Ice baths, otherwise known as a cold plunge or cold exposure, have become popular in fitness and wellness circles due to its many health benefits – both physical and mental. The practice is often preceded by an ancient breathwork technique called Tummo breath, a Tibetan Buddhist practice, also known as “inner fire” breathing, aimed at generating intense heat within the body and cultivating a deep state of awareness and control over the body and mind. Wim Hof, known as “The Iceman,” has popularized the use of ice baths combined with Tummo breathing, bringing ancient techniques into modern wellness practices. 

Beyond the huge benefit of giving us a chance to cleanse and renew, ice baths can support our health in many ways, from reducing inflammation to boosting mental resilience.  Here are 7 reasons why you should consider taking the icy leap! 

1. Strengthen the Immune System

Firstly, ice baths can activate and strengthen the immune system. Research shows that when your body enters the cold, it can provoke an increase in the production of white blood cells. This increase in immune cell activity has been shown to improve your body’s ability to defend itself more effectively against illness and infection. 

2. Reduce Inflammation

Whether your inflammation is from something chronic like arthritis or heart disease, or from a recent injury or workout, an ice plunge can help your healing process. When you enter the Ice bath, your blood vessels constrict, which slows down the flow of blood to muscles, reducing swelling and tissue breakdown. This cold-induced vasoconstriction limits the movement of fluids to inflamed areas, helping to prevent excess inflammation. Once the body rewarms, blood vessels dilate, increasing blood flow, which helps flush out waste products like lactic acid and promotes recovery by delivering oxygen and nutrients to the muscles.

After engaging in physical practices like yoga, hiking, or even sitting for a night around the fire in a ceremony, the body often carries physical tension. ice baths are a natural way to reduce inflammation and soothe sore muscles by causing blood vessels to constrict and limit swelling. This leads to faster recovery and less discomfort.

3. Enhance Sleep Quality

Cold therapy has been shown to improve sleep by calming the nervous system and helping the body enter a more relaxed state.  Exposure to cold water lowers the body’s core temperature, which can facilitate the natural drop in temperature that occurs during sleep, promoting a deeper and more restorative rest. It is an effective way to prepare the body for restful sleep after a long day. As we all know, sleep is an essential aspect of wellbeing, as it plays a vital role in physical health, mental clarity, emotional stability, and the body’s ability to recover and rejuvenate.

It is also crucial to get restorative sleep on a retreat, so the body and mind can assimilate the lessons from the day. A more calm nervous system is also incredibly important for going into a ceremony with plant medicines like Ayahuasca or San Pedro. The more your body and mind is calm, the more you can surrender to your purpose and what the plants have to teach you.

4. Increase Mental Resilience

Stepping into an ice bath isn’t just a physical challenge—it’s a mental one, too. The cold can be shocking, and it takes mental strength and a clear purpose to remain calm and endure it. Immersing yourself in cold water requires a deep sense of presence and the ability to stay calm amidst discomfort. Finding calm within the cold, icey water can help train your mind to handle stress more effectively. This practice teaches you how to breathe through challenges, and show yourself that you can reach any goal you set, with proper guidance and a clear purpose.

At Ayllu Medicina retreats, ice bath sessions also include a yoga and Tummo breathing session beforehand. The process requires emotional and mental fortitude, helping participants cultivate the same resilience that may be needed for plant medicine ceremonies. The act of surrendering to the cold is symbolic of surrendering to the healing process and letting go of what is not serving you, which is a strength you can carry forward into daily life.

5. Improves Blood Circulation

Ice baths play a vital role in stimulating circulation, a benefit that is especially important after long hours of working out, sitting at a desk, or. When you immerse into an ice bath, the cold causes blood vessels to constrict, pushing blood away from the extremities. Upon stepping out of the bath, your blood vessels dilate, promoting an influx of oxygen-rich blood to the body. This can also support heart health when done regularly, since the cold exposure helps train the cardiovascular system, potentially improving heart function and blood pressure regulation.

We have seen that the physical benefits like improved circulation after an ice bath helps participants reconnect with their body’s rhythms, facilitating a deeper, more harmonious experience with themselves and the healing environment around them. As the body circulates fresh energy, the mind becomes more attuned, allowing for greater presence.

6. Supports Stress Relief 

Inviting cold exposure into your routine can support the reduction of adrenaline-driven responses to stressors. Imagine you are about to dive into a freezing lake – what happens to your mind and body? Most likely, you will experience heightened levels of stress as well as a fear response in your brain which is trying to protect you from any danger.  And then, you take the leap! Afterwards, you are feeling happy, proud, and energized. Doing this with the additional support of breathwork and guidance in an ice bath is even more effective, as you have the support of your prepared mind and body and others to cheer you on.  Completing an ice bath teaches your brain and your inner being that you can overcome a challenge, even if it involves some stress and fear, and over time these two factors decrease. 

Many people come on a retreat because they are overwhelmed by life and want to take an intentional pause to relieve their stress. Ice baths are just one of the many pieces that go into this process of reducing stress. We also have daily yoga, breathwork, and meditation, ceremonies, workshops on connecting with your cyclical nature, along with detoxifying plant-based meals. Why not take a week to fully experience many practices that you can add to your routine to stay healthy and stress-free?

7. Increases Dopamine Levels and Boosts Mood

One study shows that ice baths can increase dopamine levels by up to 250%, and the effects of this can last for hours! The shock of cold water stimulates the release of endorphins and norepinephrine, hormones known for boosting mood and increasing alertness. This natural boost can help alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety, promoting a sense of calm and resilience in the face of stress.

We reach to so many different things to boost our mood, many of which are detrimental to our health. What if you could instead try this effective and fun practice that has been proven to lift your mood and provide physical benefits as well? 

Cold plunges can help reduce symptoms of anxiety and boost our mood by lowering cortisol levels and calming the mind. Cold exposure, especially when preceded with yoga and breathwork, encourages deep, controlled breathing, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for relaxation.

