Personal Preparation for ECA Retreats
Once you have read the medical guidelines and have booked your retreat in the Colombian Andes you should begin to prepare.
Personal Preparation:
It is beneficial to be as centered and focused as possible before arriving in Medellin to work with the medicines. Doing yoga or meditation are options, but living with intention and clarity and bringing that intention with you to the retreat is the objective. Spend some time alone. The habits and behavioral patterns that you establish before the retreat will either hinder or enhance the integration process after the retreat.
Ayahuasca, San Pedro, and the other medicines that are available during the retreat demand connection and at times a painful re-connection between the ”me” and the ”self”, behind the mind and the soul. The ego suffers during this process. The more we foster that connection the more likely it is for us to discover how to be our own best healers.
It is also advisable to avoid sex and sexual activity, and to limit screen time for 5 days before a ceremony. This is a time for focused observation of what is going on inside of you, and to strengthen and purify your path in life and your own vision of that path. If it is a time for celebration, intentionality guides that celebration so that it reflects the flourishing of our present, ancestral and eternal selves.
Pre-Diet Restrictions – 5-7 days before ceremony:
No dairy, limited oils, no fried foods, no processed sugars, no hot spice, no caffeine, no citrus fruits, no preservatives, no sauces (Ketchup, Soy, etc.), no onions and garlic, no fermented foods, no dark beverages, no red meat, no pork, no alcohol, no drugs, no prescription drugs, no sex, no masturbation, limited screen time.
The dietary restrictions during the retreat include:
Participants will be offered an extremely tasty and healthy diet. There are several food requirements when taking sacred medicines such as Ayahuasca and our diet structure is designed to not only deeply cleanse your physical body, but at the same time, enhance your experiences with the medicines and their teachings. Participants will be treated to delicious salads, soups and an array of dishes, fresh fruit, daily juices, cleansing teas, super foods. There is also the possibility of having chicken or fish with meals as desired.
Post-Diet Restrictions: For 3 Days After Ceremonies:
No dairy, limited oils, no fried foods, no processed sugars, no hot spice, no caffeine, no preservatives, no sauces (Ketchup, Soy, etc.), no onions and garlic, no fermented foods, no dark beverages, no red meat, no pork, no alcohol, no drugs, no prescription drugs, no sex, no masturbation, limited screen time.
If you have any special dietary requirements please let us know in advance. On ceremony days participants will only eat breakfast and lunch.