How to Set Good Intentions Before Working with Plant Medicines
By Maureen Walsh
Setting intentions before working with plant medicine is a powerful practice that has personally helped me immensely. When it comes to going deep with the plants and opening up to truly learn from their magic, starting the process in a conscious and thoughtful way can set the stage for deep learning and expansion. This has become a large part of my personal practice. I infuse my intention into the preparation and the integration of my journeys, and I highly recommend giving it a shot!
Coming to the plants and to the journey space (whether it’s a formal ceremony or a more casual setting) with respect and intention is great practice and preparation for walking more consciously in everyday life. Setting an intention before working with any type of medicine is a great introduction to a deeper communion with the plant spirits. I have found that it lays the foundation for levels of trust that can be accessed even when things feel chaotic or heavy. In a way, it feels like an offering, and it opens up the lines of communication with reverence and, again, respect. Many people work with plant medicine without much respect or consciousness, and I’ve found that putting in the effort makes the relationship much more reciprocal and beautiful. It’s like with any relationship, what you nurture grows. The more respect you show, the more magic and mystery will be revealed.
Top Lessons Learned About Setting Strong Intentions
Since every plant medicine has a unique frequency the way of receiving information can be very different. For example, I used to set a laundry list of intentions before ayahuasca ceremonies and would oftentimes find that my main intentions weren’t (or didn’t appear to be) directly addressed. I would be taken on a wild ride and shown things that I hadn’t intended to look at. Normally when that happened, I would come to recognize little nuggets of illumination dropping in over the integration process and even much later down the line. When working with cannabis on the other hand, I’ve discovered that if I don’t set an intention and I work with her in an unconscious way, then I feel super lazy and very unproductive which leads me to feel extremely energetically depleted and lethargic after the fact. When I do set an intention beforehand, I have found great reservoirs of creative energy and inspiration, and I’ve been able to accomplish a lot in a short period of time. I find setting intentions to be a beautiful practice of co-creation with the plants. It’s empowering and grounding, as you're showing up as an active participant in the work.
The Practice of Setting Intentions
I have found that the plants always respect my intentions, and even if it’s not immediate, I always find some sort of resolution or direction from their guidance. I’ve also found that wording my intentions in a positive manner has shifted my journeys as well. Of course, you never know what you’re going to experience when working with the plants (ayahuasca in particular!!), but if you come with a commitment to truth, then the path will always be illuminated. For example, asking to be shown solutions instead of asking why a certain situation in your life won’t shift can be a game-changer. I’ve spent many nights in very dark places because I had set an intention to see why something wasn’t shifting or why something was in my life to begin with. When I discovered this trick and started asking how I could shift something, asking for solutions, the vibration of the night and the action steps were much clearer. It’s not to say that you won’t still be taken into the shadows because you have rephrased your intention, but I have found that the light and the solutions are much more accessible when intentions are phrased and geared toward solutions.
Getting Clear and Grounded
In order to get clear about my intentions, I like to meditate and open up a conversation with the plant. I find a quiet space to reflect and keep a notebook or journal next to me. I work with a process where I imagine roots from an ancient tree growing out of my tailbone. I imagine those roots as thick and very strong and filled with light. Then I imagine dropping the roots very deeply down into the Earth. After I feel connected, I call all of my energy fully into my body. I draw it in from the crown of my head and down into the body. My goal is to feel my energy all the way down to my fingertips and toes. Then I reconnect again through the roots which allows me to feel a deeper connection and support from the Earth. From that space, I open up, and I offer gratitude to the plant that I’ll be working with. I ask that my intentions be heard and received for the highest good of all. From this space of connection I feel more open to listening and discerning what it is that I truly need to work on. I like to write in my journal from a free-flow state and then go back and edit.
The Power of Simplicity
Over the years, I’ve learned to simplify, and I’ve started to distill my intentions down into a few single words. This is not necessarily the way for everyone, but it helps me to focus during the process when the energy is whirling. When things feel challenging or out of control, I try to remember my breath and come back to my intention. I've found that if I work with a single word or words, it’s easier to remember and come back to, which carries me through the process in a more graceful way. I like to have my written intentions close to me in my journey space and oftentimes will convert them into a symbol that I can work with throughout the night as well.
How to Start Working with Intentions
A social dieta is a beautiful way to connect with a plant and start a conversation with the spirit. It’s also a great place to start working with your intentions, as it’s spaced out over a period of time and doesn’t necessarily have an overwhelming psychedelic component. I find that my intentions and questions are worked through in a very tangible way almost right before my eyes when I’m on dieta. I’ve established beautiful relationships and become great allies with the plants through the process of dieta. It is great preparation for deeper ceremonial work. Check out this magical Dieta with Juniper that begins in February! And if you want to go deeper, there is an in-person dieta/retreat happening in Costa Rica in July!
About the Author
Maureen Walsh is an international artist, healer, teacher, and profound friend of Plant Medicines. She has been professionally practicing the healing arts for the last eight years and has been studying yoga and meditation for the last two decades. She is trained in visionary and biodynamic craniosacral therapy and has spent many years studying with master plants around the world. Her connection to the astral realms and her background as an artist are deeply woven into her sessions. She has many years of experience with ceremonial medicines too, and she loves working as a guide before and after ceremony to help her clients prepare and integrate this incredible work.
