OUR APPROACH TO AYAHUASCA & DIETA
What are our morals & ethics in approaching Ayahuasca?
What is cultural appropriation?
What traditions do we work with?
How do we brew our Medicine?
How do we offer Ayahuasca Ceremony & Dieta at Novalis?
AYAHUASCA AT NOVALIS
At Novalis Retreat Center, we welcome visitors from all over the world, each bringing their unique intentions and experiences to work with Ayahuasca. Whether someone is new to this practice or has decades of experience, we are consistently moved by the feedback that highlights the integrity and approach embedded within our organization.
We would like to share with you insights into our relationship with Medicine, our approach to it, and the team of facilitators who guide these sacred experiences.
WHAT IS TRADITIONAL?
In a world where traditions that use Ayahuasca, rooted in Amazonian practices, are becoming more accessible, we have observed a range of new approaches emerging as these traditions spread globally. This is often in favor of convenience, modernity, or the creation of new infusions that may disregard traditional knowledge.
But what exactly are the traditions of ayahuasca?
Ayahuasca is used by more than 150 distinct Indigenous and mestizo groups across all Amazonian countries. In this way, the line between what is "traditional" and what is "not" will depend on context and who is being centered in the conversation. There are excellent ethnographical accounts of traditional ayahuasca use from the turn of the 20th century, and a few more in the last few decades. This litany of practices means the cultural landscape of ayahuasca practice is diverse, much like the forest itself.
We believe in general, that nearly all ayahuasca sessions globally held within the context of a retreat are not traditional, but based on some traditional aspects and adapted to modern Western contexts. We are not saying this is always true, but it is generally true for the vast majority.
There is nothing wrong with this perse because, at many ayahuasca retreats around the world, there is real healing that is occurring in this fusion, and this is especially due to the wonderful beauty of ayahuasca as a medicine, and the indigenous wisdom of the peoples who taught about its use.
The problem comes in the inevitable process of cultural appropriation, from which we do believe we are not immune. And since we ourselves are practitioners with mixed indigenous identity, we must also be aware of what this means for us at Novalis.
Cultural appropriation is when a new practice borrows or modifies an existing cultural practice or artifact, and then claims the new practice is "traditional". This is very common in our day and age e.g., selling "traditional" designs on t-shirts not designed by the persons the patterns come from, or selling new-age retreats based on traditional practices but with not an Indigenous person from that tradition in sight. There are many such examples beyond these.
Cultural appropriation is an adverse effect because there is a very real risk of erasure of the original cultural practice, as the new practice becomes dominant and the original practice is lost causing cultural erosion. This is very much happening in the world of ayahuasca retreats. Typically, cultural appropriation adversely affects Indigenous peoples the most because of the richness of their history and practices.
OUR MEDICINE APPROACH
At Novalis, our context is based on the core traditions we come from, but we do not claim to be traditionalists. We do however teach in the way we were taught, maintaining lineage when there is one. While our indigenous healers do hold traditional knowledge that comes from a specific lineage, we also share other practices that we have learned from around the world. Such practices like breathing techniques, using instruments like guitar in our ceremonies, yoga, cacao ceremonies, integration circles, and psychology sessions are not native to the Amazonian and Andean cultures we come from, but we believe they are helpful to people who come to us to heal, and we train to be able to offer them, as well as make them authentically.
Therefore, when you come to visit us, please remember that while you may have experienced indigenous culture and tradition here, not all comes from that. We remain vigilant in preserving traditional knowledge and work to build meaningful bridges between Western participants and practices, and indigenous belief systems.
We also believe Indigenous people have a right to learn new things beyond where they come from in order to work and become better at what they want to do in life. We recognize this is important for Indigenous people in general for self-determination and self-governance.
OUR FACULTY & MEDICINE TEAM consists of medical plant practitioners, or in Spanish, ayahuasqueros. Each of the ayahuasqueros with whom we work has a family heritage deeply rooted in medicine practices. We specifically work with Shipibo, Matsegengka, and Mestizo practitioners, as well as Andean. For general clarity in this text, we will refer to any of these people as ayahuasquero, although they have their own specific terms in the indigenous or mestizo tradition they come from.
The Ayahuasca tradition in Peru is vast, and there is not one lineage. As we work in a team setting at Novalis, the persons serving you medicine in the ceremony and facilitating will come from different lineages depending on the time of year. Please contact us for the specific time you are interested in joining, and we will let you know who to expect. Our listed retreats also name each person in the ceremony with you.
Additionally, we have a dedicated support team that actively supports the medicine space and serves as a bridge between visitors and the indigenous community (our Novalis Medicine Team). On-site, we are fortunate to have many Indigenous friends residing both within our center and in neighboring communities. They play a crucial role in weaving their traditions into our approach, providing ongoing education, and contributing to the evolutionary process of our ayahuasca work.
Together the support team and the ayahuasqueros will form our core Medicine Team. We are facilitators in your process. You are also obviously an integral part of this team, and we work for and with you.
ROLES OF OUR FACILITATORS:
Our Medicine Team fulfills diverse roles within our center, serving as ayahuasca ceremony facilitators, cacao ceremony facilitators, integration circle counselors, morning practice instructors, personal counseling agents, translators, field guides to local plants, and providers of classroom-style teaching. We offer constant on-site support, ensuring a comprehensive and holistic experience.
