What is Don Leonardo?
Don Leonardo is an ayahuasca curandero who was trained under the mentorship of two respected maestros: Don Benigno, a master of the old ways whose deep knowledge of plant spirits was rooted in generations of experience, and Don Guido, his spiritual heir and son-in-law, known for his ability to bridge ancient tradition with the modern seeker’s heart. Together, they guided Don Leonardo into the hidden science of the curandero, a path requiring discipline, humility, and an unwavering commitment to the truth of the plants. He works as a healing facilitator at La Luna del Amazonas, a retreat center located in the village of Santa María de Ojeal, outside Iquitos in the Peruvian Amazon.
Origins & Lineage
At just twelve years old, Don Leonardo stepped into his first ayahuasca ceremony. The gatherings were held in the traditional way, every Tuesday and Friday, bringing together villagers and healers under the soft glow of kerosene lamps. His formal training came later in adulthood when he apprenticed with Don Benigno, affectionately known as the “Maestro de los Maestros” (Master of Masters), one of the oldest and most respected shamans still practicing the ancient art of white magic in Iquitos, Peru. Despite his advanced age of 80+, Don Benigno continues to drink the sacred ayahuasca medicine. Coming from the old school of vegetalistas, Don Benigno was born and raised on the border between Peru and Ecuador. His first encounter with Mother Ayahuasca occurred when he was just six years old, and his powerful icaros, the sacred chants used during ayahuasca ceremonies, are a blend of native Quechua and Spanish.
Don Leonardo also studied under Don Guido Rimachi, Don Benigno’s son-in-law, who runs La Luna del Amazonas. The center was first opened in 1987 as the local village clinic by the Rimachi brothers, and used to serve mainly local patients. As time went on the word was spread, and patients from all over Peru and the rest of the world started to show up. Throughout the last 30 years people have traveled to Santa Maria de Ojeal for healing.
How It’s Practiced
Don Leonardo practices in the Amazonian curanderismo tradition, which centers on ceremonial work with ayahuasca and master plant dietas. During ceremonies, curanderos sing icaros—healing songs that are understood to channel the spirits of medicinal plants and facilitate energetic healing. The diagnostic and healing approach is rooted in the belief that illness often stems from energetic blockages in the body’s subtle energy system.
Ceremonies typically take place in a maloca (ceremonial house) in darkness or candlelight. Participants drink ayahuasca brew while the curandero guides the experience through song, occasionally performing individual cleansings with tobacco smoke (mapacho), rattles (shacapa leaves), or other plant materials. The work may be complemented by flower baths, vomitivos (purgative plant preparations), and extended plant dietas—periods of isolation where an individual works with a specific master plant under the curandero’s guidance.
Don Leonardo Today
Guests at La Luna del Amazonas describe the ceremonies as “pure magic” and praise Leonardo and Guido for their “enormous experience” which “shows in every aspect of the healing process.” Don Leonardo works alongside Don Guido, Don Benigno, and other family members at the retreat center, serving both local community members and international visitors seeking healing through plant medicine.
Those who work with Don Leonardo typically attend week-long retreats that include multiple ayahuasca ceremonies, integration support, jungle excursions, and time for rest and reflection. The approach emphasizes traditional Amazonian methods while providing modern amenities for international guests.
Common Misconceptions
Don Leonardo is not a guru or spiritual authority figure in the New Age sense. He is a practitioner of a specific regional healing tradition—Peruvian curanderismo—that has its own cosmology, methodology, and cultural context. The work is neither recreational nor primarily mystical; curanderos view themselves as healers treating specific ailments, both physical and spiritual.
The title “Don” is an honorific used throughout Latin America and does not itself denote shamanic status. It is roughly equivalent to “Mr.” but carries connotations of respect. Not all curanderos use psychoactive plants, and not all ayahuasca facilitators are traditional curanderos—Don Leonardo works within a specific family lineage that has practiced for generations.
This is also not psychedelic therapy in the Western clinical sense, though some participants frame it that way. The ontology is different: curanderos work with what they understand as plant spirits and energetic realities, not primarily psychological constructs.
How to Begin
Those interested in working with Don Leonardo specifically would attend a retreat at La Luna del Amazonas in the Peruvian Amazon. The center requires medical and psychological screening, as ayahuasca has contraindications with certain medications and health conditions. Prospective participants should research Amazonian plant medicine thoroughly, understand the commitment involved, and honestly assess their readiness for intensive work that can be physically uncomfortable and psychologically challenging.
For those exploring ayahuasca more generally, reading foundational texts on Amazonian shamanism—such as ethnobotanist Dennis McKenna’s work or anthropologist Jeremy Narby’s The Cosmic Serpent—provides cultural and scientific context. Learning about the Shipibo, Asháninka, and other Indigenous traditions helps distinguish authentic lineage-based practice from appropriation or commercialization.