New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is a man of many rituals.
His experiences with the hallucinogenic drug ayahuasca are well-documented and his time spent in a dark retreat was the deciding factor in him eventually joining the Jets.
But when I talk about High time magazine, Rodgers also admitted to using hapé.
The medium describes hapé as “a ritual using a sacred tobacco and ashes from sacred fires.”
Rodgers said he performs this ritual once a week to ground himself.
Aaron Rodgers opened up about a special ritual he does every week to ground himself
Rodgers has been open in the past about his use of rituals and drugs, including ayahuasca
“I first learned about it years ago when I was in Peru,” Rodgers told the outlet. “But since then it’s become a weekly habit for me when I need to ground myself.
“It’s a great tool to get back into my body when I’m feeling a little run down. It’s a good way to get centered.”
According to Haute Time, the ritual blend of ash and tobacco can have “cleansing, grounding, and spiritual effects.”
According to several websites, the tobacco and ash are ground into a powder and then inhaled through the nose.
Although his experiences with hapé are not as well documented, Rodgers’ journey with ayahuasca is much more well known.
According to Ian O’Connor’s new book, Out of the Darkness: The Mystery of Aaron Rodgers, he traveled to Peru in 2020, where he drank the psychedelic tea.
After that trip, Rodgers had “probably the best season of his career” — and won the first of two consecutive MVP awards, he said during a speech at Psychedelic Science 2023.
“I would say that doing ayahuasca in particular has changed my life for the better,” Rodgers told Haute Time. “I’ve done countless ayahuasca ceremonies. They’re like microcosms of life.”
Rodgers is hoping to return to the pitch after tearing his Achilles tendon last season
Rodgers said “hundreds of NFL players” have approached him in the past with questions about ayahuasca.
“During the week-long ceremonies, there are many highs and lows, but the goal is to find a deeper connection with yourself, nature, and the people around you,” Rodgers told Haute Time when talking about ayahuasca and other healing modalities.
“It’s given me a lot of self-love, forgiveness, and gentleness. Those are things that have really had a big impact on my life.”
Rodgers is set to return to the field after tearing his Achilles last season, just a few plays into his Jets career. He has yet to take a snap in preseason play.