This journey was one of the most heart-opening, enlightning, and significant experiences I’ve ever had while traveling, in addition to all the dazzling nature adventures and wilderness travel delights. As this remarkable outer voyage in Peru came to an end, it became evident that it had also been a meaningful journey into my own inner world.

This intriguing adventure was filled with magnificent diversity and unspoiled nature, breathtaking scenic vistas, mystical encounters, and appreciation for the rich cultural and spiritual heritage. As I immersed myself into the majesty of vast natural wonders like the Andes mountains, forests, Amazon rainforest, mighty rivers, and the grand Pacific Ocean, I connected with the living energies that incredibly nurtured my inner garden harmonising my system.

I experienced joy, laughter, struggles, tears, growth, sharing, sounds, taste, smell, and more. From being present in the moment to being amazed, in awe, or challenged, it was expansive on all levels.

Clearly at times, there were situations that brought me to the edges. I had to stretch way beyond my comfort zone enduring in height and bitter cold, particularly, in the nights, and deep rainforest hikes with no trails, taking up the heat and humidity. Challenging my body in different extreme temperature zones while balancing my mind at the same time taught me to surrender.

The same way I was discovering the world outside consciously, I unavoidably explored a whole sphere inside. I came to realize on this outer adventure that it takes commitment, perseverance, curiosity, courage, and a possibility consciousness to do it. I found a lot of similarities that I came to learn on my inside journey. It was again a testament for me, that we literally are a world unto ourselves, waiting to be discovered if we allow it and take the courage and effort to do so.

“It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure.”

Joseph Campbell

Seamlessly coming together

As I mentioned in my first blog, I have been on a still path of personal metamorphosis for many years.

Here on this trip, I could consciously cultivate what I learned and began to embody. I also walked my talk with my consciousness-based practices. Deeply moving interactions with spirit, the wild natural world, meditation, and participation in rites and ceremonies for Pachamama and the Apus were among the heart-opening experiences. In addition, meeting wonderful people, and a host of other encounters tended to my relationship with myself, others, and Mother Earth. My adventurous soul thrived feeling so alive.

What stuck with me was that this journey revealed greater levels of significance and understanding for where I am on my life journey. My path and training in ancient Andean cosmology, energy medicine, and Nature Wisdom teachings is not a coincidence. It also confirmed my strong ties with this land. And I discovered more about my enduring yearning for remote pristine places when exploring natural settings.

As more of the jigsaw puzzle pieces are coming together, the larger picture of my life path is taking shape and making much more sense to me. And my internal GPS is becoming increasingly aligned with my North Star.

For my son this trip uncovered new perspectives as well as he rediscovered his passion for hiking and adventure, geographical and cultural learning and being open to the richness of situations and people that presented to himself.  

Renewed commitment and vigor 

Instead of going back and carrying on as before, I have been consciously digesting, reflecting, and integrating. I believe that every new experience enriches who we are and offers us the chance to change our perspectives on the world, other people, and how we look at things.

It is quite enlightening to spend time with people in their communities in order to get to know them, learn about their lives, livelihoods, and various realities firsthand. It improves our ability to understand different conditions and problems outside of Western society. It is also an indispensable way to broaden our own horizons and develop empathy for others. And I appreciate very much the opportunity to be able to do these kinds of visits.

I have seen and I know there is a lot to do in Peru. The country is troubled by political unrest, corruption, social inequalities and conflicts, loss of biodiversity and indigenous cultural heritage, and much more. Working towards sustainable and regenerative development is critical for bringing social inclusion and progress, environmental stewardship and conservation of natural habitat, and a regenerative economy.

However, I came to realize through my own inner and outer journey that change starts within us. It involves learning to gradually widen our hearts and be willing to work on ourselves.

«The way we see the world, shapes the way we treat it and we need a more balanced perspective.»

David Suzuki

This journey has strengthened my resolve to follow my heart’s guidance and inner compass. It has catalised my commitment to conscious evolution and to serving as a midwife for transformative growth and development work in organisations, leadership, sustainability and empowerment of women to help facilitate the transition to a more caring and regenerative world based on conscious participation with Nature.

