Ayahuasca Ceremony – Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

I’m hosting my first ayahausca medicine ceremony in Salvador, Brazil with my Kariri-Xocó family!

January 31st at 19:00hrs (7pm), Huni Kuin guardian of ayahausca, Txana Bari will offer ayauascha, sananga, and rapè during a traditional plant medicine ceremony. These sacred medicines will open up ancestral wisdom and spirituality of indigenous peoples of the Brazilian Amazon. 

Cacique Paruanã of the Kariri-Xocó will bring his sacred prayers, the Toré, which are sacred songs and dances of its people, which is considered healing medicine for the spirit and physical body.

The ceremony will be a guided deep journey of self-knowledge, healing and transformation. Ayahuasca, with its visionary power, will offer experiences of introspection and spirituality, allowing access to deep parts of self and our relationship with the universe. To deepen the experience, rapè and sananga will be available to further expand your mind and body.

Event Space: Alma Crioulla –  Av. Das Dunas, 16 Itapúa, Salavador, Bahia

To Reserve if you are in Bahia, contact:

(75) 99928-0730 | TIDZY

(71) 99947-5439 CACIQUE PARUANA

If you are outside of Brazil, and interested in an excursion to Bahia for this event and Festa de Iemanja happening February 2, 2025, contact:

(734) 678-0974 CHIEF JAKADA

Ayahuasca is a psychoactive brew traditionally used in shamanic rituals by indigenous peoples of the Amazon Basin. It is made from two main plants: Banisteriopsis caapi (a vine) and Psychotria viridis (a shrub containing the hallucinogen DMT). When consumed together, they create a potent brew that induces vivid visions and altered states of consciousness.

History:

Ayahuasca has been used for thousands of years, primarily by indigenous groups in the Amazon, such as the Hunt Kin, Shipibo, Ashaninka, and Yanomami, for spiritual, healing, and divinatory purposes. Shamans, or spiritual healers, use it to access spiritual realms, communicate with spirits, and treat physical and mental health conditions. Western interest in ayahuasca grew in the mid-20th century, particularly after ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes’s work in the Amazon and the popularity of psychedelic research in the 1960s.

Benefits:

1. Psychological Healing: Ayahuasca can help release repressed emotions, confront trauma, and encourage deep personal reflection.
2. Spiritual Growth: Many users report profound spiritual insights, a sense of interconnectedness with nature, and access to higher consciousness.
3. Addiction Treatment: Some research and anecdotal evidence suggest that ayahuasca can help with addiction, offering clarity and emotional healing.
4. Emotional Balance: It may help alleviate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress by encouraging introspection and emotional release.
5. Physical Detoxification: The brew often causes vomiting and diarrhea, which is seen as a purging process, cleansing both the body and mind.

Preparing for an Ayahuasca ceremony is an important step to ensure a safe, transformative, and meaningful experience. Here’s a guide to help you get ready physically, mentally, and spiritually:

1. Physical Preparation (Dietary Guidelines)

A light diet before the ceremony is recommended to ensure your body is in the best condition to process the ayahuasca.

• • Avoid processed foods, heavy, fatty, and overly salty foods. These can make digestion difficult and may interfere with the effects of the medicine.
  • Limit or avoid alcohol, recreational drugs, and caffeine, at least 48–72 hours before the ceremony. These substances can interfere with the ayahuasca experience.
  • Eat light and healthy: Focus on eating vegetables, fruits, grains, and clean proteins (e.g., chicken, fish, etc.). This helps prepare your body by reducing toxins and supporting detoxification.
  • Avoid sugar: Sugary foods can create imbalances in your system and may interfere with the energetic aspects of the ceremony.
  • Limit salt: High-sodium foods can affect the mind and body in ways that may not be conducive to the deep, subtle experiences that ayahuasca offers.

2. Mental and Emotional Preparation

Ayahuasca can bring up intense emotions and psychological material. It’s important to mentally and emotionally prepare for what might surface:

• Set an intention: Spend time reflecting on why you are attending the ceremony. What are you hoping to learn, release, or understand? Setting a clear intention helps guide the experience.
• Let go of expectations: Every ceremony is different. While you may have a certain goal or hope, try to stay open to whatever unfolds.
• Mental readiness: Ayahuasca can bring up deep and sometimes challenging emotions or experiences. Being mentally prepared for emotional release, insights, or even uncomfortable moments is important.
• Practice mindfulness or meditation: This can help center your mind and create a calm, receptive state, which will support the experience. Meditation or deep breathing exercises can also help ground you before and during the ceremony.

