Plant Dieta
The practice of Dieta originates mainly in the Shipibo tradition of the Amazon Jungle. A dieta can be undergone for purposes of deep, focused healing, or for learning to integrate it into a healing practice. Undergoing decades of many dietas is part of the traditional training of an Ayahuascero (person who serves Ayahuasca).
In dieta, we sacrifice stimulating foods (or sometimes fast altogether), interactions with people and technology, and sexual engagement in order to become deeply sensitive and receptive to the subtle communication of a plant spirit. In exchange for the sacrifice and time dedicated, the plant leads the person dieting through a profound healing journey and becomes a lifelong ally in one’s personal healing journey or shamanic work.
Almost any plant can be used for this purpose, whether a traditional Amazonian plant, or other European plants such as Rosemary or Nettle. I have spent several months each dieting Rose, Bobinsana, and Cacao and these are the only plants I currently hold Dieta space for.
For dieta purposes, a strong tea is prepared from locally sourced Andean Hampi Roses including the leaves, stems, and thorns, fresh Bobinsana sent overnight from Pucalpa, and raw, organic Cacao sourced from a farm in Quillabamba that I hand prepare. For remote dieta spaces, I will personally assist you in sourcing/preparing medicine suitable for dieta purposes based on your location and what you have access to.
Many describe dieta as a 24/7 Ayahuasca ceremony, and this is exactly how I treat it and guide someone to navigate. Any dieta will open a strong, multifaceted, multidimensional healing process that will continue to unfold and bear fruit an entire lifetime, and is a very serious undertaking.
Meet Rose and Bobinsana
Bobinsana is a very common first dieta in the Shipibo tradition, and one I have dieted myself for a total of 9 months. I describe these two plants together because they work in very similar ways, I like to call Bobinsana the "jungle equivalent" to Rose. In my own dieta work, and in holding space for others, I have found they most often work in the following ways:
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They are both feminine spirits and deeply womb/Hara and heart oriented. With women they dislodge trauma and energy from past sexual connections stored in the womb space and in the ancestral lineage. They teach about the nature of sexual energy and how to use it consciously, and share wisdom about the menstrual cycle. For men they also connect strongly with the maternal lineage.
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On an emotional level they work with the heart in matters related to self love, self acceptance, blocks to vulnerability, boundaries in the ways we relate to other people, cultivating compassion and empathy toward others, offer shifts in perspective through empathy to aid in the process of forgiveness, and dislodge deeply repressed trauma and emotions such as grief, guilt, anger etc. They help us to connect to our natural childlike essence of joy, wonder, and curiosity, creativity, authentic expression and work on the traumas and conditioning that are in the way of this.
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On a mental level, they teach how to focus the mind and cultivate pure presence, and reveal the spinning patterns of cyclical thoughts we carry that get in the way of this presence. They reveal the mental patterns that contribute to various forms and causes of anxiety and help to calm mental chatter to come to a place of deep mental clarity and intuitive receptivity.
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On a spiritual level, they open the energetic channel as a whole, and help to bring healing to trauma around our perception of God and the relationship we share with him/her/them/it, such as messages of unworthiness, fear of punishment or judgment, feeling abandoned, separated, or stories we may carry around dogmatic religions. They help to heal wounds around trust in self, God, and others from past traumas and to anchor into a baseline state of trust in the unfolding and "ups and downs" of life.
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On an energetic level, they reveal and brings to the surface any energy carried that is not of one's essence, and offer a deeper understanding and anchoring into our unique energetic frequency. They teach how to transform "dark" or dense energy from a place of compassion and a unique approach to empathic protection.
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I work with Rose every day in non drinking ways as part of my personal practice and frequently connect with Bobinsana. I am deeply honored to have them as allies and teachers and to share this work with them, and approach them with equal reverence and respect as Ayahuasca.
FAQs
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What is accommodation like for an in person Dieta?You will have a private bedroom and private bathroom with a hot shower in my home located in the serene Andes mountains. The location is very private and tranquil in the countryside outside of the small village of Lamay Peru and in nature with a garden and Eucalyptus forests and views of the mountains. There is ample hiking for those who wish to go for walks during Dieta, and many private places along a beautiful river. You will have access to the entire house aside from my bedroom and many cozy places indoors and outdoors onsite to choose from to sit with your medicine.
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What do I eat during a Dieta?Most people eat twice a day while in a Dieta, and the food is traditionally very bland and minimal. This is to enable a deeper connection with the plants and also a way of "sacrificing" your usual Diet for the healing you are receiving. Dieta food is free of salt, oils, spices, citrus, sugars, dairy, nuts, caffeine, and meat (eggs allowed). Your meals will be tailored to your preferences within this restrictions! Whole grains, potatos/sweet potatos, fresh fruit, steamed vegetables, herbal teas, avocados, and hard boiled eggs make up the basis of Dieta food.
