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HOW do i PREPare for a PSYCHEDElic journey

Your experience will benefit significantly from a body well cared for. You can start preparing your body whenever you feel ready – but at least one week before your ceremony. You’ll find that most of our recommendations are good habits to start and keep.

  • Please allow yourself to get a few nights of good quality sleep in the days leading up to your journey and make sure you are as rested as can be. 

  • We are often caught-up in our minds and thoughts, even to the point we kind of disconnect from the body. This is why we’ve created a series of practices to help you reconnect with your body. You’ll find several movement practices and breathing exercises to help you bring your attention out of the thinking mind and into your body. Some practices will get the energy moving, others will release tension and help you feel calmer. To find out which practices work for you, please explore the Practices section in the Spinoza app.

  • Another important thing is to be sure that you are well hydrated. Drink plenty of water. This helps to rid your body of toxins and allows it to function smoothly.

  • In the days leading up to your ceremony, intently listen to your body and feel what it needs. Nourish yourself consciously. The body doesn’t always need as much as you may think. We recommend healthy, light and easy to digest foods, such as grilled vegetables and fresh fruit. Avoid dairy, meat, processed and fried foods, which are more difficult to digest.

  • Caffeine is a stimulant that can cause feelings of nervousness. You are likely to stay closer to the surface and less able to dive deep into your journey. Some people experience headaches on days without coffee. We therefore advise you to minimise your caffeine intake a few days to a week in advance. On the day of your journey, it’s best to stay off caffeine altogether. Keep in mind that teas such as Black, Green, White, and Oolong tea contain caffeine too. Herbal teas such as chamomile and peppermint contain no caffeine and are fine to drink.

  • Alcohol makes the mind less stable and has a negative influence on your system in general. It heavily blurs your mind and awareness. Ideally, you want to enter a psychedelic journey with a calm, balanced and clear mind. We therefore recommend refraining from alcohol one week in advance.

  • On the day of your journey, we recommend fasting. There will be less factors in your system to interfere with the substance, and you will go into your journey with a light and open body. However, if fasting doesn’t feel right to you, listen to your body and eat something light in the morning. We recommend not eating anything 4-6 hours prior to your journey.

How Do I Prepare For A Psychedelic Journey?

PREPARING THE MIND

Over the past decades, people have increasingly come to think of the mind as an inexhaustible information processor. Although it is an incredibly powerful tool, the mind can only come to bloom by allowing it enough rest and time to sleep, some kind of meditation practice and spending time in nature.

We highly recommend following nature both as an example and as an infinite source of inspiration. This is why we encourage spending ample time in nature and in silence.

Create calm and clarity in your life, with enough space and time for yourself. It really helps to enter into your psychedelic experience with a rested mind. 

Make sure to take at least one day off work before your psychedelic journey, and allow yourself a day without appointments afterwards. You’ll find your mind will probably need some time to process the experience. Take time to meditate, to simply sit and ponder. Go for a good stroll in a nice forest or visit a quiet beach. Put your phone away when you can. There is nothing more distracting than the constant disruption our phones cause in our minds. Another important aspect of preparing the mind is to be more kind to yourself. We all have an inner voice. Actively address it to be more kind.

Once you are in this slower-paced zone, begin practicing meditation. Instead of elaborate meditation sessions, you can meditate just about anywhere and any time. Simply take a moment of silence when you are not doing anything in particular. Sit down, breathe and rest your eyes in the distance. There are no rules, it’s just you creating a moment for yourself. This can be challenging in the beginning, but remember that the more frequently you practice, the more natural you’ll be able to enter into this state.

 

CONNECTING WITH NATURE

As a part of your preparation, we’d like to suggest a healthy habit, which the Japanese refer to as forest bathing: Shinrin-yoku. Japanese research has shown that forest bathing reduces stress-levels and can decrease depression, fatigue and anxiety, while improving the cardiovascular and metabolic function.

Being in nature is a very calming practice, especially when you consciously connect with nature with all your senses. Open your ears for the songs of birds and branches swaying in the wind. Open your eyes to the many shades of green and golden rays of sunlight peeking through the forest roof. Open your nose to enjoy the fine fragrance of the forest. Touch a tree and feel the earth with your bare feet. You are nature, too. And so it’s also highly recommended to consciously connect with yourself. Nature is a perfect place to practice meditation.

 

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