The inner and outward systems of businesses, cultures, institutions, and communities can all be affected in the same way by the lessons of Nature Wisdom. Transformation can happen through working with consciousness, creative intelligence, and the capacity to realise the potential of leaders, women, and people, corporate practices, as well as ways of life.

As I come to the end of this blog series, I would like to acknowledge and appreciate the readers who accompanied me until the end.

Lastly, I would like to express deep love and gratitude for our beautiful Pachamama, our Mother Earth. 

I would love to hear about your path of growth and gifts received during your own explorations in your life, relationships, work, communities and travel. How did it change you or did you translate it into inspired action?

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Connect with Claudia Giselle:

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Subscribe to Claudia’s Newsletter: Subscription Link

———

Series: Embarking on a Journey of Inner and Outer Exploration

Blog #1 of the series ‘Setting the sails for the path of discovery’ (1 of 5)

Review blog #4: ‘A deep nature immersion into the Earth’s largest rainforest ‘ (4 of 5)

Written by Claudia van’t Hullenaar, Founder Sustained Impact

Photo Credit: All photos by Claudia van’t Hullenaar if not separately mentioned

Acknowledgement and Gratitude

Sincere thanks and appreciation for Karen Aud and Scott Wurtzbacher for your support and valuable feedback on this article. And thank you dear reader for taking the time to read this blog.

Der Beitrag Embarking on a journey of inner and outer exploration (Part 5) erschien zuerst auf Sustained Impact - Claudia van´t Hullenaar.

After this enriching day visiting my sponsor child, the next days awaited us. We would encounter beauty and wonder filled with astounding amount of flora and fauna, and breathtaking moments in the Amazon jungle of a remote location. The Amazon covers almost 40 percent of South America.

It started with the journey over the ‘Mother of the Waters’, the Amazon River. The Amazon River is the largest river by discharge volume of water in the world, and the longest river system in the world (Source: Wikipedia).

After spending several hours in a speedboat traveling over the mighty Amazon, this incredibly large and wide river with a light brown color, passing alongside river banks and riverside communities (ribereos), where poverty is still apparent, and the speedboat avoiding trunks of seasonally flooded forests, we made a left turn into a darker brown and much more narrow river, the Tahuayo River, towards our lodge located in the upper Tahuayo River basin.

We appeared to be close to arriving at our destination, Tahuayo Lodge, a sustainable wilderness lodge for adventurous travellers, managed by Amazonia Expeditions. However, it took another extra-long hour of wandering along the river, which, and despite the engine noise, I made it a lengthy meditation and a Nature contemplation.

When I researched Amazon river lodges, I was very intentional in that I was not only wishing do a jungle expedition and experience the jungle in an authentic way, being in the natural wonder of the Amazon rainforest in the heart of the north western Amazon of Peru, but in a place that took sustainable development to heart, had a connection to the area and is a formal organisation in full compliance with all laws, regulations, and licensing with Peruvian Law.

I mention this because businesses often are not registered with authorities and only partially comply with other regulations. I knew this is where I wanted to go when I discovered about Tahuayo Lodge’s larger purpose to conserve one of the most biodiverse locations, in partnership with the local communities, in order to protect the enormous biodiversity contained inside this area.

Tahuayo Lodge is located in the upper Tahuayo River, a smaller tributary of the upper Amazon River surrounded by seasonally inundated forests and with incredible biodiversity. It has exclusive access to the very close Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo Reserve ACRCTT (Area de Conservacion Regional Communal Tamshiyacu), with the opportunity to experience an unmatched variety of wildlife. The site has more species of monkeys than any protected park or reserve in the world. Scientists have also documented the greatest diversity of species of mammals and birds of any site studied in the lowland Amazon basin (Source: The Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo Reserve – Amazonia Expeditions).

Once we arrived at this pristine location it felt being so far away of the world (which indeed it is). We were warmly greeted by the fantastic Tahuayo Lodge staff. The first thing that caught our eye was the lodge building structure of the main and adjacent rustic cabins raised above the jungle floor on stilts connected with each other by a raised boardwalk. The nice and large cabins were at the height of the trees, and wonderfully integrated into nature.

In the rainy season the stilts are all covered by meter high waters, as seasonal inundation floods the surrounding river basins and forests under 6 to 8 m every year! So the forest is vastly secondary forest in this region.

All staff was amazing, thoughtful, and caring and always watching for our well-being.

