The Founder
I’ve been a devoted Buddhist practitioner in both the Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism for more than 25 years while remaining open to various ways of sharing the messages of courage and liberation.
My Story - A Medicine Journey
My true journey with medicine began in 2008, when life as I knew it unraveled. After an emotional breakdown during a long meditation retreat, I found myself facing the unresolved traumas of my childhood—wounds that years of Vipassana practice could not heal. Despite being a meditation teacher and community leader, there were places inside me that felt broken, untouched by the light of my practice. Every day, I wrestled with an overwhelming grief and struggled to maintain emotional stability and healthy relationships. No matter how hard I tried, the painful patterns of my past remained, and I found myself lost, unable to heal on my own. I prayed fervently for a new path, a way out of the darkness.
In my darkest hour, in 2007, a dear friend reached out to me and introduced me to Ayahuasca. She was a clinical psychologist who led private ceremonies in the mountains of Northern California. My first Ayahuasca ceremony was nothing short of life-changing. In that sacred space, I felt something stir deep within me, something long forgotten. I knew then that I needed to go deeper, to take the plunge into the heart of the medicine. Soon after, I traveled to the Peruvian Amazon, where I would meet the Shipibo indigenous community—healers whose connection to this sacred medicine runs deep through time.
It was in the heart of the jungle, under the canopy of the ancient trees, that my spirit began to awaken. My heart opened in a way I had never known, and I discovered a profound connection to the Shipibo people, their sacred songs, and their powerful medicine lineage. I had found my home—a place of deep healing and transformation. This lineage, now one of my root traditions, guided me to the core of my trauma, where true healing began.
That first journey changed my life forever. The medicine worked through me, healing layers of pain I had carried for so long. My passion for plant medicine ignited, and over the years, I devoted myself to this sacred path. I worked closely with Ayahuasca, studying under Indigenous Shipibo healers. In 2014, I spent an entire year in the jungle, deepening my practice through plant diets and apprenticing with experienced guides. Since then, I’ve participated in hundreds of ceremonies, each one a doorway to greater understanding, healing, and growth.
In 2015, I founded Lotus Vine Journeys, a sacred space where I could share the transformative power of plant medicine with others. Over the years, I’ve witnessed countless transformations, each one a testament to the profound wisdom of these ancient healing traditions. Lotus Vine Journeys was born from my deep desire to serve and from the compassion that grew out of my own healing. We are a unique organization that blends plant medicine with Buddhism—and now the guiding spirit of Harriet Tubman, a symbol of resilience and liberation.
Buddhism and Shamanism are ancient wisdom traditions, each dedicated to helping us return to our basic goodness. At Lotus Vine Journeys, we combine them to support rapid growth and deep insight. Buddhist meditation practices help us clear away inner blockages so that we can see our true nature. Shamanic practices, on the other hand, locate and uproot those blockages swiftly and powerfully. Time is of the essence, and the transformation of our greed, hatred, and delusions is urgently needed. With the help of our ancestors, we now have the power tools to accelerate healing, insight, and liberation.
This work is powerful, and for those who feel called to walk this path, I welcome you with an open heart.
Spring Washam
Spring Washam is a renowned dharma teacher, author, shamanic healer, and visionary leader based in Atlanta, Georgia. She is the author of the widely praised A Fierce Heart: Finding Strength, Courage, and Wisdom in Any Moment and the powerful The Spirit of Harriet Tubman: Awakening from the Underground. As one of the founding teachers of the East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, CA, Spring has dedicated her life to the path of liberation, weaving together Buddhist teachings and ancient healing traditions to guide others on their journey of transformation.
Spring’s spiritual path began in 1999 under the guidance of Jack Kornfield, leading to extensive training in both the Theravada and Tibetan Buddhist traditions. She is a member of the teacher’s council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Northern California and has been leading residential meditation retreats since 2004. Her teachings, infused with compassion and deep wisdom, offer pathways to inner freedom and self-discovery.
In addition to her Buddhist training, Spring is a deeply skilled shamanic practitioner. Over many years, she has studied and apprenticed with Shipibo Maestras in the upper Amazon of Peru, learning the sacred ways of plant spirit medicine. As the founder of Lotus Vine Journeys, she has led countless ceremonies with Ayahuasca, Wachuma, and other plant medicines, guiding participants through profound healing experiences. Whether leading group retreats in South America or ceremonies in other sacred settings, Spring’s work is rooted in the transformative power of these plants, combined with the heart-centered practices of mindfulness.
