4.0 Integration of your experiences and how to do it

What is integration?

I would summarize Integration as having two aspects:

1. What things are we ‘moving on from’ in our life after the ceremony?
   • This could be related to the intention with which you developed in our previous lesson.
2. What things are we ‘moving toward’ in our life after the ceremony?
   • Ayahuasca often shows us patterns to work on and change. They are often of a more emotional or relationship quality instead of analytical in nature.
   • When under the influence of psychedelics our the areas of our brain responsible for analytical thinking are reduced in activity and other parts (with repressed emotion and trauma perhaps) are allowed to be experienced. This often leads to healing and emotional insights.

These two things allow us to move on from one phase and onto another. It will likely involve ‘work’ to do in the future that comprise changes in behaviour and thinking that support the movement from one phase to another.

Integration can last days, weeks or years and some say never really ends. Instead it happens in stages of learning and then plateau repeating over and over. We stop when we feel we need to (if pace of change is too fast and we are not ready for it yet) and carry on with the process when we feel we are ready for more.

Tools of Integration

Methodologically, Integration can involve different tools and ways of doing things depending on the person. I’ll cover a list below but basically any kind of mindful, internally focussed tool or method of self discovery can help you transition from the ceremonies to real life behavioural changes to support any kind of learnings and ‘work’ to be done after ceremony. I’ll give a more full list below of tools but initially,

• I strongly suggest that you keep the Dieta (both in mental and physical) for at least 3 days (but a month is recommended) after your ceremonies and that this would be the beginning of your Integration process.
• After this period you could decide what tools you’d like to use to integrate your learnings and ‘work’.
• I like to use any sort of mindfulness practice because making lifestyle changes based on Ayahuasca Ceremonies often requires you to be ‘in touch’ with your thoughts and patterns of behaviour closely. When we are more in touch we notice patterns and triggers for the behaviours we wish to change.
• NB: It may just be that this lack of mindfulness was the thing which allowed us not to notice when we strayed into some negative pattern of behaviour or thinking. Ayahuasca and continuation of these practices has a way of resetting th eboard and starting a fresh with insights and help from La Madre and the spirit world.
• Mindfulness Practices:
  • Daily Journaling
  • Claustrum Cycles (mini non-psychedelic and monthly 2-3 day periods of natural DMT release)
  • Sitting Meditation Practice
  • Mantra Meditation
  • Yin Yoga
  • Walking in Nature
  • Seeing a therapist to talk
  • Breath work (really a kind of meditation)
  • Dance, Martial Arts – something that pushes us physically can also allow us to notice patterns in ourselves.
  • Art and creative forms – get away from the computer and paint or draw.
  • Prayer
  • These are all things which you can do during your preparation for drinking Ayahuasca as well.

Private Coaching:

Vinay offer private coaching sessions for those wanting help with the above. Integration can be difficult to achieve and sometimes we need help to clarify from experienced practitioners.