591: Indigenous Chief: Understanding Plant Medicine With Rasu Yawanawa Chief

Summary

Podcast Summary: Highest Self Podcast® – Ep. 591

Guest: Rasu Yawanawa (Chief of the Yawanawa Tribe)
Host: Sahara Rose
Date: February 25, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode features Sahara Rose in conversation with Rasu Yawanawa, the youngest chief of the Yawanawa Tribe of the Brazilian Amazon, guardians of the sacred plant medicine, Ayahuasca. The discussion explores the deep spiritual intelligence of plant medicine, ancestral healing, the importance of intention, the unique role of indigenous music in ceremonies, soul connections, and the responsibility of supporting indigenous guardians of the Amazon. Through translation, Chief Rasu offers rarely-shared wisdom directly from his tradition, emphasizing the spiritual, ethical, and experiential realities of working with plant medicine and living in right relationship with the Earth.

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Key Topics & Insights

1. The Spiritual Function of Plant Medicines

[06:15]

• Rasu emphasizes that plant medicines are sacred tools, not the Creator themselves. “Medicine is not the Creator. It's just a way that the Creator has given us to connect with him.”
• The ability to connect with plant medicine requires openness of heart, which bridges the material and spiritual worlds.

[07:48]

• Plant medicine works with the intentions one brings:
  • “When you're gonna drink the medicine or take a medicine, we need to have an intention. So the medicine can work through the intention that you have in the spiritual world.”
• Lack of intention or openness can result in less beneficial or even negative experiences.

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2. The Relationship Between Consciousness, Free Will, and Destiny

[10:24]

• The spiritual “calling” to medicine begins long before the ceremony.
  • “From that point that you decided to go, it's kind of like you have received a spiritual calling...the medicine is made for all of us, but not all of us are made for the medicine.”
• The number and nature of ceremonies are intuitively “known” to the medicine. Each session is unique and builds upon the last, offering deeper revelations as trust and surrender increase.

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3. Navigating Visions and Messages

[13:50]

• Not all visions are literal truth. Some are tests or metaphors, related to current events or ancestral patterns.
  • “No, not all the visions that you see are really real. There are visions that come as a test...”
  • “Medicine is a study...each work, it's a work.”
• Emphasizes the need for patience, discernment, and ongoing learning.

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4. The Role of Music (Saites) and Ceremony

[15:00]

• The Yawanawa use various sacred songs (saites) for different purposes: celebration, spiritual fortification, or healing.
  • “It's not any person that can sing. It needs to be sung by the people [who have] done the spiritual diet before and like have a deep study in the force.”
• Elders and ancestors join during traditional song, intensifying the spiritual presence in ceremonies.
  • “When we sing the traditional is when our elders, the spirit of our people, start to introduce themselves and join us as well...” ([16:45])

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5. Ancestral Healing

[17:22]

• Plant medicine enables deep ancestral healing:
  • “When you drink medicine and start to connect with yourself, it's kind of you give a step forward, you heal something already and then you start to get another comprehension and open this portal to heal spot as well.”
  • “The medicine is exactly this. She's here for that, to show us many things in different ways.”
• The process brings awareness to both ancestral gifts and traumas; healing comes from understanding and breaking cycles where necessary. ([19:44])

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6. Destiny vs. Free Will

[22:14]

• Both destiny (the situations given by the Creator) and free will (the choices we make within those situations) coexist:
  • “Many things are directed by the Creator and many things are there to us to choose in our free will.”
  • Example: Rasu never expected to become a leader, as he was not born to a chief’s family, but was chosen. He adds, “But now it's my free will to be a good leader or a bad leader...I’m choosing to do good things from my heart.”
• “If we plant a plant that is a thorn, then you're gonna harvest a thorn. But if you plant a good fruit…then you're gonna harvest fruit.” ([23:30])

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7. Soulmates and Relationships

[26:15]

