Austin - Founder of The Huachuma Project

I’m Austin, founder and lead facilitator of The Huachuma Project.

My path into this work began with my own life. I have walked through addiction, violence, loss, heartbreak, survival and the long process of rebuilding myself. Those experiences changed the direction of my life and eventually brought me to plant medicine, ceremony and the work I now dedicate myself to.

I first began working with plant medicines in 2015 and have focused deeply on Huachuma since 2018. Over the years I have spent a great deal of time in ceremony, learning through direct experience, personal study and time with elders, teachers and experienced practitioners. I continue to learn, question myself and take my own inner work seriously.

The Huachuma Project has grown alongside that journey.

My approach to facilitation is grounded, direct and personal. I value honesty, clear boundaries, responsibility and genuine human connection. I take the responsibility of holding ceremony seriously and work to create an environment where people feel safe enough to meet themselves honestly.

For me, that work starts well before someone arrives in Portugal. Every retreat begins with a conversation. I want to understand what is bringing you to Huachuma, where you are in your life and whether this work feels appropriate for you at this point in your journey. We keep our groups small and we do not accept every person who enquires. The people who gather around the medicine have a real influence on the retreat, so readiness and group compatibility matter.

During ceremony, my role is to remain present, attentive and grounded. I give people room to experience the medicine in their own way while being available when support or guidance is needed. There is no pressure to produce a particular experience. The focus is on creating a strong, calm and respectful space where the work can unfold naturally.

Huachuma has played a profound role in my own life, but I do not see it as a quick fix or something that does the work for us. It can bring clarity, uncover patterns and help us see ourselves and our lives from a different perspective. What we choose to do with those insights afterwards is where much of the real work happens.

That is why preparation and integration are such important parts of the way I work. My relationship with the people who sit with us does not simply end when the retreat finishes. We offer continued integration support and remain available as people begin bringing what they have experienced back into everyday life.

I have dedicated a significant part of my life to this work and to creating The Huachuma Project as a place where it can be held with sincerity, care and respect.

You do not need to arrive with everything figured out. You need sincerity, respect and a willingness to meet yourself honestly.

If you feel genuinely called to this work, the first step begins with a conversation.