For the seeker
who longs for
truth, Wisdom
& Freedom
Shamanic
Expansion
Retreat
July 7 -15, 2027 · Sacred Valley
Peru
A sacred 9-day experience for high-achieving individuals who understand their patterns but still feel trapped inside them — and are ready to move through a fully embodied shift using
The SAGE Journey™.
▶ THE ESSENCE OF THE SAGE JOURNEY™ · WATCH BEFORE APPLYING
a mindful application process to align the right container of people
AS FEATURED IN
You Understand Patterns,
So Why Are You Still Repeating Old Habits?
I know. You’ve done the work.
Read the books. Gone to therapy. Meditated. Journaled. And changed your perspective countless times.
But when life becomes difficult…the same fears still return. The same guilt and people-pleasing patterns that lead to you abandoning yourself.
The question is… why is your life still organized around patterns you’ve already outgrown?
There is a layer of transformation that cognitive work will never reach. Long lasting transformation must integrate the mind with the body, emotions and energy field.
You inherit more than your mother’s eyes
Or your father’s smile.
You inherit their stories.
About how you love…What success looks like… How you deal with conflict… When you feel safe… Where you’re supposed to belong…
You may be conscious of some of these stories.
While many become unspoken agreements that run your life.
These stories might feel like the truth of who you are… until one day, you realize…
“Is this actually the life I chose? Or the one I built to survive?”
“And if these identities never actually belonged to me, then who am I?”
Call it Ancestral Healing
Or simply breaking the pattern.
It isn’t about blaming your parents.
It isn’t about attributing every challenge you face to your ancestors.
It is about becoming conscious of the invisible agreements that affect how you live.
Old beliefs. Toxic loyalties. Paralyzing fears. Outdated Roles. False identities.
Some are passed through learned behaviors.
Some through silence.
Some through trauma.
Whatever their origin…
They continue to shape your life, until you choose differently.
Johnson Chong
Bestselling author of Sage Sapien: From Karma to Dharma, creator of the deck SAGE Oracle: A Mythic Journey through the Medicine Wheel, TEDx speaker, shaman, and founder of SAGE Journey. For over a decade I’ve guided individuals through breathwork, coaching, and shamanic healing at organizations like Unilever, Facebook, and Nike.
I’m initiated as a paqo shaman of the Andean Q’ero priests and a Four Winds Energy Medicine Health Coach. But more than any credential — I’ve walked this path myself.
That knowing is what I spent years translating into a structured process that reaches where nothing else has. I call it The SAGE Journey™.
I Know This Place.
I Grew Up in It.
My parents swam for seven nights to escape China. My father had been arrested five times trying to cross the border. When they finally made it — they arrived in America with nothing but the will to survive.
And that survival became the air I breathed as a child. The pressure to be number one. The anxiety I couldn’t name. The weight of never being enough.
I understood all of that. I traced it back through everything. I could name every wound, map every pattern, explain every behavior.
And my body still held all of it.
What changed wasn’t a book. Wasn’t a course. It was the Sacred Valley of Peru — ceremony, land, and a process that moved through places my mind had never reached.
What I realized: insight alone doesn’t integrate what the body carries. The nervous system, the ancestral line, the patterns stored below conscious thought — these don’t respond to understanding. They respond to a different kind of process entirely.
My life didn’t fall apart. It was reorganizing.
But What Exactly Is
The SAGE Journey™?
A structured path of transformation that moves through four stages — in the body, the emotions, the mind, and the spirit — so that change is not just experienced, but fully embodied. Each stage has its own medicine. Each one builds on the last.
Serpent
The body has been holding what the mind has been explaining. Stored tension, inherited patterns, the weight of an identity built for survival. Before anything else can shift, these need to be released — not processed. Released. The Serpent teaches you to shed what was never yours to carry.
Puma
Once the body begins to release, the emotional landscape opens. Old responses surface. Patterns in how you receive, protect, and connect — become visible in new ways. The Puma teaches you to respond rather than react.
Hummingbird
With the body released and the emotional field settling, the mind becomes available for something it couldn't access before — genuine reorientation. The Hummingbird stage is where identity shifts not through willpower, but through clarity.
