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After spending a week in the Atacama Desert Chile, I was nearing my second-to-last day with a nagging feeling of incompletion. I felt like I hadn't accomplished everything I needed to in the Atacama, but I couldn't pinpoint what was missing.
During the week I had participated at Habitat Hotel in a Temazcal ceremony with a local fourth generation Shaman and had a great experience. For those unaware of this ceremony, it is a traditional ceremony which mimics being "reborn."
The ceremony takes place in a small round building designed to retain heat and steam. A fire is used to heat volcanic stones which are placed in the central pit within the Temazcal and these stones generate the heat and steam needed for the rituals. Herbs are water are places over the stones to create aromatic steam and water is poured over the stones to produce the steam which raises the temperature inside.
Sweating and chanting simultaneously occurs while leaders guide you through the ceremony singing, chanting, drumming and performing watering showers. The heat and steam induce the sweating which cleanses the body of toxins and once you emerge from the ceremony into the light you are "reborn," with a renewed sense of physical and spiritual wellbeing.
If you have never engaged in this practice you may be reading this thinking what an earth is this?! Don't be too quick to judge, I highly recommend you try a ceremony once in your life. There are many benefits from the experience, the 35 year old tech lawyer sitting next to me at a later exchange in the hotel said it changed his life. But don't just take my word for it, give it a go yourself!
The following nights after the ceremony I had vivid dreams with flashes of the Sharman. On my last evening at the Hotel Habitas I sent a message to the Shaman asking her what other services she offered. She responded explaining and also mentioned that I had been in her dreams. The strangest thing was I didn't want to message her in my initial message but but I had also experienced many dreams which she had appeared.
We arranged a San Pedro ceremony for the next evening and finalised the details. Initially, I hesitated to accept the booking, my mind racing in circles as I analysed all the potential pitfalls. Then I realised that I had been stuck treading water with some personal blocks for quite some time. Why not? What do I have to lose?
My experience of San Pedro:
Talk about wasted energy-it's astonishing how much space and time we spend in our heads, endlessly debating what could go right or wrong in various situations.? this was the state I was in up until I go picked up for the experience. I had plans of how I would boycott the ceremony if I felt anxious or it wasn't the right environment, I had excuses made for why I couldn't stay and integrate after the session, I was trying to control the whole scenario because I didn't know what would happen or how my body would react.
It's funny how we are spiritual beings having a human experience yet often try and control every fine detail. If our faith was as strong as our fear we would know that even though that even when we plan, the universe plans back and often in a wayyyy more spectacular fashion then we could have imagined.
The morning of the ceremony I woke up early, completed a fitness class, had a morning swim and enjoyed a delicious breakfast of fresh fruits and healthy elixirs. I was told to eat lightly so I listened to the instructions! Simultaneously I was nervous and excited, I was collected in a 4x4 with a very calm centred happy shaman!
We drove through the town of Atacama, which takes no more than ten minutes to traverse, and then onto a dirt path where, boom, we lost cell reception. So much for my 'emergency exit strategy'! We continued along the road into the national park. I had ridden my bike through this area before and found it spectacular, but I had no idea how much better it could get. As we journeyed further down the road, my shaman shared with me that this land had been in her family for generations; it was indigenous land.
As we drove along the desert road, I attempted to capture the breathtaking scenery with my camera while also trying to absorb its beauty firsthand. Upon arrival, I found myself standing on one of the most profoundly special pieces of land I had ever encountered. Every turn revealed enchanted raw beauty, a 360-degree panorama of pure magic. Mother Nature had outdone herself.
A smile was plastered across my face, my eyes entranced, my energy soared, and my excitement for life reignited. This was exactly what I had been searching for. If I had stayed standing on this land admiring the sheer beauty and wandering through the property and surrounding area by the river I would have left completely satisfied, so what followed was just the cherry on top.
