How to prepare for ayahuasca

General advice and recommendation to prepare for the ceremony

IMPORTANT!

It is crucial that you complete our medication form as soon as possible. This allows us to carefully review your medications and determine if any adjustments are necessary to ensure your safety and well-being during the retreat. You can find the link in the WhatsApp group or by clicking here.

Table of contents

• A general advice to prepare for the ceremony

• Recommended foods for an Ayahuasca diet

• Foods that are best to avoid before the Ayahuasca ceremony

• Why these restrictions matter - Additional Notes: 

• Final thoughts

A General advice to prepare for the Ceremony

Preparing for an ayahuasca ceremony is a deeply personal and important process. One of the most essential steps is abstaining from any substances or activities that cloud the mind, allowing the ayahuasca diet to fully support physical healing and spiritual transformation.

Additionally, setting a clear intention is crucial to creating alignment, mentally, towards deep healing. For your reference, you may recall back to what you share with Ina and Jose during the pre-retreat intake call (One-on-one Zoom session).

Recommended Foods for an Ayahuasca Diet

To connect with the medicine on a deeper level, preparing your body in the weeks leading up to your retreat is key. Eliminating certain foods helps reduce the amount of purging needed to cleanse unwanted toxins from the body.

Your diet leading up to the ayahuasca ceremony should consist of:

• Consuming minimal amount of animal products, alcohol, and coffee

• Mostly fresh and cooked vegetables, beans or other legumes, fresh fruits or juices.

• Healthy Carbs such as rice, oats, and other cereals are fine to eat.

• For cooking oils, choose olive oil or ghee butter, or find a recipe that can go without.

• Lastly, leading up to retreat, it is okay to have fresh organic eggs or fish. However, no animal products will be consumed on the day of ceremony.

Foods that are Best to avoid before the Ayahuasca ceremony

To ensure a smooth and safe experience, it is best to avoid the following foods before your ceremony:

• Pork & red meat

• Alcohol

• Synthetic drugs (cocaine, MDMA, amphetamines, etc.)

• Spicy foods

• Dairy products

• Refined sugars

• Junk food of any kind

• Salt and pepper

• Animal fats (lard, etc.)

• Carbonated and fermented drinks

• Fermented foods (kimchi, sauerkraut, vinegar, kefir, pickles, yoghurt)

• Caffeine & other stimulants

why these restrictions matter - Additional Notes:

• Pork, along with red meat, fermented foods, yogurt, and alcohol, all contain high amounts of tyramine.

• Since ayahuasca is an MAO-inhibitor, it temporarily inhibits the activation of the monoamine oxidase (MAO).

• This is an essential enyzme to breakdown tyramine, so without it you may end up with headaches and hypertension, so we recommend avoiding these foods.

• Also, antidepressants like SSRIs, MAO-inhibitors, sleep medications, are not recommended for two to six weeks before your ayahuasca retreat.

Final Thoughts

Your physical and mental preparation for an ayahuasca ceremony plays a significant role in your experience. By following these dietary guidelines and focusing on intention setting, you are creating the best possible conditions for profound healing and transformation.

We encourage you to take these recommendations as best as you can, and approach the retreat with mindfulness and respect for the process. Your journey with ayahuasca begins long before the ceremony itself—how you prepare can shape what you receive.

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