EARTH MEDICINE : Ayahuasca

 

For those of you new to this site, it is geared to educate on different worldly medicines where there, with natural ancient substances, people have found healing.  The last nine years since my sisters death, of a prescription drug overdose, I have dedicated my life to holistic and herbal remedies in substitute of the synthetic Western Medicines that have crept there way into dominating our societies ways of healing.  I have over the years researched and experimented with different known medicines from all over the world and I share my research and experiences with you all here in hopes of guiding you to finding your own natural healing. Thank you for reading, I love you - Edible Dee

Medicine Name : Ayahuasca

As I expressed in my Kambo article. These last three years have been a lot of growth experiences for myself.  I was starting my edible company in Las Vegas and had the universe throw many challenging obstacles my way.  I was overwhelmed, lost, stresses to the ceilings, hoping to be a great leader and boss.  Educating my team whom share the same passions to be great. And in the process of building a team and a business, I suffered many set backs.  I got into a terrible car accident where I was sandwiched in between two cars on the highway.  I was in a neck brace for six weeks, in so much pain and unable to wash the back of my head.  My health issues continued with my arthritis and carpel tunnel becoming so damaging that I was unable to perform my job the way I used to in the kitchen.  My business had set backs, i lost employees and in turn felt lost myself and felt like a failure.  I was and still am coping with my sisters death, trying to be a good aunt and help in raising her son, my nephew and heart Christopher, and in general missing my family as they are all back home in Virginia.  So, with all these thoughts clouding my vision and preventing me from becoming the best version of myself for my family, team and loved ones...I got the call to experience some out of the ordinary Amazonian known medicines, one known as Ayahuasca. 

I was fortunate to have met two amazing individuals, Justin and Tishara, through a long time friend of mine in Las Vegas.  These two spirits own and operate a Holistic Healing rehab facility in Las Vegas Nevada known as Holistic House Las Vegas.  The woman, Tishara, is a Holy Fire Reiki Master, Herbalist, Detox Specialist, and a Certified Advanced Kambo Practitioner with the International Association of Kambo Practitioners (IAKP.org).  She has been studying holistic natural health for over 23 years, so (naturally) her and I clicked and often "nerd out" on plants, fungi, cannabis, and other worldly medicines.  After learning more about Tishara and learning of her accomplishments I was eager to learn more about Kambo.  And one history of kambo that she first mentioned was, according to tribes, when nothing is going right in your life, it is the right moment to take Kambo. So, on that note, I began my research and decided to schedule my first Kambo ceremony with Tishara. 

Tishara, Certified Advanced Kambo Practitioner in Brazil with Sapo
FOLLOW Tishara : KAMBO LOVE Facebook Page

Kambo is a medicine frequently offered alongside other ceremonial medicines such as ayahuasca, Ibogaine, 5-MeO-DMT, and other plant medicines for holistic treatment.  According to its practitioners, the application "resets" the body, not only by strengthening the immune system but also through distinct psycho-spiritual benefits.

At the time I did my Kambo ceremony with Tishara, I was also lining up a Ayahuasca ceremony for that weekend with a well known Shaman that was coming into town.  As the universe would have it, Kambo is best taken before the Ayahuasca ceremony as the purging helps. So YAY for me there as I was right in sync. Also as the universe would have it, Tishara was also attending the same Ayahuasca ceremony - she drove and sat with me as my guide and healer at my first Ayahuasca experience. 

What Is Ayahuasca ?

Ayahuasca, Iowaska, or yagé, is an entheogenic brew that is traditional mixed of Banisteriopsis caapi vine, Chacruna (DMT) and Caapi (MAOI).  The brew is used as a traditional spiritual medicine in ceremonies among the indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin.  Over time, people started experimenting with the ingredients and found that Mimosa (DMT) and Harmala (MAOI) is the most potent and smooth trip if used correctly.  Used for over 5000 years by the shamans or healers Ayahuasqueros as a way for the expansion of consciousness (soul).  And now it is used in Peru to help drug addicts and an substitute for antidepressant pills.  

Active Ingredients 

Banisteriopsis caapi contains several alkaloids that act as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs). Another common ingredient in ayahuasca is the shrub Psychotria viridis which contains the primary psychoactive compound, dimethyltryptamine (DMT).  MAOIs are required for DMT to be orally active. 

