Sapha is a practicing curandero & apprentice of Maestro Ricardo Amaringo living full time at Nihue Rao. Sapha founded the permaculture project in December of 2021 with the support & approval of Ricardo Amaringo. Sapha has been working with plant medicine in recovery for over 7 years and offers guidance and support to those in both early and long term recovery.

Sapha attended a holistic treatment center in 2015 after a 12 year career in the canadian oil & gas industry & 16 year battle with cocaine, alcohol & opiates. After Attending treatment he shifted his focus towards his own healing which lead to an interest in social work, drug user advocacy & addiction recovery. During his social work studies at university on Vancouver Island he recognized a need for community development in the realms of psychedelics, harm reduction, addiction recovery and began developing a program that could be supportive to people looking for something outside of the conventional models available.

Sapha works with people to help them prepare for ayahuasca ceremony, inpatient treatment, medical detox, provides individual & family interventions, recovery coaching & mentorship, assists in helping clients taper off of opioid replacement therapy, and develops personalized recovery plans for individuals based on their needs. Sapha is working along side his team to help curate retreats for people wishing to explore plant medicine while incorporating teachings from various traditions & recovery modalities to optimize their recovery experience.

Sapha is currently managing the permaculture operations at Nihue Rao Proyecto de Permacultura & development of the Sacred Rebels Recovery Program alongside his partner Makena Seymour while working together with peers & community friends to raise funds to further develop the project and create opportunities for local members of their community. Sapha is creating a food share program with members of the local community of Llanchama & Nihue Rao as well as coordinating several fundraisers to reach project objectives.

Sapha & Makena’s vision is to establish both curated plant medicine recovery retreats and inpatient recovery treatment programs for people to attend in the peruvian amazon, canada & the united states.

Sapha is also working on developing men’s retreats at Nihue Rao Proyecto de Permacultura that incorporate plant medicine, permaculture, recovery work workshops, meditation, breathwork, yoga, and fitness classes.