Take the Plunge – Join a Retreat to Purify with Ice Baths and more

It is recommended to receive a thorough introduction to this powerful practice with so many mental, emotional, and physical benefits. Why not try it or continue your practice while also immersing into a weeklong transformational retreat to more holistically support your wellbeing?  

Our guides help you to combine exposure to cold temperatures with breathing techniques and mindfulness practices so you can experience benefits of the practice, and even be able to do it at home with cold showers. Incorporating ice baths at our Transformational Plant Medicine Retreats has allowed participants to go into plant medicine ceremonies with Ayahuasca and San Pedro with even more energy and belief in their ability to surrender and let go of what is not serving them in life. With daily yoga, meditation, sharing circles, integration guidance, medicine music, and so much more, a retreat is a perfect place to try an ice bath surrounded by others who are also committed to their inner transformation.  Join us at an upcoming retreat to see this for yourself!

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Plant medicine and meditation are two healing modalities that have long been used by humans, even having the same root word. So why not combine these two practices?  After all, meditation can provide many benefits, not only for plant medicine preparation and plant medicine integration but also for your everyday life. 

At Ayllu Medicina plant medicine retreats we always include meditation as part of our daily practice, and we even have a yearly Meditation and Plant Medicine Retreat to delve deep into these two practices. Read on to learn more about why you should practice meditation when preparing for and integrating plant medicine. 

Make Space

Attending a plant medicine retreat or ceremony can be the first time you explore your inner being. Meditation helps you declutter the mind, making space between your thoughts and actions, and encouraging responses instead of reactions.  

You begin to become aware of the wandering nature of the mind and not get swept up into thoughts that pass by. This means you can enter a plant medicine ceremony with more space to go beyond the surface impressions of the mind into the true essence of your inner being. 

Find Presence

Meditation can help you re-center in the present moment, recognizing when your mind is focused on the past or future, or caught in an emotion. With different meditation techniques, you can bring the mind back to the present moment, which can generate more peace, clarity, and attention.

This can help you stay centered before a plant medicine ceremony, and even during a ceremony. You may feel certain emotions, or notice your physical body is tense. Coming back to the breath, and your surroundings, or making a physical adjustment can quickly change your ceremony experience.

Become the Observer 

Master plants such as Ayahuasca and San Pedro are medicines that can help you explore your inner world and release what is no longer serving you. However, what is often overlooked is what the advice ‘surrender’ or ‘let go’ means in plant medicine ceremonies. How can you learn how to do this?

Meditation allows you to witness the emotions, experiences, and visions that may come up, but not become them. Instead, you learn how to stay as the observer, trusting that whatever comes up passes. This benefit of meditation applies to plant medicine ceremonies and everyday life.

Generate More Compassion

The space and peace meditation can help you see with more clarity. You can develop more compassion for your own experiences, and other people’s, moving away from judgement to a more compassionate lens. 

During plant medicine preparation this can stop you from judging any emotions that may come up, and during a plant medicine ceremony meditation can help you stay grateful without labeling an experience as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. During plant medicine integration, meditation can help you process experiences, maintain space within, and help you re-center whenever you feel you need support. 

A Tool for Life

You can use the practice of meditation throughout your life, whether you decide to continue to meet with the sacred master plants, or if you attend one plant medicine retreat or ceremony. You can practice meditation to integrate many experiences and impressions in your life, so you can always find a way to access the deep inner peace you have inside your heart.

Your plant medicine experience can depend on how you prepare and integrate. After all, you can sit in many plant medicine ceremonies but you also need the tools to integrate experiences, so you can continue to walk on your path with clarity, growth, and peace.

Join Our Meditation and Plant Medicine Retreat in South America 

There have been many studies on the power of the mind and how it shapes your reality. Meditation and plant medicine are ways to ensure you are shaping your reality from the present. They can provide profound physical, emotional, and energetic benefits. 

So, where do you begin? It is important to find a plant medicine retreat or ceremony run by experienced guides. At Ayllu Medicina plant medicine retreats in Ecuador, our guides have decades of experience, including with specific meditation practices.

Some retreat participants are new to meditation or plant medicine when they attend retreats, whilst others have already met with one or both healing modalities. Our Meditation and Plant Medicine Retreat in November 2024 is the perfect option to start or develop your meditation practice while getting to meet with the sacred master plants of Ayahuasca and San Pedro. There are several spaces left! 

Contact us if you have any questions. We are happy to help by phone or email. 

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Heart coherence is a state we all aim to reach and maintain, but it can feel difficult to know where to begin. After all, there is often advice to connect with your heart or return to your heart- without a roadmap on how to reach the destination. 

The good news is there are many ways that can help you connect with your heart center and discover its incredible intelligence. We are grateful to work with experts on Heart Technology, which inform many of our workshops and practices at our Ayllu Medicina plant medicine retreats, especially on our Medicine of the Heart retreats. 

Here are some things to know about Heart Intelligence to help you get started.

Your Heart Has Its Own Nervous System

Your heart is more than a biological function that pumps blood around the body. Did you know your heart is also classified as a functional brain? Researchers have discovered that the heart has 40,000 sensory neurones. These can sense, feel, learn, and remember. 

Many ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians, focused on the heart as the center of emotions, intelligence, and thoughts. Now science is catching up, discovering the heart’s intelligence through research. Connecting to your heart intelligence allows you to connect with your true essence, acting from this space to reach your highest potential.

Your Body’s Most Powerful Electromagnetic Field

The heart is the most powerful electromagnetic field in the human body, producing a field that spans around several feet outside of you. Researchers found that the electric field is 60 times greater in amplitude than electric activity in the brain. 

Connecting to this field allows you to connect with others on a deeper level, connect with the Earth, tune into your own knowing, and influence your own body in a positive way, down to the cellular level to support your functioning. 

Your Heart’s Intelligence Guides You

Have you ever got a feeling about someone, or a situation, which turns out to be correct? This was probably your heart talking. Another example is that many retreat participants speak about feeling a call to come to retreat, without their mind being able to give a specific intention as to why.

