THE IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTING WITH FEELINGS BEFORE HAVING AN EXPERIENCE
Connecting with master and power plants challenges us to trust and surrender to the nature of life.
At our retreats, prior to Ayahuasca session, we carry out a preparatory workshop that lasts 2 hours so that people can first connect with their feelings and also become aware of blockages that could interfere during the experience, the same as those that interfere with their live. This workshop is more about undoing preparation, because some people read a lot about the experience in order to be alert during the journey and “know” what is going to happen and how they should behave. This type of preparation therefore reinforces control and this is precisely the blockage we intend to deactivate.
ACCESS TO THESE EXPERIENCES WITHOUT LIMITS CAN NOT BE CONDITIONED WITH PRECAUTIONS.
Expectations express the faith of the person in manipulating the experience. However, we must enter this experience with total innocence and dedication, open to any experience and from an act of humility to recognise that we know nothing. Not even from our past because this is a distorted memory of a partial interpretation of events that occurred.
Expectations correspond to an attitude of expectation and arrogance (“I already know the answer before they give it to me”, “I already know what must happen to free myself before it happens”). This is a funny thing because if you already knew what you need to know, you would not come to retreat or lose time and money having that experience.
WITH THE INNOCENCE AND VULNERABILITY OF A CHILD THE DOORS TO THE MYSTERY OPEN
The three main suggestions we make are these, which are related to each other and as you can see they are perfectly applicable also for life itself:
- Liberate your feelings, do not judge what you feel.Your feeling is the guiding thread towards your Being. Do not start to think that what you feel does not correspond with what you expected.If at some point in the night you feel a strong emotion, don’t worry because you are not going to be trapped there. You are simply crossing a threshold to a deep and liberating understanding that leads to Love. If you feel fear, remember that what is important is not fear but your attitude towards it.
- Trust, that is, open yourself up to receive everything that arrives without judging. Even if at some point you feel that “nothing happens” receive that as well. Adopt an attitude of unconditionality in the face of the experience. What you will see is your life and now you have the opportunity to open yourself completely to it even if it is only for one night. May it be that “Trust” is the silent mantra which impregnates your heart and do not seek or ask or demand. Let go of the wheel and embrace in silence so that Love may guide you.
- Breathe what you feel: If at any moment it is difficult for you to navigate some emotion during the experience, breathe deeply and let it spread throughout your body. Become it and let it possess you because you will be living the liberation of Love of the tight prison of beliefs in which youwerestuck.
Do not adopt stereotyped positions. When you take shamanic medicine try to sit up for the first half hour then let yourself go and lie down if you want. Do not try anything because intention means being “in tension” and that causes the spectrum of your conciousness to close.
Nor should you force yourself to relax by telling yourself to relax! That’s an order and it would only make you more tense. Do not try to control your thoughts, they do not have the power to interfere unless you give it to them and they are also invited to the party.
Do not focus on the visions because they are secondary. Sometimes they appear and sometimes they do not and if they appear they are taking you towards feelings. The visions appear with closed eyes and are lucid images of one’s life which are emotionally charged and also work to relax the person when they are geometric. Some people are waiting all night for visions to appear to know “if the journey has already begun” when in reality they do not always appear because the experience with Ayahuasca is a state of expansion of consciousness in which your consciousness is mainly extended and your sensitivity opens connecting you with the Higher Intelligence of Love.
You may vomit during the night but you may also not, and this does not mean that you have not healed. The fact that natural medicines stay in the body can be very useful in the following days; sometimes the body wants to keep that energy inside to be able to take full advantage of it. Comprehension happens through connecting with consciousness and vomiting is a natural and symbolic consequence of the act of letting go of a belief that happens just that precise moment. The ideal way to facilitate vomiting is to place yourself in a “four-legged” position thus favouring peristaltic movements. Vomiting occurs by itself and it is not necessary to provoke or force it.
We suggest living the whole experience with your eyes closed. This way you will not be distracted. Nor can you talk to others so as not to interfere with their processes. It is a group session, but the experience is individual. Each one lives through it on their own mat. And if at any time you need help or support, ask the responsible facilitator.
You can not smoke during the experience because it is an escape mechanism and do not take any other substances.
Taking more or less Ayahuasca does not mean that your experience will be deeper or more intense. Simply put aside all conclusive relationships around cause and effect as well as all assumptions, and surrender to whatever happens.
THE BEST EXPERIENCES OF OUR LIVES COME TO US WHEN WE LESS EXPECT THEM.
In summary: OPEN UP TO FEELING AND TRUST!
Sergio Sanz Navarro
Ayahuasca International Facilitator
IF YOU WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN ONE OF OUR INNER EVOLUTION RETREATS WITH PSYCHO-THERAPEUTIC USE OF AYAHUASCA, WRITE TO [email protected]