Building Relationships with Plant Spirits
The Traditional Plant Dieta
In the indigenous plant medicine traditions of the Western Amazon, ayahuasca ceremonies serve as the trunk of the healing practice, but the plant dieta is essential to deepening this spiritual framework. The plant dieta, often considered the roots of this tradition, is a sacred agreement between a curandero (or an apprentice of curanderismo) and a specific plant spirit. This agreement, or dieta, involves a dedicated period where an individual follows strict dietary and behavioral guidelines to foster a strong spiritual connection with the chosen plant.
A plant dieta often begins with a suggestion from the plant spirit itself, sometimes appearing during an ayahuasca ceremony or through a dream. Alternatively, the dieta can be initiated by the curandero, an apprentice, or at the advice of a teacher who guides the student toward a particular plant. Through the dieta process, practitioners gain insight, healing, and knowledge, building a lasting relationship with the plant spirit that enhances their path in traditional plant medicine.
Establishing the Terms
Before beginning a plant dieta, the terms are carefully decided and agreed upon. A key part of this agreement is the length of the dieta, ranging from as brief as eight days to several months or even years. During this time, the curandero or student commits to strive for their highest states of being. This is typically approached by abstaining from physical pleasures, including sex, alcohol, and foods that are sweet, spicy, salty, or rich, as a demonstration of commitment. In return, the plant spirits offer their teachings, guidance, protection, strength, or even special abilities. Typically, the dieta is carried out in near isolation to avoid temptations or distractions from potentially negative influences.
An interesting aspect of the dieta is that the terms are negotiable. For instance, while a plant spirit may initially request a year-long commitment, the curandero might suggest a shorter duration until a mutually acceptable timeframe is reached. Other elements, like the strictness of the dietary limitations, are also part of these discussions, though the traditional guidelines are often well established. A typical dieta might involve abstaining from all sexual activity and alcohol and consuming only a few simple foods. This simplicity helps increase sensitivity to subtle energies and deepen the connection with the plant spirits to enhance the dieta’s transformative potential.
Opening the Dieta:
Demonstrating our Determination
Once the terms of the dieta are set, the dieta is formally opened, usually by a curandero for a student. This opening is an intentional announcement using icaros within an ayahuasca ceremony to signify the start of the dieta. In addition to the work of the curandero, the dieta is also opened by the student with prayers to the plant, reinforcing their commitment and strengthening their bond with the plant spirit.
With the dieta opened on the spiritual level, the physical aspects of the dieta then begin. The dieter ingests an extract of the dieta plant, a water extraction made from its leaves, bark, or roots, or possibly smoke from a pipe made of the plant. Mapacho, is often added to the preparation, creating a direct link to the plant spirit being dieted. Dieters are encouraged to smoke mapacho with intention, ideally from a pipe made of the dieta plant, to deepen their connection to its spirit.
During the period when the dieta plant extract is ingested, the dieter fasts for at least two days, although often longer, typically with limited water intake. Once the fast ends, the dieter begins a restricted diet according to the agreed terms. While students might follow a more lenient dieta prescribed by their teacher that includes basic foods like rice, beans, some vegetables, and bananas, they can also choose a stricter regimen if desired to reinforce their dedication. Ultimately, the responsibility to uphold the dieta lies with the dieter, but when the terms are set by a teacher, the teacher also plays a guiding role to support the student’s adherence.
Dietas Offered at the Ayahuasca Foundation
Noya Rao
Considered by some Shipibo to be a mythical tree, dieting Noya Rao is akin to communing with an enlightened being. Considered to oversee the jungle, Noya Rao has her own world within the spiritual realm.
Marosa
Marusa is a green shrub with long pointed leaves and tiny white flowers known for healing long term health issues. She sometimes teaches dieters how to channel energy for use in body work and energy healing.
Chullachaqui
Chullachaqui is the guardian of the forest and is known for teaching how to cure the ailments of patients either in ceremonies or dreams. He is also known for teaching grounding and connection to the Earth.
Bobinsana
Considered to be the medicine of the realm of Noya Rao, dieting Bobinsana can lead one into deeper states of divine love, self-acceptance, and compassion and provide protection through softness and openness.
Chiric Sanango
Chiric is not part of the Noya Rao synergists, but still complements her very well, teaching protection, inner power, emotional strength, and unlocking creativity, especially for having visions, singing, and self expression.
Blue Lotus
Referred to as Padma Rao, Blue Lotus is believed to be part of a global trinity of enlightened plant spirits, along with Noya Rao, known for amplifying awareness and empowering consciousness enhancement.
Far Beyond Outward Expressions:
Plant Dietas are All Encompassing Acts of Devotion
During a plant dieta, thoughts and emotions play a more significant role in the process than our physical behavior, which is intended to be expressions of our inner environment. Complaining about the dieta, daydreaming about favorite foods, or indulging in thoughts of frustration, doubt, or negativity are forms of resistance that reveal one’s level of determination.
