Psychedelics – Karmuka Yoga

Psychedelics, Yoga and the Shamanic Journey Part IV: Integration

Posted on 3 September 20213 September 2021 by Michelle Goodrick

Integration with Yoga Therapy & Fasting Psychedelics, Yoga Therapy & Trauma – Integration of the Shamanic Journey: After the trauma of loss I had been through when leaving Spain, as I described in part III of this blog, and the resulting deep subconscious work that I had done in the Yucatán with psychedelics, I could tell that I was reaching saturation point and needed space and time to integrate these experiences of trauma and psychedelics with yoga therapy. After finishing the last Ayahuasca ceremony, I had originally planned on exploring the effects and benefits of Peyote in an overnight ceremony in the desert near Real de Catorce in San Luis Potosí. I was intrigued by this cactus for three reasons: It´s use dates back 6000 years It´s main hallucinogenic agent is mescaline rather than DMT Its cultivation and consumption is deeply associated with the pre-Hispanic culture of the Huichol. The Huichol is a culture that still exists outside of the main stream Mexican culture. Though dwindling in number, they continue to maintain their original language, art, beliefs and ceremonies that have been in existence long before the Spanish arrived and the Catholic faith took over. One of the rituals central to their belief system is a pilgrimage taken into the desert where, under the guidance of a mara’a kame – the huichol term for shaman which can also be translated to mean singer – they gather and ´hunt´ peyote. The fruits of this hunt are consumed in the desert as part of a healing ceremony and the surplus is then packed up and taken back to their village. You can learn more in the video below: It is through the ritualistic consumption of peyote that the Huichol believe that they can both heal and commune with the Gods – a divine pantheon that consists of 120 gods with Tatemari, grandfather fire, at the head. This moment of divine contact via the vehicle of peyote allows them to perceive for themselves a parallel world of colors and pulsating connection which is represented and illustrated in their beautiful fantastically intricate, spiritually significant and brilliantly colourful bead and string art known as Nierikas. In the process of this pilgrimage, offerings are left for the Huichol Gods and spirits. These offerings can be seen along the path to the desert and if you do decide to take this journey, please leave them in their place. They are sacred gifts left for another world, not for the density of three dimensional humanoids. After completing my own self-imposed fasting retreat of Yoga therapy to integrate the previously described traumas and psychedelic experiences, I had the chance to walk through the cerro (mountain) and visit one of these sacred Huichol spaces as well as speak with a Huichol family that lived there guarding the area. However, the plans for the peyote ceremony fell apart at the last minute – and probably for the best. First of all, I learned in this trip to the cerro that the Peyote Cactus is an endangered species and and Mescaline can be found in other non-endangered species such as the fast growing San Pedro Cactus. Secondly, I do think it was the universe, or if you like, my own organizing source energy, that decided that after the integrating my psychedelic experience with my self-invented, private Yoga therapy retreat, it was time to rest and just enjoy my new grounded sense of peace and clarity. Fasting Fasting is an integral and long standing practice within the discipline of Yoga as well as its medicinal counterpart of Ayurveda. I have fasted many times throughout my Yoga trainings and use it often when I have felt low on energy, my digestion is not cooperating with me or I perceive that a cold or flu are coming on. Modern science confirms the great benefits of fasting as a way to increase resistance to stress, improve longevity and decrease the incidence of disease. It´s practice, often termed intermittent fasting, has recently become greatly popularized in the western world. Nonetheless, in all my experiences of fasting I have never exceeded more than three days. This is because the focus of these fasts was mainly to improve the functioning of the Annamaya Kosha (Physical Body), Pranamaya (Energetic Body) and Manomaya Kosha (Mind Body). In fact, Ayurveda discourages pro-longed fasting as its primary focus is living day to day life with greater ease and energy, rather than delving deep into the wisdom and bliss bodies of the Vijananmaya Kosha and Anandamaya Kosha. This is where the more austere practices of Yoga (such as long-term fasting) start to play a part. Consequently, since I wanted to explore these more subtle Koshas, especially after my previous experiences, I decided to undertake the task of a 7 day water fast. The practice of fasting to integrate and delve deeper into other worlds of perception is not exclusive to Yoga and is practiced by Muslims during Ramadan, the Jews during Passover, by various Christian sects and is a intricate part of the cleansing practices of the Peruvian Shipibo. Preparation Before undertaking this water fast I consulted with my friend Ian who had years of experience in the healing art of fasting. Ian discussed how on average, every third day I would probably experience some unpleasant detoxifying effects. To reduce these symptoms and make the fasting process more enjoyable I prepared myself for the 7 day water fast with three days of eating just fruit. More citric, watery fruits such as grapefruit and red grapes were recommended. Red grapes were a bit hard to come by where I was so I opted to substitute them for prickly pears. The Experience – Integrating the experience of Psychedelics, Trauma and Yoga Therapy The first two days of the water fast were fantastic. I felt a great surge of energy and clarity in both mind and body for the first couple days of the fast. I was amazed by the sense of great strength and space I observed in all three aspects of my Yoga practice

