Far from being part of the “New Age” movement, plant medicine healthcare has existed for thousands of years and was a well-established system long before Western medicine developed in the last few hundred years, so they are considered an ancestral form of medicine. However, we also work with some ancestral medicines that are not plant-based, like Bufo Alvarius and Kambo, for example. We called them Ancestral medicines as well. By plant medicine we mean plant-based healing resources such as Ayahuasca, magic mushrooms, etc.
Read less
Addressing the Root Cause – Healing the Emotional, Energetic, and Spiritual Bodies
Just as modern medicine has excelled at getting to the physical causes of illness, Ancestral and Plant Medicines offer a chance to get at the emotional, energetic, and spiritual roots of dis-ease by opening channels of communication to our subconscious inner landscapes, where we can finally see ourselves on a very big and shiny mirror. From a place of compassion and love, this can offer us deep insight into our own psyche and provide us with the tools and understanding to let go of old patterns that are no longer supporting us.
And it is there where healing, as well as spiritual and emotional growth begin.
From a shamanistic point of view, most illnesses and diseases are manifestations of blockages or “knots” in the energy of a person, or where excess or insufficient energy creates imbalance in the overall system. This often happens throughout our life from trauma in its various forms. Shock trauma – often the result of abuse, attack, or loss – is one form, but trauma can result from many common occurrences of life: surgery, accidents, illnesses, injuries, relationships, financial difficulties, cultural and societal pressures, betrayal, or anger from close ones, even problems from birth we may be unaware of – just to name a few.
With the help of Ancestral and Plant Medicine well trained and ethical healers, imbalanced energies can be addressed and corrected through healing ceremonies. This is contrary to Western medicine, which focuses on the physical body and outward symptoms of an illness. Such an emphasis can end up blocking our innate healing process by suppressing these symptoms without addressing the root energetic cause, denying, or invalidating the experience and associated emotions, or over-emphasizing adjustment or control. As a result, insufficient importance is placed on the energetic body, which encompasses the mental and emotional well-being of a person.
Yes, but as stated before, it’s important to have the right time, space, and highly skilled healers and facilitators to help us make sense of what comes up and surrender to the process fully.
With the proper screening, preparation, container, and integration support, it is very rare that negative psychological effects result from partaking in Ancestral and Plant Medicine ceremonies.
To avoid this, it is extremely important to respect certain medical conditions that are contraindicated with plant medicine, including (but not limited to) schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and psychosis. Additionally, certain medications are contraindicated and should be discussed with your doctor to determine if an Ancestral and Plant Medicine retreat is right for you and if it is possible to change or taper any medications. Beyond medical contraindications, an Ancestral and Plant Medicine experience can be considered unsafe due to inexperienced healers who are unable to hold the energetic space during ceremony; admixtures to the plant medicine brews that can negatively react with the guest; lack of support or an unsafe container throughout the process; or ‘medicine stacking’, wherein numerous different plant medicines are taken within a short period of time which can overload the system and potentially cause someone to become ungrounded.
At Ek Lum Tulum safety, well-being, and healing is of utmost importance to us, and our main goal is to ensure each person gets the most out of an experience with us. Our aim is to create a safe and supportive environment encompassing all aspects of the healing process.
We only work with highly experienced healers with decades of experience working and training with this medicine, such that they can safely and effectively hold space for our guests during the ceremony. Our facilitation team also has combined decades of experience working with Ancestral and Plant Medicines and facilitating ceremonies for hundreds of guests.
Beyond our on-site team of highly skilled healers and facilitators, we consult with qualified professionals during the screening and preparation for your journey, and our stringent medical protocol before and during your retreat ensures each guest a safe and fulfilling experience, mitigating any risk of potential contraindications with our medicines. In addition, we have a facilitator trained in Wilderness First Response (WFR) and a fully stocked medical kit on-site. During your stay, our safety protocols allow you to rest easy and comfortably, while our staff provides a sanctuary for your emotional and spiritual well-being.
