Update Time! Firedancing, Teresa and Meghan Update, Spiritual Support, ASL Tutor Needed, the big question of Why Are We Here!

Hope everyone is having a great Fall so far! First of all we'd like to welcome all the new friends of Infinite Light met from the amazing Expos in Maryland and Massachuttes. Also, a HUGE thanks to apprentices Emily, Staci, Tom and Jafari for all their help! Tom and Jafari both had a few minutes speaking for the first time at the lecture, and those of you who saw it know what an amazing job they did. Great work everyone, the Expos were truly Divine:) So now we are closing out the season at Infinite Light and preparing for the new one:) Here are the latest updates!

1. 2010 Schedule and Staff Changes, Winter Yoga and Firedance Classes 2. Updates on Teresa and her Journey to Walk 3. Updates on Meghan as she moves into her 3rd year of Apprenticeship 4. Support to Share! Links to Conscious Financial Support, Astrology, Spiritual Nutrition/Coaching, and more! 5. Looking for an ASL Tutor in the DC area 6. Why am I Here?

1. 2010 SCHEDULE AND STAFF CHANGES

I was reminded the other day the importance of coming into a whole new decade! It may not be as elaborate as moving into Y2K (was that ten years ago already!?) and we are VERY excited at what the Divine has been planning for all of us! First of all we have decided to try something new this year, holding constant 10-Day sessions (plus one short break) from January through the end of September, leaving October, November and December as a time of rest and renewal for the shamans, apprentices, and the staff. We will re-emerge with the new season in early January as usual! Also, just a note that for 2010, the January, February, and March Service Apprentice start dates are almost full! We have realized that we simply need to spread it out during the year in order to allow the maximum love and support for apprentices and guests alike. We are so excited for all the new apprentices joining us in 2010! With the spiritual changes happening in the world, this is the prime time to develop those who feel a strong calling to help with the big transformation. What a great time period to be living in!

Also, we are blessed to have the amazing opportunity to offer Yoga and Firedance classes (separately!) from our own new apprentice Liana! The element of fire has existed as a part of tribal dancing for ages. Currently, fire dancers all over the world are in the process of globally creating their own art and culture, sacred fire ceremonies, fire rituals and customs.

We all know how to dance by nature, though only some of us choose to move our bodies with less abandon than others. Combining dance, movement within circles and object manipulation, along with the most transformative element on this planet, the art of fire dancing is mesmerizing and beautiful. It is best practiced using non-fire equipment, and you will learn basic moves with fire staff, hoop, and/or poi, as well as fire safety, to get you confident in yourself and ready to light up during the final class if you choose to.

These classes are offered for an additional $50 per group ($40 for Apprentices). If you would like to participate, please contact us before you make your payment so we can include it (or if you're already registered, just let us know and we'll give you a payment link!) Personally I've seen Liana perform, and it is a truly amazing feat. I can't wait to learn! If you have any questions for her, contact Liana at liana.cameris@gmail.com.

Also, Infinite Light has some staff changes. We would like to express deep gratitude and thanks to Danny and Dora, our support staff, as the mutual decision has been made to release the positions. Staying in the now and trusting when any form of relationships come to the end of their lifespan (at least in the present) whether it be a job, a house, a friend or a lover, is imperative to staying in integrity of the the Divine flow and evolution of life. We wish them well on their future endeavors! Dolly and Lourdes will continue in place as we see what other jobs in Herrera can manifest!

2. UPDATES TO TERESA SCHROEDER AND HER JOURNEY TO WALK THROUGH QUADRAPLEGIA (OPEN TO SUPPORT!)

As mentioned in the last email, Teresa has done amazing work in the Medicine as it continues to support her through her journey through Quadraplegia (sorry, I said 'para' before!) to walk again since the snowboarding accident five years ago. In the short time we have known her, her will and dedication has been supported greatly by these incredibly healing plants, reactivating meridians in her body that had been disconnected from the trauma. She will be having an article about her and her artwork published in December in Women's World magazine, so please keep an eye out! Infinite LIght continues to match donations to help her continue her work with us, and her ADA accessible room in the new Apprentice House is complete with ramps, private bathroom and shower, and everything she needs to get around in the wheelchair. She rarely asks for financial support, so when she does we take it seriously. She is currently continuing physical therapy in Lima, which costs about $2000 in total to live, do her rehab, and cover caretakers. More info is posted on her blog, but she just needs enough to make it until December when the article gets published. Even a small donation like $20 (sacrificing one meal out!) can do wonders in supporting her through her journey. It comes around tenfold!

To donate directly to Teresa (tax deductible) please click the PayPal link below. If you do not have PayPal and would like to use a credit card instead, please contact us at Infinite Light and we can send you a link to pay by credit card (this is NOT tax deductible since we will have to be the intermediary and she has a specific tax plan.) Many thanks for everyone's love, support and prayers!

To Donate to Teresa:
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=8975537

To See Teresa's Blog Site:
http://www.peruvianproject.org/


3. UPDATES ON MEGHAN AS SHE MOVES INTO HER THIRD YEAR OF APPRENTICESHIP

It has been a simply AMAZING last two years - Divine gifts almost too much to handle! The Medicine has been such an incredible blessing in my life, and since working with it I am still in awe as to what the plants have continued to take out and put in my body, allowing me access to even more spiritually. For those of you who don't know, before I began at Inner Visions in 2005 (www.innervisionsworldwide.com ) and then into the Medicine, I came from a place of struggling for myself, my happiness, my Life Purpose, and my 230 pounds of physical body (I'll attach the picture again below for the new people who don't believe me lol!)

My preparation at Inner Visions and the work in the Medicine has continued to turn it all around, spiraling upwards to levels beyond my wildest dreams. I am now healthy (135 lbs!) without struggle, as the blocks causing me to fight the natural homeostasis that my body and spirit wanted to be at, are gone. Now it is a joy to choose foods that feel right to me, practice my newfound love for Kundalini yoga, walk in nature, and finally, be FREE of the lingering voice in the back of my head since I was six years old, always wondering what the physical manifestation of the true beauty trapped really looked like. Not just physically, but energetically and emotionally. As the issues and heavy energy and emotional patterns continue to release, I feel a deep, DEEP sense of relief that I am actually here, the real Meghan, uncovered from layers of the ego and fat and anger and sadness and feelings of unworthiness...finally, this spirit is free to live, breath and glow, in a physical body that looks like the REAL me. Now, I know and understand my role on Earth spiritually, and why I had to experience exactly what I did. And I am so extremely grateful for every last piece of it. And the fact that the Universe and the Medicine continues to excite me, like an innocent child, to these new levels I've only read about in books - well it is simply a soul satisfaction beyond words. Thank you to EVERYONE who has supported and continues to to support me through my own journey - be it physically, spiritually, up close or afar, even in "negative" ways. I can never thank you all enough, and promise to do everything in my power to give it right back. Love to everyone!

4. SUPPORT TO SHARE! LINKS TO CONSCIOUS FINANCIAL SUPPORT, ASTROLOGIC, SPIRITUAL NUTRITION, AND MORE!

Here is one way I can give back...by sharing some of the resources that have supported me recently! The following people/organizations I am currently working with and forever grateful to their support, so just in case you need some too...

~ Obsidian Institute for Financial Literacy
www.obsidianinstitute.com

Two of my Inner Visions alumni and friends, Alicia and Aina-Nia, have created an amazing gift as many people struggle financially during these more challenging times. Through working with the the intelligent software program they offer, I personally have felt the freedom in knowing what was actually happening with my own finances, and have really come to recognize the energetic and spiritual significance to being organized, clear, and understanding of money. There is no reason people on a spiritual path to struggle with money: that is an old tribal belief passed down to us for generations. Think of what people of integrity can do with money! We can support other conscious endeavors, support individuals like Teresa, and create an abundance enough to be shared! Through the software, coaching on energetic blocks to attracting money and ways to attract money, and other various services, the women of Obsidian have a tremendously important role in allowing all of us the freedom we deserve. They have also worked out a way to support via distance, and for the Deaf community as well! Thank you Alicia and Aina-Nia, for what you do and all you are!


~ Astrology Readings (by someone who knows his stuff!)
www.bearlight.org

David Kleber is a friend I met through some Divine occurrences, and he gave me a reading once when I was in Seattle. At that time he had been working with the spiritual aspects of Astrologic intelligence for over 30 years, and between his left-brain knowledge of the complicated web of how all it all works, and his deep understanding and intuitive knowledge of how to read those pieces in an applicable way, his support has been vital to me personally as well as Infinite Light. A blessing for us, he is re-emerging his Astrology reading practice and is open again to the public. If anyone would like to have a reading done (in Seattle or by distance) he is available! This humble man has more power than I think he even knows:) Distance readings are done by sending you an audio form of the reading, so it is not currently available to Deaf clients (though I'm sure if you can't find someone to transcribe or interpret the audio, let us know and we can probably help out!) A real Astrology reading is nothing like reading the sun-sign horoscope...it is very thorough and eerily dead-on, in ways that no one but the client can truly understand:)

A quick word from David:

The mystic claims there is a unity within all creation. The Astrologer seeks to demonstrate the unity within each person. Yes, we all have a Sun sign, Moon sign, Mercury, Venus, Mars, and so on, but they are all located within the circle of the Zodiac.

When a person becomes whole, he is able to easily express all the different parts of himself. When this happens, it feels as though he has become part of a bigger pattern of life. The mystics have said that to experience this is why we are here and that when we enter this lifestream, we are aglow with joy, compassion and intelligence.

When I do interpretations for a person, I draw on all my interests. Astrology is a wonderful tool for self-understanding. It is a language of the psyche and of the soul. Its symbols are rich with meaning to those who seek to understand them. If you are such a person, and if I may be of service to you on this path, please contact me. I look forward to our interaction.


~ Spiritual Nutrition and Coaching
rkwan@comcast.net 503.452.0399

Rheta Kwan, David's partner, is another Divine blessing in my life. Her intuitive energy-reading capabilities, along with the sharing of some very high-vibrational nutritional support, have been integral to by growth, especially while working with the weight release while in the US. She is just a good person to know in general. If you need any support of this nature, feel free to contact her as well!


~ Iyanla Vanzant's Inner Visions Institute for Spiritual Development
www.innervisionsworldwide.com

And as always, for the most intense life-changing program I've ever experienced in the US, Iyanla Vanzant's Inner Visions Institute for Spiritual Development is a high-level, structured way of releasing yourself from what's not you. It was an immense initiation and preparation for me into the depths of the Medicine, and it was one of the most incredible challenges to my spirit and myself that I have every experienced. Without Inner Visions, I would not have been anywhere close to where I am. The soul group there is very Divinely guided and does some of the most powerful work I've ever seen, and what they've taught me continues to unfold like a sprouting seed as I work in the Medicine.


~ Shamanic Healing Institute
www.shamanic-healing.org

Shamanic Healing Institute in Savage, Maryland was also an integral part of my growth, particularly in opening me up into the world of shamanism! Paul Sivert studied with Andean shamans in the mountains of Cusco, Peru, and continues his powerful healing work, classes, workshops, fire circles, and AMAZING intuitive reading near Baltimore. We have a close relationship with them, and I would recommend him as one of my most humbly empowered teachers to anyone. (Shamanic Healing Institute, though quite supportive of our work with it, is NOT a facilitator of plant Medicine, just to be clear:)


5. ASL TUTOR NEEDED IN DC (PREFERRED DEAF, BUT HEARING SIGNER OKAY!)

Please contact Brett at brettcox.bc@gmail.com if you are interested in tutoring him in ASL!


6. WHY AM I HERE?

As the momentum builds for whatever 2012 looks like, the stakes are upped spiritually for preparation for those who know (or have an inkling) as to what's going on. I urge everyone to look deep inside of yourselves, and ask the question...

WHY AM I HERE?

