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Spirituality
Spiritual revelations do not arrive from thinking long & hard about Divinity. They come through silencing our thoughts, moving our ego out of the way, and opening up to the quiet, mysterious, spiritual realm that is always here with us. The world of soul is here and now, superimposed and woven through the world of the five sense. It doesn't take belief. It is Reality itself. You must only learn to see beyond the veils.
“There is another world, but it is in this one."
–W.B. Yeats
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Spirituality
Spiritual revelations do not arrive from thinking long & hard about Divinity. They come through silencing our thoughts, moving our ego out of the way, and opening up to the quiet, mysterious, spiritual realm that is always here with us. The world of soul is here and now, superimposed and woven through the world of the five sense. It doesn't take belief. It is Reality itself. You must only learn to see beyond the veils.
“There is another world, but it is in this one."
–W.B. Yeats
​
​
Spirituality
Spiritual revelations do not arrive from thinking long & hard about Divinity. They come through silencing our thoughts, moving our ego out of the way, and opening up to the quiet, mysterious, spiritual realm that is always here with us. The world of soul is here and now, superimposed and woven through the world of the five sense. It doesn't take belief. It is Reality itself. You must only learn to see beyond the veils.
“There is another world, but it is in this one."
–W.B. Yeats
​
​
Healing
Healing occurs in the mind, heart, spirit, and body. Any system of self-improvement that does not address all of these essential components of the human being is lacking. I believe this so strongly I’ll repeat it: Any attempt to heal only one aspect of yourself without addressing the others, will ultimately lead to imbalance and unhappiness.
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"A new world is only a new mind."​
William Carlos Williams
If you've come across​ this page, chance are: you're feeling called to work with one of the most powerful plant medicines on Earth. Or perhaps you've already returned from a life-changing sequence of ceremonies, and you're seeking guidance on how to close the gap between the mystical reality you just experienced and the reality of your everyday life.
While it can be helpful to speak with your ayahuasca shaman or ceremony facilitator, that person may/may not have the counseling experience & un-bias belief system necessary to best guide you. On the other hand, a seasoned therapist without plant medicine experience may find it difficult to understand the depth & nuance of an ayahuasca ceremony. The ideal option, it seems, is to speak with someone who has both professional counseling skills and years of experience working with plant medicines.
I've worked with an array of entheogens over the course of my life, including Ayahuasca, Wachuma, Peyote, Hapé, Psilocybin, Chiric Sanango, and Iboga - and I believe that when used for integral purposes, and with the proper guidance and care, plant medicines can be a blessing. However, the majority of focus on plant medicines is often related to the ceremonies themselves, rather than the preparations beforehand and - most importantly - the integration afterwards.
To fully heal, evolve, expand, understand, and alchemize new energies, you must put in the dedicated hard work after the ceremonies to make real, rooted changes. That initial post-ceremony bliss and ethereal clarity only last for so long, and when you begin to "land" back in the raw, messy world and feel the yawning divide between the glorious plant medicine realms and the more mundane reality of your everyday life, the solution is not to sign up for your next retreat...nor is it to cocoon yourself solely within your plant medicine community. Most likely, the solution is stay on the ground and begin the process of integration.
Of course, this sort of inner work may not sound as enticing and majestic as an ayahuasca ceremony itself, but once you authentically go through the process of integrating the lessons/visions/insights/healings you received during your ceremonies, your entire life will become more magical and profound than any medicine ceremony imaginable! And, ultimately, isn't that the goal?
I'm neither an advocate for or against plant medicines. Just as I'm neither an advocate for or against any particular religion. I'm an advocate for your personal evolution - real evolution that involves vertical transformation, not just horizontal change.
When I was facing a scary health situation, my partner pointed out to me: a surgeon will most likely see surgery as the solution. A nutritionist will see nutrition as the solution. A psychotherapist will see psychotherapy as the solution. An ayahuasquero will see ayahuasca as the solution. The list of specialists and remedies goes on. So which of these approaches is correct?
That depends. It all depends on your unique physical, mental, and spiritual compositions, as well as where you are along your journey, and what modality/modalities will offer the most direct, lasting, satisfying, safe guidance to your healing. When seeking anything in life - healing, awakening, inspiration, clarity, power, worldly success, etc. - there isn't a "one size fits all" method to get you there. That's why it's beneficial to receive guidance from someone who has personal & professional experience with a multitude of modalities but is not attached to any of them.
After working on and off with ayahuasca for many years, I feel embodied by her and no longer desire or require ingestion of that medicine to gather the guidance she brings. I access those same realms & insights during regular, everyday life. And - I say this as humbly as possible and with full acknowledgment that I'm a mere, imperfect human being - I feel as if the spirit of ayahuasca has set me free "as the medicine herself" to carry her powerful energy inside me, so that in my own little way I can be medicine in the world.​
As a wise Navajo chief once said to a group of us sitting around a ceremonial fire, "Don't look to the Creator for answers. Be in the created. That's everything you need."
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To learn about the ayahuasca preparation and integration therapies I offer, continue past the photos.
Preparatory sessions
Regardless of whether you make any internal or external preparations, if you ingest ayahuasca, you will have an experience. And it will probably rock your world.
Having said that, not all world-rocking ayahuasca experiences are created equally, and while there are factors about the ayahuasca experience that are not within your control, there are many elements that you do have agency over - and being prepared will only make your plant medicine experience deeper, cleaner, less convoluted, more physically comfortable, and more useful in the end.
