Ayahuasca is a visionary brew, an entheogen prepared from the ayahuasca vine and chacruna leaves that grow predominantly in regions of South America. In recent years the reputation of life-altering experiences undergone during ayahuasca ceremonies has caused an increasing number of people to visit South America to take part.
Extraordinary insights during an Ayahuasca ceremony can be profoundly transformative and positive.
What is the definition of Ayahuasca?
The name is derived from two words used in a language common in the Amazon Basin – Aya meaning soul or dead, and Huasca meaning vine or rope. It’s made from the banisteriopsis caapi vine mixed with psychotria viridis leaves other that contain several alkaloids that work to create a psychedelic experience when ingested.
In our opinion this ancient teacher plant has a very important role when used in combination with integration techniques to aid with depression and PTSD, addictive behaviors, recover buried memories and clear the body of parasites. We request people interested in coming to fill out the application form on our website to determine if they can participate. For example if the problem is depression and you never did any type of psychotherapy to understand the cause of the problem but you are taking antidepressants you are not a good candidate to come for a retreat at the Spirit Vine Center. Antidepressant medication is not compatible with the ingestion of ayahuasca, and also ayahuasca is not a magic pill, some people don’t want to take responsibility for their own healing and prefer medication. For this type of people Ayahuasca is not the solution because during ceremonies people may see things they don’t want to face. So the first step is to be ready to take responsibility and ask for help, accept the causes of depression are in the spiritual realm. So we suggest the person taking medication talk with their psychiatrist to see if they can gradually stop the medication with medical supervision and at the same time start psychotherapy. If this is possible and only after being clean of medicines for at least 3 months (to avoid withdrawal here). Remember that our retreats are 9 or 11 days so the participants have to come clean if not will waste time and be moody.
With a proper set and setting and if the participant wants, life can change as a result of a positive ayahuasca experience, accepting the challenges to apply the lessons in their lives. It is important to have good support after the retreat.
What is spiritual healing?
The word spiritual comes from the Latin word spiritus – meaning the breath of life. The spiritual aspect involves spiritual energy working at a deep level to link with divine or universal energy to channel healing for the mind, body, and spirit.
What is soul healing?
Soul healing is also an energy healing system that goes beyond energetic or physical healing – having a direct impact on all aspects of life – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. The healing can take immediate effect as the root of all illness experienced by the body is an issue at the soul level. Even though I am a psychologist I don’t do psychotherapy anymore because the causes are in the spiritual realm so the purpose of our retreats is spiritual development.
When blockages that occur causing pain and illness are removed, and unresolved mental problems causing stress are fixed the emotions in the spiritual body become balanced as soul, mind, and body are joined as one.
What is a spiritual healer?
A spiritual healer is often referred to as a shaman – who has the ability to see visions, travel between the physical and spiritual realms, and transform energy. This tribal healer can act as a medium between the visible world and the spirit world – healing through spiritual means by bringing about restored health.
The powers of a shaman include the ability alongside the training and knowledge to perceive the spirits and knowing how to contact them by entering other levels of existence. Shamans may possess different gifts such as soul retrievers, messengers, and spiritual healers.
In the Spirit Vine Center we believe that we have all the potential to develop these skills and this is what I teach here, I designed workshops that allow participants to understand how to use their power in their own transformation.
What are the doctorcitos
This is the traditional perspective of a spiritual healer or ayahuasqueros – celestial spirits that appear within the ayahuasca ceremony. They are intelligent beings performing surgeries or alignments during the ceremonies. Some people can see them while others can feel them.
What Preparations are Needed for an Ayahuasca Ceremony?
Visiting Spirit Vine Ayahuasca Retreats in Brazil will provide you with a traditional ceremony following in the footsteps of the shamans in South America. The unique style of this powerful spiritual ritual will take place in a safe, supportive, and comfortable space – designed to enable participants to connect directly to source whilst deeply relaxing.
In order to prepare yourself for an ayahuasca ceremony, you need to start early. Research has shown that certain foods and substances can affect this type of spiritual practice and increase the possibility of unpleasant and occasionally dangerous health issues. A recommended cleanliness level achieved prior to participating in the ceremony will let you go into deeper levels of psychological, emotional, and spiritual planes.
Three months before the retreat any medication you’re taking will need to be discussed with your health practitioner to see if it can be reduced, alongside the discontinuation of tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs and substances.
One month before your visit you should start on a vegan or vegetarian diet as the majority of processed foods contain high levels of chemical additives that can be harmful to the body, and three weeks before you need to stop the intake of any food containing tyramine that can reach toxic levels during the ayahuasca experience.
From this time onwards you should cut out sugar that causes spikes in energy levels, and salt that can prevent deeper intentions. Sex can interfere with the ayahuasca process, and television and media influences should also be restricted with a new focus being made on meditation and yoga.
What is the Ayahuasca Ceremony?
The night-time ceremonies are held in our maloca, a purpose-built ceremony room in the jungle across a pond, with music chosen to trigger and guide through the spiritual journey. Music is an influential medium for spiritual awakening as it lets the mind expand into endless space where feelings of cosmic awareness and visions flow.
The ingestion of ayahuasca can bring an experience of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual effects. An understanding of profound spiritual reality with guidance into the nature of reality, the universe, and individual existence are all commonly felt.
The strong presence of ayahuasca releases visions and feelings of inter-dimensional qualities – and the spiritual healers have the abilities to remove blockages to unveil the roots of problem behavioural patterns – giving extra strength from the reconnection to inner power, or with the source to make true essence surface.
What Are the Research and Medical Implications?
Ayahuasca has proven to have serious therapeutic values with evidence suggesting that it can help with depression, addiction, and many mental disorders. Research has shown
that these conditions are treated so successfully due to the profound spiritual experiences that ayahuasca induces – with the magnitude that accompanies the journey directly relating to healing benefits. But we don’t offer any type of medical treatment, in Spirit Vine Center the purposes of our retreats are for spiritual development.
This plant teacher requires the utmost respect and needs to be taken in the right and safe setting for your journey. Ayahuasca can also be a beautiful experience if handled correctly by an experienced shaman or facilitator.
