The changes are permanent
My time at Amayama has led to profound change. This was my first time working with the medicines. I found the ceremonies very difficult and I was not certain at the time that much good had come out of them. Most of my fellow companions reported good experiences during the ceremonies but this was not the case for me. I am very grateful to Axis, Chiara, Silvi and Vicente for the amazing support they gave me while I was with them and after I returned home.
It took time to notice the changes. However, I am writing this review two and a half months after the ceremonies and I can happily and gratefully state that there are changes, and they seem to be permanent.
I am much more confident. I have tried through therapy, exposure experiences and acting classes over decades to help myself with my fear of public speaking. These all helped a lot to the point where I can speak in public but I always need to push myself through the fear. After the ceremonies I had an opportunity to speak in public and was very pleased to see that I only had a tiny buzz of anxiety that only lasted a few seconds. I now look forward with excitement to future public speaking events.
I have also tried for decades to work on my posture, and as I am getting older I experience more back pain because of it. Over the years I have done physiotherapy with exercises, work on retained primitive reflexes (which was the most effective but only helped a little), Alexander Technique and various somatic psychotherapies. However, after one weekend at Amayama my upper middle back is completely normal. My shoulders rest in a downward and backward position as they should, with no effort on my part. I look forward to future ceremonies, hopefully they will do the same to my neck and lower back.
I was also suffering from a frozen shoulder for months before the ceremonies and there was a very marked improvement soon after I left, to the point where I had near normal range of movement.
As I am aging, my skin is aging. My love of being outdoors has not helped. I noticed within a couple of weeks after the ceremonies that the skin on my forearms looks younger and more hydrated. My eyesight has also improved slightly. Not so much that I don't need glasses, but a little, which is lovely. I'll take it. In addition, breathing feels freer. I have not had difficulties with breathing and tend to breathe from my belly, but after the ceremonies it just felt much freer.
I have noticed other emotional and psychological changes too. I get less stressed by work. I am quite efficient and I have not done anything new with regard to this, but I am significantly more efficient. When things go wrong, I still have an emotional reaction, but it lasts for a very short time and then I move on to a solution much faster.
One weekend working with the medicine is not going to cure every physical, emotional and mental issue I have. However, I was very surprised by how much did change for me. As difficult as the ceremonies were for me, spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally, I look forward to future ceremonies with the experienced and caring support of Axis, Chiara, Vicente and Silvi.