Everyone has a reason to be on Earth, and no role is too big or too small. They are ALL imperative to the growth of humanity, and they range from being the guy who fixes the lighting at the high school theatre, to channeling Divine support and Light through arts and music, to supporting people as an accountant, to simply loving others and allowing them to love you back. Many people ask me, "How do I find my life purpose?" Well I can't speak for everyone, but I believe when a person comes to a place of true willingness, can release control of trying to micromanage and 'figure it out' with the mind based on cultural beliefs, and are ready to actually do it (or the next phase of it), the life purpose comes to you. The soul desires, yearnings deep down in the heart, are the compass to lead us to our work. Often times the compass only leads to the next step (remember my urgent deep need to learn Spanish and sign language? Made no sense at the time, but it's pretty damn clear now!) This is where the trust comes in. Until we can let up the reigns a little and know that these desires are the connection between us and our Divine purpose, then we are still in preparation phase to get ready. I didn't know 100% clearly at each step along the way, but sometimes a leap of faith is what it takes to get over the wall of doubt and fear. Somebody has to do these roles. The stronger ones are more easily able to let go of fear and leap.

Because in all honesty...it is so insanely beautiful on the other side. And all the struggle, the heartaches, the tension...just melts away when you finally reach the understanding of why it needed to be there, and you just don't care about it any more once you are on the other side (our eternal - 'it's so worth it' mantra!) And if you are willing, ready, and open, and it's still not happening, the Divine timing may be waiting for the rest of the pieces to fall into place. Would you rather have $1 today or $100 next week? Divine timing will always maximize the benefit all around, so if it involves a period of waiting, it's also well worth the wait. There is no time anyway; we stay still in the now as the future comes to us. Make it as easy as possible on yourself...it doesn't have to be a struggle unless we believe it does. It's all okay. Relax, have fun, let yourself off the hooks. We are all in this together, buoying each other to reach our spirit's goals. We are ALL immensely important, whether we've figured that out consciously or not. That's not ego (ego says one is better than another). At some point, there comes a time to unravel the matrix we are stuck in to get back to what we know in our souls to be true. Therein, the life purpose lies.

So why are we here, in the form of Infinite Light? We are here to create a place for people who feel called and ready, to clear out the unsupportive blocks and energy patterns, and allow people to move closer to their true form...their Spirit, or Higher Self, then watch their physical world morph accordingly. In this way, it allows them to grow, strengthen, and carry out their personal life work much more easily, with the support of an ever-growing family that holds no judgments, can assist with networking and connections, and help the spiritual evolution of humanity through Light Medicine, and playful joy and fun, innocence and excitement, as if seeing the eyes through a wise child. This is a new "Age of Enlightenment"...and just wait to see what the history books will write about this one!

Much love to everyone in our souls' endeavors! As always, let us know if you need any support, be it through the Medicine or just a friendly ear. Smile, and enjoy the ride!

Love and Peace,
Meghan
-----
Infinite Light Ayahuasca Healing
www.infinitelightperu.com
703.879.6673

Updates! New Infinite Light Peru website! Conscious Financing, Distance Healing, Coaching, Seeking Interpreters, Raw Foods, Chefs, and More!

Time for another exciting update from the world of Infinite Light! First we'd like to welcome all our new friends from the RawSpirit Festival:) In this newsletter:

• Service Apprenticeship Positions Available (including but not limited to):

◦ Raw Foods Chef/Teacher (January)
◦ Gardener (January)
◦ Green Building Person
◦ Spanish Interpreters (from the 10/4/09 group through the 11/24/09, partial or all)
◦ ASL Interpreters (for the 11/1/09 group, also for the Maryland Expo 10/4)

• New Website and End of Year Discounts

• Introducing Infinite LIFE Coaching Program (from anywhere in the world!)

• Conscious Financial Management (this is good!)

• Upcoming Events in the US

• Townhouse for rent in Chantilly, Virginia (as of 10/1/09)

• Find us on Facebook and Twitter!

1. Service Apprenticeships

As most of you know, the Infinite Light family is growing fast! One of its cornerstones are the Apprentices. We have had a number of amazing people launch incredible life changes through Apprenticeship, with many more to come! First off, there are many people talking about beginning their Apprenticeships in January or February of 2010. Due to space and high demand, we have to raise the prices of the 3-Month Working Service Apprenticeships from $1500 to $1750. We barely break even on them as it is, and the other choice is to set stricter limits on how many people can come at a time. In the nature of sharing the Medicine, we've decided that the small price increase will allow even more people to come (we now hold 20 people max, including Apprentices). So for those of you who have been discussing with Meghan about your Service Apprenticeships beginning in early 2010, we will grandfather you in using the old price, but we will need the Application, E-Agreement and 25% deposit by September 21 in order to honor the old price (we will send you the payment link upon receiving the application.) Sorry, we try to keep it as affordable as we can. It can all be done right on the new website www.infinitelightperu.com/contact-us-apply/

We also have news! We are seeking a few specific positions to be filled. While Service Apprenticeships are not limited to the following, we are looking to "hire"...

• A Spanish interpreter for the 2009 groups of: October 4-13, October 18-27, November 1-10, and November 15-24. Instead of the Service Apprenticeship rate, each of these groups will be significantly discounted for anyone who can be the interpreter for any or all of these groups. Contact us at infinitelightperu@gmail.com.

• 1-2 ASL interpreters for the November 1-10 group (pending confirmation). Also seeking interpreters for the October 4th Pathways Natural Wellness Expo near College Park, MD

• A Raw Foods Chef (starting January 2010) 3-Month Service Apprenticeship, to creatively prepare and teach our cooks how to prepare a Raw Foods option for guests (several people were interested from the Festival! Please submit your info asap so we can decide who is the best match)

• A gardener to help create and maintain a vegetable and herb garden (3-Month Service Apprenticeship Jan 2010, position pending - may be taken)

• Infinite Light is pretty Green as it is (considering we are working with rustic materials in the village.) However, we would love guidance on how to become official. Seeking a person who knows the Green certification system who can guide us (and hopefully certify us) as an officially Green Eco-Lodge!

2. New Website / End of Year Discounts

We have significantly updated the Infinite Light Peru site, chalk full of more information, links to Ayahuasca research studies, Past Guest Volunteer Contacts, links to the YouTube Video, a million more photos, and a place to write a testimonial right on the site! Check it out:) www.infinitelightperu.com So coming around the bend to the Fall Equinox, we have just a few groups left in 2009! We are offering a Two for One and a Half special until the end of the year (meaning for every one person who participates, they can bring a friend for a half price rate of $500!) This applies for the remaining 2009 Basic Programs (1-2 sessions) only (does not apply to group rates). If you are interested in this, proceed with your application process normally, and we will send the discounted payment link to the second person.

3. Conscious Financial Management

Meghan has been working with Obsidian Institute for Financial Literacy, run by two spiritually focused women (also graduates of Inner Visions) and has been AMAZED at how fast she is already seeing the amount of money that was there but unseen, and how fast she will be able to move through the investment debt. Anyone who has any kind of debt, or wants to actually make money instead of just breaking even, or is interested in learning about Attraction Marketing for their business, contact these women. They will also help you learn to finance a trip to Peru if money is a blocker. The software program they work with is fantastic, and they will help you every step of the way (and it's very affordable! The tiny payment is returned fast. Tell them you're a friend!) www.obsidianinstitute.com

4. Infinite LIFE Phone/Web-Based Spiritual Coaching

Geared primarily towards (but not limited to) people who work with or are planning to work with the Medicine, Meghan offers the Infinite LIFE program, offering comprehensive coaching support in order to integrate the wisdom of the Medicine into your physical world. Spiritual Life Coaching is NOT therapy. It focuses on moving through blockers to get where you want to go, not where anyone believes you should go (there is no judgment here). It gives you a neutral, outside view in order to assist in developing the skills to help you find the clarity yourself. Please visit the website www.infinitelightperu.com for more info!

5. Upcoming Events in the US

• Saturday, September 26th - Sunday, September 27th Natural Wellness Expo
(Stockbridge, MA) www.spiritofchange.org/expo See Meghan's lecture 'Ancient Ayahuasca in the Amazon' (Sunday 10am)

• Sunday, October 4th Pathways Natural Living Expo (College Park, MD) www.pathwaysmagazineonline.com/ See Meghan's lecture 'Ayahuasca and Humanity's (r)Evolution' (Sunday 2pm)

6. Townhouse for Rent Chantilly, VA

Just throwing this in here in case anyone needs it! Contact Meghan at infinitelightperu@gmail.com if you are someone you know is looking:) Available October 1st (lease flexible).

7. Networks If you are on this email list and want to connect on a more personal level, find Meghan in the following networks...

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Meghan-Shannon/503565271

Twitter:
http://twitter.com/ayahuascameghan

Join our email list! www.infinitelightperu.com

Much love everyone!

Peace:)
Meghan

Updates! Teresa/Paraplegia, Jafari/Iraq, Meghan/Weight, Spanish Interpreters Needed, Fall Expos, Lots of Love!

Hey everyone, hope everyone is enjoying their time! We have had an amazing couple of months, and I never cease to get blown away by the work people are doing with the Medicine. Here is a quick update from life at Infinite Light...

1) Building Houses
2) Internet in the village
3) Spanish Interpreters Needed September and October, Fall Expos
4) Meghan´s Weight Release (attached is my ¨before¨picture!)
5) Update on Teresa and the Paraplegia
6) Seeking Deaf and ASL Using Life Coaches, Healers, etc
7) Jafari´s Testimonial
8) Wish List

1) Building Houses

So construction on the Worker/Apprentice house (room for 10) is almost complete! One room is suitable for wheelchairs, including it´s own bathroom and shower for easier mobility during Shamanic Diets. Should be complete next month!

We are also about to begin construction on personal huts, allowing long-term or frequent guests to design and own their own place, while letting us utilize it for others in their absence. Community living is beginning to grow!

2) Internet in the Village

So after a long time setting the intention, the internet magically appeared in Herrera! There is now an cafe running five computers (with decent speed!) every night during electricity hours, plus we are allowed to bring the generator and plug in during the day. There are also phones and calling cards available! The world gets more connected and unified every day:)

3) Spanish Interpreters and Fall Expos

I (Meghan) will be heading back to the US in August for three months. Meanwhile, we are beefing up support while I´m gone! We re looking for Spanish interpreters to work in exchange for programs during any groups of September and October. We´ve got backups ready just in case, but we wanted to offer new or return guests the opportunity to do their Medicine work at a reduced rate. I will be in close contact with the groups while I´m the States (making phone calls after each ceremony to continue support personal coaching and whatever else is needed.) We also will be installing a house phone to allow easy access for anyone to call me.

In the Fall, I will have a booth at the following Expos, as well as a lecture slot at each one...

Saturday, September 28, 2009 9am - 6pm
Sunday, September 29, 2009 10am - 4pm
Natural Living Expo
Sturbridge, Massachuttes
http://www.spiritofchange.org/expo/index.php
Admission Fee: $8
Meghan´s Speaking Slot: Sunday, 10am

Sunday, October 4, 2009 10am - 7pm
Pathways Magazine Natural Living Expo
Adelphi, Maryland
http://www.pathwaysmagazineonline.com/Pathways%20Online/expomainpage.html
Admission Fee: TBA
Meghan´s Speaking Slot: TBA

(I may need ASL terps for these...contact me if you´re interested!)

I will also be available to come to small groups to share info about the Medicine...if you want to put together a gathering/dinner/meeting/ workshop/party (I´m flexible!) let me know! Will also be available to do one on one coaching and channeling Ayahuasca energy work. I will let you know when I begin scheduling (after August 1).

4) Meghan´s Weight Release

Just wanted to share a quick blurb about my own progress in the Medicine! Since pretty much completing the ¨back work¨purge of the heavy, negative energies, my physical body has changed on many levels. Being overweight since a child (around age 6), going through periods of mild anorexia, popping diet pills and extreme dieting, then peaking at 230 lbs in 2006 (? - can´t remember which year exactly), it was when I began deep into my own self and spirit that the weight began to fall off naturally.

