Who We Are
At Sachia Wasi, we believe that the success of our ayahuasca retreat depends on the quality of our team. Our experienced and dedicated facilitators, healers, and support staff are here to ensure a safe and supportive environment for exploring the depths of your consciousness and embarking on a journey of self-discovery.
Mama Marlene Guatatuca
Warmi Yachak (Medicine Woman), Tribal Eder
For the past 45+ years Mama Marlene has studied and worked with native medicinal plants to help her community and those that come to Sacha Wasi for healing. She holds an incredible wealth of knowledge about traditional plant medicine and is the community midwife. She is especially knowledgeable about women’s health.
Jesus Dagua
Yachak (Medicine Man), Tribal Predident
Jesus, is probably the best Yachak you can find in the Ecuadorian Amazon. We have seekers coming back to Sacha Wasi for their nth ceremony because they say it’s the best plant medicine ceremony they’ve ever had!
The Yachak is the beginning and the culmination of the whole ceremony. The quality of the brew, the efficiency of the dose, the fidelity of the moral and physical preparation of the seekers, all this and much more depends primarily on his skills and 15+ years experience. Jesus carefully facilitates the entire ceremony – from creating the traditional shamanic set & setting, to making the slightest modifications to the ceremony in order to bring alignment with the goals of each seekers.
Yusu Dagua
Yachak, (Medicine Man)
Yusu has 25+ years experience as a Yachak -learning from his grandfathers, who helped teach him how to take on their healing energy and powers. His training with ancestral plant medicine began when he was 10 years old. His role in the Ayahuasca ceremony is mainly to communicate with the seekers and guide them along the right path. In his arsenal are traditional ikaro songs, as well as the musical shakapa rattle.
Yusu Dagua
Yachak, (Medicine Man)
Yusu has 25+ years experience as a Yachak -learning from his grandfathers, who helped teach him how to take on their healing energy and powers. His training with ancestral plant medicine began when he was 10 years old. His role in the Ayahuasca ceremony is mainly to communicate with the seekers and guide them along the right path. In his arsenal are traditional ikaro songs, as well as the musical shakapa rattle.
Byron
Yachak, (Medicine Man)
Byron is a Yachak at Sacha Wasi with a vast knowledge of the surrounding rainforest and its medicinal plants. He is often present during ceremonies to assist through his music and singing. He is one of our guides during hikes, taking guests to incredible hidden gems in the rainforest, otherwise unknown to visitors from outside the area.
Dr. Scott Irwin, Ph.D.
Integration Psychologist | Functional Medicine Practitioner
Dr. Scott Irwin is a highly skilled practitioner at the intersection of Transpersonal Psychology, Functional Medicine, and Ancient Amazonian Plant Medicine. With a background in Public Health, he has dedicated over two decades of his career to helping patients achieve optimal well-being through profound personal transformation.
Dr. Mayra Prado, M.D.
Medical Director – Sacha Wasi Jungle Medical Clinic
The development of the Sacha Wasi Jungle Medicine Clinic arose from mainstream health services in Ecuador being unable to adequately meet the needs of the indigenous community and from indigenous people often being excluded and marginalized from mainstream health services.
Our solution to this challenge has been to establish a small team of qualified, experienced General Physicians – like our Medical Director, Dr. Mayra Prado and other medical staff and allied health professionals and indigenous healers, to assure that guests and families at Sacha Wasi receive the quality medical care they need and deserve.
