#043: Answering the Call of Ayahuasca | Savanna Stark

03/13/23 • 68 min

Savanna Stark grew up in a devout Catholic home, where her family sat in the front row at church each week. However, her parents divorced when she was a teen, often using her and her sisters to get back at each other. When she turned 18, Savanna smoked weed, ate mushrooms, and drank alcohol all in one night. Savanna pushed the idea of God away and started drinking heavily. She eventually got sober, started doing yoga, and began studying spirituality and metaphysics.

One of the metaphysics schools Savanna was using for her studies was looking for volunteers in South America. She applied with them to be a yoga teacher and let them know she would get enough hours to become certified. They let her know she didn't even need to be certified because it was in a foreign country.

Before leaving for South America, Savanna learned about ayahuasca and watched a documentary about DMT. She wondered if she might meet someone she could have an ayahuasca experience with while on her trip. When she arrived at the retreat center, her journey took an unexpected twist. Savanna describes the numerous ayahuasca and San Pedro ceremonies she participated in during her time in South America, and the lessons she brought home with her.

Savanna and her husband Robert live off-grid on a homestead in Happy Valley, Alaska, where they own a farm and are raising their family.

The purpose of the podcast is to entertain and educate. Please consult a physician and your local laws before trying anything mentioned in this episode. Please also understand that you may not hold us liable for relying on any information contained in the podcast or on our website.

Links:

Secret Garden Alaska
Secret Garden Alaska is Savanna and her husband Robert's website where you can purchase Savanna's handmade jewelry, products from their farm, and follow their blog.

The Stark family loves handwritten letters. You can send Savanna a letter at the address listed below:

Savanna Stark
PO BOX 986

Anchor Point, AK 99556

Savanna and her husband Robert live off-grid on a homestead in Happy Valley, Alaska, where they own a farm and are raising their family.

Links:

Secret Garden Alaska
Secret Garden Alaska is Savanna and her husband Robert's website where you can purchase Savanna's handmade jewelry, products from their farm, and follow their blog.

The Stark family loves handwritten letters. You can send Savanna a letter at the address listed below:

Savanna Stark
PO BOX 986

Anchor Point, AK 99556

Previous Episode

#042: Exploring the Nature of Reality Through Research and Phenomenological Experience | Jason Bishop

Jason Bishop began questioning his religious beliefs after his sister passed away. He eventually left religion and became a hardcore atheist for a time. Jason's curiosity about the nature of the universe, reality, and consciousness led him to consume numerous books, podcasts, and YouTube videos in his quest for answers. His research led him to seek out experiences with psychedelic substances. He's had experiences with marijuana and psilocybin mushrooms. Jason describes how under the influence of psilocybin, he experienced the oneness with the universe he learned about in his research.

Next Episode

#044: A Journey of Self-Discovery: From War-Torn Iran to Personal Transformation | Sabba Nazhand

Sabba Nazhand was born in Tehran, Iran in the middle of the Iran-Iraq War. His mother delivered him two months early and the family doctor advised he needed a blood transfusion. Sabba's father had to say goodbye to Sabba's mother and sister and drive Sabba across the country for the blood transfusion that saved his life.

Sabba's family eventually fled from Iran to Greece, where they were able to get sponsorship from a Christian community that helped them immigrate to the United States. Sabba describes his upbringing in an immigrant family and how his interest in psychedelics developed. He shares several experiences, including one in which he took three successive hits of 5-MeO-DMT, blasting him into the universe, shattered into a billion pieces, where he watched the creation of the universe, leaving him forever changed.

Sabba's psychedelic experiences motivated him to take his professional experience in the software industry to the psychedelic space, where he advises early-stage companies. Sabba is the Partner and Chief Strategy Officer at Mission Club, an education and investment platform in the psychedelic ecosystem. He is also a business advisor and founding member of Retreat-Microdose, a platform providing content, community, connection, and coaching. He's also a Go-to-Market advisor for Wavepaths, a tool that facilitates live, personalized music experiences for therapeutic and personal use. I've included links to these companies in the show notes if you're interested in learning more.

Links:

Wavepaths
Wavepaths is a tool that facilitates live, unique, personalized music experiences for therapeutic and personal use.

Retreat Microdose
Retreat is a microdosing platform providing content, community, connection, and coaching to psychedelic newcomers.