How a Shipibo Shaman in the Sacred Valley of Peru Healed Me From Chronic Lyme

I was in good health until I contracted Lyme disease. What followed was seven years of worsening symptoms that seemed to change every month. I saw six different medical specialists and was tested for everything imaginable. No one could tell me what was wrong.



Eventually, I found a Lyme specialist who diagnosed me with chronic Lyme disease. I learned that chronic Lyme is complex and often misunderstood, and only a small number of practitioners truly know how to test for it and recognize its patterns.



I began treatment with a highly respected Lyme specialist, alongside a naturopathic doctor. I followed an intensive herbal protocol and radically changed my diet. While this approach was helpful, it was also extremely slow and difficult. I was told that recovery could take many years.



During treatment, I experienced severe Herxheimer reactions — the die-off process when bacteria are killed. The pain was overwhelming. It felt like fire under my skin, my nervous system was constantly overstimulated, and I could no longer digest many foods. I was barely able to work, and my quality of life deteriorated to the point where I felt hopeless.



I didn’t want to spend another five years living like that.






A Last Hope



One day, I came across an article about a woman who had been severely disabled by Lyme disease and shared that she had experienced healing after working with a shaman in Peru. The article didn’t name the healer, but it planted a seed of hope.



At the time, I had no financial resources. I couldn’t work consistently, and insurance covered none of my Lyme treatments. Still, I felt I had nothing left to lose.



Out of desperation, I posted an ad on Facebook offering my professional skills — web development, graphic design, photography, and marketing — in exchange for the opportunity to participate in a healing retreat.



Fifteen minutes later, someone contacted me.



They had just purchased a retreat at a center in the Sacred Valley of Peru. After hearing my story, the owner made an extraordinary decision: they bought my plane ticket and flew me to Peru.



It felt like a miracle.






Healing Through a Master Plant Dieta



While in Peru, I worked with an experienced Shipibo shaman who guided me through a traditional master plant dieta. He traveled into the jungle specifically to prepare a tea made from three master plants, chosen carefully for my condition.



For a month, I drank this plant medicine daily and followed a strict dieta, while also participating in multiple ayahuasca ceremonies held with care and intention.



The process was intense and deeply transformative — physically, emotionally, and spiritually.



To my surprise, the end of that month, all my symptoms were completely gone!



Seven years later now, none of them have returned. In fact, I felt better than I had even before becoming ill.



This is my personal experience. I do not claim that master plant dietas are a cure for everyone with Lyme disease; I am simply sharing what unfolded in my own life and what may offer healing for others. I feel called to give back by telling my story and helping others learn about traditional plant medicine. I share this with humility and deep gratitude—not as a promise, but as an example of what can be possible when healing is approached with openness, personal responsibility, and respect for Indigenous medicine traditions.

Written by Shanti