How do I Prepare for a Ceremony?
First and foremost, review the sections on:
- Diet and Detoxification
- Drugs and Medication Policy
- Medical Conditions and Mental Fitness Policy
This will answer most commonly asked questions about physical and mental preparations and is important to prepare the body for the journey, so you are as clean as possible and in the right frame of mind.
Preparing insufficiently, or not following the recommended diet will mean that there is a greater likelihood that your experience will include physical discomfort and/or purging that can manifest as vomiting or diarrhea. This is a common side effect of having a “dirty body.”
It is recommended to drink a minimum of 2 liters of water daily to help cleanse and remove toxins. Avoid caffeine, energy drinks, and non-organic foods to the best of your ability (minimum 3 days of food and beverage dieting, recommended is a week. For medications and other drug interactions, refer to the above noted policies).
It is highly recommended that in the week prior to attending, you practice being in a peaceful state via meditation or sitting quietly and clearing your mind. Daily is best, but as often as you can manage will be helpful. Finding this place and the peace it brings will aid you in being able to concentrate on the medicine and removing distractions that come up from the ego during the experience.
Come with at least one intention for the ceremony. If you have questions regarding what these are, please reach out.
If you suffer from any kind of emotional or mental condition(s) (depression, anxiety, etc.), please reach out beforehand to have a conversation with the facilitator. It is important that we prepare appropriately.
You may wish to bring the following for your comfort:
- Your own pillow
- Your own blanket(s)
- For the plant medicine ceremonies: Wear loose, light-colored clothing. It’s important to be comfortable.
- Sunscreen, hat, bathing suit (optional for the plant sauna if it is offered, t-shirts, shorts. Our dress code is casual.
- Strongly consider bringing a journal along with you. Start your entries a few days prior to your visit, perhaps expressing what you would like to achieve during the ceremony as well as recording your dreams.
Additional Preparations (Depending on Availability)
*Some or all of these may be available to participants. This will depend on when the participant arrives, resources available, and the availability of the space to support the preparations.
Rapéh
Rapéh is a sacred snuff made from various plant materials, and it has been used by indigenous communities in South America since time immemorial for spiritual, medicinal, and therapeutic purposes. It is made by grinding various plants, herbs, and other natural substances into a fine powder, which is then blown or snuffed through a pipe or applicator into the nostrils.
The ingredients used to make rapéh can vary depending on the specific tribe or community that is making it, as well as the intended purpose of the snuff. However, some of the most common ingredients include tobacco, tree bark(s), ashes, and medicinal plants such as mint, cinnamon, eucalyptus, Chacruna, Palo Santo, Bobinszana, and others.
Rapeh is used for a variety of purposes, including spiritual cleansing, grounding, and centering. The indigenous peoples believe that the powerful effects can help to clear negative energy, release emotional blockages, and promote a sense of clarity and focus. It is also used in traditional medicine for a range of physical ailments, such as headaches, respiratory problems, and digestive issues.
The use of sacred snuff is deeply intertwined with the spiritual beliefs and practices of the indigenous communities. They believe that the plants and herbs used in this snuff have their own spirits, which can communicate with human beings and provide guidance and healing. In many cases, its use is part of a larger ceremony or ritual, which may involve chanting, music, and other forms of prayer.
One of the most common effects of rapéh is a feeling of heightened awareness and clarity. Many people report feeling more focused and alert after using it, which can be helpful for activities such as meditation, studying, or creative work. It is also associated with a sense of calm and relaxation, which can help to reduce stress and anxiety.
This is recommended as a preparation for the ceremony and administered during the daytime before the ceremony, but not required. If you are allergic or sensitive to tobacco, it is recommended that you abstain.
Plant Bath
A plant bath or bano de plantas is a preparation of sacred plants, purified water and various aguas de Florida and finally linked to the person via sacred tobacco. The participant pours this over their body after the preparation is complete (best used after a plant sauna) to prepare themselves for various purposes (usually attracting abundance, love, and luck for our purposes).
Plant baths are taken for four primary reasons:
To Clean: To differing degrees, we are all contaminated with energies, entities, emotional attachments, and the general accumulation of spiritual energies in our auric fields. To put it another way, they are our self-doubts, fears, and anxieties. They are our memories of the past and our plans for the future. They are the monkey mind that likes to jump from tree to tree instead of sitting quietly, focused, alert, and aware.
To Move Energy: Our energy can become stagnant or stuck in our bodies. This manifests physically as sore muscles, tight joints, headaches, and other bodily pains. The herbs and/or flowers we use have extracting properties that reach under the surface of the skin and help to pull out the stuck energy. To assist the plants, it is best to visualize the energy being released as we take our rinse with the bath.
To Attract Spirits: To call for benevolent spirits to grace us with their presence is an incredible honor. But spirits are not so easy to attract—they have to be seduced into taking interest at times.
To Become One: The spiritual path is a gradual slope towards Oneness. As we infuse our body with plants, both inside and out, we become more like them. Plants don’t think, they don’t reason, they don’t ponder the future or concern themselves with the past, they truly live in the moment. As we return to the natural world, we become more like the natural world, falling into a state of ‘no mind’, completely connected to the Oneness of all That is.
The bath prepared will be specific in purpose and may be different per ceremony depending on the needs of the group or individual. This component is best taken in conjunction with a Plant Sauna for full benefit.
This is recommended as a preparation for the ceremony, but not required.
Plant Sauna
During this component, participants will enter an individual tarp tent or group lodge with a boiling pot of steaming water that includes various plants to assist with the detoxification process. Typically this will be a mix of various herbs (Ruda, Diente de Leon, Romero, Morniga, Segame Segame, Tobacco, barks of one or more master plants, as well as other ingredients depending on the need.
Primary benefits:
Flushing of toxins: The steam produced in conjunction with the various herbs help to flush out impurities in the skin, clearing the pores and increasing blood flow.
While every preparation may be different depending on the need, this lasts component lasts 30-45 minutes of steaming the body to ready us for further work.
This is recommended as a preparation for the ceremony but is not required.