Ayahuasca preparation: a complete guide
How to prepare for a yagé (ayahuasca) retreat
It is important to prepare for yage ceremony. Aligning body and mind to receive the medicine will connect us to life and allow us to have an experience according to our intentions. Below are the essential points to follow if you are attending a yage ritual.
It's essential to prepare mind and body for the ayahuasca/yagé experience
“The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in.”
The world we live in today and have created together is also our enemy. The food we like best is ultra-processed, information is constantly bombarding our senses, days are long and nights are short, and we are sacrificing our health to the need to produce and succeed. Tranquility is on its way to extinction. Eagerness runs our lives.
This reality is far from that of our ancestors, and the real victim is the human himself. In the indigenous tribes, food did not go through factories. It came directly from the river or the tree or the small garden. The hen called for work and the night called for rest. Did you know that we now consume all the information that a person consumed in a lifetime in the Middle Ages in one day? It's crazy.
But there is no doubt that humans have a strong survival instinct, and in recent decades there has been a remarkable increase in the search for practices that renew calm, diets that detoxify the body, and retreats that keep away from self-destructive impulses. But it is difficult to stay 100% focused. That is why more and more people are looking for ancestral medicines that connect them to their roots, spirit, and life, to make a radical and lasting change. Ayahuasca and yagé are the most effective for this, and Colombia ayahuasca and amazon yage are well known for their special spiritual force.
We cannot arrive freshly unpacked from our lives of excess to go to an ayahuasca or yage retreats. How do we prepare ourselves to receive these powerful medicines? What is the traditional dieta we should follow? is there a list of yage dieta preparation tips? Are there shamanic dieta rules for ayahuasca ceremonies? Here is a detailed explanation of the yage ayahuasca dieta for beginners:
What to eat before an ayahuasca retreat?
“Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food.”
The indigenous people have a natural diet based on white fish, cooked plantains, and foods native to their region. This is the traditional ayahuasca dieta in the jungle. They take care of what they put into their mouths because they intuitively understand that the body is the temple where all the alchemy between the world and the spirit that inhabits it takes place. And the fact is that everything we put into our organism produces a reaction. Some nourish us and fill us with energy. Others, on the other hand, create anxiety or dull us.
Centuries of learning have led the yage shamans of the Indigenous peoples to define which foods are not appropriate when preparing to take yage in taita ceremonies, and what the best foods for an ayahuasca dieta:
Do not eat red meat or pork. The latter is known in the spiritual world as a carrier of dense energies, so it is always recommended to avoid it. Reducing meat consumption is ideal, but if you are going to do it, choose chicken and white fish.
Avoid dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt), because their consumption generates a cream in the body that inhibits the effects of the medicine.
Do not eat garlic and onions to increase the work of the medicine in your body.
Do not drink dark beverages (coffee, soda) to reduce anxiety and mental discourse. Avoid also ultra-processed sugar.
Do not drink alcohol or consume any drugs (marijuana, cocaine, and any psychotropic). This is mandatory for at least two days before the ceremony, as being under the influence of drugs and taking ayahuasca can even be dangerous.
If you are a regular user of synthetic drugs, psychiatric drugs, magic mushrooms, or other strong psychedelics, it is important to consult with your taita about how long you should abstain before doing yagé.
Drink plenty of water to be well hydrated. A hydrated body is a better-functioning body.
Eat fruits, vegetables, lentils, eggs, rice, fish, and soups the week before the ceremony.
Eat lightly on the day of the ceremony. If the ceremony is in the evening, eat a hearty breakfast. Have an early lunch of light food. Do not eat.
It is advisable to do this diet, based on natural, organic, non-ultra-processed foods, at least one week before taking the medicine. If this is not possible, three days will suffice, but there is no doubt that the more detoxified your body is, the better it will be able to absorb the ayahuasca or yagé.
How is the mental preparation for an ayahuasca dieta?