Psychedelics, Yoga and the Shamanic Journey Part III : Mexico

Posted on 19 August 202127 August 2021 by Michelle Goodrick

An exploration into the Columbian and Peruvian Ayuahuasca Traditions and an unexpected meeting with the ‘The Toad’ (Bufo Alvarius). Psychedelics and Yoga. Healing Trauma in Mexico. According to research by led by Dr. Peter Levine and Dr. Van der Kolk, trauma is experienced when we feel that our capacity to respond is taken away from us. This is why soldiers who experience a surprise attack are more likely to suffer from PTSD than soldiers who are responsible for the surprise attack. There is violence on both ends, but the surprise of the attack can leave the surprised soldiers feeling like they could not respond to the situation. Off the battle field and into daily life, this perception of an inability to respond is also highly correlated with anxiety and depression. I discuss this in greater detail here. There is also evidence that as a first response to stress and fear human beings look to the facial expressions and the physical touch of other human beings to help instantly regulate cortisol levels and the fight-flight stress response. It is postulated that if this fight-flight response is left alone to accelerate, it can result in ´freezing´ – a paralysis of the nervous system. This can then manifest as symptoms of trauma associated with PTSD and depression. The video below offers a more in depth explanation of this psych-biological process of trauma. Therefore, when the Covid-19 restrictions in Spain forced me to unexpectedly close the doors of my center, take all my classes online, isolate myself from others and move back to America, leaving behind everything I had built up for almost a decade, and move into a world of fear where even my own mother refused to hug me for fear of Covid contagion, I knew I had all the right ingredients just waiting to cook themselves up into a masterpiece of trauma and depression. In an effort to move out of this difficult period, I enrolled in a Yoga Therapy course with the Paramanand Institute. This Yoga Therapy certification course was educative and helped me to release some of this stored up stress. However, it was the relationship I developed with other Yoga therapists which acted as the greatest trauma healing balm during this time of transition. After finishing this Yoga Therapy certification course I experienced an irresistible urge to get out of my safe and comfortable isolation that I had been enjoying with my tia (aunt) on her farm in Alabama. I felt my wounds had sufficiently healed enough so that I could strap on my backpack and start exploring the world once again. I decided that since my experience of Ayahuasca in Barcelona had been so constructive and positive and appeared to correspond with the aforementioned research outlined in Part I, I would start my journey of integrating psychedelics & yoga for healing & trauma in a place where access to these ceremonies was easily accessible and where I had a friend of over 15 years to help support me in the journey. I decided to head south to Mexico. My aim was to explore further the healing practices of psychedelic indigenous medicine, like Ayahuasca, its healing trauma effects upon others, as well as my own sense of anguish and disempowerment that was sitting ominously somewhere in the back of my mind. It was there, just looming over me, and threatening to suffocate my usual sense of curiosity and adventure. Still in contact after 15 years, I reached out to my friend Alberto who was still living in the Yucatán Peninsula working as a tour guide. The Columbian Ayahuasca (Yagé) Tradition Less than a week after arriving to the Yucatán, my friend Alberto and I drove out to a small and beautiful little eco-dome located in the middle of the jungle near Playa del Carmen. We had prepared ourselves for the Ayahuasca ceremony with light vegetarian meals, no coffee and no alcohol for three days. I intensified my Yoga practice and participated in an ice bath (see right) at Alberto´s insistence. I also fasted for 18 hours before participating in the ceremony. The Experience After my experience in BarcelonaI had learned to head into these ceremonies without any kind of expectation – BUT I would be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t a little nervous about what might happen. When Alberto and I got to the eco-dome, there was a group of about 20 others (a pretty even mix of international and Mexican participants). Some were new to the world of psychedelics for trauma healing while others were experienced veterans. Everyone quietly mulling about, setting up their mats chatting away while awaiting the arrival of the Columbian Shaman. When he arrived I felt instantly reassured by the genuine and friendly smile that seemed permanently etched onto his face. Meeting him I understood why the the Ayahuasca shamans were often called abuelos (grandfather) or Taita (Healers). He moved with ease and joked quietly with those nearby. When he told us he was was 70 years old, I thought he could easily have been 15 years younger. He spoke briefly and informed us that in Columbia Ayahuasca is often referred as Yagé (pronounced Yah-Hey) and that he was both a shaman and medical doctor but that the true healing came from the plant herself, not from him. With that stated, the ceremony started with the fire pit being lit and the four directions being honored with a blow of a conch shell and a shouted ¡Ah HO! Participants patiently sat on their mats awaiting the signal to get in line to take their first toma (dose) of the evening. The Shaman informed us that there was honey within the the psychedelic brew and as we approached to take the first toma he clarified if it was our first experience or not – and then poured the ayahuasca from the corresponding bottle. The Silence After everyone had taken the first toma, the silence began. This great silence was the most obvious difference I experienced between that of the tradition of Santo

