Preparing to meet Madre Ayahuasca

Soon we will meet in a sacred Wake Circle ceremony and in this space we will commune with nature’s great teacher and healer: Madre Ayahuasca

Our purpose is to encounter divinity within, above and around us. To enable this experience, we will spend time in silence journeying to other dimensions of not only time and space, but also of our minds and our inner technologies-supported by sacred music, like-minded souls and a safe environment.The space is always held by loving and experienced facilitators, each bringing their unique qualities to the cooking pot.

Ayahuasca, the Mother of teacher plants, speaks, inspires, enlightens and heals.

Warm Stuff

Warm blankets or sleeping bag, and a pillow. You are essentially going to make a little nest style bed.

Comfortable camping mattress

Generally the fold up foam mattresses work best. (Please do not bring big squeaky inflatable camping mattresses, they do not work in ceremony)

Water

a bottle of drinking water or 2

Tissues / Toliet Roll

Bring a toilet roll or some tissues

Small Bucket

A bucket for purging

Diet and Detoxing for Ayahuasca

We generally begin our diets two weeks before our ceremony by phasing out certain foods.
A diet of fresh fruit and vegetables and lots of water is the order of the day.

The following guidelines are to be followed as certain substances do not mix well with the MAOI component of Ayahuasca and should be avoided:

DO NOT EAT: fried foods, red meat at least 1 week before a session. Small portions of chicken and fish are permitted prior to the ceremony and gradually reducing meat intake nearing ceremony. Pork needs to be avoided for as long as possible before and after the ceremony. A fresh food intake is recommended

DO NOT DRINK: alcohol at least 48 hours before a session.

DO NOT HAVE SEX (or masturbate): at least 48 hours before or after working with the Teacher Plants

NO spicy food, red pepper, chilies, coffee (decaf is fine) etc. 3 days before session

NO fermented food, pickles, herring, anchovy’s, old cheese, etc. 24 hours before and after session.

Conservative uptake of salt and sugar/honey – 3 days before and after

Marijuana to be stopped at least 1 week prior to the ceremony

Brewer’s yeast or any yeast extracts.

Protein extracts or supplements.

Aspartame (Nutra sweet product)

Foods containing MSG (Monosodium glutamate)

Caffeine

On the last 3 days for ceremony it is encouraged that you remove salt and sugar entirely from your diet. Reducing sugar and salt will heighten the effect of the Teacher Plant, so you may eliminate these as much as possible from your diet during preparation.

On the day of Ceremony
Generally, one should not eat 5 hours before a ceremony. Drinking of liquids is to stop 2 hours before ceremony.
If the ceremony takes place in the morning, you can eat a light but substantial meal the night before taking the Teacher Plants, but nothing in the morning.

If the ceremony takes place in the afternoon, you may have a breakfast of fruits and cereals.

With Your Welfare in Mind
Those who use marijuana are respectfully requested to stay away from it from about week before until the end of the ceremony. Ayahuasca needs to work in a marijuana- free environment. The combination of the two can be mischievous. Marijuana has its own potent place in the constellation of healing but should not be used in this ceremony. If this is not possible for you, for the good of everyone else please do not attend this ceremony.

Other mind altering and mood enhancing substances.
Alcohol, cigarettes and medications also inhibit the work of Ayahuasca. You will generally need to be medication free as they do not mix well. For those who would find it hard to get through the night without a cigarette (tobacco), we encourage you to bring along rolled natural tobacco. Are you on any mood/mind/depression control medication – or any other kind of medication or medical treatment? If you have any particular sensitivity, are using medication at the moment or if you have a history of emotional or psychotic episodes, we ask that you please let us know immediately.

You may be risking your life or your sanity by consuming chemical drugs (cocaine, LSD, ecstasy, heroine etc) 48 hours BEFORE or AFTER a ceremony. Under no circumstances take any recreational drug while still under the effect of the Teacher Plants.

Please note there is an extensive list of certain medications that are contraindicatory with Ayahuasca.
Please contact us if you are unsure.

However, be AWARE of the following:

Certain antidepressants

Ventolin inhalers cannot be consumed from the morning.

Any antihistamines at least 48 hours prior to night of ceremony

Epilepsy medication

Steroids and muscle building formulas with creatine in them is strictly prohibited.

Certain painkillers

Cough syrups

Blood pressure medications and diet pills

If you are not sure contact us and ask.

Feeling fear, resistance or apprehension before a Teacher Plant session is normal, since the subconscious mind is preparing itself for profound transformation. Observe your emotional reactions before the session, and contact the organizers if you have any questions. Try to spend a calm day before the session. It is always helpful to relax, meditate, practice yoga etc. It is also a good idea to clarify your intentions for your session. Since these Teacher Plants expand your consciousness, they also energize your intentions.

