Medicine for These Times with Beth Weinstein

Kat Courtney is a traditionally trained Ayahuasquera and Huachumera with 16 years of plant medicine experience. She is also a psychedelic integration coach and death doula.

Topics discussed in the episode ...

• Kat began apprenticing as an ayahuasca shaman 13 years ago
• She often sees people attending one ceremony after the next without integrating, which runs the risk that 'whispers' from the plants teachers may become 'screams'
• We need to embody the insights we receive in ceremony and bring them into our life, otherwise they are nothing more than memories
• Her previous career was in video game production and Aya showed here this was not what she came here to do – she had to get honest with herself and start making changes
• It was a process of owning the calling that brought her to this work
• As soon as she was courageous enough to pursue her true soul's calling, the support started lining up!
• Kat has had a friendship with death since birth - she was born very sick and only stayed here out of compassion for her mother
• Her work with Aya is more about falling in love with life, not unravelling a fear of death
• The prevalence of people thinking integration is not needed is very Western – integration is equally as important as the ceremonial work itself
• There's always a benefit of having an outside perspective and support from someone who understands the process
• Many people wait for a breakdown before they are sufficiently motivated to have the breakthrough of receiving help
• A dieta is a marriage between our spirit and the spirit of a specific plant
• A dieta is a container in which you work with a plant that has a vibration you want to become more intimate with
• There are two different types of dietas: an insulated process with a shamanic guide, or a social or 'soft' diet, which allows you to continue engaging with your worldly life
• The jungle plant she recommend the most for dietas is boganzana, "the cheerleader", and a powerful teacher of self love
• Sage teaches the art of energetic protection
• The plants do not have a voice, so we need to be loyal messengers speaking up for the need to respect them
• Kat has a specific set of questions she asks a facilitator she's considering working with
• Do you have permission from the plant to work with it as a facilitator? It's a relationship! The medicine has to say YES
• If you don't know the answer is YES, get clarity on whether your work with the plant feels aligned or forced – if it feels forced, you need to ask yourself, "What do I need to learn before moving forward as a facilitator?"
• Kat would like to see Western and indigenous worlds come together more in mutual respect – the larger conversation needs to be more open to indigenous perspectives
• She hopes for more tailored experiences for specific traumas and increased education about which medicines are more useful for which issues
• Kat has a book coming out, Plant Medicine Mystery School, which is about how to work with the plant world from a place of humility and empowerment
• She is also starting a company that offers curated guidance about where to go to do this work safely

Follow Kat!

• www.afterlife.coach](http://www.afterlife.coach/)
• IG - @theafterlifecoach
• FB - /afterlifecoach
• Use the code BETH15 for 15% off Kat's coaching packages of 3, 6 and 9 total sessions
• Blog post: Please Never do Ayahuasca Without Asking These Questions First
• Kat's upcoming book: Plant Medicine Mystery School