An Interview with Spiritual Mentor and Wellness Tourism Expert, Sia-Lanu Estrella

Sia Lanu Estrella is a spiritual mentor, author, and transformational guide who helps individuals reconnect with their inner wisdom and unlock their multidimensional gifts. Through her acclaimed “Rainbow Tablets” books, programs, and retreats, she empowers clients to shed limiting beliefs and live their highest expression of life. Sia offers mystical retreats in locations such as Peru, South Africa and the UK, as well as personalized programs that guide participants on their journey toward spiritual wholeness, manifestation, and embodiment of their fullest potential.

She was kind enough to shed some light on the up-and-coming area of wellness tourism and how she takes her clients to special locations to facilitate their individual spiritual journeys. The fast-growing wellness tourism market is predicted to be a $1.1 trillion industry by 2025. Sia-Lanu leads world-renowned Peru and South Africa retreats.  She helped clarify what you can expect as a “wellness tourist” and she let us know what really goes on during these global retreats, including the use of psychedelics.

Q: It says in your biography that you are an accredited Shamanic practitioner.  Who accredited you and in what Shamanic tradition(s)?  What is most important for people to know about those traditions?

That’s a bit of a funny story. The official accreditation came after I moved to the UK, because you had to have a certificate to acquire liability insurance. But my Shamanic practices actually came from deep embodiment.

I had been going to Peru for 10 years. On one visit, the most sacred Apu (mountain spirit) in Cusco, summoned me. My dear Peruvian friend, Auqui, said, “Sia, you can’t meet Ausangate as a tourist.” He taught me the ceremonial ways and took me to meet the mountain in sacredness. That moment changed my life forever.

A few months later, the Apu called me to run my first retreat. It was effortless and magical. Then the mountain told me it was time to move to Peru. At first, I resisted. I had a great job in Australia, a water-view apartment and a new car. I had always known my path laid in healing work. Yet, the idea of walking away from everything with no plan was daunting. But the Apu was insistent. So, I went home, sold everything and moved to Peru with two bags and no idea what I was stepping into.

For three years I lived there and worked deeply with the lands and traditions. Initially, I had a female Peruvian Shaman as a mentor for a year. My dear friend, Auqui, was also the tour guide for my Peru retreats. He taught me the ways of this grandfather’s community. Then, during a visit to Ausangate, the daughter of a Paqo wisdom keeper chose me to be her godmother. It was a very sacred ceremony and we could literally feel the magic in the air. That night, Auqui and I sat in the cold under the glacial mountain and looked at the stars. He said, “Sia, something really big is happening. Ausangate is weaving all of our paths together. There is a greater purpose. He is making sure you will be committed to always coming here.”

That was six years ago now. And I just ran my latest Peru retreat and spent quality time with my beautiful goddaughter.

I think it’s important that people stop thinking of Shamanic practices as a ‘modality’. The Shamanic path is a way of living life as sacred. These practices help to anchor our multidimensionality. They awaken the magic and wisdom in the lands all around us. It is about respect, love, presence and walking in sacred co-creation with the lands, ancestors and animal spirits.

This remembering is a vital part of how we live our true expression and manifest at the highest levels. I share more about this in my latest book, The Rainbow Tablets: Abundance and sacred co-creation.

Q: Indigenous shamanic practices vary between Peru, South Africa and Australia (as well as the UK, where you now live) and there are well-known sacred sites in all of those countries.  What made you choose to do your retreats in those far-away places, rather than where you now live, which is I assume, where you are indigenous?

To be honest, I don’t choose the locations for my retreats. I only offer retreats where the land has asked me to step into this service.

Just before I released my first Rainbow Tablets book, I was called to Uluru. This is the most sacred site in Australia. I went there and asked the ancestors’ permission to restore the cosmic remembering in these books. It took some time for the ancestors to release the Rainbow Codes. They needed to feel my frequency and trust that I was coming from purity of heart.

Afterwards, an ancestor spoke to me. For over 20 years of my life, I had suffered from chronic illness. The cause was environmental factors specific to Australia. My immunologist told me I needed to leave the country and move somewhere cold and high in altitude. Of course this matched perfectly with my call to Cusco!

The ancestor at Uluru told me, “You thought Australia hated you. But these lands were in service to you. We have guarded the cosmic wisdom for tens of thousands of years. We only would have released these codes to someone of these lands. That is why you needed to be born here. But the wisdom of the Rainbow Tablets needs to be unlocked at many sacred sites all over the world. As a Cancerian and introvert, you never would have left your home. We had to make you so uncomfortable that you literally had to spread your wings and step into the higher calling.”