It is the call of your heart – communicating your inner knowing. 

Discoveries around heart intelligence help explain intuition, empathy, and other skills that humans have, such as clairvoyance. It is important to align your emotions and mind with the heart to tap into your own guidance. Your heart is constantly communicating with the brain, and sends signals to help guide our lives – the key is to be in coherence to tune into these signs. 

Emotions Impact Your Rhythm

Research has found that your emotional state impacts your heart’s rhythm, with positive emotions bringing balance and a steady pace. It has also been found that the feelings that often come from the heart- such as gratitude, love, and compassion, stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as the ‘rest and digest’. When you activate this system, you promote well-being in the body and conserve energy. 

In contrast, emotions such as fear, jealousy, and anger, which we do not usually associate with the heart, can cause irregular heart rhythms and disorder. These emotions and rhythms can increase the risk of a variety of health problems, which is why connecting to your heart and its natural state of emotion can help enhance your well-being physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Learning how to reach states of appreciation and forgiveness allows you to move back into a space of well-being. 

There Are Practices to Help You Gain Coherence

Learning about heart intelligence is the first step. The next step is connecting to your own heart’s intelligence and discovering the many benefits it will bring to your life. Heart coherence offers benefits such as:

• More self-awareness
• Reduced stress levels
• Increased energy
• Creativity 
• Clarity of thought 
• Better sleep

There are many physiological, psychological, and spiritual benefits of working with your heart’s intelligence. It is common to experience conflict between the heart and the mind. What should you do when your mind says one thing, and your heart the other? 

Connecting to these heart intelligence practices helps enhance coherence and find peace between systems. Then you can live in a flow state, with systems working together. This allows you to listen and act from your heart with clarity, confidence, and awareness. 

You can train the heart to develop new habits and find coherence. There are many different practices that can help you begin. A great place to start is to bring attention to your heart space, and even place your hands there for a physical connection. 

You can also think about someone or something that brings you feelings of gratitude, joy, or love, then slowly expand this feeling throughout your body.

To go deeper into the teachings of the heart, join us at one of our Ayllu Medicina plant medicine retreats in Ecuador. Our Medicine of the Heart Retreat and Journey to the Heart Retreat specifically focus on Heart Intelligence, with daily Heart Technology workshops, the sacred master plants of Ayahuasca and San Pedro, and other ancient healing practices.

The next chance to join us is in June 2024 for our Journey to the Heart Retreat, which you can learn more about here. 

Discover Heart Intelligence and Find Alignment 

There is so much to learn about your heart and its intelligence. Learning how to connect to this space and live from it brings harmony, presence, well-being, and other healing benefits. Most importantly, it allows you to find alignment within, allowing all systems to work together, freeing energy and space to connect with your true essence.

The heart is formed and beats long before the brain is formed. It then remains in constant communication with your brain throughout life. It is time to listen to this communication once more and remember the incredible intelligence and power that comes from centering back into the heart space.

Join Ayllu Medicina in June 2024 for our Journey to the Heart Retreat to learn more. There will be daily Heart Technology workshops, plant medicine ceremonies, sweat lodges, meditations, daily yoga classes, and other healing practices to help you find alignment.

We would love for you to join us around the heart center of our fire, on the beautiful coast of Ecuador. If you have any questions, please contact us! Our team will be happy to discuss our retreats and offerings in more detail.

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Our cyclical nature has been painted as a burden, as something to hide, as something we are victims of and should try to forget about. When actually, connecting with your moon cycle (menstrual cycle) brings empowerment and understanding of your true nature.

So, where do you begin? 

Ayllu Medicina’s guide, Hwaneetah, has been studying womb technology for over 20 years, sharing through 1:1 sessions, on retreats, and during a recent interview with Breathe and Flow (you can watch the full video at the end of this article!). She is currently writing her first book about womb technology and the feminine principle.

We give thanks for Hwaneetah’s invaluable knowledge and want to share five ways to connect to your cycle once more. 

1. Understand Your Four Seasons 

The Earth goes through four seasons each year, which are essential for all life to continue and thrive. Did you know that women also experience these seasons, every month? 

As Hwaneetah explains in detail, Winter is when you are menstruating, which is when you are at your lowest energy point. Spring comes next, which is when you begin to open again and your energy begins to rise. Then you are in Summer, which is when you can reach 100% of your energy capacity, before Autumn, which is the week before your period.

Each season is 7 days of the 28-day cycle, so for example, Winter is seven days even if you only bleed for several days. A good place to begin this cycle synching is to download our Ayllu Medicina Moon Clock, so you can begin to track your seasons. 

If you do not have a period for another reason, you can sync your cycle with the moon, by picking a moon phase for your Winter time each month. You can learn more about how to live cyclically during menopause, the seasons, and male dynamics by watching Hwaneetah’s full womb wisdom interview at the end of this post.

2. Recap and Rest

As Hwaneetah says, red is the color to signal stop for many reasons, from traffic lights to if we cut ourselves and see blood. So, why isn’t this applied to our menstruation time? Women bleed for days during their winter time, however, often it is expected that they carry on as if they are at their 100% capacity.

A good place to begin to connect with your cycle is to honor your winter time by taking a break. This may be by taking a few days rest, or being mindful to go slower these days. You will begin to see the difference it makes during your month when you work with the process of purification, which happens during your menstruation.

The process of purification leads to renewal. So along with resting during your winter time, you can also take the time to recap your month. Reflect on everything that has happened during the past 28 days, so you can start your Spring time renewed and with clear intentions on what you want to focus on during the cycle ahead.

3. Connect With the 13:28 Frequency 

The Gregorian calendar was invented in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII. As Hwaneetah discusses, this calendar only takes into account solar cycles, not lunar cycles. This makes women a ‘glitch’, with the design making it impossible to measure basic cycles of time for anyone. 

