Preparing for an Ayahuasca Ceremony

There are many aspects to consider when preparing for a ceremony with mother Ayahuasca. Here are a few important points to guide you in the 7-10 days prior to your ceremony.

Intention

Intention is key when working with Ayahuasca. It’s a useful way to navigate the experience, always returning to a guiding path that can lead you to the answers you are seeking. It’s your anchor and it holds space for you even when your ceremony is challenging. In preparation for the ceremony we suggest you meditate on your intentions, take time for yourself to deeply connect and reflect. We encourage noble silence so you can really be in your own energy.

For your preparation we provide a nurturing family retreat house for you to stay with a comfortable bed and healthy, fresh local food. We are surrounded by beautiful, quiet and energetic spaces, where you can connect with yourself, the Mountains, Mother Earth and Pachamama and really get in tune with your intentions.

Extra days of preparation and integration in our retreat space are available to help you connect with the surroundings, acclimatize and get the most from your retreat. Contact us to book a longer stay.

Food and substances

We advise that you start monitoring your diet 7 to 10 days prior to your first ceremony. The earlier you start the better. Be conscious of what you eat, try to eat healthy, organic and light food. Avoid alcohol, chocolate, coffee, spicy food (salt and peppers), meat, and fermented foods, reduce sugar and salt intake and avoid tyramine rich foods. Refrain from smoking tobacco and consuming drugs. Guests are not allowed to take any kind of medication, vitamins or supplements during their preparation process and while at the retreat center – unless specified otherwise by our team. If you foresee a challenge with this requirement we have a medical authority that can give advice and support if you have questions about coming off prescription medication. We also have natural remedies we can recommend.

The day of the ceremony will be spent fasting. We will discuss your dietary needs to determine the best form of fasting for you that day.

Sexual intercourse

In preparation for an Ayahuasca ceremony it is important to focus on yourself and your own life energy. We advise you to not have sexual intercourse, including masturbation, at least 7 days before the ceremony and during your retreat.

Release your expectations

Grandmother Ayahuasca will always give us what we need, it goes beyond the mind, and what we think we want. It’s important to liberate yourself from expectations and let the healing grandmother Ayahuasca do her work. This way, we show trust to the medicine and our own unique healing process.

Ayahuasca offers powerful healing benefits, but she is not a miracle cure that will resolve everything in just one ceremony. She works with every unique person in a different way, sometimes in a stage by stage process, digging and releasing deeper and deeper each time.

It is important to have respect and be open and humble to what she wants to show you, even if it isn’t related to the intentions you set. Be open, surrender and accept what she wants to teach or heal.

Clear your mind!

During your retreat and your connection with Ayahuasca it is important to be conscious of your mindset. In preparation we try to nurture such qualities as: Respect, Humbleness, Courage, Trust, Positivity, Honesty to yourself, others, and the medicine. We can cultivate them by meditating, being aware of our inner dialogue and engaging in activities that nourish our minds.

Communication

We encourage open and honest communication at Willkamayu Spirit, it is an important part of the healing process. Authenticity is of high value for us. We also enjoy quiet times of meditation and noble silence. We encourage you not to use your electronic devices during the retreat, out of respect for your cohabitants, and as a way of removing distraction from the commitment of healing and connecting with the plants, which is the purpose of you coming to stay with us.

Connect with local nature

It will be of great benefit before your ceremony and in between ceremonies to find and go into your personal space, and to explore nature around where you are located. Long walks through mountains, along rivers or even sitting in a local park with the trees and flowers will bring you closer to preparation for the ceremony.

We also recommend to improve your internal dialogue to give acceptance and gratitude to those around you, family members and any entities that come into your attention, including ancestors and Mother Ayahuasca herself. If your intentions are focused towards self-love and trust, then we ask you to concentrate on those blockages that you feel are contributing to the resistance in these areas. Forgiveness and acceptance are key here.

After the Ayahuasca Ceremony

It is highly recommended to take it slow on the days after the ceremony. You are still open and sensitive, you may feel physically or emotionally vulnerable as things surface for healing. No need to worry, it is all a natural part of the healing process and integration. Take your time and care for yourself, remain with your intention. You might enjoy writing or other creative endeavours, gentle movement and nurturing your energetic bubble through solitude and/or conscious sharing with others; these activities can be an important way of processing the experience.

Mother Ayahuasca is willing to teach you, and heal parts of you, but it is up to you to be proactive about what you are going to do with what you have experienced after a ceremony. To integrate her messages, we invite you to be fully committed to implementing her teachings on a daily basis. Regularly revisiting the experience and your intentions can lead to further uncovering in the days and weeks after the retreat. Learning and growing is a lifelong journey.

We are here for you.
You can reach us via email if you have any questions or want to share your process following the retreat. The work continues until long after the ceremony, and this is also true for us. We are present to support your integration and to facilitate your healing. In that light, we offer personalized integration sessions to maximize the benefits of your retreat and incorporate your transformation into your daily life.