professional guidance
Meet The Team
Mandy
When I drank the Mother’s Plant for the first time (and went into my first ayahuasca ceremony), I immediately went into deep journeys in which the spark hit me right in the heart ~ this is it! This is what I want to do in combination with my work as a therapist. This combination can do wonders and help people so much more! And there it started.
I needed years of self-study and life’s study, yoga and other mindful things to find my path. My young and early life hadn’t been without bumps in the road, which is of course sad, but also it brought me where I am right now. I am grateful for that. I’ve been working as a therapist for a very long time and through the years I specialized myself in Trans-personal therapy, Focusing, Voice dialogue, Regression therapy and Body & Breath works.
Mandy
When I drank the Mother’s Plant for the first time (and went into my first ayahuasca ceremony), I immediately went into deep journeys in which the spark hit me right in the heart ~ this is it! This is what I want to do in combination with my work as a therapist. This combination can do wonders and help people so much more! And there it started.
I needed years of self-study and life’s study, yoga and other mindful things to find my path. My young and early life hadn’t been without bumps in the road, which is of course sad, but also it brought me where I am right now. I am grateful for that. I’ve been working as a therapist for a very long time and through the years I specialized myself in Trans-personal therapy, Focusing, Voice dialogue, Regression therapy and Body & Breath works. I cannot stop learning and exploring, while I am a trainer myself. It is so wonderful how we can teach each other so much in the field. Life is an ongoing education and practice for me. Also, the people I work with teach me something new every day. And they show me again and again that we got to practice what we preach as therapists and facilitators. Not empty shells filled with theoretical book-knowledge only.
I feel truly blessed to do what I do. I work with so many people, from burnout to the severely traumatized or people who’ve been institutionalized for years. My goal is to really help everyone who wants to get to know him- or herself in such a way that they can become their own guide and best friend. To help them find their authentic selves, full of joy for life, wisdom, creativity, but above all love and compassion. And to show it’s ok when we sometimes need help. We are here on earth to help one another.
It’s so wonderful to see people open up and start to blossom when they discover their talents and learn how to transform and gain wisdom from their traumas.
The many Sacred Teacher Plants taught me even more ways of assisting people in their processes in life. So, when you ask me “what kind of therapy are you giving exactly?”, I cannot give one answer any more, because it has become a mixture. Which absolutely does not say that I know it all! Actually, I do not know… every day I work with somebody it is a new thing for me, like I am a beginner. But a beginner with the faith in the knowing and the not knowing, as from there everything can evolve.
In the ceremonies and workshops, I combine the wisdom of the plants together with what life and work taught me. And still teaches me every day.
If you want to come along for a workshop and consider therapy and you want to first know more about me, please just pop the questions. I’ll ask you a hundred too when you decide to come… It will be So nice to meet you!
Mother - Therapist - Trainer - Peer worker - Team leader - Sacred & Holy Plants Facilitator - guest teacher - life's lover
Stephen
Up until I drank plant medicines for the first time, I had spent many years working with people with disabilities. This was because I really wanted to help other people and – without knowing it – I also wanted to help and heal myself. Overall, I wanted to make the world – and myself – a better place. But instead of satisfaction and happiness, I was getting more exhausted, less motivated, and more disillusioned with every passing day and every passing year. Life increasingly seemed to have little purpose and sadness was starting to outweigh joy in my daily life – along with a strong sense of emptiness.
I had previously been to non-psychedelic, standard ‘talk’ therapy and while this was helpful, there was no “eureka!” moment coming out of it. It was clear there were things I could do to make my life better, like taking more time for self-care. But still, I was walking around in the same unhappy circles of unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Why did I continue to do the same painful and destructive things over and over? Why wasn’t I really motivated to create change?
Drinking ayahuasca for the first time was an incredible experience. It was quite simply very healing. I was able to connect with myself and the other participants at the ceremony, which was really wonderful! It helped me to understand the roots of my own problematic behaviors and thoughts, the difficult feelings they created, and how I could start to work on them. Above all else, it gave me hope that things could get better.
I have been to more ceremonies since then and they have been very important in my path of finding self-love, meaning, hope, connection, and joy again in life. And I wish everyone could experience that – it doesn’t have to be through plant medicines but however other people find it, I really wish that everyone could find the light inside and experience their own form of happiness, healing, and self-love that I found through my journeys with ayahuasca. I still find great joy in helping others and this is why I am more than happy to be part of the Chakana team and do what I can to assist others in their journeys with the plant medicines!
