My Unforgettable Journey into the Brazilian Amazon
Words cannot express the profound impact this journey had on me. The Yawanawa tribe welcomed me with open arms. This is my second visit to this village and I am in deep gratitude that they have opened the doors to their home for us to learn about their rich culture and spiritual traditions.
Photo by: @cansinsaglam
Dear friends!
Words cannot express the profound impact this journey had on me. The Yawanawa tribe welcomed me with open arms. This is my second visit to this village and I am in deep gratitude that they have opened the doors to their home for us to learn about their rich culture and spiritual traditions.
Let me take you on a journey into the Yawanawa tribe, where I had the privilege of spending time with Chief Nixiwaka, his incredible wife Putanny and the kind tribes people of Aldeia Sagrada (Sacred Village). The journey to this village takes you 7 hours down the Gregorio River on a magical journey immersed in the beauty of the forest, the dance of colorful butterflies and majestic birds while witnessing indigenous peoples lives as they bathe, play and fish along the river. As I embarked on this incredible adventure deep into the heart of the Brazilian Amazon my heart was filled with inspiring moments, ancient healing practices, and the magic of medicinal plants.
During our time with Putanny a remarkable and wise woman leader of the Yawanawa tribe, we embarked on an all-women's truly transformative experience.
This experience was an empowering celebration of womanhood, sisterhood, and the strength we possess within.
We listened to the stories of how this tribe survived the rubber industry settlements as well as the indoctrination of the missionaries. Putanny also shared her courageous story to be the 1st woman of her tribe to ask as a young woman to have the same access to plant medicines as the men and later on to be able to embark in the same deep spiritual process that only men had access to.
She is a true goddess
of the forest
She is the embodiment of incredible strength and kindness. Her spiritual path and commitment to the wisdom of the plants is truly majestic.
Through plant baths, and ceremony circles with different plants, we delved into the sacred art of healing. The wisdom of healing through medicinal plants paired with the joy frequency of their music, are rituals that have been used by the Yawanawa people for centuries. We chanted, danced, and connected with the spirits of the forest. The Amazon rainforest, with its vast biodiversity and natural wonders such as the ancient and magnificent Samauma trees where eagles and jaguars have their nests served as our backdrop.
Immersed in village life and guided by the wisdom of the Yawanawa women we learnt how to weave baskets and fans from palm fronds. We also learnt the importance of the Kana face paintings and were able to create our own beautiful water colors of the serpent and the butterfly kanas. Through these practices, I discovered a profound sense of peace, harmony, creativity and connectedness with nature and community.
But it wasn't just about personal growth and spiritual connection. The Yawanawa tribe's commitment to preserving their ancestral knowledge and language as well as protecting the Amazon rainforest is truly inspiring.
They are guardians of this precious ecosystem
As I sit here and reflect on my journey, I am filled with gratitude for the Yawanawa tribe at Aldeia Sagrada, Putanny, Chief Nixiwaka and my dear friends Luiza from Yawa Journeys and Sahar for the invitation. This opportunity to experience such profound healing and wisdom has truly changed my life. The lessons I learned, the friendships I made, and the memories we created are etched in my heart forever.
I hope my words have transported you to this magical place, even if just for a moment. The Amazon rainforest and the Yawanawa tribe have touched my soul in ways I cannot fully express.
Remember, we all have our unique journeys, and I encourage you to seek out experiences that nurture your spirit, challenge your beliefs, and expand your horizons.
Sending you all love, light, and the spirit of the Amazon rainforest!
Xime
A Letter From Tony & Ximena
As we bask in these long, sunlit hours, we are overwhelmed by how rich and full the past six months have been for our team and ChoZen soul family.
As we bask in these long, sunlit hours, we are overwhelmed by how rich and full the past six months have been for our team and ChoZen soul family. We welcomed some incredible groups into our sanctuary for a series of spring retreats, while expanding our property to include a new parcel of land affectionately called “the Preserve.”
A number of exciting additions are currently also underway at our Safari Camp, including a water cistern and new 5K solar array, an edible mushroom garden, vertical vegetable gardens and additional Airstreams to increase our hosting capacity.
ChoZen Solar Arrays
We also, in these same moments of gratitude and reflection, recognize that much of humanity is in crisis around the globe, and thus at ChoZen, we have been directing our energies with even more intensity and intention towards solutions that will restore equilibrium to our planet and its people.
