Episode 7
As her own psychedelic-assisted healing unfolded, this week’s guest, Paije West, transitioned from a career as a traditional birth doula to a “psychedelic” doula, offering opportunities for psycho-spiritual rebirth for both women and men.
Join two “psychedelic” moms for an intimate conversation about the profound privilege and responsibility of holding space for people in their most vulnerable moments as they seek healing of deep emotional wounds and addictions with the support of psychedelic medicines.
Paije, the founder of Third Eye Doula, began as a traditional full-spectrum doula in the birth community. She finds passion in holding space and creating safe containers for her clients to evolve and cross thresholds of the human experience using the doula model of care as a foundation for her work with psychedelics. Third Eye Doula is a health and wellness brand focused on ceremonial experiences, transformational retreats, and meaning making systems to help facilitate growth, stimulate creativity and offer a greater purpose for those who seek healing.
Paije primarily works with 5-MeO-DMT, ibogaine, psilocybin and MDMA. She is currently training to become a provider of iboga after undergoing a Bwiti initiation in Gabon, Africa earlier this year. Third Eye Doula is based in Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, Mexico where she and her team offer ceremony, retreats and integration services.
Topics discussed in this episode . . .
Paije’s background as a traditional doula and how this informs her work as a medicine woman
Paije’s personal journey healing from deep depression as a young woman
Becoming a mother at age 25 at a time when Paije’s husband was in active addiction
Paije's husband’s and her own first ibogaine experiences
Using ibogaine and bufo in close proximity as part of a larger healing process
The importance of preparation, integration and provider choice when considering working with iboga
How Paije and her husband partner with an ibogaine clinic to provide aftercare
The extended period of enhanced neuroplasticity available after taking iboga/ibogaine
Navigating transformative medicine work as a mother and partner
What is was like for Paije to go through a traditional Bwiti initiation and rites of passage in Gabon
The unique “set and setting” working with iboga in Gabon
How Paije came to receive her Bwiti name through her iboga visions
Some energetic differences between iboga and bufo
Different approaches to dosing with bufo
What bufo has taught Paije
Some pros and cons of using psychedelic medicines during pregnancy and postpartum while nursing and the need for a customized approach
Microdosing as a parenting tool and Paije’s microdosing mentorship program
The critical importance of self-care as both a psychedelic medicine facilitator and a mother
Paije West's Links
Website: http://thirdeyedoula.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thirdeyedoula_/
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Special thanks to Jeremy Colbert (Taragápe) for the original podcast theme music.
You can find out more about Jeremey’s work here:
taragape.com and @taragape