Congratulations, Hanifa Nayo Washington (@thehandsofhanifa), winner of a merit-based Cosmic Sister Special Talent Scholarship to participate in the online course “The River Course: An Integrative Approach to Psychedelic Therapies and Sacred Plant Medicine.”

New Haven, Connecticut-based Hanifa Nayo Washington is an award-winning cultural producer & sacred activist. For 20 years she has radicalized her gifts and talents as tools for liberation, healing, and community building. A Detroit native, Hanifa is a certified Usui/Holy Fire Reiki Master Practitioner, a masterful heart-centered group facilitator, and prolific creative designer. In 2019, Hanifa launched One Village Healing (@onevillagehealing), a BIPOC led and centered healing and wellness initiative. In November of 2020 Hanifa joined the founding team of Fireside Project (@firesideproject) as the Cultivator of Beloved Community. Fireside Project is developing and launching the Psychedelic Peer Support Line. She is a contributor to several other emerging psychedelic enterprises including the Equity in Psychedelic Therapy Initiative. She also currently works with Co-Creating Effective and Inclusive Organizations and is a leader of the New Haven Community Leadership Program.

ABOUT THE RIVER COURSE

The River Course introduces students to the art and science of ancestral spiritual healing techniques and their relevance to psychedelic-assisted therapies, including sacred plant medicines, ancestral wisdom of the Shipibo tradition, and the biological basis of spiritual healing. The 25 or so participants will learn the art and science of spiritual healing with sacred medicines in a variety of settings and the implications for the modern practice of psychedelic-assisted therapies for healthcare professions.

Physician and curandero Dr. Joe Tafur (modernspirit.org) will guide the series, and his book, “The Fellowship of the River: A Medical Doctor’s Exploration into Traditional Amazonian Plant Medicine,” will be the guiding text.

Thank you, Joe, for supporting Cosmic Sister! Love, ZOE

Photo by Rachel Liu Photography (@rachelliuphoto)