How to Prepare for Ayahuasca: Special Recommendations for a Profound Experience

I remember the first time I was going towards a ceremony. I was excited, my heart was beating very fast, I had so many questions, I didn’t know what to expect or how to prepare… When we hear the call to take part in an Ayahuasca ceremony, it’s completely normal that many questions, uncertainties, and sometimes fears arise. We start researching on the Internet and realize that there are an incredible number of recommendations and reports. Some information is valuable, while others are less helpful or even unsettling. This is partly because every experience with Ayahuasca is a unique and incomparable experience.

But the experience itself can be prepared in the best possible way through good preparation of your own lifestyle, a well-thought-out program as well as set and setting. The experience is also due to the fact that the shamans and organizers work differently. Depending on which tradition they belong to, which principles they follow and how the organizers integrate a ceremony through preparatory exercises.

Mot importantly: We welcome everyone who needs help, who wants to develop spiritually and who strives for change in their life. It is important to us that everyone is treated equally, regardless of their origin, age, gender, religion and political opinion. Since there are traditions that exclude women from ceremonies or separate them from the group during their menstruation, we would like to emphasize that our shaman and we as facilitators integrate and welcome everyone. Our shaman has more than 35 years of experience with Ayahuasca. Together with his wife he cooks the medicine on his own with dedication, love and responsibility.

BASIC RECOMMENDATION TO PREPARE FOR AYAHUASCA

Proper preparation for your Ayahuasca ceremonies is essential for gaining more impactful benefits out of the ceremonial experience. Committing to an Ayahuasca retreat with multiple ceremonies will likely be one of the most important decisions you make in your life. If you are feeling called to work with Ayahuasca, it is because your spirit is ready for a significant change in life. The sacred work with Ayahuasca can bring about astounding transformations in the lives of those who walk upon this journey. Yet the ‘real work’ will come after you leave the retreat as the healing and energetic shifts that have taken place in the ceremonies will require proper integration afterwards to maintain the long term benefits. Approaching your Ayahuasca journey with proper preparation will allow for an easier transition into the post retreat integration process.

DIALOGUE WITH AYAHUASCA & INTENTION SETTING

Starting a personal dialogue with the spirit of Ayahuasca is an opportune way to become clear on why you are embarking on this plant medicine journey of healing and expansion. Ayahuasca is not just a plant, yet she is a powerful and loving spirit who hears you and knows your needs. Sharing your intentions on what you would like to heal, resolve, release or expand into. You can simply “speak” with Ayahuasca in your meditations or in spaces where you can find some quiet solitude. You can also journal and write out your thoughts and intentions on how you would like to see your life change after the retreat. The important thing to remember is that you must then release any expectations of how Ayahuasca will work with you on meeting these intentions.

Every ceremony is unique and the experience will never unfold in the way you think it will. Much of what takes place in these multi-dimensional realms cannot be interpreted by the rational linear mind. Yet continue to trust that your intentions are being met on energetic levels even if you do not receive immediate answers or cognitive understanding in the immediacy after the ceremonies. Much is yet to be revealed and integrated in the weeks, months and even years ahead. However, if we want to force an experience with Ayahuasca through our imagination, be it that we only want to have a positive experience, visions or specific questions answered, then it happens that Ayahuasca first wants to teach us something else: Most often it is patience, respect and a willingness to receive. That’s why we recommend approaching a ceremony with an open heart, with gratitude and without the mind patterns we usually use in our daily life. Be open and receive, don’t force or control. Then the magic happens.

MEDITATION & MINDFULNESS PRACTICE

Cultivating meditation and mindfulness practices are very beneficial in assisting you on your Ayahuasca journey. For those of you that may not have a consistent meditation practice, this may feel like a daunting undertaking. Yet, you may view this activity as simply a practice of mindfulness. We recommend within these meditation and mindfulness practices, that your intention be to let your thoughts clear away and come into a place of observation. This can be an extremely helpful tool during your Ayahuasca ceremonies, especially when the energies and visions can become intense. Stepping into “observer mode” in these times will enable you to stay more centered and not get caught up in energies or loops of mental confusion or distraction. This practice will help facilitate an ‘effortlessness’ and surrender to the deeper transformations taking place.

Although extreme mental activity can occur during Ayahuasca ceremonies, often this will be the manifestation of a purge or also can be related to receiving deep realization and insights. We strongly recommend using your meditation and mindfulness practice as an opportunity to drop into your heart space and tap into what it truly feels like to trust, surrender and have faith during your ceremonial experiences. You will often hear these words and concepts throughout your retreat as tools to help assist you in easing any difficulties you are feeling about your ceremonies. It will be up to each individual to find the truth of how trust and surrender will enable them to have a more beneficial experience with Ayahuasca. It is normal for fearful thoughts and energies to arise during the ceremonial journeys, yet remember to recognize these as energies that have been lodged in the cellular body that are now surfacing to be released. Having the ability to surrender and trusting the process will allow deeper healing and rebalancing to occur more quickly.

