Do you want to make the most from your ayahuasca experience? Do you want to know how to prepare for ceremonies?

MUST READ! What foods and drugs need to be avoided With Ayahuasca?

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There are various testimonies about their encounter with Mother Aya online and while there are abundant of positive stories about ayahuasca, there are also a number of horrible testimonials. Some reported uncomfortable, scary and even traumatic experiences after visiting retreat centers, so they didn’t recommend it.

However, unknown to many, each individual has to do something before the ceremony. Yes, if you are planning to visit ayahuasca retreat centers to encounter the plant spirits and do plant medicines, you’ve got to follow our recommendations for mental, physical, and spiritual preparation. By preparing for the plant medicine, you also make a step to ensure your safety.

To make the most of your ayahuasca retreat, your body, mind, and spirit should be strong and ready. In this article, you’ll find tips and tricks on how to prepare for an ayahuasca ceremony.

How To Prepare For Ayahuasca? | Physically, Mentally And Spiritually

Ayahuasca is a powerful brew by the indigenous people of the Amazon rainforest. This plant medicine is a mixture of Psychotria Viridis shrub and stems from Banisteriopsis caapi which contains several alkaloids that act as mao inhibitors.

Ayahuasca brew was traditionally consumed by shamans for divination, clairvoyance, and healing. However, ayahuasca use has changed over time. When Westerners found out how efficient plant medicines like ayahuasca is, they wanted to consume it and experience the life-changing transformation that shamans encounter.

Due to the changes in the way it was consumed, more and more have joined the ayahuasca ceremony for various reasons but mostly for one objective – to be healed. Working with ayahuasca is such a wonderful healing process because it improves one’s mind and well being. It addresses the root cause of the problem and in that way, its approach to healing works.

Some even consider a night on the plant medicine equivalent to 10 years of therapy. Who doesn’t want it? Every seeker wants to be free from illness, addictions, childhood trauma, and other things that hold him back.

Many said they had a pleasant experience while some had a scary encounter with Mother Aya. Others were healed and wanted to take the concoction again and again because they loved how it made them feel. But some also said they won’t take the ayahuasca brew again because it wasn’t worth it.

For those who are planning to take ayahuasca, you have to get yourself ready because the experience isn’t easy. You have to look after your mental state, physique and even. But, you also need to be strong and ready for whatever happens and there are things that you need to do.

Here are some recommendations that a seeker can do at least 2 weeks or 4 weeks before dropping at the retreat center to maximize his experience with ayahuasca as suggested by Mitakuye Oyasin⁽¹⁾https://eaglecondoralliance.com/2016/06/25/10-daily-routines-to-prepare-for-ayahuasca-yage-ceremonies/#:~:text=Do Exercise and Yoga%3A Exercising,can … Continue reading.

1. Set intentions

Among the things that you need to establish before starting your ayahuasca journey is your intention. The experience can be overwhelming, you will see unexplainable visions, hear sounds, and even encounter out of this world experiences.

The intention can play a crucial role in your experience during the retreat. Remember, the experience will be different for each participant. Also, your intention is the answer to the most significant question in your journey: “Why have I decided to work with ayahuasca?”

Thus, you should treat your intention seriously. When setting intentions, reflect on what you want to achieve, what you need to heal, and consider your personality, past, dreams, fears, and more.

The intention will be your anchor, reference point and grounding before you drink ayahuasca. So, when creating one, you should release all of your expectations and be honest with yourself about your motivation for seeking plant medicine. Take time to formulate an intention or intentions. Some. retreat centers will give you time to examine yourself and help you set your intention if you haven’t created it yet.

2. Limit screen time

Cellphones have become a necessity that it has become difficult for people to leave their mobile phones. Many have become so attached to gadgets due to their addiction to social media like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Whatsapp to name a few.

But you should practice distancing yourself from your mobile phones and limit your screen time. This might be very challenging especially if you love binge-watching series. However, it is necessary because too much screen time can distract your internal worlds by allowing your mind to process stimulating inputs.

When the mind is occupied there is no space to feel the depths of your being. You have to be careful of the things you absorb weeks before the retreat because self-knowledge will help you big time when you seek the help of plant medicines like ayahuasca.

