Journal

Notes from the jungle.

Practical answers about yagé, the traditions of Putumayo, and what to expect from a retreat. Alongside them, stories from Min's life as an apprentice in the Colombian Amazon, including the occasional inconvenience of living where the weather makes most of the decisions.

Preparation7 min read

Is ayahuasca for me?

An honest look at who this medicine is for, who should stay away from it, and how to tell if the timing is right.

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Min standing by a wide river, arms raised, with the jungle behind her

Preparation4 min read

7 ways to make your first ayahuasca retreat easier

Your preparation begins long before the ceremony itself.

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Freshly cut yagé vine on the forest floor

Medicine6 min read

What is the difference between ayahuasca and yagé?

Same vine, different names, and some real differences in how the medicine is prepared and held.

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Taita Miguel Mavisoy embracing a large tree

Medicine6 min read

Why it matters to drink with a shaman from a lineage

Ayahuasca is offered everywhere now. Here is why the person who serves it, and where their knowledge comes from, matters so much.

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Guests sitting together in a circle on the grass

Stories6 min read

Why do people work with ayahuasca?

The reasons people come to the jungle, and what they actually take home.

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A hand resting on fresh leaves and vine gathered for the medicine

Medicine2 min read

What are we really asking plants to give us?

A conversation after ceremony, and what it taught me about respect.

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Four musicians playing guitar, tiple, flute and drum together under the thatched roof of the ceremony house

Lessons from Ayahuasca3 min read

Music is both a healer and a portal

To the light, but also the dark.

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Lessons from Ayahuasca4 min read

The medicine of softness

…the secret ingredient to healing ourselves.

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On Substack

Musings of an apprentice.

The articles here answer practical questions. On Substack, Min writes more personally about the everyday experience of living and learning in the jungle: the unexpected lessons, the messy middle, and the stories that don't fit into a FAQ.