1. Don’t Pounce On That Chocolate Cake!

After following so many dietary restrictions during your diet, your body has channeled the energy from Master Plants and you are brand new! To avoid shocking your new body, it is better to gradually reintroduce non-diet friendly foods back into your life. Foods containing oil, condiments, salt, sugar, dairy, meats, and cheese (hardest for us Frenchies!) need to be taken in slowly. This means that we must, must, must resist the appeal of delicious pastries and cakes, especially that chocolate cake that beckons you! Falling for the temptation prematurely will make you at risk of spending your next days on the toilet (you know what we are talking about…). If you have any doubts about food delays, click here to check for the post-diet suggestions. Like we mentioned, the work continues after the retreat and if not heeded, we may create an unintended food addiction. Besides, why not take advantage of the situation by introducing healthier eating habits? Hippocrates said it well when he said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

2. Don’t Bang that Man or Woman! Not Yet At Least!

Hearye, hearye! You are now an accomplished ascetic who heroically overcame the period of sexual deprivation during your retreat. Your shaman has duly warned you against all kinds of sexual practices when dieting your plants, and for good reason! Your vital energy is engaged on a higher level of vibrations and ignoring this prohibition can lead to very serious complications on both your physical and psychological levels. Your bodies remains extremely sensitive and vulnerable after your diet and it is therefore strongly advised to wait at least two weeks before engaging in any sexual practices (including masterbation), so that the energy has time to stabilize. Stay courageous and strong in your celibacy, and as we say at home: “The longer you wait, the better it gets!”

3. Let Pigs be the Plague That You Flee From

Before we dive into this sulphurous subject, allow us to clarify this point! There is no ethical, cultural, or religious reason behind the recommendation of banning the consumption of pig based foods from your meals. The Amazonian people will consume pigs but we challenge you to find a single vegetalist healer who eats pigs. Why? Simply because the ingestion of this particular meat is absolutely not compatible with traditional Amazonian medicine, this includes Ayahuasca and Master Plants. What do you risk by consuming pig meat? You may fall horribly sick with diarrhea, fever, nightmares, depression, madness. You may flip your diet and return back in an emergency to Peru to receive a cleaning by your shaman. Pig meat causes serious damage to diets. So serious in fact that those who work with medicines long term eventually learn to live without it.

4. Avoid Drugs or Alcohol

Alcohol and tobacco will acidify your body and their consumption long-term can be harmful to your health while your diet restores the acid-base balance and eliminates toxins from your body. Doesn’t it make sense to spend some time enjoying the fruits of your hard labor after intensely working on purifying yourself during your retreat without drugs and alcohol? Ayahuasca has putative effects in itself and acts on the digestive system to rid the body of microbial organisms and intestinal yeasts (see the ayahuasca effects). The DMT, also known as the spirit molecule, contained in Ayahuasca leads to a state of modified consciousness which allows one to observe their self-destructive, harmful, and limiting tendencies. When DMT is administered properly during a specific plant diet, it is very effective in helping you wean off of addictions (for example tobacco) and we don’t want to relapse into past habits! However if you must include these elements back into your life, wait at least two weeks after your diet and have a slow reintroduction in order to avoid shocking your vital energy.

5. For the Messiah That Can’t See You

As mentioned previously, it contains DMT and the visions provide foresight, spiritual connection, self-understanding, and inner dialogue… this is why Ayahuasca is referred to as a teaching plant. The provocation of mystical and spiritual experiences allows us to feel our connection with the Whole, with our inner divinity.

The caveat? When our consciousness widens and is released suddenly, the ego often comes with his two cents. Consider it the spiritual crisis that awaits us at the turn, a crisis that can be called the “messiah” or “savior” complex. Indeed it is that the mind tends to identify deeply with the experience. This phenomenal inflation of the ego is described by Carl Jung is characterized by the extension of your personality that exceeds its individual limitations. Jung says that the subject will identify with the qualities of the contents that are actually outside (refer to DSialectic of the Self and the Unconsciousness).

Let’s instead relax, go back down and breathe deeply. After all, give back to Caesar what beings to Caesar, and in this case – give back to God in all humility… Hallelujah!

6. Don’t Step Onto that Pedestal!

The border between spiritual awakening and fanaticism is sometimes very thin. After returning from an intense diet where you’ve traveled into the depths of the unconscious and cosmic abyss, there is that moment when we return to our family and social life. Rehabilitation during the retreat can be tough in the sense that we never return as the same person that left. When we see our loved ones, we are so eager to share extraordinary experiences but sometimes to the wrong audience. This kind of proselytism is likely to make you stand out (not always in a good way) and create a gap between you and those that you love. It also happens when you return and consider yourself to be more advanced and awake than others (ALERT: This is the inflation of the Ego!) 