The frequency of 13:28 was the old way we measured time. This frequency is present throughout the universe and in our bodies including:

• Moon cycles of 28 days, happening 13 times a year 
• Our 13 menstrual cycles of the year, on average every 28 days 
• The 13 main joints of our bodies and in each hand and foot around 14 bones 
• Turtles who reach old age often have 13 divisions and 28 subdivisions

You can learn more about how we measured this frequency by watching Hwaneetah’s interview with Breathe and Flow. You can also learn more by visiting the Harmonic Factor’s website and downloading the lunar cycle calendar. This website gives a wealth of information about how to work with this 13:28 calendar, which equates to 364 days, with the 365th day being the ‘day out of time’.

4. Have a 1:1 Moon Session

You can also have a 1:1 online Moon Session with Hwaneetah to begin to connect with your cycle on a deeper level. These sessions help you activate the secondary functions of the womb and help you find healing. The sessions include:

• Detoxing and balancing of the energetic field with sacred geometry 
• Deactivating of karmic or codependent cords in the uterus 
• Closing of lunar cycles and frequency alignment 

You can do a moon session if you want to connect with your cycle, are perimenopausal or are in menopause. You can also have sessions to focus on a specific issue such as irregular periods, lack of vitality, fertility problems, cysts, or another specific difficulty.

The sessions last for around 2 hours. You can contact Hwaneetah directly to arrange via WhatsApp (+593-96 725 5701) or by contacting Ayllu Medicina. 

5. Attend an Ayllu Medicina Retreat

Attending a retreat is the perfect way to delve deep into your inner world, with the help of the master plant teachers and other ancient healing practices. Ayllu Medicina holds transformational plant medicine retreats throughout the year, including one Women’s Power Yoga and Plant Medicine retreat each year, which focuses on womb function activation and the womb-heart connection. 

Our Women’s retreat allows you to discover the magic of women joining together in a supportive environment. There are multiple womb wisdom workshops, practices, ceremonies, sweat lodges, and other activities throughout the week. The daily yoga practices and meditations are also centered around the cyclical nature of women and how to harness the power of this.

Our next Women’s retreat starts on 13th April 2024. We have a couple of spaces available if you would like to join us for this week of empowerment. Our next Women’s Retreat is in June 2025. 

Connect With Your Cycle and Find Empowerment 

It is time to become empowered by your cyclical nature instead of falling victim to it. The first step is to acknowledge the cyclical nature you experience inside, which is also reflected through the four seasons of the Earth. 

More than ever there are ways to reawaken to the power of your moon cycle. However, it is important to connect with experienced guides and sources. Hwaneetah is an expert in womb technology and there are several ways to connect to her wealth of knowledge.

We are excited to announce that Hwaneetah’s first book will be coming out this year, you can sign up to our newsletter for updates on this and other Ayllu Medicina news. We would also love it if you could join us around the fire at one of our Women’s retreats on the beautiful coast of Ecuador. If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch!

In the meantime, you can watch Hwaneetah’s full interview with Breathe and Flow below, which details these ways to connect to your cycle along with more life-changing information.

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The origins of breathwork span back to the origins of yoga in India with pranayama, and in more recent decades, different breathwork practices have emerged, with breathwork now being a beneficial practice for people around the world. Plant medicine preparation includes following dieta guidelines and being mindful of what you’re consuming mentally, such as limiting screen time. However, something that is often overlooked, is how you can work with your breath.

Vanessa, our retreat yoga instructor, has over 1500 hours of study, from YTTs to a Pranayama master program and beyond (learn more about her here). So, we sat down with her to discuss the healing benefits of pranayama for plant medicine preparation, ceremony, and integration.

Breathwork and Pranayama: Is There a Difference? 

I would describe breathwork in a broad sense. There are many benefits to breathwork, as you can see with Wim Hof and these other techniques. I would say one of the main differences between pranayama and breathwork is that breathwork has general benefits, which are not as specific as pranayama. 

For example, breathwork can offer benefits such as increased lung capacity and benefits for general organs. Whereas with pranayama it is the concentration of prana, also known as life force. So, pranayama work is generally a lot more specific.

I have more experience with the specifics of pranayama, so I can say the main difference with pranayama is the whole goal is to reach meditation, which is why we practice it.

What Is Pranayama and Its Benefits?

We break the pranayama breath into five main components, with each component having a different benefit. These are:

1. General life force, which brings more vibrancy 
2. Illumination, helping with anything you want to let go
3. Regulating the system, which helps reconnect all your systems 
4. Working the network system, which reconnects all pathways in the body
5. And then you can elevate the consciousness with pranayama. 

So pranayama is another form of healing. You can have a specific objective with your pranayama breathwork, and there is a general script that we follow to help you prepare for the next stage of your yoga practice: meditation. 

So, like in a plant medicine ceremony, we start with purification. We first clear out, before working on components such as reconnecting the system. So, you start with breathwork for purification, then you can work on opening up, with active pranayama exercises. You then eventually reach calming and slowing pranayama exercises, in preparation for meditation.

Practising Pranayama for Plant Medicine Preparation 

It is important to prepare for a plant medicine ceremony by focusing on your physical body, so you can sit comfortably.  Yoga asanas help ensure our body is ready for a plant medicine ceremony, so we can sit in the ceremony space.  However, it is also important to prepare emotionally and energetically for a plant medicine ceremony. 

We need to think of the body as a whole system, so along with the outer structure; the physical, we also have the interior. If we haven’t worked with pranayama or we don’t understand that we can work on different parts of our internal body consciously, it can be overwhelming.

We can work on parts of the body consciously with the breath and this is similar to what can happen with a master plant such as Ayahuasca. The master plant can start to go through the body and find the areas that need more alignment and areas where you need to let go. So, if you haven’t had any work with breathwork before the ceremony, it can feel overwhelming as you begin to recognize the body has different areas.

A Deep Breath Changes Everything

When we come into a plant medicine ceremony with a bit of pranayama practice, it is not so overwhelming when we navigate the plant medicine. It doesn’t have to be years of breathwork or pranayama practice. It is more about having a conscious awareness of the breath and its ability, which we work on during Ayllu Medicina retreats with our daily yoga classes. 