3. Spend time with nature

Ayahuasca ceremony is all about connecting with mother nature, the world, your spiritual side and most importantly, yourself.

Spending some time with nature will help you align yourself with the plant spirits.

Reconnecting with nature helps many with their healing experience that’s why many ceremony participants from Westernized urban environments opt to be isolated before attending the retreat.

Some find it difficult to integrate the healing from the ceremony but connecting with nature enhances ayahuasca experiences.

You can go camping, do your garden, go hiking or swimming or stick your daily walk routine to experience the earth’s calming natural settings.

4. Meditate

It’s highly recommended that you practice meditation. It helps you increase self-awareness, focus on the present, increase imagination, creativity, patience and tolerance, and reduce negative emotions. It also helps one gain a new perspective on stressful situations.

In addition, it promotes emotional health, reduces anxiety, lengthens the attention span, fights addictions and improves sleep. Make it a habit to sit with yourself in silence for at least 10 minutes to an hour to reconnect with the inner you and realign the things within you that need to be fixed. Doing so will help with your healing because during the ayahuasca ceremony, you will be forced to look deeply at your thoughts, patterns and habitual behaviors.

Meditation is a great tool for mental and spiritual preparation because it enables you to familiarize and process various emotions including the difficult ones like fears and anxiety. It will be helpful because several participants experience emotional upheaval during the ceremony. Your intuitive knowledge about yourself will enhance the experience and allow plant medicines to work further for your healing.

5. Keep a journal

Keeping a dream journal can help you understand the deeper part of your subconscious that you do not normally have access to. Journaling offers great benefits in terms of keeping your thoughts organized, relieving stress and inspiring creativity.

It also allows you to self-reflect which is a good thing especially because you are about to encounter Mother Aya. The more you know yourself and when you are comfortable with yourself, you will likely have an easier encounter with the plant medicine.

6. Abstain from sexual activity or physical contact

Shamanism and similar shamanic ceremonies, including ayahuasca, are dedicated to cleansing, balancing energies. When you attend the ayahuasca retreat, you have to work on your energy and learn to harmonize it.

Engaging in sexual activity with others will make you absorb their energies which don’t help. Aside from getting intimate, you should distance yourself from others. I recommend avoiding dancing at a club, petting a pet, visiting bars, or doing activities that draw you close to others.

7. Connect with fire

This might sound weird or new to some, but yes, connecting with fire can help with your ayahuasca journey. The ayahuasca ceremonies in Colombia include ceremonial fire and many found comfort with the energy and warmth of the fire. One individual I know personally is very fond of camp fire because for him it is relaxing, soothing and soul lifting.

If you have the opportunity to build a fire outside or you have a fireplace, take advantage of that. Your thoughts and emotions in front of those fires will be carried to the Great Spirit or great consciousness. Others believed that it will go through God through the smoke.

8. Smudge your home

Smudging is a Native American tradition that cleanses bad feelings and negative spirits from the house. You can do this by burning white sage, copal, cedar, sweetgrass or other cleansing herbs at home.

The said herbs refresh the energy spaces where they are used. They also make you feel protected and make your space calm and clear to eat, work, socialize and meditate. Smudging the bedroom can also help one enjoy better sleep with pleasant dreams.

9. Prepare your own healthy food

Aside from consuming healthy food, making your own food brings a difference in your ayahuasca journey.

When you prepare your meal, you can add love, joy, and care to it. It is also a great way to promote self-love and awaken the healer inside you.

Moreover, by cooking your meal, you can ensure the cleanliness and safety of the food you consume.

In addition, you can take control of what food you should eat and avoid because you prepare your own meal.

Lastly, you will appreciate what you ingest more when you prepare it because you will develop a deeper connection to where the food comes from and recognize that it is from mother earth.

10. Exercise

If you are already living an active lifestyle, this won’t make a difference for you. But if you are living a sedentary lifestyle, this may take a huge chunk in your daily routine. However, you should embrace it because it is necessary.

Taking the ayahuasca brew can be physically demanding and mentally straining, so you have to prepare for it big time. It is highly recommended that you exercise and do yoga. Taking some time to keep your body active in the weeks leading up to your retreat will give you the stamina and strength to carry on.

