Ayahuasca is a sacred plant that is native to South America, it’s been used for centuries, maybe even millennia by Shamans to heal people and traditionally protect them against black magic and evil spirits. Recently, the western world has taken a great interest in the use of Ayahuasca as a powerful medicine, it has been proven to help cure people with serious substance abuse problems such as heroin addictions as well as help combat depression. From the very first time I heard about the ancient medicine of Ayahuasca I knew that it was something that I would be partaking in. I felt immediately drawn to it.
My main reasons for wanting to try ayahuasca were:
1. To be able to connect to Source, God, The Divine, All That IS (whichever you prefer.)
2. To combat my addictive personality and need to escape.
3. To be able to have my beliefs confirmed.
4. To come face to face with and get over minor depression within my life.
5. To have a trippy psychedelic adventure.
So, it was just a matter of time before I had my retreat picked out and my flights booked! Being that Peru has a huge Ayahuasca culture I was able to do two things that my heart was longing for, as Peru had been one of my most desired travel destinations for a few years. Before I had booked anything my friend approached me and basically said that she was coming and also felt drawn to this experience, which was fine with me! Shortly after that another friend joined us, and then another. We were all headed for an amazing adventure. From what we saw of Lima, Cusco, Huaraz and Machu Pichu, Peru is a beautiful country with a lot to explore.
Now, let’s move onto the Ayahuasca. If you are thinking of participating in an Ayahuasca ceremony or retreat there are a few things that I should tell you.
- Ayahuasca will not fix any of your problems for you
- It will not guarantee instant enlightenment
- There is a lot of work involved in the whole process
- Many people do not see any psychedelic images or hallucinate;
- Some people do not even feel the effects of the medicine at all
- Drop ANY expectations about what the experience will be like based on what other people have told you based on their own experiences. Ayahuasca works entirely different with each person who takes it.
- I believe Ayahuasca is not for people who are looking for new ways to get high. It is not a drug, it is a medicine
With all that being said, Ayahuasca is an amazing tool that can assist you with clearing your innermost demons, bringing clarity and joy to your everyday life, helping you to let go of any fear, showing you what unconditional love feels like, showing you your soul purpose and many other wonderful things. If you feel drawn to these things and are OK with what was mentioned above then Ayahuasca is certainly for you. Ayahuasca can be a great tool for anybody who finds it, or should I say those who accept it. Ayahuasca will find you or attract your attention if you are ready for it.
The retreat that my friends and I picked out was called Ayahuasca Satsangha at The Way Inn Lodge close to the city of Huaraz, Peru. This retreat has a donation based philosophy which I thought was absolutely wonderful and really shows where the intentions lie. Over the past few years the sacred plant Ayahuasca has actually blown up into somewhat of an industry for tourists travelling to Peru, not all of the retreats available have your best interest at heart. Please do your own research thoroughly before choosing any retreat. The Way Inn is nestled right near the Andean mountains in an absolutely stunning location with a glacier fed pond and a canal that runs around the whole place. The staff were very knowledgeable, friendly, caring, loving and extremely helpful. I am so grateful to have had this experience with such amazing people! I would certainly go back there again and recommend this place to anyone who is interested. There is also a really friendly adorable cat there named Chateau! I absolutely adored him. Here are some pictures taken from the retreat at The Way Inn.
Overall, I am very glad to have had the opportunity to take part in attending and Ayahuasca Retreat. It definitely provided assistance for me on my journey and it was a great learning process, I gained some powerful insights about myself. Ayahuasca is definitely something that I would recommend to anyone who is serious about taking some steps forward and making some changes within their lives.