• Chief Rasu acknowledges the Yawanawa believe in soulmates, but emphasizes the need for mutual support from family and tribe for relationships to thrive:
  • “We cannot get anything by ourselves. We need people that believe on you and especially your family.”
• On letting go:
  • “If you like and the other person don't like, so it's a little bit hard...If you make a mistake, then you're gonna do this together as well. But you never are by yourself when we have those people close to you.”
• On knowing when to let go:
  • “If you don't like, then don't disturb the others...and seek for the person that is really willing to live with you.” ([30:32])

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8. The Medicine of Hape and Its Purpose

[32:33]

• Hape is described as a very sacred, strong, and healing tobacco-based medicine used for clarity, spiritual training, and healing.
  • “Our great shamans also take a lot of hapa when they are about to heal someone...they are able to heal only with the force of this medicine.”
  • “Hape cannot be taken anywhere, or without instructions, or with alcohol. It is made of tobacco and ash of a tree.”
• Sahara’s experience: “It has given me the ability to really meditate and drop in…It also prepares you for death, I find—a complete ego death” ([34:41]).
• Chief Rasu: “In our tradition, the medicines are not from Earth...they are from the heaven.” ([35:19])

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9. The Origin Story of Plant Medicines

[35:19]

• The Yawanawa believe plant medicines arose after the death of a great leader—the medicines grew from his body, connecting the people to the spiritual world and acting as a means to heal illness and bridge life and death.

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10. Supporting the Amazon and the Yawanawa

[37:39]

• Rasu details the ongoing struggle to preserve the forest, emphasizing that real support for the Amazon means supporting indigenous people directly.
  • “There are many organizations out there that say they are supporting the Amazon. The truly people that are taking care and looking after the Amazon are the indigenous people.”
• Many funds raised do not reach indigenous communities; direct donation via their own GoFundMe or similar initiatives is most effective ([40:29]).
• Sahara to post the GoFundMe link in the show notes.

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11. Closing Blessing & Song

[41:46]

• Rasu shares a sacred song/blessing for listeners: “The song that I'm gonna share, it's sharing for like may all the people that are listening. Those words can touch your heart. With lot of love…”
• Final message: “I hope this message also can help people…whatever they are passing through their life as well…Thanks so much for the opportunity.” ([47:06])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Medicine is not the Creator. It's just a way that the Creator has given us to connect with him.” — Chief Rasu ([06:15])
• “When you're gonna drink the medicine...you need to have an intention. You need to have a really open heart in order to receive it.” — Chief Rasu ([07:48])
• “The medicine is made for all of us, but not all of us are made for the medicine.” — Chief Rasu ([10:24])
• “No, not all the visions that you see are really real. There are visions that come as a test...” — Chief Rasu ([13:50])
• “Life here on earth, it's really short, it's really little. We need to enjoy as much as possible and do the right things.” — Chief Rasu ([20:38])
• “If we plant a plant that is a thorn, then you're gonna harvest a thorn. But if you plant a good fruit...then you're gonna harvest fruit.” — Chief Rasu ([23:30])
• “In our tradition, the medicines are not from Earth...they are from the heaven.” — Chief Rasu ([35:19])
• “You cannot do things only to please people. You need to please yourself and be good and feel happy with yourself.” — Chief Rasu ([23:30])
• On support: “The main weapon that we have is the awareness — bring conscious to people to expand more...try to survive a bit longer on Earth. Because it's been hard.” — Chief Rasu ([39:00])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [06:15] – Introduction by Chief Rasu & the nature of sacred medicine
• [07:48] – Importance of intention and approach in ceremony
• [10:24] – The spiritual “calling” and pre-ceremony communication with medicine
• [13:50] – Discernment of visions and their meanings
• [15:00] – The role and tradition of Yawanawa ceremonial music
• [17:22] – Ancestral healing and connection through plant medicine
• [22:14] – Destiny, free will, and Rasu’s personal journey
• [26:15] – Yawanawa views on soulmates and relationships
• [32:33] – The meaning, use, and guidance around Hape medicine
• [35:19] – The origin story of sacred medicines according to the Yawanawa
• [37:39] – Supporting the Amazon & direct action advice
• [41:46] – Rasu’s closing blessing song & gratitude

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Tone & Style

The conversation remains respectful, contemplative, and deeply heartfelt throughout, with Sahara expressing reverence for indigenous wisdom and Chief Rasu offering gentle, direct truth from his lineage. Both speakers maintain a tone of humility, curiosity, and encouragement for listeners to connect authentically—with plant medicines, the Earth, themselves, and each other.

