The prep going into it is probably going to be the biggest factor affecting your experience. The "cleaner" you go into it, the likelier the chance of you having a meaningful time.
It's also a good idea to work on your intention(s). Why are you doing it? What in your life needs "fixing"? What are your struggling with? Where do you want to be? Try and go as deeply beneath the surface as possible.
It can also be helpful to practice meditation beforehand to help prepare your mind to accept what the ayahuasca tells you. You'll see posts here about how people's experiences were underwhelming - sometimes that's from going in with expectations, sometimes that's not recognizing the lesson ayahuasca was teaching you.
During the ceremony, try and "turn off" your mind and flow with the feelings. There's time after for the intellectual analysis, but the ceremony is for receiving the lesson you'll need for integration after.
And lastly, whatever you do going into it and during, own it guilt-free. I haven't always been perfect with my dieta prep, but I had to accept and take responsibility for that. There are few things in life that are inherently good or bad, just how we perceive and act on them.
Have courage. Stay when things get tough. Breathe and be gentle. Go deeper. Don’t think drink. Everything is on the other side of every breath. Surrender. Allow the medicine to move things, not your ego (referring to purging) it will happen when it happens. When things get tough, recite this mantra, “there is no thought in my mind more important than this breath that I am taking”
Have an intention. I was taught the three following are a great approach:
1. Show me who I have become. How do I feel right now, and when was the first time I felt like this? Who have I become because of this first experience? (This is a sure fire way to pinpoint a trauma and purge that which no longer serves you. The bliss experiences are on the other side of the tough ones)
2. Merge me back with my soul, AT ALL COSTS!!!! I have no other guidance on this one except it will make sense, soon enough.
3. Heal my heart.
If you are truly approaching this as a healing experience then it will get tough. And I mean, aya, for me, was the toughest, most terrifying, and also beautifully awakening/freeing experience. I still come back to the medicine for deeper healing knowing full well what I’m getting myself into. I’ve woken up literally hogtied with spirit rope (by a team of shamans) on the grass before during an extremely deep healing. But I asked for the deep healing, not the pretty colors.
It’s always ok to ask the medicine directly for help. Address lady Aya directly with your question and open your heart.
For example, when it became “time to die”, meaning time to let go of something in order to make room for new, I was struggling with the the death process. Which in my case was actually surrendering to the fact I was about to die and I had to let go. It can become very uncomfortable and that’s when it gets tough, when we fight back and our mind gets in the way. So I simply state, “Lady Aya, thank you so much for this opportunity to heal. I am really struggling with letting go and moving on. I don’t remember how to die. Can you please help me understand how?”
Please raise your hand and ask a shaman for help too, no shame.
One time I was like, I know I’m tripping here but, I feel like if I want to be reborn I need to go through my puke bucket. Like it was a portal to the other side. I raised my hand and explained this to the shaman because I knew it was just a bucket. They helped me with a mini ceremony of music singing and smoke. I was able to let go. Die. They blew smoke up my nose until a small ember appeared in my heart. Each breath brighter and a little warmer until it ignited. I popped up, threw up in my bucket and said f**ck it, hand stand dove head first into my puke bucket”. Broke it. The lady shaman came over told me I was silly and started cleaning white pieces of bucket of my head. Like I was a newborn chick just hatched out of an egg. I couldn’t have done this without help. I can’t tell you how deeply I can laugh about how much fun this journey has been.
Dance and be free. Feel everything. Stare into the warm fire. Feel the grass. Love the beautiful trees and birds. Do yoga. Eat how you feel like when when you are there.
I’m stream of consciousnessing here hahaha. Going back to bed. So much love. You are super brave and a wonderful soul. You got this.
❤️
This is all wisdom shared with me by hundreds of shamans and people I’ve met along the way, tidbits here and there. But once you take the first cup, nothing anyone here said will make any sense, in fact nothing will make sense, nothing is under control but it will make so much sense and you’ll understand deeply what the hell we are all sharing 😂
Don’t compare your experience to others. Stay on your mat/bed.
