What’s the meaning of integration? “Integration is the act of bringing together smaller components into a single system that functions as one“
It’s important to realize that integration does not start with taking plant medicines or Kambo; we are constantly integrating what happens to us.
Integration is as personal as your journey with plant medicine, we all bring different life experiences to the retreat. For this reason, it’s important not to compare our experiences and integration with others.
At Shangriballa we have guided hundreds of people through their journies with us, but the real work has to come from the individual having the experience. This is especially important when you return to your everyday life.
People that have difficult experiences to integrate, like sexual abuse, PTSD or other challenging life experiences might want to work with qualified specialists in this field. There are more and more psychedelic integration groups or therapists that specialize in helping people that use plant medicines to follow through with their healing.
We always recommend that people get a post-retreat support plant or network in place before they come to the retreat, especially if it’s your first time. If you need any more advice or recommendations on this please let us know.
I meet people that have been to many retreats and have taken a lot of plant medicine but don’t really get what they want from the experiences. We must not give our power away. If you solely rely on the medicine, shaman, facilitator or healer to do the work or healing, you will be disappointed. I have done most of my healing by taking back my power, taking on the lessons and guidance and creating a plan of action to implement them into my life. As stated above this might include therapist and integration groups.
The retreat can be an amazing experience and opportunity to create a shift in your life. Taking full responsibility for what you do with the experience is what will make it a success.
From my experience and my truth, I like to share that I think there is an over-emphasis placed on “Healing” Do this workshop, read this book or learn this modality and you will heal. Yes, there is value in all of this but the main focus should not purely be on healing.
I realised that I could not heal everything that happened to me. My guides showed me that many of the things that I am trying to heal were actually the blessings, the rich compost that made me who I was. Preparation for my work and life as a healer to hold space for others and teach them to do the same.
What will we be without our suffering?
For me integration was also acceptance, I healed what I could and the rest I made a part of who I was. During my many journies with plant medicine, I became one with the Universe or God, not that it can be named. During these experiences, I first felt that I understood what has happened to me and then it progressed into the knowing that it actually had nothing to do with me. I was the Universe experiencing itself as a human. This brought me a lot of acceptance for what has and will unfold in my life. Does this make the lessons easier? No, it doesn’t, taking the curriculum of life will always teach us lessons and then the exam still happens to test our knowledge of the lessons. Being aware of the process of learning and experiencing lets me move through the lessons and exams quicker but no less challenging.
I ask myself many times. How can I function to the best of my ability within this container? Warts and all. I can’t change what happened to me and I am not saying it was right but it happened, I will not suffer my past or mind any more than is needed. This is one of the blessings I now share with others.
Lisa Silva.