Preparation for a Teacher Plant Ceremony

Preparation for a ceremony is very important, since it cleanses the body and provokes thoughts about your ceremony intentions. A Teacher Plant session is “work” – it is a commitment and sacrifice you make to yourself and to your spiritual growth. This may not always be easy, or what you would like.

Be sure to get plenty of sleep and drink more pure water than you usually do. When you make the commitment to meet with this sacred teacher, she begins to work with you from that moment on. Become aware of your spiritual yearnings and of your own sacred identity and connection with divinity, as well as with nature. Before you sleep each night, think about what has come up for you in the day. Sleeping and dreaming are part of the preparation.

Subconscious bubbles will start to surface, with your Higher Self knowing that you are ready to face certain patterns with Love, so that you can create new ones and shift current perceptions that may no longer be serving you.

Before the ceremony day and for as many days as you can, eat only fruit and vegetables.

On the day of the ceremony, have your last meal – of fruit or vegetables only – before 12h00. This helps to prepare the working environment in your body and mind. At the start of a ceremony, an empty digestive tract is ideal. It’s good to feel hungry at the start of a journey and the hunger will disappear. This also helps to avoid digestive discomfort during the ceremony. Being able to fast a few days before, or even a few hours before, would be the most ideal preparation as you will have less physical density to work through, and will therefore be able to move straight to the emotional and mental bodies.

Ayahuasca is perfectly safe and leaves you with absolutely no negative residue “ hang-over.” It actually leaves you feeling lighter and cleaner. However, it does not interact well with our modern medications so its recommended, if you, can to take yourself off most medication for preferably two weeks before the ceremony. Please let us know if you have a heart condition, epilepsy or if you are taking any medications so that we can safely advise you, and when possible make the necessary considerations.

In a simple recap, you are going to spend one to two weeks detoxing your body. This will have massive holistic benefits. We encourage you to not leave your detox till the last moment as it can often leave you starting the ceremony with headaches or will make it harder for the medicine to digest.

How do Teacher Plant ceremonies unfold?

The correct preparation (see above) should always be observed. Arrive at the ceremony in a calm state. Slight fear or apprehension are normal in the days or hours approaching the experience – especially if it is your first time.
The ceremony is always performed within a spiritual and ritual context.

Usually it takes between 30 and 80 minutes to feel the full effect of the plant in the case of Ayahuasca. It is however completely different for each person.
The sacred space is created by traditional chants which direct the energies of the ceremony, ensuring an atmosphere of inspiration, safety and healing. The chants establish the frequency of the space, and generally invoke the energies of divinities, healing, cleansing etc.

The Ceremony Begins
*(Please do not arrive late)*

Participants are strictly required to stay in the ceremony space until the end of the session. This is so that the facilitator running the session can adequately take care of the participant. Participants must follow the indications or suggestions given by the curandero and facilitators. Please remain silent and respectful of other participants. Please do not sing with the curandero or the facilitators unless, you are invited, as your intention may interfere with that of the curandero and/or group. You do not need to understand the chants to benefit from them.

Agreements of Holding Space

There are 4 core agreements that we will be holding in the space of the ceremony.

1. Honour yourself.
Make sure you bring what you need to make yourself comfortable and warm in the space so that you can journey deep. Rather being more than what you will think you will need than less.
You came to this journey with intentions for what you needed to shift or transform in your life. For some of you the unfolding may not be what you initially expected, it does not mean it is not working. Surrender your judgements and expectations of yourself and what you think you should be experiencing. It is important that you trust and commit to seeing the process through right to the end. It can be a tactic of our minds to sometime make our experience, other people or even the process wrong to avoid dealing with what is really coming up for us. Honour yourself by being interested in yourself and what is showing up for you and seeing it through; this is where the healing lies.

2. Honour each other In an Ayahuasca ceremony we leave each other alone and focus on our own experience. There will be no speaking or interacting with each other at all once the actual ceremony begins until it closes. For any assistance you need speak with the facilitators only. There will be lots of opportunities to interact once the ceremony is completed. Confidentiality of space: whatever happens in ceremony stays in ceremony; you are more than welcome to share your own experience with anyone post ceremony however anyone else’s experience or what they may share remains strictly confidential. This is a non negotiable agreement in order to participate in the ceremony. We hold a private safe space together in order to allow you to drop into the deep vulnerable spaces you need to do your inner healing work and exploration. On weekend quest; be on time for any and all of the events and processes.

3. Honour the Space
During ceremony all Electronics must be switched off. No recording or filming is allowed during the session. If special arrangements need to be made then speak to a facilitator.
We take responsibility for the space that we use and always ensure we leave it better than how we found it.

4. Honour the Medicine
Please do not use any of your own medicines, incense, Rapè or smudge during the ceremony without clearing it with a facilitator first. Also during the Ayahuasca ceremony do not bring in or consume any foods or drink other than water.
When we drink in sacrament we honour the medicine by the ritual of of holding it to our hearts, to our head and above before drinking in.

