We are a clinic of integrative medicine, which aims to help people connect with their essence and manifest absolute happiness. The retreat is dedicated to the healing and wellbeing of your body, mind and spirit.
We would like to explain a few points as to the philosophy we follow and the best way to get great results from your stay with us. We will go over some of the key points for you to consider in your preparation as well as some of the principle objectives of the retreat.
But first congratulations for getting here and having the courage to take this most majestic of journeys into your consciousness. It is important to remember that an extraordinary life requires one to make extraordinary efforts. Thanks for joining us and we wish you a very successful retreat.
The main object of life is absolute happiness. Absolute happiness means living itself IS happiness. That is to be alive and regardless of our circumstances, to be happy. It describes a condition of life that arises from the depths of our being. This is called absolute because it is not influenced by external circumstances. Relative happiness is happiness resulting from good health, your partner, social status, economics fortune etc.Far to often in our daily lives we focus our attention on gaining relative happiness, forgetting the natural order of life. So relative happiness is a by-product of absolute happiness. You could look at it this way…
‘One’s successes and victories will not determine one’s happiness and welfare… Rather, one’s happiness and welfare will determine ones successes and victories.’
The core values that construct our absolute happiness (love, peace, strength, wisdom, courage, mercy, to name a few) are the very same forces that sustain the universe and Mother Nature herself. It is the promotion and practice of these values that enable the human spirit to overcome suffering and transform life’s ‘poisons’ into ‘medicine’. The key point here is that much more power resides within you than you know or give yourself credit for. You are your very own best shaman, priest and doctor. Only you hold the real power to catalyze and manifest positive change in your life. You will receive all kinds of recommendations and suggestions in your life, however only you can decide the path to your absolute happiness.It can be said that good and evil do not exist, only truth and ignorance. Your growing sense of wisdom will be the art of discerning between truth and ignorance.
There are many techniques, psychologies, therapies, meditations, yoga and shamanic practices that people can use to develop a sense of absolute happiness. However we at Etnikas believe the most powerful path is through sincere prayer to God or source through a spiritual practice. Prayer itself is a powerful way to develop ones sense of absolute happiness but the act of sharing the knowledge attained through Spiritual practice also plays an important role.
He who lights his neighbour path lights his own way.
The benefit of living a life of harmony with an underlying sense of happiness is becoming more and more recognised by mainstream science. The extensive benefits of the synchronisation of mind, body and spirit are now encouraged and celebrated across a wide range of platforms. We are on a path to work in synergy with science bringing conventional medicine together with ancestral Inca healing techniques with a view to having science explain our techniques in the future. We believe science and spirituality are not opposites but can be integrated. That the study and exploration of the infinite dimensions of consciousness and mind–body states can be part of a new Spiritual impetus, embracing science and technology and become a unifying force for mankind.
We believe that a spiritual practice should teach the art of living well. That it must be pragmatic and bring healing to our present lives, spiritually, mentally and physically.
Our spiritual believe is base in the syncretism of the Inca spirituality and Christianity brought to Peru by the Spaniards. We believe in a God or father Wiracocha, creator of heaven and earth through the process of evolution. And a universal king or Jesus Christ, as the manifestation of God, to bring a new world order based on love and forgiveness. We believe in Mother Nature or Pachamama as a creation of God and his love.
We consider our philosophy practice to be a unification of the best parts of spiritual practices from around the world. We believe that our way of symbolising, celebrating and honouring the Spirit embraces all people and transcends all cultural boundaries. As such we welcome people of all faiths and religions, scientists and doctors, atheists and agnostic’s, to our retreat at Etnikas.
Note: This video shows a traditional religious pilgrimage where thousands of people that represent the Amazon and Andes, hike through the mountains once a year and is called Ccoyllur Rit’i… This place was used in the Inca times to worship Wiracocha or Father God.
Incas Believe In Three Worlds
In the ancient Inca spirituality, Wiracocha is the name for the creator and the order of all things. We believe that Wiracocha manifests his creation in the universe through the process of evolution. The essence of Wiracocha is universal love and this essence resides in the consciousness of each of us and is present in all living beings. When we connect with this essence of Love, it manifests in our life as absolute happiness and wellbeing.
The way we connect with Wiracocha is through prayers said with a pure attitude. It is our preference to pray in places where an image of Jesus Christ is present. For example, in the sanctuary of the Lord of Ccoyllur rit’i, where there is a picture of Jesus Christ painted on a meteorite, or in the sanctuary of the Lord of Huanca and the Taytacha of Quake, which is a brown Christ in the main cathedral of Cusco.
We believe Wiracocha allows us total freedom of choice in the way our lives manifest. In this regard he does not seek to inflict any form of suffering or vengeance but rather is infinite and eternal love, mercy and compassion. Our destiny is therefore seen as a reflection of our actions as described in the adage ‘you reap what you sow’. This law of nature reigns throughout the universe and is strict, serious and severe.
To change our destiny of ignorance and suffering to one of happiness and well being, it’s necessary to act. This requires us to change our attitude from negative to positive and allow love and forgiveness to reign in our lives. This positive action may take the form of volunteering (as a way to help people who are suffering) or any other action that your heart may guide you toward.
Pachamama Trinity: Symbolised by an invert triangle, this present the women, the earth and female goddess.
