Category: Background Stories

Prep, expectations, experiences and the ultimate surrender 23 days before I was to travel to get to the Ayahuasca ceremonies venue, I was undergoing a sound healing session at The Lotus, Mumbai (the 2020-21 pandemic forced the Mumbai centre to close shop but the original Bangalore centre still stands tall). For the hour-long session, all…

A Maloca is usually, from what I gather, a shaded roofed hut sort of space, under which sacred ceremonies are often held. Usually, people gather in near-darkness, the group led by an experienced curandero/ facilitator, drinking the tea one by one. And then, there is not even a candle’s worth of light in the space.…

Googling Ayahuasca – anxious thoughts before heading to the ceremonies Before I go any further, I would like to write a bit about what Ayahuasca is, as I discovered and understand it, because I get asked that a lot when it comes up in conversation. I enjoy talking about the medicine, maybe even to a…

Key lessons and themes in the run-up to the ceremonies: On Brother T’s advice, I would spend most of my morning walks at Juhu beach, running a wish-list/ ‘intentions list’ in my mind, wish-list for Grandmother Ayahuasca to fulfil/ heed. Initially it seemed endless. All sorts of wishes. Most of them categorically ‘not frivolous’, but…