About 2 years ago I had a dream I knew I would never forget. I was in a field with coyotes running all around me. The next thing I remember was talking to a lady counsellor that took me through the conversation of my life. When we were finished chatting, she shapeshifted into a male counsellor. This man looked me in the eyes and said “for you…..two remedies. First lemongrass, then ayahuasca.” After I woke up, the first decision I made was to go to Bali and Indonesia later that year as I knew that is what lemongrass represented to me in the dream. That trip changed my life forever. After that, I knew at some point in my life that ayahuasca would be the plant medicine to carry me forward in my healing journey. That day recently arrived as I had the opportunity to do a ceremony with ‘San Pedro’. This is known as the masculine version of ayahuasca that is native to the Andes. This ceremony took place in the Sacred Valley of Peru.

Do you remember the movie Avatar? It did incredibly well in theatres. Viewers were transported into a dream-like state of natural beauty that then became taxed with the burden of, and the fight against, human interaction. It displayed our ability to concur and destroy. I remember hearing about people getting depressed after watching it because they saw this magical existence and then walked out of the theatre back to their concrete reality.

What I experienced a couple days ago was my version of the movie Avatar. It started with drinking plant medicine prepared from a cactus. The Curandera (female shaman) did a cleansing on us to start. There were three of us participating: myself, Corey (my friend who I am currently travelling with) and Leo from Switzerland. She used ‘palo santo’ (known as the holy stick) to clean and clear our energy field. Then she sprayed us with a liquid mixture that offers protection for the journey ahead. Once that was complete we sat in a circle and were given a ceremonial cup full of the plant medicine she had been cooking on the stove for the past 12+ hours. We proceeded to have not just one but two full cups of it. After that we grabbed our belongings and headed to the mountain for the day.

Within a short period of time I started to notice my senses shift. Everything became vibrant and little sounds had an acuity like I had never experienced. We then climed a mountain to reach one of the most beautiful spots on this earth I have ever seen. There was a waterfall and a cave full of moss moving within droplets of pure spring water. I took my shoes off and celebrated in the purity of the moment. For the next few hours I would drink from Mother Nature’s fountain, lay in the sun and experience a whole new level of communication with nature. I could hear it sing, I could see and feel the energy of the mountains. For most of the afternoon I felt that I had been gifted with a little taste of heaven. I never wanted to leave this place in all its beauty. Beyond the natural experience, the medicine also produced images of fractals and sacred geometry when I would close my eyes or focus on something intently. I felt at times it was more then 3D and that I was in my own alternate reality. One of the messages I received from the medicine was to celebrate life and to honor all those who were here before us.

After hours of an altered experience of reality, we walked back into town. Once we reached the edges, Leo asked me if I could feel the difference. I replied with a strong “yes” and continued to tell him that it felt a little like prison. The energy shift was a feeling of confinement and isolation from the magical beauty that was surrounding us all day.

Many people before me have done this plant medicine and have said they will never be the same. I can now put myself in that category. I grew up in Canada quite disconnected from nature. In fact, quite afraid of it. If I went hiking I would worry about bears and cougars the entire time. If I sat outside I would worry about getting stung by a bee or wasp. The connection I felt to nature allowed me to feel the balance of existence and communicate on a whole other level with it. Now I feel more like it’s my playground and sanctuary. That it holds such beautiful space for expansion of consciousness and connection to our natural selves. Where we can think or not think. Where we can play and be any age we chose. Where are are free, fully alive and cared for my ‘pachamama’ (Mother Nature).

With that said, I still love the life I’ve lived and am grateful for all the pleasures it provides. I feel it is the expansion from this experience that has brought me closer to my roots of existence and now I understand why they call it plant medicine. It’s like I heard Mother Nature for the first time without the illusion of fear.

People choose this medicine for a variety of reasons. In this area of the world it is one of the most popular ways to reconnect to nature and to our inner selves. People have done it for thousands of years to assist in their healing journey. Although I don’t believe it is for everyone (and I caution anyone thinking of doing it to not just jump in without fully understanding–research to make sure it is right for you) I do believe in its powers to heal and think it will continue to work through me in the years to come. There are many ways of getting there and this is one of them.

With the recognition that our imaginations can bring us anywhere, I ask you this: what reality do you want to dream into existence?