Condor
The final stage is the one that anchors everything else. Something underneath all of it becomes accessible — a deeper sense of self that exists prior to the patterns, prior to the conditioning, prior to the identity built for survival.
These four stages move through each other, layering and deepening across the nine days — guided by ceremony, the shamans, the land, and my guidance throughout.
A heart to heart conversation about whether this is a right fit for you.
And If You've Felt Called to Peru —
This Is Why.
In Peru, you can tangibly feel an electrical charge emanating from the land, the rivers and the Apus (mountain spirits).
There are indigenous traditions that have been truthkeepers and Earth guardians for thousands of years.
For centuries, the Andean peoples have sustained their unbroken wisdom through harmonious ceremonies – centered on reciprocity, right relationship and remembrance.
If you’ve been called here and don’t fully know why — that feeling is worth paying attention to.
On this retreat, you also work with our
indigenous healers & elders...
Porfirio Apaza
Plant Medicine Shaman:
Ayahuasca & Huachuma
Porfirio Apaza was born in the Q’ero nation at Huamanlipa, the Falcon Feather’s Mountain in the Paucartambo province of Cusco. He belongs to generations of earthkeepers, healers and guardians called pampamesayoqs and started apprenticing in the shamanic path at the age of 15 with his father and mother. He eventually received his Andean initiations at the age of 20, and later started initiation with the San Pedro cactus medicine. He continued studying with the jungle shamans in Pucallpa and received the rites to serve ayahuasca. He has been offering healing services for over 30 years and his deepest wish for humanity is that each person awakens to a life that is enriched with Munay, a truer and more connected way of living on the path of love.
Wilka Amaru Huallpa
Andean Wisdom Keeper & Huachuma
From the highlands of Cusco, Peru, Wak’a Kamayuq, also known as Altumisayuq, is a devoted guardian of the ancient Andean oracles, carrying the living wisdom of the Tawantinsuyu—the sacred lands of the Andes. As a keeper of the Wak’as (sacred sites and living spirits of the Andes), he preserves and shares one of the oldest spiritual traditions of the Andean world.
He proudly carries the ancestral title of Wak’a Kamayuq, once bestowed upon those entrusted with the sacred responsibility of caring for the Andean oracles. Today, he continues this lineage by preserving and sharing the ceremonies, teachings, and healing traditions passed down through generations to guide, protect, and restore balance.
His path was marked from early childhood. At just two years old, he and his mother were struck by lightning four times in their home in Kiñua Pata, Quisinsaya—a profound sign recognized within the Andean tradition as confirmation of his calling to serve as a priest and guardian of the Inca spiritual lineage.
Born into the Huallpa lineage, whose ancestors have safeguarded the wisdom of Pachamama and the Apus for countless generations, he is dedicated to keeping these sacred traditions alive. Through coca leaf divination, energetic cleansings, water ceremonies, despacho offerings, Wachuma ceremonies, Paqarina healings, and Qarpay initiations, he shares the healing technologies of the Andes with people from around the world.
Marquesa Apaza
Pampa Mesayoq Ñusta & Andean Wisdom Keeper
Marquesa Apaza is the daughter of the great Q’ero healer Maestro Alejandro Apaza, and is a pampa mesayoq ñusta – those who heal by working with energies and sacred spirits in nature. Her family comes from the Q’ero nation, a tribe of approximately 1500 people who lived in the Andean highlands at altitudes above 15,000 feet in order to escape the conquistadors. They lived in isolation from the rest of the world, during the Spanish occupation for many centuries hiding in caves in high altitudes until their “discovery” in 1949.
Their ancestors prophesied for them to stay in hiding for about 500 years for fear of being punished for their “magical” knowledge. Today we have the privilege of receiving the unbroken wisdom from the lineage of these masters.
Marquesa works with the spirit of the coca leaf for divinations. She also perform offerings and ceremonies of gratitude to the Earth and various other Spirits like the Pleiades to bring harmony to the land and their local communities. One of the main healing techniques that are unique to her lineage is done through chumpis, or sacred medicine stones of alabaster and marble that have been blessed and activated for the purpose of energy healing.
