It’s normal to have concerns about the purging phase of Ayahuasca ceremonies. Before discussing what “la purga” is, consider reading Mother Ayahuasca and what happens in an Ayahuasca ceremony if you are new to this world.
Understanding la purga. The purification process in Ayahuasca ceremonies
Purging, by definition, means to rid oneself of an unwanted quality, condition, or feeling. In life, we naturally purge emotions, toxins, and negative energies in various ways.
An Ayahuasca purge, on the other hand, takes things to a deeper level. But what exactly does purging, or “la purga,” entail during an Ayahuasca experience? Why is it considered essential, and what can you do if you struggle to purge? These are just a few of the questions we will answer in this article.
La Purga. Definition and meaning
To understand this experience, we must first ask: what is la purga?
“La purga,” translated as “the purge,” is a fundamental aspect of Ayahuasca ceremonies, referring to the intense physical, emotional, and spiritual cleansing process that occurs as part of the journey. This purge helps individuals release stored trauma, negative energy, and toxins in the body and unconscious mind.
Through our experience working with Ayahuasca, especially in accompanying many participants who begin their journey with the medicine through us, we have noticed two main spaces in which one may initially find oneself regarding purging on Ayahuasca.
1. “I don’t want to throw up. Why should I throw up?”
This is a space where purging is associated primarily with vomiting. It’s very normal for that to lead to immediate rejection because there is a deep evolutionary, psychological, and cultural programming around vomiting. Some of the key triggers of subconscious rejections are:
- Vomiting evolved as a survival mechanism when facing the need for immediate expulsion of toxins, leading to a brain wiring where it becomes associated with danger and poison.
- It activates the vagus nerve strongly, creating an intense body memory and anticipated anxiety.
- It’s involuntary, meaning it is beyond one’s control when and how it’s going to initiate or stop, triggering one of humans’ major fears –that of losing control and helplessness.
Thankfully, when it comes to Ayahuasca, the experience of purging can manifest in many ways, including:
- Vomiting
- Shaking
- Sweating
- Crying
- Laughing
- Diarrhoea
- Moaning
- Burping
- Even experiencing waves of heat and cold (mild form of purging)
2. “I have to throw up. Why am I not throwing up?”
The second space we identify is almost a polar response to the first, shifting from fear of it to frustration at its absence. This second phase comes in response to surpassing the initial phase and to glorify the way.
What we’re certain about is that Ayahuasca will promote and invite healing through gentle, less painful ways, and we will never stop repeating it. Hard doesn’t mean better. Purging through vomiting isn’t the only, or even the most effective, way to release and heal.
While these physical reactions may seem daunting, they are recognised as an essential part of the Ayahuasca healing process. Indigenous traditions, particularly in the Amazonian jungle, regard purging as a necessary step to rid oneself of negative energies and to begin moving toward spiritual clarity and deeper inner truth.
Shamans believe releasing these elements allows for a deeper connection with the medicine and heightened self-awareness.
The importance of the Ayahuasca purge
From a traditional perspective, “la purga” is more than a physical process; it is a symbolic act of surrendering to healing. The purge is considered a sacred release, enabling individuals to break free from psychological and emotional burdens.
Scientific studies, such as “Purging and the body in the therapeutic use of Ayahuasca”, published in Social Science & Medicine in 2019, suggest that the purging process may contribute to the psychological benefits observed in Ayahuasca ceremonies. This physical release can help individuals access repressed memories, process trauma, and experience emotional catharsis. It is believed that by embracing this aspect of the ceremony, participants pave the way for deep transformation and renewal.
Though purging can be physically uncomfortable, its benefits are undeniable. Many report a profound sense of lightness, mental clarity, and emotional relief after purging. In some cases, reports have shown the healing of long-term physical pain as well.
Shamans emphasise that resisting the purge can create blockages in the healing process, while surrendering to it facilitates a more profound connection with oneself and the medicine. One way individuals can surrender is through their breath, relaxing the body, and trying to remain as open as possible.
What if you can’t purge during ceremonies?
At times, participants may feel the need to purge but struggle to do so. This can be due to fear, resistance, or an emotional blockage. If you find yourself unable to purge, consider the following approaches:
- Breathe deeply and stay present. Focus on deep, intentional breathing. Allow yourself to surrender to the process without forcing it.
- Engage with your body. Scan your body for tension and gently shift positions to encourage energy flow.
- Ask for Rapé. Rapé, a traditional Amazonian tobacco snuff, is often used to facilitate purging. It can help ground you and encourage release. Shamans will often administer it if someone is struggling to let go.
- Seek guidance. Shamans or ceremony facilitators can provide support, offering energetic work or traditional remedies to assist in the process.
Remember, purging is not always physical. Some individuals experience it emotionally through crying, shaking, or deep introspection. Trust that your body will know the way.
Can an Ayahuasca purge be pleasurable?
