1. Develop a deeper understanding of your self as a multidimensional being. The spiritual practice of meditation and an awareness of the ego and shadow consciousness, within your self, will help you easily navigate through the ayahuasca healing and purging process. I suggest you have a strong spiritual foundation. The “Raise Your Vibration” book will be a wonderful tool to help you develop a greater awareness of your self, and also will help you begin the healing/clearing process before you ingest the plant medicine. The more you have cleared out of your subconscious, the more profound teachings from the ayahuasca plant medicine you will receive. Ayahuasca first cleanses the emotional, mental and physical levels of your being before she will be able to teach you what it is you need to learn. It can take anywhere from 3 to 20 ceremonies before some people are actually able to receive the profound visions and teachings the plant medicine can provide. However, it is the healing, the purging of the energy fields that is really more important than the teachings -although at some point; the teachings will be of tremendous value to you and your soul’s mission….but first you must purge a large portion of the energetic blocks that do not serve you!
2. Do your research and find a reliable, experienced shaman and healing center where you will be held in a safe, sacred space to get the most from your ayahuasca ceremony. The shamanic work, the ritual, the setting and the state of mind one is in will greatly effect the level of experience you will have. A good shaman is one who is running the ceremony and is aware and in control of what is happening within the group. A good shaman should be able to ground the group anchoring them through sacred intention and by invoking protective spirits to maintain safe space. The shaman and the spirit of the ceremony work together; there is an immense intelligence within the ceremony of a really powerful shaman. In addition, a shaman indigenous to the land from where ayahuasca grows is ideal. The plant and animal kingdoms, in their natural habitat, support the shaman and YOU with your healing in the highest and best way possible. The spin of your energy field can also be a healing factor because when you are close to the equator, where the ayahuasca plant grows, your energy field will have less resistance because it spins in the same direction that the plant medicine grows so you can receive a deeper level of healing than you will when you are further away from the equator and your energy field spins in the opposite direction. Miraculous ayahuasca ceremonies occur in the region where the plants grow, however there are shaman’s traveling all over the world and bringing their sacred medicines from the amazon to assist humanity with their healing. However, if you want the most authentic, transformative, miraculous experience go to a location where the ayahuasca and chacruna plant spirits grow naturally. If you can not travel, locate somewhere near you where a shaman is holding safe, sacred ceremonies. The Santo Domaine Church is an organization who can legally hold ayahuasca ceremonies, as it is part of their spiritual practice. Please do not order ayahuasca off of the internet and ingest the plant medicine by your self. You need the ritual of the shaman and someone who is experienced with the plant medicines to hold safe, sacred space for you and you also you need a shaman present to help you clear the blocks in your energy field that are rising to the surface to be cleared. Some of these blocks may be quite large and can be difficult to release. Ayahuasca is unpredictable in that you never know what will come up from your being to released. It is possible to have 10 blissful ceremonies, and then one very profound deep healing ceremony that will be incredibly difficult, emotional, painful and may make you feel like you are dying (the power of a shamanic death). You will need assistance to help you get through this, and you will also need the protection that the shamans and their rituals provide. It is best to drink the ayahuasca plant medicine in a facilitated environment!
3. Choose a retreat or sacred environment where you can ingest ayahuasca several times within a short period of time. It is customary to have a ceremony and then have a day off to recuperate and integrate the healing that has occurred. 5-7 ceremonies within a 15-18 day period is ideal. It usually takes 5 ceremonies before you will receive a major breakthrough and begin the teaching/activation phase. This will all depend on how cleaned out your energetic system is. Ayahuasca cleans first, then heals and then teaches. The plant medicine was never meant to only be done one time. It is a spiritual practice. The more you ingest the plant medicine the more layers of distortion will be peeled off.
4. Prepare your Emotional, Mental, Physical and Spiritual bodies.
* Emotionally, discover what needs to be healed and released within your being. Become aware of it, so you can set a strong intention for healing to occur. Are you needing to release childhood trauma, anger, depression, addictions, attachments etc…. or perhaps you need to work on forgiveness.
* Mentally, do your research on ayahuasca so you will have a greater understanding of what to expect and how to maneuver through the experience with ease and grace. Prepare your self to surrender. Once you ingest the plant medicine any resistance on your part is futile. Keep in mind any difficulties you may encounter are beneficial to your healing. Breathe through them and mentally tell your self, this to will pass.
