Psilocybin Diet

 

Unlike other plant medicines, such as ayahuasca, the preparation diet prior to a psilocybin journey is much more flexible. However, there are some general guidelines to help you prepare prior to your retreat.Remember, the cleaner your system and your diet prior to your retreat, the more effect and powerful your journeys will be. 

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When to begin your preparation?:  Two weeks or 14 days prior to your retreat is optimal, however, at least 7 days is also an appropriate amount of time. 

 

Recommended: 

Vegan or vegetarian diet for two weeks prior to the journey with limited gluten and dairy.  Your diet should consist primarily of fresh fruits and lightly cooked vegetables. 

 

Cleanse or Fasting:

The most efficient and effective way to ensure that your body is clean and ready for your retreat.  There are many options such as the apple cider vinegar cleanse, you may choose an intermittent fasting technique where you eat a healthy vegetarian meal in the morning and fast through the next day. We recommend a 3-5 day fast if you are able to do this.  Again, the cleaner your system the better. 

 

Adequate Rest: 

It is important to have adequate rest prior to the retreat.  Sleep is the time when the body restores itself.  Lack of sleep is one of the leading causes of health issues both emotional and physical.  It is recommended that you prepare your body prior to retreat by sleeping for the recommended 8 hours per night. 

 

Hydrate: 

Adequate hydration significantly improves brain function and all bodily functions.  Besides lack of sleep, lack of proper hydration is another key cause of imbalance.  One rule of thumb, is that if you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated!  Make sure to drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water per day for optimal hydration. 

 

Avoid: 

• Avoid alcohol and other intoxicants such as cannabis:  Alcohol, cannabis and other intoxicants can dampen the effectiveness of psilocybin journey significantly.  

 

• Dairy and meat: It is a common shamanic practice to cut out dairy and meat and other animal products prior to engaging in plant medicine work. While eating meat or dairy is not dangerous prior to ingesting psilocybin, ceremony leaders believe that the energy of animals can interfere with your journey. 

 

• Avoid processed food, fast food, junk food and NO sugar:  It is very important for your body to be free of unnecessary chemicals and inflammatory foods such as sugar prior to your journey.  Consider incorporating some type of detox process prior to retreat especially if you are someone whose diet includes items from this category. 

 

• Limit or eliminate caffeine and spicy foods:  It is best to limit or eliminate coffee, tea and spicy foods prior to ceremony which can disrupt sleep and cause excess inflammation in the body. 

 

• Liver Detox: There are many different ways to detoxify your liver prior to retreat.  The apple cider vinegar cleanse is easy and effective.  You may also try to administer a simple castor oil pack a few days prior to retreat.

 

Apple cider vinegar detox:

• 1 to 2 tablespoons of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar

• 8 ounces of purified or distilled water

• 1 to 2 tablespoons sweetener (organic honey, maple syrup, or 4 drops of Stevia)

There are many variations of this basic drink. Some include adding lemon juice. Others add a dash of cayenne pepper.

With an apple cider vinegar detox, you consume this type of drink regularly for a set period of time — several days to a month or more.

Many people choose to consume it three times each day: upon waking, midmorning, and again midafternoon.

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Instructions to make a castor oil pack

You can make and use your own castor oil packs with a few materials. We recommend looking for hexane-free castor oil.

 

Ingredients and supplies

To make your own, you’ll need these items:

• castor oil

• unbleached wool or cotton flannel

• medium container or bowl

• tongs

• scissors

• plastic sheeting, such as a small tablecloth or garbage bag

 

Directions

1. Cut the wool or cotton flannel into rectangular pieces, about 12 inches by 10 inches. You can also cut them into strips or smaller squares depending on where you’ll use them.

2. Use at least three to four pieces of cloth to make a pack.

3. Pour castor oil into the container. You should be able to completely soak a piece of the wool or cotton flannel in the castor oil.

4. Drop one piece of the cloth into the oil until it’s completely soaked.

5. Use the tongs to pick up the cloth in the container. It should be dripping with castor oil.

6. Lay the soaked cloth flat on the plastic sheet.

7. Soak the other two or more pieces of cloth in the same way.

8. Add the oil-soaked cloths flat on top of the first one.

9. Once you’ve soaked and layered each cloth, you’ve made a castor oil pack.

 

How to use your castor oil pack

1. Lay down on a large towel or sheet to help catch any castor oil drops.

2. Place the castor oil pack on the area to be treated. For example, for constipation or other digestive problems you’ll likely place it over your stomach area, for the liver, place the castor oil pack covering the liver area on the right hand later sider of your body. 

3. Place a small plastic sheet over the castor oil pack. This helps to heat it and press it against your skin.

4. You can place a hot water bottle or heating pad on top of the plastic for more heat if you wish. Make sure you don’t fall asleep while heating the castor oil pack as this can lead to burns or other injuries.

5. Leave the pack on for about 45 minutes to an hour.

6. Remove the pack and wipe the area clean with a warm damp towel.

7. You can store the castor oil pack in the container used to soak them. Cover and refrigerate. Reuse each castor oil pack up to 30 times.

 

Lifestyle Detox: Don’t skip these important steps!!

Avoid sex and auto sexual stimulation for 1 week prior and 1 week post to your retreat: It is common practice among practitioners of ALL plant medicines to recommend abstinence from sexual contact and behavior prior to ingesting entheogenic plants.  Similar to the recommendation regarding eliminating meat and animal products, the belief is that we absorb the energy of others during sexual contact.  In order to have a clean, clear journey which is focused purely on you, it is highly recommended that you follow this guideline. 

Avoid violent media, excessive news consumption, aggressive people, and situations prior to retreat: When we are preparing to engage in plant medicine work, it is very important for our minds to be as free as possible of violent imagery, and excessive negativity prior to ceremony.  This includes violent movies, and music with violent overtones, limiting how much news you take in, and especially avoid aggressive, upsetting or violent situations and people as much as possible.  Whatever you have been experiencing will affect your experience with the medicine.  Having a mind free of unnecessary negativity prior to your retreat gives you the best chance to laser focus your intention and get the most out of your journey.