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Summary

For anyone interested in plant medicines, spiritual healing, or indigenous wisdom, this episode is a rare and illuminating window into Yawanawa perspectives. It underscores the sacredness of working with these medicines, the importance of intention and humility, and the urgent need to support indigenous protectors of the Amazon. Chief Rasu’s authentic sharing, including a traditional blessing song, brings a direct source transmission of ancestral ways for healing and reconnection.

Find the direct donation link to support the Yawanawa in the show notes.

Transcript

[A]

Please share with us how plant medicines work with our consciousness.

[B]

Medicine is not the creator. It's just a way that the Creator has given us to connect with him.

[A]

When you decide you're going to work with the medicine, it starts to communicate to you long before the ceremony. How does it know this?

[B]

From that point that you have decided to go, you have received a spiritual calling. The medicine is made for all of.

[A]

Us, but the things in our lives are destined, meant to be. Or is a lot of it our free will?

[B]

Many times you are in these thoughts. I'm not able, I'm not capable to do this. But it was the Creator that put you in the situation.

[A]

In the Yawanawa tradition, do they believe that we have soulmates? Sure. Why do they do that? Waiting for welcome Back to the HighestElf podcast. My name is Sahara Rose, and on this podcast we love to take spirituality and make it modern, fun, grounded and relatable so it can actually serve your needs. I've been on my spiritual journey for over a decade now, having this podcast for over eight years, 600 plus episodes. And a lot of you noticed a big shift in me last year, and that shift was really taking the medicine path, sitting with plant medicines of Ayahuasca Hape, doing a Rose Dieta Wachuma, and really learning from the indigenous people who truly are the guardians of this ancient earth wisdom here on this planet, who have really put their lives on the line. And going to Peru and sitting with the medicine there was beyond life changing to really reconnect with the lost parts of my soul. It showed me my inner child. It showed me my lineage, it showed me my gifts, my shadows. It helped me make sense of so many big obstacles I've had in my life and see the full circle which had me leaving with just such gratitude, especially for those most challenging moments. And every single day I thank the medicine because it allowed me to, I believe, quantum leap, and to do so much deep healing work in, in this profound, like, shorter amount of time that would have taken me like a lifetime, lifetimes of, of therapy to do. And what's so beautiful is these plant medicines are from the Earth. They come from Mama Gaia. They. They come from this planet because they are for us, to help us heal. And I have just seen and heard of thousands of transformations and something I really love to bring here on the podcast are voices of the indigenous people. And so I recently went to a fundraiser for the Yawanawa tribe who are the guardians of the plant medicine, Ayahuasca in the Amazon of Brazil, and I was just so blown away by their potency. And I've actually gone to some of their ceremonies in the past where they play musical instruments and gather together as a family, and it was so heartwarming to see. So I have the privilege and honor of bringing their spiritual chief today, Rasu, here, who is the youngest chief of the Yawanawa tribe, and I have questions and we will also allow source to really guide this conversation. So we have a translator here as he speaks in Portuguese, and I'm really excited to ask him. You know, it's so important to learn from people of the culture because this is the untapped source of the wisdom. You know, it often gets diluted in our commercial world. So to go back to the indigenous people, the indigenous ways to connect back to root and ancient truth is really honoring the sacred lineage of these plants. And before we drop into this episode, be sure to hit subscribe wherever you're listening to this podcast. That is the best way to stay up to date on the latest episodes. We've got this in video format, so if you're just hearing my voice, be sure to also watch our fabulous outfits on video as well on Spotify, YouTube or the Apple Store. This is the best way to stay in the flow with future conversations and also allows the podcast to reach more people. So hit subscribe so I can keep vibing with you on all future episodes. Now let's get into this one. I am so deeply honored and humbled to have Rasu here today on the podcast. So without further ado, let us welcome him. Welcome. Thank you so much for joining us, Obrigada. Thank you so much for sharing. Can you please share with us how plant medicines work with our consciousness?

