At least one month (or as soon as possible) before your Iboga journey we encourage you to begin your preparation of the body, mind and spirit. The medicine works best with the clearest channel so the more work we do in advance the less “noise” and toxins the medicine needs to cut through; the more time you give yourself the better.
Embarking on a journey of deep transformation requires tending to the whole self—mind, body, and spirit. The process of preparation is sacred and ensures that you are grounded, present, and able to fully embrace the profound shifts that may occur. When we are intentional about what we put in and on our bodies—food, body care products, and even the environments we inhabit—we naturally become more mindful of our thoughts, relationships, and inner landscapes. These choices create ripple effects: inner healing often inspires outer lifestyle changes, and conscious external shifts help prepare the inner world.
The foods you eat, the thoughts you entertain, and the practices you cultivate all shape your receptivity. Clean, whole foods and reduced exposure to toxins support the body as a clear vessel. Choosing nourishing mental inputs, such as time in nature, meditation, and creative expression, calms the mind and strengthens awareness. And practices that connect you with spirit—ritual, prayer, or intentional silence—open the heart to guidance and wisdom beyond the rational mind.
The more you align these aspects of yourself before stepping into expanded states, the less the medicine or practice must clear away, and the deeper and more quickly it can reach the essence of what you seek. Preparation extends far beyond the ceremony—it sets the tone for how fully transformation can take root and continue to shape your daily life.
Embarking on a journey of deep transformation requires more than just an open heart and mind—it involves preparing the body to be a vessel that can hold and integrate the experiences that come with expanded states. The process of preparation is sacred and essential in ensuring that you are fully grounded, present, and able to embrace the profound shifts that will occur. The cleaner and more supported your body is, the more capacity you have to receive, process, and embody transformation. The impact of preparation extends far beyond the ceremony or practice—it sets the tone for how deeply the experience can imprint and sustain in your everyday life.
1. Nourish Your Body with Clean, Vital Food- There is no “Iboga Diet” per-se but the cleaner we eat, the easier it is for the medicine to move through the body.
There is a strong connection between body, mind, and soul. When we are intentional about what we put in and on our bodies—whether food, body care products, or household chemicals—we naturally become more mindful of our thoughts, environments, and relationships. Many people find that inner shifts inspire outer lifestyle changes, and vice versa.
Preparing in advance by “tuning in” and simplifying different aspects of life allows the medicine to work more deeply and efficiently. Food, in particular, plays a pivotal role: clean, whole foods create balance and receptivity, while processed or inflammatory foods can cloud the body with agitation. What we eat directly influences not only physical health, but also mental clarity and the openness of the heart to sustain long-term transformation.
Focus on foods that are:
-Nutrient-Dense: Incorporate organic fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins to fuel your body with the necessary vitamins and minerals for energy, mental clarity, and emotional stability. Iboga is strong on the physical body so fasting or juicing exclusively is not recommended (though it is great to add juices to your eating schedule).
-Anti-inflammatory: Opt for foods that are close to the earth (minimally processed) and support the reduction of inflammation, such as leafy greens, berries, nuts, and omega-3-rich foods like salmon. Avoid highly refined oils such as soybean oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, and refined seed oils. These not only create systemic inflammation but can also inflame the brain, contributing to mental fog and emotional disturbances. Minimize/exclude dairy, gluten, and sugar, as they can also increase inflammation, disrupt digestion, and destabilize mood.
Support your gut health with probiotic-rich foods (like sauerkraut, kimchi, miso) and consider taking a high-quality probiotic. A strong, fortified gut microbiome is essential for resilience, emotional balance, and integrating lasting shifts after expanded-state experiences.
-Hydration: Proper hydration is key to supporting the body’s detoxification and ensuring mental clarity. Drink plenty of water and herbal teas to stay hydrated, while avoiding sugary drinks, caffeine, and alcohol.
-Light and Easily Digestible: Preparing your digestive system to be at its best is important. Avoid heavy, processed, or overly spicy foods in the days leading up to your journey.By fueling your body with high-quality food, you create a foundation of vitality and clarity, supporting your ability to go deeper in your transformational process.
2. Physical Exercise and Connection with Nature- Your body is your temple, and it’s essential to keep it strong, flexible, and connected to the Earth. Physical exercise helps to release stored tension, keep your energy flowing, and regulate your nervous system.
