Sacred Bridge: Uniting the Heart of the Amazon and the Peaks of the Himalayas - Sponsored by Tibet House US

With Hushahu Yawanawá, Matsini Yawanawá & Family, Kenewma Yawanawá, Jordão Souza, Tuikuru, Manxyvake, Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, Dechen Kelden, Khenzom and Lobsang Tara

October 2 - 5, 2025

Deluxe King – $1,772.55
Deluxe Queen – $1,464.00
Deluxe Double (Shared Room) – $1,282.95
Standard Single - Shared Bath – $1,341.60
Standard Double Full - Shared bath (Shared Room) – $1,204.80
Standard Double Twin - Shared bath (Shared Room) – $1,150.35
Economy Premium Single - Shared Bath – $1,254.90
Economy Single - Shared Bath – $1,117.20
Economy Double - Shared Bath (Shared Room) – $1,091.70
Economy Triple - Shared Bath (Shared Room) – $1,063.65
Economy Quad - Shared Bath (Shared Room) – $1,027.95
Camping – $846.00
Commuter – $807.00
Commuter (Lunch Only) – $657.00

There was once a time, deep in the Amazon rainforest, when the great keepers of wisdom—guardians of plants, prayer, and profound spiritual connection—held their knowledge close.
For centuries, the sacred teachings of Tibetan Buddhism were also hidden, veiled high in the Himalayas and passed down through silence, meditation, and ceremony.

Now, the time foretold has arrived. These two ancient lineages—of forest and mountain—are being called to share their sacred knowledge with one another at Menla. A prophecy begins to unfold.

This October, we invite you to Sacred Bridge—a historic convergence of two great wisdom traditions. For the first time ever, nine Yawanawá leaders will journey beyond the rainforest to join Tibetan leaders in shared prayer, ritual, and celebration. Together, they will offer their culture through sacred song, dance, teachings, and the living memory of a way of life rooted in spirit.

Throughout the weekend, you will experience:

Traditional music and dance
Sacred singing and fire ceremonies
Prayer and ritual
Sweat lodge ceremony
Cultural sharing and ancestral storytelling
Discussions on medicinal plants and healing traditions
Artwork and vibrant body and face painting
Environmental preservation teachings and earth-honoring practices

These traditions—shaped by exile, resilience, and deep reverence—come together not as a performance, but as a prayer. A prayer for the Earth. A prayer for our future. A call to remember what it means to live in balance with nature and spirit—and how we might protect the planet for generations to come by walking this sacred bridge together.

Join us for a transformative weekend of cultural exchange and collective awakening. This family-friendly gathering welcomes all who feel called to walk in harmony, open their hearts, and help weave a living tapestry of remembrance, joy, and connection.

Schedule

Thursday, October 2

3:30 – 5 pm Check-in & Arrival
6 – 7 pm Dinner
7:30 pm Opening Fire Ceremony
- Opening Prayer
- Personal Introductions
- Song Circle & Traditional Dance
  - Immerse yourself in the rhythms of the Amazon

Friday, October 3

7 – 8 am Tibetan Yoga Class
8 – 9 am Breakfast
9:30 – 11:30 am Storytelling & Cultural Exchange
- Journey into the ancestral wisdom of the Amazon Forest and the Mountains of the Himalayas
11:30 am – 12:30 pm Discussion
- The Power of Medicinal Plant Baths for Healing Modern Ailments
  - Learn about their deep healing potential and the chance to experience them
12:30 -1:30 pm Lunch
2 – 4 pm Breakout Sessions
- Panel Discussion
  - Preserving the Wisdom and Traditions of the Past
- Reclaiming Sacred Art
  - A Journey into Ancestral Designs
- Body Painting & Live Music
- Personal Appointments
  - Experience individual plant baths, healing sessions, and explore the cultural store
4 – 5:30 pm Voices of the Forest
- Discover the Power of the Ancestral Chants
  - Learn the traditional way of connecting to the divine through voice
6 – 7 pm Dinner
7:30 – 9:30 pm Movie Screening
- Tibetan Film Documentary
9 pm Live Music and Celebration
- Dance and celebrate under the stars

Saturday, October 4

7 – 8 am Morning Affirmative Prayer and Learning Session Around the Fire
8 – 9 am Breakfast
9:30 – 11:30 am Guardians of the Earth
- A Deep Dive into Indigenous Lands, Activism, and Sacred Ecology
10 – 12 pm Yawanawá Classes (Yoga Studio)
- Choose to practice guitar/drums or learn sacred designs
11:30 am – 12:30 pm Tibetan Presentation
12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch
2 – 4 pm Breakout Sessions
- Ancestral Play
  - Traditional Games & Cultural Tibetan Dance
- Personal Appointments
  - Individual plant baths, healing sessions, and time to explore the cultural store
4 – 5:30 pm The Feminine Awakening: Rebalancing the Scales of Power and Harmony
- A powerful dialogue and chant circle
6 – 7 pm Dinner
7:30 – 9 pm Movie Screening
- Yawanawá Documentary