Here are some of the ways I'll help you prepare you for your upcoming ceremonies:
Integrity
Preparation for a variety of "sets & settings" as well as ayahuasca ceremony etiquette; discussion of differences between indigenous curanderos/pajés/medicine-carriers, vs. non-indigenous but trained (and gifted) healers, vs. facilitators who may have good intentions but do not carry the skills necessary to hold a safe container; discussion of the varieties of ayahuasca and of different traditions based on specific tribes; discussion of jungle visits, vs. retreat centers vs. less formal gatherings and private ceremonies; discussion of the influence of other participants on your experience, as well as safety and red flags
Physicality
Understand the ayahuasca diet and the importance of your overall physical health prior to ceremonies; understand the medications that must be out of your system for months prior to ingesting ayahuasca, as well as the medicines that aren't dangerous but will interfere with ayahuasca; and finally, the effects of having used other plant medicines recently before your ayahuasca experience
Intention
Energetic and psychological preparation; setting clear intentions/prayers, and knowing how & when to navigate those intentions/prayers during ceremonies
Mental Fortitude & Protection
Guidance on how to handle difficult ceremony experiences; how to get out of dark places; how to navigate the delicate balance between your own autonomy vs. submission to the medicine; guidance on how to protect yourself from other human energies in the ceremony space, as well as from non-human energies in the ceremony space (i.e. quickly tell the difference between benevolent, neutral, and non-benevolent energies, and know what to do about them)
Meditations
Learn meditations, mantras, and specific breathwork practices that work with the medicine; receive insights on how to stay strong, clear, and powerful during your journey
Grounding
Learn how to get back into your body during a ceremony; what to do if you've gone "too far" or drank "too much"; what is helpful to do in the hours directly prior to and directly after a ceremony to avoid "getting lost"
Readiness
Guidance on the aspects of your spiritual and psychological work that can/should be deepened prior to your ceremonies (i.e. it's important to complete as much deep work as possible beforehand so that when you sit with the medicine, she will take you even further during your ceremonies...to places within yourself you had no idea were even there)
Integration sessions
What you do in the weeks, months, and years after your mystical experiences determines whether or not those experiences will ground in your everyday life in lasting, meaningful ways. As mentioned prior: to fully heal, evolve, expand, understand, and alchemize new energies, you must put in the dedicated hard work after the ceremonies to make real, rooted changes.
Here are some of the ways I'll help you integrate after an ayahuasca ceremony:
Discernment
Determine which narratives, encounters, visions, and insights from your ceremonies require further reflection & integration vs. which narratives, encounters, visions, and insights may have arrived through the filters of your ego, belief systems, or energetic chatter; discern between genuine empowerments/downloads/guidance from higher beings vs. mind-influenced messages, desires, fears, or hidden memories
Energetic & Physical Grounding
Learn methods and meditations to maintain your expansiveness while also re-grounding yourself after a ceremony; discuss the foods, drinks, and substances that you should avoid post-ceremony vs. the ones that will help naturally and healthily ground you; guidance on how to maintain a high frequency while in lower frequency environments; guidance on how to root your revelations in new habits & goals; guidance on how to manage the intense flood of new energies you might now be carrying, as well as how to manage those energies in a way that does not alienate you from your Earthly existence
Closing the Gap
Guidance on how to "close the gap" between powerful, peak, mystical/healing experiences and your everyday life; learn how to authentically move toward an everyday life that is just as profound (and more profound!) than your ceremony experiences
Sharing with Loved Ones
Discuss who it's best to share your experiences with and why, as well as the importance of protecting yourself/your experiences from judgements, ignorance, criticism, and mis-interpretation; discuss ways to gently invite a partner or friend (who is unfamiliar with plant medicines) into an understanding of your experiences and the importance they hold for you
Completion of Intentions + New "Homework"
Support in reflecting upon your pre-ceremony intentions and how they manifested during the ayahuasca experience; support in continuing the work to complete your intentions, as well as any new "assignments" prescribed during your medicine journey; guidance on how to best embody your ideal self as you move forward into your post-ceremony life
Navigating the Sub-Culture
Discussion of any curiosities, issues, or un-certainties that came up in regards to the circle you sat with during your ayahuasca experience; discussion of trends and traditions in the plant medicine community; shifting legalities; cultural exploitation vs. voluntary dissemination; support in navigating any uncomfortable situations that arouse between you and other ceremony participants or between you and the medicine-facilitators/shaman
Non-Attachment
Exploration and release of any evangelistic or dogmatic thoughts that arouse post-ceremony (i.e. "I'm now on the most enlightened path available" or "Anyone not on this path is missing out on their own awakening"); guidance on how to be at peace with not doing medicine work; fostering an understanding that there are many sacred modalities available for us to evolve as human beings, and medicine-work is just one (and not necessarily the right or best one for everyone)
I'll end with this: I was once told by the medicine, "You must learn to let go of everything! Even the authority of Divine Revelation!" I'm still working on that.
Read: I do not serve Ayahuasca or recommend places for you to be served this medicine. Please do not contact me seeking Ayahuasca.
Sorry for blasting that message in red, but I receive many inquires from people seeking Ayahuasca. To those of you seeking this medicine, I wish you many blessings along your journey!
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