The Sacred Plant Medicine Adventure includes a rare opportunity to meet and learn from Master Zapotec healer, midwife & herbalist Enriqueta Contreras. We will visit with Enriqueta twice during our time in Oaxaca. One evening you will have the opportunity to experience a traditional Zapotec Temascal (wet steam bath). The afternoon following the Temascal ,Enriqueta will lead a workshop on women’s emotional, physical, & spiritual health.

Wet steam bathing has been a ritual part of Zapotec culture for 2,500 years. Doña Enriqueta’s traditional temascal (ritual sweat bath) is an experience never to forget. Enriqueta spends all day carefully preparing the ritual aspects, from stoking the fires, preparing the bathing and drinking teas, to creating the flowers/herbs for cleansing. You will have the option to experience the Temascal at the home and clinic of Doña Enriqueta. The actual wet steam bath is one hour and incorporates prayer, toning, singing, laughing & telling personal stories. There is a post-temascal resting space where time is provided for relaxation & meditation while enjoying restorative herbal teas.

Enriqueta is a highly respected and well known elder & healer of the Meso-American Zapotec indigenous people located in Oaxaca, Mexico. She is a descendant from a long line of Zapotec shamans that date back to 500 B.C. Enriqueta owns and operates a health clinic for her community and international visitors. Her history as a practicing midwife for more than sixty years has yielded a flawless career with no mother or infant ever lost during the birth process.

We will be staying in the heart of the colonial center of downtown Oaxaca in a beautiful boutique hotel that is exquisitely decorated with local artwork. The hotel is small and intimate with only 9 rooms. It is within is steps away from many places of interest, parks, nightlife, restaurants and cafes.

If you are planning to travel with the group, contact us immediately to find out the specifics of the group flight. The sooner you make your reservation the more likely you will be able to travel with the group. Otherwise you may make other travel arrangements.

Each program includes:

• Insured, comfortable and air conditioned vehicles are provided for transportation in the host country.
• Optional International Medical Travel Insurance for each participant.
• Pre-departure advising
• Pre-departure and onsite orientations
• Risk Management & Crisis management plan

Dawn Feuerberg (AKA Aurora in Spanish)

Owner and founder of Aurora Adventures, LLC.

Dawn has been leading & designing customized tours since 1995. She has a master’s in Spanish Literature and taught at the college level for over 20 years. She is a yoga practitioner of 30 years, a meditation guide, a surfer and mother of 2 daughters. For the past decade she has joyfully taught non-dual tantra meditation, mindfulness meditation, goddess energy meditation and shamanic rituals. She is a community builder and leads full moon ceremonies on the Central Coast of California.

Traveling for her is all about the connections.  At a very young age she began to travel alone seeking out and connecting with the aboriginal, the indigenous and the authentic local life abroad. Often times finding herself being the only non-native in the region. Her longstanding relationships abroad give her clients access into an enriching, in depth local experience. She is both well connected and enthusiastic about sharing her access with others. She values the genuine art of discovery travel for all ages and creates flexible itineraries that provide opportunities to make new discoveries.

Read full bio…

Enriqueta Contreras is a highly respected and well known elder and healer of the Meso-American Zapotec indigenous people located in Oaxaca, Mexico. She is a descendant from a long line of Zapotec shamans that date back to 500 B.C. Enriqueta owns and operates a health clinic for her community and international visitors. Her history as a practicing midwife for more than sixty years has yielded a flawless career with no mother or infant ever lost during the birth process.

Doña Enriqueta’s traditional temascal (ritual sweat bath) is an experience never to forget. To find out more about this experience go to our Zapotec Healing section.

Armando Cruz Sanchez is the Founder and General Manager of Growing Spaces Taiyari. For the last 24 years he has been offering lectures and workshops in human growth and spiritual awareness in several countries of America and Europe. He has deepened into the practice of eastern techniques like Tai Chi, Chi Kung and Yoga; as well as shamanic Toltec techniques for physical, mental, emotional and energy harmonization.

He has lived and learnt with the surviving Toltecs, the Wirraritari (Huichol people), of the northern sierra of Jalisco. He has also been part of anti-anthropological field work and lived with the Nahua people in the mountains of Puebla, the Lacandon in the jungle of Chiapas, the Quechuas in Peru and the Maya in Guatemalan Peten. Being recognized as Spiritual Guide in all these places. Currently, he is leading Vision Quests and Sacred Journeys. Armando will be leading the group in a Toltec fire Ceremony and meditative walking journey.