Salka Star | Spiritual Journeys with Don Americo Yabar

This past September, thirty-five waikis joined Ana and me in welcoming Don Américo and Gayle Yábar back to the United States as they began a tour that spanned West to West Coast.  We gathered at Blazing Mountain Retreat Center in Crestone, Colorado, and were given sanctuary by the majestic Rockies.  Through the masterful weaving of their heartful presence, stories of the Andes and her people, and simple energetic practices, Américo and Gayle  brought us back to ourselves, each other, and the elemental world.  Américo told us that in Peru, Quechua-speaking mothers will often whisper to their agitated children “hampuy,” meaning “come, come back to yourself.”  And he said, “Your animu—your essential energy, your soul—sometimes comes out like a little bird, and the shaman goes after that little bird and grabs it and brings it back to you.  

During the day, the waikis brought reflections and questions that were vulnerable and heartfelt, and at night by the fire, they brought their gifts in poetry, song, and music. On Sunday morning we shared the mystical practices in the beautiful mountain-ringed sage meadows near our lodge.  

Many thanks to our teachers and to all who came together on this special weekend in service to the mystery of love.

Kenneth Robinson