What I Learned My First Year Of Microdosing With Psilocybin
I first heard about microdosing psilocybin in 2017. I was listening to The Tim Ferris Show while doing cardio, and in between sprints, I recall thinking,
What? Large amounts of people in the Silicon Valley are taking magic mushrooms & LSD to increase their productivity?!
I was shocked, and equal parts—completely intrigued. At that time, however, I was caught up with my own projects and didn’t explore or pursue any further research on the topic.
It wasn’t until late 2018 while listening to The Joe Rogan Podcast when the concept of microdosing was brought to my attention yet again. Joe happened to have a very well known mycologist on his show who went by the name of Paul Stamets.
I was beyond fascinated with what Stamets shared on the podcast. You can listen to that JRE episode on youtube HERE.
I wasn’t a complete stranger to the healing powers this sacred medicine has. Back in my burning man days, I had full on “trips” with psilocybin, and experienced my own healing from it.
Stamets just catapulted my curiosity and understanding. On the podcast, he shared how one could hypothetically go about starting their own microdosing journey.
Scroll to bottom for full Joe Rogan episode.
The more I learned about the healing proponents…
of this natural (though not yet legalized) medicine, I decided to explore my own journey with it. And that first consisted of collecting more research and fully understanding what my personal “why” was before diving into my journey.
At that time I was completely over-working, over-training and living in a constant state of fatigue and stress. I felt like I was a hamster caught in a wheel- constantly moving, going through the motion, but never really getting anywhere.
In short, microdosing is intended to affect the body on a cellular level but because it’s a sub perceptual amount of psilocybin, it is not “felt” at all by the user. There is no “high” feeling or changes in your vision or motor control. The benefit therein lies in what it does for the brain and body on a cellular level. Microdosing with psilocybin has been known to increase neurogenesis in the brain. Neurogenesis has been linked to three major areas of cognition: learning, memory, and reversing depression.
If anyone knows me, you know that before I introduce ANYTHING to my clients, I have to do it first. This applies to everything from specific workouts, to reverse dieting, cutting, bodybuilding, marathon training, meditation, belly breathing, you name it. If I offer anything to my clients, know I’ve tried it on myself first.
Once I did my own research and felt confident enough in my own WHY to pursue microdosing, I began my journey in December 2019; three months before the COVID pandemic started.
One of the most important tips I learned from Paul Stamets was that one should follow a certain “protocol” while microdosing. Meaning they should be cycling on and off the medicine throughout the week. I decided to follow his 4/3 protocol and cycle on and off every month.
The 4/3 protocol consisted of being on a low dose of psilocybin (1/10th the amount of a proper amount to elicit a “high”) for four days in a row and then being completely off for three days following. Being the extreme person I am, I repeated this cycle on and off every month for a year straight.
Before I dive into the good stuff, I want to remind you:
That you should not “feel” your microdose at all.
If you feel it or notice a change in your heart rate or vision, the dosage is too high for you. A proper “sub-perceptual amount” shouldn’t be felt at all by the individual taking it.
Keep in mind everybody has a different “sweet spot”.
A sweet spot refers to the right amount of substance for you. As stated above, a MD is usually 1/10th the amount of a normal dosage, (in this case a “normal dosage” for a macro trip is anywhere from 2g-4g).
Some people have a lower microdosing tolerance while others can take more and not feel anything. Play around with different dosages in a certain range and see what feels most optional for you.
Get a scale and make sure you weigh your dosage out every time.
Stick to a consistent dosage for any given month you’re “on.” This will give you a clear idea if that amount is right for you.
Stacking your MD with different supplements can alter your MD experience completely.
This is not a “magic” pill and will not automatically wash all your worries and troubles away. Having a healthy lifestyle in addition to microdosing is key in helping this medicine work. It wont work unless you do.
Below are some of the most obvious changes I experienced over the course of that first year of microdosing with psilocybin.
The benefits I experienced:
1. Increased and more sustained energy throughout the day
This one was huge for me, and a game changer. I no longer needed to hit the snooze button and would wake up every morning with phenomenal energy. My energy throughout the day was completely sustained and I no longer needed to take naps.
