In this episode of Ayahuasca Podcast, host Sam Believ (founder of http://www.lawayra.com) has a conversation with Brendan Evans.
Brendan is the CEO and co-founder of One Heart, an organization dedicated to guiding leaders through transformative experiences that foster personal growth and elevate consciousness. Before founding One Heart, Brendan built two successful tech companies in New York but found that conventional success did not bring the fulfillment he anticipated, leading him to discover Ayahuasca and embark on a deeper path of self-discovery.
We touch upon topics such as:
- Brendan’s journey from tech entrepreneur to Ayahuasca facilitator (00:43 – 03:45)
- Challenges of misalignment and burnout in high-achievers (04:51 – 06:47)
- How Ayahuasca helps leaders align with their true purpose (07:17 – 09:50)
- The importance of integration and community in plant medicine work (11:16 – 13:42)
- Choosing the right retreat and facilitators for a safe experience (14:24 – 17:13)
- Common misconceptions about Ayahuasca, such as purging and major life changes (45:57 – 49:14)
- Brendan’s thoughts on spirituality, karma, and what happens after death (38:44 – 41:29)
- Running an Ayahuasca retreat: challenges and rewards (20:29 – 25:41)
- Advice for aspiring retreat facilitators (21:01 – 22:57)
If you would like to attend one of our Ayahuasca retreats, go to http://www.lawayra.com.
Find more about Brendan Evans at oneheart.com and on Instagram at @oneheartjourneys and @brandonevans.
Transcript
Brendan Evans: You’re listening to ayahuasca podcast.com. For me, ayahuasca is a medicine of alignment, so it’s gonna show you what your deepest alignment is. So if you’re creating businesses that don’t align with your central purpose, with who you are, then yeah, it will likely show you the. That in greater detail.
There’s a lot of ways, obviously founders have shown that, many are shown that, and I guess how VCs might prefer they be shown that as in burnout after many years and then they’ve burnt out their lives and are struggling and, I think what Ayahuasca offers them is the ability to find that out before we completely burn out and find a path.
That can lead to greater fulfillment, greater energy, what we’ve seen on a lot of our journeys. And I think one of the things we really focus on is we understand the people we’re working with are, they’re. High performers are looking to continue to create in the world, but it’s how do you align that creation?
How do you align what you’re doing to what you really want in your life?
Sam Believ: Hi guys. Welcome to our podcast. As always. We did the host, Sam Leave. Today I’m having an interview with Brendan Evans. Brendan is the CEO Chief Elevation Officer and co-founder of One Heart, an organization dedicated to guiding leaders through transformative experiences that foster personal growth and elevate consciousness.
Prior to founding One Heart, Brenda achieved significant success in tech industry building two highly successful tech companies in New York. However, by the age of 36, he found that this conventional success did not bring joy, meaning, and fulfillment he had anticipated. With touch upon topics of Brenda’s personal story and how you went from being a tech startup founder to working with plant medicines, we talk about ayahuasca and leadership.
Ayahuasca and burnout. Misconceptions about Ayahuasca parenting his belief system after working with Ayahuasca for a long time and so much more. Enjoy this episode. This episode is sponsored by Lara Ayahuasca, retreat at Lara. We can buy affordability, accessibility, and authenticity. Laira connect, heal, grow.
Guys, I’m looking forward to hosting you. Brendan. Welcome to the show. Thank you. Good to be here, Sam. Brenda, tell us a little bit about your story and how you ended up working with Plant Medicines and why did conventional success didn’t bring you any joy?
Brendan Evans: Sure. Yeah, I was I was living in New York.
I had built one company. We had sold that company right as we exited the company. I spun off another company, so I really didn’t have any transition. Been working for close to 20 years. New York style working 60, 80 hours a week. Just really grinding it out. Built some successful companies.
We spun this new company out. I grew it very quickly to about a hundred employees raised a bunch of VC money. And then a few years in, my investors came to me and wanted me to raise more money. And that was really the moment when my heart kind of sank and I realized, I was somewhere different.
It was no longer what I felt called to be doing. We were creating technology that supported big companies, sell unhealthy, unneeded products, and it just became something that I was no longer aligned to. And as I thought about, approaching 40 in the next, phase of my life something just really, didn’t sit right and for me.
That’s really what kicked me off on my path. Around that time I found Ayahuasca and the first time I heard about it and I was in a yoga studio in Brooklyn. Sitting with the medicine about a couple weeks later just resonated with me from the first time I heard of it. And yeah, just set me off on my path and through that, through I ended up.
My investors ended up coming to me asking me several more times to raise the money. And when I refused eventually they let me go from the company that I had started, asked me to step down, and that kinda sent me on this deeper growth path that included plan medicine, a bunch of other modalities some coaching certifications, and really a bunch of travel.
And really exposed myself to a lot. Went on this personal journey that I really, was too busy to do much of my life. And when I got back I ended up writing this article called Lost on Purpose, and I posted it on my 40th birthday. It really, it shared a lot about my story.