Traditional Brew

Traditional ayahuasca brews are usually made with Banisteriopsis caapi as an MAOI, while dimethyltryptamine sources and other admixtures vary from region to region.  There are several varieties of caapi, often known as different "colors", all having varying effects, potencies, and uses. 

DMT admixtures 

Psychotria viridis (Chacruna) - leaves

Diplopterys cabrerana (Chaliponga, Chagropanga, Banisteriopsis rusbyana) - leaves

Psychotria carthagenensis (America) - leaves

Mimosa tenuiflora (M. Hostillis) - root bark

Common admixtures with their associated ceremonial values & spirits :

Ayahuma bark : Dead head tree. Provides protection and is used in healing susto (soul loss from spiritual fright or trauma)

Capirona bark : Provides cleansing and protection.  It is noted for its smooth bark, white flowers, and hard wood.

Chullachaki caps bark : Provides cleansing to the physical body.  Used to transcend physical body ailments.

Lopuna blanca bark : Provides protection.

Punga amarilla bark : Yellow Punga.  Provides protection.  Used to pull or draw out negative spirits or energies. 

Remo caspi bark : Air tree. used to create purging, transcend gastro/intestinal ailments, calm the mind, and bring tranquility.

Showawaku bark : Brings purple medicine to ceremony.

Uchu sanango : Head of the sanango plants.

Huacapurana : Giant tree of the Amazon with very hard bark. 

History Of Ayahuasca

Traditionally, among Amazonian tribes, the Banisteriopsis caapi vine is considered to be the "spirit" of ayahuasca, the gatekeeper, and a guide to the otherworldly realms. The Ayahuasca, mythological and traditionally is the highest Deity (Divine) all natural reality as "The Mother Ayahuasca", the spirit of all spirits used for over 5000 years by Amazonian tribes.  

Ayahuasca, in this modern era, is understood as an extraordinary chemical, equivalent to a neurotransmitter or hormone which activates Brain psyche which reveals the insight human potential. The name "ayahuasca" specifically refers to a botanical decoction that contains Banisteriopsis caapi. The synthetic version, known as pharmahuasca, is a combination of an appropriate MAOI and typically DMT.  In this usage, the DMT is generally considered the main psychoactive ingredient, while the MAOI merely preserves the psychoactivity of orally ingested DMT, which would otherwise be destroyed in the gut before it could be absorbed in the body.  

Current Use

The drink extracted from the Ayahuasca Plant is the largest known source of DMT in the world, is a neurotransmitter produced naturally in our brain mind from the pineal gland which is responsible for dreams in REM rest unconscious. 

Just as the DMT present in the drink Ayahuasca, our own brain naturally produces and secretes the substance DMT and the mind is responsible for night dreams.  Meaning, when a person falls asleep, yoga, or meditate, your brain begins to secrete a chemical equivalent of DMT in ayahuasca, which acts as if the person's dreaming.  The effect then, is like experiencing a dream, but we are awake, also known as lucid dreams.  Feeling the effects of ayahuasca, is like dreaming, but with full awareness of the content of the images and emotional content that stain sleep.  Giving access to infinite information contained in our sub-conscious or spiritual world. 

MEDICINAL USES 

After consuming ayahuasca, people report having mystical or religious experiences and spiritual revelations regarding their purpose on earth, the true nature of the universe as well as deep insight into how to be the best person they possibly can.  This overall is viewed as a spiritual awakening and often described by many as a rebirth.  It is also often reported that individuals feel they gain access to higher spiritual dimensions and make contact with carious spiritual or extra-dimensional beings who can act as healers or guides through their world.

It was reported, in early 2018, that a single dose of ayahuasca significantly reduced symptoms of treatment-resistant depression in a small place-bo controlled trial. 

Ceremonial Traditions

Ayahuasca places the brain in an expanded states of vibration, working optimally so that the person reaches higher states of consciousness.  Ayahuasca is NOT a drug, nor addictive, nor is there loss of consciousness, nor does it cause imbalance states of hallucination --  the feeling is one of total control, body control, greater alertness, you will know where you are. 

