This is a shamanic detailed guide to self-administering rapé, the sacred medicine of the amazon:
Step 1: Find a quiet place to practice your rapé. This medicine is usually used in a ritualistic way, since it has the power to connect your body, mind and soul with the nature, thus allowing you to receive its healing and blessings gifts.
Step 2: Anchor yourself to the present moment and focus your intention for making a prayer. What are you hoping to receive from this medicine? What do you want to ask to the spirit of the nature?
Step 3: Take your kuripe and place it close to your third eye, and then take it close to your heart. Aim the short-end of the pipe at the left side of your body, over your shoulder, and blow in that direction to honor the feminine. Repeat on the right side to honor the masculine. Point your pipe up to honor the sky, the sun, the moon & the stars. Subsequently, point your pipe down to the pachamama, and honor her for sustaining you in every way you need throughout your life. Think deeply of your life journey and the path you have chosen and honor your ancestors, as well as each of your relations. Now, take the kuripe and place it in the center of your heart to honor all of the elements converging within you.
Step 4: Take your kuripe and start placing it clockwise in each of your chakras to open your energy field. Here, you can invoke your power animals, or the serpent, jaguar, hummingbird & condor.
Step 5: Leave aside your kuripe and open your rapé container. Speak out loud your ritual prayer or chant while measuring out on the palm of your left hand (receiving hand) the amount you would like to use.
Step 6: Load up the medicine measured in your palm in the long-end of your kuripe (nose end). Tap the bottom part of your kuripe with your fingers on your hand a few times to make sure all the medicine goes inside the kuripe and to release any air bubbles.
Step 7: Breathing work allows to better receiving the medicine so focus on your breath. Take some nice deep breaths, you can do it inhaling for 5s, holding for 5s, exhaling for 5s, and so on during 1-3 minutes. Then spray some mint-based tonic to cleanse, purify and open the space, as well as to activate your breathing channels. Now that you are ready, take a half-way deep inhale and place the short-end (mouth end) of the kuripe in your mouth and fit tightly the long-end (nose end) snugly into your nostril. Remember, rapé is only administer one nostril at a time.
Step 8: Straighten, relax, and lean forward a little your posture, close your eyes and blow out deep, fast and sharp the rapé into your nostril. This kind of blowing sounds like you are shooting an arrow fastly or creating an “fff” sound when finishing the blowing. Following, to clear any remaining negative energy around your field, snap your fingers around your head crown and around your aura.
Step 9: Take a moment to allow your whole being experience this first rapé sniff and whenever you feel ready again, repeat steps 5 to 9 to use the medicine in the other nostril the same way.
Step 10: Whenever you feel that the intensity of the sacred plant has lessened, blow your nose or spit the remaining and clean yourself up. Anchor yourself to the present moment and bring every piece of yourself to this experience. Focus and allow you to connect to the nature, the healing plants, and the spirits in the medicine you just took. Place your hands on the pachamama and feel her energy beneath you.
Please, take into account that as you continue self-administering your rapé, you are not only opening your heart for a subtly learning from the medicinal plants but you are also entering into a dialogue with the plant spirits.