Attending a Sacred Ceremony to meet the Holy and Divine Mother Ayahuasca is more than just a journey to a South American Country or another country or to just find the right Retreat. It is a journey to find the true self.

Attending a Sacred Ceremony is an adventure of a lifetime, and it has been recommended by the Shamans throughout history to prepare yourself physically, aligning the body, mind, and spirit for a profound and life-transforming experience. These are Sacred Ceremonies as traditionally maintained by the indigenous people of the Amazons, as taught to them by the Holy and Divine Mother Ayahuasca through their ‘Visions’ and dreams.

Therefore, proceed with extreme reverence and treat your body as a temple, and your mind as a Sacred environment, to experience the most profound ‘Healing’ from the Holy and Divine Mother Ayahuasca.

Is it safe to participate in a Sacred Ceremony?

For a normal healthy individual, drinking the Holy Medicine in a retreat center is perfectly safe, as long as the right precautions are taken. This Holy Medicine has been safely consumed for thousands of years in the Amazons, with participants ranging from elderly to children.

Nowadays, in the cities of Brazil, the Sacred Ceremonies are held on a bi-weekly basis, and the participants are observed to be healthier than their countrymen who are using recreational hard drugs and alcohol. The Holy Medicine is non-toxic for the human body and provides the most profound ‘healing’.

Complications with some medications

If you are on certain medications, you should consult your doctor before participating in a Sacred Ceremony as otherwise there can be dangerous interactions between the DMT or the MAOI contained in the Holy Medicine of the Holy and Divine Mother Ayahuasca with your medications, specially if you are on SSRI medications or stimulants.

Most of the Retreat centers also recommend not consume the Holy Medicine of the Holy and Divine Mother Ayahuasca if you have any heart related conditions. Also, if you have any other health issues you should consult your doctor before attending.

Do your own Research

It is said that you are called to the Sacred Ceremony by the Holy and Divine Mother Ayahuasca when you are ready.

The fact that you are reading this is preparing you to attend a Sacred Ceremony for the experience you are seeking.

Research as much as you can. Read about the profound experiences of others, which will prepare you mentally.

It is recommended to:

• Learn about the history of the Holy Medicine of the Holy and Divine Mother Ayahuasca
• Learn how Sacred Ceremonies are held.
• Learn about the etiquettes of Sacred Ceremonies, which will help you to blend in with Sacred traditions and assist you to see their Sacred points of view.
• Research about the facilitator you will be meeting.
• Learn more about the role of shaman who will prepare the Holy Medicine.
• Finally, study about the integration practices, though this information is generally provided by the shaman.

The more you learn about the Holy Medicine, the more you will be prepared mentally, and connect the dots to integrate your experiences quickly and more accurately later.

How to prepare the body for the Sacred Ceremony

There are differing schools of thought on the right diet to follow before attending a Sacred Ceremony. The general custom is to avoid salt, sugar, red meats, drugs, alcohol, and sex, which Amazonian shamans themselves have maintained to gain the knowledge of preparing the Holy Medicine of the Holy and Divine Mother Ayahuasca.

Their training regimen is time-honored, and followed for several days, often weeks, of cleansing periods. Participants are advised the following as a minimum to aid in fulfilling and a positive experience from the Sacred Ceremony:

• Before the Sacred Ceremony, for a week, stay relaxed and stress-free: do not drink alcohol, and avoid all kinds of hard recreational drugs.
• Avoid all aged, dried, preserved, pickled, fermented, old, cured (meats), overripe, or even slightly spoiled foods.
• Beverages to abstain from include alcohol, especially wine and craft beer, cocoa, and coffee.
• Maintain a strict diet consisting of fresh or cooked foods with low sugar and salt content.
• Here is a list of foods most diets suggested avoiding:
  • All kinds of Red meat (beef, pork, tuna, goat, eel, etc.)
  • Excessively salty and spicy foods
  • Fried and greasy foods
  • Fermented and aged foods such as fermented dairy, soy sauce, soybean paste, tofu, bean curd, miso soup, shrimp paste
  • Canned or processed meat and fish products
  • Products high in gluten such as cookies, cake, and white bread
  • Processed sweets, chocolate, and anything with refined sugar.
• From three days before the Sacred Ceremony, abstain from sex and orgasm. This diet and the rules are not easy for everyone, but the more effort you put in, in terms of preparation, the more closer you will stand to gain from the profound experience which will ‘heal’ you mentally and physically.
• On the day of the Sacred Ceremony, do not eat anything before 12 hours, except for drinking water or herbal tea.
• Go to the Sacred Ceremony feeling good and well-rested wearing flexible dresses which make you feel happy, comfortable.

