Ayahuasca, commonly known as iowaska, yage, natema, and kaki, is known for its unique properties. It is a plant medicine traditionally used by indigenous groups of the Upper Amazon. Although it is not known for sure, South American Shamans have incorporated Ayahuasca into their spiritual medicine practices for thousands of years, claiming to heal mental and physical illnesses. Traditionally used in healing ceremonies, it is associated with many health benefits, from identifying and healing the cause of depression and trauma to expanding consciousness and increasing concentration. Although there is a stigma of risk associated with Ayahuasca, often these risks are associated with misuse, poor practice, and practitioner inexperience. When used respectfully, plant medicines like Ayahuasca can connect us to deeper parts of ourselves, healing the traumas that reside there.
A psychotropic drink made from the Amazonian vine Banisteriopsis caapi, Ayahuasca’s active components include beta-carboline alkaloids and the hallucinogen N-N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). When taken, Ayahuasca has a purging effect on a person, taking them through a deep cleansing of their soul. It is not uncommon to experience an amplification of emotions, crying, vomiting, diarrhoea, and sweat as the body cleanses itself.
Nowadays, many people participate in Ayahuasca ceremonies with a trained Shaman or facilitator. Kat Courtney is one such person. A former video game producer inhabiting the corporate world, Kat now helps others identify their pain as she guides them on their journey to heal and achieve happiness. Kat is the author of the book ‘Plant Medicine Mystery School’. She spoke to us about her 18-year-long journey with plant medicines and how she has used them to heal herself and connect with others.
Growing up in the mountains of Montana, Kat would never have imagined that Ayahuasca would call on her to become trained to run ceremonies, but often life moves in mysterious ways. Battling with depression, bipolar, self-hatred, alcoholism and bulimia in her youth, Kat was offered to partake in an experience with Ayahuasca, and it would be an experience that would change her life. Ayahuasca made Kat realise she was not permanently broken and could heal and become happy. She says that healing is a journey we are on for life, but the first step in that journey is to believe that healing is possible.
“I would call Ayewascha my partner in healing. She is the path that woke me up to the fact that I wasn’t broken. Now I love myself and humanity and connect to nature and Source. Whereas before, I was completely disconnected or at least that’s what it felt like.”
Out of the many plant medicines, Ayahuasca holds a special place in Kat’s heart. Wachuma is a cactus medicine Kat also fell in love with, but what Kat describes as a “soul contract” held her accountable to the spirit of Ayahuasca and her promise to work with her. Her choice to work with Ayahuasca was on a soul level. When working with people, Kat says she is helping humanity wake up to their birthright and be connected to Source to co-create our realities for the highest good. She believes it is time for humanity to step out of destruction and into creation. She thinks that plant medicines can help us to expand our consciousness so that we can do this.
“I am simply about the expansion of consciousness.”
Battling thoughts of not being worthy or capable made it even more challenging for Kat to carry the Ayahuasca lineage. She had an Indigenous teacher who helped her to accept who she was. Her teacher told her that it wasn’t about the colour of someone’s skin or their ethnic heritage, and what is essential is a reverence towards these plants. From then on, Kat trusted in her purity of intention and began to train to run her ceremonies. During her ceremonies, she helps people to integrate their experiences with Ayahuasca by assisting them in connecting the dots in these profound spaces.
“Plant medicines like Ayahuasca let us access different parts of our consciousness that have this ability to be alchemists, to trust our intuition, and to heal.”
Kat says safety is the most important thing when embarking on a journey with plant medicine. Safety can mean different things to different people. Sometimes safety might feel like deep understanding and compassion, or it could be necessary to have particular people around you. She says it’s essential to do the self-enquiry to find out what safety means to you because it’s hard to learn if you do not feel safe. Kat also recommends asking your facilitator as many questions as possible to help you feel safer when sitting in a circle. “The medicine is going to mirror the energy of the person pouring,” she says, so it’s vital that you feel comfortable in their presence.
Kat believes we are all searching for an answer to the imbalance we face regarding our relationship with Mother Nature. There is a profound need to become aligned with being in service to her. We need to start giving back, and not just taking.
Plant medicines can reconnect us with Mother Nature and Source so that we can shift our mindset away from destruction toward co-creation.
“(We need to) alter our perspective on how we see the world. Ultimately, psychotropic medicines expand our consciousness in different ways, and they are so beneficial because we know that the prison of the mind creates our relationship with suffering.”
Plant medicines give us access to the tools necessary to fix a troubled mind by going beyond the mind itself, accessing far-reaching aspects of our consciousness.
Kat’s Fierce Truth is that consciousness is based purely on love, and we are safe here. Death is safe, and life is safe. The entire incredible dualistic reality we live in is safe. If everyone knew that, we might live in a Utopia where we treat each other with love and respect.
Image Credits: Kat Courtney’s Personal Collection
Fierce Truths Magazine
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- Fierce Truths Magazine
- Fierce Truths Magazine
- Fierce Truths Magazine