*Physically, prepare your body vehicle for the deep purge that is about to occur. Follow as much of the Shamanic Dieta as you can for at least 2 weeks before you ingest the plant medicine. The shamanic dieta typically consists of no salt, no modern chemicals, no sugar, no vinegar or fermented foods, no spices, no fats, no dairy, no caffeine or stimulants, no alcohol, no marijuana, no red meat, no pork…..no sex.. In addition, make sure you choose a facility who follows the shamanic dieta very strictly while you are ingesting the plant medicines. The dieta is a very important part of the healing process because when you drink ayahuasca you are actually ingesting the “Spirit of the Plant” and you do not want anything in your system that could be a contraindication to the spirt of the ayahuasca plant. While you are ingesting the plant medicines a very strict diet of foods cooked with no salt will be served to you so you can get the most from your ayahuasca healing expereince. These diets can vary but generally speaking you will eat a diet of amazonian fish, plantains, yucca, rice, some vegetables and fruit. Click this link to be taken to a food and drug list: http://www.ayahuasca.com/information-discussion/foods-and-meds-to-avoid-with-maois/
* Spiritually, it is best to have a strong spiritual foundation. Meditation will begin the process of bringing a higher vibrational spiritual energy into your being that will begin the purification process. Meditation will also help you connect with your inner being so when you are on the plant medicine you will be able to stay aligned with your higher soul. In addition, meditation will help you become aware of your self as a multidimensional being and will also help you connect more deeply to the spiritual beings that work with you.
5. Approach Ayahuasca with INTENTION but without any expectations. Your INTENTION is incredibly important. Before you ingest Ayahuasca, I suggest you open up the lines of communication with her (she is a female spirit) through meditation a few weeks before you become “one” with her. When you ingest the plant medicine she enters into your being….you are ingesting the Spirits of Ayahuasca, as she is a multidimensional being, with lots of helpers who help her clean out your system. Talk with her and begin to form a relationship with her. I also suggest you ask her to “show you what you need to see in a way that you will accept with ease and grace.” You can even ask her to reveal information to you in a cartoon like format to release your fear about what you might see. Be open to what she reveals to you….this is for your highest and best good. Also, make a list before the ceremony with all of your INTENTIONS you have for your healing and also what you would like to learn. Slip the list of intentions under your mat before the ceremony begins. After you ingest the medicine, state silently to your self and to Ayahuasca what you would like to receive during the ceremony. Your intention is an integral part of your healing and is usually exactly what you will receive and so much more….remain open to what happens. Intention with NO expectations, and “BE IN GRATITUDE” for her unconditionally loving energy that is working directly with your higher self and providing such grace and healing for you.
6. Once your intention is set, surrender and release control. RELAX. Ayahuasca is a beautiful medicine. She will open your spirit up slowly to the experience so you will accept the healing. After about 20 minutes of ingesting the medicine you may feel a powerful surge of heat in your body as the spirit becomes one with you and surges through all levels of your being….into the organs, the blood, all energy fields. Ayahuasca will embrace every aspect of you. She may greet you in your spiritual eye center as a large snake, say hello to her and express your gratitude for this opportunity to heal. At this point you can state your intentions again, ask her questions or simply just allow her to work with you. You may begin to purge within 20 minutes (do try to hold the medicine in for 15-20 minutes)! After 20 minutes, if you need to purge go for it! You will feel better and the visions/healing will gradually grow more intense after your first purge. Ayahuasca works in waves….you will purge and then have 20 minutes of visions etc…and then purge again. The visions will return, then you will have a small break where you are fully conscious and can go to the bathroom etc….then the waves and visions return again. If you find your self in a difficult phase where old traumatic events and emotions are surfacing give gratitude and BREATHE. Remain in your heart space, surrender and know that this will pass. This is temporary and you are being healed at a very deep level. In 15 minutes, you will be in a different space as Ayahuasca cleans and heals very rapidly, and will provide you with periods of revelation, peace and a profoundly deep love…..she will also show you your magnificence, your light! While ayahuasca is working on you, you will remain conscious….you will know what is going on. Just remember to BREATHE through any difficult moments and remind your self that “this too will pass.”