Gradually, you’ll feel a sense of incomprehension, loneliness, and sadness. Remember that you are not the others and everyone has their own free will! Take a step back and it is your inner peace, joy, and ability to conscientiously share that will be the seduction point for others to become curious about your spiritual practice!

7. Don’t Run Away From Reality

There is a moment when you realize that there is a need to integrate the diet with other aspects of our life. You could be tempted to compartmentalizations or disassociate the two different worlds because it seems too hard! It is legitimate and normal to bend towards that state of liberation and well-being that results of the diet, but you might risk becoming too dependent on its practice as the sole provider or your happiness. Watch out for that! This state of being is real but believing that is it the only reality is the illusion! Creating a life where you are perpetually living on a diet often means that you’re escaping from your problems. Your family, friends, and community are also important and it is precisely by learning to live in your community while integrating your experience that allows for a harmonious and balanced life.

8. Feed From the Fruits of Your Diet

This command is a continuation of precedents. We saw the traps of the ego to avoid, phew saved! Good … what now?

This is the practical application. Let’s take this wonderful opportunity that has given us the medicine to integrate the changes. And for that nothing like daily exercises to reprogram itself to new habits more beneficial for oneself. Two slogans: self-discipline and mindfulness.

In order to cultivate mindfulness one can draw inspiration from Eckart Tolle and his book the power of the present moment. This may be for example: observe our daily actions even the most insignificant in appearance to detect any unwanted conditionings. Example: “..this food is it good for me …” (mc donald’s does not belong to it) “..Do I eat boredom? To fill an emotional void? By habit, etc. “ It is not a question of depriving ourselves, but rather of being attentive to one’s real needs and taking care of oneself. Why not also start practicing or resume Yoga, sports, meditation, music, etc …Everyone has to find what suits them best according to their desires. Self-discipline and perseverance in regular practice help to overcome self-destructive behavior.

9. Don’t Be Paranoid!

This applies especially to long time dieters! After many diets, the medicine is part of our life and this impacts our daily lives (most of the time it is in a beneficial way). However, we’ve always observed some cases of paranoia. This practice is not intended to make you sectarian, it is quite the contrary! It is true that our sensitivity increases with the diet. We are becoming more open but also more vulnerable to the energy around and within us. This is also about finding the right balance so you don’t fall into these extremes: Rejection of others, isolation, food and behavioral fanaticism, deprivation… Don’t think that you will die if someone eats pork next to you! Developing a climate of mistrust only makes you weaker and that is not the purpose of the diet. Being responsible and respectful of your diet means that you are not scared or frustrated. Remember this quote from Buddha: “All happiness in this wold comes from the openness to others, all suffering comes from the confinement within oneself.”

10. Hakuna Matata!

Our favorite Disney “philosopher” Pumba once said, “Hakuna Matata!” This means in Swahili that everything is okay, no problem! The objective of a diet is to open the door to lasting liberation and making profound positive changes. It raises the level of consciousness in a powerful way and allows everyone to experience a larger of existence. How cool is that?! For some, dieting can cause a concrete change of life that is lived from within. A life of purification, liberation, regeneration, and awareness. This traditional medicine makes it possible to create the link between soul and body, the invisible and the visible, the feminine and masculine. It is an energetic care aimed at the overall well-being of the self on several levels: physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual. Thus, we come out from our diets stronger, more anchored, and more open. Remember that one essential gift of the diet is that it allows us choose to live a better and fuller life! The way of coasting through life events, subduing the mind, and avoiding pitfalls created by the Ego are all linked with having a better life. If the diet is a trigger, your joie de vivre and your inner well-being are cultivated daily with a lot of patience, attention, and love. To live fully in your incarnation and to be in harmony is to be human. HAKUNA MATATA FRIENDS!

Thanks Ting!

The post 10 commitments for post-diets, retreats and spiritual workshops appeared first on Ayahuasca-Retreats.info.

Ayahuasca-retreats.info invites you to participate in a retreat of Ayahuasca in the shipibo community of Dinamarca, near the city of Pucallpa in Peru. These stays in immersion of a minimum of twelve days to one month take place in a family of healers, under the guidance of two accomplished maestros with more than twenty years of experience in the medicine. You will be welcomed upon your arrival in Pucallpa. Two apprentices will participate as organizers and facilitators to ensure the logistics of your stay, providing translation services (French, English, Spanish, German), and psychological support.