FEARS & ANXIETIES ARISING BEFORE THE RETREAT

Experiencing fears and anxieties arising before your Ayahuasca journey is completely normal and to naturally be expected. This happens to most participants to some extent or another. It can often be representative of the ‘ego/shadow side” knowing that it will have to change and let go of old patterns while experiencing the resistance that comes along with this. It is valuable to simply observe these feelings while in a self reflective space. Instead of trying to suppress or ignore these feelings, accept them, thank them for what they have taught you and let them go as much as possible. Do your best to keep an open heart and open mind while recognizing and honoring the fears and apprehensions as they arise, knowing you will have the power to let them go in your ceremonies.

The moment you commit to an Ayahuasca journey, the Medicine begins working with you. You may experience more vivid dreams, synchronicities in your reality, and physical body changes. Your spirit and body know they will be going through a significant transformation and may begin to prepare for such. This may manifest through the body experiencing symptoms of “sickness” such as colds, stomach upsets, headaches, exhaustion, etc. This is normal and common as the body is preparing to purge the denser blockages by starting to surface these energies. If this begins to happen to you in the immediate weeks before the retreat begins, try to avoid taking any extreme pharmaceutical medications such as antibiotics. These symptoms may be a natural part of the pre-purging process.

TRANSPARENCY ABOUT MEDICATION

If you do end up needing to take a medication, please consult with us to see if it may have a contraindication with Ayahuasca. For example, medications that are taken to treat depression must be discontinued. It is important to coordinate with the organizers at least a month before the start of the retreat. We work with a doctor who can provide medication recommendations.

TELLING OTHERS ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING AYAHUASCA JOURNEY

Upon committing to attending an Ayahuasca Retreat, you may feel excited to share this news with others in your life. We do recommend being cautious about who you decide to tell, as there is a possibility of mixed reactions to be expressed in return. If you feel that those you tell will be receptive and supportive of your journey, feel free to tell them. If you are unsure about telling others what you will be participating in specifically, you can simply share that you are attending a spiritual retreat with yoga & meditation. Be aware of others’ projections of fear towards your decision. Naturally you will have loved ones concerned for your safety traveling to Colombia and participating in Ayahuasca ceremonies. Yet often others’ fears can be unfounded and may bring upon unnecessary anxieties around your decision. This is a very unique personal journey you are undertaking for your own healing and soul growth. It will likely be one of the most impactful decisions you make in your life.

AYAHUASCA DIET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOUR RETREAT

We encourage you to start adjusting your diet at least two weeks before the retreat yet the sooner the better. This will clean and prepare your body to enable you to have a deeper and more profound experience with Ayahuasca. A diet also helps you better integrate what you will experience into your own everyday life afterwards. Through a healthier nutrition and a conscious lifestyle, changes in life can be implemented better and are more sustainable. The specifications were created in collaboration with our shaman and are part of our retreat philosophy:

• Vegetarian diet at least 2 weeks before and after the retreat.
• Alcohol and marijuana (THC) must be fully eliminated two weeks before or after the retreat. The more time you eliminate it before the retreat will be additionally beneficial as it will allow your body to detox further.
• All recreational drugs need to be eliminated fully at least 3 weeks before and after the retreat. If not adhered to, one may run the risk of psychological or energetic damage as these pose a serious contraindication with Ayahuasca.
• It is best to eliminate or heavily cut back on coffee/caffeinated drinks, bleached white flour products, dairy products, fermented products, spicy foods, highly salted & fried foods, processed foods and refined sugars, two weeks before and after the retreat.
• Consuming some small amounts of healthy salt (ex: pink Himalayan salt) is good to keep in the diet.
• It is fine to keep some healthy oils and fats in your daily diet such as seeds, nuts, avocado, virgin olive oil, coconut oil, flax oil, etc.
• Sexual activity of any kind should be eliminated for one week before and after the retreat. In yoga, sexual energy is described as kundalini. She is the power of creation. We should use this power wisely and get aware of it.
• It is best to avoid watching or reading anything that may contain violence or trauma. The consumption of news should also be limited if it is predominantly negative reporting.
• We encourage to take advantage of the time leading up to the retreat to delve deeper into the Ayahuasca retreat preparation process by engaging in any/all of the following: exercise, yoga, writing, meditation, intention setting, spending time in nature, expression through art, inspirational reading, etc.
• Don’t google your fears. This can lead to unnecessary uncertainty. Sometimes we can actually train ourselves to be afraid if we drive ourselves mentally crazy. After more than a hundred guests and dozens of ceremonies, no serious incidents occurred nor did the doctor have to intervene.

As organizers of Yoga Ayahuasca Retreats and representives of Ancestral Retreats, we take our responsibilities seriously. We are here to accompany you, support you and be there for you. Whatever it takes, together with our shaman and his wife, we will help you have a once-in-a-lifetime, life-changing experience – in a safe, trusting and welcoming environment.