It was always a two steps forward, one step backwards process, allowing the actual new energy of being thinner to actually ¨take¨at each new level. I am nearing the end of this lifelong battle, with the Medicine being a support on levels I couldn´t imagine. In ceremony, not only did I purge so much of the darkness holding the fat in place, but I learned about how the energy pattern of identifying myself as an overweight person simply kept the weight from staying off. I learned how the belief system that I had held (¨it´s genetic¨, ¨this is just who I am¨, basically everything causing me to believe it simply wasn´t possible for me) also kept it´s hold, blocking my body from returning to it´s natural state: healthy and light.

The Medicine didn´t do it all for me, but it gave me a huge kickstart, and would present me with things to work on both in and out of ceremony. For example, when I became simply willing to fast for just one day from feeding all the addictions that were left (food and tobacco), it opened up a door inside giving me the desire to start exercising again, which launched me into working with Pilated and Kundalini yoga. The losing struggle to have to force myself to exercise was simply not there (and is still isn´t). It doesn´t mean I exercise like a maniac, but I can actually feel my body speaking to me: letting me know when the muscles are bored and want some stimulation or to be stretched, letting me know what kind of food it wants (and it´s cool because it´s balanced! I don´t eat ¨perfect¨all the time, but it cuts me off when I´m full and draws me to a balance of healthy and fun foods, and doesn´t flip out if I want to eat junk once in awhile!) Now I´m excited to see what this body can do...and new ideas of possibly starting martial arts, dance, maybe even gymnastics, has been floating around on the horizon. I have also noticed a huge increase in sensitivity to energy and spiritual information with less fat blocking me up.

So I´m in the homestretch - about 15-20 lbs to go...and it may continue in it´s two steps forward, one step back process. But it´s getting there, easily, without struggle, and I cannot begin to describe the relief it is to not have the constant energy-sucker in the back of my head about the weight I have to lose. So I just wanted to share it with you all, and know that there are ways to get the body in integrity with the Spirit...and man it feels good! Attached are a couple of photos...

5) Update on Teresa and the Paraplegia

So Teresa completed her Sanango diet a few months ago, and has continued working with a plant tincture prepared by Luco the shaman. She has had some amazing movement, specifically with a ring toe, fluidity in arms and head, and was able to stand for an hour (much longer than normal!) She will be returning for one group in July to work with more Medicine, then begin her year-long healing in January when she finishes her current physical therapy. We are excited to have you back Teresa! For those of you who just joined the mailing list, we have offered to match 50/50 anyone who would like to sponsor Teresa. Visit her website at www.peruvianproject.org for more info!


6) Seeking Deaf and ASL Using Life Coaches, Healers, etc

I was contacted by a woman named Lori who works for Vocational Rehabilitation supporting the Deaf community. She is looking to compile a list of Life Coaches and healers of all kind (preferably Deaf, but fluent hearing signers as well) anywhere in the US. If you or someone you know would like to get referrals from her, please contact her directly at lori.fuller@vr.fldoe.org. We plan to post the list on our website as well!

7) Jafari´s Testimonial

Jafari is a veteran injured in Iraq on more than just the physical level. Read below to see how he turned around in just five ceremonies...

¨My name is Jafari Swift and I am a 28 year old guy from the Bay Area California. I was first introduced to the medicine Ayahuasca, well actually maybe I should first talk about why I even needed the medicine in the first place.

I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) while being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC for injuries I sustained while fighting in Iraq back in the year 2004. I was in the Army Infantry nearing the end of a 16 month deployment, when my base was attacked and I was struck with shrapnel from mortar fire which nearly killed me, severing my vocal chords and filling my abdomen with white hot shards of metal. I survived and with a ton of surgery regained my ability to speak again, but unfortunately no amount of surgery could correct what was happening to me both mentally and spiritually.

After being neglected for some time by the military (I was told that nothing was wrong with me and to get back into the fight) and me trying to fix myself with illegal drugs, alcohol, and sexual promiscuity, the psychiatric doctors took an interest in me and locked me away in their mental institution for treatment after learning of my plot to murder several other service men and myself (pretty scary shit right?) They did the best they could with what modern western medicine could do for my condition, and it was determined that my mental illness and alcoholism would be something that I was stuck with for the rest of my life and was something that I would have to learn to manage and deal with.

Upon being released from the military in 2006 I was just basically wondering around, completely lost and sick and out of control. I didn't know who or what I was, I hated myself, God and humanity. I was sick with grief and sadness and depression. I believed that the only thing I was good at was hurting other human beings, something that I spent most of my waking hours thinking about and planning.. I was always drunk, trying to drown out the noise and pain which clouded my brain, and at the same time punish myself. At the beginning of this year I was tired of pretending that there was nothing wrong with me to my friends and family and could not bear to maintain the facade any longer. I was tired of being a liar and was resolved to killing myself and being done with it, because I really didn't see much of a reason to live.

I had just traveled to Phoenix AZ. to see my Mother and little brothers for a minute (possibly to say goodbye) when an old aquaintance of mine sent me a Facebook message telling me that she was going on an Ayahuasca retreat and asked if I had ever heard of it. I replied no, and thought that was the end of it. But something (and man I don´t know what) just kind of led me back to taking another look at that message, and something just kind of pulled me back to her page where I saw that she was friends with Meghan, and something (it´s cause Meghan is so hot!) just pulled me to taking a look at the infinitelightperu.com website, which I just sort of briefly glanced at, and then without really thinking about it I made up my mind to travel to the Amazon and see what this stuff was all about, without doing any research or anything, because I mean after all I really didn't much to lose so why not right?

So I go to Peru and meet with Meghan and Luco, two of the best people you will ever meet, and I go and live at their house in the jungle in this wonderful village, and I drink this wonderful medicine while Meghan and Luco sing these wonderful songs, and you know what? I am completely cured. Um, I know that sounds like too good to be true right? Well it is true, and if you dont believe me you can go down there and see for yourself.

My little brother asked me to describe the experience of Ayahuasca to him, but I told him it would be like me trying to describe how to build a nuclear reactor to a cat. Im not even sure if the words have been invented to describe some of the things that I experienced, but hey I´m better now and becoming the person that I always dreamed that I could be, this stuff is absolutely amazing! Dude! You gotta try it!¨

8) Wish List

So we´ve been asked a million times to compile a Wish List for Infinite Light and the village. At the risk of sounding presumtuous (I swear we´re not...this is really only if you have the stuff lying around and could use the space!) here it is...

For the Village:

Used clothing, shoes, toiletries, soaps, etc
Fun knick knacks for kids, toys, jewelry, etc
School supplies
Candy and cool stuff for the neighborhood kids

For Infinite Light use in the Village:

English, Spanish and ASL teaching and learning materials
School supplies to use in our language classes (pencils and notebooks especially!)
Art supplies
A big-screen projector (we want to start having movie nights for the village!)
DVDs with a Spanish audio track and English subtitles (check the back...all kinds! Spiritual, classic, kids, anything that these people deserve to see!)

For Infinite Light and Guests:

Books (English or Spanish) of all kinds (spiritual, relaxing, how-to, kids, crossword and games, anything). We are working on a library!
Batteries (AA and AAA, go really fast out here)
Headlamps (people forget them, borrow ours, and they accidentally disappear!)
Towels
Fun stuff for the workers (we have about 5)
Art and Jewelry Making Supplies
Musical Instruments (we just got an acoustic guitar donated!!!)
Food from the US (there is so many fun foods Luco has never tried!)
CDs (copies are fine) to build up a music collection - all kinds (but not too dark)..meditation, classical, reggae, rock, etc
Flag from your country! We have so far Peru, US, Ukraine, Switzerland, and Australia, and have been visited by people from England, Canada but don´t have flags for them yet
A big blank book to write testimonials or other things for people here

Again, just ideas for the people who want to! We are happy enough to have your presence here, so please do not worry about bringing anything:)

Okay that was a long one, sorry guys, but much to tell! Love to all...and will be in touch!
--
Peace:)
Meghan
-----
Infinite Light Ayahuasca Healing
www.infinitelightperu.com
703.879.6673 voice
703.628.9931 text

What is Ayahuasca...Really...?

What is Ayahuasca?

The eternal question with an ever-evolving answer. Here is as much as I understand it as of May 12, 2009. Ayahuasca, in its physical form, is a medicinal plant mixture cooked, strained, and drank in sacred ceremony by shamans in the Amazon rainforest for thousands, possibly tens of thousands of years. One can find all kinds of research explaining the long-term benefits of working with the brew, including a permanent increase in seratonin levels (leading to more happy, fulfilling lives), release of various physical ailments (some considered incurable in Western medicine), and release of psychological and mental-related illnesses (such as schizophrenia). Spiritually, this plant is in its own Universe, beyond comprehension levels of most and limited by mere language.

The only thing that separates us from the Spirit World is our bodies. That's what gives our spirits voices, opposable thumbs, and the ability to take thought and turn it into physical action. The body is the vessel that we channel everything through in order to allow us to have this human experience. The Spirit World is not "better" than the physical. Many spirits choose to come back into bodies purely to experience the full gamut of being human...the voice, the touch, the taste, the joy, the sex, the suffering, the soul-satisfaction when one helps another get closer to their true spirit selves. The whole thing is like a big initiation...we are dropped in, memories erased, with a few tools to help us navigate this foreign land. For some, the environment nurtured the navigation tools, such as instincts (gut feelings, strong internal desires, creative ideas, psychic abilities, etc) and those doors remained open. For others, the environment fed into the dense, dark energies of fear and doubt, revering intellect and logic as the highest form of understanding, while putting spiritual skepticism on a pedestal (mostly self-created due to manipulation by religious organizations) and the true medicine of the earth (plants) into a fru-fru "new age" category for vegan hippies. For these folks, the challenge of uncovering the unknown blind spot is even more difficult.

What is not so obvious to most of us is the way the body creates our physical experience, our own world through our eyes. The more dense, heavy energies and entities we knowingly or unknowingly allow inside, the more those energies call the shots in our world. It's tricky, because these energies use our own thoughts and our own voice to speak. How often have you "lost it" in anger, watching words fly out of your mouth specifically to hurt the ones you love the most? The feeling of guilt, fear of losing them, and sadness after you release what you have done can be unbearable. That is a perfect example of an energy or entity of rage taking over your body, using your voice, and leaving you to clean up the mess. This doesn't mean the person is not responsible for doing what they can to purge and manage these energies, but most people are inherently Light, so anything that's not shining love is something to be purged.

Most of us walk around every day, thinking we are the ones running our lives. But like the anger entity, there are tons and tons of energy patterns, crossed energies and spirits literally along for the ride, hidden inside like internal luggage. Pay attention in your day to what thoughts, ideas, spoken words, and actions within are Light, and which are dark. It is very easy to tell. Confusion, doubt, fear, anger, jealousy, addictions, ego, stress, etc: dark. Clarity, trust, courage, happiness, compassion, freedom, humble strength, balanced flow, etc: Light. If you are reading this, you are Light (because something internal has drawn you to the medicine). And you have a desire to be Lighter, most likely back to your purest self, your True Self (or Higher Self). If you're not blissfully happy, living on life purpose, and flowing in your natural rhythm, there is still more for you to come. Don't let ego tell you since you've done years of spiritual work already, you're done. All that spiritual work may have been preparing you for this for all you know, if you are feeling the draw. This is the big prize at the end (as well as a whole other beginning). Don't let spiritual arrogance block you from the fruits of your labor. You simply don't know what kind of life you are missing (uninformed by the medicine standards) since the baseline to the human happiness level is light years under par. Everything you believe in your heart and soul to be possible, within yourself and the Universe, is real. But it takes all that work to prepare to see it. When you are ready, willing, and truly desiring, enter the world you always knew was there, and watch your physical life morph around it.

