Getting ready for an ayahuasca ceremony is essential, as it is an opportunity for personal development and healing. An aya ceremony has the potential to soothe your mind, spirit, body, self-reconciliation, and others. The transformative effects of the ayahuasca plant are life-changing, profound, irreverent, and should never be underestimated. What do you need to know before attending your first aya ritual? Fortunately, the following three in-ceremony and preparatory tips can help you maximize and gain from your experience.
1- Set Your Intention
Evaluate what your intention is of participating in the ceremony. Set an intention of what it is that you plan to learn or resolve through the ritual. Days before drinking ayahuasca, reflect on your current economic state, life situation, occupation, and relationships. Ask yourself: What do you require to change? Why now? What do you hope to understand or learn? Knowing the answers to these questions can create a powerful intention for you. Keep it in mind that the experience may not accord with your intention.
During the ceremony, create an in-ritual practice of drinking the brew, returning to your set, and mentally setting your intention. Communicate and be specific why you need guidance from the spirit of the ayahuasca plant. If your objective is serious, the spirit of aya is a powerful catalyst that will transform your intentions. Only by preparing well will you make your first experience fruitful.
As a beginner, to set your intention, you need to consider your mood, psychological baggage, or headspace that you bring into the ceremony. Each one has a sole purpose, therefore, know your limitations physically, mentally, and medically. If going through a highly stressful period, avoid tripping on aya. Being in a positive, relaxed state of mind affects the quality of your experience. Another good idea useful in setting your goal is to center yourself spiritually. Pray, ask for guidance, and purify your intention while paying attention to the reason(s) for your trip.
2- Drop Expectations
Maybe you have heard about other people’s life-changing revelations and experiences during an aya ceremony. Mentally, you might be attached to these narratives consequently and approach the ceremony full of specific expectations, especially as a first timer. Spare yourself and drop your expectations of what you want or think will happen. In the ceremony, you get what you need not what you necessarily want.
No two experiences are ever the same. You can partake in aya ceremonies numerous times, but you always have a unique experience every time. Not all rituals involve reverent experiences or altered states of consciousness. Some episodes may even feel dull or devoid of any activity. If you feel like nothing is happening, evaluate your mental and emotional state. Tuning into your emotional state, lets you get curious, and ask questions. Embrace answers to your questions as well as any other revelations during the event.
3- Detox and Watch Your Diet
Before the ceremony, avoid hot, spicy foods as during the ceremony you will vomit and poop numerous times. Spicy foods will make the experience unpleasant for you. Stay away from fermented foods, processed meat, or dairy products as they affect digestive enzymes, rendering the brew ineffective. Rather, you should diet on whole foods such as bananas, broccoli, fruits, kales, leafy vegetables, or pineapples. Other safe foods include beans, lentils, and rice.
As an ancient plant, ayahuasca is one of the most vigorous and irreverent plants in nature. Be prepared to feel its power which will surely test your limitations and preparation. You need to have a clean system for drinking ayahuasca. Detoxing is optional, but if you want a good experience, detox your body a week before and after the ceremony. You need to have a clean digestive system, as ayahuasca will permeate your body giving you a full body experience soaking you in divine sensations and consciousness altering mental states.
An aya ceremony is multi-dimensional, providing healing and alignment on different levels. If you go home and revert to your old ways, then received healing and awareness will not be integrated into your life entirely. Through the aya ceremony, you can elevate your vitality, expand your consciousness leading you to a life full of harmony, connection, peace, love, joy, and understanding.
