There are several traditional Chinese medicines, Ayurvedic medicines, and vitamins we recommend to support your protocol. These include Lion's Mane, which supports neurogenesis, Ashwagandha which helps with anxiety & stress, and Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) which boosts blood flow. ​ These are safe and effective boosters that can be taken daily, whether you are on your microdosing protocol or not, as well as when you journey.

Your microdose is adaptogenic. Its effectiveness relies on a schedule of low dose increments over a prolonged period of time. If you choose to journey (or “macro-dose”) during your scheduled protocol window, you run the risk of increasing your natural tolerance levels, which may minimize the benefits of your protocol. As such, we recommend refraining from high-dose work until after your current protocol is complete & revisiting higher dose work once you have taken time to rest & integrate (at least two weeks after your protocol has ended).

In the morning, preferably on an empty stomach with lemon water. If you experience upset stomach, take your microdose with a food from the BRAT Food List (bananas, rice, applesauce or toast).

Microdosing protocols are more similar than they are dissimilar. For beginners, we always recommend starting low & going slow. Explore the different approaches here, including our very own protocol designed to fully personalize your journey.

Our microdose blends are entirely sub-hallucinary and will not interfere with your ability to go about your daily schedule or work routine. In fact, microdosing has been studied to improve memory, mental sharpness & overall cognitive function. Microdosing acutely enhances sensory perception, facilitating more present moment awareness, boosting creativity, leadership skills, collaboration & overall flow state.

Mushrooms are adaptogenic. When you microdose, you are in relationship with a natural compound that alchemizes with the body to draw attention where attention is needed. During a protocol, the goal is to pay attention to what comes up and ask yourself: ​ What is the medicine trying to tell me? Why is the medicine directing my attention here? ​ According to Microdosing Institute, “most ‘side effects’ turn out to be challenges to be navigated to achieve transformation.” For example, if you find that a common trigger you experience is suddenly more pronounced, attend to that trigger as an opportunity for transformation rather than a problematic side effect. In the same token, if you feel extra tired one day, your microdose is communicating that your body needs rest. Approach each day of your protocol as an opportunity to reconnect with your body intelligence so you can attend to all that there. Each day of your protocol is a new opportunity to lean in, extract insights & recalibrate.

Some report headaches during the first week of their protocol. This is normal & typically subsides after the first two weeks. This is the medicine drawing your awareness to a need that isn’t being met. Listen & investigate accordingly. Are you drinking enough water? Are you someone who experiences looping thoughts? Or, were you in a period of mental stagnation prior to your protocol? Push through for the first two weeks, bringing greater attention & awareness to the body & how it signals you. After two weeks, this side effect will likely subside.

For the first several days, it's common to "feel" your dose, but this is not necessarily an indication that your dose is too strong. Initial sensitivity is normal and typically subsides after the first several days once you develop a relationship to the medicine. ​ If your dose feels too strong, try taking it with a piece of fruit. If you still feel you need to reduce your current dose, split your single dose capsule into two doses for the first week. Take the first half in the morning (empty 1/2 capsule contents into a glass of lemon water or juice). Take the remaining half capsule in the afternoon with lunch. After a week, reevaluate by returning to the standard protocol of consuming one whole capsule in the morning.

Your protocol is an individual journey that, like most things in life, requires trial & error. If you have sensitive tolerance, we recommend starting at 100mg daily (taken as a single dose capsule in the morning). If you have a higher tolerance or take an SSRI or SNRI, we recommend increasing your daily dose to 150-200mg (taken as a single daily dose or twice daily, i.e. 2x 100mg capsule taken once in the AM & afternoon). Experienced users who already have a relationship to the medicine often choose to personalize their dose, sometimes even taking up to 2-3 doses over the course of an "on" day. Other users who use the medicine to work through anxiety may choose to take two doses on days when external stressors are more imminent. For more detailed dosing information, visit Protocols page. Every journey is different, which is the beauty of medicine work. Tap in & remember that YOU are the medicine. Tap in.

Our work is solely focused on protocol support & cultivating the most intentional medicine available. Part of your journey is taking the leap to find the support that is right for you. For one person, it could be a breathwork instructor or somatic healer. For another, it could be a registered psychotherapist. ​ Visit our Professional Integration page for a list of Kind Teacher recommended practitioners.