There is a continuous infusion of knowledge through the shamanic guidance provided by the ayahuasquero as we collectively conduct ceremonies as a core team. All our ayahuasqueros view the plants as teachers within the shamanic and medicinal plants realm, actively engaging with the plants in your treatment, dieta, and other plant therapies. This is possible because in Amazonian Plant Medicine, plants have spirits. At Novalis we believe this as fundamentally true.
It is important to remember the word SHAMAN comes from a completely different geographic region and tradition, but we will use it because it is understood in English to be a stand-in for the lacking terms within the Amazonian plant medicine practice.
Our team's passion extends to sharing their cultural traditions, providing insights into their worldview of plants, and offering perspectives on ways of living.
Please feel free to contact us for any further questions regarding our approach to medicine work at Novalis.
Loyver shares the story of the origins of Shipibo culture through his paintings.
Preparation of Mucura (Petiveria alliacea); a teacher plant known for its powerful healing and strengthening properties.
OUR APPROACH TO DIETA
One of our old dieta tambos that previously housed our dieta participants, giving them the complete isolation experience, as is in accordance to tradition. We have renewed our tambos to be screened.
Brewing Una de Gato, for a dieta participant. Oftentimes, we allow the participant to be a part of the harvesting & medicine making process, allowing them the opportunity to connect deeply to their own personal dieta medicine.
The Dieta process, as approached at Novalis, is a 5 to 8-day isolation period where the participant undergoes a shamanic journey with a singular planta spirit, also known as a master teacher plant. There is an opening and closing of the dieta period with an ayahuasca ceremony.
During the opening, the participant then enters a dieta tambo in the jungle for the number of days choosen, completely isolated from all social contact, drinking their chosen plant and adhering to a restricted diet. This is what is meant by dieta, as it requires a special protocol. The word "dieta" means diet in Spanish, but in our case does not just mean food. This is done to make a special shamanic relationship with the spirit of the plant. It is a life-long relationship where the person integrates the energies of the plant into themselves. During the closing, this relationship will be sealed.
We offer longer dietas upon request.
Primary Dieta Plants Available:
Bobinsana
Una de Gato
Shihuahuaco
Ayahuasca
NOTE: Though these are our MAIN plants, with which we are most experienced, other plants may also be chosen, depending on the participant's needs and intentions. Our Ayahuasqueros along with our medicine team will recommend plant dietas when these plants are not appropriate.
MEDICAL VS. SHAMANIC DIETA: We offer dieta for both medical cases and for people wishing to deepen their shamanic connection to Nature. Though indeed both offer a shamanic experience. We ask that people interested in dieta to please contact us in advance, as often there is a very intimate process of formulation regarding person-plant matching, understanding the intentions and constitutions of the person, and preparation work that may include suggested reading, education, and dietary changes before visiting the center.
TRADITIONAL DIETA CONTEXT: We feel that it is necessary to speak to the original tradition of dieta. First, it is not found in all lineages of Ayahuasca as practiced by indigenous peoples. It is common in the Shipibo tradition. Our dieta is modeled after this Shipibo tradition, but it is not a traditional dieta. A traditional dieta form is between 3 months to 1 year in isolation, communing with the plant in dieta. We recognize that with the Western interest in Amazonian healing, these stipulations may seem impossible. So, as with most centers, we offer a modified version of something traditional. Sometimes we refer to his modified dieta as dieta or a plant immersion.
OUR AYAHUASCA MEDICINE
We place great emphasis on the meticulous crafting of our Ayahuasca Medicine. As an educational note, we consistently encourage individuals, regardless of their Ayahuasca experience location, to inquire about the medicine's preparation.
Questions such as whether the facilitators themselves brew the medicine, the presence of other plant additives, and the type of vine used are crucial. Here's what we can share about our process:
BREWED BY OUR TEAM: Unlike common practices in Peru, we take pride in brewing our Ayahuasca onsite—a rarity in our modern era. Many centers store Ayahuasca for extended periods or have it brewed offsite, often by individuals not physically present at the center. Frequently, undisclosed additives are used, which facilitators may not have directly worked with (dieted).
Here at Novalis, we are committed to preserving the traditional integrity of Ayahuasca. Our standards significantly differ from other centers as we prioritize transparency, education, and fostering an intimate connection between our participants and the medicine they receive.
ADDITIVES TO OUR AYAHUASCA: We adhere to stringent criteria when considering the addition of other master plants to Ayahuasca. Our brew always contains only ayahuasca vine and chakruna.
We acknowledge that other plant additives alter the brew's composition, influencing the Ayahuasca experience—visions, sensations, and mystical connections to different realms of spirit.
AYAHUASCA BREW & PARTICIPANT PAIRING: We frequently match participants with specific formulas. While the Ayahuasca brew remains consistent week by week, variations may occur. Careful consideration is given to pairing individuals with the medicine that best serves their unique process, determined by factors such as intention, constitution, medical or spiritual objectives, and plans for future dieting at Novalis. This meticulous matching process is a testament to our commitment to participant well-being and the transformative potential of our Ayahuasca ceremonies.
We take great care to brew our medicine on our premises.
Cooking Bobinsana for dieta.