PREPARATION FOR BUFO
Please wear comfortable clothing to your ceremony. Bring a water bottle, healthy snacks (for after), a change of clothes (layers), sun protection, beach blanket and a hat (if the ceremony will take place outdoors), and any trinkets for the altar.
Respecting a diet in preparation for a medicine journey strengthens resolve and deepens your intention. The longer the diet is kept pre and post ceremony, the more profound the healing and integration in the physical cells of the body.
Although there is no specific diet for Bufo, I recommend adhering to the following diet for at least 2 days before and 2 days after a ceremony. If not possible, at least refrain from sexual activity, drugs, alcohol and other medications.
Diet
• No sexual activity
• No drugs or alcohol
• No medications
• No meat (especially pork)
• No dairy
• No spicy foods
• No salt
• No sugar (only small amounts of natural sugars like honey or fruit)
• No ice or extremely cold foods and drinks
• No processed foods
• No coffee
• No wheat
• No commercial cigarettes
• Little to no oil
*It is wise to stay well-hydrated for at least 3 days before a ceremony.
On the day of your ceremony, it is preferred not to eat too close to your ceremony. If you must eat, try to stick to light and unprocessed food items.
Although it is not imperative, it can be useful to work with the breath in advance of the ceremony. Bufo is smoked taking a very long inhalation (as if sipping slowly through a straw). The key is to take in as much smoke as possible and hold it in for as long as you can. Working on long, slow breathing and holding your breath can assist you when the time comes.
Intention
“Our INTENTION creates our reality.” ~Wayne Dyer
Because of the strength and sacredness of these medicines, it is recommended to come into the ceremony with a clear, simple and genuine intention. The medicine is not intended for recreational use. It is a tool for healing and expansion. Consider areas in your life where you can use some help.
To help formulate your intention, here are some questions to ask yourself:
- What do I want to work on or heal with this medicine?
- What do I want to let go of?
- What do I want to call into my life?
- What destructive habits, patterns or behaviours do I want to release?
- What is my highest path and purpose?
- How can I be of service?
During the ceremony you will have intense sensory experiences, which may provoke a strong emotional response. You will face your self/Self, your traumas, your addictions and your limiting beliefs. You intention will help guide your journey, but ultimately, the medicine gives you what you need. Trust and surrender to its wisdom no matter what comes up.
Integration
Integration through application is crucial in order to create positive change. Progress may be gradual, but opportunities to practice what we learn will undoubtedly present themselves. We must stay aware of our unconscious patterns and observe how they affect our food choices, vices, thoughts, emotions, behaviours, etc. These factors can sabotage our progress or help us evolve. It is a choice to integrate our medicine journey. We must hold ourselves accountable.
A single Bufo ceremony can rapidly collapse and dissolve false beliefs and distortions, but it is often necessary to restructure the personality and sense of Self. The practices of shadow work, introspection and mindfulness are good places to start your process, but without counselling, results can be slow and there may be relapses. Only you know whether you are equipped to use this tool to its potential. There is no shame in seeking extra support. I am available for follow-up discussions but am not a therapist.
*A professional psychotherapist can be employed to help process difficult experiences.
Bufo Intake Form
Please fill out the questionnaire as openly as possible. All information regarding your physical/mental health and any medications you are taking must be accurate to ensure you are a good fit for Kambo, Bufo or Ayahuasca. Details of your process will be kept in confidentiality.
All traumatic experiences should be discussed with your practitioner prior to treatment. Traumas can create wounds that stay stuck in the body awaiting an opportunity for release. Ancestral Medicine may bring your trauma to the surface; those intending to work with Sacred Plant & Animal Medicine should be prepared for heavy processes, as well as ones full of light. Each person receives the medicine that will serve their process best.
*Assistance from a professional can be very helpful in integration.