This, my friends, is the amazing job of the Ayahuasca medicine. To purge the body of these low frequencies so we can get back to our true selves. As things purge, we rise Light levels (frequencies or vibrations). On the new levels, lay higher Divine wisdom, as our minds are moved out of over-stimulation of the intellect, and into balance to receive Universal teachings. As outlined in yogic tradition, the body must be prepared in a process to handle high levels of Light, otherwise the nerves would fry. From what I understand (but not from personal experience) yogic tradition can also accomplish this same task, though it takes decades of intense discipline and study, and frankly most of the dark entities that plague the West will stop people before they start (based on logistics, time constraints, money, doubt, addictions, etc.) This is why the medicine has begun to bridge itself to the West...because we need help. Not everyone is prepared to accept this help, but for those who are, those who truly, truly want to know, and are willing to do the work, it has become available to them. Then, of those drawn to the medicine, some will be able to delve deeper into themselves, therefore understanding the world around them, and eventually become Light ambassadors to assist others seeking similar process (in various forms.) Not everyone will be able to break down the walls of their ego, or release the addictions that they once loved, or simply endure the physical challenges of the purging process. Some will fold under the Western consciousness, full of fear and doubt, associating ayahuasca with hallucinogenic drugs and witchdoctors. Done with high Light-levels shamans, therefore holding the integrity of themselves and the medicine, ayahuasca is the anti-drug. Not only does is purge the chemical makeup of drugs, excessive alcohol, and sexual exchange, it purges all the dark stuff that got inside the body while those doors were wide open. Ayahuasca is renowned for releasing of addiction energy, applied wherever it applied, including drugs and alcohol.

Releasing a society stigma (like the "Ayahuasca is a drug" example) is just one of the many belief systems that will need to be transcended. If a person is not able to start with an easy one like that, the medicine will naturally filter out those who are simply not prepared to understand the levels that will be coming. There is no judgment because not everyone has a desire to know all of this. This is the "Red Pill" in the Matrix. Choosing the blue is not bad, it is simply a choice. For those who desire to know, this may be the clearest, fastest option. It may even be simply too fast for some, in turn they will be drawn somewhere else for their training. You don't yell at a toddler for not being able to walk yet. Things move when the person is ready. Still skeptical? Don't let that block you. Because what if I'm right? The possibilities are too good not to at least find out for yourself.

The purge is what makes the Ayahuasca unique. That's why it works so fast. Because it is physically pulling this stuff out of your body. You can do all the energy and spiritual work you want, but until these dark entities physically leave the body, you are still walking around struggling against them. You may have gotten a pretty good handle on them, but it's so normal you don't know how much energy would be freed up if they weren't there. Certain types can be released without a medicinal purge, but not all. Entities and energies are hidden all over the body. For Westerners, the vast majority are in the mind. The medicine basically takes apart your brain and puts it back together, the way it came in when it was new. This is why some call it the Vine of Death/Rebirth...you get to reboot the physical body, pure, but this time as an adult. People simply don't know what they are missing out of life, because so few people in the West had access to, and have actually been able to delve into to this "secret doorway". Luckily, the shift is here. Relief is here. People who want to get back to real life, in the way they always knew in their souls existed, welcome home. We don't have to wait until we die to get there.

The purges can be challenging, make no mistake. Often (but not always) the person feels the energy or emotion as it is leaving the body. Purging fear = extremely scary. Purging doubt = thinking all these shamans are out of their minds and this is some kind of cult. Purging ego = getting triggered by the guy with the bigger ego during the day of the ceremony. Purging overactive mind chatter = exhausting thought spirals. Physical purges (vomit, diarrhea, gas, hot/cold temperatures, yawning, sweating, vibrating/shaking, crying, abnormal breathing, fidgeting) are all catalysts that the dark energy attaches to (either the physical liquid, gas or breath) to get out. It is the much more efficient than energy work alone (though most people feel extreme energies as well). Not only do challenging purges move out darkness fast, they train the body and mind to be able to endure the physical world. The big picture keeps stretching, allowing person's world to look more manageable. The body is strengthened, allowing for higher tolerance levels for life in general. And the dark energies are purged, giving the person a cleaner slate.

Your Higher Self, the medicine spirits, and God all work together to prioritize the healing for each person individually. They look for the most debilitating issue in your world that you are physically ready to purge, and continue in that order. For some, they will need to see the Light at the end of the tunnel before they even start. They may have a couple of amazing ceremonies before the purge begins. Others won't feel the effects for several ceremonies, while the medicine works to break through their walls, also testing their faith and trust (or sparing them from seeing something they can't handle). Others will get their egos handed to them in full-on boot camp style. Others get the nurturing mother they always wanted. Most get a combination of all of these, depending on what they need at the time. Complete entities can be purged in one ceremony, but for more ingrained belief systems and crossed energies, they tend to happen layer by layer. As mentioned before, the body can only handle so much stretching to new Light levels in one night (and once the purge is out, the body moves closer to its natural state: happy, healthy, humble, wise, and Light.

Once the purge is complete, the medicine trains on management skills. Management is learning how to keep those entities out, and not feed the ones that have not yet been purged. This is the physical practice of staying connected to the medicine, and what you are learning from it, outside of ceremony (of course, there really is no "outside of ceremony!") This training allows you to take back authority over your body and your life, with a strong line in to the Divine to keep check of your integrity and guidance. Naturally, as a person takes in the plant medicine, the Light spirits are in the body (to remain forever). Therefore the longer a person pursues the Ayahuasca path, the more medicine they have in their body. This medicine can be used to channel, learn divination, heal, see, etc, all without the need to physically be in ceremony. Psychic and healing abilities increase the more medicine one has. Divine wisdom is not something that needs only to be accessed during ceremony hours.

Which brings me to the next point: understanding. The levels of Divine wisdom and understanding are simply beyond words. Often people have to stop reading books while in apprenticeship because they find it is tainting their direct learning. These will soon be some of the people writing the books. Sometimes the wisdom is clear and given, other times it is simply there when you need it (and it's new to you too!) Having access to these kinds of answers makes you stop asking so many "intellectual" questions. It all comes clear in its due time. Patience is the first rule of apprenticeship, while being prepared to hold on tight for the lightening-fast ride.

So what is Ayahuasca? It is the key to the doorway of REAL LIFE. For people who want to walk the integrated balance between the physical and the spiritual worlds, enjoying and appreciating who they truly are, without judgment, without fear. For those who want to experience life's FULL GAMUT, and are ready, willing, and able to accept the challenge. You know who you are. And if you don't, and you want to be, break through just enough walls to get yourself at the doorway. There is a physical world right here that is very different than you think. It's everything you ever thought it could be. Your inner hits were right...you KNEW it was real. Whatever the challenges, follow the call. It is SO worth it.

Ayahuasca, Sanago, Quadriplegia, Schizophrenia, Obama

Hey all! Hope the day finds you well. We´ve been wonderfully busy out here in the Amazon, embracing any Divine task that is put in front of us! It´s exciting and faith-testing at the same time, and it´s LIFE! Here are a couple of quick versions as to what´s going on...

1. Teresa´s story of healing a quadriplegic body through plant medicine (journalists wanted!)
2. Margie´s story of healing schizophrenia (writers wanted!)
3. Update on Meghan´s apprenticeship (115 ceremonies and counting!)
4. Deaf Retreat, Programs, Distance Healing Reminders
5. Obama and Deepak Chopra work together towards Conscious Evolution


1. TERESA´S STORY

Teresa is an amazing young women we met in Iquitos, in some Divine flow like I rarely have seen. She was already familiar with the Ayahuasca medicine, and the Sanago (the plant that moves through the physical body, releasing trapped, cold energy and basically re-awaken the system) had been calling her for awhile. Her caretaker and friend, Alesha, had done research on several places to work with the plants, and my name was one of two physically written in her journal upon arrival in Iquitos. She thought to herself, ´if I meet either of these people, it is where I´m supposed to be.´ Within five minutes waiting in the lobby of their hotel, I walk in (remember I´m only in Iquitos a few days out of the month) as the owner passes me, and I hear ´You´re friends are waiting to talk to you.´

The Divine force behind this makes me think there is something possibly revolutionary going on here. I´m sure there has been very little research into healing quadriplegia with plant medicine, and the impact if it´s success could change many people´s lives. I believe Teresa is an angel working to bridge this for those working through the physical turmoil.

So anyway, Infinite Light has decided to begin a sponsorship fund for Teresa. We will match any donation for as long as she chooses to come. If you would like to support, send us an email and we will send you a donation link through PayPal or credit card, and keep you updated every step of the way! Even a few dollars can go a long way. And feel free to forward this around! Community support is healing for all:) Here are a few words from Teresa...

My name is Teresa and I am a 25 years old young woman on a journey to walk again. Four years ago I sustained quadriplegia, a full-bodied paralysis, in result of a snowboarding injury. I have chosen a path of holistic healing, which has left me a humbled student of plant medicines. Doing so, I am witnessing a series of plants rewiring the nervous system, teaching my body how to act as a whole again.

Meghan and Eluco have gifted me an opportunity to heal at Infinite Light Peru, dieting with the medicinal plant Sanango. I will address spiritual and emotional components, affecting my physicality by releasing trauma. This is incredible, for in my deepest belief, this is not solely an injury, but a spiritual crippling and crisis, which then brought my body down with it. I invite you to follow this story, as I begin to walk again, at www.PeruvianProject.org. Please read the blog.

My inability to work, leaves me dependent upon the generosity of others. Every little bit goes a long way. I deeply appreciate any support.

With gratitude, peace and love,

Teresa Schroeder

2. MARGIE´S STORY

One of our long term apprentices, Margie, has been through hell and back on her journey. Growing up in a difficult household, she was posessed (yes, full-on posessions) by spirits her whole life. Eventually landing in a mental institution labeled schizophrenic with obsessive-compulsive tendancies, the whole time she felt the Western approach was lacking the spiritual aspect: protection from dark spirits entering the body. Her theory (and I agree) is that most people have a natural amount of spìritual protection. For some reason, others have less or it loses power along the way, allowing any and all entities to jump in and run the show. Then people call them crazy. Her work with the Ayahuasca has brought her not only back to a place of ¨normalcy¨, but a state of Divine connection many dream of. It can be done:)

While people with schizophrenia need to be detoxed off the Western drugs before we can take them, Margie´s dream is to open a detox center out here to nurture them through the process, and indroduce the plant medicine gradually as the body adjusts to new, stronger, lighter energy patterns. When the time is right, this too, will be a part of the Infinite Light community.

So, long story short, Margie would like to publish her story. And she wants someone to help her write it! So we are offering a 3-Month Service Apprenticeship ($1500 in total) to any aspiring authors who think they may be able to capture the full gammut of emotions her life has endured. Stay tuned for updates on Margie too!

3. MEGHAN´S STORY

While my story is not nearly as dramatic or exciting as the previous two, I just wanted to give everyone a quick update, since I haven´t blogged in awhile about my personal progress. After 115 ceremonies, I am really getting up there in the levels. I am almost complete with the ¨back-purge¨as I call it (releasing the heavy, debillitating energies of depression, fear, doubt, ego, rage, jealousy, addiction, insecurity, self-hatred and pity, etc.) Of course I am still training how to manage the residuals (trying to be humble during a blow to the ego is a blow to the ego! Takes practice lol...)

In recent months, the apprenticeship has naturally shifted over from my own personal work, to extending work to others. I am getting Icaros (the sacred songs which call in energies and manage the ceremonies), able to do ventiadas (healing work which clears out dark energies that are up for people) as well as distance healing work. It´s coming along nicely! I won´t lie, it´s hard as hell sometimes, and constantly transcending the obvious to see the bigger picture can be very tricky. But I love it...I feel like I´m really living! Not just watching movies about living, but being in the thick of it all the time: the good, the bad and the ugly (of course it´s all beautiful and perfect if you can see straight!) The medicine is training me to do healing work (without the use of the actual plant medicine) so I will be prepared to do my five month stint in the US. It´s a crazy world out here, but it´s so much more than I could have ever dreamed with my tiny little mind:) And I am almost finished with the ´what I´ve learned from the medicine´book, but now I am in the middle of writing my whole story! Stay tuned...

4. REMINDERS

We run 10-day programs twice a month! Some of our June groups are getting ready to fill up so if you´re on the fence, at least get in touch with me so we can see what your options are.

Deaf Retreat June 28-July 7! We still may need interpreters for other groups in the summer, so contact me if you´re interested!

Distance Healing: $35. Email us if you need a little relief!

5. OBAMA

Obama Administration Requests Info on Planetary Challenges (Interesting message forwarded to me from Perrine! Thanks!)