Intention-setting is a key cornerstone of medicine work. Take time to reflect about the different aspects of your life and the reasons that compelled you to choose this path. More self love? Effective self expression? Do you have writer’s block or wish to access your creativity more freely? There are infinite possibilities for intention. Use your intention as the North Star to guide your protocol, returning back to it for guidance as you navigate the unfolding path. Like intentionality, integration is of equal importance, so be sure to take time to integrate as you go, meeting the medicine & every step of your path with present moment awareness & time to reflect.

Visit our Integration 101 page to learn what integration is & how to practice integrating. ​ If you're interested in integrating with a professional, visit our Professional Integration referrals page.

Visit Lemon Tek for an overview, journeying benefits & detailed preparation instructions.

Most Lemon Tek users will begin to notice the psychedelic effects of citrus-soaked mushrooms within 10-45 minutes, with the typical experience lasting a total of 4-6 hours. Compared to extended-release dried shrooms, which typically kick in 30-90 minutes after ingestion & last 6-8 hours in total. The more immediate the effects, the shorter the duration and the fewer waves of intensity. For more information, visit Lemon Tek.

Research has shown music enhances emotional processing during a psilocybin therapeutic journey which can lead to positive outcomes. This suggests music should be considered as part of your journey process. Read all about it here Here is a playlist we recommend to check out Journey Playlist

While it’s perfectly safe to consume alcohol in moderation during your protocol, it’s not recommended to use other plant medicines during your protocol. This is so you have clarity around the effects & benefits of your medicine work.

Microdosing is not a fix-all. It requires that the individual who is seeking change is also taking the necessary steps to put change into action. Microdosing is effective when we actively work to tend to & meet all of our basic health needs. For example, regular exercise, hydration & quality sleep are all vital to good health. The magic happens when you show up for yourself consistently in all of the areas of life that require your attention & awareness. Every journey is different. Drop in, listen & proceed accordingly.

​We consider mushrooms to be medicine, not a drug. In fact, high dose therapy has been studied to greatly improve alcoholism. If you are unsure, safeguard your journey with support, including the help of a professional.

THC dissociates cognitive function & decreases dopamine, so using marijuana during your protocol may reduce the effects of your medicine work. Because mushrooms are regenerative agents that work in the opposite way, THC has the potential to reduce the neurological benefits for which a microdosing protocol is designed.

It generally is safe to microdose while taking antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication such as SSRIs and SNRIs. Psilocybin and SSRIs both work on the serotonergic system, so there may be anoverlap between them, creating a small risk of serotonin syndrome. However, serotonin syndrome is possible for anyone taking an SSRI medication — psilocybin use doesn't increase it. ​ SNRIs may blunt the effects of psilocybin, but don't otherwise pose a concern when combining them. Other medications such as NRI/NDRIs and MAOIs have a similar risk of serotonin syndrome and also may dull the effects of psilocybin, but no serious issues have been reported. ​ TCAs should never be mixed with psilocybin because of the potential cardiac risks. Lithium absolutely cannot be used with psilocybin. Combining them can lead to fatal seizures or heart attacks. ​ Psilocybin is effective for addressing mental health concerns such as anxiety and depression, but it is not an immediate replacement for any medication you may currently be taking. Consult your doctor about titrating off of your current medications after you have established ed an effective microdosing protocol.

There is limited research on the interaction between kratom and psilocbyin, but what is known is that kratom may counteract its effects. This could obviate the need for both substances together, so pick which one you want to use and stick with it. No serious reactions have otherwise been reported. It is generally best avoided to combine them unless you have significant experience with both plant medicines.

Cacao has been used for centuries as a heart-opener, but there’s no correlation between mushrooms & milk chocolate, especially as a medicinal pairing. We keep our medicine pure, so you’ll never see us offer chocolates, gummies or any other heavily processed products with added sugar or inactive ingredients.

The concentration of active ingredients is the true marker of potency, which can be measured by weight (mg or g). But bear in mind: weight can be misleading when determining the potency of a heavily formulated mushroom product (like chocolates), which often weigh active ingredients (mushrooms) & inactive ingredients (e.g. chocolate) as a single weight. For example, 1g of mushroom chocolates is far weaker in strength (potency) to 1g of active mushrooms. Using this example, the discrepancy in potency would be closer to 4:1.

While mushrooms can vastly differ in appearance & potency, science hasn’t found that different mushrooms strains or species carry inherently different tendencies. People, however, do, which is why mushrooms speak a unique language to each & every individual.