We often say to come back to your breath when navigating difficult parts of a plant medicine ceremony. Sometimes a deep breath can completely change your experience and make it okay. How do we teach kids to start to regulate? How we teach kids to regulate is through the breath. Once we learn we can take a full deep breath into the belly we can begin to fully regulate in everyday life and in a plant medicine ceremony.  

Breathwork and Ayahuasca Connection 

We do not work on breathwork during ceremonies, but the preparation in our morning yoga classes and workshops helps significantly. We can begin to see how working through the parts of the body helps us find alignment and harmony. In Ayahuasca, we often speak of surrender – just surrender to the experience. 

When we have done breathwork exercises, it can make this letting go easier because you have worked your interior body consciously as part of your daily practice.

Breathwork and San Pedro Connection 

With San Pedro, the breath work helps with alignment because we are aware and have the ability to navigate the experience as we do with breathwork. However, the nervous system is firing, so it can also be easier to get dysregulated. This is similar to our modern daily lives when we are exposed to stress and conflict, which can lead to deregulation.

Having breathwork techniques helps you consciously calm your nervous system and take control. Over time, this practice can also help raise your nervous system’s resting point. 

This means you no longer get triggered, say for example when someone says something in passing. It will take a lot more for you to become deregulated. 

This is one of the benefits of breathwork and the sacred master plants such as San Pedro. They are helping us develop skills to navigate daily life from our center, which lasts not only in ceremony but forever in our lives.

When we speak about the connection between plant medicine and pranayama, we do not mean we will be doing both at once, although the mindfulness of the breath is great in ceremony! On our plant medicine retreats in Ecuador they are powerful complementary modalities that support each other. 

Breathwork Exercises to Prepare for a Plant Medicine Ceremony

Along with preparing your diet to help clear out the body, and help processing systems, the digestion, and your brain, it is important to start having moments of stillness or quiet time.

If you do not have a pranayama practice or you do not have a teacher, start by working with the abdominal breath, which is one of the most powerful and simple beginner pranayama exercises. This pranayama exercise can help insomnia, chronic stress, and all the autonomic systems in the body.

Pranayama Tips

For this exercise, you can lie on the ground:

• Place your hands on your belly.
• When you  inhale, feel  your stomach rise
• On the exhale, feel the pause and release. 

You can do ten minutes of abdominal breathing every day first thing in the morning or in the evening before bed. 

Often we think of simple breathing exercises as not so efficient. However, if this is your capacity it is better to have this consistency, instead of occasionally doing a different pranayama exercise. It is important to have a point in our day to recap through our breath, allowing everything to come back into place to go forward in presence. 

We think of yoga as a complicated or long practice. Ancient yogis spoke of as little amount of investment for the most amount of gain. So, if you are practicing fully present and consciously, with the breath too, a 20-minute morning practice means you are good for the whole day. I think it goes back to being present and aware, which ceremony also shows- after all, you can’t multitask in a ceremony.

If you want to go deeper, you can then find teachers or contact Ayllu Medicina and attend one of our retreats.

Breathwork for Plant Medicine Integration 

Plant medicine integration is essential because everything is getting moved in a ceremony. Everything is energy and often in plant medicine ceremonies stagnant energy is getting moved, sometimes this includes past generational stagnation that has been passed on.

Pranayama can be an important integration tool to help consciously direct the breath and manage integration. With a pranayama practice,  you are taking the energy that is moving and helping release what is no longer serving you. You do not need to consciously do this by going through stories or trauma, it is naturally being released through the purification breathwork exercises.

Pranayama and Plant Medicine: The Long-Term Benefits

You can then work on vitality, once you have made more space with the first pranayama exercises. What the breathwork exercises are doing is healing the internal body. They regulate the autonomic systems, the samskaras- our behavioral patterns. The exercises also help with pranasyedam vashe sarvam,  which means releasing the filters over our eyes, to see with clarity.

We can have stories in our minds about how things happen in life. With plant medicine integration these stories often do not serve us anymore and our perspective begins to change. Pranayama can help us gain the full potential of healing with plant medicine experiences. 

It makes it not just about the experience of the ceremony. It is also taking the experience and integrating it, moving it fully through the whole self, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

And then, the breathwork also helps you stay clutter-free. We do not need to just have the clear out from the plant medicine ceremony and wait for it to build up again, wait for it to fill. Instead, using breathwork and other practices, we can start to go deeper, continue to grow, and maintain clarity. 

Women’s Retreat Breathwork and Yoga

As women, we are brought into this way of defragmenting ourselves. For example, we’ve separated from our cycles, from our feminine part of ourselves, to function in the male-dominated energy, which can serve us at some points. However, more and more we are realizing we are missing out and there are more parts of ourselves to explore.

The beautiful thing about the Ayllu Medicina Women’s Power Plant Medicine and Yoga Retreat is we are coming back to the basis of who we are, coming back to the empowerment of our moons, the fluctuations in our hormones, understanding our cycles, our energy, and learning how to compliment our breathwork and yoga practice for this.

Yoga and Breathwork for Our Cyclical Nature 

The strong Ashtanga practice was meant for men, as they have a consistent flow of hormones. As women, we have to realize it is okay to change our practice throughout our month to reflect where we are in our cycles, with our changing energy levels and our moon. This is what I’ve been learning- how to shift the practice, which I will be sharing at the Women’s retreat. 

Our moon cycle underlines everything. We do not want to go against the flow of our moon, including with our breathwork. For example, during our moon time, we do not want to do strong, active, cleansing breathwork, as this process is already happening internally within us with our moon.  So it is too much to also do this breathwork, similar to how it would be to enter the sweat lodge on our first days of our moon with the heat. 

During the Women’s retreat, we will be understanding how the external and internal environments reflect and how to bring both into harmony. This way we can stop being so rigid, instead recognizing fluctuations and allowing flow to happen, which means there’s also more flow in life.