Raul Apaza
Pampa Mesayoq Paqo & Andean Wisdom Keeper
Raul Apaza is the second son of the great Q’ero healer Maestro Alejandro Apaza, and are pampa mesayoq paqos – those who heal by working with energies and sacred spirits in nature. His family comes from the Q’ero nation, a tribe of approximately 1500 people who lived in the Andean highlands at altitudes above 15,000 feet in order to escape the conquistadors. They lived in isolation from the rest of the world, during the Spanish occupation for many centuries hiding in caves in high altitudes until their “discovery” in 1949.
Their ancestors prophesied for them to stay in hiding for about 500 years for fear of being punished for their “magical” knowledge. Today we have the privilege of receiving the unbroken wisdom from the lineage of these masters.
Raul works with the spirit of the coca leaf for divinations. He also perform offerings and ceremonies of gratitude to the Earth and various other Spirits like the Pleiades to bring harmony to the land and their local communities. One of the main healing techniques that are unique to his lineage is done through chumpis, or sacred medicine stones of alabaster and marble that have been blessed and activated for the purpose of energy healing.
What they carry has survived five centuries.
When you meet them you will feel why.
Everything Included.
14 participants. Nine days. A safe container with long lasting embodied transformation.
Inside the Retreat
- 2 Ayahuasca ceremonies — nighttime, moving through shadow with precision
- 2 Huachuma ceremonies — daytime, heart-opening complement to ayahuasca's depth
- 1 Bufo Ceremony — transcendent and integrative oneness experience
- 1 Hapé Ceremony Workshop — learn an ancient tool to drop into a meditative state
- 1 Temazcal Sweat Lodge Ceremony — a purifying rebirth experience
- Q'ero Pachamama Haywarikuy ceremony with the healers of the Apaza lineage
- Daily yoga & mindful embodiment movement practices
- Shamanic breathwork workshops
- Inner healing workshops and somatic integration sessions
- Sacred site visits — places that have held ceremony for centuries
Also Included
- 8-module Shamanic Journey for Mental & Emotional Freedom Online Course — to prepare your mind, body and spirit for the retreat prior to arrival, and yours to keep
- All transport to sacred sites within the retreat
- All ceremonies and workshops
- All vegetarian meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner), tea & snacks
- Lush Boutique accommodation nestled under a sacred mountain in the Valley
- Pre-travel group Zoom intention call with Johnson
- Post-retreat integration call
- BONUS: 90-min Human Design Energy Blueprint Session ($444 value)
- BONUS: Pre-Retreat 1:1 Intention Setting Session with Johnson
- GUARANTEE: Personal follow-up sessions until something shifts — conditions apply
Nine Days Is Only
The Visible Part.
A ceremony can be booked. A sacred site can be visited.
What cannot be assembled so easily is the relationship between them.
This journey begins before Peru, deepens through nine days of ceremony, embodiment and integration, and continues after you return home.
Because transformation isn't created by collecting more experiences.
It's created by what your life is able to hold afterwards.
Private or shared.
Both designed for rest, integration and connection.
Twin Share
Share with a friend or get paired up
- Twin room shared with one other guest, with one bathroom shared between four guests
- All ceremonies & workshops
- All meals & accommodation
- All bonuses & integration calls
Twin Share Ensuite
Share with a friend or get paired up
- Share with 1 other and an ensuite bathroom
- All ceremonies & workshops
- All meals & accommodation
- All bonuses & integration calls
Private Room
Private boutique room
- Private spacious room with ensuite
- Sacred mountain views
- Private jacuzzi
- All ceremonies & workshops
- All meals & accommodation
- All bonuses & integration calls
Boutique Valley Stay
Lush modern Peruvian comfort designed for rest between the work
Sacred Mountain Setting
Wake up under the holy mountains of Peru’s Sacred Valley
Nourishing Meals
Organic, farm-to-table vegetarian breakfast, lunch & dinner prepared daily by our team of chefs
Everything Taken Care Of
Transport to all retreat sacred sites during the retreat included
Integration Time Between the Work
Time to rest, reflect and listen to what is carefully revealing itself between ceremonies
Surrounded by Nature
Gardens, mountain air, hammocks, walking paths and quiet spaces to come back to yourself
Are You Ready for
the Next Step?
