Events

MAOI Contraindications – from the Newsletter of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies MAPS

Things to remember as you prepare for the circle:

1. We gather between 6-7 pm on the day of the event, the ceremony starts around 8pm.  If you are a first timer or have a specific topic you want to discuss with me prior to the sitting, come a bit earlier so we have time to talk.
2. Bring a mattress/sleeping bag and padding for the floor, blanket and a pillow or two to make a comfortable and reasonably sized place for yourself. Avoid materials that make loud noise as we all become very sensitive to sounds during the ceremony. Avoid air mattresses. 
3. Dress comfortable in clean clothing, have few extra layer ready in case it gets cold.
4. The ceremony takes place after sunset. Rest earlier in a day, take a nap if you can.
5. Keep chatter to a minimum the day of the event. Come into ceremony with clear and calm mind free of clutter from TV or social things.
6. Come with intention. 
7. The preparation diet is VERY important. The results of your commitment to the diet will show during your journey. Detailed dietary guidelines are written below. 
8. On the day between ceremonies we will eat potluck style so bring diet-friendly food to share. We also will be offering the soup and snacks to everyone.
9. We will discuss our journey in a sharing circle in the morning. Afterwards you may want to go for a walk, exercise a bit etc.
10. Everything that takes place during those two days – names, location, experiences – is private and confidential.

Dietary restrictions:

One of the most important aspects of working with the medicine is adhering to a time-honored tradition of following a special diet – la dieta – in order to prepare the body and nervous systems for the powerful experience and to incorporate the healing energy of the medicine.

The dieta is not only about food. It also includes relative solitude and minimal talking, especially idle chitchat. A modern dieta would definitely include a fast from television, radio, mass and social media etc. Keep your body and mind clear and clean, and your emotions calm.

At least 7 days prior to the meditation and 2 days after the meditation:

• No alcohol of any kind
• No recreational drugs (including marijuana)
• No pork products
• Avoid excessive amounts of salt and sugar
• Please note that the medicinal herbs are also better to be avoided few days prior and 1-2 days after the meditation, such as St. John’s Wort, Kava, Ginseng.

 3 days prior to the meditation

• No alcohol of any kind
• No recreational drugs (including marijuana)
• No pork products and red meat
• No smoked, pickled, fermented foods
• No dairy products
• No fizzy drinks, no energy drinks, no non-alcoholic beer
• No seasoning (white pepper, spices, etc.)
• No excessive fatty foods and excessive oils (deep fried especially)

 The day of the meditation:

• No alcohol of any kind
• No recreational drugs (including marijuana)
• No pork products and red meat
• No smoked, pickled, fermented foods
• No dairy products
• No fizzy drinks, no energy drinks, no non-alcoholic beer
• No seasoning (white pepper, spices, etc.)
• No salt (including salt in processed foods)
• No sugar (including sugar in processed foods)
• No excessive fatty foods and excessive oils (deep fried especially)
• No dietary supplements
• Avoid cold or hot drinks (room temp. is recommended)
• Avoid caffeine (coffee, black and green tea etc.)

Non-dietary restrictions

• No sexual activities of any kind at least 2 days prior to meditation.
• No prescription drugs (especially antidepressants or antibiotics) 2-4 weeks prior to meditation.
• Ladies on your moon, we will not be able to receive you in this space. The reasons are not rooted in any disrespect for the Feminine; the abstention arises from the fact that there are changes in the flow of energy in your body that can affect you and the group dynamic.
• If you have any heart, liver or kidney, or other serious medical problems, inform me ahead of time and also discuss them with a doctor who is aware of the medicine and its use. 

On the day of the meditation, the following is recommended:

It is important to eat well on the day of the meditation so that you have sufficient energy. In relation to the quantity of food, you may consume moderate to normal amount of breakfast and lunch.  Stop eating 5-7 hours before the meditation, depending on your digestion. It is also important to hydrate very well throughout the day, decreasing the amount you drink in the hours before meditation.

 Moontime

Ladies, please be aware that if you are going to be on your moon or even at the very end of your moon, you should not partake in ceremony. The energy flow in the body during this time is not quite compatible with the intensity of ceremonial work, there will be other opportunities for you to sit.

 

 First-time sitters

Let us know if you will be sitting for the first time. Conversation prior to the gathering is recommended to prepare you for the journey.

Reservation and donation

Reservation is done by filling out the online registration form. Few days prior to the event email will be send out with an exact address of the gathering. Donation is $300 per night.

Cancellations

Given the long preparation time it`s impossible to fill vacated spaces at the last minute. If you choose to cancel with less than one week`s notice before the event, we won`t be able to completely eliminate your financial commitment and expect you to cover operational and housing fees which come down to 50% of the total cost. We ask you to take your commitment seriously.

