José Lopéz Sanchez

José’s Shipibo name, Sanymeny, means “The Messenger.” Born in the village of Royaboya, he is the son of the renowned Maestra Ynes Sanchez and Maestro David Lopéz. He was named after his paternal grandfather, also called Sanymeny, who was a deeply respected Mereya — the highest level of Shipibo healer — and who trained him from childhood in the wisdom of his ancestors, the Shipibo-Conibo worldview, and the refined traditions of Shipibo plant-spirit healing.

At just seven years old, José began preparing his body, mind, and spirit through his first traditional dieta (sama) with a master tree-spirit, continuing his training throughout his youth. By the age of sixteen, he was already healing people in his village, and his work later expanded from Pucallpa to many other regions of Peru. While he occasionally works at the Temple, his main focus is leading plant-spirit dietas at his own center, Shipibo Rao, near Pucallpa. We feel truly honored to work with such a remarkable healer.