NATURALEZA
When I returned from Peru, I was a complete mess.
There are many stories of people that had bad experiences in Peru and I was, definitely, one of them. Discovering painting and receiving songs was a bless, but many aspects of this trip went very wrong — I was not properly guided not well taken care during my dieta, so I legitimately do not recommend the retreat center I have been.
There is a wide menu of plants to diet in Peru, each one with its unique power – from solving particular health issues, to bringing abundance or boosting your creativity! The plants I dieted are named Mucura and Ajo Sacha, and both are known for aligning your gifts to your professional life — that’s precisely what happened to me.
Briefly, a dieta is an indigenous tradition of human-plant relationship, in which we enter into a period of complete social isolation and food restrictions, to ingest a plant and receive its wisdom, guidance and power. It is not a psychedelic experience as the effects are subtle and time many years to unfold. When done properly, with genuine respect and humbleness, the life changes exponential. Just like in a marriage, it’s a lifetime commitment — we accept receiving a Plant in our life and we will count with its support forever, gaining new skills and discovering new senses that will allow our life to unfold in magical and unexpected ways.
I was expecting to return to Portugal and find ways to boost my business or, even, finally partner with the right investor. However, what happened was precisely the opposite. Suddenly, it became very clear that I always hated what I was working on and that I was trying to be successful just to fit and impress my family.
With 34 years old and no kids, I decided to show everyone around me my very BIG FINGER and start focusing exclusively in what I truly love — I closed my company and joined an art studio where I created this painting.
Naturaleza is a self-portrait of my experience in Peru.
Curiously, I worked on it for precisely 9 months and I see this period as my own rebirth.
It currently stands in my favourite retreat center, in Portugal.