Along these lines, we are so pleased to announce that we recently completed our signature Senior Garden project at By the River, a co-living senior citizens’ facility adjacent to the Preserve at ChoZen. Thanks to the leadership of Soo Se Cho and with the help of the ChoZen apprentices and team, this new garden will serve the elderly members of our community, providing them with fresh fruit and vegetables for years to come.
Our continued goal is to grow as much of the food that we consume at ChoZen as possible. We are planting many more fruit trees this summer to increase our harvest of native fruits, as well as constructing vertical gardens in the Safari Camp, which will supply our culinary team with fresh vegetables year-round.
Aside from our overnight retreats, we have also been curating a variety of workshops and events for our local community. Our neighbors have gathered at ChoZen in recent months to study such topics as bee education, mushroom farming, fruit tree growing and building regenerative communities.
As for our personal endeavors, we are so grateful that travelways have reopened in full, and we have had the opportunity to spend time this year everywhere from Colombia, to Hawaii, to Switzerland, Spain, and beyond, while meeting with various changemakers and thought leaders, aligning energies for a regenerative future.
Most recently, we retreated to Europe to work remotely from our ChoZen summer escape in Ibiza. We started our trip in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum's annual conference, where the Future of Cities hosted an epic day of events focused on regenerative cities of the future, alongside special guests and ChoZen soul family members Dr. Deepak Chopra, Sadhguru, and Bjarke Ingels–among others.
It has been a true blessing to build on our connections with our European ChoZen family and to learn from the many impactful regenerative projects underway across the pond. We feel inspired and impassioned to build bridges from the work they are doing in the EU back to our work in Florida and beyond.
Speaking of, we are very eager to be back home in Florida at ChoZen soon, and to see many of our community back at our ever-growing sanctuary.
To our ChoZen soul family around the globe: We hope the summer solstice finds you well, and that this letter finds you also reflecting on an abundance of blessings from the first half of the solar year. We look forward to being with you soon!
Love,
Tony and Ximena Cho
Swallow the Moon Retreat Recap: April 2022
From April 1st - 3rd, we gathered at ChoZen Retreat to explore and reenergize our relationship with our closest celestial neighbor through movement, music, and meditative & healing practices.
From April 1st - 3rd, we gathered at ChoZen Retreat to explore and reenergize our relationship with our closest celestial neighbor through movement, music, and meditative & healing practices.
NSEV Healing founder Daniel Nevel-Atchison, Dr. Maria Romero, Dr. Shiva Schiff, and Jared Bistrong facilitated the retreat. Guests enjoyed:
Group acupuncture & NSEV healing sessions
Establishing a moon cultivation practice for meditation & healing
Fire circles & new moon ceremonies
New moon meditations & cultivations
Lunar elixirs + plant-based meals and snacks
Nature hikes & Sebastian River excursions
We are honored to have gotten the opportunity to experience these transformative, healing practices + rituals. Stay tuned for our next retreat lineup! Make sure to follow @LiveChoZen on Instagram as we will be announcing the dates and providing links to register in the coming months.
Spring Equinox Retreat Recap: March 2022
From March 18th-20th, we gathered at ChoZen Retreat to celebrate the Spring Equinox and welcome this seasonal transition with mindfulness and healing practices…
Photographer: Brendon Dragon
From March 18th-20th, we gathered at ChoZen Retreat to celebrate the Spring Equinox and welcome this seasonal transition with mindfulness and healing practices.
We’re grateful to have had the opportunity to host this retreat in partnership with Modern ŌM and facilitators Eugene Gant, Amanda Gilbert, Nick Brewer, and Yoni Marcos. See some of the highlights below!
Photographer: Brendon Dragon
Eugene Gant held breathwork classes and cacao rituals, where he incorporated yoga therapies, breathing techniques and meditation, empowering mantra, and soulful music.
Photographer: Brendon Dragon
Amanda Gilbert—a meditation teacher, speaker, author, and mindfulness lecturer—guided us through meditation sessions.
Photographer: Brendon Dragon
Nick Brewer of Primal Moves led a primal movement class to help us reconnect with our inner child + ancestral DNA and build stronger, healthier bodies.
Photographer: Brendon Dragon
