Marco has a rich artistic background in commercial design and illustration, having worked in the advertising and publishing industries. For the past 14 years, he has dedicated himself to exploring and experiencing the ways of Amazonian vegetalismo and the traditions of the Peruvian Loreto region. From a young age, Marco has been deeply aware of his spiritual journey—a genuine interest that began with curiosity and grew into a lifelong fascination.

Strongly influenced by Western Esoteric traditions and his Catholic upbringing, Marco continuously sought deeper truths. This pursuit led him to the dhamma of the Theravada traditions of Southeast Asia. His spiritual path included extensive travels through China, eastern Tibet, India, Thailand, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka.

To gain a more profound understanding of Buddhist traditions and their historical connections to pre-Himalayan influences, Marco gravitated toward the Tantric practices of Tibet. A pivotal moment came during a unique event in Himachal Pradesh, India, where he and fellow students were initiated into the Kalachakra Tantra by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Drawn by the rich culture and ancestral wisdom of Peru, Marco made it his permanent home in 1995. After living in Lima and exploring the coast and highlands, it was the majestic Amazon and its mysteries that truly captivated him. The symbolic confluence of the Amazon’s two great rivers mirrored his own spiritual journey into the unknown.

Marco’s first encounter with Ayahuasca in 2009 in Iquitos was transformative, quickly becoming a cornerstone of his practice. By mid-2010, he began dieting with Ernesto Garcia, which deepened his understanding of plant medicine and took his journey to another level.

Over the years, Marco has facilitated ceremonies at retreats such as Nature’s Hospital and Amaru Spirit. After a brief leave beginning in 2013, he returned to Iquitos in February 2017 to administer and facilitate at Gaia Tree retreats. Despite the two-year hiatus during the pandemic, Marco continued his personal work and resumed facilitation at Amaru Spirit in late 2021, staying there until the end of 2023.

Throughout his time facilitating retreats, Marco has worked closely with Shipibo maestros and developed a deep respect for their ways, though he humbly acknowledges there is always more to learn.

In 2024, Marco has focused on witnessing the global impact of plant medicine, facilitating retreats with his partner and continuing to deepen his understanding of this work.

For Marco, facilitation is about paying close attention to detail, practicing patience and respect, and being present in his own inner process. His approach centers on creating a safe, grounded space for others who, like him, are navigating their personal journeys toward growth and transformation.

Hailing from her native Singapore, has over 15 years of experience healing trauma through yoga, mindfulness, art, and counseling. Atira holds a Master’s Degree in Art Therapy from La Trobe University, Melbourne, and has been featured on TEDx. She is also the founder of Art to Healing and the international Yogathon event, Yoga for Freedom. Her work is dedicated to trauma recovery, supporting individuals and communities through therapeutic and healing practices.

Atira has worked extensively throughout Asia and Australia, spearheading programs that empower women and girls who have survived sexual abuse and exploitation in the sex trafficking industry. Since 2004, she has designed and implemented trauma-informed art therapy, somatic healing, and mindfulness programs for vulnerable populations, partnering with international organizations to bring these modalities to refugee camps in Burma, war zones in Cambodia, the brothels of Kathmandu, post-earthquake recovery efforts in Nepal, and remote Aboriginal communities in Australia.

Mentorship at AYA Healing Retreats

Atira now serves as Mentor for Facilitators and Practitioners at AYA Healing Retreats, playing a pivotal role in the development and training of trauma-informed facilitators and healers. Through structured mentorship, supervision, and guidance, she ensures that the AYA Healing team maintains the highest ethical, professional, and trauma-sensitive standards in their work with plant medicine. Her mentorship program provides practitioners with ongoing support, reflective practices, and skills refinement, fostering a safe and integrity-driven healing environment for all participants.

In addition, she has trained extensively in trauma recovery approaches, including Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, Neuroaffective Touch, and Polyvagal Theory, and is currently training as a Womb Surround Facilitator.

As the Founder and Clinical Director of Art to Healing, Atira has developed groundbreaking trauma recovery programs for sex-trafficked survivors in Asia, pioneering research on the efficacy of Somatic Experiencing, Creative Art Therapies, and Reproductive Health Education in empowering BIPOC survivors of gender-based violence and complex trauma. She also co-developed and delivered the first-ever Somatic Experiencing Trauma Resolution training for sex-trafficked survivors in collaboration with SETI and Lotus Circle International.

Atira is deeply committed to fostering transformative healing experiences, integrating cutting-edge trauma therapies with ancient wisdom traditions to support practitioners, facilitators, and participants on their healing paths.