In Indigenous cultures around the world, Nature in its many forms—Plants, Animals and Minerals—are considered sentient, imbued with consciousness. For the Shipibo and other Amazonian peoples, medicine is plant-based and involves communication and learning from these conscious beings in order to make medicine, heal and treat patients.

What is a “Dieta”?

The traditional Shipibo/Amazonian practice of Dieta (dee-eh-tuh) is a powerful ancestral technique of developing deeper connection with medicine plants, opening the channels of communication and healing between plant and person. Through a set of traditional dietary restrictions (no salt, sugar, spices, or drugs/alcohol) and disciplined conduct (no sex, violence) individuals seeking healing and/or those who wish to learn from a “Master Plant” are able to enter into a state of energetic openness that facilitates healing and learning, directly from the subtle consciousness of plants. Traditionally this practice was done by Indigenous peoples in isolation in the Amazon jungle, where a person undergoing the Dieta may spend weeks, months or more than a year keeping the restrictions and living in relative isolation.

What are the benefits of Dieta?

Although the specific healing and learning experience will inevitably vary based on the uniqueness of the patient and the plant they are working with, in many ways the practice of Dieta itself and the observation on the necessary restrictions brings new depth of self-awareness, heightened connection with Nature and provides a profound opportunity for reflection and psychological processing.

Dieta, Privilege and Accessibility

For the past 30 years, people from around the world have been visiting the Amazon region to experience the Dieta with the guidance of Shipibo Maestras and Maestros. This clearly involves a significant degree of wealth and privilege, necessitating that individuals leave behind familial and work obligations for extended periods of time, travel to the Amazon, and pay for the Dieta as well as a tambo (jungle hut) and food to be provided to them during their retreat. For this reason, the vast majority of people who have had the opportunity to access the profound healing and learning modality of the Dieta until now have been monetarily and otherwise privileged and of European descent.

We at Jakon Kibi seek to change this imbalance of accessibility and make this powerful method of healing and connecting with the consciousness of Nature beings more accessible in North America and worldwide. We facilitate Dietas for those of us who are unable to spend weeks or months paying for room and board in the Amazon, away from our homes, and prioritize making this work available to more BIPOC people.

To that end, we are facilitating Dieta for people around North America, bringing Ayahuasca ceremonies, which are traditionally used to open and close the Dietas, to each major region of the United States. We will also be holding Dieta retreats of 1-3 weeks for groups, under the guidance of Shipibo Maestras/Maestros and highly trained apprentices of the tradition with a minimum of 10+ years experience. We believe this practice can be profoundly healing for mind and body, and we are committed to making this work more accessible to all.

Isolation vs the “Social Dieta”

Although Dieta was traditionally done in almost complete isolation in the Amazon jungle, in modern times due to increased interest in the practice and the accessibility issues mentioned above, more people are undertaking the Dieta without practicing total isolation. This innovation to the practice has pros and cons. While isolation provides freedom from distractions, making it easier for the dieter to focus on the developing relationship between person and plant, practicing Dieta in our home environments can be deeply elucidating as well, bringing increased awareness to our daily lives, behaviors and relationships. This being said, we always recommend that people on Dieta seek as much time as possible for reflection and meditation with their plant teacher as possible and limit exposure to outside (possibly adverse) energies that can disrupt the Dieta.

How can I get started?

If you are interested in undertaking a traditional Master Plant Dieta, please reach out to us. It is very important to understand that Dieta is akin to a contract, and the seriousness of the commitment you are making to yourself and the plant you will be working with when following this path and protocol. Breaking the dieta can lead to serious and dangerous consequences for mind and body and put you at risk. This is a path of discipline and sacrifice that can lead to profound personal growth, deep healing, increased connection with Nature and powerful allyship with plant teachers.

We will begin with a free consultation call to discuss your healing and personal goals and determine how a Dieta may be beneficial for you, and will proceed with further conversations to outline the details of your Dieta plan. We recommend that anyone undertaking a Dieta have a minimum of 4-5 Ayahuasca ceremonies prior to taking this step.