Namaste Healing Arts

My Ayahuasca Journey
Final Day at Soltara, but the journey will continue.

Follow my Ayahuasca Journey. Learn about the Shipibo Shaman, the ceremonial to***co- mapacho, their floral essences, and my personal experiences with them.

In Shipibo-Konibo tradition, rao ininti refers to aromatic plant medicine/perfume used by Shipibo healers. Rao refers broadly to medicine/medicinal plants, while ininti relates to fragrance, perfume, or being highly aromatic. One academic source specifically glosses ininti as “very perfumed and aromatic.”

It can be a preparation made from aromatic medicinal plants—sometimes including piripiri and other plants—and is used somewhat like the Florida Water you were comparing it to, but it belongs specifically to Shipibo plant-medicine traditions. Different preparations can contain different plants.

And here’s the really interesting part given what you’ve been experiencing at the retreat: in ceremonial/healing contexts, Rao Ininti may be used for energetic cleansing, protection, blessing, and attracting beneficial energies. Some Shipibo healing centers use the same term for both aromatic flower/plant baths and specially prepared medicinal perfumes.

The Temple of the Way of Light describes ráo ininti specifically as Shipibo plant perfumes, alongside practices such as floral baths, to***co soplado, v***r baths, and plant remedies.

Follow my Ayahuasca Journey

Follow my Ayahuasca journey


I will be sharing about the ayahuasca ceremony, the Shipibo Shaman, the tools that they use in ceremony, and my experiences in Costa Rica at the Soltara, ayahuasca Retreat

Mapacho (often spelled mapacho) is a traditional Amazonian to***co, usually Nicotiana rustica, a much stronger species than ordinary commercial to***co. In Indigenous Amazonian traditions, it is regarded as a sacred plant medicine and is often used ceremonially for prayer, energetic cleansing, grounding, protection, and preparing or closing sacred space.

Rather than being used casually, mapacho may be blown as smoke around a person or space, used by a practitioner in ritual, or incorporated into other traditional preparations. In some ayahuasca traditions, the smoke is understood as helping clear unwanted energy and establish a protective ceremonial container.

Importantly, mapacho is very high in ni****ne and can cause ni****ne poisoning, especially if swallowed, inhaled heavily, or used by someone without tolerance. So its ceremonial significance shouldn’t be mistaken for it being physiologically mild.

🌺🌿 THE SHIPIBO FLOWER BATH 🌿🌺

A flower bath is more than simply bathing in beautiful plants.

Within Shipibo-influenced Amazonian plant-medicine traditions, flower and plant baths may be used as part of cleansing, preparation and healing practices surrounding ayahuasca work.

Fresh flowers, aromatic plants and other botanicals are infused into water and poured over the body. On a physical level, it is incredibly refreshing. On a ceremonial level, the intention can be much deeper: cleansing away what you are ready to release, preparing yourself to enter sacred space, and reconnecting with the healing intelligence of the natural world.

Different healers and lineages prepare and understand these baths differently, so there isn’t one universal “Shipibo flower bath recipe.”

For me, there is something profoundly beautiful about beginning this journey covered in flowers — allowing the plants, the water and intention to become part of the ceremony before the ayahuasca ceremony even begins. 🌸

Sometimes healing begins before you ever drink the medicine.

For those of you that do spiritual baths, you’ll understand this however the flower bath was far more profound than any spiritual bath that I have personally done. This is a Shabo Amazonian plant medicine tradition prior to taking ayahuasca. When she pours the water over my head I can literally feel negative energies chunking off of my body. I’m here in Costa Rica. It’s beautiful. My energy field has been high. My emotions have been joyful and yet still I could feel so much negativity falling off from this flower bath it’s amazing.

Please be patient with me while I am on sabbatical in this hidden oasis near North Myrtle beach. I know that my inbox is full of requests about the next Blue Lotus spiritual festival and I will be responding to everyone as soon as I am home.

If you are interested in learning more about the Blue Lotus spiritual festival, please go to the link in my bio, or visit Bluelotusspiritualfestival.com and join the email list.