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From April 1 to 8 and 10 to 17, 2027
Colibri visits Brazil.
Special Edition Celebrating Chief Nixiwaka's Birthday
Akasha Retreat Center
Itaipava – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
Uni Retreats welcomes the Colibri Spirit Festival family for a special celebratory edition: a unique retreat, an immersive experience, and a celebration guided by Chief Biraci Brasil Nixiwaká and Putanny—two prominent Yawanawá leaders who are joining us with their family to mark the occasion. It will be a time of sacred medicine, songs, music, and community, set within a living space of learning, reconnection, and celebration of the spirit.
Some encounters do not happen by chance — they happen because a history already exists.
Amid an excess of stimuli, information, and fragmented experiences, a call is rising for encounters that ask for a different kind of time — a time of presence, attentive listening, and genuine shared living.
The ancestral traditions carried by Indigenous peoples remain alive, sustained through the body, through song, ritual, and silence. These are wisdoms that travel across generations, maintaining balance between body, mind, spirit, and Earth — not as concepts, but as lived practice.
Colibri Uni Retreat is born from that field of relationship and continuity.
In this edition, the gathering has an even greater reason to bring the community together: the birthday celebration of Chief Nixiwaká, one of the foremost Yawanawá leaders. The days of the journey also become days of celebration, gratitude, and fellowship—alongside his family from the Sacred Village.
From the union of Uni Retreats, Colibri Spirit Festival, and the Yawanawá family, an encounter emerges, one that invites participants to remain: to share days, accompany rituals, and allow learning to reveal itself through time, repetition, and presence.
Here, the ancient and the contemporary are not explained — they meet.
Within this sustained encounter, lived with care and respect, the experience ceases to be a passage and becomes a path.
You are ready for this journey if:
- You feel this is a moment to go deeper.
- You are available to live several days of continuous shared living, with time for listening, presence, and integration.
- You recognize and respect ancestral wisdom and wish to learn directly from those who live it, within a context of relationship and care.
- You feel comfortable accompanying rituals, songs, silences, and teachings over several days, with attention and openness.
- You seek a space away from haste and fragmentation, where the experience unfolds in the rhythm of time and presence.
- You feel aligned with the purpose of Uni Retreats, Colibri Spirit Festival, and the living Indigenous spirituality that sustains this retreat.
This may not be the right moment for you if:
- You are looking only for a one-time, curious experience, disconnected from a deeper process.
- You seek quick answers, ready-made formulas, or spiritual shortcuts.
- You do not feel available to live days of shared living, silence, and attentive listening.
- You prefer to keep distance from contact with nature or from the Indigenous traditions that guide this work.
- You expect something fast, superficial, or shaped as a consumer product.
What are the pillars that sustain this encounter?
Rituals and Medicines guided by Native leaders
With the strength and presence of Chief Nixiwaka, Putanny, and his family from the Sacred Village, and Native North American spiritual leader Wakia Un Manee, the ceremonies awaken ancient memories and reconnect body and spirit with ancestral wisdom. Songs, prayers, and medicines become bridges between worlds — reminding us that the sacred is simple, alive, and accessible to all. In this edition, the chants, prayers, and music also celebrate Nixiwaka's birthday.
Silence, Nature, and Integration
Silence heals; nature teaches. Between one ceremony and the next, there is time to listen to the wind, feel the body, and allow learning to take root. Integration is the moment when experience becomes wisdom.
Community and Shared Purpose
Circles, sharings, and connections — here, each gathering is sustained by the strength of the collective. The presence of one supports the journey of another. Walking together is also medicine.
Colibri Spirit Festival
Is a festival born from the meeting of spirituality, art, music, and consciousness. A living space where different cultures, traditions, and expressions come together to celebrate life, care for the Earth, and the spiritual dimension of human experience.
Sustained by real relationships and shared living over time, Colibri welcomes ancestral wisdom, rituals, songs, and living practices, creating a field of encounter, celebration, and shared presence.
Uni Retreats is a living movement of transformation.
Formed by a group of guardians with over two decades of work alongside Indigenous peoples and spiritual masters, Uni Retreats was born from the union of tradition and presence.
Each journey is built upon this foundation — a field of wisdom and healing where the ancient and the new meet to awaken what is essential in each being.
Hosted at Aldeia Akasha Retreat Center (Rio de Janeiro), a territory consecrated to silence and truth, Uni Retreats weaves ancestral knowledge and contemporary consciousness into experiences that are safe, authentic, and deeply human.
More than a project, it is a movement guided by the purpose of serving the sacred and the transformation that begins when we remember who we are.