How to prepare mentally for the Sacred Ceremony

Sacred Plants are also known as “Teacher Plants.” This suggests that as a participant, you are taking the role of a student. Therefore, one should do their homework well before a meeting with the Holy and Divine Mother Ayahuasca who is said to be as loving as She is direct in providing a life-augmenting experience, exposing reality and truth kept hidden otherwise.

• Be aware of your intention when entering the Sacred Ceremony. If it is your first time, it is okay to have your primary intention be curiosity. Every individual has experience based on their unique intention. That is why not every experience is the same. Based on the intention, the participants receive their experiences.
• Prepare mentally through regular meditation session to be able to face the hidden, unexplored emotions and otherworldly-realities.
• Remain open-minded to receive any insights.
• Let go of the ego as much as possible to experience unconditional love from the Holy and Divine Mother Ayahuasca.
• During the ‘Holy Experience’, if you feel too much intensity, let go and remain accepting. The more you oppose or try to get out, the more you difficult it will get. Surrender to the Holy and Divine Mother Ayahuasca and She will guide you. Have faith on Her. She exists, and She will never forsake you.
• Do not judge or overanalyze the experience; allow the flow of emotion and reality which the Holy and Divine Mother Ayahuasca presents to you.

Quieten your mind through breathing techniques and meditation. The quieter your mind, the more you will learn the ‘Holy Teachings’ from the Holy and Divine Mother Ayahuasca.

Be prepared to stay alone in solitude for some days after the Sacred Ceremony, which will assist you in integrating the experiences properly into your life.

What to bring to the Sacred Ceremony

All of your energy and intention should be focused on your ‘healing’.

Stay relaxed – whatever ‘Holy Experience’ you end up having in the Sacred Ceremony is meant for you. Learn and apply the lessons to the fullest in your life.

Here is a list of everything you may need to bring for your first Sacred Ceremony to make your experience more relaxing, joyful, and meaningful:

• Sleeping bag or pad with blankets and pillows (find out if your retreat provides these beforehand).
• Comfortable and loose-fitting clothes.
• A notebook or a journal with a pen to write down your thoughts and experiences.
• A first-aid and safety kit with essentials you think you may need.
• Portable chargers and a light, especially if the Sacred Ceremony is taking place in the Forest.
• A musical instrument you might wish to play.

What are Sacred Ceremonies like generally

Traditionally Sacred Ceremonies are held in groups that can range from 12 to 100. Some practice the communal energy of the group, and some may focus on the individual. Some can even aim for a middle way, where both group energy and individual focus are available. Besides, some retreats may offer individualised Sacred Ceremonies.

The shaman’s role is to serve as the host to the participants who conducts the Sacred Ceremony by creating a suitable environment which may include chanting, burning incense, and singing the Holy Icaros.

Usually, the Holy Medicine is consumed in the evening with the lights are turned off, but sometimes it starts in mid-afternoon.

What happens after that is virtually impossible to describe as it differs for each. The Holy and Divine Mother Ayahuasca gives one not what they want, but what one needs at that particular time.

Therefore, it is best to come to the Sacred Ceremony open-minded, without expectations. The Sacred Ceremony generally lasts for 4-6 hours, sometimes with a second serving of the Holy Medicine, while participants often fall asleep afterward, especially, if the Sacred Ceremony begins in the evenings or midnight.

What happens after the Sacred Ceremony?

The end of the Sacred Ceremony is the beginning of Integration. Integration is the process of merging the knowledge that you have learned from the experience of the Sacred Ceremony into your everyday life. This is when the ‘Visions’ and insights you received during the Sacred Ceremony is given meaning and applied into life.

After most of the Sacred Ceremonies, the following day participants discuss their experiences with each other – which is helpful in understanding what you have experienced.

The shaman may also offer interpretations and guidance regarding your experiences.

It is recommended that you give yourself time after the Sacred Ceremony to continue the integration process without interruption. You should steer clear from hard drugs and alcohol for at least a week and abstain from sex and orgasm to help with your integration and learning.