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How is the plant medicine administered?You will be provided prepared medicine to drink daily, in most cases two ceremonial doses, but this can change based on the process. If you are inexperienced with Dieta work, I will control the dosing for you until you are accustomed to the space. Experienced dieters generally drink as they are guided.
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How is the space held and what is the level of support?I am always present on site to support you and the form this takes fluctuates based on the process as it unfolds. I drink the plants you are dieting once or twice a day and 24 hours a day are spent on my end connecting and holding the energetic container in complete focus. The spirits of the plants guide what is done day to day. This may include verbal guidance/consultation, Icaro/channeled singing, various forms of energetic cleansing, plant baths, rituals, or formal Ceremonies with Rose, Bobinsana, Cacao, or Ayahuasca to deepen your connection or work through a difficult part of the process. Also included are 2 Preparation Coaching Calls in the time before opening your diet, text support in the time beforehand, and 4 Integration Coaching Calls in the months after closing.
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Is Ayahuasca included in the Dieta?Most people find that these plants in a Dieta context create a strong enough process to navigate on their own and Ayahuasca is not always necessary. It is available if mutually agreed upon and deemed beneficial for your journey, generally in the middle to assist with a deeper cleanse and connection.
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Who is suited for a 1 on 1 dieta?A 1 on 1 dieta is ideal for individuals who are fully committed to deep shadow work, possess a high level of emotional maturity, and are ready for an intensive healing process. This is the highest level of support and most intensive container I offer. This setting is helpful for people who are extremely sensitive or empathic and easily distracted by the processes of others in group spaces, or working through really deep trauma.
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How often is this type of dieta available?I open space for 1 on 1 dietas four times a year. Alignment between you, your process, and the way I hold space is crucial.
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How do I begin the process if I’m interested?If you feel called to this space, we start with a series of consultations. This includes a detailed explanation of the Dieta, mutual alignment and resonance, and a discussion of your intentions and needs, followed by an evaluation of whether this space is conducive and suited to your unique healing process.
Alexa, Bali
“Angelica has such a special way of shedding light on really heavily dense processes & emotions to the point you can feel that she has made peace with many parts of herself to be able to meet you there” I just finished my 8 days of Rose Dieta with Angelica and Eugene. This experience exceeded way beyond my expectations & consisted of way more than just a regular Dieta in the jungle. Dieta actually doesn’t add up to the 24/7 methodical, magical, refined energetic work Angelica devotes to you in the 1 on 1 space. She is a true medicine woman, deeply connected to the plants and a clear channel. Always listening to whatever the space, and the person needs in every moment. Truly walking the walk. Her constant energetic work, her prayers, plant baths, her reciprocity to the plants and to the land that she embodies, her limpias, Icaro, her connection to rose is unlike anything I’ve experienced especially in this generation. Her connection is ancient and also refined and evolved. Her commitment to my healing was so important that she dieted alongside of me to make sure my intention of cleaning some really heavy energies were met. She has such a special way of shedding light on really heavily dense processes & emotions to the point you can feel that she has made peace with many parts of herself to be able to meet you there. She’s willing and prepared to meet you in the darkness, help you find the lost fragmented pieces of yourself, only to help you put them back together, because she cares that much about your healing. Her presence is a walking permission slip to just be your full authentic self, which is really needed in these vulnerable spaces. Her connection to rose medicine & many other plants are beyond what I’ve felt from other facilitators/ space holders/shamans. She has a direct clear connection with them, you feel their medicine without even drinking a cup. And when you end up ingesting you may find yourself journeying in profound Ayahuasca like spaces. Addition to that, having her beloved Eugene holding the space heals parts of you that you didn’t know needed healing. His nurturing, selfless, pure, angelic, genuine heart. His devotion to making sure you feel safe and catering to your practical needs is so warming in the heavy moments. His love for the plants and his connection to spirit is deeply felt and cannot be ignored. They are both incredible space holders but on top of it incredible channels for music and sound. Angelica’s Icaro are the pure frequency of Rose herself. Sweet, soft but powerful and touches deep parts of your soul. Eugene’s voice is kind and very ancient, like grandfather medicine that holds your hand as you walk through the darkness together. Not to mention a master piano player and a treasure to have in ceremony space. All in all this was the most healing experience for me because of my original intention of clearing some pretty heavy brujeria from a prior dieta that I now know Angelica and Eugene were the ones that were meant to help me heal from this. It was divinely meant to be with these two special, humble, powerful warriors of the light. From the bottom of my heart, thank you both so much."