Ayahuasca Ceremony

The first part of our journey together begins as people start to arrive. Once everyone has arrived and settled into their places in the ceremony room, we’ll gather together to introduce ourselves, and talk about the night ahead. All further questions will be addressed before we start this beautiful experience.

The ceremony begins when we gather in a circle in the ceremony space and ingest the sacrament – just as fellow spiritual travellers through the millennia have done. Before this happens, or shortly after, check that you have water and tissues nearby. It would also be good to go to the toilet so that you can be undisturbed for three or four hours. After receiving the sacrament, remain seated, relaxed and silent – with your eyes closed. Focus on the music, quieten your mind and surrender to the work of Mother Ayahuasca.

Have no expectations.
Make allowances for everything inside and outside of yourself. Make no judgments. Dissolve any thoughts that arise, and let them float away. If you need water, drink in small sips only. Remain sitting upright for as long as it’s comfortable to do that.

Within about 40 minutes, you will begin your own mystical experience – surrounded by new, communicative dimensions created by Mother Ayahuasca to address your known and unconscious circumstances and needs. You will not lose consciousness or control. You will always know where you are.

Keep your eyes closed as much as possible as you will be guided through visions and intuitions. Your only responsibility is to focus on your inner work. Forget about the others in the room. Allow the same freedom for them. There is no need to touch or interfere with anyone else. There is no need to escape into being distracted by any concerns for others. Everyone will be cared for.

Effects during a Teacher Plant ceremony

Physical cleansing– The participant may vomit (purge), in order to clear the body of old negative energies that may be causing illness or imbalance. The Teacher Plant cleanses the body on a deep level, filling the body energetically with love, light and truth.

Emotional cleansing– Undigested emotions remain in the body, and may cause illness. Teacher Plants eliminate this “emotional garbage” in order to activate greater self-esteem and love.

Inspiration– Teacher Plants bring insights and teachings. They may be experienced intuitively or symbolically, but generally are very clear. Spiritual inspiration often goes beyond theory or dogma – the spiritual reality reveals itself in a concrete manner, and other possibilities in your own world, or other spiritual dimensions, are seen as very real.

Difficult experiences– Teacher Plant ceremonies usually are very beautiful and insightful experiences, but may also be difficult. The participant may go through physical discomfort, or see unsavoury aspects of his or her life. Even when a session is challenging there is always a clearing of some sort and a return to greater personal truth. In the weeks following a ceremony, the participant usually feels lighter, and continues to “download” insights from the experience.

Commitment – In the truly challenging moments of a session, one may ask oneself “why am I doing this?” A ceremony should be seen as “work” leading to growth, and not as a diversion or entertainment (even though it is often very pleasurable). Teacher Plants have been effective in overcoming addictions (drugs and alcohol) and have been shown to relieve depression.

Effects on your life after a Teacher Plant Experience
In the weeks following a ceremony, the Teacher Plant continues to work on your body and soul. The participant continues to gain insights, deal with heavy emotions, and receive healings of all sorts. As a result of this ongoing process, it is important that the participant remain conscious, and not have sex, drink alcohol or eat heavy foods (especially pork and fried foods) for at least 2 days after the session.

We also recommend that you do not make any life changing decisions for next month to allow your clarity to settle and it is highly recommend that you undertake integration coaching work to implement your shifts and messages. This is an experience that can change your life forever.

If you have any further preparation questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Open Heart, Open Mind

team

Wake Circle Facilitators

Heinrich (Tiger Hymn) Reisenhofer

co-founder of Wake Circle, is a spiritual teacher, a highly skilled shamanic facilitator and medicine singer with an exquisite healing voice and unique music style evolved over many years of facilitating shamanic ceremonies. Through the healing medicine of music, coaching and plant medicine he has guided many people back into connection with their higher power and their greatness.

Heinrich has now committed his life together with Nathan to building Wake Circle, a shamanic community and tribal family of like-minded souls committed to the sacred practice of holding space, which he sees as the only type of space where he has experienced genuine, naturally occurring collective transformation.

Nathan Raaths

is co-founder of Wake Circle and the original founder of the well known Madhatters medicine community. He is a legend in South Africa’s plant medicine community and has been running ceremonies and empowering facilitators successfully for the better part of a decade. Nathan is a prodigy spiritual teacher and black belt jujitsu instructor who has walked a true shamanic path of facing illness and madness through which he has garnered profound insight, humility and open-heartedness. He is a true warrior of the heart. When you are facing your darkest moment whether its fear, anxiety or the confusion of an over active mind this is the facilitator you want holding your hand. He has successfully guided literally hundreds of people to face their depression, addiction and disorders and has changed countless lives empowering people to find their purpose, love and greatness.