At first glance, purging might seem unpleasant, and it might be in different circumstances. However, those who have undergone Ayahuasca ceremonies often describe it as deeply liberating. The release of stored trauma, fear, and emotional pain can bring about a profound sense of peace and clarity.
In everyday life, we tend to suppress emotions, avoiding discomfort whenever possible. In an Ayahuasca ceremony, participants are encouraged to embrace discomfort, understanding that beyond the temporary struggle lies profound healing. The more one surrenders to the process, the greater the transformation can be.
Ayahuasca’s main effect and my direct experience with purging
If there’s one thing we’ve become certain of after years of personal experience and guiding other participants, itis this.
- “La Purga” is a primary healing process, not an Ayahuasca side effect.
- The way one experiences “la purga” is directly connected to one’s own fears and, by extension, to one’s dreams.
- Purging can teach you your “form of release” into the world. A direct metaphor of the form in which you express into the world that which you digested, the “voice” of your own perspective.
Because there’s nothing as real as direct experience, I would like to share, for the first time ever, my direct experience of purging with Ayahuasca and the tremendous gift that it has been for my life.
My first experience with Ayahuasca was in a 5-night retreat and 4 Ayahuasca ceremonies in Spain. I walked in feeling dreamy and excited to meet my soul. It’s been everything it promised and more.
As a side note, we’ve covered articles on how to choose an Ayahuasca retreat and how much it costs, which I highly recommend, especially when deciding on your first Ayahuasca experience.
Now, I expected the purging in a vomiting form, but what I dreaded the most was bowel or urinary release. I dreaded having to get up, or, worse, not being able to.
And guess what, that’s exactly what happened. It was my third night, and I felt as still and as tall as the mountain, the sky, and the earth within.
It was beyond poetic, and the most intense and beautiful release I have ever experienced to this day. I knew right away what it meant, and as time passed, more layers unfolded:
- Beyond shame. Not sure if this is cultural or international, but as someone born and raised in Romania, loss of bladder control is as shameful for a child as for an adult. Ayahuasca found a simple yet powerful example to trigger that emotion, gather all others even remotely associated with it, and have me release it.
- Facing my biggest fear. For me, at the core of this fear was powerlessness, and even deeper, the fear of causing trouble. I couldn’t shake the responsibility of making the team work to help me out and clean up after me. All of that to say, I lived with a strong cringe about being a good girl and not giving my parents any additional trouble so they could focus on their real problems. All of that, released.
- Releasing fiscal and emotional trauma. When I was three years old, I fell, but down, into a bucket of boiling water. Third level burns lead to months of hospitalisation, and no natural urinary release. When I finally came home, my family told stories with teary eyes of the pain I endured when I had to be assisted to the bathroom. That led to an unhealthy pattern of holding on to time as much as possible, even as an adult. All that was released.
Over the years, throughout my work with Ayahuasca, what many call an Ayahuasca side effect, the purging, transformed into something else entirely. The vomiting bucket became my best friend and confidant.
It’s true that once I let go of the need to understand it all, Ayahuasca showed me there are things I don’t need to know in detail, and I can just let go. What a blessing, right? If you are to ask me, what were these things, I would say … generational underground bombs, that, unless you’re on a mission to dig, they should be quietly cancelled by a higher power. If identifying, understanding, and working through inherited trauma is something you have a calling to do, we highly recommend reading our article on ancestral healing and working with the roots of your lineage.
Later, the bucket held my tears, as I cried hot, silent tears from the deepest parts of my heart. Nothing but that could honour the beauty I was being opened to see.
When I caught my breath and regrouped, Ayahuasca showed me the way of the words. The power of speaking from these newfound spaces and how they would move everything around me, giving life to the same beauty I had witnessed before.
I probably drove my colleagues crazy at Avalon with how many times I’d say “keep breathing,” but in my heart, I was cheering them on to keep reaching out to life and reminding myself to do the same.
Awareness, words, and voice became my purging ritual, putting me on a path I am yet to see unfold. It’s an evolution of everything that I have previously learned through purging, a more gentle way, maybe, to find my fears, embrace them, and share the process of transformation with the world. This is why I mentioned earlier that purging is directly related to how you live your life and connect with it.
My advice? Allow it to arrive, all of it, as it is. Let it touch you and share how it shapes you. Sharing is a form of release. Release that sustains and carries on that empty, gentle, fertile space open to ongoing receiving life.
Embrace the purge, embrace the journey.
“La purga” is not something to fear but to welcome as part of the sacred healing journey. It is a transition to a heightened state of awareness and well-being. By embracing this process, you open yourself to a deeper connection with yourself, the medicine, and the universe.
Now that you understand what is la purga, and that it is far away from being an Ayahuasca side effect, consider joining Avalon’s Ayahuasca retreats in Europe if you are looking for a transformative and safe Ayahuasca retreat in Barcelona or book a call with our team to ask your questions and connect before taking the next step.
