Odyssey 2015 - Review, Overview and Preparation for embarkation

Greetings

The past 12 months since my return from completing Odyssey 2014 has been full, complete, shocking, enlightening and complete with love.

Within this time I have developed an investment masterclass for the tourism industry in Queensland and delivered that throughout the State and developed the content into online tutorial webisodes.

I've travelled to Europe again for a wedding and revising friends and travelled to Romania to catch up with new friends there and making new ones too.  I've developed a cutting edge, state of the art Client Relationship Management Database using Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2015 software and delivered that for the Queensland Government.

And I've walked away from all of that to commence Odyssey 2015.

I recently chose to resign from my job of 10 years as a Public Servant for the State of Queensland in Australia.  It came during a trying time for the Government and me personally, however parting ways at this time is absolutely perfect and am grateful for all that has occurred.

Since triggering my departure from Government lifestyle opportunities are abundant, more obvious and I'm hoping to be able to collaborate with wonderful people in projects that bring joy, freedom and happiness to those involved.

I'm open to the future and have let go of the side oft the river to allow all opportunity the energy it needs, to assimilate with myself and the ongoing changes.  I ask and gratefully receive what I ask for, as it enables me to be give back in greater yield than ever before, so on and so forth...

As you may understand, after being away for a long holiday (Odyssey 2014) the good feeling stays with you for some time, this good feeling for me lasted until June 2014 and I came down with a thump and crash.  I didn't expect it, however as always ultimately see experiences as a perfect right in their own light and had a fantastic support network around me of friends that are my family.  You know who you are, blessed souls. xx

Odyssey 2015 has been forged through adversity, however mainly due to the fantastic partner that has entered my life.  My friend, my lover and the so very gorgeous Angela.  Without her energy entering mine, the mere concept of this next journey wouldn't have been considered.

After travelling to Europe in August 2014 I was done travelling for a while, there's only so many airports and airmiles you can do before you just want to put your feet up.  However after a few dates with Angela I was told that she's off overseas to travel and I could come, or I could stay......Hmmmmm ..and here we are :)

We now have less than two weeks to finalise the necessary things here in Brisbane and to start preparations before we embark to Iqutios Peru and to the Ayahuasca Adventure Centre (www.pulsetours.com) and to experience the benefit of being onsite deep in the Amazon jungle again.

I can feel the process of the Amazon beginning again within me.  To help with this we've escaped the city environment and are now on Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef, enjoying some warmer weather, family company and exceptional views of an environment so precious, ourselves out in nature, immersed in it, and blessed to be amongst it.

Ahhhhh....Gratitude is the theme

Amazon Adventures - A closer look a year later

The site and setting of your Ayahuasca experience is essential.  This is not the substance to be taken within the hustle and bustle of life around you, or more so to have when other others energies are present that may be unwanted and wanting to affect your experience.

Choosing your site is essential and this should be part of the research I suggest anyone does when curious about seeking an authentic Ayahuasca experience.

The setting of the site chosen should allow you to decompress to levels of relaxation that are challenging to get to in everyday western life, due to our rat race and ways of separation.  Once in the appropriate setting and relaxation sets in, my guard comes down and I become more allowing of the process to commence and not so apprehensive.

I was quite fortunate to have chosen a site and setting perfect for my first experience and very grateful that I was able to experience it here, The Temple of the Way of Light.

Ceremony

After over 18 months of research, intrigue and digesting of copious hours of You Tube videos on Peru and the Amazon, it was time.  It was my time to walk up, sit in front of the Maestra (female Shipibo Shamen) and drink my first cup of Ayahuasca.  My initial thoughts were that it wasn't too bad; it didn't taste as horrible as I had been told....this was to change.

After all participants had drunk, the lights were blown out (no electricity at the site I chose) and the darkness of the Maloka was taken over by the night light.  We then waited for the experience and for "mariana", the name called for when one is under the influence of Ayahuasca.

After about an hour, the song starts.  The Icaro  -   A genuine authentic Ayahuasca experience is nothing without Icaro, the song sung by Maestras and Maestros (Male Shamen) during ceremony, that works in concert with the medicine effecting you.  The Shamen work with the song and the medicine to assist in the healing.

The Shamen are highly skilled and have worked for many many years in dieting on Ayahuasca and other specific plant remedies to assist in their own unique healing gifts.  Your Shamen should be accessible and available to engage with you after ceremony.

For me, the first ceremony was a display of the most fantastic lights over all colours of the rainbow, to the point I felt the Shamen had LED lights in their clothes - ha :)  The medicine affects the hearing and I was hearing the Icaro's blend together in such a beautiful reverbing sound, and was blown away by the experience.