In line with this, our focus on integration takes the same approach of a strong and supportive container. We understand that while a powerful experience and initial cleansing are crucial catalysts towards healing, really that’s just the first step in the much longer (truly lifelong) process. In order to create lasting healing, we feel it’s necessary to empower the person with the tools needed to enact the benefits of such a catalyst into their day-to-day life. And beyond that, provide a supportive container over the long-term to help inspire lasting change. Much of our team has come from working at previous plant medicine retreat centers, and within our communities we saw the need people had for a longer-term relationship with their process, whatever form that may take. You can read more safety protocol:
Your safety is paramount, both in and out of the ceremony. As such, we have implemented the following measures and practices as part of our risk mitigation program:
+Our stringent medical protocol and intake process (including a detailed medical questionnaire even before you arrive) ensures each guest a safe and fulfilling experience, reducing risk of potential contraindications with our medicines.
+We consult with experienced intake coordinators during the screening process, and work with qualified medical professionals to help inform our integration programming.
+We have a complete disclosure form that outlines the inherent medical, environmental, and other risks involved in a retreat with us.
+Upon arrival and before departure, a brief physical exam by our medical doctor.
+We are located 5 minutes from the nearest clinic and have protocols for emergencies to minimize harm from any accident.
+We have a fully stocked medical kit available for minor injuries.
+Onsite security guards regularly patrolling the grounds.
+At least 1 female and 1 male medicine healer and facilitator in every ceremony.
+Well-lit walkways and pathways for easy ground navigation.
+Support staff of both English-speaking Westerners and locals.
We only work with highly experienced healers with decades of experience working and training with this medicine, such that they can safely and effectively hold space for our guests during the ceremony. Our facilitation team also has combined decades of experience working with Ancestral and Plant Medicines and facilitating ceremonies for hundreds of guests.
We always work with a female and a male healer for every ceremony, and we work with the same healers throughout your entire retreat. You can read more about the healers that we work with and their individual stories and experiences on our ABOUT US page.
We hold ceremonies in a large circular hut called a maloca, which is the traditional ceremonial space used for ceremonies.
During the ceremony, guests have their own space in a circle around the outer rim of the maloca space, with their own pillows, blanket, and buckets in case the need to purge arises during the ceremony. There are bathrooms just outside of the maloca, and our facilitators are on call to help guests should they need any assistance.
As one can probably guess, the medicine works in different ways for different people. Visual imagery, while it can be part of some people’s experience, is often less common than one might think from reading or hearing experiential accounts of others. Oftentimes Ancestral and Plant Medicines work on a much more energetic level than we may consciously be able to perceive. The experience itself can take many forms, such as physical/energetic work – bodily sensations, physical purging through yawning, laughing, crying, sweating, vomiting, or shaking, to name a few – or deep thought, emotions coming to the surface, mental imagery, reliving past experiences, or a feeling of oneness and connectedness. It can be different not just for every person but for every individual experience. We are careful to mitigate expectations of visions in the guests that we welcome to Ek Lum Tulum, as while this can happen for some people, it is often not necessarily the bulk of the work being done, which happens in much deeper layers and oftentimes in the body. In some cases, the visions can simply be a distraction. In others, they can be a helpful way for the mind to understand the narrative of the healing being done. We encourage guests to surrender to the healing work, let go of expectations, and trust that they will get what they need, even if it isn’t in the way they expected.
It is true that Ancestral and Plant Medicines can involve purging including vomiting and diarrhea. If you need help getting to the bathroom, our facilitators are on call to do so, and they will let you know how to easily signal them should you need assistance. It is important to note that the concept of purging can take many different forms for different people, including crying, yawning, sweating, shaking, and laughing, among other things. Nevertheless, our facilitators are trained to respond should any scenario arise, and you will be well taken care of quickly and lovingly should a challenging physical situation occur. As we like to say, everything is normal in Ancestral and Plant Medicine, and whatever happens during the ceremony is perfectly fine and nothing to be ashamed of or worried about!
