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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.
Ayahuasca integration
"A new world is only a new mind."​
William Carlos Williams
If you've found your way to this page, chances 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 bridge 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 curandero or ceremony facilitator, they may or may not have the counseling experience needed to best support your integration. On the other hand, a seasoned therapist without firsthand experience in plant medicine work may find it difficult to fully understand the depth and nuance of an ayahuasca ceremony. The ideal option, it seems, is to speak with someone who walks in both worlds.
I've worked with a wide range of entheogens throughout my life, including Ayahuasca, Wachuma, Peyote, Hapé, Psilocybin, Chiric Sanango, and Iboga. I believe that when used with integrity, reverence, and proper guidance, 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, and make lasting changes in your life, you must do the dedicated, grounded work after a plant medicine ceremony. The initial post-ceremony bliss and ethereal clarity only last for so long. When you begin to "land" back in the raw, messy texture of the world and feel the yawning divide between the transcendent realms and the reality of your everyday life, the solution is usually not to sign up for your next retreat, cocooning yourself within the bubble of your plant medicine community. More often, the answer is to begin the humbling work 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 integrate the lessons, healings, and truths you received during your ceremony, your entire life will become more magical and profound than any retreat imaginable. And, ultimately, isn't that the goal?
I'm neither an advocate for or against plant medicines—just as I'm neither for or against any particular religion or belief system. What I am an advocate for is your authentic personal evolution that involves vertical transformation, not just horizontal change.
When I was facing a scary health situation, my partner reminded me of something very important:
A surgeon will 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.
And the list of specialists—and their respective remedies—goes on.
So which of these approaches is correct?
That depends. It depends on your unique physical, mental, and spiritual makeup. It depends on where you are along your journey, and which modality/modalities will offer the most direct, lasting, safe and satisfying path to healing.
When seeking anything in life—healing, awakening, inspiration, clarity, empowerment, or worldly success—there isn't a "one size fits all" method. That's why it's so valuable to receive guidance from someone who has both personal and professional experience across a wide spectrum of approaches, and isn't dogmatically attached to a single one.
After many years of working with ayahuasca—across seasons of deep immersion and spacious integration—I feel embodied by her and no longer desire or require to ingest the medicine to access the guidance she brings. I move through the same realms, receive the same teachings, and feel her just as strongly in the quiet moments of everyday life.
I say this with as much humility as possible, and with the full understanding 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. Not to replace her or speak for her, but so that in my own small way I can be medicine in the world.​
As a wise Navajo chief once said to a group of us seated 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 more about the ayahuasca preparation and integration sessions I offer, continue reading below the photos.
Painting by Pablo Amaringo
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.
That said, not all world-rocking ayahuasca journeys are created equally, and while some aspects of the experience are beyond your control, there are many factors you do have agency over. Thoughtful preparation can make your plant medicine ceremony 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
Guidance on navigating a variety of "sets & settings," as well as ceremony etiquette
Discussion of the distinctions between indigenous curanderos/pajés vs. non-indigenous but gifted & well-trained healers, vs. facilitators who may have good intentions but do not have the capacity to hold a safe, sacred space
Exploration of different ayahuasca traditions, depending on tribal lineage
Insights into the strengths & limitations of the different ceremonial environments available: jungle immersions, retreat centers, private or small group ceremonies, and informal gatherings
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Understanding how the energy of other participants can affect your experience, and how to recognize safety concerns & red flags
Physicality
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A thorough understanding of the ayahuasca dieta, and the importance of your overall physical health prior to ceremonies
Clarity around which medications & substances must be fully cleared from your system (and for how long) before sitting with ayahuasca vs. medications & substances that aren't dangerous but will still interfere with ayahuasca
Discussion of the effects of having used other plant medicines recently, and how that may affect your ayahuasca experience
Intention
Conversation about energetic and psychological preparation
Support in crafting clear intentions or prayers
Guidance on how to hold & navigate those intentions throughout the ceremony space without becoming overly attached or rigid
Mental Fortitude & Protection
Guidance on how to work through difficult or dark experiences during ceremonies
Insights on discerning the fine line between surrender and self-abandonment
Techniques for energetic protection—how to recognize and respond to human & non-human energies in the ceremony space; for example, how to quickly tell the difference between benevolent, neutral, and distorted/harmful energies
Empowerment practices for staying centered in your sovereignty
Meditation & Breathwork
Meditations, mantras, and breath practices that work in harmony with ayahuasca
Ways to remain clear, strong, and connected throughout your ceremonial journeys
Grounding
How to return to your body during a ceremony if you feel like you've gone "too far" or taken "too much"
Practices to center yourself before and during your journey to avoid "getting lost" in the medicine
Grounding rituals for after your journey
Readiness
Reflection and guidance on the aspects of your spiritual & psychological work that can (and should) be engaged prior to your ceremonies; the more inner work you complete in advance, the more deeply the medicine can take you—beyond familiar terrain, and 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 those experiences will take root in your everyday life in lasting, meaningful ways. As mentioned earlier: to truly heal, evolve, expand, and alchemize new energies, you must put in the dedicated hard work after the ceremonies. This is where real, integrated change begins.
Here are some of the ways I support post-ceremony integration:
Discernment
Learn to distinguish which visions, insights, encounters, and narratives from your ceremonies require further reflection & integration vs. which may have been shaped by the filters of ego, unconscious belief systems, or energetic interference
Discern between authentic empowerments, downloads, and guidance from higher beings/sources vs. messages influenced by fear, desire, memory, or other aspects of mind
Energetic & Physical Grounding
Learn methods & meditations to maintain your expansiveness while also reinhabiting the body; how to manage the intense flood of new energies you may now be carrying, in a way that does not alienate you from your Earthly life
Understand which foods, drinks, and substances to avoid post-ceremony—and which ones can support gentle reentry
Explore how to maintain a high frequency in lower-frequency environments
Learn how to ground your revelations in embodied habits and goals
Closing the Gap
Guidance on how to bridge the space between powerful, "peak", mystical states and your everyday life
Support in cultivating a life that is not only aligned with your visions & dreams, but is ultimately more profound than your ceremony experiences
Sharing with Loved Ones
Discern who to share your experiences with—and why
Learn how to protect your sacred experiences from judgment, misinterpretation, or emotional overexposure
Discuss ways to gently invite a curious partner or friend into understanding the value and meaning of your medicine journey
Completion of Intentions + Post-Ceremony "Homework"
Reflect on your pre-ceremony intentions and how they manifested during the ayahuasca experience
Continue working with unresolved aspects—or refinements—of those intentions
Explore any new "assignments" that arouse in ceremony, and discuss how to begin weaving them into your life
Receive guidance on embodying the truest version of yourself as you move forward
Navigating the Subculture
Unpack any questions, discomfort, or insights that came up in relation to your ceremony space or community
Discuss trends, traditions, and ethics within the broader plant medicine community—including shifting legalities, cultural exploitation vs. voluntary cultural transmission, and the nuances of modern ceremony facilitation
Receive support for navigating any uncomfortable situations/dynamics that arouse between you and fellow ceremony participants, or between you and the medicine facilitators
Non-Attachment
Explore and release any post-ceremony evangelism or rigidity (e.g. "This is the most enlightened path available" or "Anyone not on this path is missing out on their own awakening")
Cultivate peace with not doing further medicine work
Embrace the reality that there are many sacred paths available to help us evolve as human beings—and pant medicine work is just one among many (and not necessarily the right or highest one for everyone)
And 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.
© Copyrighted 2024 by Jaclyn Costello & Sanyasi LLC - 3249 Grayson Lake Court - Las Vegas, Nevada - 702.619.6219
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