• Life Lessons,  Plant Medicine,  Video

    Ayahuasca Podcast: Overcoming Addiction & Return To Source

    Sam from Ayahuasca Podcast contacted me to discuss my book on the ayahuasca ceremony. Sam owns a retreat in Coumiba and has a thriving podcast dedicated to plant medicine. We discuss themes from my book and my journey with plant medicine and healing. Some topics of this ayahuasca podcast include ceremony preparation, tips for having a good ceremony, recommendations for the retreat weekend (i.e., never leave after the first night), and one of my favorite tips: If you can crawl to the alter, you can (and must) drink another cup. Available for your listening pleasure: Player FM | Spotify | Apple | Youtube Ayahuasca Podcast & Colombian Retreat Sam runs…

  • TRAVEL TO BRAZIL AMAZON RAINFOREST TRIBES: A PRACTICAL GUIDE
    Plant Medicine,  Travel

    Noke Koi

    Nestled in the heart of Brazil's lush Amazon rainforest, the Noke Koi tribe embodies the country's indigenous peoples' vibrant spirit and rich cultural tapestry.

  • Life Lessons

    Does Being Somebody Special Bring Happiness?

    So much of life is about being somebody special—creating a persona that others will like so that they (someone, please) will love the beautifully constructed avatar we have meticulously created. Krishnamurti once said, "The ego is a ring of defense around nothing."

  • Hindu Mythology,  Mythology

    Lord Shiva Deity – The Destroyer & Regenerator

    I just returned from the Bhakti Fest in Joshua Tree, California. Bhakti Fest celebrates the devotional paths of yoga, Kirtan (sacred music), and meditation. Most of my devotion to the Vedanta lineage has focused on the Goddesses—Bhakti 2023 opened me up to Shiva in a new way. Thus, I dedicate this article and art to Lord Shiva Deity, the Destroyer & Regenerator. Shiva: Destroyer & Regenerator Brahma is the creator, Vishnu is the sustainer, and Shiva is the destroyer and regenerator. He is the destroyer for those clinging to the idea of I, me, and mine. Shiva works on our egoic structure and helps dissolve it. Shiva regenerates those who…

  • D's Art,  Life Lessons,  Plant Medicine

    Ayahuasca Experience – Review After Drinking Aya 100 Times

    August 2023 marks the second anniversary of my return to Ayahuasca. I first sat with Grandmother ayahuasca in Peru in 2009. She told me then that I was not ready to continue to receive her sweet nectar. ‘Back to the training mat,’ she whispered. Thus, my ayahuasca experience was limited to one ceremony in those days. I would have to wait years before hearing the call to return, and it would come after the death of my closest bond. My mother died five years later, liberating and trapping me at the same time. I profoundly turned toward healing, a slow walk back to the wounds of my inner child. My…

  • Jagannath by Derek Dodds
    D's Art,  Mythology

    God Jagannath: Meaning in Hindu Mythology

    Jagannath is the Lord of the Universe, the supreme god, an abstract of Krishna or Vishnu, and a fierce manifestation of Shiva associated with annihilation. Jagannath is the cause and equivalence of all avatars and the infinite existence in space and time.