Our Ethical Commitment
Guided by the Código de Ética
We hold every ceremony within the framework of the Código de Ética de la Medicina Ancestral-Tradicional del Ecuador — the national ethical code of ancestral medicine, created by the Ministry of Public Health together with the wisdom men and women of Ecuador's nations and peoples.
Medicine that honors tradition and law.
The Code
A code written by the wisdom keepers themselves
The Código de Ética de la Medicina Ancestral-Tradicional de las Nacionalidades y Pueblos del Ecuador is a national document developed by the Ministry of Public Health's National Directorate of Intercultural Health, in collaboration with wisdom men and women from Ecuador's Indigenous, Afro-Ecuadorian, Montubio, and mestizo peoples.
It was validated nationally on 21 March 2019 — the equinox — in Quito, and published in 2021. It rests on Ecuador's 2008 Constitution (articles 3, 25, 32, 57, 360 and 363) and the Organic Health Law (articles 189 and 190), which recognise and protect ancestral-traditional medicine.
The Code defines ancestral medicine as a complete system rooted in the equilibrium of Mother Nature and the five bodies of the human being — physical, mental, emotional, energetic and spiritual — where ceremony and healing walk hand in hand, guided by reciprocity, respect, dignity and interculturality.
Licensed Healers
Every healer is licensed
All healers who work with Harmony Retreats Ecuador are licensed practitioners of ancestral-traditional medicine. Their practice is recognised by their community and meets Ecuador's official requirements for ancestral medicine.
We verify each healer's license and keep a copy on file. Redacted copies are available on request — before, during, or after your retreat.
A Whole View of the Person
The five bodies
Ancestral medicine understands a person as five interwoven bodies. Ceremony touches all of them, and healing in one ripples through the rest.
01
Physical
Cells, tissues, bones, and organs.
02
Mental
Mind, reason, thought, and ideas.
03
Emotional
Feelings, emotions, and intuition.
04
Energetic
The force that gives every form its shape.
05
Spiritual
The vitality and spirit that give life.
Our Foundation
The values we live by
The Code names fourteen values that guide the wisdom keepers. These are not slogans — they are how a ceremony is held.
Veneration of Life
All life is sacred — even illness has its place in the world.
Crianza of Life
We sow health the way a farmer tends a field, so the harvest nourishes us in return.
Respect
We treat every person as we would be treated.
Honesty
Transparency in thought, word, feeling, and deed.
Coherence
We live what we teach — health is shared from a healthy life.
Solidarity
Nothing is ours alone; what belongs to the path is shared.
Reciprocity
We give in order to receive; health returns as wellbeing.
Spirituality
A person is body, heart, mind, energy, and spirit, inseparable.
Dignity
Our word is sacred — we keep every promise.
Sensitivity
We feel with those who seek our care.
Dialogue
We meet every being — human, nature, spirit — as an equal.
Comprehension
We listen with patience and step into another's place.
Identity
We know who we are and honor the traditions that shaped our medicine.
Interculturality
We hold many ways of knowing side by side, with equal dignity.
What We Will Never Do
The boundaries we refuse to cross
The Code sets clear ethical boundaries. These are our commitments to you:
We do not practice dark magic — no maleficios, amarres, or any act meant to harm.
We do not mix ancestral medicine with pharmaceutical drugs.
We never begin a ceremony or treatment without your full information and informed consent.
We never force a diagnosis to justify an unnecessary treatment.
We never ask for more than was agreed in advance.
We never share your health information with anyone.
We never use adulterated plant preparations or adulterated medicines.
We never continue when a case is beyond our scope — we refer you to a medical doctor.
We never tolerate any form of abuse — physical, psychological, or sexual.
Reciprocity
Reciprocity, not commerce
In ancestral-traditional medicine, what a person gives in return for healing is not a commercial transaction. It is reciprocity — a debt of gratitude to the healer, to the ancestors, to the spirits, and to Mother Nature, who provided the plants and medicines.
Everything is agreed in advance, with full transparency. A portion of every retreat flows back to the healers, their families, and the communities and land that carry this medicine.
This is why the Code warns against the commercialization of sacred plants — and why we hold our work as a calling, not a commodity.
A note
Works alongside your doctor
Ancestral medicine works alongside professional care. For medical concerns, talk to your doctor, and keep taking prescribed medication unless your doctor tells you to stop.
You are safe here.
Questions about how we hold space?
Ask us anything. We are happy to share license verification, the full Code, and how each principle shows up in a real ceremony.