The Obama Administration has asked the "Evolutionary Leaders" to communicate about what is transpiring on the planet, and how we can change the course of the unprecedented events that are challenging this planet. This is a window of opportunity that must be taken! A deadline was given for this information to be conveyed to the Obama Administration.

The Evolutionary Leaders like Deepak Chopra, Gregg Braden, Michael Beckwith and many, many others, gathered together to write up the information to present to the Obama Administration. They are also asking us to sign a petition to show the Administration how many people are in favor for these changes to occur. They need 10,000 signatures. We need your help to reach that number and beyond!

Sign the petition here!

Below is the information presented to the New Administration.

By the Evolutionary Leaders

The human family is in the midst of the most significant transformation of consciousness since its emergence in Africa over one hundred thousand years ago. Consciousness has been evolving for billions of years from the first cell to us. We are becoming aware that through our own consciousness the universe can know itself. This awareness reveals incredible new potential for our individual and collective humanity.

Simultaneously, we are the first species on this Earth aware that we can destroy ourselves by our own action. This may be the greatest wake-up call to the evolution of consciousness since the origin of Homo sapiens.

We now realize that we are affecting our own evolution by everything we do. This knowledge awakens in us the aspiration to become more conscious through subjective pract ices including meditation, reflection, prayer, intuition, creativity, and conscious choice making that accelerate our evolution in the direction of unity consciousness and inspire us to deeply align our collective vision.

THE CHALLENGE

At this juncture in human history, urgent global crises challenge us to learn to live sustainably, in harmony and gratitude with one another and with the living universe. The changes required of humanity are broad, deep, and far reaching. Only by acting swiftly and creatively can we birth a planetary culture that will bring well-being to every form of life in the Earth community.

The good news is that a compelling new story of our potential as a whole human species is emerging-a story of collaboration, citizen action, dialogue and new understandings propelled by unprecedented levels of democratic freedom, multicultural exchange, and access to
communication technologies. It is nothing less than the story of our collective evolution.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACTION

We recognize that the inner and outer aspects of life evolve together. A dramatic awakening in consciousness will involve an equally dramatic shift in outward aspects of our lives. In particular, we see the following as vital opportunities for our conscious evolution, both personally and collectively:

Cultivating a Paradigm of Aliveness: We regard the universe as deeply alive and conscious by nature. In a living universe, our sense of subtle connection and participation with life around us is the basis for a compassionate and cooperative approach to living.

Educating for an Evolving Consciousness: Awakening consciousness is the foundation for all the change we seek to see in the world. We can work to elevate our capacity for conscious reflection and creative action in our personal lives as well as our collective lives as communities. We must support research and educational strategies that optimize human capacities and explore the nature of consciousness.

Restoring Ecological Balance: The balance of planetary ecosystems is fundamental to our survival. We must reverse the pollution of our global commons-the water, air and soil that nourish all life. We must encourage the proliferation of clean, renewable energy sources and expend all necessary re sources toward mitigating the effects of climate change.

Encouraging Conscious Media: We must find innovative ways to use the new electronic media as the mirror of our positive evolutionary story, investing in their capacity to reach across differences of generation, culture, religion, wealth, and gender to build a working consensus about our collective future.

Engaging in Social and Political Transformation: More sustainable ways of living will require the support of a more conscious democracy and vibrant civil society from which more enlightened leaders will emerge. All individuals should be encouraged to use their gifts to create participatory, responsible and compassionate models of governance.

Working for Integrity in Commerce: Conscious businesses that are aware of the scope, depth, and long-range impacts of their actions are key to achieving sustainability. Business must become an ethical steward of the Earth's ecology and consciously establish an economic basis for a future of equitably shared abundance..

Promoting Health and Healing: The science of mind-body-spirit health has demonstrated the profound connection between the health of a whole person and the health of the system in which he or she lives. Whole systems healing, respecting both traditional knowledge and modern sciences, must be supported in physical, social, and spiritual domains.

Building Global Community: The new story is about all of us who share this planet. Together, we can create a culture of peace that eliminates the need for armed conflict, respecting and appreciating the glorious diversity of our human family.

YOUR PARTICIPATION IS VITAL

Our group has done its best to articulate possibilities for the evolution of consciousness at this crucial moment in time. Please reflect on this document, feel what resonates in your being and calls forth a response on your part. We invite you to discuss it with others, continuing this global conversation by adding to it the wisdom that is uniquely your own.

Together, let us co-create a new narrative of conscious evolution that is a call to individual and collective action, birthing the most significant transformation of consciousness in history. Join in the Call to Conscious Evolution by signing the pledge now.

The Petition Site

FOUNDING SIGNATORIES

Chopra Center, Carlsbad, California, July 26, 2008
Michael Beckwith, Joan Borysenko, Gregg Braden, Rinaldo Brutoco, Thomas Callanan, Deepak Chopra, Mallika Chopra, Dale Colton, Gordon Dveirin, Duane Elgin, Leslie Elkus, Barbara Fields, Debbie Ford, Ashok Gangadean, Kathleen Gardarian, Tom Gegax, Charles Gibbs, Kathy Hearn, Jean Houston, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Bruce Lipton, Judy Martin, Rod McGrew, Steve McIntosh, Lynne McTaggart, Deborah Moldow, James O'Dea,
Carter Phipps, Wendy Craig-Purcell, Carolyn Rangel, Rustum Roy, Peter Russell, Gerard Senehi, Emily Squires, Brian Swimme, Diane Williams, Marianne Williamson, Tom Zender.

Thanks ya´ll for all your love and support!

Peace:)
Meghan
--
Infinite Light Ayahuasca Healing
www.infinitelightperu.com
703.628.9931 (US and Peru) voice/text

BIG NEWS from Infinite Light Peru Ayahuasca Healing!

Well there is lots of news actually! And no, I am not pregnant lol (you have no idea how many people asked me that!) In this newsletter:

1. The Island Community
2. The Apprenticeship Book
3. Ayahuasca Energy Work in the US
4. Bridge of Light Apprenticeships
5. Reminders and Updates
6. Supporting Andean Children with Chakra Gardens Book

1. THE ISLAND COMMUNITY

SO without further adieu, we would like to announce the early stages of our living, breathing community that is being birthed as we speak! (okay well I guess I am pregnant with that:) As mentioned briefly in the last newsletter, it is our intention to create a community which serves as a Hub of Light; a place where people can come in and out (in regular groups or live with their families,) teaching and learning anything and everything that will contribute to raising the vibration of humanity, with the loving Light ayahuasca medicine as the life-blood. Learn physically during the day, and spiritually in ceremony. For example, a friend of mine is a massage therapist, and in ceremony was taught my a Doctor Spirit about how to manipulate the cells in the body, etc (she's now opened her own practice in Northern Virginia! www.ims.iwantamassage.com.) Then go back out into the world and spread the Light!

We are in the process of purchasing a small plot of land close to our Herrera home (yes, it's an island!) We will be allowing long-term guests to build (following a few structural and environmental guidelines) small homes in crevices within the natural vegetation of the island (probably will be about 10 or 12 in total, including on the space outside of the island.) Plus of course we will be adding another ceremony house in there in addition to our almost-complete new one! I love the energy of the island, it is so natural and high-frequency. I smile just thinking about it!

So we are opening our doors to anyone with something to offer (based on ability and understanding, rather than credentials.) Healing and spiritual work, the arts, interpretation/tutoring of various languages, teaching children, technological expertise, and community development are on the short list of possible ideas. For these positions, three months is the minimum (see Service Apprenticeships of the website for more info.)

And just to put it out there, we plan to open a Waldorf-based Homeschool program (with our own twists of course!) for kids of long-term guests, as well as in the village. This will most likely be in a couple years, but if anyone has ideas or support they would like to offer, we are open to suggestion! Get ready to greet the true Community of Infinite Light!

2. THE APPRENTICESHIP BOOK

I have only been back in Peru for a couple weeks, and already Divine flow is flooding me with things to do! I love this medicine:) So I have almost completed Year One of my apprenticeship book (no name yet!) It is a quick read, integrating my personal experiences and excerpts from ceremonies, wisdom from the ayahuasca, and how to apply it in the physical world. There are many, MANY more levels of this to be learned, and I will continue writing every year or two along the journey, to allow people to actually see the levels elevate of a person in process with the medicine. It will be cheap too ($10 or so) and available in paperback and e-book. Stay tuned!

3. AYAHUASCA ENERGY WORK IN THE US

I have also been told that I need to be sharing more of the healing energy and wisdom of the ayahuasca plant medicine in the United States. So I will be taking a long stint in the US (from the end of July through early October) to allow the medicine to work through me and serve as needed. I am ready to do whatever is needed (workshops, lectures, one-on-one, etc) for only a small fee for my time ($35/hr.) As it gets closer, I will send out an email when I will begin scheduling.

4. BRIDGE OF LIGHT APPRENTICESHIPS

So obviously when I am the States we will need support in running the show in Peru! We are also announcing a specific type of apprenticeship, training as Bridges of Light. This is 3-month minimum training ($1500 for the full time) for people who feel they can serve as a bridge between the Peruvian Shamanic culture and the Western World. By the end of three months, they must be fluent enough in Spanish to be able to translate adequately, as well as have a deep enough understanding of the medicine to be able to explain it in US terms. After the training, as I get called to various places away from Peru to do my work, I will call on these people to come out to "take my place" (and are working off the cost of the progam.) More info is on the website...contact us if you are interested!

5. REMINDERS AND UPDATES

The Maccu Picchu trip has been cancelled, so we have opened up another group at the end of July (12-21). Note on the calander, we are switching over to 10-day programs running from Sundays to Tuesdays. We have also moved away from using the overnight freighter boat, and are now using the speed boat route (at no extra cost to you!) This gives us more time in Herrera, and less time in transit. A note about the length of the ride: when we posted our YouTube video, we hadn't quite realized all of the uncontrollable factors that go into the boat ride (rain, debris from rain, motor trouble, etc.) So a more realistic timeframe to expect on the speed boat is 3-5 hours upstream, and 2-4 downstream. The boat is becoming more comfortable, as we have added a roof with plastic covering during rain, as well as bench seating.

Don't forget the 2009 Summer Deaf Retreat runs from June 28-July 7! More details on the web. Of course Deaf friends are welcome anytime; just let us know as soon as possible so we can find interpreters!

NOTE TO ASL INTERPRETERS: We are looking for people to cover up to three months worth of interpreting from May through July 2009! If you know anyone who is spiritually focused and interested in working with the medicine, please have them contact me!

And as always, if you are interested in receiving a Distance Healing from Eloy during ceremony, apply in the Contact Us section of the website! ($35). Past guests are free!

For Andean Shamanic work and training in the DC area, check out Shamanic Healing Institute at www.shamanic-healing.org. And Inner Visions Institute for Spiritual Development is now accepting applications for the 2011 class (starting this summer!) Visit www.innervisionsworldwide.com for more info.

6. SUPPORTING ANDEAN CHILDREN with CHAKRA GARDEN BOOK

Here is an email from my friend Shelly! Read on....

~ Many of you already know of my great love for the teachings of the indigenous healers of Peru and for the beauty of this magical land and its people. I want to share with you a cause that is near and dear to my heart and a little about the women who is doing such important work there. Carol Cumes the visionary, owner and creator of Willka Tika Garden Guest House has been living in the sacred valley for over 20 years. she has not only created a magical retreat center to visit but she has tirelessly worked to educate and preserve the teachings of the Quechua people, the isolated mountain people of the Andes thought to be direct descendants of the Inca Empire. You can read her story in her first book "Journey to Macchu Picchu". She has recently written a new book called "Chakra Gardens" about the sacred healing gardens on her property and with the amazing photographs taken by Greg Asbury has created a truly spectacular work of art.