From being this super motivated type a founder to really looking for a deeper joy, deeper meaning in life. I checked all the boxes, but wasn’t really feeling the fulfillment that I had expected in all the areas of my life. And I posted that on my 40th birthday and ended up going viral and receiving all these messages from people that said, this is my story.
This is my story. And what they really meant by that was a lot of high achievers, a lot of people that had checked a lot of boxes of what society was asking of them and really didn’t know where to turn next. And for me, that became the motivation to start one heart. Just seeing that there are a lot of people out there that can do big things that wanna really create in this world, but really don’t know how to apply their talents, their skills into areas of passion, areas that they feel will actually support the world in moving forward. And and that’s really the mission of One Heart is to help leaders continue to evolve and themselves so that what they create in the world is, has that much deeper meaning.
And and utility.
Sam Believ: Thank you for sharing that. Brendan, I am, my story is somewhat similar, even though I was not a founder, but I climbed the career ladder to an extent and got everything that society told me. When I get it, I’ll be happy. Happiness never came. So I gave up and started something new, but interesting question.
I think I heard about it somewhere that, venture capitalist people, they’re really worried about founders drinking ayahuasca because a lot of them quit and stop running that doing that rat race style thing, do you you work with leaders, so obviously a lot of them have their own company, so are they worried sometimes that maybe they will.
Step off the path or what? What would you tell people that are worried that I Wasco will change them so much?
Brendan Evans: Yeah, I think there’s a quote by Reid Hoffman that recently that that speaks to that and how ayahuasca, is maybe has some founders step off their path. The way I always describe it, and, I’ve seen, I’ve seen quite the contrary in several respects.
I think what I’ve seen is for me, ayahuasca as a medicine of alignment. So it’s gonna show you what your deepest alignment is. So if you’re creating businesses that don’t align with your central purpose, with who you are. With what you wanna be doing on a daily basis, then yeah, it will likely show you that in greater detail.
And I think there’s a lot of ways, obviously founders have shown that. Many are shown that, and I guess how VCs might prefer they be shown that as in burnout after many years and then they’ve burnt out their lives and are struggling and. I think what Ayahuasca offers them is the ability to find that out before, we completely burn out and find a path that can lead to greater fulfillment, greater energy, and what we’ve seen on a lot of our journeys.
And I think one of the things we really focus on is we understand the people we’re working with are, their. High performers are looking to continue to create in the world. But it’s how do you align that creation? How do you align what you’re doing to what you really want in your life?
And for some, that might be, we’ve seen people that are able to replace themselves in their businesses and take time to step away and work on projects or areas of the company that are more fulfilling versus being the nuts and bolts of it. We’ve seen others that have, left corporate America or left company that they were working with to found or create something new that, that had deeper alignment with what they’re doing. I’ve seen people pivot their businesses so that they align more and contribute more to the areas that that they’re most aligned to.
Yeah, obviously, if you’re looking at it from a purely, capitalistic controlling perspective and you want just people to do you know what, capitalism and money dictates that they do. Then, then ayahuasca could obviously, help people step outside that.
But if you’re interested in having people reach their highest potential by aligning their desires their souls, their hearts with the work that they’re doing, then this work and, I think our program in particular is really well suited to support people in that path.
Sam Believ: It’s similar to people. Being afraid that if they work with ayahuasca, their relationship, they might wanna dump their boyfriend or girlfriend. And it’s the same thing I tell them that, if you, if it’s meant to be, it will show you even more. And if it’s not, then it’s the best thing that can ever happen to you.
Why would you wanna waste any more time? So you mentioned burn burnout and I, myself, I’m the founder as well, but I’m the founder in an ayahuasca space. So in an ayahuasca retreat. I personally, and it’s a very difficult thing business to run. A friend of mine who helps us with marketing, he says it’s the most difficult business model he’s ever seen.
But I drink IO regularly, so I drink it once a month. And I think that kind of keeps me away from burnout. Sometimes I feel, the symptoms. Can you talk to us about burnout? ’cause you work with lots of. Entrepreneurs and how to spot the burnout and how to fix it.
Can I ask help or maybe is there anything else you’d recommend they do?
Brendan Evans: Yeah, I think the biggest cause of burnout is misalignment. It’s not necessarily the hours we’re working or any of the day-to-day factors per se, although that can contribute. But I think more than anything it’s when people are doing work that’s out of alignment when they’re working with people that they don’t wanna be around when they’re, doing work and tasks that, that they don’t feel, optimize their skills or.
Or tap into their passions and creativity when they’re working in things that they don’t believe in or don’t feel are good for the world. And I think that’s, that dissonance, that cognitive dissonance is really what creates the deeper burnout. And I think Ayahuasca very much shows you where you’re out of alignment, and that’s one of the ways that it supports.
