Welcome to the blog!
Here you’ll find informative blogs written by me on all things Ayahuasca, health, growth, fitness, and more!
Here you’ll find informative blogs written by me on all things Ayahuasca, health, growth, fitness, and more!
If you’ve been through the D.A.R.E. program in middle school, you likely heard terrifying “facts” about marijuana…that simply aren’t true.
As a medicine, at least one Cannabis based ingredient was found in most medicines sold in the U.S. before 1937, when Marijuana was made illegal after an absurd Congressional hearing where critics of the plant convinced Congress that Cannabis turned men into mass murderers and rapists.
Of course, no one could explain why this hadn’t happened in 300 years—as the U.S. had a particularly strong history of Cannabis growing. In the 1600’s, it was even local law in Virginia that every farmer had to grow at least a little hemp or Cannabis for the good of the community. The marijuana law in the U.S. could jail you for NOT possessing Cannabis on your farm. How crazy is that?
Of course, it’s possible to overuse Cannabis, just as it’s possible to overuse food or any other consumable substance. That doesn’t make Cannabis (or food) bad, it just means that you must first be the keeper of your own health.
Similarly, plant-based psychedelics which have been portrayed as “party drugs” have ancient roots in healing now being studied by cutting edge psychologists and research universities.
Just as the old myths about Cannabis are quickly fading and being replaced with facts, the public perception around plant-based medicine for mental, psychological, and spiritual healing is starting to change, due to the fact that more research is coming out in support of plant-based treatment working faster to reverse depression, anxiety and trauma than other treatment methods.
Venturing into the jungle for the ancient Ayahuasca ceremony can sound intimidating at first, but it shouldn’t scare you.
This is my journey to healing through plant based medicine, and why I know it can change your life as well.
It all began when I was 16 years old. Back in the year 2010.
I had recently discovered the Joe Rogan podcast. I’m not sure how or why I began listening, but there I was listening to a podcast Joe was doing with a gentleman named Aubrey Marcus.
Aubrey was sharing his recent Ayahuasca experience down in the Amazon jungle in vivid detail. Going in depth on the rich history of Ayahuasca and everything he had experienced on his recent trip to the jungle. It was unlike anything I had ever heard before.
I was just a kid from a small town in Ohio. I was a pretty straight edge kid. I didn’t experiment with drugs or anything. I had never even tried marijuana at that point.
So when I heard Aubrey sharing his story it was completely blowing my mind. Stories of meeting God. Being healed at a deep level by the Ayahuasca. It was hard to wrap my head around. But I could hear the truth in his voice.
About halfway through the podcast something really special happened. I remember it all so vividly. It’s been over 11 years now but I can still remember everything about that moment.
I can only begin to describe it as a “spiritual moment”. A moment of divine clarity if you will.
An energy rushed through my body that I had never felt before. The hair on my arms stood up. It felt like a lighting bolt shot through me. And in that moment I had a deep knowing in my heart that this thing called “Ayahuasca” was going to play a massive part in my life & purpose on this earth.
It was one of the first times in my life that I really felt my intuition speak to me. A voice that would guide my life from that point forward.
This moment came and went quickly, the years passed by, but I never forgot this experience. I would think about it almost every day as I grew up.
Over the following years I dedicated my life to personal development. I was fascinated by our ability to grow and change as humans. Mentally, physically & spiritually. I sought out mentors to learn from and read personal development books daily for years.
A little background on me. I grew up a very depressed, anxious, & fearful kid. Went through some childhood trauma. Maybe that’s why I was so drawn to this path of development & something like Ayahuasca. I had heard so many stories about people healing themselves & leading a life full of success and happiness.
As the years passed by I continued to hear the word Ayahuasca come up more and more frequently. It was becoming more mainstream. Or should I say “mainstream again” as it’s been around for quite literally thousands of years.
I really wanted to head to the jungle and have my first experience, but didn’t even know where to begin nor did it feel like the right time yet. So I stayed patient.
I experimented with marijuana for the first time when I was 18 years old. It seemed to really alleviate my anxiety & allowed me to hide from the pain. So naturally, I was attracted to it. That became my “drug” of choice for many years. I’ve definitely abused it at times in my life, but it has also played an incredible role in my life as well. Just like anything else, it’s a tool that must be used with discipline.
Around 22 years old in 2016 I tried mushrooms for the first time. A very small dose. Around 1 gram. Enough to feel it though & get a taste of what “psychedelics” & plant medicine are all about.
In 2019 all of the stars aligned though. I had been on what I would call a divine journey for many years. Following my intuition & trusting my heart on some really big life decisions. Pursuing the path of most resistance.
Of course everyone's experience is going to be slightly different. And I encourage everyone to try and avoid setting expectations before something like this. But I'll begin by sharing a little bit about my experience working with Ayahuasca thus far.
