Photo copyright Ayahuasca-Wasi
..medicinal plant found only in the jungle…
..becoming one with the glands of nature…
..highest form of hallucinogenic in the world…
..a Shaman guides you and shows you the way…
These were all phrases that immediately intrigued me and I want to know more.
Several days before the ceremony, I fast. The body must be pure; no meat, alcohol, smoking, spices, sugars,.. I stare at my plate of various fruits and crave a hamburger.. a Snickers bar.. a beer.
The night of the ceremony I feel an acute calmness. My mind feels eerily blank.
We all sit inside the temple in a circle atop cushions and heavy blankets. The Shaman is slowly putting together his supplies performing some sort of ritual; shaking dry branches, lighting candles, burning tobacco, rubbing a strange liquid on top of his bald head. He speaks and tells us more about the medicine.. the time it takes to prepare the drink, the importance of the healing, asking the plant to show you what you want to see, “when one person is sick, it means the whole community is sick,” how the medicine shows you both extremes so you can find your balance…
I feel a little anxious. I’m going to see all the sides of me I don’t want to see. The sides I’ve run away from. Oh God, I’m going to see that thing from that one time when I shouldn’t have done that and then…
One by one, we sit in front of the Shaman and he decides how much of the medicine to pour us. I gently take the cup, cradle it in my hands and silently speak my “intention.” I drink it in three gulps; it is bitter, acid-like with a slight taste of beans.
OK. It’s done. I sit back and slowly let myself go, trusting in the power of Ayahuasca…
What is in each of our minds is so different, private, special, unique. My experience was so personal that there are no words to explain and is something that would only have meaning for me. It was beautiful, emotional, happy, fun, full of only laughter, curiosity and love. Everything seemed insignificant yet had a purpose and reason.
After ten long hours, the morning light shined through the windows and we hear the early birds. We all slowly awakened after our long journey…
The rest of the day I feel slow. Disconnected? I sit under the sun, slowly observing my surroundings like a lazy cat. I can’t grip a thought or a feeling. Maybe this is the present? I have no thoughts of before or after, only now. My mind doesn’t want to define anything because somehow that would only make it constricting, contained, closed.. I feel as if I know nothing and it is the most freedom I´ve felt in my entire life.
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