Breathwork at Ayllu Medicina Plant Medicine Retreats in Ecuador

There are many tools that can help with plant medicine preparation, integration, and during the ceremony. Many of these tools are also important for the ceremony of life, which continues after you leave a plant medicine retreat or ceremony. 

Learning more about breathwork and becoming conscious of your breath is one of the tools that can help you physically, spiritually, and emotionally. We are fortunate to have Vanessa on our Ayllu Medicina team to learn more about the practice of pranayama. 

Get started with your breathwork on the Otra Ola Youtube channel, with this video by Vanessa. You can also visit Vanessa in Ayampe at Otra Ola, with their Prana Health Food Store, surf classes, yoga, Spanish classes, and other events. 

During our Ayllu Medicina transformational retreats, there is daily yoga, meditation, and breathwork. During our Women’s retreat, there will also be a focus on the complementary healing modalities of yoga and pranayama. There are several spaces available, so if you feel called to join us reach out!

One of our team will be happy to answer any questions you have or schedule a call. You can learn more about all our Ayllu Medicina retreats here. 

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Retreat participants often ask us how to integrate plant medicine ceremonies and their retreat experiences. After all, whether you have attended an Ayahuasca ceremony or a plant medicine retreat in South America, integration doesn’t stop once you leave the sacred space; it continues when you return to your home or continue your travels. Often, you return to everyday life feeling different, even if everything around you seems the same. 

So, what can you do to maintain changes and continue to integrate? 

One of the most important parts of plant medicine integration is staying clutter-free physically, emotionally, and energetically. Plant medicine ceremonies can help us release what is no longer serving us, so you often leave like a snake that has just shed skin. The good news is that there are a variety of different integration techniques you can use; read this guide to learn more.

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Physical Integration
Emotional Integration
Energetic Integration

Physical Plant Medicine Integration

When people ask how to integrate an Ayahuasca ceremony or a San Pedro ceremony, they are often surprised that it starts with their physical body!

You need a solid grounding, healthy body, and clutter-free surroundings to embody your experiences. Then, you can begin to weave the lessons into your daily life, noticing changes in your inner and outer world. 

Post-Plant Medicine Diet 

Usually, people follow a pre-ceremony Ayahuasca dieta or diet for San Pedro preparation to purify their bodies for the sacred medicines. After a retreat or ceremony, it is also important to be mindful of the foods you consume and slowly reintroduce foods back into your diet to see how your body reacts. It is also essential to hydrate well with water! 

For example, do not return to your usual caffeine consumption; go slow and maybe consider alternatives such as Green tea or Guayusa, which we share on Ayllu Medicina retreats. You may also find you do not want to introduce certain foods back into your diet after releasing emotional food cravings.

Your dieta will vary depending on where you attend a plant medicine ceremony or retreat. However, in general, be mindful of your consumption of the following for at least a week after a plant medicine ceremony:

• Coffee
• Red meat and pork 
• Spices
• Dairy 
• Processed sugars 

You know your body best, so tune in to what it needs. Plant dietas are not about deprivation, but caring for your body and simplifying to make space for change. At Ayllu Medicina plant medicine retreats, we provide nourishing plant-based food throughout the week to nourish you and help you integrate a balanced diet. If you are unsure what medications or supplements to reintroduce after a retreat, consult your retreat guides and doctor. 

Space and Surroundings 

Everything is energy, so a lot of physical clutter can be distracting. Many studies have shown how physical clutter creates stress, disorder, and other negative physical, energetic, and emotional effects. So, consider clearing your space and home when settling back into your everyday life.

A clutter-free inner world needs a clutter-free physical world as a reflection. At Ayllu Medicina, we often describe how plant medicine ceremonies can be like taking off a heavy backpack, often full of things you didn’t know you were carrying but were weighing you down. These can include emotions, impressions, and other energy you have accumulated over the years. 

One of the benefits of plant medicine retreats and ceremonies is that they are often the first time you can fully stop, take off the backpack, and unload what is no longer serving you. So, once this happens, do not physically load yourself with more than you need; clear your space to reflect your lighter inner world! 

Emotional Plant Medicine Integration 

Plant medicine ceremonies can be transformative experiences, often expanding perspectives and giving profound insights into your inner world. It is important to remember that sacred plant masters are medicines, which means a variety of emotions can come up during ceremonies and as you integrate the experiences. 

Once you leave the ceremony or retreat container, it is important to continue to care for your mental health. It is natural for different emotions to come up, but do not leave them lingering for later. Instead, use different integration practices to stay clutter-free mentally. 

Daily Morning Practice 

What do you do when you first wake up? Instead of immediately reaching for your phone or rushing to work, set some time aside for you to ground and be in the present moment. A morning routine looks different for everyone, but including a yoga practice, meditation, and some breathwork can set you up for the rest of your day.

During plant medicine preparation and retreats, you have the chance to slow down and make space for yourself during the morning. During Ayllu Medicina retreats, there is also daily yoga, meditation, and breathwork, so you can learn different techniques and integrate them into your everyday life. Like making the bed each morning, being consistent with a daily practice quickly makes it a habit that will provide many benefits to your life.

Recapping 

During Ayllu Medicina retreats, there are sharing circles after plant medicine ceremonies.  So, you begin to process your experiences and integrate the lessons. You can continue to do this for all parts of your life after the retreat so you do not go back to saving everything for ‘later.’ 

Doing a simple recap of your day before you go to bed each night is a great practice, especially for post-retreat integration when you are still adjusting back to your daily life. You will be surprised at how much happens everyday! 

Women can also recap their month as part of their cycle during their menstruation time. Menopausal women can also use the New Moon or Full Moon. Men can also do this! Learn more about Sun and Moon dynamics in Hwaneetah’s Womb Technology interview with Breathe and Flow. If you attend one of our plant medicine retreats in Ecuador, you will learn more about this from Hwaneetah, who has been studying womb technology for over 20 years.