Healing Center in Dinamarca

Situated on shipibo-conibo's land, the community of Dinamarca is one of the cradles of traditional amazonian medicine.

Why taking  Ayahuasca during a Retreat ?

Concerning the question of knowing the value of taking a trip to Peru to participate in a retreat with Ayahuasca, there is another question that might be worthwhile. Why spend in an Ayahuasca retreat in Peru when you can find Ayahuasca in your own country? It is quite plausible that by simply taking Ayahuasca, one can achieve visions, and perhaps even teachings. However, this quest for vision could also be done with other psychotropic drugs such as hallucinogenic mushrooms or LSD. Why then want to experience Ayahuasca by far the most unpleasant psychotropic, if not for the purpose of initiation? And how can one come to learn Ayahuasca without guides, referents or therapeutic framework? One needs to understand that Ayahuasca is not just a strico-senso simple beverage. It is a medicine belonging to a coherent whole, bringing together the ancestral knowledge of the healers, their connections to the spiritual worlds of the master plants, and their knowledge of the medicinal plants. Thus, to truly live this experience and fully benefit from its therapeutic potential, it seems essential to approach this medicine in a traditional context. This is what an Ayahuasca retreat can offer.

First it offers a therapeutic and safe environment under the guidance of traditional healers. Their knowledge of medicine and the spiritual worlds associated with them are accompanied by a protocol which is the pathway to the introduction to the medicine of master plants. By connecting to the master plants, the patient initiates a dialogue with their spiritual world, the purpose of which is to reconnect with oneself, to measure one’s true potential, and the path that will have to do to make this vision a reality. Finally, undertaking this journey of initiation is to give real value to his experience, so that these few weeks are dedicated to him entirely. To implement the conditions conducive to its evolution is already the first step required for all changes.

What is included in these retreats ?

How can I book for this retreat ?

To validate your subscription to one of our retreats, you will be asked to pay a deposit by bank transfer of a minimum of 50 % of total amount. As soon as the transfer is done, your participation for the retreat is confirmed. Otherwise, your booking may be denied. The deposit can not be refunded. On the other hand, if you are unable to participate in the retreat, this amount will be provisioned for a later date. The balance has to be paid before the beginning of the retreat in cash (USD or EUROS). Banknotes must be intact. Precision for dollars, we do not accept banknotes whose numbers begin with the letters CB. Regarding the payment of your stay, if you didn’t pay in advance, we advise you to come with cash. Some credit cards are not functioning in Peru. Also, Peruvian banks put also daily & monthly limits on foreign cards. You might not be able to pay for your stay.

How to contact us ?

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Can I take Ayahuasca ?

Regarding your physical or psychological state, the healers can reserve themselves the right not to give Ayahuasca to a patient if they feel that his physical or mental health could be compromised. But this does not prevent anybody who seeks for healing to receive a treatment. It is not necessary to take Ayahuasca to be healed. Traditionally only the healer drinks Ayahuasca in order to see what type of energy or misbalance of energy is affecting the patient. Traditional amazonian medicine doesn’t resume itself with Ayahuasca. For amazonian people, the most important part of the healing is the Diet. We invite you to see if you’re able or not to consume Ayahuasca by reading the chapter speaking about contraindications related with the consumption of Ayahuasca.

Recommendations

In order to guarantee a suitable environment for all the participants during the retreat, it is asked to respect certain instructions. The retreat is a moment of introspection for everyone, dedicated for a therapeutic work. It is important to respect this framework as well as the rules of community life. Each participant will be into a process that can lead to emotional instability. These transition phases are completely normal. Nevertheless, everyone has the right to live this experience serenely. It is important to ensure that everyone’s space of tranquility is respected, especially in the rooms. Dining room or maloca on the other hand are spaces dedicated for sharing and communication.

During the ceremonies, it is asked to come to Maloca ( house where ceremonies are taking place) 20 minutes before the beginning of the ceremony, in order to prepare and focus on your intention. During the ceremony, there may be difficult times. The healers are there for you and will take care of all the participants. However, do not hesitate to call on the facilitators who are there to accompany you and to help you if necessary. Maloca is a sacred space. We ask you to respect the workspace of the healers, and to remain silent as much as possible until the end of the ceremony. For your safety, we ask every participants to stay near the maloca during the ceremony, until the effects of Ayahuasca vanish.

By joining this retreat, each participant commits himself to respect the therapeutic protocol established by the healers including the respect of the diet.If a patient violates these prerogatives, he may compromise his own safety and the safety of other patients.

The post Two Weeks Immersion Retreats in Peru – Spirit of the Amazon appeared first on Ayahuasca-Retreats.info.

