When delving into the world of ayahuasca retreats and plant medicines, the term ‘dieta’ gets thrown around often.
In this post we’ll be answering:
What are dietas
Ayahuasca dieta vs master plant dietas
How does a master plant diet work
What are the types of master plants you can diet?
Outcomes of dietas
How to become a shaman
Our long term master plant immersion offers
What are dietas?
Dietas, the literal Spanish word for diets, are physical preparations needed to enter a relationship with a plant spirit. This can range from Ayahuasca to other lesser-known sacred plants like Piñon Colorado.
Traditionally speaking, plant dietas are experienced either by those seeking to become healers or can be used as a powerful detox to prepare for an ayahuasca ceremony.
Ayahuasca Dieta vs Master Plant Dietas
An ayahuasca dieta is needed to prepare for ceremonies to help clear the body of toxins, habits, energy stagnation, etc. This dieta is often recommended a few weeks or a few days before our immersive 7-day retreats.
If you’re looking to prepare for an ayahuasca retreat or learn more about dietas, visit our extensive guide here: https://www.arkanainternational.com/ayahuasca-dieta
What we usually refer to as an ‘ayahuasca dieta’ is completely different from a long-term master plant dieta.
When you ‘diet’ a plant, it’s often a strict longer-term program (lasting up to a year depending) in isolation in order to go deeper within oneself, connect fully with ayahuasca and learn the teachings of additional plant teachers of the jungle.
In the Shipibo tradition (we proudly observe these healing traditions while working closely with their community), master plants are considered to be sacred healers and teachers. Through a master plant dieta and ayahuasca, one can receive the knowledge of that plant, deepen their own healing, learn how to heal others and better understand the world of plant medicines.
How does a master plant diet work?
A master plant diet involves a consultation with our head shaman, where he will assess your specific scenario and recommend a plant teacher based on your situation and intentions.
You will then consume some of the plants you wish to diet (oftentimes in the form of a tea), and after that, following a stricter diet of food than your typical Ayahuasca diet – no salt, sugar, oil, or fats, and no energetic transfers including physical touch or sex.
The shaman will open your diet with an Ayahuasca ceremony and will connect you to the spirit of your plant, after which you will be able to receive the knowledge and teachings of that plant, both in and out of your ceremonies.
What are the types of master plants you can diet?
There are quite a few ancient plant teachers you can diet. The actual plants you will diet would mainly depend on your consultation with the Shamans to determine what would be the best for you.
Below are some examples (not extensive) of the plant teachers we offer, along with some of their unique purposes:
Tobacco – Centering, grounding, protection, strong emotional boundaries, connecting back to your roots
Chiric Sanango – Physical healing of joints and bones, mental energy and motivation, strength
Marusa – Connection with the mind and heart, ability to heal others
Piñon Blanco, Nihue Rao – Connection with light and love, opening of the heart
Piñon Colorado – Physical pain relief, respiratory ailments, blood conditions
Renaquilla – Happiness, love, physical healing of wounds, connection with others
Toé – Connection to dreams, deeper understanding of the mind and heart of oneself and others
Dieta Outcomes
The outcome of your dieta largely depends on your intention. Are you looking to explore deeper healing or become a shaman yourself?
How to become a shaman
Although we borrow the term Shaman from Siberia, healers are known as Curanderos.
People interested in this path, acquire the skills to heal others through what is known as Master Plant Dietas. Just like Doctors in the western world attend medical school studying different subjects, the Curandero learns healing from Dieting Multiple Master Plants in their lifetime.
The dietero (person undergoing the dieta) retires to the jungle in isolation staying in a Tambo (jungle hut), under the supervision of his Teacher leading the dieta. While in the dieta, after ingesting or bathing with the plant, he/she must observe very strict rules, that include having no sex, no use of soap, perfumes, no reading, music, no strenuous physical activity.
The dietero is supposed to sit in isolation seeking the knowledge of the plants. Nutrition is very limited, eating once a day only specific types of fish and plantain. No salt or sugar is allowed nor fruits and vegetables. Drinking water is only allowed during lunchtime, any thirst outside those hours is to be satisfied by smoking the mapacho pipe.
Upon the satisfactory completion of certain milestones in the dieta, the plans start communicating with the dietero in the ayahuasca ceremony or dreams teaching him the melodies and words to its icaros (medicine songs). It is through these songs that the dietero learns to heal other people.
The life of the shaman is not an easy one, it is one of lifetime sacrifice while being at the service of others. Good Curanderos take this on as a permanent commitment to acquire a vast wealth of never-ending knowledge.
Arkana’s Master Plant Immersion Programs
Our long-term immersion programs are available at both our Sacred Valley and Amazon locations. These programs require a minimum of 1-month commitment.
A dieta is a unique opportunity for you to connect with your true essence while learning invaluable knowledge directly from the plants and the shaman guiding your dieta.
Our shamans are second to none in the Amazon and are very generous with sharing their knowledge with people that want to learn.
The pricing structure for our dietas are as follows:
Amazon
1 – 3 Mos: $4,000/mo
4 – 6 Mos: $3,500/mo
6+ Months: $3,000/mo
Sacred Valley
1 – 3 Mos: $4,500/mo
4 – 6 Mos: $4,000/mo
6+ Months: $3,500/mo
* This includes private accommodations, all meals, 24 hr support, transportation to/from center, ceremonies and the shaman’s guidance. To get the most out of the dieta, I suggest you book a minimum of 3 months ideally at the Amazon center.
Please note that space is very limited, as we currently only have 5 tambos (a type of hut in the jungle) available for this type of dieta. If you are interested, please feel free to contact jose@arkanainternational.com to help accommodate your needs.
