Integrating Ayahuasca

Returning to the busyness of your day to day life can be confronting after weeks away deep in the Amazon rainforest. Having a regular spiritual practice to come back to at the end, middle or beginning of each day can create a grounding foundation that anchors you to yourself, the present moment and reminds you of your purpose and intentions. A daily yoga or meditation practice, dancing, creative journaling or walking in nature are some practices that can be easily implemented and be nurturing to the self. Exploring your feelings in the weeks after the retreat and allowing sacred space and time for introspection can ensure that the healing you realized whilst on retreat can continue to unfold as you return to your familiar environment.

It is likely that while on retreat you will enjoy conversations and form connections with other people that are as courageous and deeply committed to realising their true potential as you. Upon returning home, this same support and friendship may not be readily available. It can be difficult to have experienced profound healing, only to be dropped back into a familiar environment with no one to share your growth and experience with.

Finding people in your local community that are committed to their own growth and spiritual development can be incredibly comforting and empowering. Local yoga studios, meditation groups and community events such as Kirtan (or chanting) may be useful avenues to explore. Try joining a Facebook group where likeminded people discuss growth, spirituality and sacred medicine, stay connected with your fellow retreat participants and AYA staff through our Facebook group or take some time to look through a local community noticeboard; you might be surprised at what you find. Exchanging names and contact details with other participants whilst on retreat, though some might not live in your home town or country may provide you with another source of conscious connection that will help you to feel less isolated as you integrate your healing.

After your time connecting intimately with the plant and animal species of the Amazon, it is likely that you will miss this intimacy upon returning home if it’s not something that is readily accessible to you. Spending time in nature, connecting with the trees at your local park, or getting in the car of a weekend and driving to the coast to soak in the salt air and dip your toes in the ocean are all nourishing acts that can help you to stay connected to and reminded of the profound healing you experienced whilst on retreat. You may also like to devote some of your time in nature to giving thanks and expressing your gratitude to the plant world for the healing it has given you. A simple verbal expression of gratitude to a plant, a tree, the river or the sky can be profoundly gratifying.

Rule number one. Your body is your vessel for transformation, it houses your soul and without it, no transformation would be possible. You owe it to yourself to nourish, care and respect your body by feeding it well and making the best possible choices you can about how much movement, sleep and sunlight to give it each day. Be conscious of how you eat, what upsets your stomach or gives you a headache and be courageous in resisting foods and substances that you know are not conducive to your wellbeing and that cloud your mind. If you know that day to day life is busy for you and you find yourself reaching for junk food when your blood sugar levels plummet, try to be more organized and prepare big batches of healthy soups and stews and freeze them ahead of the week. Looking after your body is paramount to integration; without a nourished, energized body your efforts at integrating the healing experienced whilst on retreat will be greatly reduced.