Ecuador Living

Cotacachi hotel, El Meson de las Flores, is the center for many shamanic tours. Cotacachi is the perfect place for all things shaman, a scared area in the Andes.  Our hotel El Meson de las Flores and Cotacachi are exactly in the middle of an ancient volcanic valley considered sacred by the indigenous here.

This Cotacachi hotel, is a rich part of Cotacachi’s colonial history…here are the rooms overlooking the open air court yard.

The ancient healing beliefs regarding Cotacachi are that just as our bodies and economies have energy processing points, so too does this globe we live on.

Ancients recognized the earthly energy points and built their temples, observatories, sanctuaries, temples and places of worship at these places. The Catholic Church recognized this fact and often built their Cathedrals on these ancient places. This is why Caotacachi, a tiny village, that was really tiny a century ago, has one of the largest, most beautiful Cathedrals in the country.

Here is Cotacachi Cathedral at dawn, photographed from Hotel El Meson de las Flores.

The shamans believe that the hotel is situated on one of the most sacred spots in the valley…a midpoint or axis.

Cotacachi is the place of crossing for four axis. Each axis is related to the earth and man.

First there is the Cotacachi Axis of the Sun. This east-west axis shows the relationship between man and the sun and humanity as part of the universe.

The second is the Cotacachi Axis of Man. This north and south axis is the center between Yucatan and Cuzco. This is an epicenter that has existed for millennium to develop new types of spiritual development.

The this is the Cotacachi Axis of Earth and Water. This local midpoint is between the mountains of Imbabura and Cotacachi represents the perfect physical location for dialogue and thought to help future generations grow together.

Here are the mountains, each pictured from the Cotacachi hotel, El Meosn de las Flores.

Mount Cotacachi

Mount Imbabura

The fourth Cotacachi axis is  of time. This axis is a vertical line between the sun and man’s nature representing the aspects of transformation and change. This axis is the place for transformation and evolution of humanity.

Cotacachi is also a land of mists.  Here is Cotacachi plaza, just 66 steps from the hotel,  on a misty dawn.  The shamanic healers believe the mists are purifying.

Cotacachi is also near several other villages famous for shamanic nutritional and healing traditions.

Cotacachi is near the village of Zuleta.  During our Ecuador Shamanic Mingo Tours we try to understand the mysteries of life  as exercised in the ancient shamanic traditions.  One of the visits  last trip was to the Shamana of Zuleta. Here her assistant prepares the ceremonial fire.

The shamana prepares as well cleansing with tobacco.

Also on our recent Shamanic Mingo tour we visited the village of Iluman, also near Cotacachi, where energetic healing has, for a millennium, been the traditional way to cure physical and spiritual illnesses. The knowledge of the shamans here has been passed from generation to generation.

For centuries however the Spanish banned this form of healing in Ecuador. The shamans had to practice in secret at night. Only in the last two decades have these healers once again been able to perform their ceremonies in the open. To help realize the potential of these ancient and natural ways and to rediscover their values, the village of Ilumán (long famous as a healing village) started an Association of Iluman Shamans which is recognized by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Public Health.

The Association sets down rules to assure authentic practice and to attract people to the “Shaman’s House” or “Yachak Huasiman” (Quechua). This is where our journey began. Here is a wonderful shot of the entrance taken by a delegate who has kindly donated these pictures.

In Iluman we met three healers. Here is one.  They use the fire to cleanse energy or information processing centers in the body.

Learn more here about Shamanic Health Tips from Ecuador

Merri and I are thankful to have discovered such a special place and to be able to call this center our home!  We invite you to join us here. remember that Ecuador Living subscribers receive their first night’s stay (with a booking of three nights) free. Learn more at Ecuador Living Service.

Gary

We also invite you to join us at our hotel El Meson de las Flores, for our next Cotacachi shamanic tour.  See Ecuador Shaman Mingo Tour.