That moment was so healing for me, and the tears flowed. Finally, I understood why my path had been so challenging. From the time I left Australia seven years ago, I have had full health. And I have answered all of the sacred sites that have called me.

Q: You take your clients on retreats to sacred sites in Peru, South Africa and Australia. While your itineraries are posted and you speak about manifesting and connection to the sacred sites, Ley lines and spirits there, what practices and rituals are employed to aid your clients in their journey?

Every retreat is different. I walk in sacred co-creation with the lands, ancestors and animal spirits, as well as our wonderful star families. This is how we weave the greatest magic and expansion. And it is how we unify Earth and stars within, so we can re-embody our full cosmic nature.

Each day of the retreats I rise at 3am and come into ceremony, asking for the highest guidance for that day. Retreats vary depending on the lands and the needs of the group. But one thing I can share though is that there is always so much magic.

In South Africa, we had two days in Kruger National Park. My main call there came from the Lyran star beings, as represented by the lions. The rangers said one lion sighting would be a blessing. We had seven separate sightings. And one pride was huge, with many cubs. In Peru, the greatest blessing Apu Ausangate gives is an avalanche. On my last retreat, we came into a sunrise cacao ceremony at the mountain. It was very powerful and the mountain shared so much wisdom with everyone. Then we heard an enormous crack. We watched as the avalanche rolled down the mountain. Everyone had goosebumps and the tears were flowing. You just can’t describe that level of magic.

In my Sacred Space Facilitator Training in Australia, I teach clients how to work with multidimensional containers to manifest their highest reality. The feedback is phenomenal. They experience huge increases in abundance, from the exact type of clients they want to work with. Many also see beautiful shifts in their relationships and family dynamics because they are showing up differently. And, while we at the retreat, we work with the Temazcal traditional sweat lodge. This is a lifechanging experience where clients tap into their inner warrior and deeply connect with the incredible support of the ancestors around them. In this way, the itineraries, practices and rituals I work with are guided by the lands, ancestors and star beings to best support clients in stepping into their highest embodiment.

Q: The Press Release spoke of “Sia-Lanu will share what you can expect as a “wellness tourist and she” will demystify what really goes on during these global retreats, including the use of psychedelics.” Please DO tell us about all of that.  Our readers love a great inside story when they are making choices for themselves.

There are many different types of wellness retreats. Some include the use of psychedelics. In choosing a retreat of that nature, it’s important that those ceremonies are conducted with expertise and sacredness. More than ‘psychedelics’, they are plant teachers with their own consciousness.

On my Peru retreat, participants sit with the Wachuma (San Pedro) plant medicine. He is known as ‘Grandfather’ and is a heart-opening medicine derived from the San Pedro cactus. In normal life, the ego, resistance and mind can get in the way. We can spend years healing the same thing, or trying to figure out what our purpose is on Earth. With Wachuma, the journey is 10 to 12 hours. Once you drink, you are committed. So, the medicine takes you beyond the barriers of ego and mind. And, because of the cosmic nature of the medicine, it helps you access much higher awareness.

In one of my retreats, a woman was still holding deep grief about losing her son when he was only 21 years old. In the journey, she saw a past life they had together as siblings. I can’t share details, but she was shown that her son transitioning out on that specific date had healed the past life. And she saw that her son was happy and whole now. This enabled her to finally heal.

The medicine can also bring incredible physical healing. I know of people who have healed cancer with Wachuma. I personally healed lifelong asthma. My condition was so bad that x- rays revealed the outer thirty per cent of both lungs were non-functional. I was on two inhalers, four times a day, and had to undergo breathing rehabilitation multiple times. After just two Wachuma sessions focusing on my lungs, I have now been asthma and inhaler free for seven years.

In my last Peru retreat, almost everyone in the group saw their purpose, or gained clarity on the next steps for their highest path.

Every Wachuma journey is different, but profound and transformational. Sometimes the benefits are emotional or physical healing. Other times it’s about cosmic remembering and awakening gifts. The greatest benefit is that participants can take an enormous leap in consciousness that would have taken years without the medicine.

Q: The Press Release also states that you can advise our readers on “how to get the most of a wellness retreat and what questions to ask before booking to make sure it’s a fit for you.” Please do.