I think also, a lot of people coming on retreats. You see it, we have a two week program before preparation, five weeks after. And people that are struggling to even give themselves, the few hours of time to, to do some of that work or step away on, on a one week journey.
And, when you think about, who owns your life, if you can’t step away, if you can’t give yourself some moments to reflect, to go deeper when work is so controlling that you can’t step away for this time that’s also, a big cause of up burnout. ‘Cause you’re not con, you’re not feeling like you’re in control of your life and you’re not really able to take the time to allow your mind to refresh.
And, take a step back, and I think that’s another thing that really happens with our program and with this medicine, is it allows you to do that in a very short period of time. It gives you that broader perspective. It allows you to go deeper. It allows you to step away. Even in a short period of time.
And that’s one of the things I’ve seen that, that really allows people to be re refreshed as well. But I think that, for that to really last, it’s really about the integration. And that’s why we focus a lot on that. It’s taking, you’ve seen these breakthroughs, you have these insights that come through for you on journey.
How do you take that and actually make changes into your life? How you remove the things that are causing the most dissonance in your life that are most misaligned. So that, you’re not just repeating those patterns and going back into all those areas that cause burnout in the first place.
Sam Believ: You mentioned integration. So what are your general recommendations for people that, let’s say, just worked with Ayahuasca and want to bring most of it back to their day-to-day life?
Brendan Evans: So we have a five week program that’s virtual post journey. We think it’s really critical. For thousands of years this medicine has been done in community.
So you would sit with your community, your tribe, you would, life would be an integration. And that’s been taken away in much of the modernization of how we do this work. And one of the core aspects of our integration is community. So we form very deep relationships. In the pre.
In the pre journey on journey people get extremely close. And so that community really helps support people, as they integrate back into their life. People that have seen them at their highest, people that have seen them be completely vulnerable, who know what they, wanna create in their life, supporting them.
So that’s a huge aspect of it. Our integration program is also focused a lot around helping them codify and take the information that they’ve received from their highest self and then really bring that forth in their life. And we do that through a 10 year visioning exercise through a personal manifesto.
And so it’s really capturing a lot of, the commitments, the promises the information that will most support them and how they wanna live their life moving forward and help them keep that front and center as they go back into their lives and utilize that as they move forward. ’cause as we do forget a lot that comes through.
And so it’s really about how do we really keep that stuff front and center and provide a support network that’s going to allow people to to support themselves moving forward. And. Even post our five week program, we have monthly virtual meetup calls. We have local groups in about 14 different markets across the world, including metagene.
And so yeah, we do a lot to help our community stay together, connect with each other. So we really feel that’s a huge aspect of it.
Sam Believ: Yeah, I do agree. I think community is not only a big part of integration, but also a big part of their healing. We don’t have our tribe anymore these days.
Everyone, there’s more people than ever, but we’re more lonely than ever before. So you mentioned your first Awas experience was at the yoga studio in Brooklyn. Obviously not the most optimal way of doing it. So now after being more experienced and, organizing. I ask retreats yourself, what would you recommend people do or not do when choosing a place?
Brendan Evans: Obviously what I feel, what I recommend for people we really put into our one hour program. We really try to create about 80% of the people that join us are first time at Wasco drinkers. We have a lot of people that have drank all over the world as well.
But we really create an experience that allows them to get the most from it with preparation, with all the. The things we provide on Journey, in addition to the Ayahuasca that really supports it. We have a lot of different modalities, different workshops and different things that really support them going deeper and integrating.
And then the five week integration program some of the elements that I think I would. Call out our, one a lot of our preparation is around, is be being comfortable. So as comfortable as you can be with where you’re gonna sit. So knowing, if you know the practitioners beforehand that supports, if you have the opportunity to really, to show up somewhere where you already have a comfort level I think that really allows you to go deeper.
Obviously deeply trained medicine team our medicine teams are, have, have deep dedication to this work. Put a lot into their DTAs, into their studies. As does our team, our team at One Heart also we do our DTAs as well and really focus a lot on on, upgrading our, our skills so we can support others.
On Journey. I think it’s, there’s a lot of areas that can be really supportive to people. As far as just, really creating, as we said, the communal effect. Integrating stuff together in a group different modalities. We leverage things like breath work, Temescal which are Native American sweat lodge ice baths.
Ecs, static Dance, cacao ceremonies. We have specific workshops developed around different themes that tend to come up a lot like surrender and self-love and freedom. And so yeah, like really allowing, I think the balance of bringing the, the deeply indigenous traditions with some western ability to really help people take what they’re learning, integrate that into their lives, and know how to utilize that in a better way is really supportive.
And then integration, places that, that support post journey. How, how can you be supported as you go back into your life and really using this information that you’ve received to to elevate you in your life. So I think those would be. Some of the, some of the things that I would focus on,
Sam Believ: That, that’s a great list of things.
So obviously the Brooklyn studio might not be the most optimal place for Ayahuasca, but it did something to you that change your life or start that, the journey that led you to. To where you are now. Can you maybe describe this experience or how did it unfold? How long, how many ceremonies before you from you just trying it for the first time to you changing your life in this 180 fashion?