11. Unleash your creativity

If you have a talent in writing or any other type of arts like drawing, sculpting or painting, you should take time to explore that for creative expression. The use of arts has been used as a therapy to be in touch with joy, vision, and clarity.

Ayahuasca has the power to enhance that. So, if you have the time to paint, write, and create anything do it and you might find yourself doing it better after the ceremony.

12. Find a community

If the upcoming ayahuasca retreat is your first time, it’s highly recommended that you connect with the facilitator or those who already tried the ceremony.

In this way, you will know what to expect.

You can also check for an organization near you that offers support for individuals seeking healing from plant medicine.

You can ask its members about their experience, what they felt during the ayahuasca ceremony and how they battle it.

In that way, you will have a sense of familiarity with the whole ceremony which is a huge help in the preparation stage. But you should be careful of the information that you integrate into your consciousness. Read the next point, why.

13. Drop expectations

Reaching out to those who have already tried the herb or doing your research as part of your ayahuasca preparation will help you understand the process and yes, it will give you a good overview of the whole process. However, releasing your expectations on what you think will happen or want to happen is a huge favor you can do for yourself.

“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed,” Alexander Pope once said.

While it’s a great thing to learn about others’ encounters with Mother Aya, you should also note that ayahuasca experiences may differ from one individual to another.

According to Chacruna⁽²⁾https://chacruna.net/tips-for-your-ayahuasca-experience/, never in its history has there been an instance where nothing happened during the ceremony. Ayahuasca will test your sense of control, so you should be ready to surrender because only by then would you truly experience it.

Buddhism teaches to embrace the unpredictable and transient nature of things because of those who do experience the least amount of suffering and most joy in the fruits of the present. So, while you are preparing for the ayahuasca retreat, you should learn to integrate into your consciousness that the experience may be nothing like you expected.

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Ayahuasca Pre-Diet: What Is An Ayahuasca Diet?

You need to follow a strict diet weeks before you take an ayahuasca ceremony. You probably have heard that the process includes purging to remove the toxic within your body.

The experience will be easier and smoother if your body is up for the job, that’s why it is highly recommended that you stick to a healthy and clean diet before your scheduled retreat, so take the time to learn about the ayahuasca diet!

Ayahuasca diet also known as dieta refers to the food that you are supposed to eat during your ayahuasca preparation and before you join an ayahuasca ceremony.

The healing centers and shamans may differ when it comes to the diet they recommend because some would suggest a strict diet while others are more lenient.

Ayahuasca dieta can be likened to going into a spiritual retreat where you receive sacred teachings and blessings from a spiritual master, but in this case, the master is the plant teacher.

The process does not only involve avoiding certain foods, it also includes cleaning your mind and body. It involves commitment and sacrifice. The practice believed that by eliminating foods with sugar, salt, spices, and caffeine, and avoiding sexual activities the plant can work more effectively.

Moreover, it is believed that plant medicine can work more effectively when one does not take any other substances or prescription drugs.

In general, fresh, organic, and natural foods are allowed. Eating vegetables and fruits is the best way to prepare for an ayahuasca ceremony. One can opt for a light vegetarian diet. For example legumes, brown rice, quinoa, oats, and lentils. Drinking lots of water is also highly recommended.

Soltara Healing Center⁽³⁾https://soltara.co/ recommends a list of foods that you need to avoid at least two weeks and one week prior to the retreat. Apparently, you have to limit your intake of processed foods, pork red meat.

Food to avoid at least 2 weeks

• Drugs
• Alcohol
• Blue cheese
• Peanuts, soy and fava beans
• Red meat (pork, beef, goat, tuna, eel, etc.)
• Canned and Processed foods
• Fried and greasy food
• Foods high in salt
• Foods high in sugar
• Spicy and excessively salty foods

Food to avoid at least 1 week

• Caffeine
• Refined sugar
• Overripe fruits
• Sourdough bread
• Dairy products
• Pickled foods, fermented, and smoked foods
• Various yeast- and protein-based extracts and products
• High-gluten products like cakes, cookies and white bread

In general, you have to avoid aged, preserved, dried, fermented, pickled, cured, old overripe and even slightly spoiled foods. Stay away from salt sugar, soy sauce, and dairy products. You also have to abstain from coffee, alcohol, cocoa and processed foods.

