Miguel A. Kavlin

Biography

Miguel A. Kavlin was born in La Paz, Bolivia, where he lived until the age of 17. When he later moved to the United States for university studies, a series of unusual experiences began to unfold, eventually awakening his deep interest in Native American culture and spirituality.

Early Spiritual Journey

In 1983, he journeyed through the deserts of the American Southwest on pilgrimage to the ancient Anasazi sites. There, he spent time in vision quest and meditation, and this path ultimately led to a transformative meeting with Beautiful Painted Arrow (Joseph Rael) at the Southern Ute Sun Dance. Since then, Miguel has studied and participated in many ceremonies with Beautiful Painted Arrow, eventually receiving the title of Chief for both the Sun-Moon Dance and the Long Dance with sacred Cactus of the Andes.

Education and Martial Arts

After settling in New York City, Miguel completed graduate studies in Anthropology and Philosophy. He then founded a nonprofit organization serving public school students in New York City through multicultural education, violence prevention, adolescent rites of passage, and other learning programs. During this period, he met Sifu Kenny Gong, an internal martial arts teacher and traditional Chinese doctor, who trained him in Shing-Yi Chuan and Pa-Kua. This training became an important foundation for Miguel’s spiritual practice.

Amazon Apprenticeship

In 1987, Miguel met Don Agustin Rivas Vazques and began an apprenticeship that eventually brought him to live with Don Agustin at his jungle camp. He is now the only foreigner authorized by Don Agustin to conduct ceremonies outside the Peruvian Amazon. Since 1989, Miguel has taken groups from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia to Don Agustin’s camp, and has also traveled internationally to offer talks, workshops, and ceremonies. In August 1996, he completed the first volume of a three-part video documentary series on Peruvian Amazon shamanism, Spirits of the Rainforest, featuring interviews with Don Agustin Rivas Vazques and the paintings of Don Pablo Amaringo. Since 1995, he has also been apprenticing with Don Hector Aguanari and Don Jose Coral.

Peace and Service

Miguel’s prayer in this lifetime is to remain fully dedicated to helping people reconnect with Source and to foster peace within themselves, the world, and the cosmos. In support of this vision, in December 1996 Miguel and members of the Sacha Runa collective established the Sacha Runa Peace Chamber in the foothills of the Bolivian Andes. This ceremonial space is dedicated to planting seeds of peace in the hearts of all who arrive with good intentions and an open heart.

He has also worked with the Sacha Runa collective to build two major spiritual retreat centers where people from around the world come to heal, evolve, and learn together. These centers, the Allkamari Center near La Paz and the Wizard Mountain center deep in the Bolivian jungle, help bring Miguel’s deepest prayer into form: to be of service to the collective in the most profound way possible. These sacred, eco-intelligent spaces support a wide range of spiritual programs and training, while also nurturing the sustainable growth of Bolivia Mistica, a cultural eco-tourism company created with the Indigenous people of the region to bring greater abundance to local villages and strengthen healthy relationships between cultures, rooted in a spiritual connection to the land.