[B]

First of all, I would like to introduce myself. My name is. I'm here to speak a little bit about our sacred medicines. And the sacred for us is something that is really special within our people and our things we are, our existence on earth. So it brings a lot of transformations to us. And those medicines are connected with the Great Spirit, the Creator. Medicine is not the Creator. It's just a way that the Creator has given us to connect with him. In order to us to have this connection, we have to have our open heart so we can have this connection between the spiritual world and the physical world. Because the material world and the spiritual world are very different. Many things from the physical world we can touch and we can see, and that spiritual world is different. Many things you cannot touch, neither see, but you can feel in your heart.

[A]

When someone is working with the plant medicine, how do they know what is coming from them? Their own subconscious versus the medicine.

[B]

So when we are in the material world, we have our own wish. And when we're not, we are with the medicine in the spiritual world, the medicine show us the things that we actually cannot see in the physical world. When you're gonna drink the medicine or take a medicine, we need to have an intention. So the medicine can work through the intention that you have in the spiritual world. And also you need to be sure and within your heart about like the intention that you and the healing that you're looking for. So if you drink or take any medicine without an intention, so you can end up not in a really good way, you really need to open your heart. You need to have a really open heart in order to receive it.

[A]

So is it that people who have opened their heart, done more spiritual work, are able to go deeper and see more visions? Or does that not matter.

[B]

For sure? Because when you open your heart, it's kind of you surrender yourself to the medicine and then the medicine present in other way. And on the other side, if you are close, this thing doesn't happen, you know, and there's people that already worked themselves and has an open heart, so they receive the medicine in another way. So that has definitely a connection. And this connection as well, it's like how you also drink or you take the medicine. It's not like you need to be in a hurry to receive something. It's a process of many things within the medicine in that moment. It's the bright moment to you to receive what you're asking for. The medicine will bring it to you and bring the transformation within it. And knowing as well the spiritual world is not easy that you live in the spiritual world in any time in your life, in however way. And it took place as well. Everything has your own moment.

[A]

I have found for people and myself. When you decide you're going to work with the medicine, it starts to communicate to you long before the ceremony. How does it know this?

[B]

Because from that point that you decided to go, you have decided to go. It's kind of like you have received a spiritual calling of it and you were a part of it. Then the medicine is made for all of us, but not all of us are made for the medicine. And from the point then that you end your thoughts in the spiritual world with the medicine, this message comes from Shani, the creator, that give you the direction to the spiritual path of the medicine.

[A]

Beautiful. I have also found that the medicine somehow knows how many days you will be working with it. So if you have three ceremonies, it breaks up the messages over the three days. Or if you have one ceremony, it gives you everything in one day. How does it know how many days you will be working with it?

[B]

Each time that you drink medicine, all the works are different than the last one. Any work it's going to be the same that the last one. Usually the first works are like the ones that you introduce yourself to the spirit of the medicine and then if you keep doing more works one next to the other, then it's kind of you going deeper into the medicine and diving into the spirituality as you're getting to know it more as you're going deeper into it. This gonna start to show things what you need to change, what you need to transform in your life, things that you don't know and things that you need to learn as well that you perhaps don't know yet in your life.

[A]

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[B]

No, not all the visions that you see are really real. There are visions that come as a test as well of many things that you passing through. You Living where you start to understand little by little. Even though we are in the spiritual world, we cannot believe in everything that the medicine is showing to you. Because we are passing through many things and problems. And sometimes the problem it's from that specific moment. But also sometimes the problem is like from really. Like really back in the past, things that you have lived and experienced. So it's not everything that you can be sure. Like that's it you must observe is this as well. Because medicine is a study, right? And moving the study, we start to develop each time more and also realizing what is good for us. And that's the reason that each work, it's a work.

