Our Ceremonies
3-Day Retreat Cocoa-Ceremony
A specialty of our healing plant ceremonies which you may not find elsewhere, is that on the first evening of the weekend, we introduce a cocoa ceremony, and not until the second evening do we have the Ayahuasca ceremony (while on other retreats, Ayahuasca is drunk immediately after arriving). We offer you a preparation – you could say “opening ceremony” before the big night, when you can “arrive” properly. You can prepare and feel your way into the situation, the location, and the new group. In this first opening night, we give you – in its natural and pure state and of the highest quality- another healing plant, namely the cocoa plant, which opens our hearts and puts us in the mood for the consciousness expanding experiences of this weekend.
In this night of opening your hearts therefore, the first important physical and spiritual purification, and transformation to more quietude, relaxation and inner peace takes place creating a stronger connection to the group. Participants of our retreats always report how surprised they are about the effect of this first cocoa night, which creates the pre-condition to be relaxed and open, and already a bit more free and serene before attending the following Ayahuasca night.
In the cocoa night, we will relax, breathe and meditate together and, whoever wants to, can dance and sing as they please. After about four hours, we will end the ceremony and will have a warm night meal together and get then an important night’s rest.
Our Ayahuasca Ceremony
After spending Saturday, sometimes together, sometimes alone, in nature as well as in our large house and garden, and having refreshed ourselves with two vegetarian meals taken together at breakfast time and early afternoon (you can find info on the exact procedure under General Information), we ring the bell in the evening (at about 8 o’clock) to announce the Ayahuasca night.
Rapé for preparing
Before we go into the Ayahuasca ceremony, we offer you a very deep cleansing snuff, called Rapé. The shamans of the indigenous people of the Amazon region use this “sacred snuff” to connect with the “great spirit”, more precisely with the “Yushibu energy” – the energy of creativity and creation. This application is centuries old and belongs firmly to the cultural and above all the spiritual realm of the indigenous people. Rapé works primarily on the spiritual level. It helps to dissolve stuck mental thought patterns, frees the energy body from foreign energies and opens and harmonises the chakras. On the physical level, Rapé has a cleansing and detoxifying effect on the sinuses and frontal sinuses. Toxins are eliminated together with mucus. Rapé also helps to detoxify the pineal gland. With this intensive preparation, we go once again into a three-hour resting phase for self-reflection.
We begin with a round of questions where everyone can address or inquire about problems or questions on the subject of Ayahuasca. All questions are welcome and important so that you have a feeling of security and are well informed when starting the ceremony.
Then we prepare with a collective meditation for quietude, concentration, and inner contemplation until we drink the tea of the sacred plant Ayahuasca together and begin the journey to our inner selves. Naturally, this will be accompanied by our experienced team of four with care and attention. Every participant can, at any time during the ceremony, turn to one of us if they feel the necessity. Chatting with your neighbours should be avoided at this point of the ceremony; each should follow their own process and concentrate fully on themselves. If you like, you may wear an eye mask if you feel less disturbed that way.
Then – let it flow in, let go and trust, is all. Only when you let go of your inner resistance, cut out all reason if possible – indeed, anyone who meditates regularly knows this is not easy, but the plant helps with this process – will the plant do its “work”. “You don’t get what you want but what you need” is a well-liked phrase about Ayahuasca.
When the plant leads you into a deeper – and at the same time higher -.level of consciousness, this can lead to wonderful experiences, but also painful experiences come up and following this – a process of purification – vomiting may occur. This vomiting phase is not regarded as a bad sign or an uncomfortable side-effect, as is suggested in western medicine; no, it is the purifying, chief virtue – la purga – which rids you of old ballast, be it physical or spiritual. The more you regard this possibly uncomfortable process with gratitude, the more effective it will be, and either in that night, or the next morning, it will produce a glorious feeling of lightness and liberation, which you could not have imagined during the night. One must trust in the intelligence of the plant and go with the flow of all that may happen.
No matter if the moments are heavy and painful, or light and joyful – they are all meaningful, and moreover later, when you are well integrated in your daily life, help you to perceive life among others with more alertness openness and awareness.
After about 5 – 6 hours, we will close the ceremony together, slowly and gently, with the soft sounds of our spiritual Ayahuasca music.
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