I remember that week back in December 2019 so vividly. My first trip to the jungle. Arriving at the house (which is the same house I host my retreats at) after a full day of travel into the jungle immediately calmed my nerves. It’s a beautiful property overlooking the pacific ocean. With a vast jungle in the backyard.
Our first Ayahuasca ceremony was the following night. So there wasn’t a ton of time to sit around & think about it. Which was great.
The following morning we woke up early, did a 60 minute yoga flow & released any stress I was carrying right away. Watching the sunrise over the coastline helped me calm my nerves quite a bit as well.
That evening was the first ceremony. We spent the day in the jungle exploring. Swimming in the rivers. It was such a healing experience on its own.
Before I knew it the sun was setting and we were closing in on the moment of truth. At this point all of my nerves were gone. I was completely grounded in the moment.
Around 10pm the ceremony began. Kevin the Shaman (the same shaman I work with for my retreats) began by cleansing the space. Saying prayers. Ensuring the fire was strong in the middle of the temple. And then it was time.
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One by one everyone walks up to the altar at the front of the temple and is served a glass of Ayahuasca from Kevin. I remember it so vividly. Stepping up to the table. Looking into Kevin’s eyes with complete trust & eagerness. And drinking it down.
The taste was strong. Everyone talks about the taste. It isn’t something most people love. But it goes down quickly.
I thanked Kevin and headed back to my seat. They encourage that you don’t lie down for the first hour or so to let it digest. And so that you don’t fall asleep. So I sat there & meditated into it.
After about 45 minutes I felt it coming on. A feeling that’s difficult to describe. But when you feel it you know.
I could feel the presence of someone else with me. Again, tough to describe. It felt good. As I meditated into it I was having the wildest visuals. The cliche geometric patterns.
It continued to get stronger & stronger. As it did I felt my anxiety coming on as well. When it would get too strong I would open my eyes to pull myself out of it. I did this for hours.
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At some point around 2am something really special happened though. A voice began saying to me “the magic is in here”.. “the magic is in here”.. over and over again to me.
I took this to mean that I needed to surrender into the experience and quit opening my eyes. Which was a microcosm of my life. I needed to go deeper within myself to heal. I needed to face my deepest fears head on.
The ceremony finished up around 7am as the sun came up. It was a wild night. I was happy it was over and felt incredibly light & happy that morning. Something felt different for sure.
We had another ceremony that night. So we rested throughout the day in prep for the second night of medicine. The second night was a bit lighter than the first night for me. I slept throughout a lot of it. But it was still incredibly beneficial.
After a week in what I would compare to heaven (Costa Rica) I was headed back home with a new lens on life. A brand new energy. I felt so freaking good.
When I arrived home everyone could feel the shift in my energy. They said I felt “lighter”. Which made sense because I was so much less stressed. So much less anxious. It was great!
This feeling became my new normal as I integrated back into my normal life. My mental health seemed to improve quite a bit after that first experience. I felt so much more connected to the earth. so much closer to God and the universe.
I felt the call to head back to Costa Rica very shortly after arriving home. So I booked another trip down a few months later in February of 2020. Another unforgettable week.
As you can tell, my experience working with Ayahuasca and many other plant medicines has been incredibly beneficial in my life. In so many different ways as you just read. That first week helped me through that heart break a few months prior. It helped me to really gain clarity on my purpose & how all of the pain I had experienced growing up was a super power now.
There are so many stories out there just like mine. Millions of people have been healed by this ancient plant medicine over the thousands of years.
We all have our own unique lives. Our own unique experiences & traumas. Which will lead to a unique experience within the medicine. But it always seems to work wonders.
This is what led me to eventually hosting my own retreats. I’m now in a position where I can be the bridge for other men out there just like me that are seeking out an experience like this. But they don't know where to begin. They don’t know who to trust.
I’m so incredibly grateful for the life I'm living.
Tyler: “I wanted to heal myself so I could help heal others. The experience was quite joyful.”
Julian:“My Ayahuasca experience was beautiful, because you always get what you need. The more I heal, the more amazing things happen in my life and my business.”
As I shared at the beginning of this blog post, it took me several steps to move from “straight edge kid” to the understanding that plant-based medicine could be the agent to heal deep trauma and pain.
If this is your first time learning about plant-based medicine, it’s natural to have a lot of open questions.
I’d love serve as your guide in this journey.
I also understand that heading to the jungle w/ a random person from social media can be a bit overwhelming…I totally get it!!
Shoot me a DM on Twitter or IG if you have any questions at all! Or if you just wanna jam & get to know me moreYou can always DM me on Twitter or Instagram, or send me a message below.
In your corner,
-Jay