Psychedelics, Yoga and the Shamanic Journey Part II – Ayahuasca

Posted on 19 August 202121 August 2021 by Michelle Goodrick

Unlike the previous blogpost, the following account is written more like a Ayahuasca case study – with the subject being me. As I had discussed in Part I, about two years ago I had reached a point in my life where I was feeling quite stuck and apathetic towards life. This worried me greatly as twice before I had already experienced this kind of empty heaviness and I knew from experience, it could act as a precursor to a darker hole of depression and suicidal ideation if I did not get out of it soon. The discipline of Yoga is what pulled me out of that darkness years ago. I believe due to its direct work with the vagus nerve as theorized by Dr. Stephen Porges and its relationship to the psycho-biological aspects of trauma, it continued to offer me the energy necessary to continue with daily life, but I knew I needed to go deeper. I could tell that there was something hidden inside of me that was stubbornly there, causing me to doubt my own worth and the beauty life was always offering me. Therefore, due to the years of research and personal stories that I had listened to and read previously on DMT and plant based psychedelic therapy, I decided to take the jump and explore this experience for myself. This is when I was presented with the opportunity to participate in five different ceremonies of Ayahuasca with a Brazilian Shamana from the Santo Daime Tradition and a therapist associated with the research group ICEERS, in Barcelona, Spain. Ayahuasca and the Santo Daime Tradition Only in the tropical, eclectically spiritual and diverse environment of Brazil could such an interesting mix of ancient tribal traditions, plant medicine and catholic ritual be fused together to create the Santo Daime tradition. Dai-me means “give me” in Portuguese. The Portuguese phrase, Dai-me força, dai-me amor (“give me strength, give me love”), recurs in the doctrine’s hymns. It was founded around the 1930s in Brazil by Raimundo Irineu Serra and incorporates elements of several religious or spiritual traditions including Folk Catholicism, Kardecist Spiritism, African animism and indigenous South American shamanism. Ayahuasca, referred to as Daime, is drunk as part of the ceremony. The combination of both music and silence are integral in the experience of these ceremonies. Ayahuasca itself is a kind of thick tea that is composed of two different plants. The ayahuasca vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) and a shrub called chacruna (Psychotria viridis), which contains the hallucinogenic drug dimethyltryptamine (DMT). These two plants are mixed together because without the ayahuasca vine the hallucinagentic effects of the chacruna will not be experienced. In other words, without the ayahuasca vine the DMT found in chacruna will not be absorbed by the body and will essentially move through the system without any effect*. It is the the ayahuasca vine that provides the necessary alkaloids which inhibit monoamine oxidase