The food was excellent, high quality and with a large variety from local dishes to the fresh, local fruit juices.

Captivated by nature and wildlife

All guides are assigned to a traveler group, from one person to small groups. Our private expert guide Claudio was a real connoisseur, highly trained and always tuning in into our needs and interests.

We learned about the different ecosystems, the Amazonian várzea forests, the forest that is seasonally flooded up to 7m where we were in.

He amazed us showing and telling us about plant and tree species, wildlife, and environment in detail.

Being embraced by Mother Nature and connecting to my own deeper Nature

On our first day, we took the canoe floating slowly upwards on Tahuayo River until we suddenly sat foot on land. We hiked into the hot-humid swampy area in the jungle, deeper and deeper, and after a few moments there was no orientation anymore for us. Of course, Claudio and the second guide knew exactly where we were.

We carefully stepped towards Traves Lake, an enchanted place deeply hidden in the forest.

I was very conscious that we were indeed somewhere far from civilization in the middle of the Amazon jungle somewhere on the planet. Nature was overwhelming and this silence! It had something very magical and deeply connecting.

We spotted baby alligators and a small population of Slate Color Hawks.

Throughout all days we spotted an abundance of birdlife and wildlife like White Wing Swallow, Rusty Earth Snake, frogs and other species.

Given the very high humidity, and wearing long sleeved clothes this hiking experience left me totally knackered.

The nights were a giant musical concert of jungle sounds.

Listening and falling asleep to the soothing and at times joyful jungle symphony of the forest, its beautiful birdsongs and sense of its living beings was balm for the soul and it literally felt like being held in the arms of Mother Earth and being reassured, I am taken care of and part of something much greater.

One of the highlights for me was during a night excursion floating along the Tahuayo River by canoe. We were gazing at the stars and saw millions of our amazing star relatives. In this beautiful unpolluted and clear night sky we had a brilliant sight of our Milky Way. Our guide Claudio discovered a clear ‘C’ star letter. And shortly after he tracked a formation of stars that shaped a heart in the sky! This discovery and painting in the night sky moved me deeply.

As we floated in the peaceful darkness of the night, only broken by the constant noises of the jungle on our small canoe, I was so in tune with the cosmos and aware of these truly unique time that it allowed me to have a profound experience with ‘All That Is’. It was like to be on a different planet. This experience remains as truly unforgettable moments and is forever imprinted.

On another day hike, we explored more the native plant habitat, seeing some impressive trees in a variety of forms, foliage, dimensions, and height. The abundance here was awe-inspiring!

I integrated an additional way of intentionally relating with Nature by consciously focusing that I was walking on the living being of our Mother Earth, and genuinely feeling the gratitude for her.

Another unforgettable moment was meditating under a giant tree which unleashed the power of living energy of the tree, unlocking a deep connection and sense of oneness. This realization seemed to coincide with scientific research of the interconnectivity of all living systems through trees and the surrounding earth.

For me however, it was a very intimate experience and I was moved by being embraced this way by Mother Earth.

«Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better.»

Albert Einstein

Sustainability and regenerative leadership

Later on, we also had the opportunity to visit the nearby local community village Chino and learn about how Tahuayo Lodge is involved in social sustainability.

We took a walk through the community and gained an impression of the livelihood there. We crossed the super long access bridge to the Chino school zone which was recently build particularly for flood times so children still can go to school.

We learned about the school campus project that has been and still is underway in collaboration with ‘Be The Change Volunteers’ that collaborates with the Angels of the Amazon foundation, a non-profit founded by the owner of Tahuayo Lodge.

Just when we arrived at Tahuayo Lodge a group of volunteers finalized their week of aid for the construction of the foundational structure of a new elementary school classroom next to the current high school campus.

I was impressed by the vision and regenerative leadership of Dolly Beaver, founder of Tahuayo Lodge, who we had the pleasure to meet and have many conversations with. Sustainability is lived here and an integral part of how the lodge is led and managed. Care for the empoyees and community are at the core. And, ultimately all of this showed into a high quality experience for guests, as we can attest. Ratings of this lodge are consistently very high.

