Let’s Discuss Something That Many People View as “Taboo.”
This was a women’s ayahuasca ceremony in the Sacred Valley of Peru. These women were gathering together from all over the world.
Psychedelics.
Psychedelics are an incredible healing modality that can benefit mental health and spiritual enlightenment when used safely and ceremoniously. Psychedelic therapy is commonly used to treat anxiety, depression, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder. When combined with acupuncture and other alternative therapies, positive outcomes are maximized, results may occur faster, and unpleasant side effects may be reduced.
*DISCLAIMER: Psychedelics are still illegal in most places. This is not medical advice, and I do not supply any illegal drugs, nor will I advise you on where to get them. Ask your doctor or therapist before exploring this avenue to ensure your safety.
My Experience
My youngest daughter Aaliyah’s golden birthday. She requested a Tipi meeting for her special day ~ she has always carried prayer in her heart.
Holistic medicine has changed my life. You may have read my home birth story at age 40, where acupuncture and herbs allowed me to experience a gentle and successful home birth. In that journey, I experienced the true potency of holistic medicine and how it can drastically impact your physical, emotional, and mental health. I feel equally as passionate about sharing the benefits of psychedelics and their healing power!
In my twenties, I was a wild child. In pursuit of breaking out of family patterns, I explored all of my options and actively tried to remove myself from the metaphorical confines I had been placed in. Psychedelics changed my life and I give psychedelics full credit for my spiritual awakening.
After my initial experience, I was hungry for more knowledge to enhance my journey. I started reading Ram Dass' works: Be Here Now and Miracle of Love, Aldous Huxley, Doors of Perceptions, and any other spiritual text I could find. I was entering an entirely new world that I had never been exposed to before. I began shopping at small, locally owned health food stores and could not educate myself enough on holistic and alternative health. It became a passion very quickly, leading me deeper and deeper into unpacking and understanding the spiritual experience I was having from psychedelics. It also led me to begin exploring meditation and yoga.
Those younger years were fundamentally transformative for the route I would take with my life.
Since those wild child days, I have discovered safe and sacred ceremonial spaces honoring indigenous ways. I’ve prayed with the Lakotas in the tipi, sat with elder grandmothers in Peru, and studied Peruvian wisdom extensively.
It is essential to be mindful and aware of the harm of cultural appropriation. It is deeply significant to acknowledge the indigenous wisdom keepers and the sacredness of this medicine, especially as the topic of psychedelic therapy takes over our social media pages.
Remember, this knowledge is what our original people have always known.
I was honored to be mentored over the last ten years by several masters, which inspired me to receive my ministry of walking prayer with the guidance of Jyoti Ma. Eventually, my path would lead me to complete my Doctorate in East Asian Medicine, allowing me to share the miracle of holistic medicine with others daily.
In reflecting on my life, where I am today versus where I came from, it is short of a miracle that I overcame the disheartening realities of dysfunctional family patterns. I am the first in my family to receive higher education and rise above my Kentucky roots. The awakening psychedelics gave me led me to the place of passion and purpose where I am today.
Acupuncture in Conjunction with Psychedelics
Modalities that can be added to any acupuncture appointment are: Limpia- (clearing heavy energy), Sound Healing, Guided Meditation, Soul Journeying and Retrieval, Energy Balancing, Stone Medicine, and Bodywork.
As psychedelics are making their way to the mainstream more, it is very exciting for me. I have kept my personal experiences with this medicine close to my heart in secret. These ceremonies and experiences were all underground and safely protected from the masses.
I feel called to assist through acupuncture and the spiritual wisdom I have gathered over the years. I know with deep trust that acupuncture and psychedelic medicine, when used in tandem, can create a safe and amplified experience for healing.
Acupuncture has been proven to calm the nervous system and assist in neuroplasticity. Studies show it brings down stress hormones and increases all the calming biology of the body. While it is most popular in helping with pain management and fertility, it also does wonders for anxiety and depression. Acupuncture can also aid in addiction recovery and PTSD.
With this knowledge in mind, I am opening up my practice to assist those in psychedelic therapy in preparing for the experience and assist in the integration process and after-effects.
How Acupuncture Helps With Preparation
Calming and relaxing the mind, body, and spirit
It opens up the energy pathways in the body to be more receptive to the therapy
Clears blockages
Decreases anxiety and pain
and much more
How Acupuncture Helps Integrate the Psychedelic Experience
Supports the new neuron pathways in the brain opened by the psychedelics
Calms and regulates the nervous system
Consolidates the experience into the body
Promotes sleep and reduces body fatigue
It brings the body back into homeostasis
And much more
This blog post was written by:
Dr. Krystal Kinnunen, DACM, Dipl. OM., LA.cResourcesBathje, Geoff J, et al. “Psychedelic Integration: An Analysis of the Concept and Its Practice.” Frontiers in Psychology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 4 Aug. 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9386447/.Cabıoğlu, M. , İşeri, S. , Çoban, A. , Çoban, F. "Role of acupuncture in stress management" . Marmara Pharmaceutical Journal 16 (2014 ): 107-114 <https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/marupj/issue/17911/188281>Ding, Ning, et al. “Efficacy and Safety of Acupuncture in Treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 26 June 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7328930/.McCray, Nicole. “Psychedelics and Acupuncture in Tandem.” Psychedelic Support, 2 June 2021, psychedelic.support/resources/psychedelics-and-acupuncture/.Tupper, Kenneth W, et al. “Psychedelic Medicine: A Re-Emerging Therapeutic Paradigm.” CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association Journal = Journal De L'Association Medicale Canadienne, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 6 Oct. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4592297/.