[A]

Can you explain how the music which you guys call Saites work?

[B]

So we have many types of cities. There is a satikaya that we sing to celebrate, to cheer it up in any different moments that we are experiencing together. And those kind of psyche, you can sing in your daily life. You can sing laying down, you can sing for your children, you can sing by yourself or either working. There are. The sight is very specific for the spiritual world with the force of the medicine, where you speaking about the force, what you like seeing and feeling the force and also working through your intentions. And there is society as well, that we call society Vanaya. There are the chance that we speaking about that moment, whatever the force is telling you, whatever the the spiritual force is presenting to you. And also the sight is. It's not any person that can sing. It needs to be sung by the people. I already have done the spiritual diet before and like I have a deep study in the force. And also we have the prayers that is specific for the healing. And those prayers are specific for the healing work directed to people that need it.

[A]

So you can see the energy in the space and will play the specific psyches for the room.

[B]

Yes, exactly. That we feel the force. And then we sing in this way. But first of all, we start singing on the voice that is the traditional part. And when we sing the traditional is when our elders, the spirit of our people, start to introduce themselves and join us as well in the work.

[A]

I've noticed that a lot of people do deep ancestral healing with the medicine. How is it that we are healing our ancestors through sitting with medicine?

[B]

Because many times people don't know themselves, don't know their heart. And also many times they didn't connect with any spiritual force in order to heal the adult astrology. And then when it happens, when you drink medicine and start to connect with yourself, it's kind of you Give a step forward, you heal something already and then you start to get another comprehension and open this portal to heal spot as well. The medicine is exactly this. She's here for that, to show us many things in different ways. Yes, as good as then when this healing come, it's the exactly the right moment. So from the point is the exact moment that you need to look to it and heal. And from that point that you got the healing, then it's kind of you got like the freedom of those things that have been like disturbing you. Those things also work a lot with the psyche of the the person. Like the person start to be like really sad or with not like really willing to leave their life and losing like the happiness as well. Many people pass through this process of depression and confusion within themselves. But then once they get in the spiritual world with the medicine, then it's kind of they renew themselves and they feel like the clarity within themselves. The medicine is a channel for like an open channel for those people, those people that are really like open to and see really surrender to the process to happen. Just gonna happen. If the person is really open to receive it, then it's gonna happen.

[A]

So having the awareness of what has happened with our ancestors is what is creating the healing?

[B]

Yeah, for sure. To be like aware and to have awareness what happened, it's very like bringing the light to really heal. So the healing starts there. And as he said before, he just added up in complementation of if your ancestors did good things, then you carry on. If it wasn't good things, then you need to like just stop by there and work on the healing process.

[A]

Yes. We take on both our ancestors gifts and traumas. I have seen in my own medicine journeys that some big obstacles in my life were actually destined. They were meant to happen for me to grow. Has he seen this and what is his experience?

[B]

Life is exactly this way for all of us. Many times we need to pass through really strong things in order to like in the future we'll look ahead and then we can learn from the teachings that we have experienced before. Use the things that were good to us in order to carry on. And what is not good, we can take away from our path. The main thing in our life is us to be happy when whatever we're doing and wherever we are, the life here on earth, it's really short, it's really little. We need to enjoy as much as possible and do the right things. There are many people out there that they practice good things, but there are a lot of people that Also do the bad things. To do bad things, any person can do at any time and do the good things, it's harder because the good, it's the love, it's the peace, it's the harmony. And many times people don't want to do this for being selfish, ego, money, all of this.

[A]

Does he believe that a lot of the things in our lives are destined, meant to be, or is a lot of it our free will?

