Ayahuasca Ceremony What to expect in your Ayahuasca ceremony
Ayahuasca is not what you expect So you probably read multiple stories on the Internet about Ayahuasca, watched countless videos on it and you are really excited, nervous, afraid, hopeful and much more for your Ayahuasca ceremony. You are starting to develop a lot of expectations toward your ceremony. Starting to have a preconceived idea on how it will be like. And then, it is completely different. Maybe to a degree that you are even asking yourself, did it actually work for me…? The answer is yes, the Ayahuasca just works in a lot of different ways. So this Blog will help answer a lot of questions you have around your Ayahuasca ceremony, the timeline of the ceremony, what happens on the outside, and how your perceived experience might be like. Also, you will learn about the mental attitudes for your Ayahuasca ceremony and how those will assist you in your journey. At the same times there are certain rules and recommendations in an Ayahuasca ceremony and you will also learn about certain tips on how to go deeper in your journey. Key takeaways – what to expect in an Ayahuasca ceremony: An Ayahuasca ceremony has different elements like silence, music, smokes, incenses etc. Your Ayahuasca ceremony will be an introspective journey. In a way it is a mirror to your soul and you will receive the message that is necessary for you at this moment of your life. You might encounter repressed emotions. Also your Ayahuasca vision is not just what you see with your eyes (open or closed) but also about the understandings that come to you and what you feel in your heart. Table of Contents Timeline for the ceremony: What happens on the outside Every tribe has their own way of doing the ceremony. The cofan tribe is generally known for a very strict way of conducint ceremony. Whereas the ceremonies of Yawanawa tribe from Brazil are filled with a lot of dancing and singing. It does not mean one way is better than the other, just that their tradition of working with the medicine is different. In the upcoming paragraphs I want to share the way we do our ceremonies which comes from the Kamsa Biya tribe. Before the ceremony the shaman blesses the Ayahuasca, he says his prayers. This prayers are the shamans way of connect with the great spirit. However, it is not about Dogma that this belief system is better than the other and is inclusive towards all religion. The smoke of copal is blown on each participant to neutralize and harmonize the energy before the ceremony as well. Each person drinks the Ayahuasca, also the shaman and his helpers. After that we sit down and meditate. You do want to keep in the Ayahuasca for at least 15 – 20 minutes. In case you do lose a track of time, withstand the first (and maybe second) urge to vomit. Usually the first effects of the medicine are noticeable after 45 minutes, however at times it can happen sooner or later. In the beginning of the ceremony we work a lot with silence but do start to accompany the ceremony with different instruments to also maintain a certain level of rhythm in the ceremony as well. In the tradition of the Kamsa Biya it is recommended to sit as much as possible. But especially before you have vomited. When you lay down, your body is accustomed to going to sleep and then the effects of the medicine will go down as well. Then after about 2 – 3 hours the time comes for a possible second cup, and even later some feel the calling for a third cup and they can do that as well. During the ceremony we move the energy with different smokes, incenses, tobacco, the Waira, music, various instruments as well as other tools in our repetoire. Generally you can say the ceremonies varies between silence and rhythms of the musics. What happens on the inside So, once you drink the Ayahuasca you sit down and basically wait for the medicine to take effect. The Ayahausca might be heavy on your body, some parts of you might also want to vomit it out right away. Breathe slowly and ask the Ayahuasca to stay in. Ideally you meditate on your intention. However, what I noticed in me (especially when I started drinking) that my thoughts used to be very loud and scattered. It’s basically the last resistance of the mind, ego to stay in control. It knows that something is coming that will challenge the mind / ego. Knowing this helps, do not put too much attention to it. We prepared a separate blog specifically about vomiting and the significance of purging in an Ayahuasca ceremony: Must read: Ayahuasca vomit explained: Why you vomit on Ayahuasca The effect of the Ayahuasca can start very subtle and build up, maybe it will be triggered by the music or other things happening throughout the ceremony. Or it just takes full effect right away. This is really individual. Mind chatter During the ceremony you might be thinking, how will I explain this to my friends and family, you might be thinking about what to share in the integration circle the next day. All of that is not important right now. You are distracting yourself with thoughts instead of feeling. Whenever you are encountering something, you really do want to stay as present with the feeling as possible. What you feel you can heal. You might also notice how you are even escaping from yourself in ceremony. That you put your attention on random things instead of really going to the core of things. It is ok, it is a process to be as fully present as possible. I just want to bring awareness to you that this might happen. Do not beat yourself about it, when this happens, just return to your breath and focus on yourself. What to do when things
