Jets QB Aaron Rodgers details practice to 'ground' himself (and it's not Ayahuasca)
Aaron Rodgers is no stranger to experimental medicinal practices. He has openly admitted to using psychedelics and even claimed that it helped him back win back-to-back MVP awards in 2020 and 2021.
However, the New York Jets quarterback has been far from MVP form over the past two years. He endured an underwhelming season in 2022, his last with the Green Bay Packers, followed by a disastrous 2023 season, which ended within minutes of his debut for his new team.
Rodgers is eyeing a strong bounce-back year in 2024 and has been using a new shamanic drug to help him focus. In an interview with Haute Time magazine, the 40-year-old revealed he has been using hapé, a herbal plant medicine, once a week to boost recovery after training. He said,
“I first became familiar with it years ago, when I was in Peru. But it has since become a weekly practice for me when I need to ground myself. It’s a great tool for getting back into my body when I’m feeling a little worn out. It’s a good way to re-center.”
Rodgers visited Peru with his then-girlfriend Danica Patrick in the 2020 offseason and tried ayahuasca for the first time during that trip. He then had the best season of his career, recording career-highs in pass completion rate with 70.7% and touchdowns with 48. The quarterback continues to advocate the use of psychedelic drugs.
Aaron Rodgers opens up about attending ayahuasca ceremonies
During the interview with Haute Time magazine, the four-time NFL MVP revealed he attended "numerous ayahuasca ceremonies" and claimed that it bettered his life. To further explain what he experienced, Rodgers said:
"In the weeklong ceremonies, there are a lot of high moments and a lot of difficult moments, but the goal is to find a deeper connection to yourself, to nature and to the people around you. It’s given me a lot of high doses of self-love, forgiveness, and gentleness. Things that have really made a big impact on my life.”
The 40-year-old is under immense pressure to deliver in his comeback season. The clock is ticking on his time as an elite quarterback and his window to win another Super Bowl is fast closing.
It remains to be seen whether Rodgers' out-of-the-box efforts translate into a deep playoff run for the Jets in the upcoming campaign.