This Retreat May Be
For You If...
- You've already done significant inner work — but something you understand intellectually still hasn't fully shifted in how you feel, respond or live
- You're ready to move beyond insight into embodied change
- You're open to deep ceremonial, somatic and emotional work
- You feel something calling you toward this journey — even if you can't fully explain why
This Is Not the Right
Container If...
- You're looking primarily for a wellness vacation or spiritual tourism experience
- You want to keep the work purely intellectual or conceptual
- You're unwilling to meet discomfort, uncertainty or whatever may arise with honesty and support
- You have medical, psychiatric or medication-related contraindications that make ceremonial medicine inappropriate for you
Participants aged 70+ are welcome. Medical clearance from your doctor is required before attending.
What Past Participants Have Said
The SAGE Journey Guarantee
There is one fear I hear more than any other from people who feel called to this retreat:
"What if I go — and come home exactly the same?"
I hear it. It's real. And it is exactly why this guarantee exists.
If you show up fully — to every ceremony, every session, every part of the process — and within 30 days of returning home you genuinely feel that nothing shifted, I will work with you personally, at no additional cost, until something does.
You'll hear exactly how it works on your 1:1 alignment call.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. What matters is that you feel genuinely called and that you’re ready to show up fully. We’ll explore your background and readiness together on the alignment call.
Safety is the foundation everything else is built on. I’ve been working intimately with the indigenous shamans of Peru. There are certain contraindications that we look out for to ensure that this is a right fit. Not everyone who applies is accepted into the program. The container is structured, and there is detailed preparation work before you even begin the ceremonial work. Lastly, integration is built into every day of the retreat.
Plant medicines are like keys to doorways of consciousness. They are initiators and living beings that are able to exponentially catapult your evolution in ways that are not accessible unless you devote years of your time in deep meditative and energetic practices.
Due to the intensity of the sacred plant medicines and healing ceremonies that we will be partaking in. We will not be visiting Machu Picchu during the week of the retreat. We will be visiting other Incan sacred places as some of our plant medicine ceremonies will take place in these power spots. If you would like to schedule time to visit Machu Picchu, we recommend you either arrive earlier before the retreat begins, or stay after the retreat ends to visit. There are plenty of travel agencies that can help you organise a trip to Machu Picchu, please send an email to sage@johnsonchong.com and we can give you a recommendation.
That is exactly the person The SAGE Journey™ was designed for. The reason most experiences don’t produce lasting change is not the experience itself. It’s the absence of a structured process around it. Most retreats give you a peak experience and send you home. The SAGE Journey™ is built differently: every day of the nine days is structured around moving you through a specific stage of transformation, with integration woven in from the start.
Readiness is not a fixed state. It’s something we explore together. If you feel the call but have doubts, we will have a conversation during the alignment call to see if this is the right next step.
It’s always exciting to meet like-minded seekers on retreats. If you want to paired with a roommate, please email us your preferences (i.e are you a light sleeper, do you snore, etc?). We will pair you with someone who we believe would be a good match for you.
The nearest major airport is Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport in Cusco (CUZ). From there, transport to the venue is approximately one hour. Detailed travel instructions are provided upon acceptance.
Yes. All vegetarian meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), plus tea and snacks are included throughout the retreat.
Complimentary Wifi will be available. Though, we highly encourage that you switch off your mobile devices during the retreat so that you can get the most our of this important time for yourself.
Yes, laundry is available for an additional service charge.
Flights to and from Peru, international travel insurance, personal shopping, and any expenses outside the retreat program.
We ask that you commit to blocking out time for yourself and to be sure that you’re coming before you book. We also know that life is unpredictable. As with all our retreats, you are responsible for acquiring your own travel insurance in the event that life takes a sudden turn for you.
Cancellation in less than 30 days before the retreat (0% refund)
30-60 days before the retreat (50% refund)
Plant medicine ceremonies are conducted in accordance with local Peruvian traditions and legal frameworks.
Let’s keep in touch
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