Brendan Evans: Yeah, that’s a good question. And obviously we all have our own paths and we find it in our own ways and, I joked that after that ceremony, my integration was, my Uber got pulled over on the way home and I had to get out and sell my stuff and walk home. So yeah, you can have some imperfect experiences too.
For me it was enough to obviously, know that there was something greater there for me in this. For me that first ceremony was a lot around just oneness and the connection to all that is. And I was, fortunate to just, I didn’t really go super deep into my own, my own work at that time.
And a lot of personal stuff. It was just that, unquestionable knowing of the connectedness of the world and the divinity of the world that, that I felt that allowed me to to know that there was something greater here to continue to pursue. I, when I started One Heart, I think I had probably done it around 25 ceremonies at that time various parts of the world.
And it wasn’t something where, i’m like, I had some message. I have to do this. I just I think I, I really really understood at that time the responsibility that it holds. I almost canceled the first journey several times just knowing what, what responsibility it held to carry this medicine and to serve others in this way.
And so it came with a lot of, deep thought and and consideration and just at the end of the day really felt like there was a strong pull for creating this type of community with these types of people that could really bring a lot of value. And after.
Doing the first one, especially the second one, it just became obvious, what was there and that there was something, bigger working its way through. And obviously it’s, as you mentioned, there’s a lot of challenges. It’s not an easy business model, it’s not easy work to do. There’s always kind of things coming up and without that strong commitment to why you’re doing this work and you know why you’re.
You wanna serve in this way, it’s, it can be very easy to go off in the, in, in the wrong way or create something that ultimately doesn’t doesn’t serve in the way that you may be first envisioned.
Sam Believ: Yeah, it’s I noticed that a lot of people come here to low wire, for example. They, it looks easy when it’s organized well.
So a lot of people get inspired too. To also start a retreat of some sort. And what would you say to someone who wants to work with the medicine? Gets the, has this, feels this calling? Any words of wisdom or recommendation?
Brendan Evans: Think about it for a while. Yeah, I think really try to get hands-on experience.
How can you really, understand what it means to hold this work and hold this medicine. Yeah. I see. I’ve seen a, I’ve seen, people that, like you mentioned, they see it well run. They see how, exciting, how much guests appreciate the work.
How beneficial it is and they’re like, oh, I should go off and do this. And yes, there’s a business aspect to it and an organizational aspect to it. But when you’re working in medicine, I think there’s just, there’s such a greater responsibility that we have and I don’t think people, fully understand that.
And I think the only way to fully get that is to spend a lot of time with the medicine. I think the same. Same goes with people serving medicine. Just you don’t wanna go to five ceremonies and call yourself a shaman and start serving. I think it’s, it takes really, going and doing lots of tatas being, spending time in the Amazon really learning really putting in the time and sacrifice to be able to do this work.
So I think, trying to put in that same work, before starting a business or center or something along those lines is really important. And sometimes people don’t maybe have this, that same opportunity, but I’ve seen a lot of people, try and start things and they usually don’t go so well.
So I think, yeah the more you can really learn about the space and yourself and really dedicate yourself to the medicine, the better the outcome you’ll likely have. And. Ensure that you’re, this is what you’re truly committed to.
Sam Believ: Yeah. It’s definitely much harder than it seems.
So as a facilitator myself, I’m curious, what is the most difficult part for you about your work, and then what is the most pleasant and fulfilling part?
Brendan Evans: Good question. I think the most difficult part is just the level of responsibility that I hold for it, and really, feeling truly accountable for every soul, every person that comes through and wanting to see the best for them. And when there’s challenges and when, things come up.
Or there’s parts of our process that that we look to, that we wanna uplevel. It’s just, just con it’s just continual like commitment and almost obsession over how can we really serve everyone yet at an even better level. And knowing that the, the price of not doing that is not, it’s not revenue for us it’s the chance that someone may not have their life, shifted in the way that they might have imagined coming in. And you really want everyone to have that opportunity. It’s maybe the only time they sit with the medicine. So I’d say yeah, just really holding that responsibility and really feeling that is, I would say is one of the most challenging things.
The most rewarding things, goes along the same lines. Is seeing the massive transformations and growth that occur. I think with one heart, it’s. Even better. ’cause we’re on Facebook, we’re on WhatsApp groups with everyone. We see people like long term as well.
People connect with each other. So just seeing all the ways that people’s lives are changed. From time to time I get to be an event or see people just went on a deta that had a bunch of one harder’s alumni and yeah you hear their gratitude and the way that one heart, changed their lives and, that’s a really beautiful thing. To know that that we’re a part of, and especially when you dedicate as much time and energy to, to this work to really feel that and know that we’re making changes in people’s lives and see the changes that they’re making in the world. You have a lot of leaders, a lot of people going back into the world doing some really interesting things.