You need to clear out your digestive system from fats and heavy foods. In fact, you should only eat lightly on the day of the ceremony and not consume anything but water for hours. This will make the purging easier.

Also, many turn to food for comfort and getting rid of them is a way to surrender and discipline one’s self to embrace the power of Mother Aya fully.

Ayahuasca Meal Recipe

To make the whole ordeal much easier for you especially when it comes to choosing a meal and creating your own food, Ayahuasca Easy⁽⁴⁾https://ayahuascaeasy.com/ayahuasca-diet-recipes/ offers some easy to follow ayahuasca recipes to help you prepare for an ayahuasca ceremony.

1. Rice and salad with apple

It is simple to prepare but filling. Others do not take onion for their ayahuasca diet, but a little is fine.

Ingredients:
• 2 cups Brown rice
• 1/4 of small Lettuce
• 1/4 small Onions
• 1/2 Avocado
• 1/4 Cucumber
• Handful of Cilantro
• 2 small limes or lemons
• A green apple for a little extra snack afterward

Preparation
1. Boil rice.
2. Chop up all the salad ingredients and place them on the plate.
3. Squeeze the lime or lemon over the salad to add flavor.
4. Chop an apple and add half of it to the plate.

2. Chocolate quinoa oats with nuts, raisins and green apple

This option is super healthy and you will probably enjoy it.

Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons of Quinoa powdered supplement (all natural). If you don’t have quinoa then another plant-based supplement can substitute but don’t use dairy or whey-based supplements which are common.
• 2 cups of oats
• Half a green apple
• A small handful of almonds or other nuts and raisins

Preparation
1. Add two cups of oats to a pot.
2. Add four cups of water and boil.
3. Before it finishes boiling, add the quinoa supplement and mix it.
4. Once boiled, add it to a bowl.
5. Add the nuts, raisins, and apples.

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Medical Considerations And Health Risk Assessment

It is very important to consider the medical contraindications and drug interactions because ayahuasca may interact with one’s current medication and lead to unlikely results, worst, death.

Several studies and professionals have warned that mixing ayahuasca with certain prescription medications, a pharmaceutical drug or plant-based mixtures can be dangerous and lethal due to serotonin syndrome.

Serotonin syndrome is a potentially fatal condition triggered by too much nerve cell activity. Serotonin is a natural chemical in the body produced to help the nerve cells and brain to function. However, too much of it can cause symptoms that range from mild (shivering and diarrhea)to severe (muscle rigidity, fever and seizures) conditions.

The condition can occur when you increase the dose of a certain medication or take a new drug to your regimen. For example, serotonin syndrome may occur if you take an antidepressant with opioid pain medication or when you take an antidepressant with medication for migraine.

Although there are risks when taking this medicinal brew, ayahuasca-related deaths are extremely rare.

Here are some prescription medications that you should not combine with ayahuasca as it might be dangerous for your health.

SSRI Medications. Any medication that affects the serotonin system like SSRI can induce serotonin syndrome and potentially lead to death when combined with iowaska.

MAOIs. Any medication containing MAO inhibitors (MAOIs) are known to cause dangerous side effects when taken with ayahuasca simultaneously. The contraindications may include severe liver and kidney impairment, frequent headache, uncontrolled hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and cerebrovascular disease.

Brugmansia a.k.a Toe. Toe flowering shrub is from the nightshade family and it is closely related to datura. It’s also known as angel’s trumpet and is easily recognizable by its large, golden trumpet-shaped flowers. Some ayahuasca shamans add this to the ayahuasca brew but excessive use may cause mental impairment and miscalculated dosages may result to death.

5-MeO-DMT & Bufo alvarius. Some shamanic ceremonies include smoking the secretions of Sonoran Desert Toad or Bufo alvarius. The secretions usually contain more than a dozen tryptamine compounds and the most important of which are bufotenin and 5-MeO-DMT which may have contraindications with the harmala alkaloids present in ayahuasca. There are at least two deaths recorded in the medical literature where harmaline and 5-MeO-DMT have been found in autopsies. It’s best to avoid interactions by waiting at least 24 hours after ingesting ayahuasca before smoking Bufo alvarius.

