WHO WE ARE
The search for an ideal workshop location eventually led them to Costa Rica. In this oasis on the tranquil Pacific Ocean, framed by primary rainforest, participants can fully focus on their personal development and let themselves be touched by the breathtaking nature of this spectacular place to experience an instant boost of well-being and clarity. This paradise in the Piedras Blancas National Park is only accessible by boat and is located in the midst of the highest biodiversity on our planet. Since 2021 they organize holistic plant medicine workshops on Pandorita.
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Together with their beloved wives and a longtime friend, they have created an oasis where all relationships can be strengthened. The relationship with oneself and with others, the
connection to nature and to the universe. It is a place full of medicinal plants, connected to the beauty of the animal world and the magic of the sea. Thanks to the close relationship with the Shipibo tribe, they now organize transformative workshops to inspire and empower souls. The facilitators are well trained, empathetic and highly skilled in the use of plant medicine and guided by a loving spirit. The Costa Rican staff on site are the icing on the cake. Thanks to their warmth, everyone immediately feels at home.
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To strengthen the greater community of all life, we practice permaculture on the land and plant corals. Further projects will follow. Pandorita is a gift from Great Spirit and all Pandorians try to honor this gift to the best of their knowledge and conscience in order to carry out their task as land guardians with a high level of responsibility.
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THE STORY BEHIND THE WONDERFUL PATH
Two brothers from Switzerland were fully immersed in life. Both occupied with professional Ice Hockey, but during occasional stops at the bar, essential questions kept arising. What is it all about? What are we doing here? Does any of this make sense? The questions remained unanswered, and the routine continued until a good friend took them on a sacred ritual in the Swiss mountains. A Colombian shaman opened the door to the spiritual world for them through the powerful plant Ayahuasca. The next day, they were speechless. They were overwhelmed by the night. A sense of unprecedented peace washed over them. Why isn't anyone talking about this? Everyone should have this experience. This should be on the front page of the New York Times, they thought.
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About nine months later, they found themselves in the Amazon, surrounded by other pathfinders and medicine people of the Shipibo tribe. They experienced a transformative time. Their hearts, bodies, and minds opened up to new dimensions. Their questions were slowly but surely being answered. They had arrived on their soul path. The joy was immense, and their relationships with the sacred plants and their medicine people were deepened. In the following years, they followed the call of the plants and traveled to Peru severaltimes.
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One of the brothers once stayed in the Amazonian plant kingdom for nine months and went on several plant diets with Bari Kene, alias Papa Horacio, a powerful and very experienced
Shipibo medicine man. They grew fond of the people there. They bought 30 hectares of rainforest outside Pucallpa. Today, members of the Shipibo tribe live there and continue their old way of life. By building this medicine village, the two brothers wanted to offer other people the opportunity to pass through this gateway to an earth-based spirituality. On Ani Shinan, people have been connecting deeply with their souls since 2012 with the help of plant-based diets guided by the Shipibo medicine people. Unlike workshops, diets are a more time-consuming way to learn from the plants.
IMPORTANT FACTS
We will always prioritize our clients, the land, the local community, and the Shipibo with the utmost respect.
Here is how we implement our vision:
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We are a not-for-profit, family-held partnership.
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All profits from Pandorita go into nature and cultural conservation efforts.


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All of our full-time staff are local to Costa Rica from the Osa Conservatio Area.


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The Shipibo changed our lives, and we give back to them by providing them with stable, fair-paying work, and by centering them and their traditions in all that we do. 


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All of our facilitators are required to have undergone shamanic dietas, a strict regimen of isolation, self-reflection, and physical diet that allows the dieter to connect to the teachings and spirit of the plant they have chosen. We require this so that our facilitators can best support both the shamans and our clients.
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Our ayahuasca is home-brewed. It is made at Ani Shinan, in the Peruvian Amazon, by Shipibo ayahuasqueros. It is strong, pure, and clean - we only ever include Banisterios caapi (ayahuasca) and P. viridis (chacruna) in the brew.


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Our workshop group size is kept intentionally small - never more than twelve people at a time, though typically less. Our clients deserve space to reflect and process throughout their time with us.
MEET THE TEAM
Meet the Pandorita family! These are some of the friendly faces you will see during your time here.
For more about the shamans, please view the workshop pages.
Workshop Facilitators
Elisabeth
Elisabeth is a social worker, and she has spent her whole life supporting others. She loves Mother Earth and has always felt a special connection to nature. Elisabeth has had some deep experiences in her life that have left marks and wounds on her body and in her heart. However, plant medicine has been a good teacher for her, helping her to handle her challenges and transform her life into something magical. She aims not only to survive but to live a life filled with peace and happiness. For a few years, she has been on her path with plant medicine and has already completed some dietas. This summer, she wants to go to Peru for a three-month dieta with Ayahuma to learn from and with the shamans. Besides her journey with medicine, music is also her great passion. She carries a vision in her heart, which is why she does what she does: to bring more light into this world and make it a better place.
Aum
Aum Keita is a spiritual guide, yoga teacher, meditator, life coach, permaculture enthusiast, eco-building architect specialising in treehouses, musician, and singer. He holds a great vision of making this world a peaceful and wonderful place for all the beings that live on it and for all those yet to come. His spiritual journey began as a child, and has continued through traveling his entire life to more than 37 countries, learning from many wise masters and through his adventures. Apart from working many years with various sacred medicines, Aum has a masters' degree in Yoga, Meditation and Holistic Health from University in India, spent a year practicing the ways of meditation from the Thai monks in Thailand, and spent a year with the indigenous tribes in the Amazon working with plant medicine and dietas. He is fluent in English, French, Tamil, Hindi and Spanish. He will be happy to be there for you and be part of your journey with his calm and loving presence.
Staff and Caretakers
Oscar
Oscar is one-of-a-kind, a truly gentle and clever soul who knows Pandorita like the back of his hand. He grew up just a few beaches away from us on the Golfo Dulce, and has an unparalleled understanding of the surrounding ecosystem. He is responsible for the administration and general maintenance of Pandorita, as well as all things ocean-related: boat transportation, snorkel excursions, mangrove tours, and dophin-watching. Nobody can drive a boat like Oscar!
Charlie
Charlie cares for the gardening and landscaping at Pandorita. He has quite the green thumb, and he feels very connected to animals.
Yulissa
Yulissa is our chef who also grew up locally, in nearby Golfito. She brings a youthful, strong energy to her work, and she can often be seen with her sweet dog, Sami. Our favorite meal might just be her vegan breakfast pancakes!
Baloo
Baloo is our resident trickster spirit. He will eat your shoes, and he can frequently be seen trying to scale walls to make it into the kitchen when he is not chasing iguanas and raccoons. But Baloo is also a very good boy, and we love him dearly. He and his sister, Bagheera (Gira), will always greet you with love and affection, wait on the shore for your boat to arrive, and wave goodbye as you leave.
Marisol
Our feisty, loving Marisol tends to all the rooms at Pandorita and drives the boats. She has an amazing vibrancy and strength – quick to smile, and always standing tall. She and her mother, Flori, also make coconut oil products from the many cocos of Pandorita.
Bagheera (Gira)
Bagheera, or Gira, is our staff therapist. She can get into just as much trouble as Baloo, but she prefers love and affection. She is happiest when being recognized for her skill as an emotional support dog, and she loves to be rewarded with belly scratches. Gira and her brother, Baloo, will always greet you with love and affection, wait on the shore for your boat to arrive, and wave goodbye as you leave.