APPLICATION PROCESS
Given the depth and intensity of this experience, it is important that we learn more about you to see if there is an appropriate match between you and this particular journey. Please find the application form here: https://forms.gle/85wFQwUCauQC9GXcA
You are encouraged to submit your application as soon as possible as space is limited and this journey will likely fill quickly.
Thank you for your keen interest and answers. We look forward to being in touch with you shortly.
The Circle of Life together with the Pachamama Journeys invite you to embark on a profound journey of self-discovery and transformation, inspired by nature, indigenous wisdom, and world-class coaching. This retreat offers a unique opportunity to reflect, share wisdom, and explore the next chapter of your life with like-minded individuals. Located in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, this experience promises to reconnect you with your purpose and the natural world.
The Circle of Life retreat is a transformative experience designed for individuals at a crossroads, seeking to embrace the next phase of their journey with clarity and purpose. Held in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, this retreat blends indigenous wisdom, nature, and world-class coaching to foster personal growth and collective transformation.
Participants will engage in deep self-reflection, share their life experiences with like-minded individuals, and connect with the natural world through activities like rainforest hikes, canoe trips, and shamanic ceremonies. The retreat is guided by experienced coaches Jerome Doherty Bigara and Kristin Brownstone, who bring their expertise in leadership, storytelling, and personal development.
This journey is ideal for executives in transition, lifelong learners, and those committed to integrating social and environmental responsibility into their lives. By partnering with the Pachamama Alliance, the retreat emphasizes sustainability and spiritual fulfillment.
The Circle of Life offers an opportunity to gain fresh insights, reflect on your life’s journey, and reconnect with a deeper sense of purpose.
Jerome Doherty Bigara
At this stage of my life, after 30+ years of crisscrossing the globe as an executive, entrepreneur, coach, consultant, avid traveller and reader, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the life experiences I have had and for the amazing people I have had the
privilege to cross paths with.
And in the spirit of staying true to my life purpose to 'learn and inspire others to learn', I feel compelled to bring like-minded folk in a Circle to facilitate conversations anchored in curiosity and in a spirit of abundance. My wish is that we all leave the Circle inspired to give back what we have received in our lifetime, for the benefit of all.
Kristin Brownstone
Having spent the last two summers with the indigenous people of the Ecuadorian Amazon, I can say first-hand and with confidence, that this is the journey of a lifetime. As a professional storyteller and executive coach, I have spent the last three decades helping Fortune 500 clients and executives define and refine the stories they tell, on world stages, as well as
within their own psyches.
Being at the center of the heart and lungs of the planet, there is a deep sense in the Amazon jungle that who we are and what we do matters. The blue morpho butterfly is a rare creature found mostly in the Amazon and it symbolizes the power of transformation and metamorphosis. I can’t think of a better spirit guide to represent us and guide us on our own
journey of transformation and connection.
Before you decide to commit to this journey, it is important for you to be aware that this is a deep immersion. We travel to the Amazon Rainforest, not as tourists, but as friends and allies, and as part of a growing network of Pachamama supporters who have helped build connections, bridge diverse communities, prioritize inner work and healing, and build trust for almost 30 years. That is the ground for the work of Fundación Pachamama and the Pachamama Alliance.
This journey includes spending time in nature, in indigenous communities and staying in indigenous owned- and operated lodges, and ecotourism camps. Your participation represents a direct source of local jobs and revenue, enabling these communities to continue their pursuit of biodiversity protection, cultural preservation, and sustainable development.
Pachamama Journey participants are people who understand that the forest and its peoples must stand for the health of the whole biosphere. For that reason, we want you to know that this journey is intended to create a deep connection between you and the Amazon Rainforest, and we will invite you to become a financial ally of Fundación Pachamama and its work at the end of the trip. There is no obligation to contribute. It is our sincere hope that the journey will make clear why this is such an important partnership for future generations and the future of life itself.
Starting with dinner on the first day of your journey and ending with breakfast on the last day of your journey.
In-country transportation including charted buses and planes.
Mostly communal lodging while in the rainforest.
You will be provided a pair of rubber boots, bedding, mosquito netting and other equipment in the rainforest.
Experienced Ecuadorian & Indigenous Guides for translation.
International flights to and from Quito
Taxi ride to and from Quito airport
Early or Late arrival lodging
Gratuity for your local indigenous and Ecuadorian guides, bus driver, shamanic experiences, souvenirs and other personal purchases.
