You've done the work. You've adjusted your diet, taken care of your body, and created space in your life for this experience. That physical preparation matters, it shows you're taking this seriously. Now it's time to get clear on something just as important: why you're here.
Your intention is your anchor. It's not about controlling what happens during ceremony, you can't, and you shouldn't try. But when things get intense, confusing, or overwhelming, your intention gives you something to come back to. It's a reference point: This is why I'm here. This is what I'm working on.
Think of it this way: you wouldn't start a road trip without knowing your destination. The medicine will take you where you need to go, but having a clear intention helps the facilitators support you better. It also helps you make sense of what comes up during and after the experience.
In the Shipibo tradition, the icaro (sacred song) and your intention work together. The healer listens to your heart's calling and weaves it into the ceremony.
Indigenous cultures have always understood that intention is not just a thought, it is an energetic force that shapes reality. Your sincere intention becomes part of the ceremonial field, honored by both the medicine and the lineage of healers who came before.
A clear intention acts as your North Star, helping you navigate the depths of the plant medicine experience with purpose and grace.
Your intention provides a focal point, helping you navigate the vastness of the experience without becoming lost or overwhelmed.
When emotions or visions intensify, your intention serves as an anchor, reminding you why you came and what you seek.
Clear intentions help you discern meaningful insights from the noise, allowing wisdom to emerge with greater precision.
By naming what you wish to heal or let go, you create permission for the medicine to work on those specific areas.
Before ceremony, sit with these questions. There are no right answers, only honest exploration of what lives within you.
Consider the wounds, patterns, or burdens you carry. What feels heavy in your heart? What no longer serves your highest good?
Reflect on the behaviors, thoughts, or relationships that keep you stuck. What would you like the grandmother vine to help you see more clearly?
Plant medicines are teachers. What lessons are you prepared to learn? What truths are you ready to face with courage and humility?
Consider how you will approach ceremony with respect and reverence. What offering can you bring—whether gratitude, openness, or vulnerability?
Look beyond what you think you want. What does your soul truly need to evolve, heal, and grow into wholeness?
Transformation requires letting go of who you've been. What version of yourself are you ready to release to become who you're meant to be?
Intention-setting is a practice, not a single moment. Here are three ways to deepen your preparation in the days before ceremony.
Set aside 15 minutes each day to write without editing. Let your thoughts flow onto the page, whatever arises is exactly what needs to be expressed.
Spend time in stillness. Even five minutes of sitting quietly with your intention allows it to settle from the mind into the body.
Ask yourself simple questions: What do I need to heal? What pattern am I ready to release? What am I seeking? Let the answers come naturally, without forcing them.
We encourage every participant to bring a journal to the retreat. Writing before, during, and after ceremony is one of the most powerful tools for integration, it helps you track your inner dialogue, capture insights, and ground the experience in your own words.
There is no format. There are no rules. Write what feels true. Draw what you see. Let the pages hold whatever the journey offers.
Your journal becomes a bridge between the ceremony space and your everyday life.
The Journey Continues
Your intention is the seed you plant. Ceremony is the rain and sunlight that helps it grow. But integration is the harvest, where you gather the wisdom, embody the insights, and let transformation root into your daily life.
These aren't separate steps. They're one continuous cycle. The work you do before ceremony shapes what unfolds during it. And what you learn during ceremony only becomes real when you live it afterward.
Explore upcoming retreat dates to book your ceremony, and learn how integration turns insight into lasting change.
Ready to Begin?
If you'd like support in preparing for ceremony or have questions about the journey ahead, we're here to guide you. Explore our upcoming retreats or connect with us directly.