Pacha Mama, or Mother Earth is the manifestation of God’s love in female form. She is the nursing mother that bred and nourishes us. We show our thankfulness to her through the action of worship in a state of deep love, gratitude, purity and humility. We do not ask for anything as she has already provided us with all that we have. Rather, we give thanks through a ceremony called “Offering to Pacha Mama”. Although this ceremony is dedicated to Pacha Mama, in order to strengthen the ceremony, prayers are directed towards Wiracocha and Jesus Christ.
The ceremony to Pacha Mama is the gateway to universal love. In it we merge our love with prayers to Father God or Wiracocha but in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The offering to Pacha Mama requires three basic ingredients; a coca ceremony that represents union, wine (liquor) which represents communication, spondylus (sea shell) that represents water and life and other ingredients with different symbols.
No candles are used in this ceremony. These are only for Wiracocha and Jesus Christ
The offering to Pacha Mama is not done during Holy week because then Pacha Mama is in mourning for the suffering of Jesus Christ.
Apus are the spirits that have a protective function and reside in peaks, glaciers, mountains and hills. They are of human form and can appear as men, women or children. They need food, drink, intimacy, affection and respect. They can be angry, sad or happy. They are defenders and serve the happiness of all living beings. We call the proactive forces of Apus when we are engaging in the offering to Pacha Mama.
The main Apu in South America is the mountain called Aconcagua, located between Chile and Argentina. In the offering to Pacha Mama, the spirit of Apus is called to give thanks for his protection. We also call other deities similar to Apus that are related to the sun, moon, stars, animals and plants in order to thank them for their life-sustaining functions.
This ceremony of thanks creates a trance like state involving the Holy Spirit. This state is believed to bring about conditions in the body whereby the healing of different illnesses may occur. The ceremony (offering to Pacha Mama) can be done without entheogen plants, but in order to reach a state of Holy Spirit or trance, a long preparation is required. The Incas investigated medicines such as ayahuasca in order to create a method of accelerating and fortifying the serious nature of the ceremony. The effects of the trance are known to lasts for up to seven days.
NOTE: the seven day after-effects are not in an altered state of consciousness but relate to the cathartic effect of the trance and Holy Spirit contact.
PAQO: First phase of priesthood whereby a person can make offerings to Pacha Mama as well as perform coca leaf and other oracle readings.
PAMPA MISAYOQ: Second phase in becoming a priest, whereby a person can perform an offering to Pacha Mama as well as perform ceremonies that call on connection with the broader universe.
ALTO MISAYOQ: Third phase of priesthood. There are few priests that get to this phase, as it’s at this stage priests have a direct connection with the Apus. They can communicate with them to resolve and intervene in serious matters that may threaten the population.
A priest of love is someone who dedicates his entire existence to the peace and happiness of Pacha Mama and the universe. They are someone who works strongly to help people that are in states of suffering and ignorance.
NOTE: Individuals who work with darker energy are referred to as LAYK’AS (witches). It is recommended that these people be avoided as they work with both energies, that is, truth and ignorance. The work or energy of the Layk’as is mainly focused on betrayal.
The Inkari Prophecy refers to the era of light and resurgence, whereby the identity and wisdom of the ancient Tahuantinsuyo people (Old Inka Empire) is rediscovered.
NOTE: Spiritual schools of thought from both the East and West identify that we are in a new era whereby we are witnessing the emergence of light, love and wisdom.
In the east this is referred to as The Age of Aquarius. In the west it is known as the Inkari prophecy.
Mother Earth Energy shifting from masculine to Feminine
The feminine and masculine energy of Mother earth reside in two highest points on earth. Her masculine energy is in the Himalayas represented by Sagarmantha known as Mt Everest.
Her Feminine energy reside in the Andes mountains represented by Aconcagua mountain second highest mountain on Earth.
Spiritual schools tend to agree that every 13 thousand years this energies shift, making one of the energies feminine or masculine more predominant than the other.
The spiritual energetic power now has changed from the Himalayas to the Andean mountains. The spiritual energy center and power now resides predominantly in South American and the Andes mountains. This area is considered to be a feminine energy centre of the earth. It becomes stronger as the reign of the masculine energetic centre of the earth begins to wane.
The most important moment of any religious ceremony, as well as in our daily lives, is prayer. Prayer is a conversation with God whereby we are both speaking and listening in a state of love. This state of prayer is also a form of meditation.
Prayer empowers us to make the right decisions and to take the right actions in our daily lives. It enables us to approach our lives with an attitude of total gratefulness for both the positive and negative elements of our daily lives.
We learn to embrace the negative situations in our lives because it is through this suffering that we find the way to liberation and happiness.
As in other ancient spiritual practices, the Incas holds sexuality with a high reverence. The knowledge and rituals that were practiced were exclusive to the nobility and priests of the time. Now these customs and knowledge are available to be known and practiced by all mankind.
Sexuality is considered to be the union of God and Pachamama in other words the union of heaven and earth.
In order to practice a holy sexuality it is important that it is engaged in with love, transparency, an awareness of maintenance of ones sexual energy. For that reason it is suggested that sexual union be engaged in from a religious basis.
Sexuality is considered a form of high quality therapy. If practiced in the correct manner it can bring happiness as well as physical, mental and spiritual well-being. When this union is done correctly it is believed that a couple can enter a trance of holy spirit. If practiced incorrectly however, it can bring unhappiness and suffering.
It is important to remember that routine in sexuality can be dangerous as it can harm the relation of love and true transparency.