As an example, during the pandemic time, rather than letting employees go, she invested in providing personal and professional development, and help for lodge maintenance. In addition, she has been the driving force for the empowerment of women, expanding local school buildings, the regional through the Angels of the Amazon foundation, that she founded. By supporting local women of the villages in creating traditional arts and crafts, the organisation helps them find a voice in their communities uplifting their self-esteem and self-worth in their villages and in their homes.

The sustainable purchasing and procurement policy hangs visibly for everyone in the large dining room. The following image is showing a family from nearby bringing dried palm leaves to the lodge, as palm thatched roofs had to be exchanged.

A welcome board reminds visitors: “Please remember this isn’t a hotel but our home.” And some of the ground rules also visibly there: “Remember where you are, we are all part of this ecosystem,” and “Keep negative vibes out – nature will reward you.”

Rather than transactional sustainability, sustainability here is a source of empowerment, service to people, nature, and guests. It is demonstrated here by lived values not by transactional ‘must do’s’. A great window into how it works are the employees. The culture of the organization is a direct mirror of a conscious regenerative leadership.

Tahuayo Lodge is a true sustainability champion – in a very challenging environment – and lives a conscious sustainability leadership paradigm, and is a great leadership example for other tourism organisations in the country and elsewhere.

I left with a sense that genuine authentic and sustainable travel is possible in Peru and that tourism has a huge potential to be a driver for preservation and thrivability of its vast cultural and natural diversity, and that is of benefit to all the Peruvians.

In my final next blog you’ll find out about how it all comes together in my inward and outward transformative journey.

———–

Connect with Claudia Giselle:

• LinkedIn 
• Instagram
• Facebook
• www.sustained-impact.com

Subscribe to Claudia’s Newsletter: Subscription Link

———–

Continue reading the Series: Embarking on a Journey of Inner and Outer Exploration    

Next post blog #5: ‘The gifts of a transformational journey’ (5 of 5)

Review the last post blog #3: ‘Return to the past and entering into other realities‘ (3 of 5)

Written by Claudia van’t Hullenaar, Founder Sustained Impact
Photo Credit: All photos by Claudia van’t Hullenaar if not separately mentioned

Acknowledgement and Gratitude

Sincere thanks and appreciation for Karen Aud and Scott Wurtzbacher for your support and valuable feedback on this article. And thank you dear reader for taking the time to read this blog.  

Der Beitrag Embarking on a Journey of Inner and Outer Exploration (Part 4) erschien zuerst auf Sustained Impact - Claudia van´t Hullenaar.

Cusco is nestled in the Andes mountain range located at 3500m and is known as Peru’s Inca Imperial city. There is a lot to see, the architecture and its monuments are beautiful, rich in culture, archeology and history. The city has vibrant colorful markets, a large range of diverse restaurants and innovative food scene, and many things to discover. The best way to experience Cusco is by foot.

As we arrived in Cusco, I took the recommended two days to acclimate to the altitude. Coming out of breath quicker is common. Unfortunately, in the middle of the first night I experienced high altitude symptoms like headache, shortness of breath with a sensation of not receiving enough breath and a tension around my chest. It really felt constricting and very uncomfortable, however altitude sickness (or Acute Mountain Sickness) is not uncommon. I decided to sit-up and meditate centering myself focusing on breathing and called for a ‘Té de Coca’ (Coca tea). With the combination of the two measures, I could finally sleep again. Drinking lots of water and Coca tea is the best one can do in high altitude, henceforth this is what I did a lot more.

Following the call into the Mystical Wisdom tradition of the Q’eros

The highlight of our journey in the Andes would be the visit of one of the very remote places in the Peruvian Andes, an indigenous community of the Q’ero nation which is located at an altitude of between 4200m and 4800m. Since I began walking and practicing the path of Andean Mystical tradition and cosmovision, I have profound reverence and appreciation for the Q’ero Nature Wisdom teachings, spiritual and cultural heritage. It was my desire to go and be in this untouched very special place.

The journey into this remote region of one of the areas in the Andes took approximately 6 hours. Just a few years ago this place could only be reached by foot or by horse in an approximately 2 days long journey.

The drive of our group of four including my son Enmanuel, our awesome driver-guide Darwin and joyful host Don Francisco started along the populated valley of Cusco moving southeast, then turning towards a little town called Paucartambo, a hub for either going downwards into the Amazon jungle or further up the Andes mountain range. Here we made a small stop to buy some errands for our time in the high and remote Andes.

