In 2020, I took a leap of faith that changed my life forever. I had been clinically depressed for years, and was at my wit’s end. Although I had tried many tools and techniques for healing, nothing had a lasting impact. My experience felt hopeless, but I also felt that I was missing something. It was during this time period that I discovered plant medicines, through my research on philosophy and spirituality. I felt a deep calling to partake, so I took the plunge and attended an Ayahuasca ceremony.
My experience was one of intense peace and beauty, which was the opposite of what I had been feeling before. When I returned home, to the same environment I had left behind, I soon found myself back in the throes of depression. As frustrating as this was, I kept moving forward, one step at a time. The changes were slow and incremental, barely noticeable from day to day. I’d clean something small, like a desk one day, introduce a minor habit the next, socialize a little bit more, etc.
After six months of gradual changes following my first Ayahuasca ceremony, I woke up, went about my day, and realized with a sudden shock that I actually felt good! I had climbed a metaphorical mountain, step by step, and found myself looking at the world from a whole new perspective. Realizing that I had stumbled upon something profound, I continued my climb, step by step as before. Over the course of several years and many more journeys, I reached heights in my life equal to those of that first plant medicine journey.
I fell, too, many times in fact. Having experienced the healing path before, however, I knew how to get up and keep moving forward. The capacity to heal is now woven into my being, through years of reinforcement and practice. This is the process of integration, to take lessons or experiences and make them a part of yourself. This is what I now guide others through.
