Teresa Rojas Toesta

Teresa’s Shipibo name, Chinosame, means “swallow that brings messages and people to work together.” She was born in the native community of Curarina and is the mother of six children, two of whom are now learning and practicing medicine. Her husband, Benito, also serves at the Temple as a curandero.

Her path toward becoming an Onanya began when she sought healing for her ill son. She brought him to a ceremony with a powerful healer and was deeply moved by how the treatment of icaros and plants restored his health. That experience inspired her to learn for herself. She later went to Royaboya, where her husband had already begun dieting, and asked to join him and study as well.

Teresa remembers her first dieta as especially powerful. The plant she was dieting stayed with her for three days, during which she met its spirit and received many teachings. She continued dieting with different plants for about two years before drinking ayahuasca for the first time. As soon as she began to sing, visions arose, and the lessons from her years of dieta flowed through her icaros. That was about 22 years ago. Since then, she has worked in her community and, more recently, with westerners, sharing her powerful medicine.