From here we had to turn into a non-paved road leading us up into the far away area we were heading to.

The landscape at first was very diversified, beautiful, and quite green with the typical vegetation. The higher we came, the more sparse and spacious the landscape became.

The views were stunning the more we moved into the higher mountains.

A river was gushing on one side in the depth, as the scenic and breathtaking views of peaks and ranges laid in the distance.

And soon we were accompanied by the wonderful alpacas. They were everywhere.

In awe of so much beauty and wide space along several mountain ranges, at some point we arrived at the highest Andean mountain pass on our route at approximate 4600m.

From here it went alternating downwards and upwards again with steep wide and colorful terrain. At times I felt like I am on one of the planets as seen in the Star Wars movies.

We finally arrived to the native village of Don Francisco, a respected Q’ero paqo. Paqos are Andean spiritual priests. At approximately 4200m, we would be at ‘home’ for the next 3 days. The village exists of a few humble houses made of clay and natural stone with roofs of hard grass except some new roof installations, and is home to approximately 30 families. When we arrived, we were surrounded by countless free walking Alpacas!

Though we had beautiful sunny days that day, I could only imagine how inhospitable it must be in the extreme temperatures in this altitude over 4000m with fog, rain, and snow in other seasons. I was happy that we were able to put up our tents inside Don Francisco’s house, the only ‘bigger’ house.

We made a delicious dinner in the most simple way and prepared for an early night. Because of the cold, I wrapped myself up like a Michellin (Wo)man doll. And yes, it was still very cold.

The next day awaited us with beautiful sunshine and a blue sky, which invited me for my morning meditation to be outside taking an inverted bucket as a sitting opportunity.

I sensed a deep connection with Mother Earth, and with the beauty of being embraced by the warm sun rays, it was such an exquisite way to start the day.

Reaching new heights and participation in sacred ceremony

Today’s plan was to hike up to the foot of Apu Huamanlipa, sacred mountain of the Q’eros, guardian and and protector for the Q’ero nation, and to perform a Despacho, a sacred offering of gratitude and giving back to Pachamama and the Apus (Mother Earth and sacred mountain spirits), and coming into Ayni, which is the Quechua word for “Sacred Reciprocity”.

I was out-of-shape, and I had a lot of respect for the difficulty of the hikes in Q’ero. Knowing this, led me to mentally prepare during my planning time with a strong intention to be guided, a strong will for the hike in this altitude, ‘to make it’, and a genuine desire for being ‘up there deep in the mountain’ participating in the Despacho offering.

So we began the ascent, and very soon I noticed, how my heart pumped. The hardest part was the breathing walking steeply upwards. The jaw-dropping sight along the way made up for all these at times painful efforts.
I only had imagined the natural beauty, yet standing in midst of this breathtaking nature and sheer solitude of the landscape was spectacular and hard to grasp.

My companions, who were all in good shape, with Don Francisco seemingly ‘flying’ up the mountain. Living here and being used to this height, I could see that it was simply normal for him. I decided to go on my own pace with what felt right for my body, as I was much slower than them. Everyone in our small group was supportive, they regularly waited for me no matter how long it took. Always in front of us the majestic Apu Huamanlipa framed by a deep blue sky.

On our way we passed a huge high plain that was soft to walk. After passing this otherworldly terrain I really started struggling to say at least. My breaths and steps got heavier and heavier and I had to look for a way to better handle this situation. At last, I found my own strategy to deal with the effort, and aside meditating my way upwards and asking a higher power for help, I was taking slow 3 to 4 steps, and pause taking 3-4 slow breaths breathing in deeply through the nose and out through the mouth. That worked for a while, until the next exhaustion came over me, which caused me make pauses of 30 – 60 seconds. I didn’t dare to stop to really rest. My mind was really occupied in how do I make it while my body was screaming. I decided to make this hike upwards in this height a long slow meditation and try to keep going in and with the flow.

I kept the same slow hiking pace not matter if the terrain was steep or flat. After arriving on one of the many hills, thinking of everyone hill hopefully being the last one, I only found out there was another one, and another one, it seemed to never end!

