Jose Lopez Sanchez, born in the native community of Raoboya, was given the name of his grandfather, the highly respected Meraya healer Jose Lopez, with the explicit intention of inheriting his grandfather’s invaluable knowledge and wisdom in the healing arts.

At the age of 7, Jose began the journey of physical and mental preparation to enter the realm of plant medicine. By the age of 9, he undertook his first dieta, a year-long immersion with the potent Shihuahuaco tree. Continuing his path of learning, he proceeded with successive dietas, with Niwe Rao and Noya Rao, from 11 to 12 years old.

José possesses remarkable healing abilities, capable of unblocking and releasing negative energies while pinpointing the root cause of an individual’s issues, whether they reside in the body, energy, or spirit, in order to realign and harmonize the individual. Within his family, he assumes the role of protector. José imparts his teachings and communicates with a unique, generous, and accessible approach. During ceremonies and dietas, he demonstrates extreme tenderness, kindness, compassion, clarity, and firmness. Despite his extraordinary power and knowledge, José maintains profound humility and a fervent dedication to the boundless possibilities of learning and sharing.

Eloy Torres Gallareta comes from the native community of Santa Isabel de Bawanicho. At 21, he drank Ayahuasca for the first time, and by 22 had entered his first dieta — a ten-month immersion with the Shihuahuaco tree. This was followed by a series of dietas ranging from three to eight months, including a prolonged dieta with Agua Florida, all undertaken without the guidance of a teacher.

Alongside his path with the plants, Eloy trained as a schoolteacher, and from 25 to 35 began healing within his community, gradually extending his practice to Lima and Cuzco. The only guided dieta he received came from his compadre — a maestro who, before passing, gifted Eloy his personal dieta of the powerful and respected tree Noya Rao, transmitting the energy of his own knowledge of this plant directly to him.

At 35, a family tragedy led Eloy to set aside his healing practice, and for many years he devoted himself to carpentry. He arrived at Shipibo Rao in 2022 as a carpenter, and in 2024, Maestro José invited him to participate in a ceremony and to sing. After 25 years of silence, Eloy sang — moving through the entire group and offering his icaros to every participant. That night marked the beginning of his return to the healing path, to which he has since devoted himself with renewed commitment and love.

Eloy holds extensive knowledge of plants and massage, with particular attention to injuries and physical ailments. He is also a fine pipe maker. He is known for his warmth, his gentleness, and a smile that brings light into difficult moments.

Mariella Lopez Gordon comes from the native community of Limon Gema and from an old lineage of  healers — both her mother and her father were maestros. She came to plant medicine at 30, and for five years before beginning her own dietas, she dedicated herself to cooking Ayahuasca — a role of its own significance, as medicine prepared by women is said to bring particularly rich visions.

The call to diet came in a dream. Resting beneath the “Plant of Life”, she heard the voice and song of her late mother. That experience moved her to begin her own dietas at 35, under her father’s guidance. Over the following years she undertook several dietas of a few months each, working with different plants — among them Bobinsana, Mapache, and Numa Rao — accumulating a total of around one year of dieting.

Once she began to heal, Mariella worked alongside her father for four years, learning the practice within the family tradition. She then went on to work at Western-managed retreat centres in the Pucallpa region, before joining Shipibo Rao in 2024.

Beyond her healing work, Mariella is dedicated to Shipibo embroidery, a craft she brings the same care and precision to as her medicine work. A mother of seven, she is a gentle and quiet presence — warm, steady, with the open heart of a mother and the innocence of a child.