Part 3: The Mountain Remembers — Learning to Listen to Apu Ausangate
- Heather Strom
- Jul 12
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 13
Peru Initiations: A Journey of Remembering & Becoming
There was another reason I felt called to Peru.
Beyond the remembering. Beyond the initiation. Beyond the profound experiences waiting for me at Machu Picchu.
I came to learn how to work with mountain energy.
I have always felt a deep connection to the land, but I knew there was something I was meant to understand about mountains—their consciousness, their wisdom, and their role as powerful guardians of the Earth.
So, Apu Ausangate called me to Peru.
Meeting the Great Mountain
Apu Ausangate rises nearly 20,000 feet above sea level, standing as one of the most powerful and revered mountains in the Peruvian Andes.
We would not climb to the summit.
Instead, we would journey to approximately 15,000 feet and camp at the base of this incredible mountain.
But even from a distance, Ausangate’s presence was undeniable.
This was not simply a mountain.
This was a being.
A guardian.
A great master of the Earth.
His energy was commanding, ancient, and incredibly powerful.
Preparing for the Journey
Before beginning our ascent, we stopped twice to connect with Ausangate and offer our gratitude and energetic offerings to this magnificent mountain.
This was not about conquering a mountain.
It was about approaching with reverence.
With humility.
With respect.
Before we entered this sacred space, we were also guided through a ceremony to clear stagnant energy—not only within ourselves, but also the collective energy we carry as humans.
We were preparing ourselves to meet the mountain fully.
The Medicine of Mapacho
During our mapacho ceremony, I experienced something I could never have anticipated.
The shamanic tobacco moved through me in unexpected ways.
I felt it move through my body, my nervous system, and my tissues—clearing, shifting, and creating space.
What emerged was not what I expected.
It was gratitude.
Deep, profound gratitude.
Love.
Ancient remembrance.
I felt supported in a way that is difficult to describe.
It was as if the mountain itself was saying:
You are welcome here.
You are held.
You belong.
The Sacred Ascent
Our group began the climb toward our campsite together.
We ascended approximately 3,000 feet, moving in sacred silence.
No distractions.
No unnecessary words.
Just the rhythm of our footsteps, our breath, and the wisdom of the mountain surrounding us.
We listened.
Not with our ears.
But with our entire being.
And then Ausangate gifted us with a snowstorm.
The snow arrived as we climbed—a powerful blessing from the mountain, reminding us that we were not simply visitors.
We were participants in an exchange.
A relationship.
Reconnecting With the Land
One of the most profound gifts I received from Ausangate was a deeper understanding of my own relationship with the land where I live.
I have always felt a strong connection to Colorado, but I had struggled to fully connect with the energy of my own land.
Through my work with Ausangate, I received guidance on how to reconnect with my home mountain—Pikes Peak—and support a deeper healing relationship with the place I call home.
The lesson was clear:
The land is not separate from us.
It is something we are in relationship with.
When we listen, the Earth speaks.
When we honor, the Earth responds.
Honoring the Grandfather Mountain
When we reached the base of Ausangate, we honored this Grandfather Mountain through ceremony.
We gathered around the fire.
We shared cacao.
We offered our gratitude.
And the mountain answered in its own beautiful way.
Hawks and condors circled above us during our offerings.
Chinchillas—normally shy and hidden from humans—emerged and gathered around us on the rocks.
Herds of alpacas grazed nearby our camp.
Everywhere we looked, we were reminded:
We were not separate from nature.
We were part of it.
My journey with animals has taught me that communication does not always happen through words. Sometimes it happens through energy, presence, and deep listening. This same wisdom is at the heart of my work with the K9 Spirit Guides.
Remembering Our Connection to the Earth
One of humanity’s greatest transitions is remembering our relationship with the land.
Not viewing the Earth as something outside of ourselves.
Not seeing nature as something we simply visit.
But remembering that we are connected.
The mountains, rivers, forests, and oceans carry their own intelligence and wisdom.
When we reconnect with the Earth, we reconnect with ourselves.
And perhaps this is one of the greatest invitations of our time:
To remember that we are not here to dominate the planet.
We are here to participate with it.
To listen.
To honor.
To heal.
Apu Ausangate taught me that mountains are not just places we climb.
They are teachers.
They are guardians.
They are ancient beings carrying wisdom that humanity is beginning to remember again.
And I will forever be grateful for the moment I stood at the feet of this Grandfather Mountain and listened.
Experiences like this remind me that transformation is not just something we think about, it is something we experience through the body.
Our nervous system is constantly communicating with us, guiding us, and helping us process the energy, emotions, and experiences we move through in life.
When we learn to listen to the wisdom of the body instead of overriding it, we open the door to a deeper level of healing, expansion, and embodiment.
This is the foundation of the work I now share with others through my Embodied Nervous System Primer and my Beyond Regulation: Liberate Your Nervous System Superpower Program
Learning to work with your nervous system as an ally in your transformation rather than something that needs to be fixed.
Are You Feeling the Call to Remember?
Perhaps you are reading this because something within you recognizes this conversation.
Maybe you have felt a pull toward something greater.
Maybe you know there is more to your connection with yourself, your body, the Earth, and your own soul journey.
That remembering is where transformation begins.
Through my private sessions, transformational journeys, and teachings, I support those who are ready to reconnect with their own wisdom, expand their capacity, and step more fully into who they came here to be.
There is no single path.
There is only the doorway that resonates with you.
Trust the one that calls.
Explore Private Quantum Healing Sessions→ SOLO Session
Explore Your Nervous System as Your Superpower→ Liberate Your Nervous System Superpower Program
Begin Your Deeper Transformation→ IMME Journey
Continue with Peru Journey of Remembering & Becoming with Part 4: The Fortress in the Sky — A Promise to the Mountain
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