And so to see that butterfly effect is really beautiful.
Sam Believ: So you mentioned that. Obviously you get lots of leaders coming to your events and they say, fish rots from the head. So it’s like starting, addressing the top of the society first and then hopefully that it trickles down.
What are you, what are your hopes, for, 10 years from now? What would, what can. The fact that leaders drink Ayahuasca do to to their careers to the people that work with them and to society at large. What is your bullish scenario prediction?
Brendan Evans: Yeah. I think, there’s a lot of areas where you can see how business is leading our lives astray in, in many ways from our, our food system to, our pharma system to the, you. Just the way that we’re caring for people, what we’re putting out and how we’re supporting people in their lives. There’s a lot that is not supporting people and not supporting our children. And one hope is that, we, really align.
And we really don’t turn a blind eye to the work that we’re putting out in the world and make sure that, we’re working. For Pepsi or Coke, how are we gonna help them create products that don’t kill people and don’t, poison people. And
Sam Believ: Pepsi, what that, what’s good flavor?
Brendan Evans: Yeah, and they used to be big clients of mine and I think and I didn’t really, think about it in that way at the time. And obviously there’s people that enjoy their products and they bring happiness to people. And there’s just a lot that’s covered up a lot of science that’s not used.
A lot of chemicals that are banned in other countries that we’re still using. Knowing how bad they are. So there are things that we have to really own as a society and be an integrity about these are people’s kids. These are, we have I think, 60% obesity in the us. These are not acceptable outcomes for people’s lives that.
We all get to take ownership of. It’s also just how people are treated at work. So having bosses and having people that, honor them in, in their work. And don’t overwork them and allow them vacation time and maternity time and, treat people as we all wanna be treated.
I think in our business lives are much of the time that we spend and they create a lot of, what we’re able to provide for our families. They create a lot of the energy that we’re able to come home with to give to our families. And if we really start creating businesses that, they care about the people working there and ultimately care about the people that they’re serving. That’s a big area where, we can, really start to shift the world because capitalism and profits is such a powerful, driver in our society now it’s really gonna take leaders with conscience leaders that wanna stand up to the system and say, yes, we know we have to be profitable to survive and we’re gonna do that in a way that is not significantly damaging our people and our employees.
So I think, yeah, it’s really just. Being a good human and if our leaders are good humans and bus, in, in business and they really take the time to think about the implications of the work that they’re doing the world could shift very quickly.
Sam Believ: Yeah, it is difficult ’cause if you, we don’t exist in a vacuum.
So if there’s one business that gives more vacation to the workers or maybe is paying more money. Let’s say affects their ability to make profit. Eventually the cutthroat companies might be able to outcompete them. Obviously, in a perfect world, there’s there’s a way to do it at least like the audience would support you and be willing to pay higher prices.
Just to know that it’s, properly done. So
Brendan Evans: a lot of these systems are based in fear too. We had unlimited vacation and my company’s in New York, and people did, people didn’t take advantage and people it’s gonna attract a different level of people.
It’s gonna allow people to hopefully, not burn out and to refresh themselves. And yeah, I think it it’s just, a different way of thinking. I think if we’re just constantly thinking how do we squeeze as much out of someone in a short period of time and use fear of losing their job and this and that to motivate them yeah, you’re gonna attract one type of employee and have a type of culture and what if you did it a different way, what if you really inspired people and treated them well and, and brought that into the world?
What, what people might that attract and what shifts might that bring.
Sam Believ: You also mentioned people working for soft green companies and I remember this funny thing that I’ve seen a lot of Colombian shaman specifically really loving. They really love using Pepsi bottles or Coca-Cola bottles for transporting the, their a caso.
They the software and companies serve the positive purposes all on the end of the day. You mentioned you mentioned children. I know you’re a father yourself. So how do you think your father and your children differently? You have one kid, right?
Brendan Evans: Yeah. One daughter, sister turned two.
Sam Believ: How do you father your daughter differently now that you’re in this line of work? Any, anything you can share.
Brendan Evans: Yeah, I. It probably would be completely different than if I was in New York 10 years ago. I think one just living in Costa Rica, the life that, just seeing how important it is for her to be outside.
And I’m fortunate to have a pretty flexible schedule. I’m with her like hours outside every morning before I start my work day, and then. Even later in the day. And so she gets to be outside a ton and just really in nature as children are meant to be. I think they get very programmed very early on.
And that’s very outside of, how we’re born into this world and what we’re meant to experience and live in. That’s one aspect. I think another aspect, I feel like I’ve always been a fairly loving person, but I’m much better at showing it.
I have a lot of affection really able to show her a great deal of love music and dance and things like that, that I’ve become more expressive with through my journey our bigger parts of her life as well. I’m very I would say extremely patient. We’re much more patient than I would’ve been in my New York days for sure.
And really hard to trigger. I’m not reactive in any way to her behaviors and just really can appreciate her and where she’s at and really be with her there. So I’d say all those things definitely were greatly supported through my path with the medicine.
