Preparation: The Path Before Ceremony

When one begins this work with ancestral medicines, first of all it starts because you feel a calling. It's not by chance. These ancient, wise plants carry great respect and should not be taken as a game, because ultimately you are entering a process of connecting with the fire of purification.

These plants are a very wise intelligence that invites us to prepare before, during, and after the ceremony. And here I want to share something fundamental that I've learned on this path: preparation is as important as the ceremony itself.

Showing Respect

One of the first things our elders and the guardians of these medicines tell us is that it's important to diet. But the diet is not just about food. It's an emotional diet, an intellectual diet of thoughts, a physical diet, a digital diet.

Why? Because ultimately it's like going on a date with someone, a meeting with a person you deeply respect. When you're going to meet someone you respect, you get ready, you go with a good impression, with a good attitude, bathed, well-dressed. That's the metaphor. You arrive prepared because you want to honor that encounter.

The same happens with the master plants. Respect is what opens the door. Respect and humility open the door to these consciousnesses, to having access to a part of yourself that is inner wisdom, what we could call the God within or the inner teacher. That higher part of yourself where you can find clarity and act from a more integral place.

So, by doing the diet, you're already showing respect toward yourself and toward the plant.

Diet for Ayahuasca

Recommendation: Minimum 7 days before, ideally 2 weeks

Foods to avoid:

• Red meat and pork

• Dairy products and fermented foods (cheese, yogurt)

• Refined sugar and artificial sweeteners

• Excess salt

• Garlic and onion

• Spicy foods and chili

• Processed foods and junk food

• Saturated fats and fried foods

• Vinegar and fermented foods

• Coffee and caffeine

• Chocolate

Substances to avoid:

• Alcohol

• Marijuana and other recreational drugs

• Medications (always consult with the facilitator, especially antidepressants)

• Sexual abstinence (3-7 days before recommended)

The diet goes beyond the plate:

• Reduce screen time and social media

• Avoid violent movies or disturbing content

• Limit news and content that generates anxiety

• Distance yourself from toxic or conflictive environments

Emotional diet: Learning for a time to be more attentive to emotions, to not be so reactive, to not let yourself be absorbed by strong emotions like anxiety, guilt, or anger. Practice observation, cultivate inner silence.

Diet for Huachuma (San Pedro)

Recommendation: 3-7 days before

With huachuma, the diet is a bit different. It's not as rigorous as ayahuasca in terms of food, but it still requires respect and preparation.

Foods to avoid:

• Alcohol (at least 3 days before)

• Recreational drugs

• Highly processed food

• Excess saturated fats

Recommendations:

• Focus on clean, light food

• Constant hydration

• Keep your body light (huachuma often invites movement and walking)

• Adequate rest

Diet for Kambó

Recommendation: 1-3 days before

Preparation:

• No alcohol consumption 48 hours before

• Avoid heavy food the day before

• Fast from solids 8 hours before the session

Day of:

• Arrive with an empty stomach (no solids)

• Have consumed 2-3 liters of water before application
  

Essential Elements of Preparation

Beyond the specific diets for each plant, there are elements that are universal in this preparation:

Establish a clear intention. Don't just go to "see what happens." Arrive with a sincere question from the heart, with something you genuinely want to explore or heal.

Time in nature. Walk, connect with the earth, soak up the sun. Allow your body to remember that it's part of something greater.

Contemplative practices. Meditation, conscious breathing, silence. These tools will help you not only before, but during the ceremony.

Physical exercise. It really helps to be able to exercise before a ceremony. Move your body, release what's dense, prepare the temple.

Communication with facilitators. Inform them about any medication, health condition, or fear you have. Transparency is vital for your safety.

Arrive clean. Bathe with intention before arriving at the ceremony. It's a symbolic and practical act of purification.

Integration: The Work After Ceremony

And here comes something that is as important as the preparation itself: integration.

The ceremony doesn't end when it ends. In many ways, it's just beginning. The days and weeks after are where the real work happens, where the seeds planted during ceremony begin to grow in your daily life.

After ceremony:

• Maintain a gentle diet for 1-3 days

• Give yourself time to rest and process

• Write, journal, capture what comes

• Avoid making important decisions immediately

• Maintain your contemplative practices

• Share with trusted people who understand the path

• Be patient with yourself
  

An Act of Self-Love

In the end, all this preparation is not an empty ritual or arbitrary rules. It's accumulated wisdom from generations who have walked this path before us. It's an act of self-love and sacred respect.

When you prepare this way, you're not only showing respect to the master plants. You're telling yourself: "I am worthy of this encounter. I deserve to do this work with integrity. My healing matters."

And believe me, the plants feel it. The medicine recognizes it. And your open heart and clear mind will allow you to receive with greater clarity what these ancestral teachers have to teach you.

May your path be blessed, may your heart be open, and may you find in these sacred medicines the wisdom you seek.