Sunday, October 5

7 – 11 am Check-out of Rooms
7 – 8 am Yoga Class
8 – 9 am Breakfast
9:30 am – 12:30 pm Ancestral Storytelling of the Uniting Prophecy
12:30 – 1:30 Lunch
1:30 – 3 pm Tibetan Dance & Song in the Field
- A final celebration of unity and culture
3:45 pm Closing Rituals

*Please note that the schedule is subject to change at any time.

About the Leaders

Hushahu Yawanawá

In 2005, Hushahu became the first Yawanawá woman to enter a spiritual study, spending over a year in deep isolation in Samakẽi, where she discovered the world of the Pajés as a woman. She expressed this awakening through her art and voice, bringing a female presence to the traditionally male songs of her people. Her […]

Learn more about Hushahu Yawanawá

Matsini Yawanawá & Family

Matsini Yawanawá, chief and spiritual leader of Mutum village, descends from an unbroken lineage of Pajés (master shamans) and trained under the legendary Pajé Tata, who helped restore Yawanawá traditions after years of suppression. The Yawanawá, native to Acre, Brazil, have long safeguarded their land and spiritual heritage despite near extinction following early contact with […]

Learn more about Matsini Yawanawá & Family

Kenewma Yawanawá

A descendant of strong leaders, Kenewma is the daughter of Chief Biraci Nixiwaka and Chief Naiweni Mariazinha, the first female leader of the Yawanawá. She was the first youth and third woman in Yawanawá history to enter the powerful Muka diet, an intense spiritual study. Deeply committed to the well-being of her people, she supports […]

Learn more about Kenewma Yawanawá

Jordão Souza

In 2009, Jordão began his deep journey with the Yawanawá people, becoming the last student of the revered healer Pajé Tata and dedicating himself to the study of ancestral plant medicine and Indigenous wisdom. He later co-founded the Nipëihu Sanctuary in Bahia—a center for healing and research that connects ancestral plant medicine with visitors from […]

Learn more about Jordão Souza

Tuikuru

Kuru is a powerful and rising young leader from Mutum Village. Having recently completed the year-long Muká initiation, he has deepened his connection to the ancestral healing practices of prayer and medicine. A worldly traveler, he carries his music, spiritual force, and Yawanawá traditions to people across the globe. As the son of Chief Matsini […]

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Manxyvake

Manxyvake is a devoted student of Yawanawá spiritual wisdom. She walks alongside her husband, Matsini Yawanawá—chief and spiritual leader of Mutum Village—participating in ceremonies, sacred diets, and profound spiritual studies. She leads an annual women's gathering, offering a sacred space for connection and transformation, and shares her knowledge through online studies. Through her powerful chants, […]

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Dr. Nida Chenagtsang

Born in Amdo, northeastern Tibet, Dr. Nida Chenagtsang began his studies in Sowa Rigpa (Traditional Tibetan Medicine) locally and completed his medical degree at Lhasa Tibetan Medical University in 1996. Alongside his medical training, he studied Vajrayana Buddhism across all schools, with a focus on Longchen Nyingthig and Dudjom Tersar lineages. He received the complete Yuthok Nyingthig teachings—Tibetan Medicine’s unique […]

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Dechen Kelden

Dechen Kelden is a Tibetan and Kalmyk Mongolian storyteller whose work reflects themes of identity, memory, and belonging. Her stories draw from her roots- her father, a former monk of Nechung Monastery, revered as the seat of the State Oracle of Tibet, and her mother, a Kalmyk American whose family was among the first Kalmyks […]

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Khenzom

Khenzom is a Tibetan artist based in Brooklyn. Her paintings weave together human and natural elements, centering themes of interdependence, ecofeminism, and sovereignty. By envisioning a homeland untouched by violence and environmental harm, her art challenges colonial narratives of Tibet and imagines futures where the deep harmony between Tibetan people and their land is fully […]

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Lobsang Tara

Lobsang Tara was born in Amdo Ngawa, Eastern Tibet. Lobsang has studied MFA as New York Film Academy as film writer and director. He achieved creating a new genre in Tibetan Contemporary Art as Abstract Calligraphy painter. Lobsang was the co-founder of Artra Sound Production Company in New York and Los Angeles. He currently lives in […]

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