On this episode Matt sits down with Timofey “Tima” Trofimenkov. Tima is an entrepreneur, an artist and an apprentice of Shipibo medicine path. Native to a small arctic village in northern Kamchatka peninsula, Russia. Growing up, Tima lived mostly off the resources of the land, fostering a profound bond with nature. In his formative years, nature not only supplied food and medicine but also became an integral part of his being, inspiration and source of wonder and freedom.
In subsequent years, after an extended period as a student, Tima experienced urban life in New York City before eventually relocating to San Antonio, TX. Over the past decade spent in San Antonio, he has not only established several companies but has also resided and conducted his creative endeavors at Studio 111, his art gallery and multimedia art space. While active within the flourishing art community of San Antonio, Tima applied his knowledge in herbal medicine to launch Element Kombucha, a pioneering beverage company in the region.
Concurrently with his work in Texas, 11 years ago he embarked on the journey with sacred Ayahuasca medicine in the jungles of Peru. Frequently visiting Peruvian jungles over the years he developed a profound appreciation for Shipibo healing traditions. Over the years through sacred plant dieting and myriads of ceremonies he grew his relationships with his teachers, Shipibo maestros of medicine, subsequently becoming apprentice to their medicine. He is a part of the community at Caya Shobo Healing Center in Iquitos, Peru where you can find him frequently helping with group facilitations while maintaining a parallel focus on ongoing learning, plant dieting and cultivation of his medicine.
During the conversation Tima shares the story of founding Element Kombucha, and how his passion for the herbal tea began. The two then dive into his initial experiences with Ayahuasca that lead him to take on the medicine path and begin dieting plants regularly, also called 'dieta'. Matt asks several questions to clarify what dieta consists of, and how it is performed. They also touch on the light and dark sides of cannabis, tobacco and shamanism generally. This episode was recorded in-person so it has an intimate and unique vibe. Please enjoy!