I burst 3 times into tears by the time I arrived to the last hill of countless hills before the plateau. This was out of exhaustion and fighting my instincts trying to tell me “I can’t do this anymore”.

When I arrived to the ceremonial place in about 4600m, everyone clapped and welcomed me in joy!

I guess all in all, they waited for me over an hour along the way up. I made it, and I was so incredibly delighted to be there on the foot of the sacred mountain.

This hike was the hardest effort for me, and overcoming the challenge as much psychological as physical, was a rewarding journey of aspiration, perseverance and success.

For me it was a huge achievement, and I felt a immense sense of accomplishment through this huge personal stretch, and a knowing that I was guided all along.

I cannot express how proud I felt of myself for not giving up as I was pushed to my limits. And, I also experienced how a burning genuine desire can be the fuel to bring dreams into being.

“Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.”

Joseph Campbell

Don Francisco led a heartfelt Ayni Despacho ceremony. These Despacho offerings are about giving thanks to Pachamama (Mother Earth), the Apus and nature spirits. They are a reminder of our sacred bond with Nature and an act of love. Living in Ayni, to be in harmony and sacred reciprocity with Pachamama and Nature, and the natural living energy of the universe, is central to the earth-based Andean mystical path.

This precious offering looked like a beautiful mandala with meticulously placed  coca leaves with flower petals and diverse items into a marvelous form that was filled with our intentions, prayers, wishes, gratitude, and blessings, including for our planet and humanity. The Despacho was accompanied by our mesas, our personal altars used for connection, ceremonies and healing.

Temptation and more challenges

After descending much faster, yet arriving later than we thought, we came home quite exhausted and we made a quick light meal.

We mused over if we should do the originally planned second hike up to a sacred mountain lagoon on the foot of a neighbor glacier mountain for another type of offering in the afternoon. At first, we laughed about our thinking, and yet, shortly after we found ourselves on the way to our second adventure! On that same day!

The hike started at a higher place and had a completely different surface covered with millions of stones and boulders. There we stood and looked upwards, oh wow I thought, took a very deep breath, tuned my mind, and up it went.

Again, I was the last one, and my little group always patiently waiting for me until I caught up. However, Don Francisco was way ahead again flying up the mountain.

And here again, I was faced with the same challenge as earlier the day, however I noticed, something had changed. I felt stronger and mentally more at ease even though my body was exhausted. The terrain here required even more concentration because of the tiny, small, medium and big boulders.

I was amazed about myself as many hills later, I finally made it again! The view to the glacier and the lagoon was breathtaking. Here we did another special invocation and blessing ceremony. And I was also so glad to sit on the ground on a little cloth.

Because of the advanced time of the day, it was getting dark fast, we needed to make a decent quickly.

Being the weakest of our group in hiking, Don Francisco took me firmly by his hand, and with his guidance and help, I now almost ‘slid’ downhill in this rocky terrain stepping between the loose stones and the firmer ones.

In a highly concentrated state of awareness, I was always carefully watching the surface and every single step. It was truly a very remarkable experience in the dusk in the Andes.

We quickly lost sight of my son and Darwin, our guide. They simply took the other side downwards.

However, Don Francisco and I arrived first where we took off.  We waited for the two, and waited, and nothing. Don Francisco decided to go up again where they were supposed to come down.

I noticed how my mind wanted to go down the route of worry and fear. However, I could remain calm at first, which then alternated between trusting that all will be good, and becoming nervous and fearing that something happened.

First Darwin appeared, then Don Francisco, and finally Enmanuel appeared almost running down from the mountain covered in darkness. He fell into a natural hidden pit and luckily nothing happened aside that his clothes were wet and he was covered in mud up to the waist, and scare.

Finally rejoined, we could return home in the dark.This nervous-racking adventure of loosing each other in the mountain, its potential danger and leaving us a bit scared, was the talk of the night. It was truly a very remarkable adventuresome experience in the dusk in these imposing part of the Andes.

We climbed two mountain ranges on this day, two times between 4600 and almost 4800m. I do not know how I did the second hike, yet I did it!

These conscious walks and explorations in majestic nature were arduous and at the same time beautiful and awesome, and they were such a bonding experience like no other to connect deeply with nature,  Pachamama and the living energy world.