[B]

Well, surely many things are directed by the Creator and many things are there to us to choose in our free will. I didn't know that I would become a leader when I was a child, because I'm not son from a leader. And also I haven't received any teachings from a leader in order to become a leader. I was chosen for them. Nowadays I am the youngest leader that we have within our tribe. But now it's my free will to be a good leader or a bad leader, a good example or a bad example. And then it's my free will to choose what I'm gonna do. And for sure I'm choosing to do good things from my heart and share to people in this way. Because our tradition, we say if we plant a plant that is a thorn, then you're gonna harvest a thorn. But if you plant a good fruit that it's gonna just flourish, delicious fruit, then you're gonna harvest fruit. So the destiny is given by the creat choice, our free will. It's completely up to us. You don't need to do things only to please people. You need to please yourself and be good and feel happy with yourself. That's gonna make you feel good. But if you do things just to please others, then you're gonna end up bringing problems to you. And also you need to accept what the Creator is giving to you. It's like your destiny as well. Many times you are in these thoughts. I'm not able, not capable to do this. But it was the Creator that put you in this situation. So you need to do this and do in a very well way and carry this in your heart with a lot of honor in your life and choose with free will.

[A]

Thank you so much. So a lot of us are off of the drinking train because, let's be real, hangover is not a cute look, and I'm trying to go to the gym the next day. But sometimes we want something that changes our consciousness a little bit. You know, for me, THC was actually, actually really supportive in my journey of starting to create music because it allowed me to just hear music on a deeper level and really feel it. And so I believe that THC can actually be used as a very powerful tool for our creativity. And a lot of people, they don't want to smoke. So this is why I love cornbread, which is America's only USDA organic THC gummy. So they have a one to one ratio of THC to CBD with no synthetic and it's a hundred percent legal hemp. So if you're looking for a healthier way to relax, connect your creativity or just have a good time, you've got to try Cornbreads THC Gummies right now. High Self podcast listeners can receive 30 off your first order. Just head over to cornbread hemp.com sahara and use code Sahara at checkout. That's corn C o r n bread.comsahara and you can find that link in the show notes. In the Yawanawa tradition, do they believe that we have soulmates, someone that we are destined to be with?

[B]

Concertes for sure in life then for sure. But in life it just can get to places when we have people that believe on us, trust on us, and wish the best to us to grow together in life. We cannot get anything like by ourselves. We need people that believe on you and especially your family like a family. If you have your parents, you want to study in the university and you have your parents to support you, so you are happy with that. And the same way if you fell in love to someone and you have the support of your family, of your parents as well, so it brings an energy that everything becomes lighter in the same way, in the opposite way, right? So if you have, if you connect with someone but you don't have the support of your family and the people that like you, that believe on you, then the things just ended up harder. So it's very good as well to know how to choose the people that gonna believe and walk with us. And also when you're close to these people, so it's fight until the very end with them. If you do right, then you're gonna do right all together. If you make mistake, then you're gonna do this together as well. But you never are by yourself when we have those people close to you.

[A]

Is there an intelligence to a baby choosing their parents?

[B]

We don't have this understanding and it's beings that the creator actually brought to us, you know, and not that we choose or have like a different intelligence. And they are our future, right People that are going to continue our story and that's like more I guess a choice from the Creator. But like we. We don't have much like this understanding about it.

[A]

What advice do you have for someone who's going through a very big transformation in their life right now? Boom.

[B]

Well, everywhere in our. In every place in our life, we need to be happy with what we live in. If we are in a work not job, and that's not a job that we like to do, then you need to seek for a job that you wake up really excited, happy and with confidence they guide you to do the work that you need to do. Thank you, Fazee. But you need to do with. Sure. You cannot be unsure of it. Same way with the relationship. Relationship are a very strong thing. It works with like our conscience, our heart and everything that we have. And with that we need to be happy with those that are beside us, us. If we are not happy, we are living with things that don't have a foundation to our future. So we need to leave our things in a real way and not leave like choosing the money or something. In exchange, leave with love. Live from your heart.

[A]

Beautiful. Thank you so much. And for people who are going through a tough time in their relationships, how do they know it's time to let go or hold on?

