Preparation for the Huachuma ceremony plays a fundamental role in the quality of the experience. It is important to approach this moment with deep openness and a defined intention. Reflect on where you would like to go in your life and ask the medicine for guidance and the strength to act. At the same time, it’s important not to have expectations and remain energetically open to receive what the medicine has to offer.

For 1-3 days before the ceremony (at least 1 day; the more days of diet, the better), it is recommended to follow a predominantly vegetarian and light diet. Eat fresh and healthy foods, drink plenty of water, and avoid meat, processed or fatty foods, excessive sweets, strong spices, citrus fruits, alcohol, caffeine, and recreational drugs.

On the evening before the ceremony, a light dinner is recommended. On the day of the ceremony, it is advised to remain on an empty stomach and only consume a little water or herbal teas. In case of difficulties with low blood sugar, you can have a few pieces of papaya for breakfast.

The day after a Huachuma ceremony is a day of integration, where we will rest, meditate, and give ourselves some quiet time, preferably outdoors. The medicine continues to work unconsciously in the body in the following days. It is recommended to continue the diet for at least 1 or 2 days after the ceremony.

Ayahuasca is the combination of the Quechua words “aya,” which means “soul,” and “huasca,” which means “vine.” Therefore, the name Ayahuasca can be interpreted as “the vine of the soul.”

The sacred Ayahuasca is a healing brew from the Amazon that is believed to have been used for thousands of years by indigenous healers (curanderos) in the upper Amazon in Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil. There are over 40 other known names for this sacred medicine, including caapi, natema, mihi, and yage.

Unlike all other sacred plant medicines, the effects are achieved by the combination of two plants: the Ayahuasca vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) – a woody vine with a high concentration of alkaloids – and the leaf of the chacruna plant (Psychotria viridis). Both plants are harvested from the jungle to create a potent mixture that provides access to our subconscious and the realm beyond what we perceive with our five senses and in our ordinary state of consciousness.

Known as “Abuelita” (grandmother in Spanish) and the feminine spirit of the Amazon, Ayahuasca offers healing, introspection, and a deep connection with our inner selves.

While the specific effects are entirely unique to each person and each ceremony, in most cases, Ayahuasca takes you on a journey of deep reflection, opening your perception to a profound understanding of yourself, your life, your existence, your worldview, and your inner conditioning.

This visionary medicine can provide powerful emotional and cognitive liberation and a strong mystical connection with the energies of the universe. Ayahuasca expands consciousness and grants a vision of the present, past, and future. As it works on opening all chakras, many users report experiencing the feeling of unconditional divine love and a state of peace and harmony.

It is not uncommon for people to feel like they are dying during an Ayahuasca experience. If you feel like you are dying, it is actually the death of the ego you are experiencing because there is a part of you resisting and afraid to enter into places where you are egoless, eternal, and where the divine lives within you.

Often also referred to as “the Purge,” Ayahuasca has strong purifying effects. It purifies from heavy physical and emotional energies and heals deep wounds and scars of the heart, mind, and spirit through a powerful purgative process. The physical purging process can take various forms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, intense emotions, tears, yawning, etc. Thanks to this deep access it gives us to our inner selves, Ayahuasca alleviates stress and depression, transforms anger and suffering, and anything that hinders your evolution into love, compassion, happiness, balance, peace, and wisdom.

As Ayahuasca acts on all levels of our being, this medicine has proven to be very powerful in healing various illnesses of unknown origin.

Our Ayahuasca ceremonies last about five to eight hours and take place at night in a beautiful ceremonial building (maloca). Before the ceremony, we gather in a circle to share our intentions and prepare for this experience.

Participants are offered a small cup of the brew, and a second cup is given later in the night (if a stronger effect is desired). The effects vary from person to person but typically manifest within 30-40 minutes.

During the ceremony, participants’ journeys are guided by sacred songs sung by the ayahuasquero. These songs have specific healing intentions and serve to connect with the spirit world and dimensions beyond our conscious mind.

Most people experience visions during Ayahuasca ceremonies, and by expanding our consciousness, we can enter inner worlds not accessible in our everyday lives.

At the end of the ceremony, the ayahuasquero formally closes the event with a prayer, and at that point, we may have some fruit to eat and rest until the next morning.

In the morning, after waking up, each person is invited to reflect and briefly share their experience with the group, and we will have a sharing session to integrate the experience. The day following the ceremony is an integration day, and everyone is encouraged to rest, relax, and contemplate the new insights gained during the experience.