First and foremost, trust your heart. It knows. There will be certain lands or facilitators that call you. In a practical sense, you might want to ask about the following:

• Location – the land should awaken something in your heart.
• Facilitator – meet the facilitator if possible. Hopefully they offer an exploration call. You want to feel a connection to their energy and approach.
• Themes – the focus of the retreat should align to your personal intentions.
• Group size – if you want a deep, supported and transformational experience, it is best to choose a group size of 22 people of less. The experience in a larger group is very different and the energy can become a bit ‘messy’.
•  Connection to the land – the land will only open its full magic if the facilitator is deeply connected and embodied with that land. If the land is not the facilitator’s birthplace or ancestral lineage, they should be working with a local tour guide who is really connected with the land.
• Inclusions and exclusions – be clear on this so there are no hidden costs.
• Giving back – some retreats do everything through an offshore agency. So, they are taking from the land but not giving back. Try to choose a facilitator who works with a local agency and supports locals.
•  Integration support – most facilitators step away the moment the retreat is over. Look for a retreat that includes integration support, such as a post-retreat online session. And make sure the itinerary includes down time and integration circles.
• Reviews – written reviews are great. But are there video reviews or podcast episodes with past participants? This will give you a better feel.
• Most of all, how does it feel in your body? It’s normal to feel nervous or some resistance when booking a retreat. But at the heart and soul level, it should feel ‘right’. There is an inner knowing.

Q: What would be the best advice you could give someone considering beginning a journey of spiritual awakening?

Follow your heart. It knows what the head an ego can’t even begin to fathom. And approach the journey with child-like wonder. Too often, we bring heaviness to the spiritual journey. We put pressure on ourselves to ‘get it right’ and ‘find the answers’. But that energy blocks what you seek. When you soften into the joy of the unfolding and approach it with curiosity, you open the energy. Magic and miracles flow.

The most essential change to implement is a morning practice. I could share why this is so transformational. But it might be better for you to feel the difference. Commit to a morning practice every day for 14 days. No doubt you will see such an elevation in your day and being, that you will keep going. It can be as short as 10 minutes. You can find my Rainbow Pyramid Sovereignty Practice video on my home page at: www.sialanuestrella.com

Also, fill your field with things that lift you – music, books, people, activities and so on. You can find inspiring guest conversations on my podcast, Live your highest expression.

Q: Most people are unfamiliar with your work, The Rainbow Tablets and with the Rainbow Race. This seems the heart of your practice.  What is the most important thing we all should know about them? What are their origins? How can they help everyone in their spiritual journey and how can they best be contacted?

The Rainbow Tablets books are restoring powerful cosmic wisdom to Earth. They are channelled from the Rainbow Race, our Rainbow Unified Selves. More than words, these books are a transmission and activation. I have received over a thousand messages from readers sharing the magic and synchronicities they start to experience from the moment they read the books. And people start seeing rainbows everywhere, because this is the frequency of our wholeness. It is the restoration of our true cosmic nature.

Each of us has a Rainbow Unified Self and are connected to the Rainbow Race. The way to establish that connection is through reading the books. It really is that simple. It awakens a deep remembering within us. Many people tell me they cry from a deep sense of ‘coming home’. Others feel goosebumps (or ‘truth’ bumps) all the way through. Many experience enhanced intuition or an awakening of their gifts.

I would suggest starting with, The Rainbow Tablets: Abundance and sacred co-creation, then reading the other books. I am sure you will discover beautiful connection with the Rainbow Race, and the wonder of your own cosmic wisdom within.

Q: What else do you think it is important to know for people seeking spiritual enlightenment?

One of the reasons I have been called to run sacred wellness retreats is because they are so lifechanging. Often it takes ‘getting out of the box’ and experiencing something really different to create a huge leap in consciousness.

Much of our modern life is about ‘doing’ and ‘striving’. We are surrounded by distractions and devices that compete for our attention. This can leave us feeling disconnected. To reclaim our power, we must step beyond the ‘3D’ illusion.

It is not about trying to straddle two worlds – the 3D and spiritual/cosmic. It is about bringing it together and living in your multidimensional mastery and sacred embodiment. When you realise that you are the master creator of your reality, you break free of the illusion. And you discover an expression of life that is more magical, abundant and authentic than you could have ever imagined. That is your birthright. As the Rainbow Race says, “That moment of remembering yourself is pure bliss.”

Thanks to Sia-Lanu for her explanations and tips for all those seeking to begin a spiritual journey or embark on wellness tourism.

To learn more about Sia-Lanu Estrella and her work and retreats, go to her website.

Images provided by Sia-Lanu Estrella by Nicole Goddard Photography, Tobin Roberts and Antoine Fabre from Unsplash and creator Mauritius via Creative Commons license.