[B]

That depends from both sides. Okay. If you like and the other person don't like. So it's a little bit hard. Both of the couple like each other. So there is nothing that I actually like. Mental makes breakup. Everything can happen in life, but the love will keep there. Love doesn't just strike like that. Especially when two people love themselves. Not like a word, an action or a moment. And I need to stance as well. It depends on. On the two people like someone you fight until the very end. If you don't like, then don't disturb the others. Don't bother. Take it away from your life and seek for the person that is really willing to live with you. Effy.

[A]

So really, if both people love each other, then you can fight through anything. You can make it through anything. But if one person is not willing to be in the relationship, then there's nothing you can do.

[B]

Yeah, that's it. Because it's not real.

[A]

And do you believe God assigned these two people to each other?

[B]

Many times. It's for the movie and for the moment. And many things are from the interesting. Like. Yeah, like. Like the wishes, the sexual wish and the beauty and things like the external, superficial and the interests that the people have. You know, sometimes so many things are not God. It's like it's Just like pretty much the physical world.

[A]

Right. So it's discerning between what is a physical lust, attraction versus a soul connection seeing. Can you tell us a little bit about the medicine of hape?

[B]

Well, the hapa medicine for us is a very sacred medicine. As a very strong medicine as well, very healing medicine. We take a lot of hapa when we are in our spiritual lives to learn our spiritual tense. Our great shamans also take a lot of hapa when they are about to heal someone, when they are in the forest of other medicines that they are able to heal only with the force of this medicine. They are so in this way they can dive into the healing and deeper in the healing. So then they can. They are able to heal this person. And we also pass when we are like uncertain of the things very thoughtful, many things going on in life. And we kind of need like a clarity on your path. And then you see it on your own. Concentrate yourself and pass. Like with asking for this intention to give you directions on your thoughts. Now see, you cannot take hapa in anywhere. And also a person that's gonna take for the first time also cannot take without an instructions, without knowing for, like, why actually the medicine served for what medicine you cannot take if you're drinking alcohol. And the medicine of hapa is made of tobacco and nash of a tree. So that's a little bit of the explanation of the hapa medicine.

[A]

I have found that it has given me the ability to really meditate and drop in and dive into something in my mind that normally I would have been distracted.

[B]

It's amazing. That's exactly what it is.

[A]

It also prepares you for death, I.

[B]

Find can be as well.

[A]

When I sat with the hape before the ayahuasca, it told me, imagine you're just dead. And it was like a complete, like ego death. Yes.

[B]

Medicine in Xian make us feel like manage current pain that we don't know. And just the medicines can give us this kind of sensation. And it's very strong.

[A]

Yes. And it has such an intelligence to know exactly what we need and how to deliver the message.

[B]

For sure. That's the reason that they are here on Earth, to make us understand in this way. In our tradition, the medicines are not from Earth. In our tradition, back really back in the days, our people were really huge population and didn't exist any disease or death. And after the first death happened from great leader and that the medicines actually arose, after the people burrow him then from his body, all the medicine start to grow. And then the People from the tribe start to make the medicine and drink the medicine in order to connect, connect with him. They thought that would happen the same thing, that people would just pass away and be with him as well. But instead they just start to go to the spiritual world. So they found out that from that point it started to exist death and disease. So the medicine came to earth to heal. They came exactly to heal. Because from that point they found out that many disease would start to happen and then the death as well. So then the medicines would be like the biggest elements to heal all this disease. And so the medicines are not from Earth, they are from the heaven.

[A]

Beautiful. Well, thank you so much for sharing your wisdom, for being guardians of this and so many other beautiful medicines. How can we support the Yawanawa and support the Amazon, which right now is being deforested?

