It is too easy to grow away from Nature.

Our lives are so densely packed with constant action, endless lists of unfinished tasks and every kind of media that we are often buried in our heads, at our desks, on our computers and phones. We power our way through our days, keeping our heads down and our focus on the goal. Absorbed by this intense and frenetic energy, we too seldom notice the Earth around us, except as it gifts us with inconvenient weather like blizzards and monsoons, deep freezes and heat waves. We lose the feeling of the nurturing love of the natural world. A part of our soul begins to wither. And the pattern can be frighteningly self-reinforcing, keeping us indoors, away from the sky, the birds, animals, plants, and the earth beneath our feet.

We know we deserve better, we WANT to do better for ourselves — to experience, again, the pure heart of nature.

Deep in the roadless Amazon rainforest of Ecuador, the Achuar people live in mystic harmony with the river and forest, practicing ancient earth-based traditions that we, in the modern world, have long since lost our connection to. A few times a year, the Achuar welcome visitors who yearn to rediscover that lost wisdom by journeying through their astoundingly beautiful, untouched world and experiencing their lives.

What I can tell you is that each Journey offers a life-changing experience. My family and I first went on a Journey six years ago, and it is still a touchstone in our lives. My sons discuss it in their college application essays, they keep small treasures from Ecuador on their desk or dresser, and they talk about what changed for them while they were there. Now, I volunteer once each year to lead others on this journey of unparalleled discovery.

For me, travelling to the Achuar territory is like going home. The sheer untouched beauty of the rainforest and being immersed in that natural world is enormously healing at a spiritual, mental, and even physical level. The river, trees, and wildlife seem to embrace me, and I have fallen in love with the sweet, fierce, family-centered and open-hearted Achuar people. They are wonderful hosts and they exemplify living in harmony with the forest. I come away more impressed, more attached to them, and more ready to return every time I go. That we also get to live for a few days with the Caranqui people of San Clemente in the high Andes at the outset, and with our dear hosts at Hacienda Manteles near Banos at the end is sweet icing on the cake.Obviously, I love every part of the Journey, and I become thoroughly attached to the people who go with us. We’re still very close to the people who we traveled with over the last six years.


As you will see at the link below, I’ll be leading a group with Anita Sanchez, June 6-12 next year. I’m very partial to our itinerary, and I can also unreservedly endorse all of the other trips and leaders. What I will say is that, with our often randomly busy lives, picking a date and making a deposit far in advance is just about the only way that you will actually get there. Setting a stake in your calendar now, and organizing life around that space will get you there. We have people every year who are disappointed with themselves for procrastinating and then letting their calendars bump them off the trip they wanted to join, rather than making this the priority. The continued survival of the Amazon rainforest and its peoples is at risk – no one can say how much longer this experience will be available.

So, I’m eager to talk more with you. Please call me, skype me, write me with questions or just to talk about Ecuador, the Achuar, and the Pachamama Alliance.

We would love to introduce you to the world of the Achuar. Are you ready? Can you imagine yourself deep in the roadless Amazon rainforests? Details at www.Pachamama.org/Journeys