Here we are with our magical medicine man Edinson Panduro traipsing about in the jungle searching for medicinal plants and tree bark to boil up for our plant bath later that evening.
Leisa and I do not usually trek into the Amazon wilderness in sundresses and flip flops, but we had started in the botanical gardens earlier with Edinson, when the sun was still shining. It is about this time, dusk, when all the creatures "wake up" and come out en masse.
Along the Madre de Dios tributary of the Amazon lies the beautiful Eco Amazonia Lodge, one of the few Peruvian owned jungle retreats in the area. In seven days with our pasajeros (passengers) we submerge ourselves in the harmonic world of jungle nature, for total relaxation and/or taking ayahuasca for deep healing on many levels that modern medicine cannot reach. Even if you are not seriously ill, you can heal your spirit and emotions with ayahuasca.
The musicality of the rainforest is part of the healing journey of ayahuasca. It is a plant concoction designed to help people connect to the plant spirits in the Amazon Jungle in order to have the wisdom as to how to utilise nature's garden most effectively.
Edinson Panduro, our ‘Medico Vegetalista’ is a brilliant curandero with 46 years of Ayahuasca experience. He has had great success facilitating healings of 1st stage cancer, diabetes, hepatitis, gastritis, Parkinson’s Disease and a variety of other serious illnesses and addictions. One of my pasajeros stopped a 3 pack a day smoking habit after only three ayahuasca sessions!
In a surprisingly opulent green tiled candle lit bathroom attached to the aya hut, one by one we stood in the bath tub pouring bowls of the hot liquid plant mixture over our heads. Afterwards Edinson blew the thick rich black tobacco smoke over each of us. A whole new way of cleansing! We had to sleep with the plants perfuming our hair.
Here we all are after plant baths. It was a very bonding experience. Edinson says he routinely bathes with his family. I asked him, "Like this?" and he replied, "Of course, how else does one cleanse?"
You may think that waking up with twigs and leaves in your hair won't give you that feeling of being clean, but it is surprising how well we slept that night and how easy it was to wake at dawn to shower off all the plant bath while watching monkeys leap from tree to tree in the early morning light.
Different trees, barks and leaves provide various uses like pulling out toxins, relaxation, or healing. After a week of ayahuasca it is a good idea to be cleansed so we can set off into the world in a more protected and complete state. There are lots of preparations one is advised to follow before taking ayahuasca but really it is more important after the medicine to be gentle with your body and energies so as to allow the brew to fully work its magic inside of you. It stays in your system for up to 45 days.
Usually you take aya at least three times, the first for cleansing, the second for healing and the third time for the learning, then you purify with the plant bath. We have feedback sessions in-between each journey and there's always lots of time to process and journal when in the jungle. Here we are hard at work processing!
We want people to understand that they can choose their thoughts, feelings, words and actions to co-create whatever reality they desire. Our trips help people expand in a safe and loving environment into a state of allowing so that they can receive the endless abundant potential that our Universe supplies.
We look forward to processing the next phase of life with you!