Additional arrangements required due to any emergency or other situation
Arrival in Quito-Ecuador (guests have option to arrive a day or two earlier at own expense)
Overnight at the Hotel Cultura Manor (Boutique Hotel) in Quito.
● Tune-in to self activity
● Breakfast and pack up
● Travel by minivan down the gorgeous “Valley of Volcanoes” and then over the Eastern range of the Andes and descend down the Pastaza River Canyon through a spectacular Cloud Forest to the edge of the vast Amazon rainforest.
● We will stay in a beautiful eco-lodge, El Jardin
● Evening circle at El Jardin - Tune-in to others activity
● Tune-in to self activity
● After a leisurely breakfast, we’ll prepare our belongings and drive to the small town of Shell, where we will take a 25 minute flight on small planes deep into the Amazon rainforest to the Sapara village of Llanchamacocha.
● We will settle into our lodging at Naku Center, an ecotourism project founded and run by the Sapara Nation followed by activities recommended by hosts
● Lunch
● Honoring My Past – Defining moments in my life (set-up in a Circle and then reflection individually)
● Dinner
● Tune-in to self activity
● Breakfast
● Crafting My Narrative - first draft, including reflecting on my life purpose so far (set-up in a Circle and then reflection individually)
● Lunch
● Post-lunch physical activity
● Circle Activity: Me time/Journaling
● Dinner
● Tune-in to self activity
● Breakfast
● Stages of My Development: Meaning Making: Introduction
● Circle Activity: Sharing of personal narratives/stories (3-4 pax)
● Lunch
● Circle Activity: Sharing of personal narratives/stories (another 3-4 pax)
● Dinner/Evening
● Tune-in to self activity
● Breakfast
● Leave by plane for Sharamentsa (approx. 25 mins), settle into our lodging
● Lunch
● Circle Activity: Sharing of personal narratives/stories (final 3-4 pax)
● Dinner and discuss preparation for the next day's ceremony (Natem)
● Tune-in to self activity
● After breakfast, Achuar spirituality
● Begin fasting for those participating in ceremony
● Achuar shaman will take us to a sacred waterfall for a purification ceremony before inviting us to participate in an ancient evening ritual.
● Solo meditation in forest
● Natem ceremony
● Sleep at Sharamentsa
● Breakfast
● Debrief sharing with the shaman before saying our farewells and heading back to the Kapawi Lodge for some quiet time to reflect and take in the forest.
● In the afternoon, we’ll go out on the river to swim and float in kayaks or canoes - mingling with the legendary pink river dolphin if we’re lucky. Free time for journaling, swimming, or exploring the area around Kapawi.
● Dinner at Kapawi Lodge
● Tune-in to self activity
● Breakfast
● Circle Activity: Living Sustainably – SDGs
● Circle Activity: IDGs (set-up in a Circle and then reflection individually)
● Lunch
● Circle Activity: Energetic Shift: From Doing to Being
● Circle Activity: Vitality & Resilience
● Circle Activity: Me Time/Journaling
● Early Dinner
● Very early morning Guayusa dream-sharing ritual in local Achuar village followed by a cultural exchange.
● Lunch and a restful siesta
● Circle Activity: Intergenerational Wisdom
● Circle Activity: Personal Scenario Planning (set-up in a Circle and then reflection individually)
● Early Dinner
● Tune-in to self activity
● Breakfast
● Circle Activity: The Path Less Taken – This is a visceral exercise done outdoors
● Lunch
● Me-time/Journaling
● Dinner
● Pack for morning departure
● Tune-in to self activity
● Breakfast
● We will fly out of the forest and travel to Shell, where we will rest, debrief, integrate our experience
● Lunch
● Spa or rest time
● Sunset Ritual
● Early Dinner
● Circle Activity: Standing Tall in your Truth
● Early optional visit to the local Thermal Hotsprings for early purification
● Breakfast
● Circle Activity: Building Rituals (set-up in a Circle and then reflection individually)
● Circle Activity: Crafting the next chapter finishing touches/letter to self (set-up in a Circle and then reflection individually)
● Lunch
● Spa time
● Learn about the work of the Pachamama Alliance and Fundación Pachamama, and how to support our indigenous partners and prepare to return home.
● Dinner
● Tune-in to self activity
● Breakfast
● We will travel back to Quito by bus
● Lunch
● Circle Activity: New Dawn -The Journey Ahead
● Farewell & celebration dinner
● Breakfast
● Departures and transfers to the airport for your flights back home.
● End of journey.
