129 - The Pitfalls of Psychedelics, Spirituality & Wellness Culture

01/13/23 • 80 min

Since coming back from the jungles of the Amazon, I have had A LOT to reflect on and integrate. What is not talked about enough is the, "rough landing," coming home from a psychedelic or transformational experience. Along with the rough landing, the concept of spiritual materialism and spiritual bypassing can be easily missed in the spiritual community. Walking the spiritual path can be very slippery & a subtle process. We can deceive ourselves into thinking we are developing, when instead we are strengthening our self protective parts. Falling into the trap of spiritual materialism, using our practice to boost our ego, rather than to integrate it. Along with this, I have noticed that wellness culture in general has many pitfalls including the idea of finally getting to wholeness, of perfection of finally getting to a body that walks around untraumatized and "normal." What if becoming "fixed" or "clean," wasn't the goal, but rather more inclusive and diverse. Wellness culture doesn't account for or extend compassion for those who may have illnesses that have no cure, and those who have socioeconomic disadvantages. In this episode I talk about my most recent Ayahuasca retreat, which I had the honor to co-facilitate with my teacher. This was my first time co-leading ceremony and it was beautiful, challenging and everything in between. Other topics discussed are synchronicity, purpose & shamanism.

Previous Episode

Medicine Song (Icaro): Marosa

Sweet Marosa, you had me look at all the times I've been hurt, & sit with deep sadness, grief, loss, abandonment, boundary violations, disrespect & dishonorable treatment from others & broken heartedness. I've forgiven them & myself. I saw how & where my walls of protection were built & how to let them down, one by one. I now feel a full-bodied certainty of value in this world & feel available to experience & share my love in healthy ways. I feel a sense of deep belonging in this world & confidence in myself. My heart is mended, softened & has turned into a luminescent red rose. I see the beauty & power that resides within me & how it's always been there. Gracias Marosa for your medicine, the spirit of love. In this audio I am right next to Marosa in the jungle singing to her. You might hear the sounds of the Peruvian jungle in the background. (The Shamanic Dieta: Where does a shaman get their knowledge and ability to heal others? From the spirits of the plants. How do they get this? From a tradition called a Dieta. This is a practice that is necessary for one to become a plant doctor. It is a process that invites the spirit of a plant to merge with your body and spirit, work as an ally to teach, give power & knowledge to heal others. How is this done? Dieting a plant requires undergoing a level of suffering. It involves looking at the shadow & it involves fasting food for a certain amount of time, eating a simple bland diet & being removed from all stimulation so one can mediate & concentrate on the plant spirit, building a relationship with it. This Icaro was gifted to me by Marosa after dieting w her in Peru this October.)

Next Episode

Poem: Hydroponic Spirituality

What if our wellness culture isn't making us well. We live in a society haunted by the idea of wholeness, perfection, getting finally getting into an untraumatized body. But what if this ideal of self actualization & getting to the highest version of ourselves is actually making us sicker, more separate & less compassionate? What about those with sicknesses with no remedies? What about those with limited resources and socioeconomically disadvantages? What if instead of looking up for the answers, instead of striving to fix ourselves, we looked right beneath our feet, within the soil. And looked at how inclusion, the mixing bowl, actually helps us thrive.