Some of the other work that I’ve done as well.
Sam Believ: Yeah, thank you for sharing that. I have something similar, a similar story of I have three kids, a 4-year-old, two and a half year old, and five months old. And sometimes I see my kids playing in the pool and I grew up in a very cold country where nobody ever had a pool and just the fact that we had to be inside most of the year.
So it’s a very satisfying.
Brendan Evans: I grew up in Cleveland, so I can associate with that too. It was very cold.
Sam Believ: Yeah, just see, just seeing kids being able to be outside most of the year, the entire year here pretty much is very satisfying. Another thing, I don’t know if you’ve observed that or if your your daughter interacts with your guests in any shape or form, but we have, my older son recently learned how to swim. His name is Adrian and I did some of the teaching, but he also had 50 different teachers from all over the world. So the retreat go. So international team of swimming teachers and he definitely is behaving are very different from a normal 4-year-old.
Like he kinda sees that we’re regarding retreats and we greet people now he is he is he’s working as a host for us, so he tells people to take their shoes off when they come into the moloca. And it kinda like mimics me in, like trying to present and be in front of people. And I think that’s a very interesting childhood to grow up at the Ayahuasca retreat.
Yeah. So another thing that I wanted to ask you, you mentioned the Kabbalah spiritual practice and can you tell to people what it is and how it inspired you in your work and understanding of spirituality?
Brendan Evans: Yeah. I would say Kabbalah was one of the main entry points I had into spirituality.
Began setting it. There’s a big center in New York, and I think at the time it was very intellectual for me. It made a lot of sense in my mind. It wasn’t until Ayahuasca that I really was able to drop things into my heart. But Kabbalah is a very ancient wisdom that you know, Einstein and Newton and, a lot of the scientists and a lot of people really, gained a lot of a lot of knowledge about a lot of things from before we had, obviously the internet.
All this information available to us. And Kabbalah means to receive. So a lot of, a lot of it is really about how do we give in a way that it’s, it feels like receiving. So this con this beautiful cycle of give, of giving and receiving from our giving because we take such joy in that, and there’s a lot of different aspects to it.
It gets pretty deep. I think some of the key things are really around restrictions, so really not reacting to things, immediately. Most times our initial reactions are not, coming from our highest selves, coming from our hearts our souls. So just being able to take a step back and allow they speak a lot about, the world that we see is really the 1%, we’re not seeing this 99% and something obviously we experience with ayahuasca.
We start to see these other worlds and this other, other things that are present. So really. Allows you to understand the energy and the aspects of the world that are all around us that are not necessarily manifesting in our physical, reality in the moment.
And really start to see, from a higher perspective. But yeah, there’s a lot of aspects. There’s different energies that are available at different times of the year and different ways to tap in, tap into that energy. And yeah, it can go pretty deep.
But yeah, I just, I find it to be just wisdom that it really just connects, every time I hear it, the principles just really deeply connect. To me
Sam Believ: there are lots of nature ancient practices that really seem to only start making sense after you sit with ow Oscar for the first time, at least for me,
Brendan Evans: they’re probably all created through some type of medicine in many cases information. So
Sam Believ: yeah, I definitely believe that. Every culture used to trip on something, stories of burning DMT bush and stuff like that. There’s there’s traces, there’s clues left in the books and scriptures.
So you described like other worlds and, the energies and things like that. So after now working with Oscar for a long time, what is your worldview from a point of view of what do you believe happens after we die? Or do you believe in karma? Do you do you believe in fate, the synchronicities?
Like what is the worldview? Because I’m still forming mine. I have I’ve been observing things, but I’m encouraged to know yours.
Brendan Evans: Yeah, I feel mind forming and evolving, all the time as well. I think some of the key aspects for me are really one, just how much we’re in control of our reality and, and really going through that pathway.
So I very much feel that, we’re choosing from endless different, and endless different paths and choices in creating a reality. And really getting present to the power that we have in choosing and shifting that reality and how in many ways, the personal aspect of that reality. Not everyone may be living in the same timeline and the same reality at the same time. And so really feeling into that quite a bit. I think, obviously, I don’t feel we ever die. I think there’s a continual energy, obviously some version of us in this body.
We may leave behind, but I think, we, we have this immortal soul that is continually living and learning and experiencing what it needs to experience in order to continue to evolve. And I think each life is presenting us with that and showing us that. And, similar to how, we, ayahuasca always presents us with the most perfect information and situations, and I think life is doing that as well. It’s putting us in those situations where we can have the opportunity to grow and learn and evolve our souls and, in the deepest way.
It’s really just. To us to choose that to choose to see those lessons, to choose to not be victims and choose to continue to move forward and really believe connect, believe in what we’re, our connection and really understand what we’re connected into what we’re here for.
And really, follow that with passion.
