Healing with Ayahuasca & San Pedro: The Journey Back to Self — Michele Costa & Ruben Orellana

Michele Costa is a transpersonal psychotherapist and shamanic practitioner, and Ruben Orellana is the former head archaeologist at Machu Picchu, an anthropologist and a revered curandero with over 48 years of experience working with sacred plant medicines like San Pedro and Ayahuasca. Together, they bring a rare blend of Indigenous wisdom and Western training to help people heal, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

In this illuminating and soul-stirring episode, we journey through the ancient world of plant medicine, where healing is not about fixing symptoms but remembering who we truly are. Michele and Ruben share stories of transformation, initiation, and the vital role of play, presence, and ritual in our healing journeys.

Expect to learn:

- How vibrational medicine helps us release what is held in the body.

- How plant medicines like Ayahuasca and San Pedro work not only on the mind, but on the liver, the heart, and deep ancestral wounds.

- Why laughter, play, and connecting with nature are some of the most potent medicines we have.

- How colonial influence and, more recently, an increasing Western appetite has distorted plant medicine traditions and why restoring reverence is crucial for their survival.

- The difference between working with psychedelics and true entheogens, and why intention and ceremony matter.

- Why consciousness is the medicine of the future and how crises may be the catalyst that finally brings us home to ourselves.

📸 Instagram: @thebeyondtomorrowpodcast | @juliankissa | @shamanicspace

🌍 Website: thebeyondtomorrowpodcast.com | @shamanicspace.com

📩 Email: bookings@beyondtomorrowpodcast.com

🎙 Hosted by Julian Issa

📍 Subscribe to The Beyond Tomorrow Podcast with Julian Issa for more stories from the edge of what’s possible.

DISCLAIMER:

Please note that the information shared in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any decisions regarding the use of plant medicines like ayahuasca or San Pedro. Additionally, be sure to understand and respect the legal status of these substances in your location, as they are illegal in many countries. Your safety and well-being are our top priorities.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

3:11 Ruben’s childhood and first encounter with curanderismo

6:06 Initiations, lightning strikes, and the making of a healer

10:44 Michele’s early life, spiritual upbringing, and healing journey

17:59 The wisdom of San Pedro and what it really means to “see”

23:46 The western distortion of Indigenous diets, rituals, and language

28:29 Michele’s life-changing experience with Ayahuasca

34:30 What’s happening at a cellular level during ceremony

41:46 How Michele and Ruben “see” energy in others during healing

47:17 Intergenerational trauma, cellular memory, and systemic wounding

53:01 How plant medicine helps us feel, release, and return to being

57:24 Is plant medicine for everyone? What to know before you start

1:03:15 The future of consciousness and Ruben’s 10-year outlook

1:17:43 The forgotten role of the healer: restoring harmony for others