Aside from medical contraindications, there are other risks that have to be assessed. People with certain health conditions are discouraged from taking the brew because it might be dangerous for them.

For instance, ayahuasca is well known to raise blood pressure and heart rate. So, those with strained hearts are at higher risk when taking ayahuasca.

Also, people with serious mental health issues like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder or with a family history of psychosis should also avoid the brew because it can pose dangers. The brew can trigger latent psychosis, an underlying biological or psychological vulnerability in the personality that may manifest when under intense stress.

In general, shamans and ceremony guides are wary of giving the concoction to anyone who is taking medications. Also, for your safety, it’s best if you keep yourself away from the ayahuasca vine if you have any of the aforementioned conditions or are taking any medicine that may react to ayahuasca.

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Ayahuasca Preparation Checklist

Since we are heading to the end of this article, I’ll leave you with a checklist of the things that you should prepare days leading to your ayahuasca retreat.

You may find these tips helpful. Also, remember, it’s best to work on yourself 4 weeks or earlier from your scheduled ceremony.

I recommend avoiding the don’ts and sticking with the do’s to make your ayahuasca preparation a success.

Do’s

• Follow the dietary guidelines
• Prepare your things (bedding, clothes, personal items, water bottle)
• Limit interactions or exposure to over-stimulating or unrewarding media feeds
• Do light exercise, yoga, tai chi
• Get quality sleep
• Meditate on your intentions
• Practice gratitude and be appreciative
• Be aware of your mood changes

Don’ts

• Alcohol
• Sexual activity
• Processed foods
• Pickled foods
• Soy sauce
• Contraindicative medicines
• Salty, sugary and spicy foods
• Violent, negative media consumption

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Ayahuasca Preparation Prior to Your Ceremony

The preparation is based on custom affirmations reprogram that links you back to the original purpose – love.

With this you are in complete freedom to love your past relationships with individuals, institutions, or objects.

Forgiveness is a gift that you do for yourself. In ayahuasca therapy, if a patient does not forgive himself, his healing will be slower. But if you forgive yourself, you do not need to forgive anyone.

BENEFITS OF FORGIVENESS

You’ve got to forgive others and yourself because it is the best thing to do. Here are some reasons why you should do so.
• To find peace
• Rebalance your body (health)
• Come back to love without fear
• To open the door for union, acceptance, compassion, integrity and full health.

REASONS WHY YOU NEED TO FORGIVE ME THE BEST.
(Worked internally before, during and after the session with ayahuasca)

• Forgive yourself for not knowing that inside you there is another girl or your inner child, God, divinity who loves you and is waiting for your love.
• Forgive yourself for not remembering you.
• Forgive yourself for judging others.
• Forgive yourself for making mistakes.
• Forgive yourself for not forgiving.
• Forgive yourself for not loving who you are.
• Forgive yourself for not forgiving you earlier.

If you sense resistance, do not force things. Ayahuasca will help you during your trance to have a nice trip into yourself.

While in trance, you can connect easier with the universe. Your mind can flow freely. You’ll feel more secure, confident and free.

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I know that forgiving ourselves is the hardest thing to do. You can follow this to do so.

“I ………………………………… ……………….. (Say your name), I completely and lovingly forgive myself
“I ………………………………………… ………………………….. (say your name), forgive my ………. ………………. ….. completely “and lovingly.
“I ………………………………………… ………. (Say your name), I forgive my mother ………………………… ……………………….. completely “.
“I ………………………………………… …………….. (Say your name), forgive …………………….. ………………………………………….. …………… …………………………….. ……………………………………….. (Past Situations , negative conditions in your life or in your character) completely. “
“I ………………………………………… ………………… (say your name), I forgive ………………… ………………………… …………….. (Current partner and / or earlier) by …………………………………….. …………………. “.
“I ………………………………………… …………………….. (Say your name)
“I ………………………………………… …………………………………….. (Say your name) God forgive (the notion That I Have had of God) completely and lovingly. “