Sam Believ: I agree with those things. I’ve definitely noticed that my fear of death and definitely changed after I started working with the medicine. And I’ve heard the same story from, not from people, not from books, but from people right after their, I ask experiences people from different kinds of the world, people that never met each other, describing the same realizations.
In many different words, but that pretty much described that we’re souls coming to this planet to learn some lessons and there’s something afterwards. That’s
Brendan Evans: and I think the other lesson I’ve received from Ayahuasca and in general, the collectiveness of our, one of our one soul and how we’re all fragmented in order to learn.
We’re all learning different pieces that are bringing, bringing that information back in supporting the collective. So while we, have this ability to, create our own path. It’s also, part of this, this collective learning model that we’re all feeding it back into.
Sam Believ: Yeah, definitely we’re all connected and I’ve seen different ways I ask again, show you that when the different analogies that you’re specifically your subconscious will understand. The, it’s a question that I ask. All people that work with Ayahuasca specifically how do you think Ayahuasca healing happens?
What is the mechanism from your point of view?
Brendan Evans: I think I guess from the most practical standpoint, the way I would describe it is it allows you to face. Fears, face limiting beliefs, face stories perspectives that either you’re afraid to face or you’re not. Your subconscious is not allowing you to see your face. And I think when we’re able to see through, see these stories, see these fears, see these limiting beliefs come up against them and actually face them, that creates a freedom and an expansion on the other side that opens space for other things. When we’re living our lives in fears that are containing us and with limiting beliefs that are containing us it’s keeping us in, in, in one place. And so it’s the expansiveness of ayahuasca and this work really comes from being able to face things that.
Frankly, in life might take us decades if at all to, to face and allows us to face them in very short periods of time. There may be obviously some fears, some things that come up, but we’re able to do and in a very loving way, the way the medicine is able to show us these things. Walk us through some of these experiences and then allow us to, come out the other side and we’re not.
Held down by that fear, by that limiting belief. New things open, new perspectives open. And we’re able to really connect in with that. And I would say the other big piece for, is just how deeply we feel the divinity, the connection to everything. And knowing that I think is a very big piece of, I just find, just having that trust in life, having that trust in ourselves ’cause we know that there’s this broader divinity, this loving energy that’s supporting us. And we’re not alone. We’re never alone. We’re not doing this for, it’s not all meaningless.
There’s a reason and and a purpose and connection behind it all.
Sam Believ: Thank you for sharing. That, and you said that you work with a lot of first timers. We do as well. I would say majority of the people that come here are first timers, which is great. Definitely my personal passion to have as many people have this experience.
But what are the misconceptions that you’ve, encounter, first timers maybe not knowing a lot about ayahuasca maybe even coming to it for wrong reasons, but what do you have to like debunk and explain to people?
Brendan Evans: Yeah, I think some of the misconceptions, one we talked about earlier, but there’s this idea that, hey, the medicine’s gonna tell me to leave my partner, leave my job, or do this and do that.
And, this negative, connotation around that. And I think understanding that if that is the case, it’s the medicine is showing you what’s at your highest showing you that there’s something greater, something better for you. And just understanding that. So I think that’s one thing that I see, can potentially stop people sometimes from the medicine.
’cause they’re just, sometimes we just wanna be with the pain we know versus venture into the unknown. The other thing that I think a lot comes around purging. And, it’s, I’m sure it’s similar for your retreats, there’s never anyone at the end of a retreat that’s wow, that purging was so hard.
I wish I hadn’t done that. It’s usually not even a thing, once you get through the journey. But I think a lot of people fear that coming in, just the idea of throwing up in front of others. A lot of people think that maybe that’s the whole ceremony and it’s gonna happen all the time versus, maybe happens for 15 minutes during some of your ceremonies or maybe not at all.
So yeah, understanding, you know what the real role of purging. I think it’s, it’s been used a lot to maybe make people fearful of the medicine and and really not understand understand it from that aspect. What other misconceptions? Yeah, I think people get caught up sometimes and how challenging. Or hard or bad a ceremony might be. And what if they’re stuck in something for long periods of time or they never come out of it? Obviously imagine as you’ve experienced we haven’t seen that. People, obviously you come out the other end and we come out better.
With the medicine helping people, really understand that there really aren’t bad ceremonies. There’s challenging ceremonies. There’s times when we might go through things. We support people a lot, before and, in our pre-program and before on the journey with surrender and.
We, removing some of the resistance. ’cause a lot of times that really triggers some of the more challenging ceremonies when people are really struggling and gripping on tight to something versus, allowing and being curious about what’s coming through. So I think that’s, that’s another thing that that people have some resistance to, early on.
And as I’m sure you’ve seen, I would say the majority of ceremonies, people may have a really challenging one, but they also have the most joyous, beautiful experiences of our lives. Oftentimes our third ceremony is a day ceremony, and often that’s people’s best day of their life.