type A, thus enabling the oral absorption of dimethyltryptamine (DMT) found in the chacruna leaves. The historian Grahm Hancock points out that this is pretty amazing since there are more than 150,000 plant species in the Amazon and of these 150,000 species, the healers and Shamans of the Amazon were able to figure out how to marry these two different plants together and boil them in water so that the effects of DMT could actually be experienced. The people of the Amazon do not take credit for this discovery though and rather acknowledge that the spirits taught them the wonders of this botanical miracle. This mix of chacruna and Ayahuasca ´tea´ is administered by a shaman in quantities dependent upon the experience of the participant and potency of the plant, but in general, each ´toma´, or dose, is around 50 – 70mg. If you are interested in learning more about the chemical make-up and history of Ayahuasca in greater detail, I suggest visiting the ICEERS website here. *Diplopterys cabrerana is another common plant that is used instead of P. viridis, depending on availability in the region. The Experience: Objectively, my experiences of Ayuahuasca in the Santo Daime Tradition were all very similar. The same songs, the same eclectic mix of spiritual icons, with the same Shamana and the same Ayuahuasca formula. However, even though there were somatic expressions and images that were experienced repeatedly, the subjective experience of each one of these ceremonies was completely different from the other. Ceremony I One of the somatic expressions that repeated itself in each Ayahuasca session was a physical trembling from my right leg all the way up deep into cavity of my pelvic floor and iliac crest. A similar tremble was felt along my left shoulder. Curiously, these physical tremblings were very similar to what I had experienced in the trainings and workshops of Somatic Experience and are the areas in my Yoga Asana practice where I am most often stuck. Due to my training as a therapist, these tremblings sent my analytic mind off trying to find an explanation. As my mind mulled and ruminated over what these tremblings could possibly mean, I heard something in the distance start laughing. This is when I was introduced to my little friend Ka, a wiggling, sarcastic and humorous snake character that would come into my minds eye and tell me to stop interpreting my experience. It’s exact words that I will forever remember were ´your mind is very poorly educated and rebellious, shut-up and let me do my job´. With my eyes still closed, laying face up on the floor, I laughed out load at this very sharp and accurately honest commentary. My loud belly laughter then transformed into a quiet and delightful giggle as I watched, in my minds eye, the spinning and joyful dance of this little snake as my body trembled and my right hand spun around and around as if it was dancing sevillanas. At the end of session I experienced an ecstatic joy and sense of clarity that kept me up all night writing down and drawing everything I had experienced as well

