Derek Januszewski has sat with Ayahuasca more than 150 times and is the founding pastor of Pachamama Sanctuary in Maine. A father of three and a survivor of profound trauma and addiction, Derek came to the medicine in 2017 and has since devoted his life to service, healing, and integration work.

In this conversation, Derek addresses purge fears, explains how the medicine works on the body, mind, and spirit. Derek walks us through ceremony prep and everything that goes down at a Pachamama Retreat weekend.

We also explore other sacred medicines offered at Pachamama Sanctuary, including Hapé, Bufo, and Kambo, and why integration—not the ceremony itself—is what helps us grow, heal, and remember who we truly are.

Even if you have zero desire to ever sit with Ayahuasca, there is deep wisdom here for anyone seeking to live with more intention, compassion, clarity, and devotion to their own life force.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• What Ayahuasca actually does in the body, mind & spirit
• Purging myths & fears (and why they’re misunderstood)
• How to prepare for an Ayahuasca ceremony
• Retreat weekend logistics & what to expect
• Other medicines: Hapé, Bufo & Kambo
• Why integration is where real healing happens

More about Derek

Derek Januszewski is the founding pastor of Pachamama Sanctuary in Maine. After surviving severe abuse and a decade-long battle with addiction, Derek found healing through deep inner work and service to the medicine. He now dedicates his life to helping others heal, integrate, and walk their own path toward wholeness.

🔗 Learn more about Pachamama Sanctuary:
pachamamasanctuary.org

Discussed in the episode

I Greet This Day With Love in My Heart: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-greatest-salesman-in-the-world-by-og-mandino/252850/#isbn=055327757X

This episode is for anyone curious about Ayahuasca, plant medicine, psychedelic healing, ceremony, integration, and conscious spiritual growth.

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Laura Scarpati is an Award-Winning filmmaker and producer. After a life-changing NDE (Near Death Experience), Laura launched Chelsea Park Films, a boutique production house creating and supporting projects that spread light and encourage healing on all sides of the frame. By re-framing her trauma as an opportunity, Laura is now using her unique skillset to explore all the unseen energies of the universe and mapping how this magic helps support us all on The Woo Report Podcast.

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