The Hummingbird Healing Center is a Peruvian family-run retreat, owned and operated by Jim and Gina Mosquera de Davis, with support from their son and daughter-in-law, Jean Piere and Vanessa. While Jim married into the family, all other members were born and raised in Iquitos, Peru. Our family lives on-site at the center, and everyone contributes to its smooth operation—including our 12-year-old granddaughter Tayra, who is truly the light of our lives. All of our ayahuasca ceremonies and plant dietas are led by our curandero, Don Manain Amacifen, a master ayahuasquero with over 45 years of experience.
Manain Amacifen: Fourth-Generation Ayahuasca Master Curandero
Our curandero, Manain, comes from a long lineage of healers, and is the fourth generation in his family to carry this ayahuasca tradition. Born and raised in Requena, a small town about 12 hours from Iquitos by river, he began his training at age 16 under his father’s guidance. For the next 15 years, he worked alongside him in his healing practice. After his father’s passing, Manain moved deeper into the jungle to the small community of San Herardo, where he served for over 20 years as a respected and sought-after healer.
Manain joined the Hummingbird Center in 2014, and since then, we’ve seen a steady stream of returning guests and referrals. His powerful icaros and heartfelt prayers consistently bring people the deep healing they’re seeking.
Manain has a profound faith that God works through the medicine spirits to heal. This trust in the sacred nature of the plants guides his work and gives his ceremonies a powerful spiritual depth. Gentle and humble in daily life, he’s deeply committed to helping others live healthier, more peaceful lives.
In the first ceremony of each retreat, Manain scans the group energetically from the altar, attuning himself to each guest. In every subsequent ceremony, he performs direct healing, stopping in front of each person to sing an individual icaro tailored to their process. He also offers prayer work—often sitting in front of a guest, gently taking their hands, and praying with deep focus and intent. Many guests describe this as one of the most powerful parts of the retreat, often feeling profound energetic shifts during the prayer. As healing unfolds, Manain welcomes specific requests and encourages guests to share anything that might help guide his work more effectively.
His voice is strong and resonant, a guiding force in ceremony that calls in the spirits and opens the way for transformation. Manain’s presence and work will leave a lasting impact that continues long after the retreat ends.
Don Manain playing the flute
Jim Davis
Hummingbird Center Owner
Jim's journey began like so many people looking for help from ayahuasca. He did not feel safe as a child. Had an unpredictable, alcoholic father, and developed the unhealthy patterns so typical of that childhood environment.
For many years he swung between periods of intense spiritual practice and periods of alcoholism. Eventually, he committed fully to changing his life. Over the next decade he slowly began to feel better, trying many different healing approaches and practices. He gradually shifted his depression from a hard 10 to the 3-4 range. A huge improvement, but....
In 2008 he attended his first ayahuasca retreat. In the third ceremony something profound happened: the last of last of his depression was removed in a very unpleasant ceremony. When the process finished, He was flooded with joy and was so happy to be alive. He have never been depressed since. That radical transformation inspired him to learn more about ayahuasca, and within the next year he was back in Peru in apprenticeship with a maestro.
Originally from Seattle, Washington, Jim’s journey to founding the Hummingbird Center has been both unconventional and deeply transformative. His eclectic career has included work as a commercial fisherman in the Bering Sea, a chemist, and a software engineer. It was his lifelong exploration of spirituality and his own healing path that ultimately led him to Peru and to the profound medicine work with ayahuasca.
Having overcome a long struggle with depression and alcoholism, Jim has an intimate understanding of the emotional pain, confusion, and limiting beliefs many people carry. This lived experience allows him to meet guests with empathy and insight, offering compassionate guidance and practical support as they navigate their own healing journeys.
He has studied a wide range of spiritual traditions, drawing deep inspiration from the Bhagavad Gita, Ramana Maharshi, Krishnamurti, A Course in Miracles, and Ernest Holmes. While his language is grounded and accessible, his work is rooted in the recognition of our deeper spiritual nature. His time with the Center for Spiritual Living in Seattle—especially as a two-year mentor in their Coming of Age program for teens—deepened his connection to Lakota wisdom, which continues to inform his work at the Center.
Jim has completed 11 master plant dietas under the guidance of a skilled curandero. Over the past 14 years, he has been guiding people through a healing process with ayahuasca as his full time work. He has personally led over 250 people through our 3-4 week Immersion Retreat program, primarily helping people with long-term (15+ years) depression. At varying levels of involvement, he has coached and encouraged ~1,000 others who came with different issues or less severe struggles.
Jim has amassed exceptional insight and skill over those years, and intuitively knows how to meet people where they are at, and lead them into discovery of their own insights and revelations. His calm, steady support creates a safe space where guests can face their fears, uncover their truth, and begin to let go of that which no longer serves them.
Gina Mosquera Davis
Hummingbird Center Owner
Gina is a native of Iquitos, Peru and delights in ensuring our guests have what they need to enjoy their stay. Affectionately called "Mama Gina", her warm and loving presence is appreciated by all. From her upbringing, Gina has a rich knowledge of medicinal plants and frequently acts as the house nurse, using her knowledge of plants to help people with a variety of health and first aid issues.
Gina’s primary role at the center is managing the workers and facilities. She’s also an excellent cook and the reason the food we serve is so delicious! She loves gardening and has created all the beautiful plant arrangements on our property.
She is the devoted mother of two young men, and grandmother of three, who she absolutely adores!
Jean Piere de Davis
Ceremony Assistant and Facilities Maintenance
Our son Jean Piere is an indispensable part of the Hummingbird family. He is the primary care taker during ayahuasca ceremonies, gently helping people to the toilet and guiding them back to their spot in the moloca. Jean Piere drinks ayahuasca several times per year and knows its benefits and challenges. This allows him to bring patience and compassion to what is sometimes an unsteady walk back and forth!
He other roles are facilities maintenance such as electical, plumbing and generators, and doing the daily shopping for our delicious meals.
Vanessa de Davis & Gabriela Mosonbite
World Class Loretano Cooks
Vanessa and Gabi are our amazing cooks, taking the simple ingredients allowed in the ayahuasca diet and creating surprisingly tasty meals. Each morning they make fresh juice using a variety of fruits only available in the Amazon. Thier love of their work comes through and our clients regularly talk about how good the food is at our center.
Vanessa (on the right) is our daughter-in-law. She and Jean Piere live at the center with us along with their beautiful daughter Tayra.