More importantly 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are donated to the Willka Tika children's fund, a charity Carol developed and funds. Born out of her love for this land and its people, in her own unassuming way, Carol has quietly gone about, without any recognition and mostly on her own, tirelessly helping and uplifting the lives of countless numbers of families and children. Many Andean children receive the only hot meal that they eat in an entire week or the only fresh fruit they ever see through her efforts alone. The smile on the face of an andean child just for receiving something as simple as an orange had most of us in tears when we visited one of the schools she supports last summer. It would take pages and pages to list all of the things she has accomplished and asked for nothing in return except that people come and enjoy her gardens and experience the magic of some of the last unspoiled indigenous people on the planet and the sites of the Sacred Valley.

If you are a gardener, yoga practitioner, have a spiritual practice, enjoy great photography or are simply a compassionate human being, I strongly urge you to check out the book and consider buying one for yourself or as a gift. Or simply pass the link along to someone whom you think might enjoy it.

In these hard economic times when we are experiencing our own fears and uncertainty it is sometimes hard to open your heart and your wallet. Yet we live in such an incredible state of abundance compared to the rest of the world, especially these people. Clean potable water and regular meals let alone education and opportunity are scarce if they even exist at all.

Please check out the link www.chakragardens.com and enjoy. And if you feel inspired to journey to the Sacred Valley to see for yourself, I know you will not be disappointed because I have been to Willka Tika and it is every bit as magical as the pictures. And if you must go soon, then join me and Moses Brown on our yoga and shamanic adventure to Willka Tika in August. We would love to have you.

Thank you all for your time and attention. May the beautiful pictures in this book and Carol's story inspire you to create great beauty and do great things for the mother earth ( Pachamama in Quechua) and its inhabitants just as Carol has.

In light and love,
Shelly R Stelzer MD
shellystelzer@mac.com


Thanks so much for all the love, support and kind words from everyone! I wish everyone an outstanding kick-off of 2009! If you need any support from us, please let us know and we will do what we can:) Love to all!!!

Peace:)
~ Meghan

Infinite Light Ayahuasca Healing
www.infinitelightperu.com
infinitelightperu@gmail.com
703.628.9931 (US and Peru)

Video! Ayahuasca Shamanic Healing (Deaf-friendly, CC)

Here is our 10-min, closed captioned video! See the village, the people, and the plants in action!

peace:)
Meghan

www.infinitelightperu.com

Understanding

Reaching New Levels of Understanding

So it's been awhile since I posted. I have been back from Peru for a couple of months now, getting ready to return and launch the Infinite Light program soon. It's funny, with ayahuasca (and with life in general) half the learning is in the aftermath of the actual lesson. For example, I completed Inner Visions over a year ago, and the more I work with the aya, the more deeply I understand what I learned there. Now, after taking a break in the US from the plants, I understand more and more about this training program we call Life.

The thing about levels of understanding, is that you can't see past the level you are currently at. You may not even know another level exists. If you were to look at it linearly (which is not the case but as humans it's easier to get) it's like you can see to the endpoint of your current level, without any knowledge there are several more levels awaiting (how many times have you thought you beat a video game, just to find there is a whole secret world you now have to learn to master!) Same concept. For me, I hit a point sometime last year when I realized how little I actually knew. Once I passed the need to be a know-it-all (thank you Ego) and be "right", I came to the place once in ceremony where I could see a glimpse straight up through all (well, many haha) of the levels - and knew there were an infinite number of them. Everything I had been learning was foundational level (which is the first step!) but it's not the end. You can choose to stop at any time along the journey, and probably lead a happy, fulfilling, serving, contented life. But I know now that the moment you plateau, and think you might be done, that's a sign you are about to pass to a new level if you allow yourself to.

Clarity and integrity are the things that seem to keep me the most connected to the Universe. I get guidance, strength, and training in various ways. For me, I have been learning to listen to the guidance from within/without above all else, while still staying open to the guidance of others. It seems like a contradiction, but really it's not. It's like working with the Laws of Attraction (the Secret, etc). You put your full focus and energy into something, assuming, expecting, and opening yourself to receive it - as if it is 100% for sure coming. You don't think about this next part, but you know that if it then doesn't come, there is some other reason that you can't see that is in line with the greater good. Or you blocked it and some part of the above formula wasn't there. It's a balance between connecting with these energies, and trusting the Universe. And not rationalizing. Subtle energy differences can make or break it.

I have been learning how to transcend my teachers. Now don't go on a tirade saying that's my ego talking, or that I am not respecting them, etc etc. And I always leave room to be wrong, so maybe that is what I'm doing. But with all the information I have at this moment, I am learning to utilize what they have taught me, then form it to my own path. All human teachers are human. We all have various opinions, ideas, and paths. What's "right" for some is not "right" for others. One of the hardest things I have had to learn to do, was to stand in my integrity, knowing it is right for my path, when people I respect may or may not agree. But, they understand. It's a process, and initiation, they all had to go through too. At some point, you must leave the nest. And of course new teachers will come, and past ones will support you (hopefully). But ultimately, being clear (clarity) and being in integrity (to the best of your ability) trumps all human forms and opinions. No one can know what's right for your path except for you. Luckily, my teachers taught me that! (thanks Inner Visions!) The tricky part is making sure you are not simply rebelling or blocking with some other darker energy, rationalizing and fighting against what they are saying out of ego, resistance, etc. I have done that before. It is a MAJOR difference in energy, which you may or not be able to feel depending on where you are. But learning the difference is also part of the training:)

What I do know now is that I am at a new level. It's maybe one level "up" from foundational (as each level has a ton of stuff in it) and I am grateful. The lessons get harder, but not relatively speaking. As I grow, train, and connect closer to the Light, they up the stakes so I can train at the new level. I only get what I'm ready for and I can handle (but stretching and maxing me out at times!) I love this Divine system and how it all works. And it works the same way whether you are working with ayahuasca, an intense training program like Inner Visions, a religion, or just simply learning the lessons through life experiences. Once I understood my role, my passion, my duty as a soul on this earth at this time, everything fell into place. I am connected, supported, and taught. This is what I understand for now. Tomorrow I might understand it differently, but that is the nature of understanding.

Walk in integrity, and keep walking. Always be willing to be wrong. Know that we are human, and unless we are God/Universe, we cannot see the whole picture. Respect other beliefs, even if they "seem" contrary to your own. We may all be right:)

peace, love, and light
Meghan

Deaf and the Spirit World?

Does anyone wonder if being deaf possibly heightens other senses? Not the obvious ones like vision, smell, taste and touch (we all know that is true for some deaf people and not others.) But what about 6th senses? (and 7th 8th 9th...) Lol. I know and interpret for several Deaf people who have strong psychic and energetic abilities. They have clairaudience (when you 'hear' messages in your mind from spirits and angels, not in your physical ears) and others who are so in tune with Universal energies that they make exquisite healers. Some can see spirits, others can get future visions easily in meditation.

As an interpreter, I have always had the role of a "bridge." Providing access between two cultures and languages. As a person on an intense spiritual journey, my role as "bridge" doesn't end at work. If you have read any of my other blogs, you know that I am a shamanic apprentice as well, and work with visionary medicinal plants (ayahuasca) in the Amazon region of Peru (I'm back and forth from there and the States.) So as I help form a new program with Peruvian shamans out there, already I see a large interest in this from the Deaf community.

Ayahuasca is like a doorway, like the "red pill" in Matrix. It allows you to physically contact the "unknown", clear out our own dark energies, gain incredible wisdom, and heal physical ailments. In time, it increases our psychic and intuitive abilities all the time, both in and out of ceremony. It connects us to the other worlds that may be trying to call some of us. The world is shifting spiritually, and Deaf Culture should not be behind it.

So the question is, is this easier for Deaf people to access? Can being Deaf actually make this connection stronger, without all the noise distractions of daily life? I plan to find out as we launch the new Deaf-friendly program (specifically with Deaf sessions) in Peru. If anyone has any personal experiences with their own spirituality as a Deaf person, I would love to hear about it! Feel free to contact me at any of the following...

infinitelightperu@gmail.com
www.infinitelightperu.com
www.myspace.com/infinitelightperu
www.myspace.com/deafayahuascaexperience
www.myspace.com/meghanshannon
www.myspace.com/deafinnerlightaccess

Peace and Light,
Meghan
Gallaudet University (HUGS program) Alumni 2003

Monday, April 21, 2008

WOW!!! Ayahuasca Apprenticeship 3-month Peru story:) Category: Life April, 2008 Second Round Ayahuasca Blog www.infinitelightperu.com Whew, this one is much harder to write than the first one. You'd think it would be easier, since I have an exponentially more clear understanding of so many things, but just like anything else, once the change is integrated, it feels like the original thing was never there to begin with. In other words, I am very different, but it's hard to isolate the differences. Last time I was rocked by just six ceremonies. Now my count is up in the low thirties. But I will do my best to elaborate! So as you may have read in the last blog, I had a bit of what I thought was a 'comedown' after the last trip. What I learned in arriving back to Peru was that 'comedown' was not what it was at all - it was a disconnect. My old life patterns overtook me and I disconnected from the medicine and the shamans who could have helped me spiritually while I was at home (I didn't know that yet when I disconnected.) By the time I got back, I had gained back the 20 lbs I had lost and gained twice in a year (I know!) was all in a funk and surrounded by heavy, grey, debilitating energy. Thank God I had bought my plane ticket before I disconnected! All of the madness and gunk was knocked out in one ceremony. My heart was re-cleaned, and I re-connected with a love that I had been trying to resist the last time I was out there. I did five ceremonies at the first program, where I continued to have my mind blown each and every ceremony. I didn't realize that I still had issues with God (which I cleared up quickly after being able to connect with that light in a very real way) I spoke with my friend Bryan who had passed, and watched mental constructs of my mind be melted away and new belief systems put in place where old ones had held me back. There really are no words as to what my experience was like. I had planned to stay for three sessions. An underground romance continued brewing between me and one of the workers there (one of the shamans who assisted in ceremony.) During the down time after the first trip was complete, we had more time to explore and see about the connection (which was also very, very real.) So a week later when the divine plan changed and a disconnect led him out of the program, there was no doubt in my mind I had to leave with him. Hence, my apprenticeship began in Jenaro Herrera. I extended my two month trip to three. We met another girl, Ashley, who would be my apprenticing buddy (as we were more or less at the same level.) She turned out to be a Godsend for me. I spent two months in the village, learning Spanish, falling in love with everyone, and exponentially growing in ways I never even dreamed were possible. I went camping in the jungle, and learned to eat fish off the bone (and love it! And I am totally in love with ceviche). It soon became clear that the shaman and I were to work together, offering Ayahuasca medicine to people who wanted it (and either can't afford the more expensive programs or want to apprentice). I realized that everything I had ever wanted or felt an urgent need to do was all leading up to this. Last year I had an urgent need to learn Spanish, so I did immersion in Costa Rica for a month. I found myself interpreting from Spanish to English, which was easier for me since I already had the interpreting skill from sign language (my profession at home.) I then began to realize what kind of implications this program could have for the Deaf community as well, who historically do not have accessible accommodations to these kinds of programs, especially not in other countries. I realized that after all the trial and turmoil, I had found my partner and love, and the work we would do together to contribute in healing the world. Throughout the time, I purged many things in ceremony. The major differences I note now, being home, are five: 1) Ego 2) Jealousy 3) Urgency 4) Toxins 5) Happiness and Love. I never thought of myself as having much ego left (who does? It's like everyone thinking they are open-minded but cannot know past the limit of it's openness) and the medicine is extremely humbling and empowering at the same time. I realized exactly how small I am in the Universe, and how much power I have to do good works on grand scale levels. Seems like a contradiction but it's not. Jealousy I literally had a battle with in ceremony (I won!) and gained insight as to how to keep this entity from re-entering my body. I have a level of chill contentment while still moving forward, which drops the urgent stress level below sea level (if sea level is the norm of the DC area!) For the first time in my life, I feel like the toxins are finally cleared from my body (I have done so many cleanses to try and accomplish this) but more than just food and drugs needed to be cleansed. I have lost almost 20 lbs without doing a damn thing…just letting the medicine clear me out. And my happiness level is just unbelievable. I feel such a deep, wild love for people in general, and my daily life is just plain better. I simply feel better all the time. It's like I had been living with a grey cloud around me (and believe me, before Inner Visions and all this spiritual work it was like a black tar cloud) and though I would feel glimpses of real happiness, they were few and far between and never lasted very long. For me, this was exactly the next step I needed to finish what I started at Inner Visions. I am so, so grateful that first of all this medicine even exists, because this is much more my style. To be honest, as many times as I've worked with meditation, I get restless and frustrated trying to be still to access the other planes. But with the medicine, to be frank all you need is balls and an open mind! I had no idea how much courage I had until learning to navigate in the medicine. It makes the physical world feel like small potatoes! Oh, and a note about the first blog - I had not yet purged all of the fear residing in me within the first six ceremonies. So the blog was written with a bit of fear energy still there. After more or less my third or fourth ceremony this round (don't judge by the timespan, everyone is different. Some people don't have any fear at all to purge!) the fear was completely cleared out and ceremonies became MUCH easier and more fun! Again - SO WORTH IT (trust me on that!) So now, the vision is manifesting and the program, Infinite Light, is being launched in September. I will be there from September to early December, and January to July to interpret Spanish and ASL, as well as bridge the gap and help people process their experiences (every ceremony is like a lifetime in the world of Ayahuasca!) I will also be taking care of all the scheduling and financial aspects of the program. The beautiful group house is almost complete in the tropical jungle village of Herrera, and the opportunity for a real, authentic Ayahuasca visionary healing and enlightenment is here. Please visit our website for a more in depth explanation of Ayahuasca and the program! www.infinitelightperu.com (launching October 2008) I love you love you LOVE YOU everyone, and I hope this blog finds you well. Just know, whether the time is now or later, as long as you have breath in your lungs, there is an out if you get stuck in your life and just want to make shit happen quickly and for real. Life is supposed to be fun, and our natural state of being is healthy and happy. Trust me, it is SO WORTH IT. If you want it to happen, trust and let it all fall into place. If anyone needs to talk to me more, email me infinitelightperu@gmail.com and/or ask for my cell number and I'll give it to you. If you feel moved at all, your spirit may be stirring with our connection. I hope to see you soon! Love Love Love, Meghan:) Find me on MySpace! www.myspace.com/meghanshannon