The ceremony went for about 2-3 hours; I was engaged by the medicine for about 8 hours.  The balance of time spent marvelling at the night sky, night animals, and the thousands upon thousands of thoughts that were bouncing through my head as my ego played out it's egoisms and my higher self started to take a more balanced place within me.

The ceremony acts as a great healer, therefore I had incredible mental energy, however was very fatigued by the process.  

The first level the medicine works on, is the physical level and clearing blockages in the body that are holding you back, causing dis-ease and are there to be removed and healed.

The purging is very dehydrating and one needs to be mindful to increase drinking of waters, teas and juices which are readily available.  

I had a total of 7 ceremonies, each very different to the other. On my second ceremony I experienced the purge.  I was amazed that even after purging several times, there was still a lot of purging to be done.   It's quite an experience vomiting (purging via one's mouth) amongst a group of 21 other people.  It is a great leveller and I definitely realised how much of a healing process it is.  

You see, it goes beyond vomiting up substance; it's the release at a guttural level of the energy blockage from a given point within the body.  An example was mine was a hissing and guttural belching, and the feeling of issues, events and experiences that I have manifested within my body..go into the bucket...gone.  Each and ever dark thought and issue that I was dealing with, came with a purge.

My subsequent ceremonies each held very personal experiences, and as the retreat unfolded I began to understand the healing more and more and what was happening to me as a consequence.  My heart was being healed and returned to the centered point of a boy that had never experienced trauma, hurt, pain or sadness.  What a gift to be given, what an essential component of living that was returned to me.  "Never have I been relinquished from my ego so far and lived in my heart for so long".

Amongst my unique experiences was a connection to my star brothers and sisters, who I felt and saw quite acutely during my second ceremony, a giant Arcturian woman, who took me up and up towards my spiritual home of the Pleiades, only to look back and realise that my body wasn’t ready, and it wasn’t time, and I wasn’t ready. I came back down into my body and purged big time!!!  Another experience was witnessing those that live just outside our spectrum of vision who are always there in the shadows and observing the healing process, these were quite small and no higher than my knee and disappeared once I went out of my heart and into my head to analyse what they were.

The next levels Ayahuasca and the Shamen work on, the ones that are still working...and continue to do so and feel will do so for the remainder of my existence in this form.   The imprints of the work and the medicine are now indelibly bound to my DNA.

I approached this experience with believing that a 12 day retreat and 7 ceremonies will be enough. I've since found that for me, It's only the start.

Integration

Returning to Australia after an extended period having undertaken over 18 flights through 8 countries was a challenge to come back to.  

In hindsight, I would have approached my Amazon experience first and then travel afterwards.  But it all happened perfectly as it should.  I was quite wobbly returning home, sitting in a western house, still feeling the effects of Ayahuasca and having absolutely no one that I could talk to nearby who would understand or appreciate the experience.  It was literally a new me in an old me world - get ready for feeling that should you take a similar path my friends.

I sit now writing this, 10 months after the experience, after having had several moments where I had questioned my reasons for going to the Amazon, only to have it all come full circle.  

I am currently in the midst of preparations for returning to the Amazon for another stint.  This time with 12 ceremonies over 21 days, which includes other healing modalities, such as Kampo, which is healing using frog venom.  And this time sharing the experience with someone close to my heart, that I would not have found if it weren’t for my first experience...amazing what happens when you let go and connect xx.

Look out for postings for Odyssey 2015 by following me at Twitter and at my Blog.  Very happy to discuss any of these topics with anyone.

twitter: @davewaller_

Blog: http://thedavewaller.blogspot.com.au/

Related You-Tube: http://youtu.be/tgU6nM2Frpo

We're all spiritual beings, having a human doing experience

We're all Children of the light with free will to dance all through the night.