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Once burned to free terminated Entirely Through the Fire element and the power of the Violet Flame (ENERGY Transmits God, transforms classified as negative energy into positive energy. Burnt, say each letter Should MENTAL MIND

I (………. YOUR NAME) LOVINGLY A COMPLETE AND FORGIVE …………. (NAME OF PERSON) AND THE LIBERO LIBERO WITH ME WITH LOVE. AT THE END OF YOUR WRITING PAPER BURNS,

FORGIVE ME COMPLETE AND ……………………………………… LOVINGLY ……….. TO ……………………………….. ….., ME …………. RELEASE AND WITH THE RELEASE WITH LOVE.
FORGIVE ME COMPLETE AND ……………………………………… LOVINGLY ……….. TO ……………………………….. ….., ME …………. RELEASE AND WITH THE RELEASE WITH LOVE.
FORGIVE ME COMPLETE AND ……………………………………… LOVINGLY ……….. TO ……………………………….. ….., ME …………. RELEASE AND WITH THE RELEASE WITH LOVE.
FORGIVE ME COMPLETE AND ……………………………………… LOVINGLY ……….. TO ……………………………….. ….., ME …………. RELEASE AND WITH THE RELEASE WITH LOVE.
FORGIVE ME COMPLETE AND ……………………………………… LOVINGLY ……….. TO ……………………………….. ….., ME …………. RELEASE AND WITH THE RELEASE WITH LOVE.
FORGIVE ME COMPLETE AND LOVINGLY …………….. ………………………………… TO ………. ……………………………, AND RELEASE ME …………. WITH THE RELEASE WITH LOVE.

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***PRAYER OF GRATITUDE ***

Thank you That I am a new person.
Thanks for that I’m cured
Thank you to feel more powerful the energy is love.
Thanks Ayahuasca by reconnecting With the true healer Who is God Also That the universe me.
Ayahuasca Thanks for introducing me and make an appointment with real the healer is Within Me and everywhere.
Thanks for that I’m at peace with myself and everyone.
Thank you and I love you as I am.
Please know That I was never wrong.

Thanks ……………………………………. …………………………………………
Thanks For ………………………………………….. ……………….
…………………………

Thanks ………………………………………….. ….
Thanks for …………………………………….. ……………………………

 

When you wake up, you need to go in the mirror and give yourself love. Just take love and accept yourself as YOU are. After your ayahuasca therapy, you need to stay in the frequency of love.

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Conclusion

Ayahuasca preparation is a must before you join ayahuasca retreats. The healing process may differ from individual to individual. Others said it was great, but some said it was uncomfortable, frightening and didn’t make sense at all.

To have the best healing experience when working with ayahuasca, set your intention and drop your expectations. Stick to the recommended diet, avoid unhealthy foods like red meat, limit your contact, meditate and familiarize yourself and your emotions more. Work on your mind body and spirit.

Also, be on top of your physical health. The advantage of preparing for the retreat is to maximize its effect and ensure your safety. If you are taking prescription medication or any other medicine or drug that might react with iowaska, then better skip it. If the process will be risky for you due to some condition or contraindication, better hold off the retreat. Ayahuasca offers healing and you should not risk your health and safety.

So, if you want to have an experience with ayahuasca, try it in the comfort of your own home or better yet, fly to Peru for the best experience. If you do not have enough budget to visit ayahuasca retreat centers, start by purchasing the ayahuasca tea kits here.

Other Important Notes: please study these: Set, Setting, and Intention: Maximize your chance for a good trip.

More information and download more Psychedelic Transition Experience

If you wish to learn more about ayahuasca, feel free to visit our blog.

Sources

• soltara.co/preparation/
• entheonation.com/blog/ayahuasca-ceremony-preparation-dieta/
• kahpi.net/prepare-for-your-first-ayahuasca-experience/
• pisatahua.org/ayahuasca-preparation/
• eaglecondoralliance.com/2016/06/25/10-daily-routines-to-prepare-for-ayahuasca-yage-ceremonies/#:~:text=Do%20Exercise%20and%20Yoga%3A%20Exercising,can%20be%20extremely%20physically%20demanding.
• ayahuascaeasy.com/ayahuasca-diet-recipes/
• chacruna.net/tips-for-your-ayahuasca-experience/