Peru Update 1 (January 2008)

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

In Peru Update 1 Category: Life Hola hola hola everyone! I had a little time and wanted to give everyone the update. How to put what the ayahuasca is teaching me into words is nearly impossible. The plant literally teaches you directly, and clears out old, mental and emotional constructs we had come to believe was just ´who we are´. I am completely amazed...my mind is way past officially blown. And this was only the first 5-ceremony session - I have two more! I am chilling in Iquitos presently during this in-between two week period. I am amazed at how much spanish I can learn and weight I can lose in a week and a half. I´ll be heading out shortly on the barco to the same Amazon jungle pueblo I went to last year with the shamans...I can´t wait! Probably we will have a ceremony there as well. I am more present than I have ever been in my life, and my cyclic-thinking mind is finally taking a much deserved rest so I can just BE here. It is amazing. The weather sits at a nice, humid 80 degrees and it rains at least once a day, which is nice because it keeps it cooler and less humid. I´m already tan:) Hope everyone is doing well at home. I have brought many of my friends spiritually into ceremony with me, so if you randomly think about me around 8pm on a given night, that may be my spirit calling your spirit to come play at the ceremony! Love everyone! I probably will be able to write more in a couple weeks. OH! And a totally random added bonus - the gringo bar here has had the playoffs on satellite! I saw the 2nd round (first one I was still home - at least my Skins made it there) and I didn´t see the third, and I can´t believe the Giants are going to the SuperBowl!!! (This is weird, because I´ve never rooted for the Giants ever in my life, considering they´re a rival team and my best friend´s a Giants fan) but I´m super excited for them! And I´ll get to watch it! SUPER added bonus:) Anyway so that´s my update for now! Abrazos y besos a todas personas!!! Love Meghan

Post-Peru Comedown (October 2007)

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Updates...after the ayahuasca/peru comedown... Wow. In rereading this blog I remember how I felt when I had just returned home from Peru. What I was not prepared for was my grand entrance back into society. I was fine for awhile...it was a gradual demise. Over the course of six months, I've managed to fall back on the majority of my old addictions, and have let my vibration level slip to a new low - borderline depression. So what to make of it? Does it mean the ayahuasca was just a temporary high with no lasting benefits? Or did I take for granted the fact that the lifestyle in the DC Metro area is a bit different than that of the Amazon Jungle, and it may be harder than I anticipated to carry the energies back into daily life. Truth? I think it's a combination of both. I know what the Aya did to me. I know that it showed me who I'm capable of being at this point in my life. But I also know now that I am not above succumbing to the society pressures of my hometown. Somehow I thought I'd be able to transcend it, and that it would somehow be a non-issue. I was terribly mistaken. As far as the people from my group, some are in the same boat as I am, others have had an easier time. I have gone through periods of feeling sorry for myself, wishing it could just be miraculously 'fixed' like I thought the Aya was doing, and let me focus on 'more important things' without the work. But, as I have known all along and didn't want to admit once again, the work is part of the process. Without the work, I'll never learn the skills I need in order to get through even more intense times in the future. The good news? The more I can sustain and make it through, the more joy and adventure and FUN comes with it. I firmly believe that. You may not. I do. So though ayahuasca may not be the 'magic pill' I thought it was (damn I really am an American aren't I?) it has given me a gift that I never would have believed...it has shown me who I truly am and who I can truly be if I am willing to do the work. At times, I'm just not willing. But those times don't last too long, as the Universe will kick my ass and make my life hell until I get back on track. So I'm all good. I am still going back to Peru for two months in January (three sessions...3x as much ayahuasca!) and we'll see what happens this time around. I have a feeling each trip will bestow new information onto me. Trust the process, as they always say. The lows always show me something positive eventually. This latest bipolar moment has made me seriously consider becoming a freelance travel writer as one of my professions. Who knows? Anyway Happy Halloween everyone and I hope if you're in a rut, you can pull whatever the Universe is trying to tell you out of it. Peace and Light and a Scary Night...

First Peru Trip (August. 2007)

