Back in June of this year, I made one of the most important decisions of my life.

I announced, after much contemplation and prayer, to stop using plant medicines.

In a comprehensive two-part article series that provoked a wide range of responses, I detailed my reasoning for reaching this conclusion (you can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here). And while I've returned to reiterate this decision here and there since June, I have not yet - until now - devoted an entire podcast to the subject.

Today I'm doing just that, as a guest on my friend Josh Trent's Wellness + Wisdom Podcast. Josh is the CEO and founder of Wellness Force Media, a company that has a mission to help humans heal mental, emotional, and physical health through podcasts, programs, and a global community that believes in optimizing their potential to live life well. Josh has spent the past 19+ years as a trainer, researcher, and facilitator discovering the physical and emotional intelligence for humans to thrive in our modern world.

In Josh's words, he has been "bouncing around inside my orbit and consciousness) for 10+ years now, but it took this rather polarizing and controversial topic to bring us together for a real discussion on his Wellness + Wisdom podcast.

Now, Josh is not for or against plant medicines. He does believe that plant medicines have special use cases, and that four lifesaving "levers" that need to be taken into account when considering usage:

1. Preparation. Was the plant medicine prepared in a sacred way? Does the shaman or facilitator have the sacred experience and trusted lineage, combined with a pure heart?
2. Setting. Has the space been properly cleared of dark energies, and are all participants aligned with humility and curiosity?
3. Intention. Has the participant done preliminary work to get very clear on their intention, and to not come to the medicine with a disempowered wish?
4. Integration. Is there a pre-, peri-, and post-integration skilled facilitator so the participant will avoid going away with no lessons learned?

This podcast episode may ruffle some feathers. But at the end of the day, you are the only one who can answer the profoundly important question of whether or not you will partake in plant medicine. Hopefully, this fascinating conversation with Josh will get you thinking (and if you'd rather watch the video, that's below, too).

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