+40 retreats held
+1,000 people transformed
+ 40 nationalities of participants
+7 years bridging ancestry and the modern world
+70% of participants come by recommendation
Spiritual Leadership
Biraci Brasil Nixiwaká — Sacred Village
Biraci Brasil Nixiwaká is one of Brazil’s most respected Indigenous leaders and a principal guardian of Yawanawá spirituality. Following the demarcation of the Yawanawá Indigenous Territory, he dedicated his life to revitalizing ancestral traditions and sharing his people’s wisdom with the world.
Through initiatives such as the Yawa Festival, he has become a global ambassador for Indigenous knowledge. Today, he lives in the Sacred Village, where he continues his healing work and his service to future generations.
Putanny Yawanawá — Sacred Village
Putanny Yawanawá is one of the most influential Indigenous female leaders in the Amazon. Alongside her sister Hushahu, she was one of the first Yawanawá women to complete the highest traditional spiritual initiations, paving a historic path for the women of her people.
Internationally recognized for her ceremonial presence and healing work, her prayers, songs, and teachings express the strength and wisdom of the feminine dimension of Indigenous leadership.
Putanny Yawanawá is one of the most influential Indigenous female leaders in the Amazon. Alongside her sister Hushahu, she was one of the first Yawanawá women to complete the highest traditional spiritual initiations, paving a historic path for the women of her people.
Reconhecida internacionalmente por sua presença cerimonial e seu trabalho de cura, suas rezas, cantos e ensinamentos expressam a força e a sabedoria da dimensão feminina da liderança indígena.
Sacred Village Family
This retreat will also be led by members of the Sacred Village family—elders, leaders, and youth who keep Yawanawá culture alive. Participants will experience ceremonies, songs, stories, and traditional practices with them, offering a rare opportunity to learn directly from those who uphold this tradition.
Wakia Un Manee
Uni Retreats is also a living manifestation of native prophecies that speak of the reconnection between the Indigenous nations of North and South America.
Akasha Retreat Center is honored to have Wakia Un Manee, Lakota Sun Dance Chief, as a permanent leader who guides the Inipi Ceremony (sweat lodge) and shares Lakota teachings during our retreats.
Celebrating Biraci Nixiwaká's birthday
The two April editions hold special significance as they celebrate the birthday of Biraci Brasil Nixiwaká.
For decades, Nixiwaká has dedicated his life to preserving and revitalizing the spiritual traditions of the Yawanawá Nation, inspiring Indigenous communities and people worldwide through his leadership, wisdom, and service.
More than just marking a date, these retreats celebrate a living legacy of cultural preservation, spiritual guidance, and the transmission of ancestral knowledge.
Participants will have the rare opportunity to celebrate alongside Nixiwaká, his family, and the Sacred Village community, making these editions a unique moment of gratitude, joy, and deep spiritual communion.
From April 1 to 8 and 10 to 17, 2027
The Path of Transformation — An Eight-Day Journey
Each retreat follows a carefully designed flow, guiding you from purification to rebirth in just eight days — a passage led through ancestral medicines, teachings, ceremonies, songs, and silence.
Day 1 — Opening and Purification
The beginning is dedicated to settling in, introduction and cleansing. The Inipi (Sweat Lodge) purifies body and spirit, opening the field for the medicine work. It is the moment to leave the outer world and enter the spiritual realm.
Day 2 — The First Passage
With a cleansed body and an open heart, participants receive body paintings, share their intentions and enter the first Uni ceremony, guided by Indigenous leaders.
It is the opening of the inner path — where the sacred meets awareness and learning begins to blossom.
Day 3 — Silence and Integration
After the first night of medicine, silence becomes the teacher.
The day is dedicated to integration practices, cultural activities, and communion with nature — allowing wisdom to settle and the body to reorganize
Day 4 — The Second Passage
After a day filled with more teachings and cultural practices, the second ceremony deepens the process of healing and self-knowledge.
Day 5 — The Middle Path and Sharing Circles
The body regains balance; perception expands.
Sharing circles, teachings, and Lakota chants help to organize what emerged and deepen grounding.
Day 6 — The Third Passage
The third ceremony seals the journey: a gathering of gratitude and surrender, where the learnings become strength and purpose.
Here, the cycle completes — what was once a search becomes awareness.
Day 7 — Integration Circle and celebration
The closing circle and Native North American Mother Drum celebration unite the group in song and gratitude.
It is a moment to honor life, beauty, and everything that was lived.
Day 8 — Return with Purpose
The return is part of the journey.
Leaving Aldeia Akasha Retreat Center, each participant carries the silence, strength, and medicine of what was revealed.
The passage ends — but the walking continues
What remains after the drum falls silent.
The words of those who walked this path speak for themselves — courage, healing, reconnection, and a new way of walking life.
Memories that remain alive, teaching us.
Images that echo in the hearts of those who have been here.
