Hey there, I’m Richard Aceves, and I’m here because I care—deeply—about the human in front of me. You. Movement Ayahuasca isn’t just something I do; it’s my way of reaching out, of showing you how to enjoy life, express what’s inside, and find a little peace in this wild world. It started with a rock slide that nearly took me out, and now it’s about guiding you through your own boulders—without a psychedelic brew in sight. Let me share my story, what this practice means to me, and how I’d love to help you step into a life that feels freer, truer, and yours.
A Rock Slide That Rewrote My Life
Picture this: I’m 20,000 feet up, rock climbing when a slide hits me. Fourteen hours on a mountainside, my hip shattered into 30-plus pieces, my pubic bone displaced, and then four months in bed. Doctors told me I’d barely walk, let alone lift heavy or climb again—just manage pain and sit still. But stillness isn’t me. I’m stubborn, always have been, and I couldn’t accept that. So, I started moving—bicep curls with bands in bed, leg lifts, anything to get blood flowing. I taught myself to walk, deadlifted 400 pounds within months (screws and all—not my brightest move), and kept pushing through surgeries and setbacks.
In 2009, I opened and ran a CrossFit gym for eight years, taught seminars worldwide for nearly as long, and coached everyone from athletes to folks in chronic pain. But the real shift came when I noticed something: my body kept breaking—shoulders, back, forearm torn off the bone in a bench press comp. I was chasing performance, popping ibuprofen like candy, and cycling through physios and chiropractors every six weeks. The pain always returned. Why? Because I was treating symptoms, not the core issue. That’s when I met my mentor, Julien, who showed me my left lat wasn’t firing—despite looking jacked—and my hips weren’t hinging, even at 650 pounds on the deadlift. Three months later, I PR’d pain-free. That’s when I knew: the body’s an ecosystem, not a machine to fragment.
Movement Ayahuasca: A Gift from Me to You
Movement Ayahuasca is my heart poured out—a way to help you heal, grow, and enjoy life through your body. It’s not about a brew or a trip; it’s you moving, breathing, and feeling with intention. I created it after years of seeing how tension in your muscles mirrors tension in your life. I call it emotional mapping. A seminar participant once told me a 90-minute session felt like a more direct Ayahuasca journey, and the name stuck. I run these retreats—Portugal in April 2025, Bali in August 2025—because I want you to get a one-of-a-kind experience: a way to express, release, and live fully.
Here’s how it unfolds over three days, designed with love to guide you:
Day 1: Letting Go of the MasksWe start with the gauntlet—think thousands of reps, tailored to where your body’s holding on. If your left shoulder aches, maybe you’re struggling with self-love or a mother figure. Right hip tight? Could be frustration with the world. I’m there, watching, gently nudging you past your excuses. It’s intense, but it’s safe—I want you to feel blood flow, heat rise, and tension peak until something shifts. It’s not about breaking you; it’s about opening you up to what’s real.
Day 2: Expressing What’s Been BuriedOn day two, we tap into your primal self—your id. Life’s piled labels on you, told you to calm down when you wanted to scream. I use movement to say, “Let it out.” We oscillate between flow and fight—Swami breathing, carries, presses—until your body can’t hold back. It’s like telling your past, “I’m done with you.” I’ve seen folks cry, laugh, rage—it’s beautiful. You’re not surviving here; you’re winning, and I’m cheering you on.
Day 3: Embracing Who You AreThe last day’s softer—Swami, meditation, reflection. You’ve glimpsed your true self, that innocent kid inside, and now we build a path toward it. I don’t promise perfection; I offer stepping stones. Your body’s rewriting how it sees the world, and I’m here to help you trust it. We’ll laugh, connect, and maybe share a glass of wine—because life’s too short not to enjoy.
I pick places like Portugal’s coast or Bali’s beaches to shake you out of routine—your environment matters. We eat together, explore, socialize, and enjoy. It’s not just about you alone; it’s us, together, finding joy and some order in this chaotic world.
A Moment That Changed Me—and Might Change You
Years ago, in a dungeon gym in Melbourne, I hit a stretch during a workout that took me back to age three—potty training, kids laughing at me through curtains. Silly now, but it shaped how I saw public spaces and shrank my confidence. That movement session rewired it—I could laugh, hug that little me, and let it go. That’s what I want for you: epiphanies that free you.
Why This Matters to Me
I’m obsessed with this because I’ve been you—stuck in pain, justifying my way through life. My rock slide gave me PTSD , whichI ignored for a decade. Cognitively, I’d accepted it in a year, but physically? Ten years to climb again. On a sister mountain, I froze—heart racing, old injuries flaring—until I told myself, “Move, you’ve got this.” Five hours later, I walked freer than ever. That’s what I want for you: resilience, not just survival.
The science backs it—cell danger response, polyvagal theory, and Friston’s free energy principle. Your body predicts, not reacts, based on past stress. Movement rewires that—blood pressure up, body temp rising, intensity in the right spot. But it’s more than science. It’s Taoist balance, Maori wisdom, and my intuition telling me your tight traps might be perfectionism or your back pain, a safety cry. I’ve spent thousands of hours—90 minutes daily for nine months on my psoas alone—learning this so I can help you feel it, too.
Living Fully, Together
We’re not cadavers to dissect—physical, mental, emotional, even spiritual, it’s all one. You can’t perform without safety and confidence. The volume builds safety—kids fall 10,000 times to walk. Intensity builds confidence—enough stress to trust yourself. Performance? That’s the joy of pulling 455 pounds or facing an ex at a wedding like one client did because she felt strong. I’m not here to hand you results but to spark thoughts, action, and joy.
Join Me
I’ve got retreats in Portugal April 2025, and Bali, August 2025—spaces are limited www.movementayahuasca.com
Because life’s meant to be lived, not endured.
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