My Microdose Protocol
A key part of my own healing process came from microdosing.
Microdosing sacred plants and fungi can help you in so many ways. More than anything, microdosing trained me to be SO present that I began to live in my body and in touch with my emotions all the time. That's how I opted-out of being ruled by my mind.
Living inside of your emotions with each and every breath may sound scary at first - but that's the offer and the eventual payoff. We are here to feel. In my view, being present with your emotions is a key part of mastering yourself, but many of us have been conditioned to believe that we cannot trust emotions. Emotions can actually become your best friends, especially as you learn to watch them without having to identify with them, but traumatized emotional responses and unprocessed emotions cause many people to retreat to the supposed safety of the mind, which takes you straight out of living in the present. Once you’re back in the mind and cut off from the body, your thoughts can torture you just the same.
People have been asking me how I microdose, so I wanted to share my approach with mushrooms, because they are the easiest to obtain and I have the most experience with them. Just remember, everyone is different, so finding your dose is the key. Your job is simple: It's not about a quick fix - It's about starting a relationship with the plant - or in this case, the fungi - so try different low-dose experiments to discover what works for you.
Here's what I recommend for mushrooms:
Block out one month for your experiment.
The most common psychedelic mushrooms available are cubensis species, and they have the same relative potency in general. Do a little research to learn about what you buy, and out of an abundance of caution, always try a smaller dose first.
Microdose 200 mg or less Monday, Wednesday, and Friday - or 3 times per week, but not on consecutive days. Some people notice effects as low as 50 mg, while most people will notice stronger effects at 300 mg. For context, most people will experience a light psychedelic journey at 500mg to 1 gram.
Buy a small digital scale so that you get an accurate dose. They cost $15-20. (If you want to eyeball it, you want about 1 square centimeter.)
Dose in the morning with food - a little natural fat helps with digestion. Dosing in morning is best so the effects do not interfere with your sleep (though I do know some people who prefer to microcode in the evening). Effects typically last up to 5 hours.
Make a little time in your morning routine to be fully present with your ritual. Not enough time? Try getting up earlier and give yourself 1-2 hours of doing something you enjoy without any outside pressures while the effect lightly ramp up. (Personally, I love microdosing with coffee.) Then you’ll notice the enhanced cognitive effects and flow-states plateau from hours 3-5.
Repeat for 3 weeks, then take the last week of the month off. This is really important to reset your system and watch for changes in your mood, thoughts, and behavior.
Keep a journal so that you can follow your progress. Just start by writing whatever comes through. What changes are you noticing about yourself?