Member-only story
How Ayahuasca Helped Me Let Go
And How I Stitched My World Back Together
“What am I doing?” I thought.
My boyfriend and I were driving down I-5 South on a rainy Friday afternoon. We were on the way to an ayahuasca retreat that would take place somewhere in the mountains near Los Angeles.
I was feeling nervous. Stories from people who had tried ayahuasca ranged from “I died” to “It was the most beautiful experience of my life”. Sometimes both.
Even though I’ve contemplated participating in an ayahuasca ceremony for a few years, the final nudge came from our friends — a couple we love dearly — an avid plant medicine enthusiast and a bodyworker. The last time we visited them, they told us about their experiences with ayahuasca, wachuma, and other medicinal plants. They had learned a lot from each of those ceremonies and had become less anxious and more conscious as a result.
“We are joining an ayahuasca ceremony near LA in January. You guys want to join?” our friends asked in our four-way chat.
We were game. Going together with people that had done it to a place they knew with a shaman they trusted felt somewhat safe…
We talked to the shaman, asked a ton of questions about safety, his qualifications, and the ceremony. After that conversation, we…