Dave Waller 

Peru part 2 (Amazon Jungle - Temple of the way of Light) Odyssey 2014

It´s taken four days for me to be able to begin to feel how I would be able to put to words the experience had at the Temple of the way of light which is deep in the Amazon rainforest in Peru, only accessible by boat and a long march up a muddy track. Once we arrived we were met by the faciliators (Gringos..Westerners) and the Shipibo Shamen Maestros (Men) Maestras (Women) who were there to litterly put us through, which end up for me at least, one of the most challenging physical, spirital, mental and emotional experiences of my life to date. To put it in a bit of context. Westerners are now coming enmass to the Amazon to undertake this type of healing workshop, to assist in clearing away a lot of Western junk that some if not most of us build up in our lives. I believe and feel strongly that a lot of the western so called civilisation as lost it´s connection to Mother Earth and the relationship we are meant to have with the planet that our bodies are made from. And this disconnection is the root course of so many issues that relate to the Mind, Body and Spirit. And that we have also lost our way to the point of destroying her, harming her, scarring her, however there she still is waiting for us to reconnect. The Shamen live in the Amazonb, it´s a traditional life that has become almost extinct, however they choose to be there to assist us willing Gringos that have made the trek to this part of the world, and it´s a challenging part of the world to begin with, let alone be put through some an intense program for two weeks. But in saying that, the perfect location within paradise for such a program. I was sure that they must see all of our junk when we walked across the bridge and into the entrance space, and I felt the same disconnection from them too. Who were these Shipibo...bla bla bla went my westernised ego. From then on the orientation was fantastic and we were assigned our own Tambo(Hut) in the Temple groups, amongst the rainforest, that only had a compost toilet and a old Kerosene lamp, however Diesel is used due to Kerosene being banned in Peru to help the stop of Cocaine production.. No electricity for two weeks, and we slept and woke to the effects of the sunsetting and rising. It was alive, and yes this was living :) Our group consisted of 22 people from all over the planet, I met two Aussie guys, which was refreshing as they bought me back to some true Aussie roots that I had been away from for some time on this Odyssey. There were a group of Romanians, Ukranians, Canadians, Americans and also from Germany. A group of 22 people that I now call friends and feel so much love for as we purged and grew so close together during the two weeks at the Temple. During the two weeks we had seven ayahuasca ceremonies. Ayahuasca is a plant medicine brew that has been used across Latin American for ovr 4500 years as part of traditional healing. Once taken orally in ceremony it envokes the body to heal across the physical, spirutal, mental and emotional aspects, and encourages the mind, body and spirit to purge all that no longer serves the drinker. Purging physcally as one may know involves a lot of throwing up and time spent on the toilet, the more healing required, the more purging occurs, ridding the body of the junk that we bought into the Temple. The Shamen move throughout the group who sit in a circle in ceremony and sing individual song called ´"Icaros" which works with the Ayahuasca to move through the body and activate and begin the healing process. Every ceremony was different and involved very different Icaros everytime. Those Shamen knew us better than we knew ourselves. Ayahuasca can also envoke powerful visions and allows the drinker to access different spectrum of light not available normally. This process was quite powerful for me, and the insights seen were profound and at sometimes disturbing. The Ayahuasca separates the EGO for long enough for the heart to jump in and balance the EGO. However it was quite facinating to see both my EGO and higher spiritual self battle it out, with the EGO always trying to rationalise the experience and "think about it". The heart though is a much stronger part of our being and envokes the drinker to "feel about it", and after a number of ceremonies my EGO was broken like a horse is broken in and ultimtly succumbs to the higher/strong power. It just surrenders and begins to be more healthy and symbiotic with you. The Temple process also involved a one-on-one consultation with the healers and faciliators to discussion our reasons to being at the temple, and our intentions for healing. From this we were prescribed various traditional plant remadies, and massages that also work in tandem with the Ayahuasca healing process. I am still assimilating the changes within me and will probably write an addendum to this part of the Odyssey once I am back home and back into my routine. However the overarching aspect of what Mother ayahuasca gave to me, was the consumate sensation of me feeling my heart again after most of my lifetime being blocked by many things that I had put there to stop being hurt and that had manifested elsewhere in my body and causing significant health issues. She gave me what I needed, and I needed to love myself again in order to begin to love outwards again to all and everything that is my very being and for my body to heal. As I said, I´m still assimilating that part of my journey. We were fed a diet of specific food to assist in the journey, and we all needed to adhere to a specific diet two weeks before the workshop, as certain foods inhibit ayahuasca ability to work with the body. Foods such as Pork, processed meats, red meat, suger, salt, chocolate, spices..`pretty much western diet..and the food cooked for us was exceptional, however after day 10 a lot of conversations with the group were the longing for certain foods.. I for one had a vision during a ceremony of M&Ms flying around me. Yes I was addicted to Chocolate, thanks Ayahuasca..haaa We were exposed to such universal light and love during this time and it´s an experience that I already know has effected me so much and am grateful for all faculties allowed to me, that have assisted me to undertake the ayahuasca workshop at the Temple of the way of light. Sitting back here in Iquitos and meeting the "newbies" as they check into hotels and mingle about and we discuss the Temple. I saw myself in them just over two weeks ago. We bond over the the respect we have for them for making their own journey and respect for the process they are entering into. When we all leave and then head back to our respective parts of the world, we take back with us the healing of Ayahuasca and spread that healing energy through our lives, and as more and more Westerners arrive in this part of the world for Ayahuasca medicine healing, more and more re-connected gringos go back to the world to continue their healing process connected to Mother Earth, and more concious of living with her, not just on her. Today marks the last day of my time here in the Amazon. I am heading home a week early to allow myself more time to reintegrate this energy and change within my familiar environment. I´m looking forward to being at home with this feeling. -Namaste-

Peru part 3 (Iquitos) Odyssey 2014

Iquitos is deep in the Amazon and was my pick up and drop off point for my Temple of the way of light experience.  Arriving in Iquitos I was struck down by a severe bout of sickness...and the first two days had me in my hotel room, only venturing out to buy the final things needed for my workshop and to find some Ayahuasca dietas food to eat. Funny enough everywhere i went I met people who were either going to the Temple or worked there...It was here I met Sasha, who is the Managing Director of the Temple and who was facilitating our workshop.

