ESSENCE OF BEING
ESSENCE OF BEING
Day 1 - Welcome and Grounding into Preparation
Welcome
These next ten days are the beginning of a wider journey.
Over six weeks, we’ll prepare, sit in ceremony, and integrate what you discover into daily life. This preparation is not a hurdle to clear; it is the work beginning.
Each simple choice you make now - what you eat, how you breathe, how gently you meet yourself - shapes the ground you’ll stand on in ceremony.
What you can expect here is clear, practical guidance.
We’ll ask you to simplify your diet, steady your nervous system, and learn a few tools you can rely on when things feel intense:
body-based awareness, breath as anchor, ACT practices like Roots & Leaves and Demons on a Boat, and ERPT-work held with compassion. None of this is about perfection. It’s about presence - meeting yourself honestly, one moment at a time.
Preparation won’t make life tidy. It will make you steadier.
When the mind races, you’ll know how to return. When emotion swells, you’ll know how to soften. When fear arrives, you’ll remember you can keep moving.
This is the container you are building - a grounded, compassionate presence that travels with you into ceremony and beyond.
We’re honoured to walk this path with you.
Nik & Team
Essence of Being
What is Ayahuasca?
Ayahuasca is a sacred plant medicine originating from the Amazon. For centuries, it has been used in ceremonial contexts as a tool for healing, guidance, and connection.
It is traditionally prepared by combining the vine Banisteriopsis caapi with leaves that contain the naturally occurring compound DMT. In our retreats, the brew is made with great care and reverence, using a 30-year-old caapi vine, together with chacruna (Psychotria viridis), Hidden Valley mimosa (Mimosa hostilis), and bobinsana (Calliandra angustifolia). Each plant brings its own qualities:
Caapi vine - grounding, protective, and steady.
Chacruna & mimosa - opening the visionary field.
Bobinsana - softening the heart, deepening compassion and connection.
Together, they create a medicine known for its depth and potency.
The word Ayahuasca is often translated as “vine of the soul.” For many, it opens the door to deep inner work - allowing what has been hidden to be seen, what has been suppressed to be felt, and what has been forgotten to be remembered.
Typically, the effects are felt within 20–60 minutes and can last between 4–8 hours. During this time, people may experience physical release, emotional intensity, altered states of consciousness, or inner visions. These experiences can be profound - but they are never guaranteed. What matters most is not what happens during ceremony, but how you meet what arises and how you integrate it into your life afterwards.
Ayahuasca is not a quick fix or a magic cure. It does not erase your past or hand you a ready-made future. Instead, it serves as a mirror. It can show you your patterns, your pain, and your potential - but the transformation comes in how you live with what you’ve seen.
That is why preparation is so essential.
What You May Experience
Every journey is unique, yet there are common experiences that often arise. Knowing them in advance can help you feel more prepared and supported.
Physically
It is common to purge — through vomiting, diarrhoea, yawning, crying, shaking, or even laughter. These are often described as the body’s way of releasing and cleansing. While uncomfortable at times, purging is usually a meaningful part of the process.
Mentally
The mind can become loud, resistant, or restless. You may revisit memories, face old beliefs, or feel caught in loops of thought. This can be challenging, but it is not wrong. With the tools you’re cultivating in preparation, you’ll learn how to step back and observe, rather than get pulled into the noise.
Visually
Some people experience vivid inner imagery or visions; others do not. These can include colours, patterns, animals, symbolic scenes, or childhood memories. Visions can feel significant, but they are not the measure of depth or success. The real work is in how you meet your experience, not in what you see.
Emotionally
A wide range of emotions may surface — grief, joy, anger, relief, love, fear, or confusion. It’s normal to feel apprehensive before, during, and after ceremony. The invitation is to let these emotions move through you, trusting that you are safe and supported.
Spiritually
Some describe a dissolving of ego, a sense of oneness, or contact with something beyond themselves. Others simply feel more connected to their own heart. Both are valid. The medicine is not about chasing peak states but about meeting what comes with honesty and presence.
Preparing For Your Journey
The work of Ayahuasca begins long before the first sip of medicine. Preparation shapes the depth, gentleness, and integration of your experience.
This is not only about diet. It’s about creating space in your body, your mind, and your daily rhythm. Preparation is itself the beginning of integration. Every time you pause, notice your breath, or meet your emotions with honesty, you are already doing the work.
Some practices to begin today:
Morning meditation (10–15 minutes): Sit quietly before reaching for your phone. These small choices of presence set the tone for your day.
Evening silence (30–60 minutes): Turn off screens and external noise before bed. Let your mind settle in stillness.
Journaling: Write down what arises - thoughts, emotions, hopes, fears. Journaling is a way of meeting yourself with honesty.
Breath awareness: Pause during your day to notice the breath. This simple act will become a vital anchor in ceremony.
Time in nature: Walk, sit, or simply be outside. Let the natural world steady your nervous system and remind you of simplicity.
These practices are not about perfection.
They are about learning to meet yourself as you are - gently and consistently - so that when you step into ceremony, you are already attuned to presence.
Practice - Body Scan Meditation
The body scan is about stepping out of the busy stream of thoughts and arriving fully in the body.
The body is a direct doorway into the present moment - it can’t be anywhere else.
By gently moving awareness through each part, without trying to change anything, we reconnect with that living presence beneath the thinking mind.
This simple grounding naturally settles the mind, bringing a quiet steadiness and a clear foundation for the rest of the journey.
Reflection & Journal Prompts
Now that you’ve completed today’s meditation, here’s a simple way to deepen the experience.
Use the reflection prompts below to explore what you noticed and how it felt. Take a moment to write down your answers or screenshot them so you can revisit them later in the day.
There’s no right or wrong - it’s simply about staying connected to the insights from your practice and letting them continue to unfold as you move through your day.
"What did I notice in my body that I hadn’t been aware of before?"
" How does it feel to meet myself with stillness rather than distraction?"
"What arises in me when I imagine stepping into ceremony?"
Closing Note From Nik
Arriving here, beginning this preparation, is already a powerful act of courage. You don’t need to be anywhere else today. Simply showing up for yourself in this way is enough.
“Working with Nik was life-changing in the deepest sense. I left with more compassion, resilience, and connection to myself than I ever thought possible.”
- Client testimonial
Tomorrow we’ll explore how the way you nourish your body through the dieta is an essential part of preparation.