My Shamanic Dieta Experience

Recently I took part in my first Shamanic Dieta. A dieta is a process of deep purification of the mind and body, a cleanse. We follow a specific plant-based diet with no fat, no sugar, no salt or seasonings, no alcohol, limiting products that we put on our bodies, all to fully deepen our connection with plants and ourselves. For ten days, we disconnect from electronics, increase our time in meditation, journey to deepen our connection to plants, and abstain from sex. Often dietas would be done with Shamans in the jungles of the Amazon. But for us currently, that was not feasible due to COVID so 12 of us completed this journey at home here in America while life continued.

I know what many of you are thinking – why would you or anyone want to put yourself through this? To deepen my connection to the plants and earth – yes. To see what kind of inner strength and determination I have – yes. To focus more on developing a positive relationship with myself – yes. I’m crazy – quite possibly!

My dieta experience was to prove to myself that I was stronger than I believed I could be, to understand that going deeper within helps with connections to your own well-being and to delve deeper than I have ever done before to be comfortable within my own skin. My dieta was profound in setting goals that I needed to accomplish just for me. And boy did I! I followed the diet and delved into lots of meditation and journeying to the Spirit of Cacao, my spirit guides, and my spiritual alter. I noticed that my mind would drift and I would fall asleep during meditation more often than not. I found my body needed more rest and the less time spent with electronics, like my cellphone or the television, allowed a more peaceful and longer night's sleep. I took many long salt baths to clear and cleanse myself as part of my personal purification ritual. I found that my relationship with Cacao really was based around the relationship I have with myself. And that my findings did not end when the dieta did, it keeps moving on, keeps developing the strength I need within and the relationship I need to have with myself, know that if I fall, I can dust myself off and get back on track.