Don Alberto Harvesting Ayahuasca Painting

While working as a nurse in England back in 2003, I experienced an inexplicable and inescapable calling to visit South America. I found myself volunteering as a nurse in Lima, Peru, I heard the locals talking about curanderos and shamans. These traditional medicine men sparked my interest and I went in search of knowledge of other healing modalities. By the time I had completed a course in alternative therapies and studied herbalism with a local curandero in the mountains of Bolivia, I had a profound desire to go deeper into the relationship between sickness, healing and the spirit world. I sensed this was the reason I had been compelled to leave home. Eventually I joined a shaman-led retreat in the Peruvian Amazon. Immediately after ingesting the healing barks of the sacred trees, I felt a deep connection with trees. The shaman offered to teach me, so for the next four and a half years I lived in the jungle and apprenticed. At the end of this time I was awarded the titles of Maestra (Master Shaman), Palera (tree specialist), and Sanangera (specialist in a healing root called Sanango). A few years later I was also given the title Maestra Ayahuasquera In order to understand the healing qualities of each tree, I participated in numerous ‘shamanic dietas’. By ingesting the barks I went on a long journey of personal purification and transformation that included learning directly from the tree spirits about their particular healing properties and how to safely assist others in their healing journeys.I feel honoured to have been taught these ancient traditions. As part of my training I assisted in hundreds of ayahuasca ceremonies which opened my psychic vision and enabled me to directly see the energies of the sacred trees I work with. These energies are depicted in my visionary artwork. I also paint personal medicine painting for people through meditation and psychic intuition. If you are interested in my artwork please drop me an email. I make essences from the sacred trees that I work with and I also offer healing sessions, amongst other things. Please visit