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About Bwiti
The Study of Life
Bwiti is the living tradition that holds the roots of Iboga.
It is not something to believe in, but something to experience — a way of seeing that reveals the truth of life itself. What follows is an introduction to this lineage, shared with gratitude and respect for those who have carried it forward.
What is Bwiti?
A Living Tradition
Bwiti translates to “The Study of Life Itself” — or “The Art of Knowing.”
It is a living tradition from Gabon, in West-Central Africa, where Iboga is regarded as a sacred teacher that helps us remember who we are and how to live in balance.
Bwiti is not a religion or belief system. It is a direct way of living — a path of awareness, honesty, and connection with life as it truly is. Through its ceremonies and teachings, it points us back to what is real: the simple aliveness that exists before thought or story.
Traditional Bwiti ceremonies weave together music, rhythm, dance, and silence. Each element holds purpose — helping to bring harmony between body, mind, and heart.
Iboga
The Heart of the Tradition
At the center of Bwiti practice is Iboga, known as the “Godfather of plant medicines.”
Discovered by the Babongo forest people generations ago, Iboga is revered as a sacred medicine that reveals truth and restores balance.
Iboga is not used to escape life, but to see it clearly — to release what no longer serves and reconnect with what is real. It teaches through direct experience, reminding us that all wisdom and healing arise from within the living presence of life itself.
A well-known saying from Gabon speaks to this deep connection:
“There is no Iboga without Bwiti, and no Bwiti without Iboga.”
The Babongo & Missoko Bwiti
Keepers of the Original Way
The Babongo people — the first to discover Iboga — are honored as the original keepers of the Bwiti tradition. From their deep relationship with the forest and with Iboga, the ceremonies, songs, and teachings of Bwiti were born.
Over generations, this wisdom was shared with other groups, giving rise to the Dissumba and Missoko lineages. Dissumba is seen as the foundation — the roots — while Missoko Bwiti carries forward the living trunk of these teachings.
Throughout history, Missoko Bwiti was carefully protected and preserved, hidden from outside influence during colonial times. Unlike other forms that blended with foreign or religious elements, Missoko Bwiti remains true to its original way — deeply rooted in nature and guided by direct experience.
This lineage holds vast knowledge of natural healing — working with Iboga and countless other forest medicines to restore balance and clarity. It teaches that everything we need for wellbeing is already provided by nature, and that true harmony comes through respect, presence, and gratitude.
These teachings have been passed on orally — from breath to breath, from heart to heart — generation after generation. Through music, song, fire, and stillness, the Bwiti gather to remember who they are and to reconnect with the essence of life itself.
A Living Lineage
To walk with Iboga is to walk with the forest, the ancestors, and the wisdom of life itself. Bwiti is not something to study from afar — it is a living lineage, spoken and sung, meant to be experienced directly.
The presence and wisdom of Bwiti guide all that is offered here — a space to reconnect, to remember, and to study life as it truly is. “The way of Bwiti is a return — to truth, to simplicity, to the life that has always been here.
May this space serve as an invitation to remember that knowing within yourself.”
Iboga comes from the forests of Gabon, carried through generations by the Bwiti people. Their way is one of direct experience — learning through truth and the living presence that connects all things.
It is with deep respect that this medicine is shared beyond its homeland. The songs, ceremonies, and teachings come from those who have preserved this wisdom for thousands of years. I am grateful to have been initiated into the Missoko Bwiti lineage in Gabon, and to carry this tradition forward with care and integrity.
Respect and Reciprocity
Honouring the Roots
Land Acknowledgment
This work takes place on the traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin First Nations, specifically the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation — one of ten communities that make up the Algonquins of Ontario. Their ongoing relationship with this land reminds us of what it means to live in respect and reciprocity. To honour both the roots of Iboga and the land that holds us here is to remember what has always been true:
Life is not separate. Everything meets everything, and all healing begins in that knowing.