Guider - Guitar Hero - Trainer - Behaviour therapist - Nature Lover Life’s Enjoyer
Lyzette
I experienced my first ceremony in 2019 with Mandy and her team and although this was a big struggle, I knew I needed to come back. I had a big breakthrough during my second ceremony and since that moment every ceremony gave me a deeper insight in my true being and my purpose in life. I suffered from depression since adolescence and sadly have had suicidal thoughts for a long time. Thanks to mother Ayahuasca I have been able to heal from my trauma’s and feel a sincere gratitude for my life.
It blows my mind how much I have changed and the way my life is unfolding since I discovered Ayahuasca. My work now evolves around helping people as a psychologist and the lessons I am learning are giving me deeper insights in the way I help. Not only that; I can see the change in me also benefitting the people that are close to me, like my children.
I am very grateful for being able to assist and learn at Chakana Center and forever grateful for the way Mandy has guided me with so much patience, wisdom and love.
Mother - Guider - Psychologist
Jaouad
I have discovered the healing effect of Ayahuasca in 2017 at Chakana centre where I took my first steps in the healing process of PTSD and depressions.
Depressions that had their roots in my upbringing where I grew up in an environment with certain values and norms and beliefs that determined my worldview and also gave my self-perception a fairly negative interpretation. In my adult years I managed to organize and direct my life on that basis.
After having worked for several years at the Ministry of Defense and in the civil security, the proverbial ‘straw broke the camel’s back’. As self-medication I increasingly sought out alcohol and drugs, which in the short term gave some relief, but in the longer term it only got me deeper in trouble.
When the realization came that it could no longer carry on like this, I started looking for help at different mental health care organisations. This help, however, offered only partial relief. In my search for a cure, I eventually ended up with the plant medicine Ayahuasca. Ayahuasca helped me see that the depressions that lurked on the surface were only caused by deeper patterns.
Now, after two years of intensive and in-depth treatments at Chakana, I have come to beautiful insights about both myself and my contribution to the world around me. The realization that the universal and unconditional energy of love is the healing power in me and in all of us, is the most beautiful insight Ayahuasca has given me.
This beautiful insight helped me to be more positive in life again and laid the foundation for me to start my work as an assistant with the Ayahuasca ceremonies at Chakana Center
Father - Guider - Military veteran
Peter
I was born and raised in Russia and since I was a kid had a feeling of missing connection with something eternal and deep inside me. My long journey brought me in contact with Sacred Plants in 2018. I first heard about ayahuasca from a friend – his stories of recovering from depression and panic attacks made me curious. My interest in ayahuasca was specific – as many others I was looking for purpose, for something great I should dedicate my life to. I wanted to understand who I am and how to become a better version of myself, how to heal my traumas.
Now that I’ve had some time to think about it, I’d say Ayahuasca is the best thing I’ve ever done. Ever since then, I’ve lived life in openness, trust and adventure, more than ever before. I’m feeling flow, passion, and balanced.
And that was just a beginning. At some point I’ve realised that the problems I was facing before, inner violence I had inside, fear and greed – all this doesn’t belong just to me – this is also a reflection of the same process happening with many people around. I’ve envisioned that I always had this strong intention, shadowed by my ego – Intention of Giving. For me, helping people to heal themselves became an essential part of my path: if we heal ourselves, we heal the world and make it a better place to live.
I’ll be always thankful to Mandy and her team for being with me during my work with Sacred Plants, for their endless love, support and energy. And now, I’m happy and honored to be a part of Chakana team and guide participants with all my love and care.
Father - Guider - Manager
Nastja
Since my adolescence I had a feeling that not everything I do really matters to me, I had difficulties with breaking toxic relationships, saying “no” when I felt it would be right for me, doing things I really want to. With years these feelings grew even more. I started to read esoteric and spiritual literature, practiced Vipassana meditation, yoga etc. which helped a lot. These were the first steps that led me to Sacred plant’s medicine in 2018. I think ayahuasca was the greatest thing that has happened to me and to my marriage. It was not only about becoming a better or different person; it was also about appreciating myself, the role my husband, my kids, my parents — play in my life. Ayahuasca became a world’s most honest mirror for me and I had to escape my head to see that.
I remember my first ceremony with Mandy and all care and attention I got from her and Team. And I remember the way she looked at me at the end and smiled. And I read in her smile: “Happy Birthday”. Indeed, it was my real Birth Day.
I’ve attended several ceremonies as a participant, but as one thing led to another, my life veered in a new direction. Soon It became clear to me that I want to help people who come to heal themselves to get as fruitful and profound experience as possible by joining my lovely Chakana team. Also, I appreciated the work Mandy and her team were doing, and it felt like a very interesting opportunity to experience the ritual from another perspective and so I was thrilled to do so. This helped me a lot with my personal healing and self discovery process.