Choosing a place to participate in this sacred experience is an extremely important factor in determining what you will get out of the experience.
Wherever you are considering, our first recommendation is to check in with yourself and see if it feels right for you first, and then make sure you have a clear understanding of the experience of the healers and the strength and safety of the container that will be held for you, both during and after the retreat.
In this work, there are many things to consider – who trained the person who will be running ceremonies, the lineage of their maestro(s), what the experience of their direct teacher was, how long they were an apprentice, where they have trained, what tradition (if any), and how long they have been holding ceremony. This will help give a clearer picture about how they are able to hold and safeguard the energetic container of the space.
You can read more about the healers we work with at Ek Lum Tulum.
Additional factors to consider are the ratio between healers and group sizes, particularly dependent on the experience of the healers (a very good healer can hold around 10 – 12 people on their own.
Additionally, there are many retreats that also combine other medicines and traditions within a short period of time. This is to be approached with caution, if done at all. We at Ek Lum Tulum feel that it is important to make the space to work with a reduced number of medicines, both from the perspective of your own body’s system and its ability to work with the energy of those medicines, as well as out of respect to the medicines we work with. This is one of the reasons why we recommend refraining from any other psychoactive substances for at least 30 days before and after your retreat.
Finally, it is important to get an idea of what type of follow-up or integration support they offer, both during the retreat (in between/after ceremonies) and after you go home. Are there any experienced integration therapists or coaches on call? Do they offer any resources or ways to stay connected to the group, community, and experience? Do they prepare you for your integration with workshops, sharing circles, or information about what can come up and the different tools available to you should you need them? For some context, you can read more about our integration program here.
We hope this helps offer some guidelines for you to make the decision that feels right for you. If you have further questions about the way we work with medicine at Ek Lum Tulum, please reach out to us through our contact page.
Integration means taking the knowledge and lessons learned during your retreat experience and putting them into practice in your life. It can involve changing habits, relationships, or community; approaching life from a new perspective; realizing an increased sense of awareness in your thoughts and actions or working towards a new set of goals and purpose, as well as other changes in deep psychological processes you may have been unaware of until this point.
You will undoubtedly face challenges upon returning home that test the lessons and insights that you have gained. You may have changed, but other people, situations, and environments will have stayed the same; how you deal with these situations determines the success of your medicine and integration work. We place a strong focus on preparing you for post-retreat life with actionable, solution-focused programs that will help you maintain your connection to the work you have accomplished at the center.
Support for your integration process continues after the ceremonies through post-retreat integration sessions with highly qualified guides who have a foot in both worlds: decades of experience working with these medicines, and a deep understanding of how to bring these ancient teachings into a modern world. These sessions are offered at a discounted price of $50 for 50 minutes. Please contact us if you feel you need to book a session with a therapist from our team.
You are also welcomed into Ek Lum Tulum global community, where you will find continuous support, resources, and fellow guests who have undergone similar experiences and who can help you find your footing as you navigate the sometimes murky waters of the default world.
Integration services can help you learn how to work with your feelings and emotions, how to let go of what no longer serves you, how to recognize signs of healing, and how to effectively incorporate your healing experiences over the long term in your day-to-day life.
Your experience at Ek Lum Tulum can be a touchstone; recalling the experience through daily meditation or other practices can help maintain the perspective you gain from a period of expanded consciousness, and connection to the center through various activities can keep your visions and insights alive.
Activities that promote reflection and connection to the body, nature, and creativity, such as yoga, art, bodywork, and mindfulness practices, can supplement and enhance the benefits you gain at the retreat. Focusing on the body as a vehicle for awakening and honoring its role in our transformation—something that can often be ignored in traditional talk therapy—can enhance the impact of the medicine and lead to faster resolution of the issues that block full engagement with life in the here and now.