Find a Community

It is important to remember you have a community in plant medicine integration, so reach out whenever you need; you are not alone! For example, Ayllu Medicina has retreat groups where we continue to stay in touch and share. After your plant medicine retreat, you can also book a post-retreat integration session with our medicine guides.

No matter where you attend a plant medicine ceremony or retreat, find a supportive community to support your plant medicine integration. This could be loved ones at home, new groups, or your retreat group. Acknowledge that some loved ones are at different stages in their journey and may not be able to relate to your experiences, but they will begin to notice the positive changes within you. 

A note on sharing: As we say during our retreats, not everything from your Ayahuasca experience or San Pedro experience is to be shared. Some of the experiences you may not be able to articulate, and some are important to keep for yourself. 

Maybe you will begin to share more over time, but it is important not to overshare quickly- go slow, as you are still integrating the experience! A good start is to share the main lessons, or ‘pearls,’ of your experience. 

Be Aware of Mental Consumption

When preparing for a plant medicine ceremony, your dieta doesn’t end with food. It is also recommended to start a meditation practice, reduce your social media use, and be mindful of what you are mentally consuming. This is so you make space to go deeper with the plant medicines without having to process the many impressions mental consumption brings.

After you leave a plant medicine retreat, stay clutter-free by consciously consuming. After a break from the constant onslaught of information most people are bombarded with, it can feel overstimulating to log back into social media and read a backlog of WhatsApp messages or emails! 

So, go slow and perhaps wait before delving straight back into binge-watching your favorite show or spending long periods of time online. It is okay to normalize and put a movie on; just be mindful of going to extremes. 

After all, taking a pause allows you to identify impulsive behaviors in your life, the behaviors that are automatic without any thought, such as checking your social media pages multiple times a day. So, when you leave a plant medicine retreat, you can take charge of what you consume again from a conscious standpoint and put healthy boundaries in place.

Energetic Plant Medicine Integration

Everything has an energetic vibration, and plant medicines can help purify and  raise your vibration.  After letting go of what is no longer serving you, you want to continue caring for your energy and keep it clutter-free. 

Usually, during plant medicine ceremonies such as Ayahuasca, you can experience a huge energy expansion. After expansion, there is contraction as you begin to unify the body, mind, and spirit to what you experienced. 

This contraction may show up in changes in energy, mood, or the desire to be alone, which is natural- tune into what you need and continue to protect your energy as you go through integration. At Ayllu Medicina you can also sign up for a Shamanic Cleansing, also known as a Limpia, with Aime, which can help renew your energy. Learn more about this on our offerings page. 

Spend time in Nature 

Ground your energy in nature. Go for a walk, visit a body of water, sit by a tree, or simply plant your feet on the ground and absorb the benefits! It is important to remember that you can connect to the elements of nature at any time, which can help center your energy and offer purification. 

Incense Smudging

In many plant medicine ceremonies, you may notice the use of different incense, including for smudging, which can help remove negative energies. This incense can include sage, copal, cedar, and palo santo. Light some sage or another smudge and cleanse yourself and your space once you return home and whenever you want to shift the energy.

Practice Gratitude

Did you know that practicing gratitude can help you physically, emotionally, and energetically? During plant medicine integration, remember to come back to gratitude- for your experiences, your courage, your loved ones, the elements, and the sacred master plants. 

A simple practice is to journal or think about five things you are grateful for each day. This can instantly uplift your energy and help you welcome any discomfort during integration with the trust that you are coming into alignment.

Notice What Isn’t Serving You

Plant medicines such as Ayahuasca and San Pedro can provide deeply healing experiences. However, often, there is work for you to do during plant medicine integration based on the profound lessons the plants can present. This may include learning what is not correspondent anymore, such as a particular habit, behavior, relationship, or place. 

Take some time after a plant medicine retreat to reflect on what is no longer in alignment. If it doesn’t feel right anymore, it may be time to let go of something to be able to continue your expansion and growth.

It is also important to consider post-plant medicine retreat recommendations, such as avoiding sexual activity for several days after plant medicine ceremonies, as this is also a huge exchange of energy. 

Connect to Music 

Music is an integral part of Ayllu Medicina plant medicine ceremonies and retreats. You will have the chance to connect with your own voice and learn some medicine songs. Singing is a powerful way to shift energies, raise vibrations, and stay clutter-free. 

After plant medicine retreats, many retreat participants continue to sing and connect with sacred instruments such as the rattle or hand drum. If you need to move energy during plant medicine integration, consider picking up a rattle and singing or listening to some plant medicine music to reconnect with the sacred plant teachers! Check out our medicine guides’ music, Pájaros de Luz, to get started. 

Plant Medicine Integration Practices to Stay Clutter-Free 

Plant medicine integration goes beyond the Ayahuasca or San Pedro Ceremony. It is about the ongoing work to stay clutter-free and in touch with your true essence. When you can stay clutter-free emotionally, physically, and energetically, it is when you begin to express your true essence, uniting with the whole.

You can attend many ceremonies or plant medicine retreats in South America, but if you do not have the tools to integrate experiences, then you cannot absorb the benefits of these sacred plant teachers. This is why integration is also a verb- it requires active participation to stay clutter-free. Start by using these practices and seek support from your retreat provider if you need extra guidance! 

At Ayllu Medicina, we say that your first Ayahuasca ceremony is clearing the garden in your mind, then the second is often refining the garden details. If this is the case, then San Pedro is the water to help all the new seeds bloom, and plant medicine integration is the continued maintenance of the garden so you can continue to stay aligned on your path.

Integrating plant medicine retreats and ceremonies starts before you even enter the sacred space. When researching a plant medicine ceremony or retreat, consider the integration support the guides provide before you make a decision. At Ayllu Medicina, we ensure our participants have the support they need before, during, and after our transformational plant medicine retreats. 