March 20th – 27th, 2026
The mysteries of ancestry are for everyone — but not everyone is ready for the mystery. If you feel the calling, it’s because it’s meant for you.
Akasha Retreat Center
Itaipava – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
THE RETREAT INCLUDES:
Individual sessions with Indigenous leaders;
Pre and post-retreat follow-up consultations with specialized psychologists;
Private transfer from Rio de Janeiro to the retreat center;
Laundry service during stay;
Massage and body therapies with experienced therapists;
Private accommodation upgrade (single or double room options).
ADDITIONAL SERVICES AVAILABLE:
Individual sessions with Indigenous leaders;
Pre and post-retreat follow-up consultations with specialized psychologists;
Private transfer from Rio de Janeiro to the retreat center;
Laundry service during stay;
Massage and body therapies with experienced therapists;
Private accommodation upgrade (single or double room options)
The home where the circle forms and the family gathers.
In the mountains of Rio de Janeiro, Retreat Center Aldeia Akasha is a sanctuary devoted to healing and presence. The Kupixawa (ceremonial center), the Inipi (sweat lodge), waterfalls, rivers, trails, forests, wildlife, and spaces for rest form a living field prepared to hold profound processes with beauty and truth.
Nourishment is also part of the ritual: the kitchen works in communion with Notícias da Terra, a project that cultivates the food that nourishes both body and spirit during the retreats — real food, made with care and purpose.
FAQ
No. Our retreats are open to all who feel the calling to look within and walk in truth.
Each journey is carefully guided — from the first contact to post-retreat integration — respecting the rhythm and timing of each participant.
No. Before each retreat, we conduct an individual orientation and preparation process so everyone can understand the purpose, context, and safe way to participate in the ceremonies.
All medicines are served with ethics, deep respect for tradition, and the full support of our team.
Yes. Families are welcome, as long as all members understand the nature of the retreat and align with its purpose.
Children are also welcome — especially those accustomed to quiet environments, close to nature and moments of silence.
Each family member is invited to live the experience with presence — some joining ceremonies, others supporting and holding the energy that sustains the collective field.
Our team offers personalized guidance to ensure everyone can participate safely and harmoniously.
After filling out the interest form, our team reviews each application to understand your current life moment and ensure that the journey aligns with your intentions, needs, and the purpose of Uni Retreats.
Once approved, we’ll reach out to guide you through the next steps.
The ceremonies are guided by indigenous spiritual leaders who are guardians of recognized ancestral lineages and traditions.
Each encounter is prepared with reverence — in living alliance with forest peoples — and supported by a team that ensures complete physical, emotional, and spiritual care.
Yes. Our team includes emotional support professionals and therapists who accompany the entire process.
There is also special care before and after the retreat to sustain integration and ensure the experience unfolds with balance and presence.
Located in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro, Aldeia Akasha Retreat Center was built in harmony with nature. It includes ceremonial spaces, comfortable lodges, communal areas, a kitchen, equipped bathrooms, and abundant nature — natural pools, waterfalls, and forest trails — all designed to offer safety, silence, and deep connection throughout the journey.
All meals are freshly prepared, prioritizing organic and locally sourced ingredients.
The menu includes vegetarian, vegan and meat options supporting the process of purification and lightness.
Accommodation is simple, shared, and comfortable. We also offer individual accommodations and higher-standard options.
After your registration is confirmed, you’ll receive a detailed list with practical guidelines — light clothing, personal items, a notebook, and other essentials to make your experience more comfortable.
But above all, bring an open heart, clear intention, and willingness for silence and listening.
Yes. Our retreats are spaces of deep respect, care, and safety.
The team includes both male and female guardians, ensuring that every woman is welcomed and supported throughout the journey — from arrival to closing — with attention, presence, and compassion.
During the retreat, we follow a healthy and natural diet — free from processed or industrialized foods.
At certain moments, due to specific practices or healing processes, there may be short-term restrictions (such as no sugar or certain foods for a few days). Everything is guided and supervised by our team.
Yes. After registration, we send a guide with practical and spiritual instructions — including dietary, physical, and energetic care.
This preparation helps body and mind open naturally, initiating the process of purification and presence even before the retreat begins.
You can, but it’s important to remember that the medicines continue to work in the body and mind for some time.
We recommend easing back into your routine and, if possible, taking a few days for silence and integration.
This period allows the learnings to settle with clarity and gentleness.
There is no fixed age limit. We’ve welcomed participants from all generations.
What matters most is being in good health and willing to participate in the practices.
In specific cases, our team offers individual evaluation to ensure comfort and safety.
From April 1 to 8 and 10 to 17, 2027
If you’ve made it this far, perhaps the calling has already been heard — all that’s left is to take the first step.
Uni Retreats 2026. © All rights reserved.