Throughout the dieta, dieters devote themselves to communion with the plant spirit through meditation, singing icaros, spending time near the plant, and using mapacho to deepen the connection. Smoking mapacho with mindful intention invites a dialogue with the plant spirit, opening channels for communication in trance-like states or dreams. As dieters focus on subtle sensations from the plant, they build a sincere relationship. The more genuine the dieter’s energy, the stronger and more meaningful the connection with the plant spirit becomes.
As the dieta progresses, this connection strengthens, transforming into a profound bond, an alliance between the dieter and the plant spirit. This friendship offers guidance, energy, and wisdom to aid in the healing journey. Although the depth of this bond varies and may require time and unwavering commitment to cultivate, a dieta approached with pure intentions, focused thoughts, and respectful actions often results in a lasting, beneficial relationship with the plant spirit. Through a lifelong commitment to express our highest states of being, this connection continues to grow after the dieta is formally concluded.
Closing a Plant Dieta
When the length and terms of a plant dieta are fulfilled, it is formally closed, typically in an ayahuasca ceremony. During this ritual, the dieta is officially declared complete, and heartfelt gratitude is offered to the plant spirit through icaros and prayers. This gratitude often includes commitments to honor the relationship by using its gifts for the greater good. In some traditions, a secondary ceremony is held the next morning, in which the dieter performs a specific dance and song to express appreciation once more. At this time, the dieter consumes particular foods, like salted hot peppers or fermented corn or yucca, to ease back into a more diverse diet, signaling a gentle return to normal eating patterns.
Post-Dieta
After closing the dieta, a period called the post-dieta extends the spirit of the dieta beyond its formal end. Although the contractual terms have concluded, the bond with the plant spirit remains, and continued respect is crucial. The post-dieta period involves integrating certain foods like salt, sugar, or oil with intentional reverence, acknowledging the sacrifices made without rushing to indulge in every prior abstinence. This ongoing respect can be compared to ending a deep relationship but choosing to remain friends: though the formal commitments have ended, abrupt or careless actions could harm the integrity of the bond. This post-dieta mindset fosters a balanced transition, preserving the wisdom and respect cultivated throughout the dieta.
Breaking a Plant Dieta
In the tradition of curanderismo, a plant dieta represents a sacred contract between the dieter and a plant spirit. Like any contract, breaking the terms can result in significant consequences. Similar to personal relationships or legal agreements, a breach of a dieta is believed to carry repercussions based on certain factors.
Potential Consequences of Breaking a Plant Dieta
Depending on these factors, the consequences for breaking a dieta may range from mild to severe. The most common repercussion is a reduced ability to experience visions in ceremony, while more extreme cases might involve ailments or chronic misfortunes that persist until the breach is resolved. In tradition, the solution for a broken dieta is to redo the dieta—typically for twice the original length.
Though many outside the culture view plant spirits as inherently benevolent and question the concept of punishment, within curanderismo, consequences are seen as natural extensions of a loving relationship. Much like a parent’s guidance, plant spirits are believed to use consequences to help practitioners learn and grow. This perspective was developed by practitioners over years of study and firsthand experience with plant dietas.
Viewing Dieta as a Sacred Relationship
Beyond dietas, life can be seen as a web of relationships, to nature, to our bodies, to our families, and to our communities. Every relationship we cultivate influences our health and well-being. A plant dieta represents an extension of these relationships into the spiritual realm, opening pathways to achieve profound healing.
A healthy plant dieta focuses not on what is given up, but on the rewards of deep spiritual connection. Dietas are founded on this intention, serving as a testament to the dieter’s care and dedication, allowing them to experience the full spiritual richness that the plant has to offer.
Plant Dieta vs. ‘Ayahuasca Diet’
With the growing popularity of ayahuasca among foreigners and the rise of ayahuasca tourism, a new dietary regimen has emerged, commonly referred to as the “ayahuasca diet.” This diet was developed primarily as a safety measure, designed to prevent adverse reactions during ceremonies. Ayahuasca can have dangerous interactions with certain substances, particularly pharmaceutical drugs, especially SSRIs and other antidepressants. Additionally, some foods, such as dairy, can negatively interact with ayahuasca.
While following the ayahuasca diet can demonstrate personal commitment and is beneficial for preparation, it is distinct from the traditional plant dieta. Unlike the ayahuasca diet, the plant dieta is a foundational spiritual practice in Amazonian plant medicine—a sacred commitment that goes far beyond dietary restrictions, rooted in a profound relationship between the dieter and plant spirits. The traditional dieta is an essential part of the healing science of the Amazon and holds deep spiritual significance.
And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make