How Munay Live Relates to Munay-Ki (and How It's Different)
There is a word in Quechua that refuses simple translation. Munay speaks to something the English language must circle around rather than land upon directly: a quality of love that connects all creation, unconditional in its nature, active in its expression. It is the love that moves through all things and holds them in relationship. It is the thread.
If you have been exploring Andean wisdom traditions or searching for authentic practitioners of ancient arts, you may have encountered both "Munay-Ki" and "Munay Live" in your journey. They share a sacred word. They are not the same thing.
Despite the shared word munay, Munay Live has no organizational, operational, or historical connection to Munay-Ki. Because the names sound similar, they are sometimes confused online. They are actually unrelated systems with different purposes.
In Brief:
- Munay-Ki: Nine rites, specific lineage transmission system created by Alberto Villoldo, certification path.
- Munay Live: Platform connecting people to diverse lineage-holding practitioners; no rites, no initiations, no certification. Focus on burnout, leadership, emotional reconnection, and spiritual awakening through a modern, trauma-informed lens.
What Is Munay-Ki?
Munay-Ki is a specific lineage transmission system created by Alberto Villoldo through the Four Winds Society. It consists of nine energetic rites or initiations rooted in Andean shamanic tradition: the Healer's Rite, the Bands of Power, the Harmony Rite, the Seer's Rite, the Daykeeper's Rite, the Wisdomkeeper's Rite, the Earthkeeper's Rite, the Starkeeper's Rite, and the Creator Rite.
These initiations pass from teacher to student, typically over the course of several sessions or intensive trainings. The path leads toward Munay-Ki certification, allowing practitioners to transmit these rites to others.
The word "Ki" comes from the Japanese word for energy. Together with munay, the name points toward "energy of love."
What Is Munay Live?
Munay Live is not a Munay-Ki training platform. We do not offer Munay-Ki rites, initiations, or certification.
Munay Live is a sanctuary platform created by Chakaruna, connecting those ready for inner work with lineage-holding practitioners across diverse ancient arts and Earth-based traditions. Chakaruna, whose name means "bridge person" in Quechua, built this platform after 25+ years studying ancient wisdom traditions and a career in technology. While we honor Andean wisdom (the word munay itself reflects our deep respect for these teachings), our platform draws on broader lineages: Andean, Vedic, Sufi, Sangoma, Himalayan, Norse, Celtic, Amazonian, and more.
We chose the name Munay because it represents what we believe sits at the heart of genuine transformation: unconditional love that connects all creation.
Key Differences
| Munay-Ki | Munay Live | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Lineage transmission system | Practitioner platform |
| Created by | Alberto Villoldo / Four Winds Society | Chakaruna, founder of Munay Live; no affiliation with Munay-Ki |
| Offerings | Nine specific rites and initiations | Private sessions, transformation series, group experiences |
| Certification | Yes, leads to Munay-Ki certification | No certification path |
| Lineage scope | Specific Andean shamanic transmission | Diverse Earth-based lineages (Andean, Vedic, Sufi, Sangoma, Himalayan, Norse, Celtic, Amazonian) |
| Approach | Traditional rite transmission | Modern, trauma-informed; integrates ancient wisdom with nervous system awareness |
| Primary focus | Spiritual initiation and transmission | Burnout, leadership transitions, emotional reconnection, spiritual awakening |
Our Approach
Munay Live integrates ancient wisdom traditions with a modern, trauma-informed lens. Our practitioners understand nervous system regulation, somatic awareness, and the importance of integration. Our Consciousness Survey 2025 found that 89% of respondents want guidance that bridges tradition and science. That integration is central to how we work.
This is not a space for quick fixes. We support deep transformation that unfolds over time, recognizing that genuine growth moves in circles rather than linear ascents.
Many in our community are high-performing women rediscovering what it means to feel at home in their own lives. Those navigating burnout, leadership transitions, or the particular exhaustion that comes from carrying too much for too long. This is not about accumulating spiritual credentials. It is about remembering what was always there.
Why the Name Overlap?
The word munay doesn't belong to any single organization or offering. It belongs to the Andean wisdom tradition and, in a sense, to anyone who genuinely embodies its meaning: unconditional love as a force that connects all of existence.
Both Munay-Ki and Munay Live chose this word because it points toward what matters most. We share a reverence for these teachings. We serve different purposes. We have no organizational connection.
Glossary
- Munay: Quechua principle often translated as love + will + beauty
- Munay-Ki: A modern set of initiatory rites created by Alberto Villoldo
- Munay Live: A contemporary, trauma-informed, Sacred Feminine healing platform
Which One Might You Be Looking For?
If you feel drawn to receiving the nine Munay-Ki rites and potentially becoming certified to transmit them to others, you are looking for Munay-Ki training through the Four Winds Society or a certified Munay-Ki teacher.
If you are navigating burnout, seeking emotional reconnection, moving through a leadership transition, or longing for spiritual depth without a certification path, Munay Live may be what you are looking for. Our five doorways from the Quechua tradition can help you discern which form of work might meet you where you are: Remember (Yachay), Reclaim (Kawsay), Release (Hucha), Integrate (Llank'ay), or Awaken (K'anchay).
If you want to explore various ancient arts with practitioners who hold living lineages and understand modern nervous systems, browse our collective.
The Thread That Connects
What Munay-Ki and Munay Live share is a commitment to the quality that munay represents: love as a way of being, love as a force for transformation.
In a landscape where spiritual practice has become increasingly commodified, both represent attempts to keep something precious alive. The living transmission of wisdom. The authentic encounter between guide and those ready to receive. The possibility of genuine transformation that unfolds over time rather than arriving as a quick fix.
Whether you receive specific initiations through Munay-Ki or find a practitioner on Munay Live who holds space for your own becoming, the destination remains the same: returning to love as a way of being.
That, after all, is what munay points toward.
Munay Live is a sanctuary platform connecting those ready for inner work with lineage-holding practitioners of ancient arts. We integrate ancient wisdom with modern, trauma-informed approaches to support deep transformation. Explore our collective of practitioners →