Ayahuasca will show you your own life in a very honest way. You will learn why you behave the way you do. Ayahuasca will show you your anger, ego, prejudices, shadow consciousness, pride, pain etc. so you can receive the healing you need and release what no longer serves you. The veils over your consciousness will be removed that typically blind you from your self. This type of healing can occur through visions, through a deep level of feeling/knowingness and also through purging. Not everyone will see “visions” during their first few ceremonies, but their soul will have a greater understanding of what is happening to them even though it may not be able to be expressed through words. You do not need to fully grasp everything that is being shown to you. The plant medicine does not teach on a linear, logical level. She teaches on a multidimensional level that pierces through the conscious and subconscious minds. It will take several ceremonies to figure out her language so don’t get hung up on the “meaning of it all”…..your soul knows what is going on even though the egoic mental mind may run into confusion. Simply surrender to the healing.
7. The Ayahuasca ceremony lasts between 5-8 hours and is done in total darkness. It must be dark in order for the visions to occur! The darkness provides a movie screen for our subconscious to be projected on. You will enter into a dream state but you will be fully conscious. A small head lamp or flashlight is helpful for you to use when you need to go to the bathroom, but be respectful of those in the group so you don’t take them out of their journey by shining light in their face. Most ceremonies occur either with you sitting in chairs or on mats on the floor; you will be given a bucket to purge in. Bring items with you that will help you be comfortable during your plant medicine experience. Loose comfortable clothing, socks, inflatable pillows, blankets, bug spray that you have pre-sprayed and kleenex are all very helpful. I also suggest you bring a bottle of water to drink and SPIT out into your bucket after you drink the plant medicine to wash your mouth out. It is not wise to drink 3 hours before the ceremony or during the ceremony as the water will dilute your medicine and you will not have a deep experience. After the ceremony is over, you will be thirsty and are free to drink. You can also add a tablespoon of honey in the water to help you come back into your body after the ceremony is over and also a small snack such as unsalted nuts or a piece of fruit.
8. Understand if you are participating in several plant medicine ceremonies, after journey 2 or 3 you may run into some resistance and you may not want to drink the medicine again. The first few journeys are usually difficult because there is a lot of purging occurring and the plant medicine does not always feel good to the human ego as it can create a lot of nausea and exhaustion. The plant medicine takes your ego power away and your ego will resist, but your soul wants the healing….your soul knows it needs the healing.
9. It is best to do ayahuasca sitting up so the energy can travel harmoniously through the body. However, the plant medicine will take your physical strength away so you can learn about your spiritual strength. Many people become so exhausted and so vulnerable they are like a small infant, so if you need to lie down that is fine, just keep your spine straight so the energy can flow through your system with ease and grace. Because your raw physical power is taken away you will need people to assist you at certain times during the ceremony….that is why it is so important to be in the presence of a shaman and their team of helpers in a facilitated environment.
10. Understand the ayahuasca ceremony is not just about drinking the medicine and seeing visions. It is about healing or purging what no longer serves us and also it is a spiritual discipline. During the ceremony we learn how to surrender, focus and also confront everything we like and dislike in our life with great love, acceptance and compassion. When we drink ayahuasca we are able to see a higher perspective and she teaches us how to be better humans….she teaches us about our true self, our highest potential and how we can cultivate higher spiritual qualities to help us deal with different problems in our human life.
11. When the ceremonies are over and it is time for you to go home, it will be important for you to remain committed to some sort of spiritual practice such as meditation. The plant medicines will expand your consciousness; however, you will need to connect with your inner being on a daily basis to maintain this expansion after you get home. Meditation will help you tap into the inner peace of your being that has always been there, and it will also help you integrate the teachings and healings the plant medicines have provided for you.
The Ayahuasca plant medicine is multidimensional….it heals us on many levels of our being and helps us to bring ourselves into alignment; however if we return home and go back to our old ways then the healing and awareness we received will not be integrated fully into our being. The plant medicines know we are not victims to our circumstances, and they will show us how we are responsible for all of our imbalances and dis-ease. Ayahuasca will show us what qualities need to be cultivated within our being in order to not perpetuate ignorance within our self anymore. The plant spirits will elevate our vitality and expand our consciousness so we can strengthen our connection with the divine empowering us to make the changes necessary in our life so we can lead a life filled with greater peace, connection, harmony, compassion, joy, love and understanding.
