The needlessly feared and misunderstood purge
The almighty and dreaded purge. we all here about it often with new comer's and those interested in exploring the amazing world of mother ayahuasca. Although my own personal thoughts on the purge were'nt negative they did give me concern in the days before I took the aya plunge. Lets put some positive light on this part of the aya experience as it deserves.
Before I came to Peru I wrote a step by step thread on tannin binding and methods to reduce or eliminate the purge. I now see that i didnt understand the purge and why its as important as the visions one see's while under the influence of ayahuasca. My first caapi only experience I welcomed the purge. In fact I actually ensured it by drinking one hundred grams of caapi sediment and all and might I add there was plenty of sludge. I purged for hours out of both ends and had a very powerful and psychedelic caapi only experience.(Pet peve side note- I often read in books and hear that caapi by its self will produce no visuals or little effects and i could not disagree more but thats another subject for another thread perhaps).
One thing that suprised me at my first ceremony here was the frequency that most of the three shamans here purge each night we drink. For some reason i just figured anyone with that much experience drinking ayahuasca surely doesnt purge but i was wrong. Its not that the shamans have to purge, they surely don't, its that the welcome and recognize the purge for what it is. A purification of body, mind, and spirit. Ayahuasca is most certainly medicinal first, visionary second. She pulls toxins from our bodys and some would say our spirits as well. If these toxins are not expelled from the body most noteably the stomach they are simply absorbed back into it. What a waste this would be, no?
My first ceremony here was a doozy. I drank 5 times that night and my belly was full of the medicine. After i went to my hut to try and come down to sleep i could feel the ayahuasca penetrating all my organs and even felt like it was entering my cells removing 5 months of greasy fried foods, too much booze, and some illict drugs along the way on my travels from Mexico to South America. In short i had a lot of crap to get out of me and i could feel it working. My whole body ached, ever muscle was in great pain as the ayahuasca pulled all the bad stuff out. i didnt purge much in ceremony so after a couple hours of feeling like shit i went outside with a large bottle of water and chugged. It didnt take long till i was puking my guts out! It felt great, liberating if you will and above all it felt healthy.
I woke the next day feeling free. I felt better than good i felt amazing. From the second ceremony till now i have also been purging great amounts of diahrea. Not to sound gross but it feels even better than vomitting the toxins for me. I feel totally cleansed the next day.
I also want to add that the purge is controlable. By that i mean i've learned with time and experience you have some say as to when you purge. If you drink ayahuasca with a somewhat empty stomach, particularly of fluids i have never purged during the ceremony other than the night i drank 5 cups, lol. on the fith cup as i was stumbling back to my mat i projectile vomitted right in the center of the moloko. How's that for making a good first impression? Since then I dont purge until im back at my room post ceremony. All i need to do is drink about a bottles worth of water and within 5 to 10 min im off to the races.
So in conclusion you may not always be in the mood or in the right setting to purge and thats fine. Thats why pharmauasca is so great or tannin binding your brew, but i feel its good to allow the purge and welcome it whenever possible for health reasons. Remember ayahuasca is medicine. Medicine for the body as well as the mind. The purge is there for a reason. Dont fear it, cheerish it!
The almighty and dreaded purge. we all here about it often with new comer's and those interested in exploring the amazing world of mother ayahuasca. Although my own personal thoughts on the purge were'nt negative they did give me concern in the days before I took the aya plunge. Lets put some positive light on this part of the aya experience as it deserves.
Before I came to Peru I wrote a step by step thread on tannin binding and methods to reduce or eliminate the purge. I now see that i didnt understand the purge and why its as important as the visions one see's while under the influence of ayahuasca. My first caapi only experience I welcomed the purge. In fact I actually ensured it by drinking one hundred grams of caapi sediment and all and might I add there was plenty of sludge. I purged for hours out of both ends and had a very powerful and psychedelic caapi only experience.(Pet peve side note- I often read in books and hear that caapi by its self will produce no visuals or little effects and i could not disagree more but thats another subject for another thread perhaps).
One thing that suprised me at my first ceremony here was the frequency that most of the three shamans here purge each night we drink. For some reason i just figured anyone with that much experience drinking ayahuasca surely doesnt purge but i was wrong. Its not that the shamans have to purge, they surely don't, its that the welcome and recognize the purge for what it is. A purification of body, mind, and spirit. Ayahuasca is most certainly medicinal first, visionary second. She pulls toxins from our bodys and some would say our spirits as well. If these toxins are not expelled from the body most noteably the stomach they are simply absorbed back into it. What a waste this would be, no?
My first ceremony here was a doozy. I drank 5 times that night and my belly was full of the medicine. After i went to my hut to try and come down to sleep i could feel the ayahuasca penetrating all my organs and even felt like it was entering my cells removing 5 months of greasy fried foods, too much booze, and some illict drugs along the way on my travels from Mexico to South America. In short i had a lot of crap to get out of me and i could feel it working. My whole body ached, ever muscle was in great pain as the ayahuasca pulled all the bad stuff out. i didnt purge much in ceremony so after a couple hours of feeling like shit i went outside with a large bottle of water and chugged. It didnt take long till i was puking my guts out! It felt great, liberating if you will and above all it felt healthy.
I woke the next day feeling free. I felt better than good i felt amazing. From the second ceremony till now i have also been purging great amounts of diahrea. Not to sound gross but it feels even better than vomitting the toxins for me. I feel totally cleansed the next day.
I also want to add that the purge is controlable. By that i mean i've learned with time and experience you have some say as to when you purge. If you drink ayahuasca with a somewhat empty stomach, particularly of fluids i have never purged during the ceremony other than the night i drank 5 cups, lol. on the fith cup as i was stumbling back to my mat i projectile vomitted right in the center of the moloko. How's that for making a good first impression? Since then I dont purge until im back at my room post ceremony. All i need to do is drink about a bottles worth of water and within 5 to 10 min im off to the races.
So in conclusion you may not always be in the mood or in the right setting to purge and thats fine. Thats why pharmauasca is so great or tannin binding your brew, but i feel its good to allow the purge and welcome it whenever possible for health reasons. Remember ayahuasca is medicine. Medicine for the body as well as the mind. The purge is there for a reason. Dont fear it, cheerish it!