2026 Sacred Amazon Medicine
July 11 through July 19, 2026
IQUITOS + AMAZON + CEREMONY
This is a slower, more relational immersion into the Peruvian Amazon, the world of the Montero Family, and an invitation into the pace of the Amazon.
We begin in Iquitos and then enter the jungle together, moving in a held rhythm of preparation, spaciousness, learning, and the magic that has been moving through the Amazon for millennia.
This is not a standard retreat. It is a guided path into relationship with Peru, the jungle, and what this place may hold for you.
A Note from Russell
My relationship with Peru did not begin as a business idea. It began as a calling, then a listening, then a lived relationship with Don Antonio Montero Pisco, who became my teacher.
Over the years, that relationship deepened into a bond with his family, and it is through that relationship that I now bring small groups into the jungle.
What I am sharing is a held path into a place, a family, and a way of relating that has deeply shaped my life.
I do not bring people to Peru to chase intensity. I bring people to Peru to slow down enough to listen, to learn from the jungle and the people who live in relationship with it, and to feel what is actually true for them.
If Peru is a part of your path, my role is to help you enter it and find your right relationship to this incredible land.
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Preparing the Medicine - June 7-10, 2026
I will be returning to the village in Nauta where Don Antonio and Don Gilmer have been going for DECADES to harvest and prepare the medicine ahead of the group’s arrival.
If you have ever been interested in seeing how Ayahuasca is prepared, this is an opportunity to immerse yourself in witnessing this sacred process.
$500 minimum donation to join.
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FAQ
Taking the opportunity to commune once again with the Amazon Jungle and her many medicines. From the trees and roots and leaves that create healing for so many ailments.
I have found a communion with nature from the first time I set foot in the jungle. Each journey is different than the ones before, but in each one, I find opportunity for deeper communion.There is a transformation that comes from coming into stillness with the jungle, listening to her messages, and learning from the life all around you.
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July 11-19, 2026
A small group of up to 10 people will venture into the jungle to take in the magic and culture of the Amazon while learning about plant medicines and many healing ceremonies.
This is an all-inclusive journey where meals, accommodations, transportation, translators, and optional group experiences are included.
See details below
*Book a Consult to explore payment plans
2026 Sacred Amazon Medicine Info
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ARRIVE IQUITOS
Saturday, July 11, 2026
ENTER JUNGLE AT OUR LODGE
Monday July 13, 2026
GROUP FAREWELL DINNER IN THE JUNGLE
Saturday, July 18, 2026
DEPARTING FROM IQUITOS
Sunday, July 19, 2026
** We will be waking up in the jungle and returning to Iquitos on Sunday. Flights should depart after 11a on Sunday.
GROUP INTEGRATION ZOOM
Friday, July 24, 2026 - 7p EST
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Please save all of these dates in your calendar upon registration, your confirmation email contains all links.
ZOOM PREVIEW CALL - Thursday, June 4, 2026 7p EST
JUNGLE PREP ZOOM CALL - Thursday, June 25, 2026 7p EST
Friday, July 24, 2026 7p EST
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This trip includes all meals, accommodations, tours, tips, and inter-Peru transport. Basically, you cover your airfare to and from IQT on
July 11th to July 19th, 2026. We will include:
pick up and drop off between airport, lodgings, boat house, tours, and restaurants.
Full-time Translator
Full day guided tour in Iquitos with group lunch.
1 night stay at Fitzcarrald Hotel in Iquitos
Group boat ride down the Amazon River into the jungle
Visit the Shipibo/Boras tribe to learn about their ceremony.
Meditation walks with our guides learning about the plant medicines of the jungle.
Swim in the Amazon River
Q&A and intention setting session before each ceremony.
3 optional Ayahuasca ceremonies included on day 3, 4, and 5 in the jungle
Group Integration Day on day 7 - swim in the river, rest, fish, eat, journal, and connect
Iquitos city tour/Nanay market
Group closing integration dinner in the JUNGLE
Trip to La isla de los Monos (Monkey Island)/Animal sanctuary
And many more gifts from Madre Selva.
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Round-trip airfare to/from IQT
Travel/Medical Insurance/Expenses
Shopping/personal incidentals
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All tips are included in this journey. Even so, some previous participants felt the desire to give extra money.
Money moves in the jungle a little differently than it does elsewhere and
If you feel called to make an additional monetary offering while in Peru, please route that through Russell or Antonio.
Support moves best when it is in right relationship with the actual needs and leadership of the family and community.
You are also welcome to donate to Don Gilmer’s Flower Bath Center Project, which helps to preserve the Montero family’s legacy and lineage.
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You will receive a receipt for all monies paid.
Refunds are available within 5 days of registration.
After 5 days, your spot will be confirmed, and will be ineligible for a refund through Russell Pappas LLC.
Please purchase your own individual travel insurance policy, as this will be your only recourse if you need to cancel for any reason, medical or otherwise.
After 5 days, if you need to cancel for any reason, you may:
forward your spot to the next available date (less a 10% cancellation fee)
cancel and receive credit for future services (less a 10% cancellation fee)
transfer your paid spot to another person (no cancellation fee).
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minimum donation - $4200
Much has gone into creating this event and the price has been set to reflect those dynamic costs. Please know that the monies received from this event will go directly to serving its mission of supporting and preserving the tribes, people, families, medicine, and culture of this region of the Amazon Jungle.
If this set price is prohibitive, please ask about payment plans or sponsorship subsidization.
A deposit of $1500 will guarantee your spot in the group.
Payment info:
Click here to Pay in full
Pay deposit with your name and Peru2026 in the subject line, please mark as a payment between friends:
Zelle: intention@russellpappas.com
Venmo: @Russell-Pappas
Wire Transfer: Please request info
Credit Card over the phone (please note a 3% processing fee)
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If you are taking any medications, you are required to schedule a consult with my licensed psychopharmacologist before completing your application.
The consult is $200, paid ahead of time, and that amount is deducted from the total cost of the immersion.
This consult helps us assess compatibility and safety within the immersion.
It does not replace the guidance of your prescribing clinician or primary care provider.
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Your trip is considered an all-inclusive trip
You are advised to have supplemental travel/trip insurance in case you must cancel for any reason.
This is a 3rd-party trip insurance program, I found quotes for between $200-$350. Please refer to your own insurance policy for cancellation/refund information.
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Visit the Peru Q&A page for more details.
If you have any questions about this trip, payment plan info, medications, or fit, please email me here
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For those who are experiencing financial hardship, or need some grace on the full exchange, I have been working with a private lender who is willing to front the expenses and offer 6-month payment plans for people who cannot afford to pay in full before July 10, 2026.
You just need to pay a $1500 deposit to secure your spot and we can offer flexible payment terms.
Book a Consult here to discuss payment plans.
Is Peru is meant to be a part of your path this summer?
If you already feel a grounded YES to join this intimate 10-person group, please Apply for Peru below.
If you would like to “feel the field" first, join the next Zoom Preview Call or schedule a consult
