In the jungle there exists a tree, massive in its scale, with small, vine-like branches protruding from its trunk laden with “cannon ball” fruits and intoxicatingly fragrant, orchid-like flowers that come in shades of yellow and pink. This is one of the most respected and powerful Master plants in both Shipibo and Mestizo curanderismo. Introduced to India in 1881`s now highly revered there as well, for it’s flowers resemble a cobra shielding and protecting a sacred Shiva Lingum.
This is Ayahuma. An immensely important Spirit in our lineage for reasons too myriad to list here.
… in a book though… perhaps… 😉
Breaking down the name into its parts: “Aya”, meaning soul or spirit and “Huma” meaning head, this roughly translates to “head of the soul.” The Spirit often appears to curanderos as a “giant without a head”— and this is not because the Spirit has no head, it’s just that his head is in his heart. In my experience, the name “Head of the Soul” makes perfect sense, as the head of the soul is in the heart. He is the ambassador of Bodhicitta, the “awakened heart-mind.”
This tree is known to be especially good medicine for those who are “stuck in their heads” or often overthink. It helps us to bloom in our intuition and divine confidence, connecting the solar plexus (center of willpower) with the heart (unconditional love and divine guidance). Ayahuma is also a powerful protector against any energies that cross our alignment, and is often called into the ceremony to create a protective shield over the space.
Beyond Ayahuma’s shamanic gifts, the physical medicinal uses are vast as well. The leaves and bark are used to treat skin conditions and stomach ache. The bark has antifungal, antibiotic, and analgesic properties, and the pulp of the fruit can be used as a disinfectant for wounds (The fruit is also great for specific plant baths and it’s seeds for lucid dreaming! Though it does smell like pungent cheese or especially stinky feet.).
I have personally experienced Ayahuma as something of a divine cheerleader, guiding me into unwavering confidence. Playful, and also quite stern and able to dole out the tough lessons without hesitation. Ayahuma does not negotiate with self-doubt.
As a side story and a demonstration of the point, my Maestro had recently given me the instruction to hold the dieta tea down— i.e., not to purge— which is very difficult at times with his medicine because it is full of Tobacco and it is pungent, foul and it burns!
(NOTE: The dieta tea I serve is not quite that hardcore. Please don’t let that scare you.)
I was confident I could resist as I’d had many days without purging. Once he served me the tea and left my tambo, I moved very slowly, holding the medicine in my stomach like a precious elixir, climbed the stairs to my shower, and stood under the cold water for 20 minutes whilst holding the walls for dear life because the whole of the world was spinning and my solar plexus was ON FIRE. Determined not to allow the nausea or the mareación (effects of the medicine) to overtake me, I breathed through it until the world steadied itself somewhat and the burning subsided. I carefully moved back down the stairs and sat on my bed to meditate.
The meditation after receiving dieta tea can take 20-40 minutes for me, depending— I was taking my time as I wanted to stay sitting for as long as possible to ease the medicine going down. I was very dizzy. My heart was pounding and it felt like the tambo was tilting and might flip over at any moment. However, I remained steadfast in my confidence that I would manage the day with no purge. Towards the end of the meditation, my inner cheeks started to twinge and I started salivating heavily. Resist, Jess! Resist! I swallowed, determined to go on. I can do this. I can do this. A wave of nausea and heat swept over me, and I wavered for just one millisecond. I had barely started to even form the thought “I’’ not so sure I can do this”. Suddenly, the Spirit came in and literally punched me in the solar plexus with a mighty fist and all the medicine came out at once, all over me and all over my bed (this happened so suddenly that there was no opportunity to grab the bucket!).
There is more to that story, and I’m sure it will be relevant some other time— but you get the point:
Ayahuma does not negotiate with self doubt.