Iquitos was hot and sultry and sits on the Amazon river and has the tag of being only accessible by boat or plane. Its people are very different to those in the Cusco area, and I got the impression that the men there were not particularly keen on Gringos. I can understand why, western people historically have come and killed, maimed and imposed their way of life on the traditional culture and also i felt that it was a tough life there.

Every day outside of my hotel there were always up to 10 steeet hustlers, that would get you anything and everything, all for a price though haaa.  They knew our itinerary and when they saw a new person they swarmed him or her, usually shouting, "Ayahuasca" to get their attention. Funny enough when i asked around most Iquitons had either not tried Ayahuasca or had only tried it once or twice. Not the 7 times we Gringos  did in ceremony. Again a pointer to the destruction of their traditional culture by Spanish missionaries. 

After the workshop I was able to go on a tour several hours into the Amazon, up the Amazon river to fish for piranha and take a look at several animals indigenous to the region. I also toured Belen markets which is the local traditional markets, full of everything and lots of pick pocketers, i managed to stop one from taking a look in my pockets. I was also taken to the floating city, which is an area of Iquitos near the markets that is right on the river and built in a way to be floating in the wet season and sitting on the ground in the dry season. Or houses that simply didnt use their ground floor during the wet season due to flooding.

I was due to stay in Iquitos for a few more days, however with the departure of my workshop colleagues to their many and varied homelands and the continual hustling of the hustlers outside, I decided to leave in order to be home a week earlier to assimilate these changes and to recover from the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual emancipation that I had gone through at the temple.

I traveled from Iquitos to Lima to Dallas to London to Dubai and am just about to land in Brisbane.

This is the second last post of this Odyssey 2014, I shall write a final edition once back in a routine and have had time to reflect on the journey that has been life shaping in so many ways.

Take care 

Peru part 1 (Cusco) Odyssey 2014

Arriving in a foreign country during political protests, particularly at the airport where i was arriving at was interesting to say the least. The road blockades and subsequent diversions around the outskirts of Cusco, made for an awesome scenic tour..haaa. They were not protesting about tourists, in fact when they saw we were, they let us through. Their gripe is with the Peruvian President not delivering on election promises and the cost of living. I support their plight.
Cusco is an amazing place. My Hotel (Kenamari Hotel) went out of their way to ensure every moment of my short stay went smoothly. Even to the point of coming and collecting my bags and me from a blockade and scurrying us to the safety of the hotel on foot.

Cusco was the capital of the Incan empire which lasted until those nasty and violent Spanish conquesters came and destroyed it. Gone are the Spanish now and back is the spirit of the Incan.

As I always like to do, i walked the back streets, up the steep and steps filled roads to get lost to find my way again. The people are friendly towards us Gringos as tourism is a massive income for this relatively poor country.  The plazas around central Cusco are full of life, i recommend walking to other plazas as there are more locals there and less tourists. 

The tourism and the operations are run perfectly, and Australia should take a note of the processes and interpersonal ways that Peruvians approach their tourism. And I work in the industry back home!!

I thoroughly recommend doing the Cusco City tour, which I thought was going to be a boring tour of even more boring Spanish churches ( note previous comment about Spaniards of old). However I was mistaken 100% and was guided through the older Incan cities and temples that are in and around Cusco.

The Temple of the Sun is in central Cusco however the other temples are located above Cusco between 3500-3800 metres above sea level.  These were used for ceremonial purposes and as the gateway to the Sacred valley.

Machu Picchu was simply a must, and its easy to see why it is the signature tourist destination for Peru. Its awe inspiring and if it is not already on your bucket list, put it on it. The transit to Macchu Pichu in itself is worth the trip and I recommend paying the little bit extra for the Vistsdome.  The town at the base of the mountain is quaint and the bus ride up the 20 or so hair pin turns is a laugh ( or cry, depends on what you are like with heights)!! 

Cusco wasn't originally on my itinerary as my focus was the Amazon, and clearly my thinking in this department was wrong.  Thanks to my Boss (Dom) for info and insight from his travels here. I already want to return, ill put my leave application in asap ;) 

Off to Lima and then into the Amazon Jungle on Saturday morning!!!