As I pray, I can feel the acidic sludge churning in my stomach, like a snake, writhing it’s way down, deeper and deeper into my intestines… Unexpectedly, and without the consultation of my rational mind, my prayer morphs into a new intention:

Please Mother Ayahuasca, help me heal my gut.

Later in the evening, I would learn exactly why this shift occurred.

The stories of “healthy” young people suffering greatly, or even perishing from this Coronavirus are presented as both heartbreaking and terrifying. But to me, even as one of these “healthy” high-risk young people, this is not the time for sorrow, worry, or fear—all emotions which serve to suppress the immune system. This is the time for introspection, compassion, and community—human and microbial alike.

Until this moment, I had always considered myself to be a relatively healthy individual, with a robust immune system… I was dead wrong. Suddenly I was “high risk” for a severe coronavirus infection.