Arriving back in the Peruvian Amazon in February 2017 to deepen my understanding of Amazonian Shamanism by commiting myself to a traditional plant "dieta" for 30 days.
"The traditional plant "dieta" is a process of spiritual education, connection, healing and growth. It is simultaneously intense and intensive-taking one's consciousness to new levels of depth and wisdom as one practices abstinance from indulgences (salt, sugar, spices, oil and sex) for the duration of the diet. This provides the circumstances for a connection be established between the student and plant teacher that can develop and thrive." (highpalmshealing.com)
My Shipibo Maestros: David, Laura, Ynes, and Jose and I in front of my tambo.
Dieting Plant Medicines: Plant Teachers
"Teacher plants’ main purpose is to help humanity evolve spiritually. They do this by healing the delusion of separation, by removing false identities and by putting us in touch with truth, with All-That-Is. Some teacher plants are ruthless in showing us the truth, even if we don’t want to see it. They teach us lessons, and if we aren’t ready, these lessons may seem hard. For those who know the art of surrender and who have an open, flexible mind the lessons will never be harsh. One needs to be willing to give up preconceived notions and go beyond all conditioning and programming when working with teacher plants. An attitude of humility and a strong desire to know the truth about oneself, the universe and the nature of reality is most beneficial when working with teacher plants." (sacred serpent.net)
30 days later...finishing the dieta...
"During a dieta while our physical energy drops significantly, we don't notice that our spiritual energy is actually increasing. We don't notice because our minds are still so attached to our physical bodiesIt is the proverbial spiritual error that we think we are our physical bodies. This error in perception causes us to miss this increase in our spiritual energy during a dieta. At the end of the dieta, the dieter will take salt to "cut the dieta". Once the salt is taken, the physical energy rises up again very quickly to levels higher that when the dietero started the dieta. The physical energy rises to meet the spiritual energy that has been developed during the dieta. (caminodeamor.org)
Receiving guidance from Maestra Laura for post-dieta
"After completion of the dieta it is important to ease your way back into the world and protect your physical and spiritual body by following a restrictive diet for another month. It is important to maintain a clean energy field for the plant spirit to thrive in you. By eating some foods or allowing intimate energy of another person enter your energy field you can "cross" the dieta and not only lose all the benefits of your hard work, but in some cases even become ill." (cantoluz.com)
Time to go home and integrate what I have learned!