Pretty overwhelmingly. And yeah, there’s just so much beauty that can happen in these ceremonies as well, and the music and in the way that this medicine works. And I think yeah, I don’t think many people realize that coming in just how beautiful and enjoyable these ceremonies may be as well.
Sam Believ: Yeah. And the challenging ceremonies are where sometimes people get the best breakthroughs, and yeah, as you mentioned about purging, it’s people even learn how to love purging. They then expect purging, and then they get upset when they’re not purging. It’s it’s very hard to explain to a culture that is pathologically afraid of vomiting.
It’s interesting that you say your last ceremony of the week is the day ceremony.
Brendan Evans: Yeah. We do two nights there. And the third is a day ceremony.
Sam Believ: It’s really interesting ’cause we do four ceremonies in the weekend also. Last ceremony is a day ceremony. And I, I’ve never, I’ve only came up with your work stumbled upon your work recently.
So it means that we have independently ended up with a very, say similar format. Because I tried five ceremonies in one week. Three night ceremonies, two day ceremonies, two night ceremonies, two day ceremonies. I tried everything and ended up with last ceremony being the day ceremony. And it’s very similar stories with like best day of my life, best week of my life.
I would assume that I was showed us both the same. The same format. And do you still drink ayahuasca yourself and how often do you drink?
Brendan Evans: Yeah, I do. Right now I’m on all our journeys. So we do about five journeys a year, and I’m drink, we do three ceremonies at each of those.
I’m drinking for those. I just did a deta a couple weeks ago. Mainly at our journeys. I try to sit at least once or twice a year on my own as well. It’s been just more challenging with a young daughter, so that’s been my priority. But yeah, I think it’s important to, to stay connected into the medicine.
Obviously it’s a little bit different work when I’m on our journeys. Although, I’m always learning, being shown beautiful things and also able to be in service and, really enjoy that aspect of it as well. I find a lot of my lessons come between ceremonies, between journeys we get beautiful things in ceremony and, I think just doing this work, a lot of the lessons come in at various different times.
And so just continually following that path and sitting with the medicine in that way.
Sam Believ: I’ll ask you a question that I’ve been asked myself. It’s if you’re already done, that was kinda a lot of people that never drank it before. They assume that you do it once and it forever changes your life and you’re happily ever after.
So it’s like they ask what do you still keep drinking? What is that? What are you after? Don’t you, aren’t you like happy already? What do you, what would you say to that?
Brendan Evans: Is different for everyone. I think there, there are people that come outta retreats and they’re good.
Either forever or for a while. We really, don’t recommend people come back very quickly. We don’t allow people to come back on, like back to back journeys and we really feel like integration’s important and when people come back we’re speaking to them, making sure they integrated what they worked on, what they were, worked on before and are really in a different place coming through.
So I do really see the importance of that. As far as myself personally, if I wasn’t in this work I don’t think I’d be sitting with the medicine as much. I do think it would be a part of my life, whether that’s yearly or, multiple times a year. But for me, as I mentioned, it’s it’s always helping me find alignment.
We always can, even though I think it’s, an easier path for me I’ve found more and more life alignment as my life is, has gone. There’s always things that kind of, take us out or greater aspects of, where we can really get into deeper alignment with ourselves.
So that’s a big aspect. It always resets me and, helps me get really centered and, and focused on, on what’s important. It is an important way for me to like tap into this higher energy. I have personal practices and things I do.
And I haven’t found a way to, to really connect in as, as deeply to that energy. In that way. And it’s also just, it really helps me, develop in different ways. Learn to play the hand pan and my music and creativity and really helps me unlock, unlock things on that path and show me things that, I may wanna continue to learn and grow from.
I think it’s, I think it’s something that I think is important to be very reverent with, be very conscious of not just go and sit. And I think if we’re tapped into why we’re sitting in each ceremony and really honor the medicine there’s a lot she can continue to show us.
Sam Believ: Yeah. I think if you drink too often as well, the medicine itself will tell you it happened to me once, like, why are you back so soon and you haven’t done the homework? So it’s give you a bad trip or a very difficult experience. Brandon, thank you so much for sharing. I think it was it was really interesting to ask you those questions and see how you view this work working people, learn more about you and your experience your, the events that you create and connect to you.
Brendan Evans: Yeah, it was great. Dean, speaking with you as well and always good speaking to others that are really doing this work from the heart. Yeah, for us, the main place is one heart.com. It’s the number one and then HEAR t.com. And that has a list of our different retreat dates.
We do about five a year. We have five coming up in 2025 including new Year’s, which are starting in a few days. Yeah, and on Instagram One Hard Journeys. I am brand E or Brand one at Brand One. And at One Hard Journeys on Instagram would probably be the best ways to follow us.
And yeah, there’s a lot of information on our websites, different podcasts, different, a lot of our reviews a lot of really good information. People would like it.
Sam Believ: Thank you for sharing. Thank you for this episode. Guys, thank you for listening as always, with you, the host, and believe I hope you enjoyed this episode and I will see you in the next one.
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