What is Water Weavers?

Water Weavers is an intimate, Indigenous-led journey held in Peru's Sacred Valley, bringing together Quechua and Huni Kuin leaders with a carefully selected group of family leaders, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, earth stewards, and anyone exploring legacy and purpose.
The retreat explores how we relate to responsibility, reciprocity, community, leadership, and the living world. It is an invitation to consider not only what we have inherited, but what we are shaping for those who come after us.

Why is the retreat called Water Weavers?

The Quechua communities who live high in the Andes protect the headwaters that flow from the mountains into the Amazon basin. Those waters eventually travel toward the territories of the Huni Kuin, including remote regions close to some of the last uncontacted Indigenous peoples.
Water connects these communities across vast distances. It also offers a powerful teaching: everything we do upstream affects life downstream.
The name Water Weavers reflects the relationship between land, water, culture, family, wealth, and future generations. It asks each participant to consider what they are weaving into the greater flow of life.

Why is this retreat being held in the Sacred Valley?

The Sacred Valley is a living cultural landscape shaped by generations of Quechua knowledge, agriculture, ceremony, weaving, community, and relationship with the mountains and waters.
Rather than experiencing Indigenous wisdom outside of its context, participants are welcomed into the land where these teachings continue to be practiced. The land is not just a beautiful place for a retreat—it also holds deep spiritual significance and teachings.

Who is leading the retreat?

The experience is led in partnership with Quechua and Huni Kuin leaders, wisdom keepers, artists, cultural representatives, and community members.
Abi Ferrin and Leah Steiger will be facilitating the retreat, helping with its organization and structure. They will be present to offer support to participants' needs before, during, and after the retreat, and will be there to care for everyone's general wellbeing.
The retreat is intentionally designed so that Indigenous voices remain central rather than appearing as supplemental speakers within a conventional retreat model.

Who is the retreat designed for?

This retreat is for people called to explore indigenous wisdom and medicine directly from the source, and to dive deeper within themselves. It's for those ready to ask hard questions about purpose: where they belong in the healing of this Earth, and what kind of legacy they want to leave for the generations coming after. Come searching for a stronger connection to our Creator, to yourself, ancestral wisdom, and to nature—held in a safe, loving, and authentic container.

Why Water Weavers?

There are moments in history when we are called not simply to inherit the world as it is, but to participate in weaving the world that is yet to come.
Water Weavers is an invitation to step into relationship—with Indigenous wisdom, with one another, with the land, and with the responsibilities that accompany influence and inheritance. Together, we explore what becomes possible when legacy is measured not just by what we accumulate, but by what continues to flow through our actions for generations to come.
We would be honored to welcome you into this journey.

Is this a spiritual or religious retreat?

The retreat is not affiliated with one religion and does not require participants to adopt a particular spiritual belief.
The Quechua and Huni Kuin understand the natural world through living relationships with water, plants, animals, ancestors, territory, and spirit. These perspectives may be shared as part of the experience and will be presented within their cultural context.
Participants are invited to approach these teachings respectfully while remaining grounded in their own beliefs and personal boundaries.

Will there be Indigenous ceremonies?

The retreat will include culturally appropriate prayers, offerings, songs, storytelling, visits to sacred places, and community-led experiences.
The exact program will be shaped by the Indigenous leaders involved and by what they feel is appropriate to share. No ceremony should be treated as entertainment or as an experience that can be purchased.
Participants will receive clear information in advance about any ceremonial elements, including what participation involves and whether participation is optional.

Will plant medicines be involved?

Yes. In our retreat, we will be offering 5 plant medicine ceremonies: Two Huachuma (San Pedro) with the Quechua, and three Ayahausca with the Huni Kuin. No participant will ever be pressured to take a substance or participate in a practice that does not feel appropriate for them. Any traditional medicine included in the program will be approached with careful screening, informed consent, experienced leadership, legal consideration, and respect for its cultural origins. All of these sacraments are fully legal in Peru and will require full screening and preparation ahead of time.

Is this a luxury retreat?

Water Weavers is intended to be beautiful, comfortable, nourishing, and supportive. However, it is not designed around luxury.
The deeper purpose of the retreat is relationship, reflection, cultural exchange, and meaningful encounters. Our accommodations at the beautiful Villa Mágica support the experience without separating guests from the realities, people, and land at the heart of the retreat.

How is this different from Indigenous tourism?

Water Weavers is a retreat developed in full partnership and reciprocity with our Indigenous families.
Our Quechua and Huni Kuin partners help shape the retreat, determine what is appropriate to share, and participate as leaders, hosts, teachers, and collaborators. The intention is not to place Indigenous people on display or ask them to perform their culture for guests.
Participants are entering a relationship that requires respect, listening, and accountability.

How are the Quechua and Huni Kuin compensated?

Indigenous leaders, artists, facilitators, and community partners are compensated in partnership with our organizations for their time, knowledge, preparation, travel, and participation.
A portion of the retreat's economic impact will also support community-directed priorities and long-term initiatives. Those priorities should be identified by the communities themselves rather than imposed by outside organizers.
We intend to be transparent about where the money goes and how the communities benefit.

How does my participation benefit Indigenous communities?

The retreat is designed to create direct economic opportunity, long-term relationships, and support for community-led cultural, environmental, and social movements.
Participation will support local employment, Indigenous-owned businesses, artists, weavers, transportation providers, cultural programs, water protection, community infrastructure, and future exchanges.
The retreat is not intended to suggest that a single visit can solve the challenges facing Indigenous communities. Its purpose is to begin or deepen relationships that can lead to informed, long-term action.