Consciousness is altered, changing brain waves, roughly 20 minutes after ingestion of ayahuasca.  It is normal to have a reduction in respiratory rate, decreased metabolism, blood pressure, change in pH, thereby increasing hearing sensitivity, vision, smell, and touch. 

The result is gradual attempt to create or maintain peace of personality and mind, reducing fear and anxiety, balancing the nervous system - emotion and reason - thus allowing the brain to gradually pass Beta state (normal activity) to Alpha waves (relaxation) and thus reaching a deep Theta state where occurring mystical experiences of spiritual ecstasy. 

These mystical experiences are usually associated with personal insights,  emotional reactions, idealizations intellectual, and profound spiritual and mystical experiences. 

There have been many studies that state that the ayahuasca shamans certify that users become balanced individuals with optimal health and memory, which experience an ease of learning, greater peace of mind, a balance promoting peace and harmony, and a deep respect for nature. There are also changes in the basic parameters of the experience - personal identity, connection to the outside world, and feelings of significance. 

My Experience

My experience was, as for all that experience Ayahuasca, a life changing one. Tishara, on the hour long drive we had to the ceremony, prepared me for what I was about to witness and experience. 

It was a group ceremony, about 15 people, local outside the city of Las Vegas. The Shaman, Sonny, was well known throughout the spiritual community of his practice and very well respected. All attending the ceremony were eager to begin, as preparation began. 

It was custom to wear all white to the ceremony, as it is known as a rebirth.  So all in white, the group set up there areas and awaited the start of the new beginning of our lives. 

There were meditational musical performers, simply amazing artists.  The area was prepped and we all came forth to consume the medicine at the alter. 

The dosing was explained as you could take as much as 8 ounces.  Tishara coached me as to start with 2 ounces as to test the medicine, as every batch is different depending on the plant.  Then that will help judge your total intake.  So I did just that.  

As my consumption and experience had yet to begin, I was able to witness others of theirs. There were so many working through so much, so much pain.  You saw it, you felt it in the room, it was both beautiful and frightening.  The sitters or coaches were all very attentive, holding space for all new to the powers of this medicine. As I was able to feel the mild effects of my 2 ounces, I then went forward to the Shaman to consume my 6 ounces.

Now, if I were to write about my exact first experience of Ayahuasca , I would need to write an entire other article, perhaps even multiple articles. It was for me everything I had researched it to be, I experienced it to be.  For me, I saw another world in this world and it all made perfect sense.  Also I saw and spoke with my sister...and it was so very real.  The way she looked, smiled, her voice, her laugh, was as I remembered it all 10 years ago before she left this earth in her body form. I didn't want it to stop, I could've sat there catching up from what I knew as a decade had past - had felt like she had been with me the whole time, maybe because she had.  

Many of you will probably write off my experience as a "trip", but for me, I would not insult the medicine by classifying my experience, or as I see it a "gift", as just a "trip".  It was my rebirth and reconnection to what I feel now is the best version of myself that I have met.

I would never promote or recommend any medicine that I have not consumed or experienced myself.  Ayahuasca is the most powerful healing medicine next to Kambo that I have ever experienced and I would recommend Aya to any who feel the call to her.

Legality 

DMT, Internationally, is a Schedule I drug under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances.  The Commentary on the Convention on Psychotropic Substances notes, that the plants containing it are not subject to international control. 

Also Read

Medicine Name : Kambo

What really helps for overall wellness : 

+ Eat a balanced diet with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables. 
+ Eat more fresh foods and zero processed foods.
+ Make sure the calories you consume provide as much nutrition as possible (that means no junk).
+ Maintain a healthy weight.

Diets high in fiber and rich in raw fruits, vegetables, legumes, and lean proteins are your best bet for feeling good- Get Healthy, Got Happy! 

This concludes "EARTH MEDICINE : Ayahuasca".  If this article was informative, please #share to your page or to a loved one.  

Stay Healthy, Stay Happy !

Please check these sources for more information...
SOURCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayahuasca
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoamine_oxidase_inhibitor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychotria_viridis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N,N-Dimethyltryptamine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banisteriopsis_caapi
https://www.soul-herbs.com/what-is-ayahuasca/