"The rich ancient cultural history and spiritual cosmology of Andean and Amazonian Perú
are a priceless global heritage with much to teach the modern world if only we'll listen."

Howard Lawler, 1996

~ Howard Lawler ~ 
Principal Maestro of Shamanic Programs
and Maestro of the Chavin Mesa

Howard is the founder and principal facilitator of Peruvian SpiritQuest, an innovative yet traditional series of workshops, retreats, journeys, and pilgrimages exploring the deep core of traditional Peruvian shamanism, focusing on holistic healing, personal transformation, and realization of ancient shamanic spiritual truth.  His professional background in biology, ecology, ethnobiology, environmental education, and transcultural liaison spans over three decades as a curator at natural history and cultural institutions in the United States.  He holds degrees in biology, education and cultural history from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Howard has undertaken lengthy apprenticeships with traditional curanderos (healers) and maestros (masters/teachers) in the Peruvian Amazon and Andes in long-term study of ancient shamanic healing practices and endemic holistic plant medicines.  As a trained ethnobiologist, environmental educator, and life-long shamanic practitioner, Howard dynamically combines his extensive knowledge of ethnobotanical science and traditional New World core shamanism to produce profoundly stimulating opportunities for the serious seeker of genuine shamanic experience.

 
Howard has practiced traditional core shamanism for nearly 40 years, and over that time has initiated many hundreds of people in traditional ceremonial plant shamanism.  My shamanic practice is rooted in the ancient art of the Chavín huachuma mesa. The Chavín huachuma mesa is the most sophisticated and advanced sacred plant ceremonial practice known in the Andes and coastal Perú, predating the Inca by over 2,500 years.  The extraordinary Chavín culture, founded over 3,500 years ago, is recognized as the cradle of Andean civilization.  And the genesis of Andean civilization was the Chavin huachuma mesa ceremonies at Chavin de Huantar.

The Chavin mesa is among the most profound spiritual practices known to mankind.  Huachuma is a sacred teacher healer plant of the Peruvian Andes and coast.  It has been used as a central sacrament and healing medicine in ancient Peruvian cultures for three millennia.  It is equal to Ayahuasca in it's healing and teaching power and it's benevolent and wise masculine energy is a perfect catalyst for the powerful feminine energy of Ayahuasca.  These may be done independently, or they may be done synergistically in succession, preferably starting first with Ayahuasca.  Both are always properly done in a traditional ritual ceremony guided by a maestro with many years experience with sacred plants and sacred energy.

Don Rober and Howard represent over 85 years of combined experience in the practice of the shamanic healing arts. Unlike many others, they are not newcomers to this work.  They will guide you through the joys and challenges of the spirit plant shamanic path, and the rewarding integration of which follows, amplifying your relationship with nature, cosmos, and all humanity through your deep connection with the profound spiritual essence of ancient Perú.

Howard's decades of experience, shamanic skills, compassion, and personal integrity provide the perfect transcultural bridge for those seeking a connection with Source. He believes this ancient path offers great benefit to humankind to realize personal healing, renewal and spiritual consciousness much needed in today's world.  His rich knowledge and experience in this field combines with strong sensitivity, human insight, unbridled enthusiasm and dynamic transcultural skills to make your SpiritQuest journeys truly an experience of a lifetime.Howard is a Peruvian citizen and resides permanently in Iquitos with his family.  He serves as ad hoc director of South American programs for the International BioPark Foundation, Inc. based in Tucson, Arizona.

In the Peruvian Amazon, he works closely with members of the Muruy Huitoto, Yahua, Bora, and Shipibo Indian communities near Iquitos, Perú to materially support self-sustaining health care, nutrition, community development, land rights, and cultural preservation projects.

Howard has conducted field studies and group workshops  in conservation biology, herpetology, ethnobiology, and New World shamanism in the U.S., Mexico, Haiti, Honduras, and Perú since 1969.  During this time he has published over fifty papers and articles on ecological, wildlife, conservation and research topics and  has addressed formal lecture audiences in Mexico, Perú, Sweden and throughout the United States.

 

~ Reyna Isabel Villacorta Vasquez de Lawler ~ 
Director of Guest Services
SpiritQuest Shamanic Sanctuary

Reyna (who's name  means "Queen" in Spanish) grew up in the small jungle village of Bretania, on the edge of the great Pacara-Samiria rainforest reserve.   She was raised in the shamanic culture and learned about medicinal plants early in her childhood.  Reyna received all her medical attention from native curanderos until she was fifteen years old. Reyna oversees food services and guest comforts at SpiritQuest Shamanic Sanctuary and helps coordinate our staff and community activities with our indigenous neighbors.  Reyna and Howard are wife and husband and have two children, Howard and Selva Reyna whose name means "Forest Queen."

~ Sanchi Reta Lawler M.M.S. ~ 
Facilitator of Transpersonal Shamanic Studies

Sanchi Reta is a professional transpersonal psychotherapist and teacher of meditation in the Zen Buddhist lineage.  She has worked for many years with mystics and shamans in the Peruvian Andes and Amazon as well as spiritual teachers in India and Nepal.  She serves as U.S. coordinator for SpiritQuest programs, and when able to travel to Perú, as co-facilitator of transpersonal shamanic studies in our workshops and retreats.  Reta's rich life-long experience and discipline in spiritual quest brings great insight and skill to the shamanic healing process. When attending in Perú, she facilitates inspiring and transformative spiritual and personal growth activities with our maestro curanderos. Reta also periodically leads shamanic study groups to the Peruvian Andes for work with her  Andean teacher don Americo Yabar and Q'ero shamans. She is an accomplished spiritual counselor and practitioner of Peruvian shamanism who will help you realize the greatest blessings possible before, during, and after SpiritQuest. Reta and Howard are sister and brother.

website design by
Choque Chinchay
updated May 6, 2009