Preparing to receive the medicine goes beyond eating properly. We must also prepare the mind to be calm and connected to the spirit. Understanding ourselves as a whole means finding the harmony we need to open the door to yagé medicine.
The first thing is to cultivate silence, to look for spaces in our daily lives where we can learn to observe the mind without intervening, as a simple spectator. This meditative practice reduces stress and brings calm. If it is not part of your daily life, it’s a good idea to integrate it in the days before the ceremony so that you can use it as a tool during the experience to let the visions flow and listen to your inner voice.
Another important practice is gratitude, the act of being aware and appreciative of what we have. Feeling it connects us to other positive emotions and our vision of the world and the present is freed from prejudice, fear, and the feeling of emptiness that we need to fill. Although gratitude may not feel completely sincere at first, as we invoke it, it grows within us and becomes stronger each day. Several daily practices can develop in us the ability to see the blessings that surround us. Here are some of the best practices for a successful yage dieta:
Keep a gratitude journal. Every day, write down three things that fill you with gratitude for life, for others, and for yourself.
Write a letter thanking others or ourselves for our gifts.
Count the blessings of our lives to illuminate them and keep them present.
Practicing one of these exercises a week before the retreat begins and continuing until the day of the ceremony brings our mind into a state of wholeness and a positive attitude toward life and medicine.
What to avoid before an ayahuasca ceremony?
In addition to making significant changes in the way we eat and trying to control our minds for yage preparation, it is important to remember to cultivate our internal energy. Therefore, sexual relations should be avoided for at least two days before the ceremony.
It is important to establish a clear and honest channel of communication with the Taitas and their helpers. Avoid withholding important information, such as if you have a physical or mental illness, have recently undergone surgery, or are on any medication.
If you are pregnant, or if your wife is pregnant, it is important to tell the taita, as some Indigenous cultures do not give yagé to families expecting a baby, as the energy associated with pregnancy can be very strong for the taita.
Also remember that in some Indigenous cultures, women with the moon (menstruation) cannot take yage because they have entered into an intimate ceremony and their energy is contrary to that of the medicine. This is the case in Colombia. Before you reserve your place on a retreat, count the days and make sure your trip does not fall during that time of the month.
Why is intention important?
“Our intention creates our reality.”
What are we looking for? Why have we accepted the call of medicine? Answering these questions can fill our experience with intention.
Living and acting with purpose gives us direction and meaning. It is not about looking for a needle in a haystack. Knowing where you are going gives you a map, and it will be easier to understand what you need to grow, learn, and improve. Find the intention in your heart. Only it knows what you need to find peace and secure your good path.
Meditate on that intention all week. Don't look for answers. Just observe. When it is time to receive the yagé, offer that moment of your life to the Great Spirit and ask for light and understanding of what you are seeking. Everything that comes to you during your ayahuasca experience will be a gift, painful or not. Receive those visions with open arms and be grateful. Keep your mind aligned with the word THANK YOU. Do not try to understand. Little by little, your whole being will understand what you are experiencing at that moment.
So remember that it’s essential to prepare your whole being for this profound experience. Here they are the dieta guidelines, that follows the shamanic dieta guidelines:
Detoxify your body: Take note of the foods to avoid before a yage retreat. Eat foods that allow your body to release toxins and stay light. Avoid substances that alter your mind. You want to have as much clarity as possible to understand what is coming.
Quiet your mind: Let your head be a sacred temple to allow the connection with the state of consciousness that allows you to understand and be in the present.
Find the soul intention: Do not search in troubled waters. Be clear about your desire to receive what you need. Learn to ask.
All of these practices - physical, mental, and spiritual - that you do before you go on ecotourism retreats and take indigenous ayahuasca or yagé are practices that you can establish to improve your daily life. None of this is exclusive to medicine. They are practices that connect you to gratitude, love, self-esteem, and life.
And always remember the advice of our elders: to live a good life, all you have to do is always think nice.
We will be happy to assist you in your preparation process, contact us!.
