Preparing to work with Ayahuasca
How your experience meeting the spirit of Ayahuasca goes is often hugely dependent on how you prepare. The work you do before the ceremony is the beginning of the relationship and often sets the tone for how things will go.
Many people come to this medicine unprepared and find out too late that they may have bitten off more than they can chew. Like all things in life, strong preparation creates confidence and assuredness. This creates calm and centredness that serves us before, during, and after the ceremony.
Step 1. Get clear on the why?
The first step is to be clear with why you want to sit with the medicine. Is there an issue in your life you want to resolve? Do you have a difficult decision you’d like guidance on? Is there some physical or mental ailment that you’re working with? Or are you simply curious?
There are no right or wrong answers here, but being clear means being aligned. Many people talk about feeling called to Ayahuasca. The invisible or visible pull to come and work with this medicine. Sometimes it can be in the form of dreams or daydreams, symbols or omens. Or you can just feel the word coming up again and again like it’s trying to speak to you.
Feeling called is the perfect reason to sit. Be sure to run that calling through a filter of your own discernment and ensure you’re not running away from something or chasing something that you already have.
Step 2. Find the right place for you
Once you know why, feeling safe with where you are going to drink is a huge part of the preparation, perhaps the most important. Your choice of where to sit can perhaps be the most defining moment in your journey and yes, with this there is a right or wrong.
Choosing from a centred place of certainty with a full body yes can make a huge difference in how you feel as the date approaches. This directly impacts the stress or strain loaded on your nervous system as the date approaches. Don’t rush this process. Take your time, do your research and ask plenty of questions. Be clear on travel logistics and any other considerations you need to make on a practical level.
Step 3. The Diet
Preparing your body is crucial to the process and ensuring your body is clean from certain foods and substances can help avoid a lot of pain. Not only is this cleansing important but it’s an offering of respect to the plants. A sign you are willing to do the work to heal yourself and sacrifice when needed even when it’s hard.
The diet is also a personal process and although it is a one size fits all approach, sometimes tweaking the diet for individuals is necessary. We’re always happy to guide people on what’s negotiable and what’s non-negotiable.
If you want to get more into the in’s and outs of the diet then our page is a great guide.
Step 4. The lead up to ceremony
Ayahuasca has a way of connecting with you long before the ceremony through dreams and symbology. It’s likely you’ll feel the energetic field long before you arrive at the space. You may also feel strong emotions and memories surfacing as the date draws near, which can be confronting and destabilising.
It’s completely normal to feel nerves and a sense of apprehension. This is big work and these emotions show you are taking it seriously. Do your best not to suppress or avoid them. Sit with them, speak to them, be curious about the signals your body is sending you and where they are coming from. Journaling can help as it allows you to track the journey and see the patterns at a later date. It also provides an outlet as opposed to bottling things up.
If you’re feeling particularly overwhelmed you may need to do extra preparation work with a professional such as a guide or a therapist. Many people we work with choose this route and on balance it creates much better outcomes.
Step 5. Plan ahead for post ceremony
Have an idea for how you will integrate post retreat or post ceremony. Make as much space as you can for rest and recovery. This is deep intense work so having a buffer between travel and work that allows you to ease back into life is ideal.
Again having professionals lined up and booked in to support you is a great idea. Even if you decide not to use them, being prepared and having them as an option can put your mind at rest.
Have a plan for how you will integrate back into daily life with friends and family and stick to it. Have a clear picture of who is likely to understand your experience and which conversations are better off avoided. Having people you can trust, who understand is an often overlooked gift.
Above all ask questions, however stupid they may seem. It’s so much better to ask if you’re unsure than play guessing games with this. There are many people with decades of experience who can guide and support you.