Check out our available 23/2024 retreats here. Our 2024/25 plant medicine retreats in Ecuador are due for release soon! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

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Retreats for women have become increasingly popular in recent years and for a good reason. With experienced guides and the right setting, a women’s retreat can be a healing, transformative, and empowering experience. 

So, what actually happens on a women’s retreat to do this? Read on to learn seven reasons why a women’s retreat is empowering.

1. Be Empowered by Your Cycle 

As Hwaneetah explains in this womb technology interview with Breathe and Flow, the awareness of the feminine power that is within all of us has been forgotten.  Attending the Ayllu Medicine Women’s Power Retreat gives you the opportunity to remember this feminine power once again and claim it, which starts by connecting to your cyclical nature. Instead of falling victim to your nature, you will learn to accompany it and be powered by it. 

Many women come to plant medicine retreats and feel that there is something wrong with how they feel during the month, when in fact, it is that they haven’t connected to their cyclical nature. In many societies, a woman’s cycle has been portrayed as a source of disempowerment, whereas it is actually where your empowerment begins. 

Hwaneetah has been working with women and womb technology for over twenty years. She will provide wisdom throughout the retreat week to help you not only remember your true nature but become empowered by it. All women benefit from remembering their cyclical nature, whether they are menstruating, perimenopausal, or menopausal.  

2. Close Cycles Consciously (“No Clutter Policy”)

Part of a retreat week is to simplify and can be to let go of what is no longer serving you. Maybe this is behavior patterns, repressed emotions, or a particular belief about yourself. 

Over the years, you build up memories, impressions, emotions, and behaviors. In many societies, there is a constant onslaught of information, with scarce opportunities to process and release it all. How can you expect to empower yourself without letting go of this heaviness first?

During a women’s retreat week, you will experience a variety of ways to purify, along with learning how to recharge each month as part of your cycle. For example, there will be multiple sweat lodges at Ayllu Medicina’s Women’s Power Plant Medicine Retreat. 

A sweat lodge (temazcal) is an ancient medicine and means to purify your mind, body, and spirit.  You have the opportunity to reenter the womb of Mother Earth and shed what no longer serves you. There will also be different rituals such as unbinding, breathwork, meditations, daily yoga, and ice baths. 

3. The Space for Self-Discovery 

In fast-paced societies, it can be challenging to take a breath and pause. When was the last time you truly stopped, without distractions, and spent time with yourself? 

True empowerment starts with getting to yourself and your inner world. A Women’s plant medicine retreat provides the tools, time, and container to stop driving on automatic and go inwards.

In a supportive environment with experienced guides, you have the chance to pull the brake and catch up with yourself. The simple but courageous act of taking an intentional pause will allow you to focus on yourself, which is the start of empowerment. 

During the Women’s Power Retreat with Ayllu Medicina, you will receive guidance from the sacred plant teachers Ayahuasca and San Pedro. There will also be purifying practices and different ancient wisdom workshops. These will help increase your self-awareness, provide clarity, and allow you to connect to your true essence. 

4. Tools to Take With You 

One of the main benefits of a plant medicine retreat is that it can equip you with many tools to continue making space and empowering yourself once you leave the retreat container. 

At Ayllu Medicina, we often say this is when the true ceremony begins, as you are returning to your environment, and it is up to you to maintain the upgrades in your life and make any changes to stay aligned.

A Women’s Retreat gives the power back to you, making you realize that you have the power to take charge of your life and stay clutter-free. You can make lasting changes with the right tools, such as a daily practice, meditation techniques, and working with your cyclical nature. At our Women’s Power Retreat, there is also support from the Ayllu Medicina team and your new community. 

5. Self-Care 

In order to care for others, you must care for yourself first. A Women’s Retreat is the opportunity to do this. The entire week is focused on transformative practices and care, from the plant medicine ceremonies and sweat lodges to the nourishing food and daily yoga. You will have time, support, and tools to retreat inwards, which will benefit you and all your relations. 

6. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone 

It is when you step outside your comfort zone that change can happen. A women’s retreat helps you understand your own nature and reconnect back to Mother Earth, ready to step into the new. With a supportive group around you, you have the space to be seen, heard, and understood. You can reclaim your space, align your body-mind connection, and begin to express your true essence. 

Nurturing your voice and expression during a women’s retreat can also be empowering. There will be sharing circles, song circles (no experience required!), and other ways to embrace your feminine nature and the empowerment that comes with it. 

7. The Power of Sisterhood 

Women are caretakers, which means when we are around other like-minded women, we feel more at ease. Have you had a situation where you feel more at ease because you are with women? This could be as simple as when you hail a taxi and realize it is a female driver or sit next to another female on the bus. 

It is because you can reach a different vibration when you are around other women. We reflect on each other, which makes a women’s retreat the perfect space to get to know your inner cycles with the help of your new community. Like-minded mirrors will surround you to help you find alignment and find a new vibration in a nurturing environment. 

Some women will be aware of the power of having supportive women in their lives who help to uplift them, keep them accountable, and inspire them. For other women, it may be the first opportunity they have had in a while to form female friendships. Either way, a women-only retreat provides the space and shared intention to transform in community, finding empowerment through supporting each other and forming long-lasting new female friendships. 

Learn Why a Women’s Retreat is Empowering With Us

A Women’s Retreat is empowering in many ways, offering you the medicine you need to step into your power. It benefits you in many positive ways, so your feminine nature is no longer an inconvenience or weakness, instead being a source of power. However, not all women’s plant medicine retreats offer the same tools, offerings, or experiences to be empowering. Knowing how to find a plant medicine retreat for you is important. 

Ayllu Medicina’s plant medicine retreats in Ecuador honor the sacred master plants and traditions with a supportive container and experienced guides for a transformational week. Our Women’s Power Retreat is led by Hwaneetah, who is also an expert in womb technology and helping you connect to this powerful source. So, join us in April 2024 for a week tailored to help you find empowerment with a supportive group of women.

You can learn more about our Women’s Power Plant Medicine retreat here. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out; we will be happy to answer your questions by phone or email!

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