FAQs About Shamanic Dieting

Does everyone do a Shamanic Diet?

No. There is the normal parameters for eating on ceremony days (including no sugar, pork, alcohol, etc) but Shamanic Diet is a more plain way of eating, in order to 'diet' the additional plant tea.

What is the point of Shamanic Dieting?

Shamanic dieting is an intregal part of the Medicine practice, for shamans and apprentices alike. Two to three 8-day diets per year is ideal, but most people do what they can. The point of dieting is to introduce even more plants (raw, not cooked like in Ayahuasca preparation), detox and strengthen the body even more, in order to prepare it to be able to handle even higher levels spiritually.

Can I do a Shamanic Diet on my first visit?

This is usually not recommended for first time guests, though if a person feels a strong call to do so, he or she may participate in shamanic diet. Working with the Ayahuasca alone is PLENTLY on the body, especially the first time you experience because you are not used to purging.

What are the rules?

The 8-Day Diets adhere strictly to the following guidelines:

   During the diet, the guest will eat any combination of only the following foods:

   Rice, yucca, plantains, fish, chicken, eggs, herbal tea without sweeteners, and water. Nothing else. If you cannot adhere to this, be realistic ahead of time.

   The plant tea will be drank four times, once each day, and the final four days are allowing the body to absorb and process the medicine. For Sanango Diet, the tea is drank three consecutive times at 3:00am.

   The dieter will not use any type of soap, oil, repellant, product, etc (natural or not) during the duration of the diet. Loofahs and water, toothbrushes without toothpaste, etc, may be used for bathing. Contact lens solution is okay.

   Every morning around sunrise the dieters will go cleanse in the river, in order to release the energies that have come up the day before and are lingering on the skin. Natural, cold, running water is the most effect way to cleanse them. Sanango dieters do NOT go to the river, as they will be homebound except for the back yard of the Infinite Light house, mainly in solitude.

   With the exception of this daily river bathe, the dieters will remain inside the house away from non-dieters as much as possible. They will eat separately in order to protect their energy while they are open and cleansing. They are not allowed to touch non-dieters at all (shamans and kids are okay.) Be prepared for a lot of alone and down time to investigate within, both in and out of ceremony.

   During the diet, as well as 30 days after the last day, the dieters will not engage in sexual activity (no release or heavy sexual energy), as well as abstain from alcohol, marijuana, drugs, pork, and spicy foods if Sanango is one of the plants they dieted. If you cannot realistically manage that, please do not participate.

   These guidelines have been passed down from generation to generation. Please respect them and know that they are in place to offer the most effective diet possible for your own physical and spiritual growth.

Can vegetarians and vegans participate in the Diet?

Yes, vegetarians and vegans CAN participate in Shamanic Dieting, simply by not eating the meat portions of the foods. However, like it is for everyone while dieting, the foods will be extremely bland (eat to live, not live to eat!) This is part of the training and necessary for the plants to integrate. Sometimes the diets are more difficult physically for vegetarians and vegans, but it can be done.

What if I get stir crazy?

Diets bring up all kind of things on many levels, including most of our inability to just BE. Not to use the Ipod, or read, or watch DVDs. Just be, allow, investigate. Do your best. It is recommended to stay off the distractions, but it is your diet and you will get out of it what you put into it. However, if you simply can't stand it and read a book or listen to the Ipod, it's okay. Do the best you can; you'll get better with each diet.

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