The Cultural and Spiritual Meaning of Guayusa in Indigenous Communities of Ecuador: A Qualitative Approach to Its Uses, Consumption, and Cultivation

Moya-Salazar J.; Cañari B. · SAGE Open (2026) · DOI: 10.1177/21582440261489379

Resumen

This study aims to understand the uses, consumption, and cultivation practices of guayusa in indigenous populations of Ecuador. A qualitative design was employed, conducting semi-structured face-to-face interviews with three indigenous women over the age of 18 from the Napo community. Participants were invited during the 4th American Meeting of Professional Experts in Phytocannabinoids CANNAMERICA 2023. The findings revealed that guayusa consumption is deeply rooted and passed down through generations, associated with spiritual rituals seeking permission from Pachamama. Participants highlighted the importance of guayusa in obtaining energy and protection, and mentioned various ways of preparing and consuming the plant. Regarding cultivation, each family maintains their own guayusa crops, believing that the plant possesses consciousness and must be respected. The significance of the full moon in the planting process was emphasized. Guayusa is also used as a natural medicine to treat various health issues. In conclusion, guayusa holds great cultural and spiritual meaning for indigenous communities in Ecuador, consumed daily and transmitted from one generation to another. Its use as a traditional beverage and natural medicine highlights these communities’ connection with nature and respect for Pachamama. © The Author(s) 2026. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).

Instituciones: Universidad Señor de Sipán