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Peru/Ayahuasca Experience One Month Can Change a Lifetime Pre-Peru The month leading up to Peru I was a mess. A total mess. I had gained back almost half of the 30 lbs I had lost on the raw vegan detox, I was eating fast food, drinking, smoking, my room was in shambles, my heart was aching over lost romance…all in all a low point in this lull of depression. I had been doing so well before then, but somehow after I completed Inner Visions my high came crashing down. When was all this bullshit ever going to end? 7/13/07 Around 5am Friday the 13th My plane leaves from Dulles to El Salvador to Peru. I almost missed it in my haste to pack, trying to prioritize what I can fit in a suitcase that is small enough to be carried on (though of course because I use shampoo it must be checked.) I was going to be gone a month, not sure of the amount of laundry services available in the Amazon jungle. Later I arrive in Lima, where I am transported by Amauta Spanish Language school's people to a hotel. Fairly uneventful. Lima is a city that I can skip. Don't like the energy. I am excited to practice Spanish again. I'm sure I've moved past the "un poquito" level by now… ohala (hopefully) Saturday I take a smaller plane into Cusco, where I am brought to my host family. The house is very nice, the baby girl is super cute, and I'm nervous and excited overall. Cecelia (my host mom who is about three years older than me) asks me if I would like to come to the Festival of the Virgin del Carmen in a small town about two hours over the mountain. This is a very special event as it only happens once a year. Well of course I want to go, are you kidding? Por que no? In a half hour I have a backpack and we are en route to the town I can never remember its name. Me, Cecelia, her friend Mari and Mari's hija (daughter) Paola (who is about twenty.) On the two hour drive I understood maybe half of the conversations taking place. I love Spanish. I watched as the brown dusty mountains climbed higher and higher, only to level off and continue their undulation. I was completely awed by the scene in front of me. The valley was so vast…something I had never felt before. The energy here was something really special. Eventually I started to notice little kids on the side of the road yelling at our cab as we drove by. Sometimes they would throw water at the car or slap their hands on it as it went by. They were poor…really poor. Poverty that I've only seen on the Adopt-a-Child commercials. We drove past mud buildings with no water or electricity. It was getting cold out and these kids didn't even have shoes or more than a t-shirt. This hit me in a way I can't put into words. How do you build an economy when there isn't one to start with? When we got to the festival, I loved the little pueblo. There were huge parades on the streets with dances that the men have passed down for generations, singing songs in Quechuan, regaled with expensive costumes that are only used for this event. There were historic representations of many things, including when the gringos came as well as the slave trade. The whole thing was fascinating and a bit overwhelming for my first day there, but all and all it was a very special experience. I went to the statue of the Virgen del Carmen to light my candles and ask for her help in a few matters (as the tradition goes.) I was sure she would help me out. After two nights there we headed back, pulling over in the middle of the night on the mountainside for Cecelia to throw up something she ate. I looked up to see the most beautiful sparkling stars I had ever encountered. There were no lights around and we were up at 12,000 feet…they just glowed and shone their crystalline twinkle. I finally saw the constellation of Chakana (the Southern Cross.) I was awed (while still trying to be compassionate and hold Cece's hair back.) Monday-Wednesday in Cusco Amauta Language School The language school was nice; there were people from all over the world there. I met people from France, Canada, Holland…it was really cool. One night I went out and forgot about the altitude effects alcohol phenomenon and lost the next day in recovery…that phenomenon is no joke. Lesson learned – that was the last time I drank on the entire trip (shy of a couple Pisquo Sours here and there – the staple drink of Cusco.) Thursday-Friday in Taray (near Sacred Valley) Amauta Language School Now I was out in the country. In Sacred Valley the energy is just magical. I loved the tranquil tiny town of Taray, and enjoyed the two days of peace after being in the city. I found that I really didn't like being in class though. I was ready to just practice Spanish out in the world, and not worry so much about the preterit and present progressive tenses. I just wanted to be able to communicate with people, and that I could already do. So no more homework for me for the rest of the trip. Saturday, July 21, 2007 Meet Paul and the Shamans from the US in Sacred Valley Chapter Two of the trip is with my friends from the Shamanic Healing Institute in Maryland. I was to jump on with them for a week of traveling, ceremonies, personal growth and hotels with hot water! (Cusco had been winter cold at nights so the freezing morning showers were tough.) Early in the week we spent awhile looking for this ruin down some road close to a sign (?) and somehow, with perseverance and stubbornness, we actually found it. We did a ceremony there (with two little local girls holding our space atop a rock) and I stood inside this circular structure open at the top, and could feel myself connected to my Incan ancestors (well, they are ancestors in one of my lives – that I'm sure of.) I looked up and the blue/black sky was littered with stars and a rising moon – man I was in heaven. I could have sat there for hours. Over the course of the week we did ceremonies, hiked, and connected with all sorts of nature and ancestral spirits. We had a tour guide, Ana Maria, who was a blast. She was the only one fluent in Spanish and English. One other lady on the trip and I spoke some, so we had some practice as the half-assed interpreters when Ana Maria wasn't around. It was fun (and foreshadowing for the latter part of the trip.) 7/26/07-7/27/07 (I think) Machupicchu Macchupichu was really super amazing. To see something to intact that is so OLD, it just blew my mind. There were a ton of people there of course, especially since just weeks before we arrived it was named one of the Official Seven Wonders of the World. The mountains surrounding it have no words to describe. My favorite part (well, I have two…) one was climbing up Waynapicchu, a steep hike/climb in altitude that I thought was going to do me in, since of course I hadn't exercised in two months and was back up to 170 lbs. However, some inner energy kicked in and I was up at the front of the line, following only Paul (the shaman) who was a triathlete and can go in a trance state and knock off a mountain like it's nothing. So I was thrilled at how my body jumped on board and felt like a million bucks by the time we hit the top, sweaty and dirty, looking around and seeing nothing but sky. My other favorite part was walking up to Priestess Rock. I heard that this was a highly charged feminine energy center, where supposedly women or priestesses had been buried long ago. There is a huge boulder in the center, that when you look at from the side looks exactly like the face of a lioness. I sat in the middle facing her to meditate. I could feel the feminine energy super strong. For those of you not familiar with energies, it's really not something I can explain in words. Just trust me on it. The energy was so strong I thought I was going to actually see with my eyes a faery pop out of the rustling trees (that would have been a sight.) The energy was that intense. In the meditation I received all sorts of beautiful gifts to keep my chakras balanced. I left the Priestess Rock feeling like a new Woman. All and all I thoroughly enjoyed the whole week with the shaman group, getting to know the people I had not yet met, bonding through ceremony and experience. I saw and connected with some places that will stay within me forever. I love the Inca tradition and have much respect for Andean shamanism. I also tried guinea pig and wasn't a huge fan. What I didn't know was that my view on shamanism was about to broaden quite a bit, as I headed north into the world of the jungle, and Amazonian Ayahuasca Shamanism. Monday, July 30th, 2007 Iquitos One by one singles and couples loaded into the office in Iquitos. For those of you not geographically familiar with Peru, where I was initially in Cusco and Sacred Valley is way in the south, and much much higher in elevation (which is why it's so damn cold at night at this time of year – their winter.) All of a sudden I was way up north in the Amazon climate (warm, humid, my kind of weather.) Regular-looking people, mostly ages 25-40 (apparently our group was especially young…usually there are at least a couple more mature individuals who do the program) milled about meeting each other. We had several attorneys, an architect, a professor at a university, a sign language interpreter (that was me!) some IT people, etc etc etc. Not all shamans in training (well I thought I might want to be one eventually.) No one quite knew exactly what we had in store (except Zach, who had been there the year before, and Abby, who had tried ayahuasca previously.) But even they would be blown away with the week ahead. We took an open-air bus an hour outside of Iquitos to the property. I talked mostly with one of the shaman apprentices, Eluco, who was a native Peruano and he somehow understood my still half-assed Spanish. He would end up being my Spanish-speaking-practice guy for the duration of the program (you'd be amazed what a week of actual deep conversation can do!) The first day we got prepped and scared properly straight. Ayahuasca was no joke. Because it's a visionary medicinal plant, people have it lumped in the category with hallucinogens, but it's really not the same thing at all. The term 'hallucinogen' infers that you see things that are not really there. Ayahuasca does the opposite. We would finally get to see what is actually going on within us spiritually, emotionally, etc. All our stuff will come up. Not everyone is ready to look at it, which is why it's not necessarily for everyone to try. It is not for the weak of heart. We were prepared that we would most likely be purging out dark energies from our bodies (old addictions, emotional pains, physical pains, etc etc) through both ends of the body. This was starting to sound like it might not be all peace and love like I was used to. I've been studying spirituality for several years, so this is not super hard for me to swallow (though I can imagine what it must sound like to the newcomers to looking at what else may be out there) but even I wasn't sure ayahuasca would be able to conquer some of the crap that I've carried with me for so many years – addictive behaviors, attachment to people (significant others in particular) martyrdom, etc etc etc. I guess we would have to wait and see. But I was gonna try it. Because what if it was true? The possibilities could be endless… Tuesday, July 31, 2007 Night of the First Ceremony Well by now I was thoroughly excited and properly nervous. We had been mulling over all day what this mysterious vine and plant/tree combination boiled down to a drink was going to be like. This is real living, I thought…this feels right to me. You can't be afraid of life or you'll never do anything. I trust these people. I trust this plant. I trust my own instincts to know what to trust. Dive in. We entered the lantern-lit ceremonial room at 7:30pm, where mats were laid out for us, complete with a large vomit receptacle ('puke bucket' being the more proper term,) a roll of toilet paper, and a cup of water for washing our mouths out (not for drinking.) We had fasted for dinner, and weren't allowed to drink water after 7. We had also very limited food intake – they fed us things that did not have any sugar (including fruits), no ham (sticky energy) and of course no alcohol or drugs (including western medicine minus malaria pills and birth control.) No vitamins – there was a huge lengthy list of health checks to make sure none of us had anything in our system that would conflict with the ayahuasca. This whole program was a little different than the traditional ceremonies, because first of all we're all westerners, not native from the area, so they make that transition a bit easier for us. The main shaman is a westerner too…he just got the call spiritually and followed his heart to the Amazon. He's really young too…28 I think. He looks like some dude I'd meet at a bar (and probably hit on because he is pretty damn hot lol) but after talking to him for about five seconds your stereotypes about a young western shaman go completely out the winder. This guy is absolutely amazing. The things that come out of his mouth just completely blow my mind. Really they are coming through him from another place...the level of wisdom is almost unreal. It's nice to have someone around who has insight on to some things I've wondered about my whole life. Anyway back to the ceremony. I was one of the last people in so the only spot left was against the wall in the back of the room, facing the shamans. I thought it was perfect because I could sit against the wall and my back won't hurt as much. I organized my puke bucket, headlamp, toilet paper and cup in a way that I could find easily in the dark. Then the ceremony began. First they take the bottle of ayahuasca and sing Icaros to it. Icaros are energy-charged songs (using words or whistling) which infuse the ayahuasca with various things. Some Icaros are for cleaning the body, others are to keep dark spirits away, others to release attachments, etc. I can't understand most of them because they are in Spanish. But something about these songs are so amazingly beautiful. When the Peruvian shaman began singing his – it felt eerily familiar. Like I had heard them before. Another life maybe? Or maybe time isn't so linear after all? Either way, the effect the songs themselves had on me was profound. A deep sense of peace and calm waved over, in, and through me as I listened to the beautiful melody of the Icaros. After that, they began singing Icaros into each person's individual cup as they pour. Specific Icaros for the specific needs of the person. They sing, bring you the cup, you say 'salud' (to your health in Spanish) and drink. The amount depends on when the Spirits tell them to stop pouring (though as the week progresses you can ask for more or less.) One by one people drank. The look on their faces after they drank was not very reassuring. Finally it got to be my turn. I said a quick prayer, Salud, and downed the drink. It tasted like ass. Actually ass is a nice word for it. But, as they say, in respecting the ayahuasca the taste goes with it. Later I would find out exactly how worth it having a mouth full of ass-taste would be. When everyone was served, and all the shamans were served, they reminded us that if we needed any help of any kind, just say Help and someone would come. If you are having trouble getting up to go to the bathroom and you need help with that, just say Bathroom or Bano and someone would come assist you to the toilet. My stomach was already starting to feel queasy. Within minutes I had already utilized my friend the puke bucket, and as soon as I was done it all hit me. Hard. I was in for the most turbulent of all the ceremonies as this was going to be the one to clear out the majority of my initial crap. Short version = lots of purging. When the mariaciones (visions) hit me, at first I got really scared. What the hell have I gotten myself into? Real fear was inside of me to the point that I didn't know who I was, who these people were, if this was safe, when it would end…and I swore I would not do this ever again. And then I puked. Again. And again. And again. I think I pretty much puked incessantly for the duration of the first night (I know you're all really excited to try this now, but keep reading I swear it gets better.) At the time I didn't know it, but what I was doing was clearing out and transcending the fear. That's what it looked like. I dubbed the term "The Holy Shit Hour" for the initial blow, as is just clears and clears and clears. It forced me to ride the wave and not be anywhere except fully present in the moment, and trying to stop it just makes it worse. They do have ways of toning it down if it really is too much…when you call for help they come and pour a little water on the front of your head (I learned later in the week that this really does help a ton) and if you're really having a hard time they will put you in the shower (with clothes on) and that will lesson the intensity (luckily I never had to do that.) I'll tell you, by the end of the first night I had seen quite a bit of my stuff come up and out. Some of it was scary, some of it was sad. But the bliss I felt after it had left my body made it all completely worth it. That stuff was simply not in me anymore. After all these years of working, meditating, doing inner work, therapy, etc etc, the stuff was just simply not present. Like it had never been there at all. And this was just the first day. Wednesday, August 1st - Monday, August 6th, 2007 Over the next week miracles occurred. The more I understood the ayahuasca the less I was scared of it, and the more grateful I was for its existence. I couldn't believe the things that were clearing out of me. Things I thought I was just stuck with for life. A few examples include the weight, for one. I have been overweight since I was six years old. I have used food for everything except nutrition and it's been my normal relationship with it for as long as I can remember. During the program not only did I lose 10 lbs, but I felt like I had gastric bypass surgery. My stomach could simply not hold the amount of food it could in the past. The weight has been melting off of me ever since, easily and effortlessly. I want to work out and eat well, because it makes me feel good. What a concept. My heart – another area of major issue. The ayahuasca has cleaned it. Literally. I felt a level of love for people that I have never been able to feel before, due to being shut down out of fear of getting hurt. The people I already loved I loved in a new way, even more purely, without attachment or conditions. New people I have met I have connected with quickly and strongly, loving them because they are human and they are here, and that's enough. I connect with people in a very different, pure way, and I am so so happy. I am not concerned with labels and commitments and security…because I already have all the security I need within myself. Now I am free to just be and love and have everything I need. I never thought this could happen to me…this level of being pure love, radiating it, giving it out, and receiving it. Addictions – The food, alcohol, people…all the addictive behaviors that have stuck to me like gum on my shoe are simple no longer. The spirits of all these addictions have been cleared out of my system. I feel free on a soul level that is hard to describe. I'm just – ahh…finally…relief. I could go on and on about the multitude of ways that these ayahuasca ceremonies have changed me. They have changed everything. I know for sure now that studying ayahuasca shamanism is my path, and I can't wait to learn more and more. Every time you do ayahuasca it is different, and shows you more and more things…whatever you are ready to see at a given time. That's another thing…once the dark energies had been cleared out of my body, the ceremonies become more and more blissful. I always competed a ceremony feeling like a million bucks, and by the end I was being taken to beautiful surreal landscapes, swimming in crystalline pools of flowers, floating around outer space, conversing with my Higher Self in human form, meeting my power animals, the list is too long to put here. Things I couldn't have made up in my head came into my vision. Anywhere I have always wanted to go I could go. Astral travel at its best. Our group was a family by the end. I became very good friends with the guy on the bus. I have real people to support me through whatever my path is going to be. Through the western shaman as the medium, I was told by my spirit animals that yes, my instinct was right, and I am in fact a shamaness in the making. My spirit is very strong, so they say, and beautiful, and I feel my outer being drawing closer and closer to my inner being each day since the ceremonies, and I'm sure to continue with each ceremony to come. I will return to Peru this January, taking six months to prepare my body and mind (and wallet) and will stay there for at least the duration of the spring. Hopefully an apprenticeship will open up for me while I'm there, and when that time comes I will be a full time resident of Peru for several years to come. I thrive there. I love everything about it. I am the happiest I have ever been in my entire life. I am so so grateful that ayahuasca exists. There also happens to be a Deaf school in Iquitos (interesting coincidence) using Peruvian Sign Language. Guess I'll add that to the list of languages I'm learning. Oh – the Spanish came a long way after becoming friends with Eluco. I can really hold my own now. Another note about ayahuasca…it is easy to find people to do ceremony with all over Peru, some cheaper than others. I am telling you that with this kid of spiritual activity we are sharing space with Light and Dark. PLEASE make sure that you do it with someone you TOTALLY TRUST. I can't stress this enough. The maestro will protect you in this space (assuming he or she has your best interest at heart) but there are people who will not protect you from the dark energies, or may even be of the dark side themselves. This is not something to play around with or take lightly. You need to be with someone who knows what they are doing and can protect you accordingly. Ayahuasca is not to be fooled around with. Wednesday, August 7th, 2007 After the trip, I ended up on a 14-hour boat ride to a little jungle town called Jenero Herrera, where electricity is only on from 6-10 when the town generator is on, and we bathe in the river. The people there changed me profoundly in a way that is almost too sacred to explain in this blog. I had the opportunity to participate in an ayahuasca ceremony with native people in their pueblo in the Amazon. But that's another story for another day… I hope you have enjoyed the recap of my Peru adventure. Feel free to contact me with any questions or whatever about it…I still can't believe it happened and that it is possible to change your life from a couple of plants…who knew? (well the people in Peru have known for centuries! We're a little slow with this stuff in the states lol.) Love and happiness to all… Ciao! ~ Meghan