This last visit to Peru I had a few lessons come to me on being humble. This wasn't shown to me by plants but just by the behavior of some very wise souls I was lucky to meet. Their humble attitudes and demeanor impressed me and made me want to be more like them - they showed me the beauty of being humble.
One of these teachers was Kucho. I hadn't heard much about Kucho when I first met him - I was just told that he was the best guide for Machu Picchu we could find and that we would love him. I was also told that he is a famous healer across South America and usually very hard to book since he has such a full schedule.
I met him and we chatted a tiny bit about Machu Picchu. He was kinda reserved and quiet at first. Trying to open up discussion more with him and put him at ease I decided to ask him some questions about himself and show a bit of interest: so I asked him "So you are a healer?"
He looked at me a while and replied, "No. No, I am not a healer. I have a spiritual practice and I try to be a good person, but nature is the true healer. I introduce people to nature and help them make that connection, but I do not heal - nature does all the healing." I was impressed to hear this from such a famous healer - he was adamant about not taking any credit. He was just happy to be himself and live close to nature. The next day we met and he showed us around Machu Picchu - and I will say it was an incredibly eye opening and healing experience in ways that are hard to describe - and in my previous 2 visits to Machu Picchu I never experienced anything like what he helped us connect to.
I met another wise healer this trip as well - an Ayahuasquero named Kush. This was another man that I hadn't met before and didn't know much about, but I had heard great things from trusted friends. When we met him he bowed and was so respectful and polite. When describing ceremony for us he wasn't strict or uptight and the ceremony wasn't all about him and his songs - he invited us to sing, dance and express ourselves in ceremony. After he would finish singing a song he would ask if anyone else wanted to sing one. He really wanted to help people grow and express themselves and I am super grateful for the experience singing in his ceremony - it was easily the highlight of that ceremony for me. He wasn't worried about impressing people or letting others participate in the ceremony - he was so humble and welcoming that he made everyone feel right at home.
And of course there is also my dear friend Louis Q'espe from Q'ero's. I met him last year and got to spend much more time with him this year. All of the time he hangs out quietly with us and has such a calm and comforting energy. He is so shy and polite but when he starts working there is an incredible force behind his work - but he is so humble and quiet about it. At one point I saw him do some of the most powerful healing work I have ever seen - and most people wouldnt have even noticed he was doing anything! He just sat in the corner blowing good energy over to someone who really needed it and just kinda sat in the background looking aloof! Because he only speaks Quechua and a tiny bit of poor Spanish there is a huge language barrier, but that never stops him from having a smile on his face or making beautiful heart connections with everyone! He is such a beautiful soul!
I hope the lessons of these teachers work their way into my life - they are true examples of the virtues of being humble!
(pic of Kucho acting shy at Machu Pichu)
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