Firstly, I will introduce the plant for readers who are unfamiliar. San Pedro, also known as Echinopsis pachanoi, is a cactus native to the Andean mountains, particularly in Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. It has been used for centuries in traditional medicine and spiritual practices, primarily by indigenous peoples in South America. The cactus contains the psychoactive compound mescaline, which is responsible for its effects.
There are several reasons why San Pedro is considered beneficial by those who use it. It is considered a powerful tool for spiritual, emotional, and psychological healing. Its benefits are attributed to its ability to foster deep introspection, emotional release, and a sense of connection to the universe. As with any psychoactive substance, the context in which it is used, including guidance from experienced practitioners and a safe setting, is crucial for maximising benefits and minimising risks.
There is a growing interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics so it is bringing more attention to plants such as San Pedro which has been used in both ancient and now modern healing practices.
The ceremony commenced with me taking a shot of the mixture followed by a orange peal. Imagine tequila shots with lime chasers, well this was similar however with plant medicine. The taste wasn't exactly delicious but tolerable, I think perhaps equivocal to a shot of straight Jon Julio! For the waiting period which differs person to person the time frame can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours for effects so we set of on a walk through the property. We later arrived at the river where we bathed, this was to wash and purify ourselves. The water was ice-cold yet incredibly refreshing. It was so clean that you could drink straight from it, with the origin visible to the eye: the snow-capped mountains in the distance.
As we concluded our time at the river, the sun began its descent, casting a warm glow as we made our way back to the main house. Feeling I could handle more San Pedro (since I had started with a small dose), I opted for an additional serving. From there, I wandered around the property, exploring the sand dunes in the desert as the sun set, painting the sky with vibrant colours. The medicine kicked in and I was in my element! I spent many minutes fixated on the formations in the dessert sand, on the formations of the rocks, the plants, the beauty was all surrounding me. It had felt like ten minutes but over one hour had passed and I could hear echos of my name in the distance, I knew that was my cue to head back to her. I followed the echos and when I arrived there was a blazing fire, flag poles, the most amazing altar and view towards the snow caped mountains, it was better than a scene from a movie it was perfect.
We gathered together as the sacred ceremony commenced, marked by a solemn entrance into the stone formation. Seated beside her, I received a blessing as she blew tobacco smoke over me, guiding me through a healing ritual with chants, the rhythmic beat of her drums and rattles, and her incredible voice. This immersive experience created a profound atmosphere for spiritual healing and inner transformation. The medicine effects heightened my emotions and I had deep introspection, messages and intuitive nudges. There journey helped me gain insights and a sense of unity with the collective, nature and the cosmos. My shaman performed energy clearing using sacred plants and helped me connected with my ancestors and passed their messages down to me.
What was most profound during this whole ceremony was the innate stillness, I had never felt so much peace in my entire life. Nothing else mattered but that moment. There were no worries of my past, no thoughts of the future I was just my whole being there in the moment staring at the stars and the beauty of mother nature, I felt complete happiness, a euphoric high I felt complete.
My personal journey through the ceremony brought me to a level of presence I had never experienced before. What struck me the most was the profound stillness of my mind. In that moment, my thoughts were not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future; instead, they were fully immersed in the present. I felt the rhythm of my chest rising and falling with each breath as I gazed up at the stars. Shooting stars every few minutes flew by and the stars twinkling in the dark night sky. I was in awe of the beauty of mother nature, I felt complete happiness, a euphoric high that left me feeling whole and complete.
The ceremony concluded after several hours, and as the effects of the medicine began to wear off, I wandered back to my bed, falling asleep under the starry sky. I didn't want the feeling to end; I felt complete. My experience was profound, and I woke up without any hangover or lingering effects-just a deep sense of calm and stillness within. The integration continued for weeks afterward, and it left me with a stronger connection to both myself and the natural world.
Although I wanted to capture the entire ceremony to share, I also wanted to be fully present in the experience, so I took very few photos. This experience de bunkered my hesitations about plant medicine, and I felt incredibly blessed by Mother Nature-the beauty of her land and the sacred energy surrounding it.
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