I am deeply honored and grateful to share this life with you and continue remembering and awakening to our naturalness together.
May you soon remember that you are Nature, and medicine is alive in you, waiting to be awakened.
May we together soon enjoy the love flow that we are, laugh, cry, and roar until every bit of our system becomes fully alive.
Kuthoomi Castro (They/Elle)
Kuthoomi is an mestizo-indigenous two spirts who hails from Ecuador and resides in Boulder, Colorado, where they are a wellness professional and medicine person with expertise in transpersonal and social justice counseling, relationship dynamics, personal and spiritual growth, and sacred practices from their indigenous South American tradition. Their therapy work is rooted in a client-centered approach, and they hold acceptance, compassion, and presence through a pluricultural and inclusive lens.
Their approach is strongly informed by the mindfulness and contemplative education of Naropa University, a social justice and inclusive framework, The Learning Love Institute method, Osho's teachings, Kuthoomi’s native roots from South America, and their life-long love of world traveling.
Kuthoomi’s truth-seeking desire has led them to travel extensively to 19 countries and reside in 5, experiencing, first-hand, multiple cultures and observing their social, family and spiritual dynamics. They have learned that below our personality and defense mechanism, people tend to share similar emotional wounds, and a deep longing for connection, love, and spiritual fulfillment.
They was born and raised in the Andes Cosmology and started their curanderismo path at the age of 12. After many years of world traveling, Kuthoomi returned to Ecuador and began drinking Sacred Medicine regularly in their late 20s. Ever since, Kuthoomi has devoted their life to the medicine ways guided by their Elders Don Luis, Doña Ines, and their Kichwa family in the Ayahuasca tradition.
The Yachaks
“The ones who Know”
Doña Ines Vargas
Doña Inés, 67, is an indigenous elder and head of the community. She is the caretaker of the sacred medicine and its preparation, and is the person that holds the spiritual container where the medicine take place. Together with other members of the community, she looks after the participants and holds the structure of the ceremony. In addition, Doña Ines is in charge of food, lodging, and preparation of the medicinal brews and herbal baths that assist in the purification and healing process of each participants.
Don Luis Andi
Don Luis Andi, 65, is an indigenous elder and head of the community. Since birth, he was prepared by his father, also a renowned powerful Yachak, to become a shaman. For nearly 40 years, Don Luis been practicing the use of medicinal plants in the forest, specifically to purify the blood in the treatment of diseases, and to cleanse spiritual energy with special ceremonies using essences extracted from the plants of the Amazon. Together with his wife, Doña Ines, they orchestrate a safe and powerful healing environment where their ancestral linage and spiritual work, curanderismo, is shared with participants.
Juan Andi Vargas
Juan Andi Vargas, 48, is the son of Doña Ines and Don Luis. He has been working with the plant medicines since birth, under the guidance of his parents. He has also studied under other shamans and is very passionate about healing and helping others. He is the founder of the Napusamai Ayahuasca Lodge and, together with Kuthoomi, organizes the activities during the retreats, seeing that everyone gets individual attention and healing. He is a powerful Yachak and makes use of the ancestral knowledge and the application of medicinal plants. He has also worked in Ecotourism for the past 25 years.
Kuthoomi Castro (They/Elle)
Kuthoomi, 43, is a mestizo-indigenous two sprits born and raised in Ecuador. They have been under the apprenticeship of Doña Ines and Don Luis since 2009, and became a medicine carrier and lineage holder, Yachak, in 2017. Kuthoomi carries their elders’ heritage with great respect, responsibility and love for the community. Following Kuthoomi’s ancestral heritage laid out in the Andes Cosmology, they began their path on “curanderismo” at the age of 12. Ever since, they have worked with earth centered wisdom along with medicine elders from Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru, and is currently learning from indigenous North American traditions, the eagle cultures. Kuthoomi is a clinical and transpersonal counselor, social justice advocate, and relationship coach. They brings over 20 years of experience in the field of wellness and personal growth to help participants integrate their experiences and transition back to their day to day lives.