11:30 am - 12:30 pm Discussion
The Power of Medicinal Plant Baths for Healing Modern Ailments
Learn about their deep healing potential and the chance to experience them
12:30 -1:30 pm Lunch
2 - 4 pm Breakout Sessions
Panel Discussion
Preserving the Wisdom and Traditions of the Past
Reclaiming Sacred Art
A Journey into Ancestral Designs
Body Painting & Live Music
Personal Appointments
Experience individual plant baths, healing sessions, and explore the cultural store
4 - 5:30 pm Voices of the Forest
Discover the Power of the Ancestral Chants
Learn the traditional way of connecting to the divine through voice
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 9:30 pm Movie Screening
Tibetan Film Documentary
9 pm Live Music and Celebration
Dance and celebrate under the stars
Saturday, October 4
7 - 8 am Morning Affirmative Prayer and Learning Session Around the Fire
8 - 9 am Breakfast
9:30 - 11:30 am Guardians of the Earth
A Deep Dive into Indigenous Lands, Activism, and Sacred Ecology
10 - 12 pm Yawanawá Classes (Yoga Studio)
Choose to practice guitar/drums or learn sacred designs
11:30 am - 12:30 pm Tibetan Presentation
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
2 - 4 pm Breakout Sessions
Ancestral Play
Traditional Games & Cultural Tibetan Dance
Personal Appointments
Individual plant baths, healing sessions, and time to explore the cultural store
4 - 5:30 pm The Feminine Awakening: Rebalancing the Scales of Power and Harmony
A powerful dialogue and chant circle
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 9 pm Movie Screening
Yawanawá Documentary
Sunday, October 5
7 - 11 am Check-out of Rooms
7 - 8 am Yoga Class
8 - 9 am Breakfast
9:30 am - 12:30 pm Ancestral Storytelling of the Uniting Prophecy
12:30 - 1:30 Lunch
1:30 - 3 pm Tibetan Dance & Song in the Field
A final celebration of unity and culture
3:45 pm Closing Rituals
*Please note that the schedule is subject to change at any time.
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