Ayahuasca is a traditional Amazonian plant medicine made from a combination of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and the leaves of the Psychotria viridis plant. This brew has been used for centuries by indigenous tribes for spiritual and healing purposes. Many people seek Ayahuasca ceremonies for emotional healing, spiritual growth, and to gain insights into their lives.  Those who have participated in Ayahuasca Ceremonies have often described beautiful journeys of self discovery and introspection.  The experience can be intense and is often accompanied by purging which is considered a way to cleanse both physically and emotionally. 

The Ceremony 

   At the beginning of the ceremony the Shaman may speak to each participant about intention, dosage, or other recommendations. The shaman drinks a cup as well, after each participant has received a cup of ayahuasca. The ceremony continues with lights extinguished, and after a brief time as the ayahuasca medicine begins working, the shaman starts to sing.



Songs are an important part of healing experience, and the Ayahuasca Shamans use healing songs called “icaros”. These songs help them to communicate with spirits and ask for help in healing treatments for the participants. Each icaro has a specific purpose in the healing process. Shamans sing to open every ceremony, inviting spirits to be present in the ceremony in order to perform healings. The Shaman sings throughout the ceremony as the participants navigate their own experiences. The shamans also use the icaros to raise and lower the intensity of the experience.

The beginning of a ceremony can be an unsettling time as the consciousness and awareness of each participant expands. Physical purging, or vomiting, often happens early in the ceremony, but not always. Purging is a cleansing process helping to create an environment more suited to the healing process.

Mapacho

Ayahuasca ceremonies include use of a special tobacco known as “mapacho”, as shamans direct smoke with breath, or “soplay”, to cleanse the spirit and body of the participant. Mapacho soplay is also used to cleanse the space, the drinking cup, and the brew itself. The shaman uses mapacho plant smoke because it is a powerful healer that helps in communication with other plant spirits.The ceremony ends with an icaro to close the healing circle. The shaman provides participants with protection from spiritual vulnerability before they leave the ceremony.

Reverance 

Much is done in preparation for the ceremony. The Shaman when creating the Ayahuasca tea, prays over it for hours while it brews. Ayahuascara Shamans "diet" with the plant and stay closely connected with the spirit of the plant. An Ayahuasca ceremony should be entered into with great respect and intention. 



Integration 

There will be opportunities for group sharing following ceremonies to assist in the integration process of the medicine, support will be provided by Denise and Ashley throughout the week. 

Denise will guide individual Flowering Ceremonies- which is a beautiful cleansing in floral water prepared by Denise- to assist in the cleansing process and bring you to "Bloom".

 It is wise to have support after the journey as well - Ayahuasca is a medicine that will continue to work with you long after you have returned home. 

Our Shaman Denise is from the tribe of the Shipibo

The Shipibo are one of the oldest and largest tribes of the Western Amazon basin with a population of ~35,000 and an ancestral territory that runs north and south of Pucallpa, along the Ucayali River. They were never conquered by the Inca Empire and resisted colonization by Spanish priests, and today the Shipibo people still maintain a strong connection with their language and their rich and mysterious culture and traditions. Most speak Shipibo as a first language, and Spanish as a second.



For hundreds, and potentially thousands of years, the Shipibo people have been highly respected by other tribal peoples throughout the Amazon – not only for their strength as warriors, but also for their knowledge of rainforest plant medicines and the high degree of spiritual attainment of their Shamanic Maestros and Maestras. Their deep connection with the nature of the rainforest infuses all aspects of their life – physical, cultural and spiritual.