Intentional Movement: Incorporate dance, yoga, stretching, or light aerobic exercise to release physical tension, increase flexibility, and align your body with your intention for transformation. Practices like dance and yoga can also help cultivate awareness of your breath and energy flow, allowing you to stay present during your expanded state experiences.
Walking in Nature: Spend time outdoors, walking barefoot on the Earth, grounding yourself in the natural world. Nature has a healing energy that can help restore your sense of balance, and being in nature’s rhythm allows for deep connection and reflection.
Breathwork: Engage in conscious breathwork practices to prepare your nervous system. Breathwork helps to calm the mind, bring you into the present moment, and increase your body's oxygen levels, which supports physical and mental clarity. The connection between your body, the Earth, and your breath creates a holistic sense of well-being that will support your ability to engage deeply in your transformation.
3. Nervous System Regulation
The state of your nervous system is crucial to how your body and mind will respond to the transformational experience. Learning to regulate your nervous system allows you to enter and navigate expanded states with a sense of safety and control.
Grounding Practices: Engage in daily grounding practices such as deep breathing, meditation, or mindfulness exercises. These techniques will help calm the mind, center your energy, and prevent overwhelm during the transformative experience.
Self-Soothing Techniques: Learn techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, body scanning, or tapping to calm your body’s stress response. Regularly practicing these techniques can help you stay in a balanced state when your body is under stress or in a heightened emotional state.
Rest and Recovery: Prioritize sleep and rest in the days leading up to your journey. Resting and recovering allow the nervous system to reset and be ready to handle intense emotions and energy shifts during your experience.Through consistent nervous system regulation practices, you prepare your body to stay grounded and centered, allowing you to fully integrate the profound transformation that will unfold.
4. The Role of Preparation Calls- To ensure you are fully prepared for this experience, we will go over all of these practices and techniques in our preparation calls. During these calls, we will:
-Walk you through the importance of clean nutrition, exercise, and nervous system regulation.
-Discuss how each component supports your body and mind during the journey.
-Guide you in implementing specific practices tailored to your needs and intentions.
-Answer any questions or concerns you may have about preparing physically and energetically for your expanded state experience.
These calls will be a space for learning, deepening your understanding, and creating a personalized preparation plan that ensures you are fully supported as you step into this transformational process. By integrating these practices into your life, you create a strong foundation for transformation. As you nourish your body, regulate your nervous system, and connect with nature, you are setting the stage for a more profound and lasting shift, allowing you to enter and integrate expanded states with ease and grace.
Just as the body benefits from clean food and movement, the mind also needs clearing before entering expanded states. The quality of your inner landscape directly shapes the depth of what you receive.
Limit external noise: Reduce or eliminate television, excess computer use, and social media. These sources continuously feed the subconscious with programming, distractions, and stimulation that can cloud your clarity. The clearer the mind, the less the medicine has to move through before reaching the core of what you are seeking.
Create intentional practices: Build rituals that support mental spaciousness and emotional flow:
Meditation – whether still, guided, or moving, to quiet the mind and cultivate presence.
Breathwork – to regulate the nervous system and expand awareness.
Journaling – to process emotions, set intentions, and uncover hidden beliefs.
Vision Boarding – to anchor clarity around what you are calling into your life.
Art Therapy – drawing, painting, or creating without judgment allows subconscious emotions to be expressed safely.
Seek guided support: Though we will dive into this via our preparation workbook and during our group preparation sessions, we also suggest working 1:1 with one of our preparation coaches or a therapist of your choice. This can help to more deeply identify patterns, clarify intentions, and create a more stable mental and emotional foundation for the journey.
By consciously detoxing the mind, you are preparing a clear channel for transformation. These intentional practices support entering into an expanded state with more openness, clarity, and resilience.
Our workbook is designed to help you get deeper into aspects of your life that might need more attention. The more detailed you go, the more you will receive.
It is quite common to tuck early life experiences away in our subconscious and/or even to normalize adverse experiences. Often diving into areas that we have not thought much about in many years will bring up new insights, especially when we are ready to see them. Opening this channel in advance can allow Iboga to illuminate new perspectives and facilitate exponential release.
We are also doing this work to learn to celebrate ourselves and our lives, expand our creativity and ascend to new levels!
Thank you for your willingness to enhance your life experience. This is an important commitment and we are grateful that you are interested in working with us! Please tell us a bit about yourself and we will connect to see if it is a good fit.
We would also love to speak with you directly. Please don’t hesitate to call via phone or WhatsApp or submit the private and encrypted form.
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