I’m extremely honored to have the chance and the trust of all Chakana team as well as of the people whom I sat in ceremony with, to experience the medicine work from the perspective of a guider.
Mother - Guider - Artist
Harry
Before Harry came into contact with Sacred Plants, there was almost nothing for him other than commercial ‘success’. That was the motivation for him in life. He could have never foreseen that it would all change after working with the Sacred & Holy Plants. In addition to being given ‘insight’ to being ‘blessed’, ‘control’ and ‘acceptance’ also came later.
All this gave him the motivation to work with Mandy who always provides a loving and safe environment, to guide participants in their journey.
Father - Guider - Entrepeneur
Isabel
When I first heard about Mama Aya, I immediately felt a deep connection and the sense that she was calling out to me. My first ceremony was with Mandy, and it completely changed my life. At that time, I had reached a point in life where I could not continue on my current path and needed to make a change. I had been following a certain path for a large part of my life, and it was now time to choose a different direction. Mama Aya provided me with insight into my life path from before my birth until now – what led me to follow this path and why I had so much difficulty stepping away from it. She gave me insight into my experiences, feelings, behaviors, and actions. By feeling this in every fiber of my being, I was able to understand it and view it from a different perspective. So I could choose a new path for myself.
I am grateful that Mama Aya helped me explore my inner battlefield and learn to believe, trust myself, truly recognize, and accept myself. Mama Aya brought me to a deeper level of reality, teaching me to feel the power of everything that lives. We are part of something powerful, beautiful, and loving, which taught me that we must embrace and celebrate life. It is now my purpose to to pay it forward and help others.
Mandy works with a wonderful team, and I am grateful to be a part of it. My goal is to create a warm, trusted, and loving environment for everyone. So that everyone can take their own journey and start walking their own life path.
Mother - Guide - Project Manager - Vegetable gardener
Origin story
about chakana
Chakana found her roots years ago when Mandy started to work with the Sacred Teacher Plant Medicines. Soon Ayakasha was established from that, a center that evolved fast and where many found insight, healing, connection, and happiness. From there Chakana was born. The team from Ayakasha and some new faces moved with Mandy to join her in her new adventure. Their new adventure. Many more things can be done and we are all working hard to make that happen.
The name Chakana comes from Quechua, the language of the Inca’s and it means ‘bridge’ or ‘connectedness.’ Chakana is the powerful holy Inca cross that represents the most complete holy geometrical design for them given by the stars – the Southern Cross constellation as seen from the Southern Hemisphere which was the center of the universe for the Incas.
The square cross with a round hole in the middle also symbolizes the gateway to the other two worlds. The 3 worlds together represent life as a whole both physically and spiritually where everything is connected and interconnected.
The ordinary material world in which we currently live in our everyday consciousness is called Kay Pacha (the middle world) represented by a Panther. The worlds travelled to in other states of consciousness are Hanaq Pacha (the upper world) dimension of the high spirit beings and Gods, represented by the Condor who is able to fly through the roof of the world and Uhu Pacha (the underworld) where the spirits of the deceased and saints live, represented by the Anaconda. The goal for journeying to the other worlds was for the achievement of spiritual wisdom, the awakening of our Divine Self after the “climbing” of personal evolution was completed. This is in order to become our true spiritual beings/Higher Selves.
Furthermore the cross represents:
the 4 directions of a compass
the 4 seasons of the year (and the 12 corners represent the 12 months of the year)
the 3 most important values of life which are
‘Munay’ (Love) – Love yourself, humanity, the animals, plants and the gods
‘Yachay’ (Knowledge) – Learn, experience and live consciously and don’t lie
‘Liankay’ (Work) – don’t be lazy
Furthermore the cross represents the way the harvest should be divided – first to the people, then to the emperors and then to the Gods.
We hope this explains why we have chosen the Chakana Cross as our symbol and logo. Because we strongly believe in the values and the magic of it. We wish for everyone to live life completely in love, wisdom, connection, equality, happiness & joy.
Somos Unos, we are all one.
what others say about chakana
experiences
always happy to hear from you
any questions?
If you would like to know more or want to know who we are, you can always give us a call.(If there is no answer we will call you back asap. If we are in workshops this can take a little more time…) or you can book a free ‘Get to know’ appointment in the online agenda and we will call you at your chosen date and time.
Rather call directly? (If we don’t answer the first time we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.)
Of course you can also send us a mail if the info you are looking for is not on this site.
info@chakana-center.com