[B]

There are many ways for people to support the Amazon, right? Influence on us as indigenous people.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Because in order to support Amazon. Well, there are many organizations out there that they say they are supporting the Amazon. The truly people that are taking care and looking after the Amazon or the indigenous people. Because nowadays the Amazon it's not like in a huge deforestation. As many places all over the world. Because of the indigenous people. There are still being the keepers of it. So then we have our own projects that it's to support us to live, keep living as indigenous people project. Did you have to understand the project of reforestation and food sovereignty. As a project to keep the forest alive, the rivers and the animals, the trees and preserve it. It's a project to open mind of people to understand. In order to them to understand and have this freedom to support us and also arrive in the forest. Many things there are out there to support the Amazon, but they never actually reach us. Just say with them. The organizers of this nonprofit, the people that are like organizing this out there. But like for actually for us it's just little things that we receive. Don't. It's actually you need to look for us. Because nowadays we have the conscious of it already. Before war was harder to understand the western world. But nowadays we understand better. So in all ways every single people can do your own part. And the main weapon that we have is the awareness bring conscious to people to expand more. We still have and what is the Amazon. And in this way try to survive a bit longer on Earth. Because it's been hard.

[A]

How can we directly donate money to the Yawanawa.

[B]

Getting part in contact with straight with us. Because we have our organizations, our nonprofit that like and Our team, they're looking after and the money goes straight to our home.

[A]

Beautiful. And is that best on your website or Instagram?

[B]

We have the agroforestry food sustainability and we already have like a go found that it's a link and we can put on Instagram. That's not something on the website. We are working on it.

[A]

Okay, great. So I will post your GoFundMe link in the show notes for this episode. Thank you so much for being here with us today, Obrigada, for your wisdom, for your time and for really keeping this medicine alive. It has supported so many people and it's the indigenous people who are the reason why we have access to this medicine for thousands of years, putting their lives on the line and even today. So let us do the best we can to support you. Thank you. And now we have the honor of Rasu playing song for us.

[B]

The song that I'm gonna share, it's sharing for like may all the people that are listening. Those words can touch you heart. With lot of love Rayan. Wayana. Wayana. Oh.

[A]

Beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful medicine through the music, through your wisdom, through your expression. We're so grateful.

[B]

I give thanks to you, to the invitation and to be here in your home. I hope you enjoy this little words that I just shared with you and I hope it can touch as well all the audience that could have watched this as well. So in this just short, briefly moment that I share with you. So I give thanks to you as well. I hope this message also can help people for those that are going to listen to it and advice in a way of a message to whatever they are passing through their life as well. So I really happy to be doing this. Thanks so much for the opportunity.

[A]

Why do they do that?

[B]

That's the kind of like calling back, yelling of joy and to say that you were good, you were excited. Oh.

[A]

Beautiful. Well, thank you so much for tuning in. This is a great episode to share for anyone who is interested in sitting with the medicine or someone who has, you know, most of us lack access to the indigenous people to actually learn directly from them. And this is a huge honor and privilege. So this is a really beautiful conversation to share, to have that transmission coming straight from the source. We don't realize the power and how rare that is is because as he spoke about, the Amazon is being burnt down and indigenous people are having to leave their homes. And because of the effects of colonialism and you know, hundreds of years of forced conversions, there are very few indigenous people left, many of them have had to go into hiding. So it is a very, very, very small amount who have stayed true to the wisdom and are bringing it out into this mainstream world right now at this time where their wisdom is so deeply needed. We are in a place that we are destroying Mother Earth, destroying each other. And the indigenous people, I truly believe, are the angels of this planet to remind us of what is important, to remind us to come back to our hearts, come back to our bodies, come back to Earth, and that Earth has everything that we need to heal ourselves. So what an honor it was to sit in the presence of the Chief today. And I hope this inspires you to maybe take the medicine path or to dive deeper into your own spiritual journey, whatever that looks like for you. Please be sure to review this podcast on YouTube or in the Apple Store and as a free gift, I will send you my Womb meditation so you can find the email for that meditation. Just take a screenshot and email it over to [e-mail] you can find that email in the show Notes notes as well as any of the links mentioned. Please be sure to subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, wherever you're listening to this podcast to stay up to date for future episodes. Thank you so much again for tuning in and I'll see you in the next one. Trust your intuition, trust your inner wisdom. Trust your inner guidance. Close your eyes and listen. So trust your intuition, trust your inner wisdom. Trust you in the guidance I.