Meditate & Connect with Sacred Hapéh
I am so grateful for the medicine of Hapéh.
I have a deep respect for this medicine and its spirit. After many years of working with it, I feel that I have come into a respectful and balanced personal practice with it.
Over time, I have naturally developed a loving relationship. Working with the medicine in ceremony and also in the Amazon, where it originates from, has helped me to broaden my own personal understanding.
One of the main concerns about this medicine is how many people are using it now without any guidance and understanding.
There have been times when people have shared with me that they think they “don’t like it” or that “they are afraid of it” - Because the first time they received this medicine, the person who gave it to them did not walk them through the process in a way that felt safe.
It is a deep act of trust to receive this medicine from another person. It requires surrender. And it is a great responsibility to share this medicine with others.
How close we have to sit next to each other... The sharing of our breath… Tuning into each other… It is something that is intimate and should not be taken lightly.
We have to be aware, mindful, present and clear when Giving and Receiving Hapéh…
Our Connection to Grandfather Tobacco
Connecting with our Grandfather Tobacco through different cultures and our own Middle Eastern roots…
I love it when worlds collide, when dots connect and when things tie together serendipitously in unexpected ways.
I happen to be writing this share from beautiful NYC, where my childhood friend and I decided to do something that we don’t really do so often anymore… but that we used to do all the time.
Growing up so close to New York City, when we were in high school, my friends and I used to frequent certain hookah bars… That was one of “our things.” We loved it so much that at one point, my best friend and I called a serious meeting with our families to pitch the idea “if we should all open up a hookah bar together.”
Realizing now, and connecting the dots, that I have been in reverence to and connecting with our Grandfather Tobacco since a very young age… Knowingly and unknowingly, in various different forms.
Infinite Freedom. A Jungle Poem.
In a car that “fits 5”
With 13 people
The only traveler amongst locals
3 in the front
5 in the back
5 in the trunk
Packed in like sardines
I hold on tightly to my drum to keep her safe…
Salt of the Earth. Spirit of the Air.
Why do we abstain from Salt during our dietas? Why do we make certain agreements before, during and after diet?
Recently, a friend reached out and asked “Is it necessary to give up salt during dieta? And if so, why?"
I will share from my own experience…
The Sacred Mosquito. Protector of Madre Selva.
A friend is going to the jungle for Dieta. She asked "if she can use essential oils to prevent and/or treat mosquito bites?"
My reply: Traditionally speaking, you are advised not to use anything at all that has a scent. This means no essential oils, soap, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, etc....