Mateo Buki: Our guest today is David C. He first encountered plant medicine in 2020. He came to Casa del Sol for his second retreat. His experience and integration with the family of Casa del Sol and their medicine has been a journey that has lasted over 2 years.
What happened in your first plant medicine experience?
I was in a bad place before I felt the calling to drink plant medicine. I was very lost and confused. I wanted to break down the structures in my life that had become shackles and for that I needed help
I was struggling with obesity, anger, self-victimization, and numerous negative emotions. I saw myself dying slowly and very painfully and not being able to stop it.
I did some research into plant medicine, felt a calling to it, and took a leap of faith and went to my first retreat in July 2020.
Medicine ultimately showed me the truest version of myself. It was hard at first to see myself, but it allowed me to heal. I realized how erratic and out of control my life was, but most importantly, I found a different way to live my life.. It was the greatest feeling in my life to see how kind and loving people can really be. I know in my heart that I will keep moving forward, and never go back to where I was before., Even if I take a couple of steps back or get off track, I will always get back on and keep moving forward.
You have attended many retreats and sat in many ceremonies, what is the reason for that?
I like retreats because they offer a controlled environment. It provides the right conditions to be out of your comfort zone without going too far off track.
A few weeks ago you finished a big event in your life, you finished a 60 day water fast to treat your overweight problems and other health issues. Tell us more about that
I first learned about fasting from Mateo at Casa Del Sol. At that time I didn’t understand what it was about, I thought that by not eating for that long you could die. I did the research and found how amazing our human body is and how it can heal itself if you allow it to.
My original weight was 147k (320 pounds), I lost 40 kilos (88 pounds), by having only water for 46 days and a refeeding process of 14 days. It was a very hard experience, all my emotions came to the surface, I didn’t have food to suppress my emotions for the first time in my life. Through that experience I received a lot of clarity. I reversed my type 2 diabetes and found clarity on my spiritual path. I learned that one in three people have diabetes and don’t even know that they have it. I never truly realized the impact food can have on the body and more importantly on the mind and the spirit.
What role did plant medicine play in your decision to undergo such a committed experience of detoxification?
I grew up in a traumatic household and food was my way to escape from the present moment and to suppress my negative emotions and trauma. Food doesn’t judge you, it makes you feel good for 10 minutes and then you usually feel terrible, especially if you are over eating very unhealthy food like I was.
When you are fat you are literally and metaphorically “weighed down” by everything. You are constantly in pain, fatigued, angry and confused, and you basically just think that’s “normal”. That was my normal, that was my painful and unfortunate day to day experience.
Plant medicine helped me to identify the root of my issues and better understand the trauma I have been through and how it has affected me… It opened my eyes to realize that other possibilities for myself are available, and that through conscious awareness one can make the right choices and live healthy and happy.
I now feel I have enough self awareness to ultimately listen to my body. I see how my body reacts and how it speaks to me, therefore I can readjust my habits and make the best decisions for myself and my life.
Anything you would like to add?
I feel that as individuals in our society we have lost touch with our inner compass. We are lost and just trying to be found. It’s okay to doubt yourself, but it’s important to follow your heart and your instincts, because they will never lie to you or let you down, even if everyone else tells you that you have made the wrong decision.
It’s about asking yourself how you are living your life, are you happy with it? If not, what are you willing to do to change? This is hard work, it is not for everyone. For me, I chose this path because the only other path I saw was a long, slow, and very painful lonely death.
If you are going to have the experience, always do it for you, not for your mom, or for your friends, not for your instagram. But for you.