2. Less painful periods
Over the last 3 years, I was certain I was developing fibroids and my PMS symptoms have dramatically gotten worse. After month two of being on my MD journey, I noticed a huge shift in my PMS symptoms (much less extremes, mood swings and cramps) and my suspicion for fibroids went away. I no longer had painful periods and my flow seemed a lot more normal.
3. Less anxiety
In the beginning, I was struggling to find my own “sweet spot” with my dosage and I will say those months in the beginning when I took a little too much, it actually made my anxiety slightly worse. (especially around March when the pandemic just started) but by May of 2020, I was in a very good place with my dosage and noticed my anxiety pretty much disappeared for good.
4. More connected to nature
I found myself hugging trees some days. I kid you not! I noticed the bees pollinating the flowers. I wanted to clean up after people who I saw littering. I went on more hikes and wanted to just be outside, Everything was beautiful. My ability to feel connected to the earth, nature and animals was heightened and it increased my appreciation for all of it.
5. Increased Empathy
I noticed I show up far more empathetic in conversations (especially with the people who trigger me the most), and I’m more in touch with my emotions and those around me.
6. Ability to dig into trauma & triggers
I will say I started somatic therapy mid way through my first year of MD but let me tell you, therapy + microdosing was an incredible combination for me. I felt like I was able to go a lot deeper in my therapy sessions, and the MD effects resonated a bit more because of the awareness that was being brought to my attention from the therapy. They happened to be a fantastic pairing that played very well off each other.
7. When stacked with certain supplements, there was an increase in workout performance
I found specifically that the supplement that helped me the most in my athletic performance with my microdose was cordyceps- game changer. I noticed it specifically increased my cardio endurance.
8. Experienced better quality sleep
I experienced deeper REM cycles and was able to fall asleep much easier and faster at night.
9. Increased creativity
When I tell you the ideas were flowing out of me, I’m not kidding. From writing, to creating content to speaking on camera. It all felt effortless and easy.
10. Less cannabis & coffee cravings
I decided to give up coffee around May 2020 for my own personal reasons and while I thought I was going to come off a nasty caffeine withdrawal, I hardly experienced ANY headaches at all. I also tend to smoke cannabis at night and found myself reaching for that much less than normal.
11. Improved memory
This one was also HUGE. I found myself being able to remember people’s names when first meeting them, (something I generally suck at), and towards the end of the year, I found myself being able to recall memories from my childhood that I had totally forgotten about. In my observation, there were improvements with both short and long term memory.
12. Better focus
I found myself much more inclined to dive deep into projects and keep my attention on them for a longer period of time without distractions or reaching for my phone. My ability to be present and stay present increased. I found this also to be true when meditating.
13. Improved cognition
Being someone who has been a consistent cannabis smoker for decades, this one was also huge. I found myself being able to “find my words” a lot more easily and experienced less “brain farts” on a day to day basis. My reading and writing abilities also increased. I picked reading back up in 2020 and set new record times in being able to finish blogs and projects.
14. Increased motivation
Motivation is not always there which is normal, we can’t expect to be motivated every single day. I will say that when microdosing, my motivation tended to be much higher, especially when it came to my workouts. I never skipped a day.
15. Increased general happiness
It was much easier to find the good and quiet the “brain chatter” and “noise” in my head. That negative self talk completely went away by the end of the year and instead of thinking about or focusing on the areas in my life I was lacking in, I wound up looking at the things I did have which helped with increasing overall gratitude and happiness.
Here’s the thing.
If you’re thinking about starting your own microdosing journey, you should understand that this is not a magic “pill” that will wash all your worries away. Becoming clear on your own personal why and prioritizing these other components in your life such as eating a healthy well balanced diet, exercising regularly, limiting alcohol and managing your stress are vital in assisting this medicine and helping it work as best as it can in your body. You can’t be half in either. You need to be all in and ready to commit to this for it to work!
With that said, I know it can be an intimidating journey to start on your own. Which is why I’m so excited to announce that I am beginning to take on new clients starting TODAY who are looking to start their very own microdosing journey.
If you’re someone who has been looking to start microdosing and truly embody the lifestyle that goes along with it, reach out to me today to schedule your FREE strategy call!
Let’s discuss what options might work best for you.
*Please note, I am not supplying any illegal drugs nor will I assist you or advise you on where to get them. You must already have access to them to work with me. I cannot and will not tell you where and how to get access to them.
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