FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Your Ayahuasca ceremony is really dependent on the preparation you put into it. There is a lot that goes into properly preparing for your ceremony, by both the Taita, his assistants and you. Correctly preparing for your Ayahuasca experience is crucial to ensure you get the most from the medicine.
The best Ayahuasca preparation you can do for yourself is to have clear intentions, to release your expectations, and to clean your body, both physically and energetically, by abstaining from certain things prior to your ceremony.
Physical Preparations :
- No recreational drugs including cocaine, ecstasy, and marijuana for at least 1 week prior.
- No alcohol for a minimum of 48 hours prior.
- Avoid sexual contact for a minimum of 48 hours prior.
Ayahuasca Diet:
The best diet is to eat light vegetarian food for 3 days before and after the Ayahuasca ceremony, with moderate-low levels of salt, sugar and fat. Raw food on the day of ceremony is most recommended.
Most important are NO PORK AND NO ALCOHOL.
The guidelines are:
- NO red/heavy meats
- NO strong alcohol, beer, wine
- NO fermented or non fresh foods, cheese, miso, tofu or other fermented soy products, dried fruits, tamari or soy sauce, sauerkraut, pickled foods, protein extracts, processed or smoked meat products, yeast/brewers yeast
- Moderate consumption of salt and sugar/honey – 3 days before and after
- Ensure you are well hydrated, but please avoid drinking too much water directly before or during Ayahuasca ceremonies.
Medical Precautions:
Many medications and natural supplements are not complimentary with this work and can be dangerous especially MAO inhibiting medications, SSRIs and or antidepressants. You cannot participate if you are on these medicines. Please contact us if you are taking any medications so we can discuss your individual situation. Additionally, we need to be made aware if you are subject to high blood pressure, have a heart or liver condition, pregnant or are under treatment for any heath issues which potentially may interfere or be dangerous in combination with Ayahuasca.
Q: Would being on my menstrual cycle during the retreat exclude me from participating in ceremonies?
A: Yes. There are very strong cultural traditions regarding the relationship between the medicine and the female menstrual cycle. In Colombia, the female cycle is a sacred time in which a woman has an intense relationship with energy and the spirits. That relationship involves a purge or cleansing that replaces the need for medicine. This energy causes a woman to become powerful, and she can strongly alter the effects of the medicine for herself and other ceremony participants.
For these reasons female participants are asked to plan their retreat accordingly. If a participant’s menstrual cycle unexpectedly arrives during the retreat, she will not be able to participate in the remaining ceremonies. WE WILL REMOVE YOU FROM THE CEREMONY SITE.
Q: Can I attend Ayahuasca ceremonies while pregnant?
A: In some cultures women in the first trimester of their pregnancies are invited to participate in ceremonies, but we do not serve Ayahuasca to women who are pregnant.
Q: How should I dress for an Ayahuasca ceremony?
A: Bring warm and comfortable clothing for ceremony, white or light colored clothing is preferred.
Q: I didn't experience anything my first night, what went wrong?
A: We believe it takes the medicine a little bit to get to know you. It is not uncommon at all to not have visions your first time. Please be aware that the medicine and our healers are hard at work.
Q: How long is the Ceremony?
A: In Colombia, Yage ceremonies last all night. We start with what we call "The Circle of Word" where we discuss topics chosen by the elders. We utilize the Mambe and Ambil during this time. We drink twice in the night, with therapies performed in between. Sometime after the second cup, the musicians will be begin to play, completing the ceremony around dawn or later.
Q: How do I prepare for ceremony?
A: In addition to the dieta and other restricitions, the best way to prepare for ceremony is to focus on your intentions, your questions for the medicine, your reasons for seeking her out. This will guide your experience. You can have several questions or reasons for your ceremony.
Q: Who makes the Medicine?
A: Our Medicines are prepared in the Amazon especially for The Fundacion by Elders of our community according to the sacred traditions outlined by the ancestors. We use only the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and Chacruna. Under no circumstances are untrained or unauthorized individuals permitted to be in contact with the medicine during preparation. No group participants are permitted to prepare medicine.
Q: What if I use other drugs?
A: There is a zero tolerance policy of drug or alcohol use during the retreat. Guests found using alcohol or drugs during the retreat will be asked to leave.
Q: Do I have to follow the dieta?
A: This food regime helps to remove the influence of toxins and various unqualified energies that can cause blockages in the physical and energetic body. By restricting certain foods you eat, before, during, and after your use of Ayahuasca, you are allowing the plant medicine to be more effective. Ayahuasca both physically and energetically remains in your body for months following your dieta. Many insights and teachings will continue to unfold following your retreat experience. Holding true to the post-dieta restrictions greatly facilitates this process. Crossing your energies through sex, alcohol, or drugs too soon after dieta or Ayahuasca in general can lead to undesirable results.
please Feel Free to Contact Us with any Other Questions
