WHAT ARE TREE DIETS?

A Tree Diet is a plant medicine protocol that connects an individual to the medicine of a Tree on both the physical and subtle levels. Tree Diets are considered by many to be both a potent spiritual practice and an effective way of physiological healing.

Diverse practices of human connection to the multidimensional aspects of Trees as guides, teachers and healers can be found across many world traditions. The Tree Dieting practices we work with in the STK community find their root in a broad Amazonian tradition of ingesting the barks & roots of strong plants and trees while undergoing a period of seclusion and austerity, in order to learn the plant's medicine through somatic experience. The practice itself is ancient, though mysterious and nebulous. It is the trees themselves who hold and teach it.

A Tree Diet works on a few key levels.

The first is herbal. This is the way that the tea we ingest from a tree moves through the organs and affects the physical body. Tree barks, in general, are strengthening, cleansing and tonifying, increasing the available energy to many aspects of our physical body, including vital organs, connective tissue and bones.

The second is subtle or energetic. This is the way that we "wake up the tree" and communicate directly with its intelligence through intuition. This comprises the esoteric aspect of this work, given that it diverges from what material science has studied and understood. In spite of that, the many people who undertake this practice, can speak firsthand to its power.

Our Tree Diets at STK last for 8 days. During that time we abstain from salt, oil, sugar, spices, meat, dairy, sex, media and communication with the outside world. Our focus is the work at hand. The daily schedule is simple and rhythmic, helping us find steadiness to deepen into connection. In the morning, we work with a tobacco tea brought through the sinuses like a neti pot. In the afternoons, we gather for group breath practice. In the evenings, we sit in circle and work with tobacco. 1L of bark tea is offered for consumption each day, alongside two vegetarian meals.

FOCUSES:

Before a Tree Diet the best thing we can do is rest back into remembrance of what it is we are calling forth in our lives, what we are transforming and what we are invoking in our journey. A Tree Diet can be mysterious and can proceed in a way that transcends our expectations. To prepare for this, we anchor into our own inner clarity about pain points, as well as personal vision. We may be asked to let these things go, but it's helpful to show up to the altar with self-awareness around what we're carrying there.

Inquire, breath, journal, rest, treat your body with care.

PRE TREE DIET BOUNDARIES:

Two Weeks before a Tree Diet it is wise to begin eating cleanly. Abstain from Pork, Seed Oils, Fried Food, Dairy and Refined Sugar.

A week before a Tree Diet, cut out Caffeine, Sex, Masturbation, other Plant Medicines, Ceremonies, Strong Herbal Supplements, and any kind of Media that could distract you from your focus.

After a Tree Diet we hold a Six-Week Integration Process that includes Two Weeks of Restrictions & Boundaries immediately following the Diet.

Mandatory Two-Week Post-Diet

No sex

No masturbation

No alcohol

No drugs

No ceremonies

Avoid strong medicinal herbs

No pork

No shell fish

No red meat

No dairy

No fermented foods

No canned or preserved foods included cured foods like smoked fish

No white sugar

No iced cold drinks, drink warm or lukewarm

No spicy as in chili peppers

No caffeine in coffee or tea - Cacao is permissible

No heavy oils such as deep fried food

Avoid food with preservatives, seed oils and industrial ingredients

Eat fresh, whole food. Fish and chicken. Salads, whole grains, soups.

Avoid strong, violent, sexual media

Avoid violent, highly charged music 

Avoid making big decisions 

Avoid speaking about your experiences in the diet to individuals outside of your most intimate relations.

Do not post about the diet online during this period. 

Six-Week Integration Container

Following our Tree Diet we will have 3x calls as a community via our hub: portal.stk.earth Each week, video check-ins from the community are encouraged to be uploaded to our private group channel for our Diet. 1x one-on-one call is included with Mockingbird during this period.

For many, the word "restriction" means something harsh and oppressive. In this community, we think of restrictions as boundaries. Boundaries are what create our container and the container is what creates the safety and optimal conditions for our work. Each of the listed Boundaries exist to serve the sensitivity and delicacy inherent in a Tree Diet.

Tree Diets are multifaceted, traditional protocols for healing and learning, and the reasons we might undertake a Tree Diet are diverse. Here are some of the benefits of Tree Diets that individuals seek:

-Connection to Nature

-Spiritual deepening

-Walking a traditional path

-Holistic Healing of Body & Mind

-Learning how to serve Plant Medicine

-Personal Maturation

-Community

Tree Diets are well-known in some circles, but are, by-and-large, unfamiliar to the modern West. As with anything we may undertake in our lives, it is best to be honest about our intentions and what we hope to achieve by doing so. It healthy to share our excitements, to be transparent about what we don't know and not expect others to understand or validate our decisions. Most people understand the concept of Personal Development and this work is simply an ancient take on just that.

Tree Diets are generally very safe for most people. They are not psychedelic experiences and have the capacity to be deeply healing, grounding and strengthening. The risks that are inherent in Tree Dieting are often in the strength of the experience on the physical body. For many, it is gentle. But the nature of Traditional Healing & Earth Medicine can take us through strong passageways. Some might name these passageways as Initiations. While there is no specific intention from our facilitation to invoke or create difficult experiences for any participant, the intensity is always possible. We do everything in our power as a team to ensure safety, grounding, correct dosages for varying individuals and holistic, hands-on care during our Tree Diet.

Please be 100% transparent in your Medical Intake form. If you have questions or concerns, please direct them here: [email protected]

That's up to you!

It requires 12 Tree Diets & 4 Tobacco Apprenticeships to be certified by STK to serve Plant Medicine. If you're interested in this program, email us: [email protected]

Life happens. It's also normal to get cold feet before a Tree Diet. If you need council, advice or a grounded space to clarify your concerns, it is helpful to speak with members in the STK community hub portal.stk.earth about their experiences. You are always welcome to reach out to our facilitation team here: [email protected]

There are no refunds of deposits or payments. Deposits and payments are non-transferable after 1 month before the Tree Diet for which the deposit or payment was made. Transferability of your deposit or payment is valid one time, for another STK program.

If you find that the Tree Diet you are undertaking is not right for you, it can be closed early by facilitation. Though, please talk to us before making a decision. We strive to meet all who sit in our circles, creating safe and healthy experiences, body and mind.