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River Rose Apothecary is greatly honored to be working in collaboration with Nichim Otanil to share & uplift the indigenous medicine knowledge and land vision of Dona Lucia Perez Santiz!
Come join us in a unique opportunity to learn directly from Maya-Tzeltal traditional herbalist & curandera Doña Lucía Pérez Sántiz in the highlands of Chiapas, México.
In this week-long herbal intensive workshop we will explore:
- Herbalism & holistic health from a Mayan cosmological tradition
-Ancestral healing & traditional practices for individual healing & self care
-A unique materia medica of plants used in Mexican curanderisimo along with many other common plants to heal the body, emotions & spirit
-Taught in Spanish with an English translator, inclusive to all who want to learn
This trip is designed for all people who want to deepen their healing practices, whether they are ancestral, alternative and or mainstream practices with a holistic perspective. The main purpose is to provide support, healing, restoration to the body, mind and spirit while offering the opportunity to enhance skills in the healing arts and wellness work focusing on the ancient healing techniques.
THE TEACHER:
Doña Lucía Pérez Sántiz comes from a long lineage of traditional healers in Chiapas. She began her herbal training as a young girl, with her great-grandfather who lived to be 120 years old. She has treated many people in her community & has over 30 years of teaching experience. In March of 2015 the herbal school and healing center Nichim Otanil was inaugurated as a way to bring Dona Lucia’s healing wisdom into the community with greater accessibility and autonomy. Nichim Otanil translates to “flower of the heart” from her native language Tzeltal, and conveys Dona Lucia’s philosophy and belief that all healing starts with a flowering of love from the heart. We are very proud to extend her wisdom to the international and bi-cultural community via this unique bilingual course.
THE VISION!
Your participation in this course will support Dona Lucia’s larger vision to eventually gain access to land in order to cultivate medicine for her community the way her great grandfather did, thus supporting indigenous wisdom to stay connected to ancestral lands. Indigenous access to land is a very necessary component for the radical preservation of ancestral wisdom in the unfortunate context of gentrification and land disposition of indigenous peoples. Your support & participation will ensure that this ancient knowledge may continue to be passed on to future generations and serve her local community.
APPLICATION & REGISTRATION:
To apply, fill out this application form, and send an email to nichimotanil@gmail.com to confirm when you have completed it.
Once you have been accepted to the course, we will arrange PayPal course payments according to the following registration deadlines:
Standard Course Fee:
* $950 paid in full by February 1, 2015
A $400 non-refundable deposit paid by January 6, 2016 will secure your enrollment and will go towards your course payment.
Early-Bird Specials:
**$825 if paid in full by December 22, 2015**
**$875 if paid in full by January 6, 2016**
Admission to the course is on a first come first serve basis for those who have paid their deposit. The course will be held with a minimum of 5 students and is limited to a maximum of 15 students.
* Course fees do not include travel or accommodations. *
TRAVEL:
If you think you are interested in participating in this course, we highly encourage that you start to look for airfare as soon as possible for best deals. Frequent flier miles are also an excellent option if you have access to them.
The nearest airport is in Tuxtla de Gutiérrez, which is about an hour from San Cristóbal de las Casas and airport shuttles leave frequently from the airport to San Cristobal.
You may also choose to fly into Mexico City, and take a bus to San Cristóbal, just keep in mind that it is about a 14 hour bus ride, and first class or tourist class bus tickets cost almost as much as a plane to Tuxtla.
ACCOMMODATIONS:
There are many hostels, hotels and bed and breakfasts in San Cristóbal to choose from that range in prices. Participants will be responsible to arrange their own accommodations. We will send a list of recommended places upon registration to get you started, but there are countless other options beyond our list as San Cristóbal is a popular destination for Mexican and international tourism. That being said, it will be a good idea to reserve a place in advance. The school Nichim Otanil is centrally located at the intersection of Calle Diego Dugelay & Calle Francisco Leon, which is a block from the main foot-traffic walkway Andador Real de Guadalupe. We will have a mid-day breaks each day where you will have time to explore San Cristóbal by foot or taxi.
San Cristóbal de las Casas is a lovely mountainous town with a very rich local indigenous history, and is a popular destination for many people who visit from all over the world. In the winter, which is the dry season in Chiapas, days can be quite sunny, while nights are cold & chilly due to the elevation (6, 500” above sea level). So be sure to pack with layers & warm cloths to bundle up with at night. You will also find beautiful wool handmade textiles & garments in the local markets if you choose to support local artisans for some of those layers.