Psychedelics, Yoga and the Shamanic Journey Part I

Posted on 13 August 202115 August 2021 by Michelle Goodrick

My passion and perhaps obsession in life has always been trying to figure out the most effective therapies, life choices and social structures that lead to the greatest joy and life satisfaction. This passion has led me to leave behind the religious faith of my fathers, dive into the world of research and academia, globe trot around the four corners of the earth, develop a consistent and therapeutic Yoga practice while filling up my free time up with books, journals, blog posts and lectures that center upon human psychology, the healing of trauma and the transformation of pain into joy. With this passion guiding me, it was only a matter of time before I was led out beyond the materialistic and Cartesianism confines of western psychology, the austere disciplines of Yoga and Yoga Therapy and into the world of plant medicine, psychedelics and shamanism. This journey only happened because others before me had done the rigorous and controversial research that was proving how healing psychedelics and indigenous plant medicines could be. Coming from a family that had been deeply scarred by drug addiction, I viewed most drugs, and those who advocated for them, with severe skepticism. Nonetheless, starting about ten years ago I was guided towards scientific research, peer-reviewed journals and clinical stories of addiction, depression and PTSD recovery that urged me to re-evaluate my previous anti-psychedelic judgements and shamanic suspicions. The Research: LSD, Psilocybin, Ayahuasca and Bufo Alvarius LSD I was first introduced to the benefits of psychedelics during my time as a researcher in Trinity College. A a fellow researcher, a quiet and somewhat shy woman, whom I never would have expected had the least bit of interest in the experience and effects of LSD, recommended to me the work of Czech- born psychiatrist Dr. Stan Grof. I started to delve into his work and was both surprised and fascinated by his case studies and observations. I was astounded by his claim that with just with two to three sessions of an integrated therapy technique that used LSD as a gateway to enter the subconscious, he was able to release the debilitating grip of PTSD on veteran soldiers. This is amazing because, to date, PTSD is still a very difficult psychological disorders to treat and overcome – especially if the only therapy offered is talk therapy. Sadly, the efficacy of this treatment studied and executed by Grof was deterred by politics as the 1970´s rolled in with Richard Nixon categorizing LSD and other psychedelics as illegal and illicit substances. Grof attempted to mimic the effects with a technique he called Holotropic breath work. I myself have explored both the effects of LSD and holotropic breath work, and though the breath work does appear to open doors to some aspects of the psyche, for me, it was nothing in comparison to insights and experience LSD offered. Nonetheless, despite the legal complications, there were still a small group of determined researchers out there who were able to figure out a way to keep investigating the effects of these substances like LSD on trauma, depression, anxiety and other psychological disorders. Thanks to their work, therapies that integrate the healing power of hallucinogenic agents in clinical therapy sessions are now receiving greater interest and acceptance. Psilocybin I have not yet had the opportunity to explore the effects of psilocybin but I wanted to include it here in the review of research because it contains the same active ingredient of DMT as both LSD and Ayahuasca and it has probably been the most widely researched plant medicine in the last three decades. Dr. Roland Griffith has been studying the effects of psilocybin and its effects on mood and depression for over 30 years. Psilocybin is the main hallucinogenic agent in what is popularly known as magic mushrooms. He moved into this research thanks to a transcendental experience he himself had with psilocybin. This experience acted like a doorway that then led him into the practice and discipline of transcendental meditation. In his research of psilocybin and behavioral sciences, he as demonstrated in multiple clinical trials how the consumption of psilocybin taken within a controlled, therapeutic environment results in an over all improvement in mood and outlook towards life in 75% of participants. He has also demonstrated, in a double blind, randomized study, how this integrated approach of psilocybin and therapy produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer. His research continues to show that the effects of psilocybin result in enduring positive changes in psychological functioning and in trait measures of prosocial attitudes and behaviors, months and even years after the completion of treatment. You can read more about his research here. Ayahuasca My first introduction to the existence of Ayuahuasca was in Spain via a friend who had recently attended a ceremony. He claimed to have experienced a great sense of expansion and connection from the experience and swore that it had helped him to release a lot of the anger and resentment he had held onto towards his parents others. I was suspicious about such quick and miraculous outcomes and held off from exploring this plant medicine for myself for almost 6 years – despite the fact that more and more people kept coming into my life and confirming that indeed, this plant medicine and ceremony was both transformative and healing. I finally decided to explore this experience for myself after listening to various lectures by great doctors and addiction specialists like Gabor Mate as well as anthropological researchers such as Jaime Wheeler, Brian Muraesku and Profesor Carl Ruck, great thinkers like Sam Harris and the rogue historian Graham Hancock. Later on, after experiencing these ceremonies for myself, I was introduced to the work of the Nierka A.C.This is an organization that promotes scientific research on the therapeutic potential of the ritual use of sacred plants in therapeutic contexts and its interdisciplinary and intercultural integration. They have carried out studies that indicate the integration of ayahuasca rituals and ceremonies with different