Seed of the Heart: A Family Workshop on Emotions, Nature & Ancestral Wisdom

A family workshop that weaves Amazonian and Andean wisdom with Jungian psychology to help children and parents transform emotions into connection. Guided by the wisdom of the Amazon rainforest and Andean mountains, we explore plant allies (ruda, chamomile, rosemary), partake in breathwork based on Indigenous Amazonian practices, make art through the elements, befriend our emotions, and complete a Flower Mandala inspired by the Andean despacho tradition—closing with gratitude and community.

• Weave Amazonian & Andean wisdom with Jungian psychology.

• Meet plant allies: rue, chamomile, rosemary.

• Gentle breathwork based on Indigenous Amazonian practices.

• Paint the colors of emotion through the elements & friendly animal archetypes.

• Create a Flower Mandala inspired by the Andean despacho.

• Strengthen parent–child bonds and support the Yahua Ancestral School.

Please bring curiosity & comfortable clothes, all other materials provided.

Geared towards families with children ~5–12 (flexible).

Parents/guardians participate throughout!

Workshop Format:

1. Circle & Story: Reading from The Seed of the Heart — the heart as a seed that needs sun, water, air, and earth to sprout compassion.

2. Plant Allies: Meet ruda, chamomile, and rosemary; how each relates to elements and emotions.

3. Breathwork: Gentle, playful breathing based on Indigenous Amazonian practices to center and regulate.

4. Colors of Emotion: Art mapping feelings to elements and friendly animal archetypes (Jungian-informed).

5. Parent–Child CoCreation: Build a Flower Mandala together, inspired by the Andean despacho offering.

6. Gratitude & Closing: Blessings for family, community, and the rainforest guardians.

Roman Hanis

Roman Hanis is an international bestselling author, healer and co-founder of the Paititi Institute, which stewards 4,000 acres of essential buffer zone for the Manu national park between cloud rainforest and Andean foothills where some of the last remaining uncontacted tribes on the planet still remain. Since 2001, he has immersed himself in Amazonian and Andean traditions, supporting thousands of individuals from across the world, while continuing to study and collaborate with Indigenous elders. His work was featured in the critically acclaimed documentary The Sacred Science (2010), and his book Beyond Ayahuasca is now holding a bestseller status across multiple countries in the Shamanism category.

A certified Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, Roman apprenticed under Myriam Hacker from the Open International Institute of Oriental Medicine. He holds a degree in Eastern medicine, and is a lifelong practitioner of Jungian and Buddhist psychologies, having verified these intercultural approaches to resolution of suffering through overcoming his own life-threatening bout of Crohn’s disease in 2002. In 2004, the Yahua tribe formally pledged him as a curandero, a commitment he honors by offering healing retreats, community projects, and educational workshops throughout Peru and the United States.

Driven by sacred activism, Roman dedicates his life to preserving the rainforest’s ecological and spiritual heritage. Through ancestral-school initiatives and collaborative research, he works alongside Indigenous communities to safeguard traditional knowledge and foster sustainable livelihoods. His mission: to share ancient pathways of healing so that both local and global communities may remember how to live in harmony with the Earth.

Cultural Integrity & Acknowledgments:

This curriculum was developed with guidance from wise elders (sabios) of the Yahua tribe in the Peruvian Amazon and from Q’ero lineage holders in the Andes. It respectfully bridges Indigenous wisdom with Jungian psychology and child-appropriate contemplative practices. No psychoactive plants are used.

Workshop proceeds support the Yahua Ancestral School and the community’s emergency health & education fund.

This event is produced by the InterWorld Institute for Inner World Peace. The InterWorld Institute is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to personal and collective transformation. The nonprofit is now developing a hybrid holistic academy with offerings and events at the InterWorld EcoVillage, online, and other locations worldwide.

This event is hosted in collaboration with The Body-Based Mindfulness Center in downtown Colorado Springs, a clinically licensed therapy center with a holistic approach.

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