Privacy and Referrals

We greatly appreciate your support in growing this circle. Contact me first about any conscious referrals you have and be very discrete in your correspondence, discuss this only with people you know well or trust.

Experiences and stories people share at the circle are private and confidential. Your respectful cooperation to preserve the privacy, confidentiality and integrity of our community is greatly appreciated.

Blessings and be well

Medical conditions not suitable for treatment with the plant medicine.

• • Schizophrenia

• • Bipolar disorder

• • Other disassociative conditions including antisocial, suicidal tendencies and mood disorders

• Serious heart conditions

Pharmaceuticals and Supplements not to be mixed with the medicine

We ask you to refrain from taking any pharmaceuticals or supplements during the retreat. Some medications need to be stopped well in advance (at least 1 month) of drinking the medicine, as different substances require longer to clear from your system.  Please speak with us and consult your doctor to establish how long you need to stop taking them.

These are some of the medications particularly contract-indicative with the medicine.

SSRI’s (any selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor)
amphetamines (meth-, dex-, amphetamine)
antihypertensives (high blood pressure medicine)
appetite suppressants (diet pills)
medicine for asthma, bronchitis, or other breathing problems
antihistamines, medicines for colds, sinus problems, hay fever, or allergies (Actifed DM, Benadryl, Benylin, Chlor-Trimeton, Compoz, etc.)
CNS (central nervous system) depressants
antipsychotics
alcohol

Specific drugs that should not be combined with the medicine:

Actifed
Amantadine hydrochloride (Symmetrel)
Amoxapine (Asendin)
Benadryl
Benylin
Bupropion (Wellbutrin)
Buspirone (BuSpar)
Carbamazepine (Tegretol, Epitol)
Chlor-Trimeton
Clomipramine (Anafranil)
Cocaine
Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril)
Cyclizine (Marezine)
Desipramine (Pertofrane)
Dextromethorphan (DXM)
Disopyramide (Norpace)
Doxepin (Sinequan)
Ephedrine
Flavoxate Hydrochloride (Urispas)
Fluoxetine (Prozac)
Imipramine (Tofranil)
Isocarboxazid (Marplan)
Levodopa (Dopar, Larodopa)
Loratadine (Claritin)
Maprotiline (Ludiomil)
Meperidine (Demerol)
Methylphenidate (Ritalin)
Nortriptyline (Aventyl)
Oxybutynin chloride (Ditropan)
Orphenadrine (Norflex)
Parnate
Paroxetine (Paxil)
Phenergen
Phenelzine (Nardil)
Procainamide (Pronestyl)
Protriptyline (Vivactil)
Pseudoephedrine
Quinidine (Quinidex)
Salbutemol
Salmeterol
Selegiline (Eldepryl)
Sertraline (Zoloft)
Tegretol
Temaril
Tranylcypromine (Parnate)
Tricyclic antidepressants (Amitriptyline, Elavil)
Trimipramine (Surmontil)
Yohimbine

Herbs and supplements not compatible

St. Johns Wort
Kava
Ephedra
Ginseng
Yohimbe
Sinicuichi

With plant medicine entering the mainstream, there are many different circles one can find those days. Thus it`s important to understand the ecosystem of medicinal offerings so you can navigate your way and choose the circle that  best fits your intention and will support you in reaching your goals.

Shamanic ceremonies. Conducted by traditional Latin American curanderos or by western practitioners who went through traditional training – the new breed of vegetalismo curanderos. These are mainly people who are not native to the Amazonian region of South America and who have undertaken apprenticeships under the tutelage of shamans trained in the traditional way. This apprenticeship, when done properly, is a very demanding and rigorous commitment that requires many years of experiential learning. 

Shamanic ceremonies are dedicated to in-depth healing and learning, it`s a beautiful opportunity to dive deep into medicinal world, receive healing from people who are deeply alighted with medicine and to experience the spirit realm and plant consciousness.

Celebratory gatherings. People come together to celebrate God, life, music, unity or whatever values specific community wants to celebrate. Usually these are large gathering of several dozens of people. Santo Daime church is the most famous conductor of such circles. Another example are circles led by people trained within SD or one of the indigenous traditions who then branched off into independent practice focusing more on music and communal values. 

Journeys led by professional psychologists.  Done on a private or semi-private basis by psychologists and counselors who are trained to lead clients in altered states. These sessions are great for getting deeper into issues that you are working on with your psychologist. 

Mixed style groups. Led by people who follow their intuition to create the style of practice, with usually some minimal formal training. While I respect everyone`s calling to medicine, my strong believe and personal preference is to get trained properly with solid lineage or tradition, and then improvise and experiment on your own.