Is this cultural appropriation?

Cultural appropriation occurs when teachings, symbols, practices, or creative work are taken out of context, used without permission, or turned into personal or commercial property without proper relationship or benefit to the originating community.
Water Weavers is being created through invitation and collaboration with Indigenous partners. Participants will be given guidance about what may be respectfully experienced, photographed, shared, purchased, or carried forward—and what should remain within the community or ceremony.
The goal is not to acquire Indigenous identity or knowledge. It is to listen, build relationships, and better understand our own responsibilities.

Is the retreat confidential?

The retreat is intended to create a trusted environment where participants can speak honestly about family, wealth, identity, responsibility, and uncertainty.
Guests will be asked to honor the privacy of one another and to seek permission before sharing another person's story, image, or personal reflections.
Additional guidance will be provided regarding the photography and sharing of Indigenous ceremonies, sacred places, community members, and cultural knowledge.

Will photography and social media be allowed?

Photography will be welcome in some settings and restricted in others.
Participants will be asked to receive permission before photographing community members, children, ceremonies, sacred objects, homes, or private cultural practices. Some experiences may be entirely phone-free.
The guiding principle is that access does not automatically equal permission to document or publish.

Can partners, spouses, or family members attend?

Partners or family members may attend if they are equally interested in the experience and complete the same application process.

How many people will attend?

Water Weavers is intentionally intimate so that meaningful relationships can form among guests, hosts, and facilitators.

How physically demanding is the retreat?

The Sacred Valley is at a high elevation (9,600 ft), which is already physically demanding for most. Some activities may involve walking on uneven ground, climbing steps, traveling on mountain roads, or spending time outdoors. Our most challenging day will be at Kinsa Cocha, where elevation reaches 13,500 ft and includes a hike with Huachuma. This is not obligatory, and only suggested for participants who feel comfortable hiking at high altitudes on medicine. Participants will receive detailed information regarding altitude, mobility, climate, and the physical demands of activities before arrival. Alternative options will be made available wherever possible.

How should I prepare for the altitude?

Guests are encouraged to arrive at least 2 or 3 days in Peru early enough to acclimatize before the retreat begins. Hydration, rest, no alcohol consumption, and a slower pace during the first days are often important.
As part of our own preparation, many members of our team begin adding liquid chlorophyll to their water approximately three weeks before traveling to Peru. While this is not medical advice or a scientifically established recommendation, we have found it to be a simple practice that supports an easier transition to the altitude and environment.
Participants are encouraged to consult their healthcare provider regarding altitude, existing health conditions, medications, and travel readiness. Additional preparation suggestions and packing guidance will be provided prior to the retreat.

What are participants expected to bring to the experience?

Participants are asked to bring curiosity, humility, presence, and a willingness to listen.
They should be prepared to encounter perspectives that may challenge familiar ideas about wealth, progress, leadership, ownership, time, and success.
No one is expected to arrive perfect or already informed. Participants are simply expected to engage respectfully and take responsibility for how they show up. We will send a suggested packing list closer to the time, but will be staying in a very lovely retreat center in the Sacred Valley that will provide modern Peruvian comforts!

What accommodations and meals are provided?

The retreat will include carefully selected accommodations and nourishing meals that reflect both local ingredients and participants' dietary needs.

What are the sleeping arrangements?

A bed in a shared triple room with the same gender is included in the trip price. If a couple would like to share a bed in a private room, the upgrade cost is $225 per person. If an individual would like their own room, the upgrade is $450. If you would like to upgrade, please reach out to our team.

Is there an application process?

Because the retreat involves sensitive conversations, cultural exchange, and a high level of trust, guests will be asked to complete an introductory conversation after registration.

The purpose is not to judge status or achievement. It is to ensure that participants understand the nature of the experience and are approaching it with humility, openness, and respect.

What is included in the retreat fee?

Accommodations
Meals and nonalcoholic beverages
Ground transportation during the retreat
Facilitated programming
Community visits
Cultural experiences
Indigenous leaders' and facilitators' fees

What is not included?

International travel to and from Cuzco
Travel insurance
Passport and visa requirements
Personal purchases
Any additional nights before or after the retreat
Entrance fee to Pisac Archaeological Ruins (optional journey day)
Massages and therapies

What is the cancellation and refund policy?

Because Water Weavers involves extensive coordination with Indigenous communities, local partners, accommodations, transportation providers, and facilitators, we are unable to offer refunds once your registration has been confirmed.
If you need to cancel before November 7, your investment may be applied in full toward any future Mama Ayni offering, including retreats, experiences, educational programs, or products. Cancellations made after November 7 are non-refundable and non-transferable.

We encourage all participants to purchase comprehensive travel insurance that includes trip cancellation and interruption coverage to protect against unforeseen circumstances.

What happens after the retreat?

Water Weavers is intended to begin a relationship rather than create a single transformative moment with no continuation.
After the retreat, participants may be invited into integration conversations, peer gatherings, community updates, learning opportunities, and carefully developed pathways for ongoing partnership.
Each guest will also be encouraged to identify a personal commitment: something they will carry downstream into their family, work, philanthropy, investments, or community.

What do we hope participants will leave with?

We hope guests leave with a more expansive understanding of inheritance and a deeper sense of relationship with land, water, community, and future generations.
They may also leave with new friendships, a stronger inner compass, meaningful questions, and a clearer understanding of how their resources and influence can participate in a more reciprocal world.
The goal is not to leave believing that the retreat provided all the answers. It is to leave prepared to live the questions differently.