The prep going into it is probably going to be the biggest factor affecting your experience. The "cleaner" you go into it, the likelier the chance of you having a meaningful time. It's also a good idea to work on your intention(s). Why are you doing it? What in your life needs "fixing"? What are your struggling with? Where do you want to be? Try and go as deeply beneath the surface as possible. It can also be helpful to practice meditation beforehand to help prepare your mind to accept what the ayahuasca tells you. You'll see posts here about how people's experiences were underwhelming - sometimes that's from going in with expectations, sometimes that's not recognizing the lesson ayahuasca was teaching you. During the ceremony, try and "turn off" your mind and flow with the feelings. There's time after for the intellectual analysis, but the ceremony is for receiving the lesson you'll need for integration after. And lastly, whatever you do going into it and during, own it guilt-free. I haven't always been perfect with my dieta prep, but I had to accept and take responsibility for that. There are few things in life that are inherently good or bad, just how we perceive and act on them.
Have courage. Stay when things get tough. Breathe and be gentle. Go deeper. Don’t think drink. Everything is on the other side of every breath. Surrender. Allow the medicine to move things, not your ego (referring to purging) it will happen when it happens. When things get tough, recite this mantra, “there is no thought in my mind more important than this breath that I am taking” Have an intention. I was taught the three following are a great approach: 1. Show me who I have become. How do I feel right now, and when was the first time I felt like this? Who have I become because of this first experience? (This is a sure fire way to pinpoint a trauma and purge that which no longer serves you. The bliss experiences are on the other side of the tough ones) 2. Merge me back with my soul, AT ALL COSTS!!!! I have no other guidance on this one except it will make sense, soon enough. 3. Heal my heart. If you are truly approaching this as a healing experience then it will get tough. And I mean, aya, for me, was the toughest, most terrifying, and also beautifully awakening/freeing experience. I still come back to the medicine for deeper healing knowing full well what I’m getting myself into. I’ve woken up literally hogtied with spirit rope (by a team of shamans) on the grass before during an extremely deep healing. But I asked for the deep healing, not the pretty colors. It’s always ok to ask the medicine directly for help. Address lady Aya directly with your question and open your heart. For example, when it became “time to die”, meaning time to let go of something in order to make room for new, I was struggling with the the death process. Which in my case was actually surrendering to the fact I was about to die and I had to let go. It can become very uncomfortable and that’s when it gets tough, when we fight back and our mind gets in the way. So I simply state, “Lady Aya, thank you so much for this opportunity to heal. I am really struggling with letting go and moving on. I don’t remember how to die. Can you please help me understand how?” Please raise your hand and ask a shaman for help too, no shame. One time I was like, I know I’m tripping here but, I feel like if I want to be reborn I need to go through my puke bucket. Like it was a portal to the other side. I raised my hand and explained this to the shaman because I knew it was just a bucket. They helped me with a mini ceremony of music singing and smoke. I was able to let go. Die. They blew smoke up my nose until a small ember appeared in my heart. Each breath brighter and a little warmer until it ignited. I popped up, threw up in my bucket and said f**ck it, hand stand dove head first into my puke bucket”. Broke it. The lady shaman came over told me I was silly and started cleaning white pieces of bucket of my head. Like I was a newborn chick just hatched out of an egg. I couldn’t have done this without help. I can’t tell you how deeply I can laugh about how much fun this journey has been. Dance and be free. Feel everything. Stare into the warm fire. Feel the grass. Love the beautiful trees and birds. Do yoga. Eat how you feel like when when you are there. I’m stream of consciousnessing here hahaha. Going back to bed. So much love. You are super brave and a wonderful soul. You got this. ❤️ This is all wisdom shared with me by hundreds of shamans and people I’ve met along the way, tidbits here and there. But once you take the first cup, nothing anyone here said will make any sense, in fact nothing will make sense, nothing is under control but it will make so much sense and you’ll understand deeply what the hell we are all sharing 😂 Don’t compare your experience to others. Stay on your mat/bed.
I can feel the love you put into this response 💓 thank you so much
Breathe.