PASSPORT AND VISAS

No need to apply for a visa at the Peruvian Embassy to enter Peru. A tourist visa of 3 to 6 months will be granted upon your arrival at the airport of Lima. Check that your passport is valid on the date of your return.

DOMESTIC FLIGHTS IN PERU

We advice you to plan sufficient time with your connecting flights inside Peru, the safest would be to spend a night in Lima, and leave the next day. Due to several delays and flight cancellations from Star Peru and Peruvian Airlines, we discourage you to travel with low cost companies. Better use the services of Latam which is a bit more expensive but more serious. 

INSURANCES

We strongly advise you to take a travel insurance including repatriation. If you pay for your trip to Peru by credit card, it is possible that your card offers a range of insurance. This travel insurance generally covers risks for a maximum of three months. Please inquire with your bank or insurer.

YOUR MONEY

The national currency in Peru is Nuevo Sol (PEN), but US dollars are also in circulation. They can also be used to pay for hotel nights, for example. The average rate is 3 soles per dollar. You can easily change your US dollars or euros with banks or exchange offices. Note that foreign exchange commissions are often more important when it comes to changing euros. Your tickets must be in good condition if you wish to change them. Money changers no longer accept US dollars whose serial number begins with CB.

CREDIT CARDS AND ATMS

It is very strongly advised to inform your bank before your departure so that your card is not blocked during your first withdrawal in case of suspicion of fraud. ATMs accept Visa and Mastercard. Preferably use ATMs attached to a bank branch in case your card is swallowed. Prefer partner banks from your own bank to limit commission costs. Withdrawals are mostly limited to 500 soles / day. It is nevertheless possible to renew the operation in banks like Interbank (800 USD/day with a gold) but the commission costs are high. We advise you to pay your stay in advance or to come with your cash. The credit card can also be used to pay for certain expenses, such as hotel fees or some restaurants. These commission fees are lower than for a cash withdrawal.

AMAZONIAN WEATHER

Temperatures in Amazonia can vary between 68 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity can vary between 70 and 90%. It rains very often in the Amazon even during the “dry” season. The rainy season begins in December and ends in June varying the level of rivers and rivers.

WHAT CLOTHES DO I BRING ?

Plan for quick drying summer clothes and rain gear (K-way, rain cape). An ample and covering outfit type shirt with long sleeves, trousers will be used to protect you from mosquitoes. We also recommend some warm clothes type tracksuit, evenings can be cool, especially after a day of showers. Take a pair of bare feet with closed shoes and a bath towel that is easy to dry. Do not forget a hat or a cap, the sun beats hard in these latitudes.

WHAT TO PUT IN MY SUITCASE ?

• Summer clothes, rain, hot etc… (see above)
• Cocoon silk travel sheet
• Light sleeping bag
• mosquito repellent (spray & coils, tiger balm (very effective to calm insect bites!) 
• headlamp
• Water bottle
• Ear plugs (peruvian cities are noisy)
• A universal adapter for connecting your electronics devices (electrical tension in peru is 220 volts)
• Books, coloring, creative material or plastic art to keep you calm
• If you have room in your suitcase, you can bring back sweets, notebooks, school supplies and used clothes. They will be very appreciated by the children and will help to help the community.

DO NOT PUT IN YOUR SUITCASE !!!

The safety regulations at airports are becoming more stringent and the list of prohibited articles is growing … Any potentially flammable or potentially explosive objects such as lighters or lithium batteries (electronic cigarette, powerbank), must be placed in your carry-on. In Peru, you risk seeing your baggage stuck and missing your flight.

MOSQUITOS

Mosquitos are of course very present in the Amazon because of the tropical climate. It is advisable to bring a mosquito repellent product for “tropical zones”. There is also a specific spray for impregnating clothes (DEET-based). In most Ayahuasca centers, beds are equipped with mosquito nets. Remember to take anti-mosquito spirals. To calm the bites of insects, you can use according to your preference tiger balm, aloe vera, essential oil of lavender aspic, or buy on the spot of Copaïba oil, beware of cortisone! ! There are areas of malaria in the Amazon particularly around Iquitos. Most of the centers at risk of malaria perform regular fumigations. It is not recommended to mix anti-malaria drugs and Ayahuasca. It is better not to put mosquito repellent during Ayahuasca ceremonies. The smell tends to disturb the participants.

PERFUMES AND COSMETICS

During a diet or Ayahuasca retreat, it is best to use natural products and avoid soaps or shampoos containing chemicals. Also avoid conventional perfumes. Instead, opt for organic herbal cosmetics and neutral scents.

OTHERS QUESTIONS ?

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