3. Emotional Detoxing

• Work through personal issues: If possible, spend time reflecting on emotional issues or trauma you would like to address. Journaling, therapy, or talking with a trusted person can help you process any unresolved emotions before the ceremony.

4. Spiritual Preparation

• Research and learn: Educate yourself about ayahuasca, its potential effects, and the overall ceremony. Understanding the process, including the importance of surrendering to the experience, can be helpful.
• Respect the medicine: Approach the ceremony with reverence. Ayahuasca is considered sacred by indigenous cultures, and showing respect for the process, the shaman, and the ceremony can help you integrate the experience better.
• Purification practices: If part of your preparation includes a period of fasting or other rituals, follow them carefully. These practices can help deepen the ceremony and your connection to the plant medicine.

5. Practical Preparation

• Rest: Get plenty of sleep before the ceremony. Being well-rested helps you remain open and receptive during the experience.
• Hydration: Drink water and stay hydrated leading up to the ceremony. Avoid excessive liquids immediately before the ceremony, as you may need to keep your stomach relatively empty for the brew to have its full effect.
• Bring comfortable clothing: Wear loose, comfortable clothes for the ceremony. Make sure they are suitable for sitting on the floor or in a comfortable position for an extended period.
• Avoid strong perfumes or scents: Strong fragrances can be overwhelming in the ceremony space and can interfere with the subtle sensory aspects of the experience.

6. Post-Ceremony Preparation (Aftercare)

• Prepare for integration: The experience of ayahuasca can be profound and may involve insights, emotions, or visions that require integration. After the ceremony, it’s helpful to journal or speak about your experience with someone trusted.
• Avoid heavy physical activity: After the ceremony, rest, relax, and allow time for the medicine to settle. This can also be a good time to engage in light walks or nature therapy to ground yourself.
• Stay open to changes: You may experience shifts in your perspective or life after the ceremony. Embrace these changes with patience and curiosity.

Sananga is a traditional eye drop medicine made from the roots and bark of the Tabernaemontana undulata plant, which is native to the Amazon rainforest. It has been used for centuries by indigenous tribes, particularly in Brazil, for both spiritual and medicinal purposes.

Benefits:

1. Vision Improvement: Sananga is believed to sharpen eyesight, improving clarity and focus, especially in low-light conditions. It is sometimes used by hunters to enhance their vision for spotting animals.
2. Emotional Cleansing: It is thought to help clear negative emotions, mental blockages, and energetic imbalances.
3. Spiritual Awakening: Many use sananga in ceremonies to deepen spiritual experiences, providing clarity and enhancing meditation or visionary states.
4. Physical Benefits: It can also alleviate symptoms of eye infections, inflammation, and dryness, promoting overall eye health.
5. Detoxification: Some users report that sananga helps to “purge” negative energies, providing a sense of emotional release or catharsis.

Rapé (pronounced “ha-peh”) is a traditional, plant-based snuff used by indigenous peoples of the Amazon Basin. It consists of finely ground herbs, with tobacco being the main ingredient, often combined with other plants like tree ashes or seeds. The powder is blown into the nostrils through a pipe.

Benefits:

1. Mental Clarity: Rapé is known for its ability to clear mental fog, sharpen focus, and enhance cognitive clarity, often helping users feel more grounded and alert.
2. Emotional and Energetic Cleansing: It is believed to help release emotional blockages, clear negative energy, and provide a sense of emotional balance and calm.
3. Spiritual Connection: Many people use rapé in ceremonial or meditative settings to deepen their spiritual practice, heighten consciousness, and facilitate a connection to higher realms or ancestral spirits.
4. Detoxification: The nasal passage stimulation helps clear the sinuses, and the herb blend can promote a sense of physical purification, sometimes leading to mild purging.
5. Physical Grounding: While initially intense, rapé can induce a calming effect, promoting deep relaxation, grounding, and a sense of peace.