Music has always played a powerful role in human culture, but within ceremonial spaces it can take on an entirely different meaning. In this deeply reflective conversation, medicine musician Ayla Schafer shares how her journey through personal crisis, travel, and plant medicine transformed her relationship with music — turning songs into a form of prayer, healing, and spiritual connection.
Rather than seeing herself simply as a performer, Ayla describes music as a bridge between the heart and the unseen realms, a language that carries emotion, intention, and presence into ceremony.
A Musical Beginning and a Spiritual Crisis
Ayla’s relationship with music began early in life. Growing up surrounded by creative expression, she naturally gravitated toward singing and songwriting. A guitar gifted to her as a teenager became a tool for emotional exploration, allowing her to express feelings that words alone could not hold.
Yet as she entered adulthood, something shifted. Performing in conventional music environments left her feeling disconnected from the deeper purpose she sensed within her art. During a period she describes as a “dark night of the soul,” she chose to leave behind familiar identities and travel to South America on what became a two-year spiritual quest.
Interestingly, part of that journey involved stepping away from music altogether. She intentionally released the identity of being a singer, entering a space of uncertainty where old definitions could dissolve. Only later would she realize that this surrender was preparing her for a new relationship with sound.
Discovering Ceremony and Medicine Songs
While traveling through Mexico and Peru, Ayla encountered ceremonial spaces where music was not entertainment but an integral part of healing. Sitting with communities that sang songs of prayer, gratitude, and connection to the earth opened a new understanding of what music could be.
These experiences gradually led her into deeper work with plant medicine. Within ceremonies, she began singing again — not as a performance, but as an offering. She describes moments when holding a guitar felt like coming back into alignment with her spirit, even during intense personal challenges.
Unlike singing on a stage, ceremonial music felt intimate and purposeful. The energy of the room, the presence of participants, and the shared intention transformed sound into something alive and responsive.
Singing from the Heart Rather Than the Mind
One of Ayla’s most powerful insights is that medicine music is less about technical skill and more about authenticity. Early in her journey, she did not approach songs with a clear intention to guide others. Instead, she sang from a place of vulnerability — allowing grief, love, and raw emotion to flow through her voice.
Over time, she began to see music as a form of energetic communication. When she sings, she describes it as radiating love from the heart — a love that includes joy but also sorrow, healing, and truth. According to her perspective, listeners are not simply hearing melodies; they are feeling the emotional honesty behind them.
This heart-centered approach changes the role of the musician. Rather than directing the ceremony, the singer becomes a channel through which collective emotions can move and transform.
The Mystery of Creative Inspiration
When asked about how songs are born, Ayla speaks of creativity as something mysterious and intuitive. Ideas do not always arrive through conscious planning. Instead, melodies and words often emerge as impulses — feelings that seek expression.
Her first distinctly ceremonial songs came during a period when she allowed herself to sing without cultural filters or expectations. Writing from a place of prayer rather than performance marked a clear turning point in her artistic evolution.
Plant medicine, she explains, did not simply inspire new lyrics. It deepened her relationship with herself and with the world around her. Through intense emotional journeys and spiritual experiences, she gained access to layers of feeling that naturally shaped the music she created.
Language, Ancestry, and Spiritual Expression
Another fascinating aspect of her work is the use of multiple languages in her songs. Some pieces emerge in English, others in Spanish, and more recently she has explored ancient Celtic sounds. Rather than choosing languages intellectually, she follows what feels resonant in the moment.
This connection to ancestral expression reflects a broader theme in her life — rediscovering spiritual traditions that were lost or fragmented over time. She speaks about feeling called to reconnect with the land and the deeper memory held within nature itself.
For her, music becomes a way to restore that connection. Singing in different languages is not about translation but about embodying a particular energy or prayer.
Music as Healing for the Planet
Beyond personal transformation, Ayla views ceremony music as part of a larger healing process for humanity and the earth. She believes that many of today’s global challenges stem from disconnection — from nature, from community, and from the heart.
Through music, she hopes to remind people of their relationship with the living world. Songs become invitations to listen more deeply, to slow down, and to reconnect with the sacredness of life.
This perspective shifts the role of art from individual expression to collective service. Rather than striving for fame or recognition, she sees her music as an offering to something larger than herself.
The Power of Prayer Through Sound
Ultimately, Ayla’s journey reveals that ceremony music is not defined by genre or style but by intention. Singing becomes a form of prayer — a way to communicate with the earth, with ancestors, and with the unseen aspects of existence.
Her story shows that transformation often begins with letting go of old identities. By stepping away from music for a time, she discovered a deeper calling that reshaped her relationship with creativity.
In ceremonial spaces, songs are no longer just songs. They become pathways — guiding participants through emotional landscapes, opening the heart, and creating moments of connection that words alone cannot capture.
And perhaps the most powerful lesson from her journey is this: when music is rooted in authenticity and reverence, it becomes more than sound. It becomes a living bridge between the human spirit and the greater mystery of life itself.
Based on the Ayahuasca Podcast episode “Ceremony music and Ayahuasca” with Sam Believ and Ayla Schafer.
Sam Believ is the founder and CEO of LaWayra Ayahuasca Retreat, the best-rated Ayahuasca retreat in South America, with over 520 five-star Google reviews and an overall rating of 5 stars. After his life was transformed by Ayahuasca, he dedicated himself to spreading awareness about this ancestral medicine to help address the mental health crisis. Sam is committed to making Ayahuasca retreats affordable, accessible, and authentic, with a focus on care, integration, and the involvement of indigenous shamans. He is also the host of the Ayahuasca Podcast.