This special day certainly is one of my top two of most memorable and intense adventures I am fortunate to have had experienced. At the same time was filled with so much connection, joy, beauty, challenge, adrenaline, and deep gratitude.

Part of the Q’ero community still lives in in extreme poverty under harsh, simplest and poorest conditions, mostly in one-room houses made of natural stone and clay with roofs made of hard grass. Some of the improvements they received last years are toilets and solar panels for shower water, among other.

There is a lot to do to improve the living conditions, in particular of those of the children and mothers in the region. The adoption of health care measures is only one the improvements for them. On our first trip we brought coloring books, pencils and felt-tip pens, and gummy bear for the children in this village.

After having been in Q’ero, I witnessed the importance of improving the quality of life and preserving this unique indigenous and cultural heritage. This visit touched my heart, and a seed has been sown that I will explore how I could support here.

On the way back to Cusco we passed by schools of some of the little villages. Our friend Darwin helped to find out the situation of children in the various communities so that our friend Rocio and friends could organise a charitable initiative for the end of the year.

Exploring Incan Mythology and visiting social projects

Aside our 3 days up in the far away Andes, we spent time exploring several archaeological and sacred powerful places. We also visited social and environmental initiatives.

We went to the Sacred Valley of the Incas with its striking landscapes and very peaceful places along the valley. At several spots we passed by, I took the opportunity for meditation and connection with the land.

In one of the archaeological sites, we did another Despacho offering for Pachamama.

In most of the places, we had to hike, and in one of them we had to climb up past a series of terraces, like the ones found at many other important Inca archaeological sites.

In the realm in Inca cosmology these sacred and spiritual sites are endowed with significance and energy. I can witness to this because I was receptive to receiving the strong living energy experience in one of these locations at a carved entryway into the rock after hiking uphill through stone terraces.

One of the social projects we visited was Casa Munay that my friend Rocio helps to manage. Here underage girls are cared for, many of whom were themselves victims of sexual violence when they were still children.

I have been supporting this initiative with donations, which are used for programs to strengthen their skills, so that they fully can exercise their rights, empower them, value themselves, dare to dream.

We also passed by went to see the Cochahuasi Animal Sanctuary, a privately owned rescue of animals that have been injured, have been used for cruel entertainment purposes or come from the illicit traffic of Wildlife. Rehabilitation centers such as this sanctuary are important to fighting species endangerment. The most impressive moments for me were the ones close to the Andean Condor.

Here in the sanctuary, they are held in a huge spacious cage where they have space to spread their tremendous wings and fly.

In an earlier trip to Peru four years ago, I was fortunate to see them soaring in one of their natural habitats in the Colca Canyon leaving me in awe. Condors are powerful spirit animals.

Now in the sanctuary, as they flew so closley over me, that I could hear the flap of their wings, which gave me an even deeper connection with them.

Finally, we visited Tiaparo ACP, a private conservation area close to Ollantaytambo that Rocio also supports and drives. Tiaparo is dedicated to conservation, protection and restoration, especially those that are in danger of extinction. Other pillars of work are improvement of the the quality of life of the inhabitants of the area, research and ecotourism.

“In Andean communities of Peru, one of the principles that define the way of life is Ayni (reciprocity). Ayni in its broader definition is be the exchange of energy between humans, nature and the universe. We work for the whole, for the community. We work being aware that all humans are brothers and sisters. Our Pachamama (Mother Earth) grows in love and doesn’t get tired of loving, of illuminating, and she doesn’t get tired of giving.”, my fiend Rocío states.

After such impactful, rich, profound and revealing ten days full of magic and mysticism, I left with a knowing that I will come back, support, and do work here.

Back to Lima

What followed this unforgetabbe time in the Andes is a stay in Lima for a week, digesting the trip, spending time with family members and friends, and preparing for the next journey into the Amazon.

Come and join me in the continuing exploration adventure in the jungle.

————-

Connect with Claudia Giselle:

• LinkedIn 
• Instagram
• Facebook
• www.sustained-impact.com

Subscribe to Claudia’s Newsletter: Subscription L

————-

Continue reading the Series: Embarking on a Journey of Inner and Outer Exploration     

Next post blog #3: ‘Return to the past and entering into other realities’ (3 of 5)

Review the last post blog #1: ‘Setting the sails for the path of discovery‘ (1 of 5)

Written by Claudia van’t Hullenaar, Founder Sustained Impact
Photo Credit: All photos by Claudia van’t Hullenaar if not separately mentioned. Hero image by Shutterstock.