A gifted ceremonial leader and healer, Spring uses sacred songs and icaros, traditional healing songs, to guide and support others in their healing process. Her voice, alongside the energies of the plants, helps clear energetic blockages, inviting participants into deeper connection with their true selves. Through song, meditation, and shamanic work, she brings a deeply embodied approach to healing, offering her gifts to help others reclaim their wholeness.
Since 2008, Spring has immersed herself in various indigenous healing modalities, blending them with Buddhist philosophy in a unique and powerful way. Her workshops, classes, and ceremonies have touched the lives of many around the globe. Her teachings have been featured in Lion’s Roar, Tricycle, and Belief.net, and she continues to inspire with her message of inner strength, compassion, and spiritual freedom.
Spring is also the co-founder of the Spirit Underground Liberation Project and Church in Atlanta, Georgia, where she continues her healing work, guiding and uplifting those on the path of liberation. Her life’s work is a sacred offering to all those seeking personal and collective transformation.
Transcend from passenger to conductor—learn how to channel the power of your ancestors to change your life.
Media
Podcast and Interviews
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The One You Feed
This interview covers The Wolf Parable, Spring’s book A Fierce Heart, her journey to becoming a meditation teacher, the role of self-compassion in Buddhism, mindfulness as "remembering," her first ayahuasca ceremony, entheogen risks, healing approaches, and the impact of innate self-worth.
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Buddhist Geeks
This podcast explores integrating Buddhist practice with ayahuasca, Spring’s dharma journey, and how silent practice led her to Peru. The conversation covers healing ancestral trauma and viewing earth medicines as collective wisdom emerging from nature at a pivotal time for humanity.
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10% Happier with Dan Harris
Dan Harris, a skeptical ABC newsman, had a panic attack on Good Morning America, leading him to meditation—something he once dismissed. He wrote the bestseller 10% Happier, created a meditation app, and now explores on his podcast whether there’s anything beyond that “10% happier” mark.
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Embodied Philosophy - Chitheads
In a cultural climate exhibiting profound levels of anxiety and depression, stress and alienation, apathy and moral malaise, Embodied Philosophy recognizes the need for what we call embodied philosophical living. Embodied philosophy is not philosophy of the intellect alone, but is an integrated, non-dualistic living wisdom.
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Rebel Buddhist
A special episode featuring Spring Washam, exploring her journey with Buddhism, ayahuasca, and healing. We discuss plant medicine’s role in spirituality, the importance of ceremony and integration, and the transformative power of love, compassion, and community in awakening.
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Sounds True
Tami Simon and Spring Washam discuss The Spirit of Harriet Tubman, exploring ancestral connection, meditation, healing trauma, and finding strength through courage and compassion. Together, they delve into creating justice, honoring sacred lineages, and transforming challenges into opportunities for growth.
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Be Here Now Network
Spring Washam and Lama Rod Owens explore the intersection of plant medicine and liberation, discussing set and setting, indigenous wisdom, healing trauma, music’s role in transformation, and honoring authentic practices. Together, they delve into spiritual growth through psychedelic experiences.
Books
The Spirit of Harriet Tubman Awakening from the Uderground
Within these visionary pages, meditation and Dharma teacher Spring Washam meets the spirit of one of America’s greatest ancestors, Harriet Tubman.
The Spirit of Harriet Tubman, who was called the Moses of her people, is rising again, and we can call forth her spirit to embody incredible strength and unwavering courage. Combining direct transmissions of Harriet’s message with insightful explorations of her life and legacy, this extraordinary book gives us support and inspiration to deepen our roots of resilience and become powerful conductors of love and truth in our own lives.
A Fierce Heart
Finding Strenght, Courage, and Wisdom in any Moment
You’re invited to explore deep and honest reflections on compassion and suffering.
This book is designed to challenge you in the best possible ways. And showcases global stories of compassion in action.
With stories from south central LA to the jungles of Peru, I share my own interpretation of the Buddha’s 2,500-year-old teachings, aimed at getting to the heart of mindfulness, wisdom, and compassion.