Acknowledgement and Gratitude

Sincere thanks and appreciation for Karen Aud and Scott Wurtzbacher for your support and valuable feedback on this article. And thank you dear reader for taking the time to read this blog.  

Der Beitrag Embarking on a Journey of Inner and Outer Exploration (Part 2) erschien zuerst auf Sustained Impact - Claudia van´t Hullenaar.

Since I have been quietly on a deep personal and spiritual transformation for almost ten years, I was following my inner compass when I took this long overdue trip to Peru to help me explore what wanted to be discovered inwardly and outwardly. This time, aside visiting family, it would be a trip that included participation in ancestral traditions and mystical experiences, adventure and wilderness travel in isolated areas of the country, and some remote work. I was curious

I had originally planned to travel to Peru with my son in the northern hemisphere summer of 2020. I last visited Peru at the beginning of March just before the globe went into lockdown in 2020. It should take 2,5 years to be able to return last July and August.

Why Peru? Not only is Peru a stunning destination in many ways, it is a country I have strong ties with. I am half Peruvian, it is the place where my mother and son were born, I have family there, and it is the place where my soul is at home. I have been to Peru regularly since my childhood, and I try to combine the visits with remote inland travel to explore and get to know more this amazing country, its people, its cultures, its history, and natural wonders.

Yet, this time something was very different for me. As an initiate and apprentice on the shamanic path originating in the indigenous wisdom of the Peruvian Andes and Amazonas traditions for a couple of years, I traveled with a different consciousness and knowledge.

The power of intention

The intentions that I set up for this visit in Peru were of several nature.

Firstly, I wanted to spend a couple of weeks in Peru to deepen my understanding on how this place and my life journey connect.

I wanted to purposefully step into unknown and known places with an expanded heart and mind, integrate learnings and insights, connect with ancient wisdom traditions and earth-based rituals, visit archaeological, mystical, and special energy sites, make meaning, hike and be drawn into awe and wonder of nature and experience her, connect to Mother Earth and the cosmos, and visit local community and environmental projects.

Secondly, it was my desire to show my son more of the country he was born in, and experience it with a new awareness since his last visit 4 years ago and then teenager, and of course, see and spend time with family members, relatives, and friends. I wanted this trip to create positive impact for me, my son, the people, and the places we visited.

I was envisioning to visit various parts of the country like the Peruvian Amazon region, its cities, its people, its social realities, its beautiful high and low jungle, its majestic rivers, its unique and vast nature, and biodiversity.

And I was dreaming that I would see and enjoy magnificent scenery in the high Peruvian Andes, experience living energies and the magic cosmos, and I would be having the opportunity to visit and see first hand social and environmental sustainability development programs related to children and conservation.

This time, I would also get to see new areas of the capital Lima, which is one of the largest capital cities in South America and the second largest desert metropolis in the world, and situated at the coast of the Pacific Ocean.

Alone the organisation of the trip was filled with so much joy and excitement that I came to appreciate this as part of the whole discovery and as planning from the future.

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”

Martin Buber

Arriving in Peru, considered to be one of the most diverse countries in the world, is always like coming home as soon as I set my foot on the ground. After a week ‘homecoming’ and enjoying family members in Lima, cooking and just being together, our first inland trip took us to Cusco located in the Peruvian Andes.

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Continue reading the Series: Embarking on a Journey of Inner and Outer Exploration
Next post blog #2: Following the call to adventure and coming into right relationship with Mother Earth (2 of 5)

Written by: Claudia van’t Hullenaar, Founder Sustained Impact
Photo Credit: All photos by Claudia van’t Hullenaar if not separately mentioned. Hero image by Shutterstock.

Acknowledgement and Gratitude

Sincere thanks appreciation for Karen Aud and Scott Wurtzbacher for your support and valuable feedback on this article. And thank you dear reader for taking the time to read this blog.

Der Beitrag Embarking on a Journey of Inner and Outer Exploration (Part 1) erschien zuerst auf Sustained Impact - Claudia van´t Hullenaar.